At the close of a community dinner at one of our Sacred Settlements, people rise up from their seats and, after sharing meals and trading stories, we join hands and sing together.

What we sing depends on the Sacred Settlement, but the theme remains consistent:

We need each other.

Our society values individualism, strength, and pride. Whether we know it or not, or whether we’ve experienced it or not, those values are woven deeply into the fabric of our lives and heritage.

Our individuality is important, but it’s part of a larger story. Strength is a shared quality – and never at the expense of another. It’s less about our accomplishments and victories; it’s a feeling rooted in God’s goodness and transformation of His people.

It’s one thing to talk about these points around a table, trading stories and experiences. It’s something different to share the words together in song.

‍

‍

Singing is part of our shared way of life.

Research shows that singing in groups has the power to create social bonds even between strangers. The physical and emotional benefits of singing together are also proven unequivocally by science. There is something sacred about lifting our voices together in a shared anthem or lament.

We sing at community dinners. We sing while we’re building tiny homes. We sing at our team meetings. We sing in worship, across denominational, theological, and philosophical lines. We sing when we welcome a new neighbor into their home and when a new Sacred Settlement opens. We sing, together.

The songs we sing represent a shared community value expressed through music. It’s one way we stand together, in both celebration and challenges, in the face of hardship and in victory, to proclaim that this story we’re living is much bigger than each of us, yet each voice matters.

You have a song in your heart. Is it one of celebration or one of mourning in this season? Is it about God’s mercy or His justice?

‍

‍‍