ULOG 29: Freewrite Day 346 Surprising Music in My Life

I do not listen to music much anymore. It distracts me from my work and I am working most of the time. But all of the sudden I do have music in my life again in a couple of unexpected ways and both are religious.

I live next to a big mosque here in Kuala Lumpur. Therefore I hear the “call to prayer” five times a day if I am here and awake. I love this! I use it as a “call to exercise” and get up and move if I am working. I find the sound very soothing. I have no idea what is being sung, but it is repetitive and sticks in my head.

And on the Christian front, I am attending a wonderful church service now that starts with about an hour of music each Sunday. As a traditional Episcopalian, this is very different from the traditional hymns I am used to. There is a band playing with guitars, keyboards, drums, and singers. The music is loud, uplifting, rock-and-roll-ish, and everyone in the congregation is singing along as it goes. Thankfully the words are projected on the wall in case you don’t know them.

In my nomadic life, I have attended many different churches over the years, but nothing has prepared me for this experience. Although I am in Malaysia, the only thing I can relate this to is how I imagine a African American church in the Southern US to be. After an hour of all this singing, the sermons come through in a whole different way than I am used to and the words of them take a very direct path to my soul.

My post is for the #freewrite daily challenge by @mariannewest. Freewrite is a great way to post on steemit when you do not think you have the time, or talent, or anything to say. I know you can do this too! Here is Marianne’s freewrite prompt post for today. Give it a try and surprise yourself.