flute with anthem

The bulletin did not mention the flute player yesterday in worship--Joyce Price. Sorry I overlooked that. It's not a mere detail. Her fine playing with the anthem was an integral part of the whole. Thanks so much!

harp clip

If you liked the organ clip, here's a harp clip. It's Sarah playing "Lo How A Rose" last Sunday at Zion. Mike was on a music stand against center of front wall.

http://www.box.net/shared/mksm26re7r

It's Christmas. Let the music roll!

pipe organ student

It's a rare youth who tackles the pipe organ. But is it really harder than mastering the Blackberry?

Eric Kehs kind of makes it look easy. He's active in youth activities and musical activities at Zion. Here I caught him practicing a student version of "Old Hundredth" or the doxology. Click on this and then hit play.

http://www.box.net/shared/gzokgdha25

harp plus this week

Advent III. Every church musician knows the heightened pace. Lots of music. Lots of children and big people. Lots of expectations.

This Sunday is no different. A big effort to tell the story of Jesus.

There will be lots of songs. Lots of instruments. One of them will be this harp which my daughter, Sarah, plays. Behind it, my piano at home.

two food paradigms

I wish I had the camera at the singles fellowship breakfast Pastor Beth planned in a private home. Two splendid egg casseroles, french toast, roasted oatmeal, fruit, and on and on. It was lovely and beautiful beyond words. Thanks so much!

Later in the day it was time to take the red wagon offering of food items to Indian Valley food bank, right in Souderton. It looked like the little country store of back in the day. A difference--no price tags. Things here are free but really expensive--you have to have proof of need. Hunger was the price tag. More than I wanted to pay. Zion items in boxes bottom left.

potter at breakfast

Roy Yoder, a potter not far from Souderton, was the feature "speaker" at the appreciation breakfast for the ministers of the two local MCUSA conferences. I was the song leader.

Roy: the piece is being shaped from both outside and inside.

Songs: "I owe the Lord a morning song," "gathered here in the mystery of this hour" (with motions), Chinese thanksgiving hymn (with hand chimes), advent ancient chant "Creator of the stars of night (with hand chimes), "Spirit of the living God" (hum with eyes closed first time), and "O beautiful star of Bethlehem."

red wagon offering

Pulling a wagon down the aisle. That appeals to the boy in me.

But what was going on in my head when we planned the Thanksgiving Eve service was all those announcements this fall about local food banks running out of food.

Okay. I can see the point of not having a budget offering. But, can we all bring a can for the food bank? That's how we got to Red Wagon Offering. And here it is. Yeah, worship can be a down to earth thing.

blog forgotten?

Where did November go? Looking at my blog you'd think I did nothing.



Fact is, I was doing so much Advent and Christmas preparation that the blog fell by the wayside.

Look at this work on the right. Art by Juanita Yoder, niece of the local potter, Roy Yoder. This is "Advent and Christmas" for a church.

jykart.com, if you want to see more. I can picture this brightening up our Christmas Eve.

the glow of a candle

What is this power of a candle?

While the choir sang the anthem last Sunday, "In the seasons of our silence," people were invited to light a candle in memory of someone lost this year. It was our simple way to appropriate All Saints (Souls) Day. My back was turned to the memorial station. Was anyone taking advantage of the opportunity, I wondered?

All 18 candles were lit when I turned and looked after the choir was seated. We sang: " neither life nor death can part us..." and "for the silver thread that binds us to these lives we've touched and known."

"Tears," the pastor told me afterwards.

voting and valet

I walk into the church on a work day with a portable file case pulling down one arm and a lunch box in the other hand, a coffee carafe hitched somehow to a loose finger. Opening the door is always a challenge.

Today the door also served as a door to the local polling station. Someone opened it for me, as citizens came and went to vote. Nice valet-like service. Thanks.

snow the 28th

How far is it from Harleysville to Souderton. Well, it's as far as from rain to snow. This is the same weather that postponed the World Series game in Philadelphia last night. Rain on Sumneytown Pike. Half snow in Franconia. Snow in Souderton.

I don't believe this--two inches of snow! What's the meaning? Were the Phillies doing too well? Is this to give us the motivation to get on with our Christmas planning? Is this to say Mother Nature will do what Mother Nature will do? Is this to get us in the spirit of All Souls Sunday this Sunday?

Where are the clues? Let's see--Souderton spelled backwards is "not red uos." Hmmm...not red us? A neighbor has a lawn sign up--if you're seeing red, vote blue. Nah. Nature is not political.

sample the anthem

The previous post mentioned "Look at the world" by Rutter. Here's a decent youtube of a small choir in England (probably professional) singing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-6_pIWPbgI

autumn worship

One of the great features of the Zion campus is the barn (see pic). This Sunday, Oct. 26, there will be some autumnal colors in the leaves around it.

Maybe its the agriculture in my family background, maybe it's Americana. I don't know for sure. But autumn draws me to barns and to anthems such as the one the choir is doing this Sunday, "Look at the world," by Rutter.

junior choir starts strong

The Junior Choir (where's my camera when I could really use it?) opened its season with two songs done very well--You Are Holy, and We Are Marching in the Light of God.

Thanks, you guys. And thanks to Director Gail and Darlene at the piano.

Thanks, Judy

Faithful Zion member, Judy McVaugh, carefully put all the music titles on computer. Here Kara Glick, Minister of Worship, and I enjoy the results after popping the cd in the computer. Left column is title, then composer. Then the really sweet stuff of looking for the perfect piece of music--does it have a flute part? a handbell part? just for men's voices? is it a Thanksgiving piece?

This will save tons of time for music people at Zion. How can we say thanks to Judy?

choir on steps again

Here's the choir this morning--first singing the anthem, "Take time to be holy." We stayed on the steps for the hymn, "Listen, God is calling." Then a close-up. A few persons have asked me about when the choir will wear robes again. The schedule has us doing it in November. But if there is interest maybe we should do it before then. Four persons are singing with the choir this fall who didn't sing last year--Kara, Ned, Lia, and Danielle. I'm so grateful for them. (Pic by Julia).

wells of ... salvation

An old song goes "open the wells of grace and salvation." Zion has a well in front of the barn. The people at the fall festival tent this morning will not be drinking from it, even though this pump looks like it still works. In the day, you got water from a stream, from a well, or from the rain. Having a well was a big deal. Jesus met a woman at a well and asked for a drink.

street name anomoly

A brilliant blue sky lights up the Zion campus. The barn looks inviting. The festival tent glows yellow behind the trees. But the street sign demanded I take this pic. Zion's lead pastor is named Hunter Hess. How does he get a street named after him--Hunters Way. What are the chances?

taking the good news outdoors

One way Zion lives the good news is through the fall fesitval. What's more American than Christians gathering in a tent for a good old time! Somehow those pears near the tent and the stark limbs of the tree both say something to me about the beauty of God's world.

Sunday school not closed

Due to the delayed school opening in Souderton, we've got some children spending time now and then in the church office. So some of their toys get strewn about, such as these airplanes on the front counter. A lot of us in the Zion office have school-age children--Jenn, Scott, Hunter.

As a 4/7th non-resident of Souderton (I work here 3 days a week) I'm allowed to not take sides in the teacher/board negociations. Instead I can make observations.

--When you had children, who promised you there'd be a public school for them?

--What makes you think a few extra days at home wouldn't be good for your children?

--When your schedule is upset, what do your children see you do?

--You are your child's most effective teacher.

--Could Sunday schools see this as an opportunity to run 7 days a week?

--what is this compared to the Hurricane Ike and Katrina interruption of schedules?

Kara's coming!

Good news for Zion! I am very happy Zion has found a permanent staff person--Kara Glick. I look forward to working with her in a transition period of time. If I had a photo I'd put it up here. But that's all the information I have.

joy of the job

One unblemished joy of the job is getting new music. In this case, new anthems for the adult choir.

They look pretty. Smell good. And most of all they sound good.

Here's how you do it. You, hopefully, go to an anthem reading session, which is sponsored by several of the biggest publishers. A fellow church musician who faces the same congregational situtation you face has already winnowed out the titles which will not fit. Then the group of other church musicians sing through a stack of 50 or so titles. I mark down the ones I think Zion would appreciate.

Then I take them to the piano in the sanctuary and run through them myself. And I take the cream of the cream. Photo is the anthems which came in this week.

tracking down the singers

Or in this case, trucking them down.

Only days until choir starts up again. I always wanted to see our good bass singer, Floyd Landis, at his trucking business and I found him.

Old Red is his favorite truck. Okay, singers! You don't need a truck to get to choir. Wednesday night, 7 p.m. Starting Sept. 10.

summer songs

Instead of the "opening hymn" today we sang a set of vacation Bible school songs: this little light; I have the joy, joy, joy; deep and wide, etc.

On the steps we had the band, ready to launch into their set, and several children and parents. How is it that everybody, it seemed, knew the songs? Eighty-five-year-olds were singing! I hope the children know them.

Simple summer songs, yeah. But even the theologian Karl Barth said that "Jesus Loves Me" pretty well sums up the whole gospel.

early acappella

One of my tasks on my job description is promoting congregational singing, including acappella. There is some interest in the popular media and film in an early Southern American style of singing called sacred harp, sometimes called shaped note singers. At the time of the Civil War most communities had groups singing these hymns.

The very first Mennonite hymnal produced in America came out of the Souderton area in 1803. Here's a clip of a tv-documentary. http://pitchfork.tv/week/awake-my-soul-the-story-of-the-sacred-harp/chapter-1.

I learned from this that the "sacred harp" refers to the human voice--each of us was born with an instrument--harp. And it is sacred.

chapel at meadows

I got top billing in the evelator. The room where chapel is held was pleasant with flowers. Afterwards, Chaplain Jim Derstine (Zion member and friend) greeted residents and thanked me.

Last spring Zion choir sang at Dock Meadows at his request.



That's how Tuesday started.

what you do during the week

People wonder what a church musician does during the week. I put in two 10-hour days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Let me spin out some of the tasks:
1. lead singing chapel a Dock Meadows. 2. write agenda for the worship planning committee. 3. meet with pastor about choir and handbells. 4. practice organ music for Sunday. 5. send in to bulletin all elements of service. 6. work out final details with soloist. 7. talk to Beth about funeral service planned for Wed. 8. lead the committee meeting. 9. contact choir members about this fall. 10. order new anthems for this fall. 11. choose organ music for funeral. 12. and play the funeral--right now, which is why this post ends here.

choir time soon here

With September will come the reconvening of the adult choir. I'm contacting everyone to invite them back. Most get the telephone call. But I had told Clyde Moyer a long time ago I wanted to see his farm.

So right before lunch on Tuesday I drove over and found Clyde on a John Deere. It was very inspiring to see the church at work during the week.

Now I know that he likes John Deeres. He tells me he's the last farmer at Zion.

Spread the word--we need singers to join the choir this fall. With or without a tractor.

cello this Sunday

This Sunday the featured music is cello by Justin Yoder. The cello is a baritone sounding instrument. The lowest note is two Cs below middle C.

Some musicians say that the cello is the instrument with the most human-like sound.

Justin and his cello will provide the prelude, offertory, and meditation after the sermon music.

spirituality and visual arts

People learn different ways; people worship different ways. If visual is a way you grasp spiritual truth, check this out.

Laurelville Mennonite Church Center is featuring its first-ever retreat on spirituality and the visual arts October 24-26, 2008. Howard Zehr and Juanita Yoder Kauffman will be featured artists. Designed for artists, pastors, and lay-people, activities will include visually-focused worship, workshops, open studio space, and conversation.

For more information, visit http://www.laurelville.org/, or contact Erin Clymer at (800) 839-1021.

On vacation I saw this "quilt" by Linda Piland at a church in Berea, KY. It reminded me how powerful the visual can be in worship and devotional life.

expect music

This Sunday Nate Stucky will lead the contemporary singing with guitar. One of the songs he has written himself. After the benediction he will sing a blessing song he has written for the MCUSA youth convention--"Zephaniah."

So, there's two new songs. Another new one will be the hymn before the sermon, "Slowly turning, ever turning." I'll lead that one from the piano. The tune is a Gaelic folk song.

Here's Nate with his wife, Janel, and two children, Joshua and Jenna

quote: tradition

Here's a line from Barbara Tober who writes about weddings and brides:

"Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening."

Music and worship are dripping with tradition. So what does that mean for us?

violin and film music

Emily Hedrick came to Zion this past Sunday and played several pieces on the violin. I'm a believer in variety in church music and I'm a believer that sometimes popular art can bring some fresh thought to our worship.

In this case I asked her to play the theme from the movie Schindler's List. They story of the film is of a German businessman who, despite himself, ends up saving some of the Jews who work for him, at great risk to himself. That sounds pretty "gospel" to me.

Emily herself chose an arrangement of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and we played another hymn together. As an offertory I had her play "Vocalise" by Rachmaninoff.

She is first chair violin and a senior at Christopher Dock Mennonite. This photo is from a concert last winter.

if you missed the barbershop

Last Sunday the worship was full of a variety of musics. A college vocal student, a Horsham organist sub, the High family, and a barbershop choir, and good congregational singing.

If you missed the choir, see them at this link. There is a sound clip but it took forever for mine to come up and mostly it was a pitch, but they can really do barbershop.

http://www.northpennsmen.org/

I'm grateful for all who shared their gifts.

today's numbers

I really like the date numbers today--8/8/8. A church musician has to think, too, that an "8" is a sign for infinity standing on its side. We sing about infinity a lot, calling it eternity.

back at work--yes

It's great to be back after a week of vacation in Kentucky. We met this Kentucky Cardinal right outside the window, along with egrets, green herons, chickadees, tufted titmouses and others birds I rarely see.

Nature is a great canvas of raw material. Now as I put my thoughts, prayers, and hands on worship, we are turning raw materials into art human hands have made. I really couldn't do without either kind of beauty.

marimbas in church

Young people play the marimba here on this photo I found on the net. Why this photo?

We have marimba music this Sunday at Zion. School kids from Chicago are coming through town.

That's not all. Victor and Warren will participate as the Eastern District officially recognizes Victor's ministry. See earlier newspaper blog about Victor and his ministry.

what you do

People tell me that they can't imagine what a church musician does during the week. Let me throw out a few things I did today. Gave music from the movie Schindler's List to a high school violinist to play in a August. Explained why we draw images sometimes from popular culture to bring into worship. Of course, had to start learning the piano part myself. Put photos in the brochure I've started--You and Zion Music Ministries. Conferred with Pastor Hunter about how to keep the service this Sunday from becoming too long. Checked in with Intern Nate about his participation last week and the week before. Drew up agenda for the Worship Planning Committee meeting in a few minutes. Drew up agenda for my meeting with Nancy and Gail T tomorrow. Practiced the organ ahead for Aug 10 when I'm on again. Talked to a high school student about playing the organ offertory later in August.

page one of MWR

Mennonite Weekly Review is a church paper. Here's a page one story in the July 14 issue. It gets Zion (see highlight) in the news.

It impinges worship next Sunday when the district will license Victor for his ministry.

"Heart and mind, possessions, Lord" is an Indian hymn. I'll see if we can use that in the worship.

back from the beach

This is my work blog, but I can't resist showing this pic from the weekend away on Long Island.

I'm refreshed and ready to hit the ground running on Wednesday.

pounding on the beach

No singing and no Zion at 9 o'clock this morning. Just the eternal chorus of the ocean pounding the beach. They say it's stronger than usual because of a storm in Burmuda.

I'll look at the dvd of the service I missed when I return.

Dorcas and I are fine. I'll add a photo as soon as I return

flute duet

There's more this Sunday. I'm missing so much I don't know why my vacation has to be this week. Two wonderful flute duets will be played by Joyce Price and Kay Kehs, accompanied by Gail Ryan on piano.

Baust is back

Tom Baust will be at church this Sunday, July 13. We welcome him back. Since he graduated from Moody Bible Institute he has worked as a full-time musician in piano, voice, and arranging.

You can check his web site at www.tombaust.com

Since he's more comfortable with the piano I've asked him to focus his leadership on the piano.

I will be at the beach this Sunday for R&R with Dorcas and the children.

10 men can sing

Yesterday 10 men sang two men's chorus pieces in the worship service--"Great is thy faithfulness" and "Wayfarin' stranger."

Wow! Ask someone if you didn't hear it. I was so pleased with their musicianship and dedication to God.

Thanks to Nancy, too, at the piano. And thanks to the people who said thanks after the service.

turning 64

How often do you play a Bach prelude, accompany Barb on the recorder, bang out a rousing spiritual on the piano ("Welcome Table"), and lead two hymns totally acappella ("I love to tell the story" and "For Christ and the church") and then have your 64th birthday party at a fancy schmancy eatery in Skippack?

Well, once, if you're lucky.

And I am. Most of all I had my family with me. Here's son Joel. Around the table, too, was his wife Stephanie and daughter Sarah and her husband Ryan and of course Dorcas.

how hymns get chosen

Tuesday evening the worship planning committee met in the library. Nate joined us.
Also around the table were Nancy, Joyce, Jennifer, Kevin and myself. Hunter was pursuing D. Min. work in California. Edie was engaged in Mennonite Church USA board work.

So, six of us paged through blue and green hymnals, referencing the scriptures and themes of the services planned for July. I said, let's suggest what comes to mind and edit ourselves as we go around this at the end.

That's how the hymns were chosen for July.

just a weekend

I'll be somewhere close to Katie's shakes and banana splits in Grantsville, Maryland, on Sunday. There's Dorcas far left. Then my son, Joel, and his wife, Stephanie. Then my daughter Sarah and her husband Ryan. That's me in the green shirt.

Grantsville is where Dorcas hails from. It's a town in western Maryland, in lovely, pastoral, rolling mountains.

Her extended family, the Millers, plans a weekend of reunion activities.

I spent the regular Tuesday and Wednesday at Zion. Since Hunter is away in California, my work was more intense with Beth and Scott as we finalized the details of the worship service bulletin. I also had a chance to meet intern Nate and show him the conference center, and, most important, Bakers on Broad, where I treated him to a croissant.

While I'm gone for one Sunday, I'll be back on Tuesday. This is not a vacation; just a weekend.

Choir attendance awards

Drum roll, please...

And the Adult Choir high attenders, out of a possible 20, for the period of time from January through the end of May (rehearsals and Sundays each count) are...

Nancy Fridey, 19
Bill Fridey, 18
Floyd Landis, 17
Royden Nyce, 17
Brad Alderfer, 17
Mary Jane Koehler, 16

And the prize is...getting your name online. Thank you to one and all of the singers.

church in the field

Sometimes church plays baseball. Here's Zion in red. We have two teams this year.

If we only had as many basses (singers) in choir as we have baseballers.

a modest proposal

How's this for a modest proposal--let's stop killing people. Doesn't surprise me that Zion people would want to suggest that to the neighbors.

Here's Russ, Joyce, and Mary holding up the standard. You've convinced me.

sounds of music, earth and heaven

Sometimes our sounds in public worship take us away from the daily grind, to “a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God” (hymn #5). We might hear soft music and see beautiful colors. But just turn the page in the hymnal to #6 and we have sounds “not in some heaven, light years away, but here in this place.” We might hear chords and drum beats and be reminded that all energy belongs to God who created all. That's just what we heard this morning.

Young people can help the congregation see that the heavenly and the earthly are both part of worship. In today's worship we sang two Marty Haugen hymns from the early 1980s, “You are salt" and "Here in this place."

This morning our prayer chorus changed to hymnal, #353, "Lord listen to your children praying."

Summer music begins June 1

Right off the first day of June, music at Zion kept on singing and ringing. At left is the upper bells of the adult handbell choir. At right is guest soprano Pam Smith of Quakertown who sang two Bill Gaither songs.

June, July, and August are good months to explore music in our community and church. If you have a suggestion, let me know. Or, volunteer yourself.

sing-a-long

May 25 was Memorial Day weekend and the band was absent. My mind was going like--informal, summer beginning, loosening up, children, outdoors, summer Bible school. So instead of a set of contemporary, I gave a shot at Bible school songs.

Here's the list we sang: This is the Day, Allelu Allelu, Deep and Wide, Jesus Loves Me, and one other I can't recall right now.

I was slightly nervous, although I had explained to Hunter and he had given his full support. I had also checked with several choir members. But yet, how would it be received?

What I noticed was smiles everywhere. I noticed parents showing chldren how to do the motions on "deep and wide." And, people really sang.

when it rains

I hear it when I'm practicing the organ. The church is empty and quiet. I'm engrossed in music.

Then out of the endge I hear a thundering sound. I turn my head right to see out the windows. And it's merely rain. But recently more than "merely." It's cats and dogs.

By the time I got my camera to the door to the courtyard it was softly falling.

nursery music

It's a little dark, but look at this: "composer of the month." The kids in nursery school have great exposure to music.

To-do--get them to sing in church some morning. I've talked to Dawn about it. It's a little late in the school term, but maybe. I hope.

Dock rock

Last evening I had the pleasure of introducing the Christopher Dock Mennonite High School Touring Choir at the 7 p.m. evening concert. Director Rodney Derstine lead a mostly acappella concert spanning many styles.

This is a choir which has not succcombed to the pop sound. They excell in all the classic vocal and choral skills--great tone, great support, great blending, spirited interpretation.

I said in closing: you can pray without singing but you can't sing without praying. Our own Katie Clough stands middle row far left.

my hand on handbell

This week I worked Wednesday and Thursday. That gave me the great opportunity to observe the youth handbell choir rehearsal at 6:30 and then to play with the adults at 7:30. It's been two years since I did handbells.

I was subbing for Edie on the G6 and A6. Nancy was directing.

I'm thinking maybe two youth bell choirs would be better, with the youngest one using only the chimes. Chimes are a simpler instrument and damage is not likely.

Youth Choir sings

The service was so full of music and beauty and creativity this morning I'm going to forget something. But I have to get in the record that the Youth Choir sang in a creative way with the worship team. Too bad I didn't have my camera. Thanks, guys.

Other participants were four readers along with Worship Leader Dave Moyer. This was Pentecost Sunday. When the scripture mentioned the speaking of many languages at Pentecost, Floyd Landis, Rebecca Moyer, Richard Ziemer and our Guatemalan interm read John 3:16 in their respective languages.

Pentecost and languages

The Spirit came and all these languages were being spoken. For worship I've asked several persons to say a scripture verse in a language other than English. Our Arabic speaker will be away this week. I did manage to enlist a Pennsylvania Dutch speaker.

Another thing you can do is emphasize the color red for Pentecost. Well, Zion sure has a red window. Perhaps we could all wear something red.

a funereal detour

My wife's sister died and the funeral was in Maryland on Wednesday. That's choir night. What to do?

Nancy and Gail to the rescue. Thanks a lot everyone for keeping the program going even when I had to be away.

That's a nice advantage of a larger church such as Zion.

choir ministers at Dock Meadows

It's not a clear picture on the right. But it's all I found. The building is Dock Meadows along Rte 309, close to Souderton.

Our Zion member Jim Derstine, who ministers as chaplain at Dock Meadows, invited the Zion choir to sing there for the evening service, May 4, at 6:30.

sister-in-law dies

Thursday evening Dorcas and I rushed to the Harrisburg Hospital. Dorcas's sister and her husband had been driving from New York City where they live to Maryland. Rachel, Dorcas's sister fell ill.

She was in the hospital a little short of 24 hours when she died. As a child Rachel had had rheumatic fever and her whole life her health had been compromised.

I believe the funeral will be held in western Maryland on Tuesday. I will be able to keep my obligations at Zion.

To do lists

Here's some of the things I'm working on:

-line up special music for the summer months
-follow up the organ concert event, offering amount, attendance, thank yous to the partners etc
-contact organ subs for a few summer Sundays
-contact Nate Stucky, the summer seminarian, about how he wants to interact with music and worship
-prep for the choir singing at Dock Meadows this Sunday evening
-put the Felix Hell CD in library so it is available
-read a new book on using instruments in worship
-come up with a non-verbal component for Pentecost
-follow up on the decisions of the worship planning committee of last evening
-update the worship teams schedule

Whew. I wonder why I was busy today. And I didn't even get to any organ practice yet.

Felix remembers

I got a nice note from Felix. He writes that after a concert in Iowa and one in New York City he is "now back in my American home in Balitmore. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to perform at Zion Mennonite yet again, and I hope that my performance met your expectations. For me it was a great pleasure to return to the Fisk organ."

He goes on in his letter to thank me for turning pages for him. After the concert he gave me one of his CDs for doing that. It turns out it was really hard, because I sat so far away (my choice).

He ends the letter: "Thanks again for all your efforts. Give my best regards to everybody who was involved in organizing my concert. Sincerely, Felix."

I was so caught up in the event that I failed to take a single photo of him, so here's one he sends out.

changing wheels

People at Zion really care about how I'm getting along. They often ask about my drive--the 54 miles between Souderton and Leola.

So far, that Neon on the left has carried me without problems. Takes a lot of gas. Today I sold the Neon, thanks to a classified ad in the paper.

Enter--the Mazda on the right. That's my work horse now. It gets me 35.5 mpg.

This pic was taken right before I drove the Neon away for the sale at AAA. If you step outside my door, this is the sight you see. It's "rush hour" in Amish country and two cars are on the road just between me and my neighbor, Aaron and Sarah.

Got the Mazda from my son, Joel. He walks to work. Now that he's married, he and Stephanie are going to save money and do it with one car.

not this Sunday

This is not the anthem we're doing this Sunday. Just found this online. I guess it's Chinese.

The words are prettier than the notes.

In fact, we're not doing any anthem this Sunday. Last evening at choir rehearsal we as a group decided not to sing this Sunday because several singers are not able to be at church. We're planning to do "The Lord Is My Shepherd" next Sunday.

Democracy at work the day after the primary election.