Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life March Challenge
For more Spiritual Thursday posts, click over to Irene’s Live your Poem
Welcome to the first of 31 daily posts for the March Slice of Life Challenge. This is my 7th year to do this challenge, and every year I think I won’t make it through. Somehow I do.
Writing daily is a discipline I try to keep, but when met with a daily publishing deadline, it becomes more important somehow. Someone is waiting to hear from me. Someone is listening. Someone cares what I have to say.
Today is also the first Thursday of the month when a group of us who met through blogging come together to write about our spiritual journeys around a theme. This month Karen Eastland is hosting at Irene Latham’s blog. Her chosen theme is music.
Music is an integral part of my spiritual life. I’ve been in church choirs ever since I was a teenager. To me, singing a hymn is praying, loving, praising.
This poem is a golden shovel. The line of poetry that forms the right margin is from Irene Latham’s poem Music Teacher that is included in Lee Bennett Hopkins collection School People.
When I sing in the loft, the music fills my soul. I am transported and transformed. Last Sunday, I was given the opportunity to chant the Psalm. The chanting music is notated with a line of music at the top of the page. Each line of the psalm has symbols for changing intonation and moving notes. It’s complicated. I can’t read the music and the words at the same time and the notation is a blur. So I just have to feel it. I sing whatever comes out. I have no practice or education in Anglican chant, but I’m willing to breathe in and let God take over my voice. True consecration of my lips.
Sample of Anglican Chant music
Reflections on the Teche 
When we go for our evening walk, on Sunday evenings we can hear the music from a nearby church. There is something soul touching in that music.
Music is such an important part of my spiritual journey. I love this post. Thank you for sharing! Happy Slicing!
Music… the soundtrack from Call me by your Name has overtaken me. Good to be back with you Margaret. 🙂
What a peaceful slice to start my day. Here’s to a wonderful month of writing, Margaret! Now that I hear you on Voxer everyday I can almost hear your voice reading these words aloud-MUSIC to my ears!
I am Episcopal, 57 years in the same church, St. Ann’s Sayville, Long Island, New York. I taught Sunday School 25 years, now usher, lector, Vestry but if I sang we would lose everyone at the Mass. Music does move my spirit and soul, as I sing softly to myself and I end up humming at least one of the hymns all day.
We all have our talents. I tried one run on the vestry and prefer not knowing anything about that side of church. I’d love to visit your church some day. Ours is more than 150 years old. The whispers of forebears can be heard when it’s completely quiet.
You blessed me this morning, especially with “… I’m willing to breathe in and let God take over my voice. True consecration of my lips.” That is what heart praise and prayer truly is. I think I need to join your “spiritual journeys” group…. I can handle once a month 🙂
You are welcome to join. Irene keeps us organized so send her an email.
What a beautiful poem. I love “consecrated lips.” I have a new challenge for myself this month. I have never written a golden shovel. My challenge is find a line from one your poems and write one! I will save it for a Friday when I can double dip! 🙂
Hey, friend. Another connection we have. I’m a choir girl, too! I’m choir-less at the moment, but someday soon. I miss it terribly. I have yet to attempt a golden shovel. They terrify me. It’s a goal I have for myself between now and the end of Poetry Month! Happy SOLC! 🙂
I love the SOLC for this very reason, finding connections! Have you written a sonnet? Those scare me.
[…] by a group of supportive friends to encourage me all the way. A special shout out to my friend Margaret Simon, who is my greatest writing cheerleader, and my newly found writing tribe at TeachWrite. Let’s do […]
This is so lovely, Margaret. Music does fill our souls. Thank you for sharing this and filling mine.
I’ve recently gone back to church after a couple of years away. I’ve been struck, in returning, by the way that the music floods and fills my thirsty soul.
Love your golden shovel! Not an easy task. And the thought of feeling the music…I married into a musical family. I so wish I had an ounce of musical talent…but glad that I can appreciate people like you and my husband who feel the music.
Beautiful poem, Margaret, and the backstory of how your voice flows is music to my ears.