I've always thought the soundtrack of life should have an appropriate score. I sing in the shower and in the car and often when I'm alone. Now I also I grew up in the church singing those good old hymns, and they are deeply imbedded in my psyche. In times of elation and moments of distress they bubble to the surface of my consciousness, sort of the reverse of a pop-up video.
Music has a power beyond simple thought.
It connects with the heart and integrates mind, body, and soul, as well as joining a community of voices. No matter what our differences, when we join our voices in song, we are for those precious moments united in something and connected to someone greater than ourselves. There are problems with the old hymns, of course. God is always addressed as male, and the hymnal lacks the rich and diverse poetic imagery of God we celebrate today. We need an inclusive language hymnal which leaves no one out, and in the language we all use and understand.