Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Are We Ready to Give Up Till It Hurts?
I am relaxing after a long, strenuous hike in the snow at Valley Forge park this afternoon. It was inspiring to get out of the house and into the sunshine and scenery and get the heart pumping for about 3 1/2 hours. Now I have various aches and pains and stiffness, of course, but it was well worth it for the psychological and cardiovascular benefits, and for how good dinner tasted after all that exercise. And those benefits are what I kept remembering those last few miles before we got back to the car. I felt a little like a winter Olympian!
As we have all experienced, we know that working towards a worthwhile goal can sometimes be difficult--we get tempted to lose our focus and rest too early, preventing ourselves from succeeding.
This morning the choir sang about the "Garden of Gethsemane" in keeping with the theme of the day, the first Sunday of the Lenten season. The sermon dealt with the temptations Satan presented to Jesus as recounted in scripture during his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. The devil shrewdly presented Jesus with choices that sounded as though they could be justified as being in keeping with his ministry, but Jesus was able to be unswayed, and discern what was actually the better course.
I haven't quite figured out what to "give up" for Lent. If you were to ask my husband what I should give up, it wouldn't be anything normal like giving up candy or movies, he would probably tell you I need to give up "beating up on myself" or "setting up unrealistic expectations." (Being married, and especially, as in my case, married to a therapist, we are prone to get exposed to insightful observations that remind use how we can be completely blind to things that are quite obvious to others who are close to us!) These types of ingrained personal patterns are extremely hard to "give up" because they are part of our core personality--and it can really hurt when we look at them.
What does Jesus want us to give up for Lent? Would he be more pleased with me if I stopped eating chocolate, or if I somehow stopped obsessing over small issues of office politics at work? If I stopped watching a favorite TV show, or if I miraculously stopped feeling disproportionately inadequate as the result of a small careless comment somebody made? Well, when we work on ourselves, there is the easy, surface stuff, and then there is the hard work, the work that makes us 'sweat' because we are really stretching and challenging ourselves. Jesus asks a lot of us, but only because he wants us to have the greater rewards that await us if we are able to keep ourselves on the straight and narrow.
God bless you this Lenten season as you do the hard work and look forward to the rewards of spring and new life!
As we have all experienced, we know that working towards a worthwhile goal can sometimes be difficult--we get tempted to lose our focus and rest too early, preventing ourselves from succeeding.
This morning the choir sang about the "Garden of Gethsemane" in keeping with the theme of the day, the first Sunday of the Lenten season. The sermon dealt with the temptations Satan presented to Jesus as recounted in scripture during his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. The devil shrewdly presented Jesus with choices that sounded as though they could be justified as being in keeping with his ministry, but Jesus was able to be unswayed, and discern what was actually the better course.
I haven't quite figured out what to "give up" for Lent. If you were to ask my husband what I should give up, it wouldn't be anything normal like giving up candy or movies, he would probably tell you I need to give up "beating up on myself" or "setting up unrealistic expectations." (Being married, and especially, as in my case, married to a therapist, we are prone to get exposed to insightful observations that remind use how we can be completely blind to things that are quite obvious to others who are close to us!) These types of ingrained personal patterns are extremely hard to "give up" because they are part of our core personality--and it can really hurt when we look at them.
What does Jesus want us to give up for Lent? Would he be more pleased with me if I stopped eating chocolate, or if I somehow stopped obsessing over small issues of office politics at work? If I stopped watching a favorite TV show, or if I miraculously stopped feeling disproportionately inadequate as the result of a small careless comment somebody made? Well, when we work on ourselves, there is the easy, surface stuff, and then there is the hard work, the work that makes us 'sweat' because we are really stretching and challenging ourselves. Jesus asks a lot of us, but only because he wants us to have the greater rewards that await us if we are able to keep ourselves on the straight and narrow.
God bless you this Lenten season as you do the hard work and look forward to the rewards of spring and new life!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Epiphany
Epiphany is the season when we celebrate the ministry of Jesus. We are past the Advent and Nativity and moving into the actual doings of Christ. In the choir, we are starting to work on our Lenten cantata (which, you will all be pleased to hear, does not change meters every few measures like our Christmas cantata did). It's very exciting to sing lyrics about spring and new birth. Please stay tuned for the cantata performance on March 14!
Today we recognized the tragedies occurring as a result of the earthquake in Haiti. We feel so helpless, yet want so badly to do something to show we care. The theme scripture for today was the first miracle of Christ-the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Our anthem lyrics were a faithful scriptural accounting of the story, using lots of chromatic harmonies in the accompaniment, perhaps to suggest the turmoil of Jesus not knowing whether he should reveal his powers yet or not. My favorite line was "Jesus mother sternly said 'What e'er he asks of you prepare!" The women taking up the line of dialogue on that line, which followed Jesus saying he would not do it "What is that to me?" As David explained in the sermon, each of us may be called to play the role of Jesus' mother--to urge on someone to perform great deeds even if they do not feel equal to or prepared for the task.
While none of us can literally turn water into wine, each of us can make a difference and we must remember that. We must stay engaged and faithful and be open to opportunities for the holy spirit to work through us. May we all find ways to do this throughout the winter months!
Today we recognized the tragedies occurring as a result of the earthquake in Haiti. We feel so helpless, yet want so badly to do something to show we care. The theme scripture for today was the first miracle of Christ-the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Our anthem lyrics were a faithful scriptural accounting of the story, using lots of chromatic harmonies in the accompaniment, perhaps to suggest the turmoil of Jesus not knowing whether he should reveal his powers yet or not. My favorite line was "Jesus mother sternly said 'What e'er he asks of you prepare!" The women taking up the line of dialogue on that line, which followed Jesus saying he would not do it "What is that to me?" As David explained in the sermon, each of us may be called to play the role of Jesus' mother--to urge on someone to perform great deeds even if they do not feel equal to or prepared for the task.
While none of us can literally turn water into wine, each of us can make a difference and we must remember that. We must stay engaged and faithful and be open to opportunities for the holy spirit to work through us. May we all find ways to do this throughout the winter months!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Somewhat Beautiful Day in Bryn Mawr
Hello, and welcome back to the blog for the new season!
I took the title of this entry from Pastor David's qualified greeting to us this morning. After a couple days of a Nor'Easter--chilly, damp, and dark--it does seem silly to proclaim it a beautiful day. A valuable day, perhaps....a good day, perhaps, but calling it beautiful would be untruthful.
It's time to begin doing things that help make this time of year easier to bear:
Exchange the window screens for storm windows to reduce drafts and save on your energy bill.
Find your gloves from last year and have them at the ready! (if you still have a matching pair; I found exactly one matching pair among 9 gloves).
Think about what you enjoy about winter--Christmas lights, turtlenecks, corduroy pants, snow, no yard work--and focus on enjoying those things.
Plan for spring; it will be here before you know it! Where do you want to plant bulbs?
Make other fun plans. I get a huge kick out of something like taking a half day off work and visit the art museum.
Get your flu shot if you can find one!
Do whatever you need to do to feel alive. (For me it's singing--among many other things).
Finally, keep coming to church! Where else will you connect so effectively with a Christian community that offers unconditional support, and needs your support in return? If we never experienced the chilly and dark seasons, spring and summer would not be so enjoyable. In the same way, if you are a "fair weather" churchgoer, you will not experience all the richness of involvement.
Among the exciting new things this year are the screens up front that add a visual dimension to worship, new members and baptism for a new baby this morning, and new repertoire for the choir.
Elaine and I remarked this morning that we have both been singing the new choral benediction response to ourselves all week, an upbeat syncopated hymn: "May you run and not be weary, may your heart be filled with song; May the love of God continue to give you hope and keep you strong. And may you run and not be weary. May your life be filled with joy (filled with joy)! And may the road you travel always lead you home." What a gift that is when you need a little burst of encouragement during the week!
This morning we were treated to a very special offertory piece "Wonderful Words" sung by Frantz, Kathy, Sally, and Elaine. The harmonies and blend on this traditional favorite hymn were perfect. Thanks, guys, for putting it together so well and for a great hymn choice!
Our Christmas cantata will be presented Sunday, December 13. Called "Time Enough for Joy" by Allen H. Simon, it is a fresh contemporary look at the Christmas season, and is full of surprises!
Stay tuned for more from the choir at St. Luke's in the coming months!!
I took the title of this entry from Pastor David's qualified greeting to us this morning. After a couple days of a Nor'Easter--chilly, damp, and dark--it does seem silly to proclaim it a beautiful day. A valuable day, perhaps....a good day, perhaps, but calling it beautiful would be untruthful.
It's time to begin doing things that help make this time of year easier to bear:
Exchange the window screens for storm windows to reduce drafts and save on your energy bill.
Find your gloves from last year and have them at the ready! (if you still have a matching pair; I found exactly one matching pair among 9 gloves).
Think about what you enjoy about winter--Christmas lights, turtlenecks, corduroy pants, snow, no yard work--and focus on enjoying those things.
Plan for spring; it will be here before you know it! Where do you want to plant bulbs?
Make other fun plans. I get a huge kick out of something like taking a half day off work and visit the art museum.
Get your flu shot if you can find one!
Do whatever you need to do to feel alive. (For me it's singing--among many other things).
Finally, keep coming to church! Where else will you connect so effectively with a Christian community that offers unconditional support, and needs your support in return? If we never experienced the chilly and dark seasons, spring and summer would not be so enjoyable. In the same way, if you are a "fair weather" churchgoer, you will not experience all the richness of involvement.
Among the exciting new things this year are the screens up front that add a visual dimension to worship, new members and baptism for a new baby this morning, and new repertoire for the choir.
Elaine and I remarked this morning that we have both been singing the new choral benediction response to ourselves all week, an upbeat syncopated hymn: "May you run and not be weary, may your heart be filled with song; May the love of God continue to give you hope and keep you strong. And may you run and not be weary. May your life be filled with joy (filled with joy)! And may the road you travel always lead you home." What a gift that is when you need a little burst of encouragement during the week!
This morning we were treated to a very special offertory piece "Wonderful Words" sung by Frantz, Kathy, Sally, and Elaine. The harmonies and blend on this traditional favorite hymn were perfect. Thanks, guys, for putting it together so well and for a great hymn choice!
Our Christmas cantata will be presented Sunday, December 13. Called "Time Enough for Joy" by Allen H. Simon, it is a fresh contemporary look at the Christmas season, and is full of surprises!
Stay tuned for more from the choir at St. Luke's in the coming months!!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Spring Mix
Once again time to get an entry on the books before the month is out! Just to mention the noteworthy events that occurred at St. Luke this month I'll title this post "Spring Mix." (That's also what I just had for lunch, mixed with candied pecans, crumbled blue cheese, onions, and thinly sliced granny smith apples....but I digress).
The choir was very busy this month singing Handel, especially on Easter. This past week we enjoyed a rendition of Handel's The Trumpet Shall Sound sung by George Myers, accompanied on trumpet (actually, I think that was a cornet) by Thomas Hooey. Very inspiring. I hope everybody could see past the slide projector screen to see George! Our Maundy Thursday service April 9 was also very moving. Marcia sang a very moving rendition of Samuel Barber's "Crucifixion" during communion. As a postlude Paul performed "Gethsemane" in a darkened sanctuary. Then on Easter Sunday we had a large number of you come us jubilant volunteer singers to help us out on the "Hallelujah" Chorus! What a great feeling that was--Handel choruses were definitely meant to be sung in large groups!
We welcomed Lynn to the choir--it's great to have a new member in the soprano section. We especially enjoy how well her red sneakers stand out with the robe!
We had the annual choir brunch at Sue and Jim's house the first Sunday in April. Afterwards some of us saw Sally Newport sing in the concert The Majesty and Glory of the Resurrection by the Community Outreach Choir from Asbury United Methodist Church in Norristown. Director Andrew Monath played the whole concert for his mother over his cell phone. It was a great concert, with wonderful singing and a live orchestra!
On Saturday, April 18, after a perfect, sunny spring day, Paul and I attended the American Guild of Organists recital of Organ and Instruments at St. Luke at 7:30 pm. Several local church organists and instrumental soloists rounded out a delightful program! Our favorites were Clyde and Ray doing two selections for organ and flute.
I was able to go back for an "Exercising Your Faith" meeting Monday night after 7 months away, and it was very uplifting and worthwhile. You women out there, if you want some great fellowship and relaxation this is the place for you!
We had directory photos taken the week after Easter, and are looking forward to being included in our first St. Luke directory!! The way I looked in bright light on a Tuesday evening after work, no matter how hard I thought I tried, was slightly disappointing; but my husband looked so good in the church photos that I made sure we ordered the wallets :)
SACRED MUSIC QUIZ QUESTION: This topic came up in discussion during the choir brunch:
What is the meaning of the following line of the second verse to the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Ev'ry Blessing?"
Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,interposed his precious blood.
An excellent answer can be found here: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1812
The choir was very busy this month singing Handel, especially on Easter. This past week we enjoyed a rendition of Handel's The Trumpet Shall Sound sung by George Myers, accompanied on trumpet (actually, I think that was a cornet) by Thomas Hooey. Very inspiring. I hope everybody could see past the slide projector screen to see George! Our Maundy Thursday service April 9 was also very moving. Marcia sang a very moving rendition of Samuel Barber's "Crucifixion" during communion. As a postlude Paul performed "Gethsemane" in a darkened sanctuary. Then on Easter Sunday we had a large number of you come us jubilant volunteer singers to help us out on the "Hallelujah" Chorus! What a great feeling that was--Handel choruses were definitely meant to be sung in large groups!
We welcomed Lynn to the choir--it's great to have a new member in the soprano section. We especially enjoy how well her red sneakers stand out with the robe!
We had the annual choir brunch at Sue and Jim's house the first Sunday in April. Afterwards some of us saw Sally Newport sing in the concert The Majesty and Glory of the Resurrection by the Community Outreach Choir from Asbury United Methodist Church in Norristown. Director Andrew Monath played the whole concert for his mother over his cell phone. It was a great concert, with wonderful singing and a live orchestra!
On Saturday, April 18, after a perfect, sunny spring day, Paul and I attended the American Guild of Organists recital of Organ and Instruments at St. Luke at 7:30 pm. Several local church organists and instrumental soloists rounded out a delightful program! Our favorites were Clyde and Ray doing two selections for organ and flute.
I was able to go back for an "Exercising Your Faith" meeting Monday night after 7 months away, and it was very uplifting and worthwhile. You women out there, if you want some great fellowship and relaxation this is the place for you!
We had directory photos taken the week after Easter, and are looking forward to being included in our first St. Luke directory!! The way I looked in bright light on a Tuesday evening after work, no matter how hard I thought I tried, was slightly disappointing; but my husband looked so good in the church photos that I made sure we ordered the wallets :)
SACRED MUSIC QUIZ QUESTION: This topic came up in discussion during the choir brunch:
What is the meaning of the following line of the second verse to the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Ev'ry Blessing?"
Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,interposed his precious blood.
An excellent answer can be found here: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1812
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Choir Needs More Singers!
Hello--It's been a busy time and I've barely made an entry this month--just coming in under the wire. Paul and I left right after church Sunday for a little getaway to Lambertville, NJ to celebrate our first anniversary. It was indescribably relaxing to just put everything else out of our minds and know that for Sunday to Monday there was nothing more important we could do than celebrate our relationship.
But what of St. Luke choir? Well, I won't beat around the bush. The choir membership is at an ebb and we are hoping to recruit more singers! With Franz out for work commitments and Hazel and Jim out for health reasons, we have fewer voices at the moment to round out the parts. If you've ever considered singing in the choir, please come try it out now! And it's not just men; women, we need you, too!
Top Ten Reasons to Join St. Luke's Choir:
10. Bond with a wonderful group of fun and caring people--we have a lot of laughs.
9. Learn great music from auspicious musical scholar and academician Dr. Clyde Shive
8. George Myers' pitchpipe humming, almost inaudibly, in the narthex to give us the pitch (no, we don't just magically find the notes!)
7. 8:30 am on Sunday really isn't all that early once you get used to it. Coffee is allowed, too.
6. Psalm 92, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 98, and Psalm 100 all tell use to sing and make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
5. Learning to gracefully navigate the carpeted stairs wearing an oversized robe while carrying a folder and hymnal and singing harmony---these are skills you can be proud of!
4. Pastor David can't see you when you doze off during the sermon (well, except he usually turns around and checks from time to time). Great view of children during Theme Talk.
3. You get to sing out of the spiral-bound version of the black hymn book. Haven't you always wanted to see all the parts written in there? Trust me--it's worth it!
2. Share your musical gifts and enjoy opportunities for creative expression in worship.
And the #1 Reason:
WE NEED YOU!
We sing one anthem per Sunday and do a special concert May 16 called the "Musicale". We rehearse in the choir room 8:30 am on Sunday. No need to come during the week. Please just show up and you will be warmly welcomed! We guarantee you will have a good time, so what are you waiting for? Join this week!
April is Handel month; we will be doing many works by this great composer, including selections from "Messiah" on Easter Sunday. More on that to come.
But what of St. Luke choir? Well, I won't beat around the bush. The choir membership is at an ebb and we are hoping to recruit more singers! With Franz out for work commitments and Hazel and Jim out for health reasons, we have fewer voices at the moment to round out the parts. If you've ever considered singing in the choir, please come try it out now! And it's not just men; women, we need you, too!
Top Ten Reasons to Join St. Luke's Choir:
10. Bond with a wonderful group of fun and caring people--we have a lot of laughs.
9. Learn great music from auspicious musical scholar and academician Dr. Clyde Shive
8. George Myers' pitchpipe humming, almost inaudibly, in the narthex to give us the pitch (no, we don't just magically find the notes!)
7. 8:30 am on Sunday really isn't all that early once you get used to it. Coffee is allowed, too.
6. Psalm 92, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 98, and Psalm 100 all tell use to sing and make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
5. Learning to gracefully navigate the carpeted stairs wearing an oversized robe while carrying a folder and hymnal and singing harmony---these are skills you can be proud of!
4. Pastor David can't see you when you doze off during the sermon (well, except he usually turns around and checks from time to time). Great view of children during Theme Talk.
3. You get to sing out of the spiral-bound version of the black hymn book. Haven't you always wanted to see all the parts written in there? Trust me--it's worth it!
2. Share your musical gifts and enjoy opportunities for creative expression in worship.
And the #1 Reason:
WE NEED YOU!
We sing one anthem per Sunday and do a special concert May 16 called the "Musicale". We rehearse in the choir room 8:30 am on Sunday. No need to come during the week. Please just show up and you will be warmly welcomed! We guarantee you will have a good time, so what are you waiting for? Join this week!
April is Handel month; we will be doing many works by this great composer, including selections from "Messiah" on Easter Sunday. More on that to come.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Mendelssohn Month
We are now 3 weeks into February. This month is most notable as Black History Month. Dorothy has created a fascinating table of memorabilia in the hallway sharing black heritage.
For the St. Luke choir, however, Clyde has also dubbed this February as "Mendelssohn Month." Felix Mendelssohn was born in German on February 3, 1809, exactly 200 years ago (same year as Lincoln and Darwin). A talented and prolific composer of beautiful works for symphony and keyboard, Mendelssohn also wrote oratorio "St. Paul" and "Elijah." Our preludes, postludes, and anthems have all been by the composer, and even we soloists have taken it upon ourselves to select offertory music written by Mendelssohn.
There is so much lovely music to choose from, some that has made a very important impression at different times in my life. As a senior in high school, I played "Fingal's Cave (Hebrides Overture)" with the Pennsylvania State Orchestra (um, would it give my age away too much if I mentioned this was in 1982?). The piece evokes a cavern from the Hebrides islands off the coast of Scotland. It is hauntingly beautiful and has an awesome clarinet solo, through which I was very proud not to have "squeaked." At our wedding at St. Luke nearly one year ago, we used as our Recessional, as have countless other couples before us, Mendelssohn's "Incidental music from Midsummer Night's Dream."
Test your knowledge by taking a trivia quiz on Mendelssohn! http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/music/classical_music/mendelssohn.html (I scored a 7/10)
Thanks to our organist and choirmaster Dr. Clyde Shive for sharing his distinguished experience as a music scholar to enhance the music program at St. Luke.
Today was also Mardi Gras Sunday which St. Luke celebrated with "Souper" Sunday--soup lunch to benefit Mary Jane Enrichment Center. Another delicious day of fellowship. This week begins Lent; blessings to all as you embark on the spiritual journey of the Lenten season!
For the St. Luke choir, however, Clyde has also dubbed this February as "Mendelssohn Month." Felix Mendelssohn was born in German on February 3, 1809, exactly 200 years ago (same year as Lincoln and Darwin). A talented and prolific composer of beautiful works for symphony and keyboard, Mendelssohn also wrote oratorio "St. Paul" and "Elijah." Our preludes, postludes, and anthems have all been by the composer, and even we soloists have taken it upon ourselves to select offertory music written by Mendelssohn.
There is so much lovely music to choose from, some that has made a very important impression at different times in my life. As a senior in high school, I played "Fingal's Cave (Hebrides Overture)" with the Pennsylvania State Orchestra (um, would it give my age away too much if I mentioned this was in 1982?). The piece evokes a cavern from the Hebrides islands off the coast of Scotland. It is hauntingly beautiful and has an awesome clarinet solo, through which I was very proud not to have "squeaked." At our wedding at St. Luke nearly one year ago, we used as our Recessional, as have countless other couples before us, Mendelssohn's "Incidental music from Midsummer Night's Dream."
Test your knowledge by taking a trivia quiz on Mendelssohn! http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/music/classical_music/mendelssohn.html (I scored a 7/10)
Thanks to our organist and choirmaster Dr. Clyde Shive for sharing his distinguished experience as a music scholar to enhance the music program at St. Luke.
Today was also Mardi Gras Sunday which St. Luke celebrated with "Souper" Sunday--soup lunch to benefit Mary Jane Enrichment Center. Another delicious day of fellowship. This week begins Lent; blessings to all as you embark on the spiritual journey of the Lenten season!
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