Image via WikipediaWouldn't it be wonderful to have this many men in our choir?!!!
Well, let's be more realistic!! I'm praying that we have everyone come back from last year!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
In With the New
Well, today will be interesting to say the least!! I am meeting with Krystie to pick out some choir music. Krystie is our new choir director. This will not be hard but it won't be easy either. This is yet another reminder of Pastor Mark's moving away. It seems that as I get older change gets harder. I am not old by any stretch of the imagination so I don't know why I am feeling ghis way. I pray that Krystie & I develop a close working relationship as I have had with other directors. I must not lose sight of my higher calling-to glorify God. I can say that it will be nice to have choir music to work on again.
Image via Wikipedia
Well, let's be more realistic!! I'm praying that we have everyone come back from last year!!
Image via WikipediaWell, let's be more realistic!! I'm praying that we have everyone come back from last year!!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Joyful, Joyful
The song that has been running thru my mind since yesterday is "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" based on a melody by Beethoven. The melody is truly joyful in nature. Every time I hear it, whether it be in the "Joyful, Joyful" song or the symphony that Beethoven composed it raises my spirits. Yesterday was truly a joyful day! It was one of those rare years that the 4th of July falls on a Sunday. My thoughts centered on the birthday of our nation & how we got to that independence. I remembered how the first people that came to this land came here for religious freedom. The government was telling them how to worship & because they felt the Bible taught them otherwise they set out for this new land. That journey was not easy. Many of them lost their lives. Once they got here they set out to keep this a land of freedom. They battled to win their independence from Britain. In the writing of the Declaration of Independence they stated that this was a land of many freedoms, esp. from government control. There was much reflection on how this information is not being passed on to the younger generations.
All weekend I sensed God telling to play a particular song in the worship service on Sunday. Due to much pain & a recent hospitalization I had not played or practiced the piano in at least 2 weeks. And the book that this song was in was at church so I could not practice at home. But I willed to do what God had asked me to do. I used the song to warm up for about 15 min. It rapidly became clear that God was assisting my fingers to play the right notes!! I had played thru the song a few times over a year ago but had never performed it. I played the song, "A Tribute to America" during the offertory. It was a medley of "My Country Tis of Thee" & "The Star Spangled Banner." It truly was the perfect song for the day. Despite very little work the song went very well!! It truly was not by my own work but by the work of God!! It reminded me again that God is in control of even the little things like my fingers. I have not been able to much this summer due to increased pain & meds that make me very sleepy but I have not lost much of my playing abilities. This has not always been the case. In the past if I did play every few days at least I could really see a difference in my abilities. I now see that God is teaching me to rely on Him for even the really small things. I rededicate my abilities to Him & reaffirm that whatever He asks me to do I will do. Thanks also go to my piano teacher, Ken Bos for his patient teaching of not just physical piano playing but also in changing my thinking about music. I no longer just look at a piece of music for how black it is. I look at the black & see a new challenge. I look at the markings in the music & see how expressive & beautiful the music is. Music is no longer just about playing the notes but playing a beautiful song & really experiencing the music.
Praise be to God for His unspeakable gifts!!
All weekend I sensed God telling to play a particular song in the worship service on Sunday. Due to much pain & a recent hospitalization I had not played or practiced the piano in at least 2 weeks. And the book that this song was in was at church so I could not practice at home. But I willed to do what God had asked me to do. I used the song to warm up for about 15 min. It rapidly became clear that God was assisting my fingers to play the right notes!! I had played thru the song a few times over a year ago but had never performed it. I played the song, "A Tribute to America" during the offertory. It was a medley of "My Country Tis of Thee" & "The Star Spangled Banner." It truly was the perfect song for the day. Despite very little work the song went very well!! It truly was not by my own work but by the work of God!! It reminded me again that God is in control of even the little things like my fingers. I have not been able to much this summer due to increased pain & meds that make me very sleepy but I have not lost much of my playing abilities. This has not always been the case. In the past if I did play every few days at least I could really see a difference in my abilities. I now see that God is teaching me to rely on Him for even the really small things. I rededicate my abilities to Him & reaffirm that whatever He asks me to do I will do. Thanks also go to my piano teacher, Ken Bos for his patient teaching of not just physical piano playing but also in changing my thinking about music. I no longer just look at a piece of music for how black it is. I look at the black & see a new challenge. I look at the markings in the music & see how expressive & beautiful the music is. Music is no longer just about playing the notes but playing a beautiful song & really experiencing the music.
Praise be to God for His unspeakable gifts!!
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