Your Voice Matters

I attended Sunday morning worship at church today and was reminded how important it is to my sense of well-being. We all need a space where we can allow ourselves to be vulnerable and to redirect our inner compass, in terms of living in a way we can feel good about. There was a little hesitation because I went alone, but I knew it was where I needed to be. I found a seat in a spot where I often have, near people I feel comfortable with. My favorite part of worship is the singing and the music. I grew up in the United Methodist church, and am old enough to remember singing 2-3 hymns in worship each week. Summer worship includes 1 hymn per week, and the earlier church service that I prefer the rest of the year are praise songs only. I like praise songs, but there is something about the hymns that stir me deeply. I am beginning to think it is a mix of the music and the ties to my earlier days when it was easier for me to find a connection to God and my faith. Opening the hymn book now feels like putting on an old baseball glove that is broken in and feels like an extension of yourself. It connects to a part of myself I have tamped down, and it holds a joy in my heart that has not died, only gotten a bit dusty on the shelf of time. I sang the first several songs, but was not "feeling it". About 1/2 way through worship, I began to sing with a sense of meaning to the words and music. By the time we sang the hymn, tears were blurring my vision, but fortunately there was no lump in my throat, so I sang it with as much care as I could muster. I am coming to learn that bringing one's best effort in the present moment is accompanied by grace. I used to think I had to be bringing my "A game" for it to be worthwhile for me to show up and be present. I sense God and those around me do not see it that way. God and those in our presence are more impressed with the heart we are bringing to things in the here and now. Others around us sense it as well, which makes for a connection and community that helps me to glow. My hope for others is that they find things that they enjoy and figure out little ways to connect with others by doing those things. By doing so, we can find a way of living that invigorates us and connects us.