It’s a Nice Song, but It’s Hard to Sing

This is a saying I picked up from my grandfather. When he used it, he was generally referring to a hymn he experienced on one of those rare occasions when my saintly grandmother could drag him to church.

We all know nice songs that are hard to sing, and I think the idea fits the Lenten scripture passages from the Narrative Lectionary this year quite well. They are familiar passages, but they are hard to live out.

In fact, some of these passage can cause some real dissonance in our lives. Have you ever heard anyone other than Minnie Riperton (mother of Maya Rudolph) sing this song? It’s painful.


And remember this movie scene where a number of young hopefuls attempt to sing Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone? Some can hit the notes, but others fall flat. Sometimes we are rockstars when it comes to being the people God calls us to be, and other times…




Starting a week from today (on Ash Wednesday) a new video message will drop each Wednesday, and I’ll be talking about that topic throughout the next week on this blog, on our FB page and on email.

Looking for a Lenten discipline? I’ll be posting a list of possibilities to consider here tomorrow


Rev. Anne Russ is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), currently based in New York City. Doubting Believer provides tools and encouragement for the rollercoaster ride of your faith journey. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram and YouTube. You can also follow on TikTok. Get emails to keep up with all that is happening.

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