One thing I love about going to fellowships here is that I get to hear songs being sung in a different language to our Creator. I enjoy listening to the songs that people from this country have written, but my favorite is when they have translated an English hymn. I love hearing the familiar tune and listening to my new language being sung to it. I have been studying how to read the symbols of this language, so while in a fellowship I practice my reading during the songs that are originals to this country, but usually I just can't help singing along in English to How Great Thou Art, Tis So Sweet, and Only Trust Him. People here have no shame about the volume of their voices when they sing, so the place is always booming in song. I can't explain the joy in my heart when I hear people from this country praising Him. Kinda reminds me of a vision when we will all be singing in every tongue to our King. So wonderful.
In a normal fellowship here there is a time slot for special music. Not the type of special music that is in the bulletin for a fellowship back home, when someone's name is in the bulletin and has "specially" prepared a "special" song for the "special" music time. This time slot is for anyone who wants to sing a song or if anyone wants to hear someone else sing a song. It's most likely not planned and is very spontaneous. Someone introduces the special music time and then the mic and the band are free use to anyone for the next 20 to 30 minutes. Usually I just sit back and enjoy the unashamed willingness to sing in front of large crowds. I have been warned by many that they like to get the foreigners up to sing, I had been fortunate to somehow get by thus far without being called out.
A couple Sundays ago, however my good friend was in charge of guiding the service. She had been telling me (or warning me) that she wanted me to sing one day at the fellowship. I always laughed and said, "No, thank you." Well yesterday she decided to call her best foreigner friend out in front of everyone. I think that they assume us foreigners also have no shame when it comes to singing in front of larges groups of people on the spot. As people turned towards me and encouraged me forward, I had no choice. My supervisors were also (literally) pushing me out of my chair in excitement to see how I would handle this reality check of culture. I nervously walked to the front of the room and racked my brains for a song to sing. The only one I could think of was How Great Thou Art. We had just sang it in L a few minutes before, they sing it in a very fast paced tune, so in those few seconds before I got to the mic I figured they wouldn't know that I'm singing the same song if I sing it real slow like we do back in the States.
Back home, I grew up singing in front of our fellowship. I was use to it and I loved doing it, so this wasn't completely foreign to me, but there is something about extreme spontaneity that really gets your adrenaline going. I said the traditional few words in L that everyone says before they sing a song, told them I would be singing in English, and began. Much to my avail, the band figured out what song I was singing and started playing along with me. I could tell that it was unnatural for them to play it so slow, but by the end they were really getting into it and I could tell that it completely didn't matter that I was singing the same song because I was singing in English and it was so different from the way they normally sing it.
At the end I thanked Father in L, like everyone always does and walked back to my seat. As I sat there, I realized how much fun that was. I haven't sung with a mic in my hand in so long and I didn't realize how much I missed it.
However, I learned my cultural lesson of the day and from now on I will be prepared for a "special music" foreigner call out...
Sunday, June 10, 2012
That's Normal Here #2 "Special Music"
One thing I love about going to fellowships here is that I get to hear songs being sung in a different language to our Creator. I enjoy listening to the songs that people from this country have written, but my favorite is when they have translated an English hymn. I love hearing the familiar tune and listening to my new language being sung to it. I have been studying how to read the symbols of this language, so while in a fellowship I practice my reading during the songs that are originals to this country, but usually I just can't help singing along in English to How Great Thou Art, Tis So Sweet, and Only Trust Him. People here have no shame about the volume of their voices when they sing, so the place is always booming in song. I can't explain the joy in my heart when I hear people from this country praising Him. Kinda reminds me of a vision when we will all be singing in every tongue to our King. So wonderful.
In a normal fellowship here there is a time slot for special music. Not the type of special music that is in the bulletin for a fellowship back home, when someone's name is in the bulletin and has "specially" prepared a "special" song for the "special" music time. This time slot is for anyone who wants to sing a song or if anyone wants to hear someone else sing a song. It's most likely not planned and is very spontaneous. Someone introduces the special music time and then the mic and the band are free use to anyone for the next 20 to 30 minutes. Usually I just sit back and enjoy the unashamed willingness to sing in front of large crowds. I have been warned by many that they like to get the foreigners up to sing, I had been fortunate to somehow get by thus far without being called out.
A couple Sundays ago, however my good friend was in charge of guiding the service. She had been telling me (or warning me) that she wanted me to sing one day at the fellowship. I always laughed and said, "No, thank you." Well yesterday she decided to call her best foreigner friend out in front of everyone. I think that they assume us foreigners also have no shame when it comes to singing in front of larges groups of people on the spot. As people turned towards me and encouraged me forward, I had no choice. My supervisors were also (literally) pushing me out of my chair in excitement to see how I would handle this reality check of culture. I nervously walked to the front of the room and racked my brains for a song to sing. The only one I could think of was How Great Thou Art. We had just sang it in L a few minutes before, they sing it in a very fast paced tune, so in those few seconds before I got to the mic I figured they wouldn't know that I'm singing the same song if I sing it real slow like we do back in the States.
Back home, I grew up singing in front of our fellowship. I was use to it and I loved doing it, so this wasn't completely foreign to me, but there is something about extreme spontaneity that really gets your adrenaline going. I said the traditional few words in L that everyone says before they sing a song, told them I would be singing in English, and began. Much to my avail, the band figured out what song I was singing and started playing along with me. I could tell that it was unnatural for them to play it so slow, but by the end they were really getting into it and I could tell that it completely didn't matter that I was singing the same song because I was singing in English and it was so different from the way they normally sing it.
At the end I thanked Father in L, like everyone always does and walked back to my seat. As I sat there, I realized how much fun that was. I haven't sung with a mic in my hand in so long and I didn't realize how much I missed it.
However, I learned my cultural lesson of the day and from now on I will be prepared for a "special music" foreigner call out...
In a normal fellowship here there is a time slot for special music. Not the type of special music that is in the bulletin for a fellowship back home, when someone's name is in the bulletin and has "specially" prepared a "special" song for the "special" music time. This time slot is for anyone who wants to sing a song or if anyone wants to hear someone else sing a song. It's most likely not planned and is very spontaneous. Someone introduces the special music time and then the mic and the band are free use to anyone for the next 20 to 30 minutes. Usually I just sit back and enjoy the unashamed willingness to sing in front of large crowds. I have been warned by many that they like to get the foreigners up to sing, I had been fortunate to somehow get by thus far without being called out.
A couple Sundays ago, however my good friend was in charge of guiding the service. She had been telling me (or warning me) that she wanted me to sing one day at the fellowship. I always laughed and said, "No, thank you." Well yesterday she decided to call her best foreigner friend out in front of everyone. I think that they assume us foreigners also have no shame when it comes to singing in front of larges groups of people on the spot. As people turned towards me and encouraged me forward, I had no choice. My supervisors were also (literally) pushing me out of my chair in excitement to see how I would handle this reality check of culture. I nervously walked to the front of the room and racked my brains for a song to sing. The only one I could think of was How Great Thou Art. We had just sang it in L a few minutes before, they sing it in a very fast paced tune, so in those few seconds before I got to the mic I figured they wouldn't know that I'm singing the same song if I sing it real slow like we do back in the States.
Back home, I grew up singing in front of our fellowship. I was use to it and I loved doing it, so this wasn't completely foreign to me, but there is something about extreme spontaneity that really gets your adrenaline going. I said the traditional few words in L that everyone says before they sing a song, told them I would be singing in English, and began. Much to my avail, the band figured out what song I was singing and started playing along with me. I could tell that it was unnatural for them to play it so slow, but by the end they were really getting into it and I could tell that it completely didn't matter that I was singing the same song because I was singing in English and it was so different from the way they normally sing it.
At the end I thanked Father in L, like everyone always does and walked back to my seat. As I sat there, I realized how much fun that was. I haven't sung with a mic in my hand in so long and I didn't realize how much I missed it.
However, I learned my cultural lesson of the day and from now on I will be prepared for a "special music" foreigner call out...
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Katy! I love this story. :) Wish I could have been there to shove you out of your seat along with everyone else. 555. hak jao lai lai!!!! Kawp jai tii jao kian leuang ni hai puakhao aan. juup juup. :-) <3 <3
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