“I would carry a lamp as I walk through the world for I need the light to show me the way and the evil that would harm me as I walk through the darkness will leave me alone if I carry the light.”
Thank you, congregation, for expressing to many choir members just how much you appreciated the choir’s anthem on 6/9, “Jesus, Teach Me.” The words of the anthem fit the music so well that the listener is quickly drawn into the message and the song immediately becomes a personal prayer.
You may be interested to know that this blend of music and words is not achieved by accident. At each rehearsal, our singers strive not only to learn their parts but also to sing the words in a manner which will bring out the spiritual message of the anthem. Your positive comments verify to our choir members that their consistent hard work week after week is not in vain. Thank you.
Now the Sanctuary Choir will receive a much-deserved break and the Summer Singers will take over. They will sing two Gospel type songs in the next few months. The one they will sing on July 14th is a variation of “Give Me Oil in My Lamp”, which we all probably sang around the camp fire as we were growing up. Special features are planned for the song they will sing on September 8th: “My Lord.” You won’t want to miss it!
Other special music is also planned for the summer months. Occasionally, soloists and/or small ensembles will present music to enhance our 9:30 worship services. The presentation by Warren and his daughter Sierra on Father’s Day, June 16th is an example of our summertime special music. They always do a wonderful job and we are grateful that they willingly work up special numbers to bring to us from time to time. Thank you Warren and Sierra for your beautiful music on guitar and flute.
Summertime usually means vacations for everyone and this director will take a few short breaks as well. June brought me a joyous week with my family and July offers me the annual Sacred Choral Workshop where I can be inspired for another year as your Music Director in the 9:30 worship services. As you probably can imagine, the director’s job is constantly demanding, but working in sacred music, whether it is through writing or arranging music, rehearsing choral groups and hand bell choirs, or working with small instrumental and vocal ensembles, is not only stimulating musically but satisfying to the Christian soul. So, I am grateful for the opportunity and serve willingly.
I wish you all a joyful and restful summer. See you in church whenever you are in town, and don’t forget to bring your out-of-town guests to church when they visit you. And, until we see each other again, remember the remaining words of the song quoted at the beginning of this article.
“In the dark of the evening there is doubt in my heart and the evil temptation nearly tears me apart.
But the love of God is shining and it shatters the darkness.
Many are the souls that are lost in darkness, many are the souls that have gone astray.
I would be the one to carry the light so that they might find the way. So …
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning until the judgment day!
“Sing”cerely,
-Betty -