The Hymn Sing

One of our international students stops in to my office from time to time to catch up on news and sing a few hymns with me. I always enjoy our hymn sings! At Christmas, he went home to visit his family - something he does not do every year. I was happy he had the opportunity to be with his parents and siblings and relatives in his own country, in his own home, in his own bed! It must have seemed like heaven.

That sweet boy brought me back a gift - a hymnal from his home church! He had brought his copy for our hymn sings from time to time and it is so different from anything I have ever used. The texts are often familiar, but the tunes are all new. In his hymnal, they print the tune at the top of the page and the verses beneath. It is sometimes a challenge skipping back and forth until I learn the tunes.

He, of course, knows them all by heart - or at least most of them. He has a rich baritone voice and loves to sing. The resonance and warmth helps cover my scratchy and not fully recovered less than pretty sound, but together we blend nicely. Sometimes he will ask what tune I know, and I teach him the one I am familiar with. Its a wonderful exchange.

Today, for the first time since I received my beautiful gift, we sang together. I asked if we could just start at the beginning and work our way through the whole hymnal! He agreed and we sang three for our maiden hymn sing. I know full well we will not make it very far because this amazing young man is a senior and will graduate this May.

I bless him for taking precious time out of his full schedule to spend a few minutes sharing his faith culture with me. What a great way to start the day!