the offertory yesterday Jan. 31

Jesus the Very Thought of Thee is a classic hymn. Here's a very complex arrangement on youtube. If you want a straightforward piano version online: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/t/jtveryth.htm. Look at all those verses.

Jan 17, 2010 titles

I juggled two external realities--the earthquake in Haiti and Martin Luther King Day--as I chose music for Jan. 17. Since the current theme is "wall," I thought of "Joshua fit the battle at Jericho" with it "walls came tumbling down" refrain. I suddenly had a nice little improv.

Only problem: it might seem to be making light of the profound distress the people of Haiti were suffering when their walls did come tumbling down during the earthquake last week. Yet it was fitting for both the tremendous walls that Martin Luther King Jr. helped identify and bring down in our society and the "wall" our current sermon series talks about. So that became the postlude.

Now, to remember Haiti? I had a rollicking version of "From Greenland's Icy Mountains," what was once THE great missionary hymn, written by Reginald Heber in 1819. All sorts of changes render it hardly suitable for today. BUT, a few lines still resonate: "They call us to deliver," one line goes, and "bliss returns to reign," the hymn ends. So I put that among the preludes.

My prayers and efforts with both these issues.

Jan 3 off

First Sunday of 2010 I'm enjoying family time. A big thanks to Carolyn North and Morgan Hess who share leadership of the keyboard support of the worship.

let it snow...

...and snow some more. Dean's email comes just as I check the computer. No church tomorrow. I was all prepped. Here's one of the two lighted shrubs in front of our house.

...to sound a lot like Christmas

Behind those smooth organ tones are two tuners: one at the keys with the tools spread out close by; the other tuner behind the closed door, in the pipes. All part of getting ready for Christmas Eve.