InSpiritry

Jazz is the sound of God laughing.” Colleen Shadox

With a week of drenching rain finally over and an autumn chill in the sunny air, I decided to open all the windows this morning to celebrate the changing seasons. At my laptop, as I write this post, a gentle wind is dancing through the turning leaves and rustling the limbs. It is just enough to set singing our several sets of windchimes. Each one is tuned to a different pitch, and we have hung them in various spots around our yard. The result is that, on days like today, the air carries a veritable symphony of music: round-toned moans, cheerful harmonies, bright staccatos. Listening with my eyes closed for a minute, I feel moved to tears then to laughter then to peace.

A believer in prayer and worship as a constant condition, I realize that if the sound of my windchimes stirs my spirit, I am hearing sacred music! That idea sets me thinking about the many kinds of sacred sounds in the world we experience as holy, and every culture has its own beautiful traditions.

“Sound travels in waves that enter our body.

It really does have the ability to change us.”

A Modern Spiritualist

The first thing that comes to mind is the sound of bells: church bells in steeples, small bells rung by children, Tibetan brass bells, huge gongs. Then I think of drums. Almost every faith uses some form of a drum: African talking drums, hand drums, modern snare drums, bongo drums, deep bass drums. Another kind of musical sound that has called people to spirituality since ancient times is the sound of strings being plucked. Lyres, harps, guitars, lutes, dombras, mandolins, violins, banjo and even pianos use strings! And what about the beautiful sound of the human breath amplified and shaped as flute or horn of metal or wood or reed or bone or shell. There are, of course, dozens of other musical instruments that inspire listeners like organs, rattles, bagpipes, accordions, whistles and electronic synthesizers. We are also blessed by the millions of talented musicians who use those instruments in beautifully creative ways!

As I think of my own favorite inspirational musical artists and songs, I consider the many ways the human voice can be used to awaken our spirits in song, laughter, story, sermon, essay, poem. For some of us, a gospel chorus does it. For some, it is a meditative Ohm or an ancient chant. For others, it’s a moving soloist. Some prefer a rousing singalong, a great praise service, jazz, hip-hop, folk music or soulful blues. Wow, this makes me want to get out all my favorite CDs and listen. I know I will approach church tomorrow with a new perspective!

All of the sudden the windchimes are ringing in the wind again. Coming to me through the open window, it is almost as if they are part of the trees and the grass and the sky. I think of the countless natural sounds that can open our hearts by their very hearing. Most of us appreciate natural sounds, but for those of us who revere the outdoors, Nature is holy in itself and its sounds are absolutely sacred. In fact, though I have experienced amazing indoor holy spaces, my most memorable worship experiences have been in forests, on mountains and beside oceans and lakes. For me, in Nature, God and the universe seem pure and unadulterated. And, finally, who can deny the power of hearing wind rustling the trees, water flowing over stones, thunder rattling the sky, early morning birdsong, moonlit wolf howl?

On this crisp, cool autumn day, what a delight to realize how many sounds can transport us into a sense of the sacred. When we need to be lifted out of our troubles or the weight of our worldliness, all we have to do is listen. That’s it! We can just listen — and allow our bodies to let go of the physical, to awaken the spiritual, to feel that lump in our throats, that urge to laugh then cry, a sense of relief, the power of God’s presence, a remembrance of loved ones, an experience of utter oneness with all that is! For my husband, the clear tones of an Indian flute are sacred; acoustic guitar also stirs his heart. For me, it can be the sound of African a capello singing, a child laughing, a bird calling, the ocean’s roar or the miraculous sound of my own breath flowing in and out as it could not do for so many years.

What about you? What awakens your spirit self? What do you count as sacred sounds? What does God’s voice sound like to you? Just listen!

When We Listen for Sacred Sounds, Our World Can Be a Blessing!

Join the InSpiritry Conversation about this post!  What sounds are sacred for you?

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 2:15 pm and is filed under Music, Nature, Celebration, Anne McCrady, InSpiritry, InSpiration, Environment, Greater Good, Spiritual. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.