everyone sang at Bethlehem

"Come to Bethlehem" is the children re-enacting the birth of Jesus. Right up front is the stable. In the photo see the shepherds adoring the child. Remember this is rehearsal.

Pastor Scott is adjusting the mic for Katie at the lecturn. Sherry at far right is giving directions. The angel choir is in white.

I was excited to see so much participation. Maybe it's not Broadway, but, hey, we told the story. Actually, it's better than Broadway.

million pieces of Christmas

There's a million of pieces that come together to make Christmas really come. At least when working with the young people and the musicians of a church.

The Saturday before Christmas Eve energy was high at Zion. All over the sanctuary, overflowing into the fellowship hall and the hallways. Mini-rehearsals were taking place in Sunday school rooms. On the "stage" of the church it all came together under the brilliant supervision of Sherry.

Here Art and Joyce share the joy of the moment.

It was a wonderful expression of cooperation, love, joy, and beauty when it all came together Sunday and then on Monday, Christmas Eve.

my first staff meeting

The word went out yesterday. Staff meeting at noon.

When do we have staff meetings? I asked. Whenever needed, not often. Maintenance was there. Assistant pastor. Other asst. pastor was out. Secretary and financial secretary. Pastor came late from a meeting.

Meeting at 12? I noticed. Well, we have lunch together. Yum. The office is already regaled with cookies and candies, but this was solid Costco meat balls. Someone goes to the youth room and brings soda.

What an easy-going meeting, often interrupted by persons coming into the office, right across the hall from our room.

I need "mail boxes" for the choir to keep their folders in, and I learn how to get that done. Tomorrow the organ tuner is coming. There's a tunnel for the heating system most people don't know about. Lots of interesting and useful stuff. I loved it.

For supper I'm going to another fellowship meal. Then it's choir rehearsal for the second time in the new rehearsal room.

First shall be last

In the sermon Pastor Hunter mentioned that famous phrase, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Well, the last hymn comes on Sunday. I'm waiting for the organist to lead it. I look to the accompanist for direction. Then it struck me--I'm in charge of the singing, duh!

I'm "first" but I was last to catch on. The organist shakes her head. Pianist signals, I don't know. What is wrong? Okay. I sit at the piano and bang out the last hymn, "Go Tell It on the Mountain."

And who would have guessed it? They sang with full heart.

Third week on the job and I'm learning faster all the time. Nobody else is getting these ducks in a row. That's what I'm here for.

To process or not to process

One of those existential questions is facing me down. I'd like to duck. Does the choir process during the entrance hymn, "O Come All Ye Faithful"?

In a large church with a not immutable tradition of ceremony, one voice says why march in in robes. Another voice says why not?

I'm going to say, Yeah, we process. My choir is loaded with germs of inspiration and I want them to infect the whole worship space. I want them to stop in dead center of the aisle and sing their voices and hearts out on "sing choir of angels, sing in exaltation, sing all ye citizens..."

The choir is the leader of the song of worship. What better place to lead than from center-center, right in the heart. I want the organ to cut back on that 3rd verse and make the rafters ring with human spirit air.

bucket has a hole...

The song goes "there's a hole in my bucket," etc. What's a bucket in this day and age?

What doesn't have a hole is my work space. I'm talking about those holes at the back of your desk with all the wires going through.

There are critical elements of worship waiting to be worked out for the Christmas Eve service, and I'm tracking down Bill on the walkie-talkie to found out how to get a hole. The Christmas lights cord is passing in front of my desk.

Those, too, serve who drill holes.

New adult choir rehearsal room

I looked around the church for a rehearsal place for the choir. Bill helped me look and consider the pros and cons.

Pastor Hunter helped me decide on Footprints room, 131.

I need a studio atmosphere instead of a large stage atmosphere. I need a blackboard. I need flexible seating so we can face each other, or cluster in voice groups.

So, adult choir, starting Wednesday the 12th--7 p.m. in #131.

Vast musical resources in congregation

The musical forces at Zion are vast. Last evening someone told me of a young person who would like to study organ. I'm told there are seven outstanding pianists among the congregation. There are two organists besides myself.

There are not a lot of woodwinds. Perhaps no brass. But many guitarists and other instruments. I keep learning.

I love this. It gives musical momentum. It gives a critical musical mass which makes a lot of good things possible.

pumpkin holds up to snow

Thursday morning, and my Zion pumpkin stands proudly in the snow. In October, when I met Pastor Hunter in the church office and practiced on the organ for an audition, I walked into a pumpkin church. "Here," Hunter said. "Take one."

I did and insisted on paying for it.

The thermometer says 19 degrees outside. I know this vegetable can't survive long in the freezing weather. But there it sits, on my front porch, beside one of the posts, shivering with a few of the flowers soaking in the sun.

It's a good reminder of Zion, the strength I find there, the laughing at the onslaughts of bothersome weather, the living in the light and radiating it back, making the world a prettier place.

I'm looking forward to worship this Sunday.

driving far

I lot of people ask me how the driving to and from Souderton is going. I sometimes say that the driving is the easiest part of my job. Playing the Fisk tracker action organ, finding just the right anthems for January, helping Pastor Hunter plan the Christmas Eve service--that's the hard part.

If I take the shortest route I have 54 miles one way. With a stay over Tuesday night, I put on 216 miles a week. I'd like to get "greener" than that. May son walks to work at the newspaper office from his appartment.

When in Leola I walk to work--from the house to the office in the barn. I considered all these things when Pastor Hunter and I made the first contacts about this interim work. Thanks for the prayers.

yacht club sweater

Who wants to claim a yacht club sweater?

Tuesday afternoon I was getting a little chilly and found a small sweater hanging behind the back office door. Thought it couldn't hurt to wear it a few hours.

Asked everyone. No one claims it so far. If I had my camera along I'd show you a photo of it. Lots of insignias and cute stuff on it.

my very own Zion email

Jenn in the office is really up to speed with my email. Already yesterday I had one set up for me. Here it is: glenn@zionmennonite.org

And, today I got my very first work email on my zion account. It was a question about song leading. Had I written a book.

Easy response. Yes. Title is You Can Lead Singing. And you can borrow my copy or buy it on Amazon.

google calendar

I've set up a calendar so Zion people and family can see when I'm on the Zion campus. It will always be on the left column of this blog.

You can also add it to your own Google Calendar using the button below, or subscribe using this iCal feed.

brown hymnal?

Walk through these door ten years ago, you were in "GC" territory. That's General Conference on the denominational time line.

My first boss ever was Vern Preheim, a GC-er who rose to headship of the denomination by the time of the merger. He was my boss at Mennonite Central Committee for three years.

So I thought I knew something about GC. One important thing Vern never clued me in on. The 1969 hymnal is the brown hymnal. At my home church it is the red hymnal.

How about we merge brown and red and come up with rust. Who wants to sing out of the rusty hymnal? See that nice blue sign in photo? We all agree that the new hymnal is blue.

second day, first crisis

No sooner had the first benefit come, than the first pressure point came.

What about "Come to Bethlehem." First I have to find out what it is. Oh, the children's musical, complete with shepherds and angel outfits. AND, orchestra.

My mind is going pretty fast. Let's see--promotion, costumes, scores for the instruments, rehearsals, selections of songs.

This is way beyond me. Then Brenda and Gail walk me through the basics after choir rehearsal.

Children come first. Here's Olivia Hess, the first child photo I got. All the kids at Zion are going to get some memory of Christmas.

It's not a crises. It's just a pressure point.

What do I expect when a church music job begins the first Sunday of Advent.

"bones" free lunch

The second day on the job and the first benefit--free lunch at Bones Grill. How lucky do I get.

Here's the Zion staff loading up in Scott's van for the trek back to the office after a great lunch made possible by Erin Price winning a lunch for 20.

first day on the job

I walk in ready to go to work for Zion. Where to start. Hunter (seated) gives me a good orientation. At 11 Nancy (second from right on photo) gives me a good hour on choir orientation.

It takes another hour to figure out the computer and the programs the office is using. I find the refrig to keep my sandwich chilled. Late in the day I switch to organ, and practice and store my scores.

Then it's supper at O'Grady's family restaurant in Souderton, and from there down rte. 309 to Hunter house. At seven I meet with the worship committee, which is planning hymns for Advent. Discussion ranges far and wide. These people are sharp and fun. Also tenacious. I think it was all done by 9:15. (See if I remember all names: l to r, Kevin, Hunter, Joyce, Nancy, and Edie.)

Then home, discovering one headlight of the Neon is kaput, so I turn on the fog lights to compensate.

Bags are packed

It's the day before I begin at Zion. I should be scared, right? But I don't feel scared.

There's nothing like work to keep the nerves calm.

So, all morning I go to the hardware store and get what I need to wire up the lamplight. All afternoon I'm re-ordering my office. Dorcas, at home from a long Thanksgiving Day weekend, slaves away with me. In between, some orders for Harmonies products come in. Mostly Amish CDs. But some Christmas music. A Kercheval couple in California clicked on the sound sample and said, That's it. They called by telephone. Most orders come email.

Late afternoon Zion is on my mind. I hunker down on the sofa and select the organ books I'll take tomorrow. I go to the piano and play through the anthems I got at the audition. I read through, again, the Sunday worship bulletin I got several weeks ago when Hunter had me visit incognito. All the names! All the details!

I'm not ready. Yes I am ready.

Photo: my house where the lamp post was installed to far left a week ago

Pastor Hunter calls

I'm finishing a lunch of left-overs. The phone rings. It's Hunter. He said he'd call this morning. It's a little past noon. Last evening the church board was going to meet to consider offering me the position of interim minister of worship.

It's all clear, he said. It's a go.

That's big for me. I first spoke with him August 31. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. My last email said to him, this is not just another gig. This defines who I am.

When do you start? I'll come next Tuesday, November 27. Good, he says. Bring anything you have about Advent. We haven't planned that yet. There's no time to lose. I'll be there.

That's me and Dorcas in the photo.