Singing Chants
I can’t remember when I first started loving and singing chants. But by now I’m deep into them. If you have the Daybook of My Personal Faith that I published this year, you know that there is a chant in every month, and occasionally there are two. And on February 10th of the Daybook, I wrote about learning from Walter Wink the results of singing a chant over and over for thirty minutes. But normally I don’t do thirty minutes.
However, I always sing a chant at least three times in a row—and then throughout the day. I cement it into my life that day and it’s just about as good as singing it for thirty minutes.
Sometimes I play with it a little. For instance, in the chant “Turn Around,” (February 14) I sang it as written probably for half the day, and then as I was singing it again, I thought: this chant keeps saying “you”. What if I change it to “me”? Well, I tried it, and it catapulted into the very personal and after doing it three or four times, I felt forgiven and like starting over.
turn around – God forgives
mistakes I make – as I live
turn around – God alone
says to me – “come on home”
So sing the chants, feel free to play with them a little, and try out different things with them.
I got a new book on chants for Christmas. When I finish it, you’ll hear about it.
Be sure to check out the Day Book of My Personal Faith
