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Gretchen Riehl's avatar

I love to sing. I’ve sung in church choirs for almost 40 years. And I also love singing hymns as a congregation. Singing is meditation to me. And choir practice is especially so. But your question is about congregational communal singing. For me, it is the blending of voices and creating beauty as one body that is so sacred. Time stops when we sing. And emotions feel deep.

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Lynette Millett's avatar

So much to say about this, but I can't seem to organize my thoughts. I will share something amazing my husband came up with recently, though. We were talking casually about spiritual practices on the wiccan/pagan/tarot/earth-based side of the house.... and were also talking about music... and he said that he's always thought that:

Songs are spells.

And my mind was blown! Songs are spells. I don't know quite what that means to me yet, but I think I agree, especially when songs are sung in groups. What spells are we casting when we sing together?

(For context: I come to UUism as an atheist/rationalist/trained scientist, and it's only in the last few years that I've found myself open receptive to exploring the 'mysteries' side of religion and spirituality..)

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