Like most pastors, I’m considering what it might look like when our congregation is able to gather again. In the online discussions that I have participated in, some have suggested that the congregation not sing. It may be that the prohibition against singing is even mandated in some places. Such a prohibition is hard for me accept. But I get it. Singing takes more breath energy than speaking and the “particles” that inevitably fly from one’s mouth when singing (especially when it is in German!) may travel more than the prescribed six-foot social distancing boundary. Still, as a life-long church musician, that is a hard pill to swallow. As I’ve pondered this, I wondered if singing acapella at a soft level might be an effective compromise. As a choral musician, I know that some of the most poignant moments are often when the choir is singing very softly. I can imagine that a congregation singing hymns softly would have a profound effect. Why hymns?