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.