It's A Beautiful Day at St. Luke United Methodist

Sunrise Service

2010-04-08T12:17:00.001-07:00

Hello! I have not written for awhile but I've been taking photographs! Here is an album of photos from the St. Luke Easter Sunrise Service April 4 in Ashbridge Park in Bryn Mawr.

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=4a30f69a404c99ee&sid=0CcOW7hq0asWNt

Are We Ready to Give Up Till It Hurts?

2010-02-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

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!

Epiphany

2010-01-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

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!

A Somewhat Beautiful Day in Bryn Mawr

2009-10-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

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!!

Spring Mix

2009-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

Choir Needs More Singers!

2009-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

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.

Mendelssohn Month

2009-02-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

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!

Listen and Wait

2009-01-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

I've been very busy for a couple of weeks so I apologize for not posting anything. Many changes are happening for me at work and I'm taking a graduate class so things have not been terribly settled. Meanwhile Martin Luther King Day and the Inauguration of the new President have been monopolizing the headlines.

This Sunday the St. Luke Choir did an anthem this morning that consisted of the men singing the faith song "I Believe" while the women sang the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria." This was termed a "Quodlibet" which is a piece of music combining more than one melody (think "Lida Rose" and "Dream Of Now" from the Music Man.) We did not do a bad job of it, and it was glorious to hear our soprano sub Kristen on the high note at the end, but there was a noticeable spot in the middle where we didn't hear each other and we consequently lost our place for about a bar or so.

Okay, so there's a lesson there......no matter how well you think you know what you are doing, it pays to listen and pay attention. If you are not in synch with what the other folks you are collaborating with are doing, nobody gets anywhere. It's hard to listen and adjust to someone else; I find it a huge challenge to be patient and wait for others. (just ask my husband about getting ready to go to the gym in the mornings). Especially in a choir, it's not a race to see who gets to the end of the piece first (that would be interesting though) but a work done together, "in concert." One of the most important skills in music performance--and life--is to be able to listen to what others are doing and adjust how you fit into it.

We saw Obama do a little of this during the oath of office gaffe where Chief Justice Roberts reversed the word order, moving the adverb "faithfully" modifying the verb "to execute" to the end of the sentence instead of with the verb. I don't think he wanted to, but I think he ended up saying it Roberts' way. How much more gracious is that than saying "I'm sorry, you've got it wrong. Start over."

I enjoy attending live community theater productions, and if possible I always try to make it to a show on opening night. I think that the performance is more electric and fresher the first time with an audience, when the players are just learning how the pieces fit together and the whole work is perceived. Collaborating in artistic ventures is the joy of it for the performers and a very large part of the appreciation by the audience.

So it's a beautiful day to listen and wait and see what happens......

Take My Life....Please!

2009-01-11T11:43:00.001-08:00

It's the New Year--rarely have we been so glad to start one--Christmas is over, the trees are down, the decorations put away, the cookies and chocolate fortunately almost completely gone.

We had what could barely be called snow (what happened to the good old snowy days?) but the parking lot was icy despite the cheery sunshine.

This morning's service was remarkable in many ways, from the gorgeous Bach music from Marcia, Ray, and Clyde, the climactic faceoff Pastor David explained he would be joining with peacemaking colleagues at a Philadelphia gun shop, the consecration of church leaders and a very moving message about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

However, the thing I most want to remark on was that we had a little chancel drama! Marilyn and Nancy kicked off the second scripture reading (the Holy Spirit descending on Ch rist after his baptism) with a little role-play dialogue of two observers discussing the events of the day and their imperfect understanding of what had occurred at the baptism of Jesus. "Ooh, cool!" I thought, leaning forward with excitement. It was great to have a little interpretation to make the reading relevant. Chancel drama is a wonderful tool in worship--it's entertaining and a break from routine. Most importantly, it's truly effective in helping people remember and take away the message.

I'm about to go to our global sales meeting this week and I will have to do presentations that I have been preparing for two months, along with my colleagues who work with me on basic science textbooks and review books for medical students. It's a big effort, and I am always extremely anxious for this meeting to be over, so my prayers today were along the lines they often are--help me to find a way to feel that I am serving God even while working fulltime at a corporation. The anthem today was thought-provoking, "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee......Take my intellect and use every power as Thou should choose." While I often seek out God as escape or refuge of some kind from the challenges and stresses of work, I know that there is no joy without struggle, and that effort and work are always rewarded with the satisfaction of knowing we've done our best!

In fact, we can't really do our best without being synched in with the Holy Spirit. And the more we consecrate ourselves to God, the more good work we are able to do. So let's keep high expectations and high hopes of ourselves and of others, trusting that we'll be able to tap into the power of God to get us through.

Know Your Christmas Gifts

2008-12-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at St Luke began uneventfully enough. The weather was mild though rainy. My husband Paul and I picked up Hazel, another choir member who is older and does not drive, and gave her a ride to the church. She was delightful to converse with, as usual, telling us about her family traditions for Christmas Eve (she is from an Italian family) and other memories about her family. She described the homemade Italian wedding soup she was taking to her niece's for Christmas dinner the next day. Hazel has been undergoing some medical treatments for the past few weeeks, and said she had not felt well during the day. She almost decided not to come to the service. I'm not completely sure what swayed her, but it may have been the huge bag of homemade handtowels she always crochets for the choir members as a Christmas gift.

Hazel started doing this some years ago, apparently, when she had towels remaining from the Christmas craft fair. Now, the custom has grown into a tradition of choir members exchanging small gifts with everyone else in the choir. In addition to a hand towel from Hazel, Paul and I received bean soup mix from Kathy, homemade plum jam from Ginger and George, a reindeer bell ornament from Jim and Mary, and chocolate-nut bark of many flavors freshly home-made by Elaine (she toasts her own nuts, she proudly declared to the delight of the basses in the choir). Paul and I brought small packages of homemade cookies for everyone.

We surprised ourselves in the service by performing acceptably well on "This Little Babe" from Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" which had been tripping us up in rehearsal. The service was going along fine until the lead-in to the last number. The sanctuary had been darkened to allow for candlelight and the singing of "Silent Night" when there was commotion in the choir stalls over Hazel, who seemed to have passed out. Cathy Clarke, a parishioner who is also a family physician, came to the rescue and she and her husband coordinated carrying Hazel out of the sanctuary with help from Paul, Franz, and Elaine. Fred Vivino, another parishioner who is a rheumatologist, called 9-1-1. Soon the EMTs and police had arrived, but by this time, Hazel had revived and claimed to be okay, telling Paul and the other carriers to 'go back in there and sing "Silent Night"'. The singing was extended a bit longer while the paramedics requested additional time to handle the situation. Feeling that giving them time would allow us to help out in some small way, Pastor David took requests and we sang a rousing "Go Tell It On The Mountain" before breaking up the service and going to the side hall for some of Ginger's Wassail.

I have not heard how Hazel is doing yet, but we surely had her in our prayers for the past two days. We never know when something can happen or go wrong; hopefully she is fine, but this was a reminder that as a church family, and simply as people, we cannot control anything and must be prepared to help one another and be strong for one another at any point. Likewise we must always be grateful for what we have, mundane though it may seem to us at times.

Christmas is an ideal time not just for gift-giving, but to think about--and be thankful for--the gifts we already have all around us that we have been enjoying throughout the year. (Sometimes--very often, in fact--these gifts are people!)

Being at St. Luke every Sunday morning allows me to review the previous week in my head. At what moments did I do well? At what moments did I fail to act in the best way? What moments affected me most deeply? I need to be brave enough to pray for myself to make the most of these times. I need to be faithful enough to pray for the others in my life, and to be thankful for their contributions. Hazel is without a doubt one of those people I am thankful for have in my life. In addition, Clyde, Dorothy, Pastor David, our fellow choir members, our families and all the old friends who love and support us, shine in our hearts infinitely more brightly than gold shiny paper.

Best wishes for safe and healthy holidays to everyone. Paul and I will miss church this week because we will be visiting with his family in Missouri until Jan 1. Much love and see you in the New Year!

The Responsibility of Asking

2008-12-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when children are expected to make a list of requests for the presents they want for Christmas. Most of them do this, and I find this rather amazing. When I was young, I inwardly froze in terror if anybody asked me because for some reason I had no idea of the answer to this question. Partly, I think I wanted to be surprised because I enjoyed that, and partly, I really didn't know what I wanted, much less have the wherewithal to ask for it. I suppose I may have developed a list of sorts, but I was never very invested in it.

I think somewhere inherent in my uncertainty was also the fear that as soon as I would pick something it would be taken away or denied me. I therefore felt it was safer not to commit. Why set up expectations for Christmas morning and risk disappointment? Better to expect nothing and find yourself pleasantly surprised.

This worked well enough since I always received presents that I enjoyed, but I haven't found that it works very well in life. The very core of the human condition, and indeed survival, rests on wanting something and working to get it. We go nowhere in our careers, relationships, or leisure interests if we can't determine a path and envision ourselves in it. Our goals may change somewhat from time to time, but on some level we know what it is we want.

The trouble is asking for it. When we ask for something we really want, we risk being told "no" and many of us are terrified of that so much that we don't even ask. We don't even acknowledge to ourselves what we might want, so strong is our self-protective instinct against vulnerability. This is a tough problem to get around, and it requires that we frequently slow down and ask ourselves: Am I satisfied with my life as it is? What areas are problems for me? What would make them better? Who can help me with this? Have I prayed about it? How will I feel if I can't get the help I need? How will I feel if I DO get it? If the answer to the last question is "I'll feel wonderful" then you need to at least ask.

A stumbling block for me is actually asking for help. I feel I have to do everything myself and I take pride in it. Now that I'm married, I'm learning fast that it is better not to do everything myself. I have learned how good it feels to get something I want. The knowledge of that feeling helps me temper that fear of asking, or fear of even hoping.

This Christmas I hope we all find some time to center on what it is we want and where we can go to get help. We may not always get our answers, but we will at least experience the self-knowledge and liberation of allowing ourselves to hope, and ask!

Why I Am At Home Here

2008-12-07T09:44:00.001-08:00

This morning, the second Sunday of Advent, the hard work of those who participated in "Hanging of the Greens" on Saturday was evident, with greens, candles in globes, red bows, and two fresh Christmas trees making the sanctuary festive and fragrant.

Pastor David introduced the scripture reading from Mark on John the Baptist with the suggestion that today's "John the Baptist" is the economic recession. The economic hard times, like the voice of one crying in the wilderness centuries ago, are a wake-up call to us to bring us to repentance and to turn our lives back toward God. He read the scripture, then began his sermon with the question that if that is the case, then who is our modern-day savior? Not President-elect Obama, he said, although we have high hopes for him. None other than Jesus.

This type of assertion may sound unsurprising and evident if you are accustomed to often hearing Christian faith sincerely expressed. Since I'm actually not accustomed to it, to me it sounded stunning in its simplicity and straightforwardness, and very profound. In my busy working life, my relatively new marriage, the concerns of what I can and what I can't control about my schedule or my health, and my gamely trying to make sense of world and national news and global responsibilities, I found this to be exactly the message I needed, and marvel that I so infrequently hear this point of view.

Let me explain a little bit about my own background with churches. My family of origin are active members of the Church of the Brethren, a small Anabaptist/Pietist Christian denomination that, in addition to adult baptism, emphasizes peace, social justice, and service (I'm extremely proud to say that Dan West, the founder of now-famous and celebrated Heifer Project International, was Brethren http://www.cob-net.org/hpi.htm). Music was important, members were mostly professionals with a strong and simple Christian faith, and our ministers served up intellectually challenging sermons each week including creative invocations, readings, and special events. Like most kids, I thought all churches must be like mine.

I went off to college at a Lutheran college, Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, which I chose for its academic reputation, size, and location. Once there, I was a member of the college choir and participated in services with formal sung liturgies and weekly communion. The logistics were a challenge. The first two years I spent focusing more on what page of the book we were on than on the sermon or sentiments of the service. I was slightly appalled that the Lutheran ministers, while obviously well trained and qualified religious leaders, were also required to lead sung liturgies. I found this forced and distracting, and the liturgy melodies strange.

By the time I had I married in my late 20s and then divorced again in my early 30s, I felt estranged from the church and unworthy of Christian fellowship, I found a home in the Unitarian Universalist Church to help me get re-established in a new direction. This was a wonderfully welcoming church family whose creed emphasized "the inherent worth of every individual" which was a blessed grace for me in growing strong again and building a new life. The arts were an extremely important part of this faith community, and again I found many avenues for singing, theater, and playing the piano, and I began serious voice lessons. My musical life was the center of my life even more than the spiritual community I found there. I also grew intellectually, as we were responsible for "Building Our Own Theology" and for going out into the world of work without any additional spiritual armor than that which we fashioned for ourselves. Though New Testament scripture was rarely read (possibly limited to Christmas Eve if memory serves) being involved in this congregation felt like living the parable of the talents for me. I was learning that God may be pleased when we pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and let our personalities shine through, instead of hanging back with modest self-effacement in the name of God, which, somehow, to me, felt like one of the most complex problems of the way many of us receive the Christian message. The missing piece was that I felt there needed to be more beyond the individual's beliefs and preferences. There needed to be a connection to a larger Presence. We looked for that in each other, and foundered a little bit without a common God we could talk about without fearing we were stepping on somebody's toes.

As my singing voice improved, a friend who was an organist and choirmaster invited me to come and serve as a paid section leader at his Episcopal Church, which I did for the next two years. Here I realized even more fully how many different forms Christian worship may take. At the Episcopal Church, not only the liturgies but even the prayers came from a book, and the scriptures were read with attendants to carry the bible, hold up the cross, and ring the bell. I even learned to chant the psalms--a very unusual experience when you are not accustomed to it, with its own forms of notation to master. Mostly I found I loved being a regular member of a Christian church again, and that along with bringing musical gifts I enjoyed the interaction and community aspects of this congregation, and felt the parishioners were open-minded and educated and not judgmental of a Unitarian Universalist. But this church was a long commute from my home and when I received a promotion at work, it was too much to continue with it.

I went along for a year happy to have no Sunday morning obligations, when in the late summer of 2006 I got a phone call from Dr. Clyde Shive, who had gotten my name from an alto soloist at another Episcopal Church, I decided to come to St. Luke to audition for the alto section leader position, being vacated by the illustrious Sue Lomax, who was stepping down after many years to spend more time with her grandchildren and traveling with her husband. In the first few weeks I began to really get excited--Clyde allowed soloists to select our own pieces, there was some very participatory congregational sharing of joys and concerns, I loved the choir members, there was coffee after the service, and numerous potlucks (see November post). The hymns sounded a bit more like the ones I recalled from my Church of the Brethren days, even including some Ken Medema selections (I was a huge fan of his when I was in high school, and still am). Best of all (for me) no two services were alike, no two prayers were alike, no two invocations or benedictions or call to worship readings were repeated or from a book, but rather from the heart and creative mind of someone who came up with them or culled them from somewhere. It was personal. But unlike the Unitarian experience, it was not ONLY personal. It was also very much moving in both the concentric circles of humanness and godliness.

I hope that helps explain why I am at home at St. Luke United Methodist. There is a balance here of real sincere people who also apply their gifts and intelligence to a strong Christian faith. Nobody is using their faith to hide, and nobody is hiding from their faith. Unlike in the Unitarian church, where I could perform a solo that was classical in nature with no religious overtones whatsoever, and the music would be considered appropriate for the service (more so than a piece that mentioned the "J" word). Here I feel that I am expected to bring something meaningful to the spirits of the congregation, and that inspires me.

Getting back to how Jesus can be our savior from the economic recession, I would only say that it is focusing on the blessings of our lives that we can help weather the disappointments. Perhaps talented people working together for the common good can help turn things around for the desperate and least fortunate. With so much blaming and complaining going on, though, it is soothing and wonderful to have something to pray for, and someone to wait for, expectantly.

Advent Amens!

2008-12-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

So apparently it’s Advent Season already! Finally it does not seem odd to be singing the Christmas music we’ve had in our choir folders for weeks.

Yesterday, though we hadn’t even switched the calendar to December yet, the choir at St. Luke’s performed a lovely anthem called “Advent Credo” (the words go something like….”I believe in hope….I believe in joy… I believe in peace… I believe in love”). This piece was simple, lovely, and calming. It was fairly easy to sing, with unison men’s and women’s parts through most of it. Our organist and choir director, Dr. Clyde Shive, played it expressively and we felt sure of all our cues.

When we finished, we received resounding “Amens” for it from members of the congregation. We went back to what Clyde calls our “stalls” trying not to beam too much with pride, and feeling as though like we had provided some small piece of ministry with our anthem.

The “Amens” after musical performances are one of the things I love about St. Luke. There are nearly always “Amens,” although they are delivered with varying degrees of enthusiasm. A few people out there who always give an “Amen” and I admire that. I have never experienced or witnessed such an outward show of appreciation of a church choir.

It’s positive reinforcement that your singing was enjoyed, and an affirmation of the message of the anthem, not so much on the quality of the musical performance. To hear that “Amen” after a piece that has somehow gone wrong—someone hit some wrong notes, you made a wrong entrance, the parts were not together at one or two spots—is a metaphor and tangible reminder of how God forgives and loves us even when we do not deserve it. On those occasions the congregation seems to be ministering to us rather than the other way around.

The choir at St. Luke have moved into the final two weeks before the annual cantata, for which we’ve been rehearsing for many weeks. More on that soon!

Many other activities are bustling at the church as well, and it promises to be an exciting holiday season! Post comments and questions of your own, or, as always, check out http://www.stlukebrynmawr.org for the full story!

A Beautiful Day at St. Luke UM Bryn Mawr

2008-11-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hello, Friends--

I want to introduce you to the wonderful church where I have been singing in the choir for the past two years--St. Luke United Methodist in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania at 568 Montgomery Avenue.

This blog is not official nor is it authorized--the church has an official website at http://www.stlukebrynmawr.org which is beautifully set up and where you can view photos, the church history, meet the pastor online, and read about services and events.

But if you are searching for a church family, you need more information than that, don't you? This blog is meant to provide a bit more color commentary and impressions from the point of view of just one individual involved in services. I also intend to personalize this with my own insights and moments of spiritual inspiration. It is my hope that members and friends of St. Luke may add their own commentary so that additional perspectives will be represented!

We are all aware of the growing effectiveness of web communications. This year's Stewardship campaign asked us to think of ways we could bring more members to the church. I believe that one way to reveal the essence of the church to potential members is to provide small glimpses from personal experience. I could not sustain an exhaustive commentary, so my details will likely be brief and focused. I hope to add such posts at least every week. The message here is "St. Luke is a wonderful church home for many of us and perhaps for you too! Please feel free to post comments and questions, or just show up at 10 am on Sundays."

This morning St. Luke celebrated its 129th anniversary as a congregation. Details of its dedication in 1879 are on the church website. We had a guest preacher and a lavish (as usual) potluck dinner after the service. My favorite dishes were Ginger Myers' baked beans, somebody's corn souffle, and Dorothy Shive's apple cake with cream cheese icing (yum). My husband, Paul who is also in the choir (by the way, we were married at St. Luke this past March!) sang a solo during the offertory and as is our custom whoever sings a solo gets treated to lunch by the other after church. Needless to say, he took a raincheck because of the potluck. Bertucci's can't hold a candle to lovingly prepared homemade dishes eaten with friends in the fellowship hall. A service award was given to the Vivino family (well-deserved) and Pastor David announced that the church board had approved to put up a basketball hoop in the parking lot for the youth (met with much enthusiasm). At a craft table in the corner Christmas craft items made by some of the women of the church were on sale.

I pick the title of this initial post because it's true--it is a beautiful day in Bryn Mawr and elsewhere in the Delaware Valley--but mostly because this is how Pastor David Tatgenhorst welcomes us at the start of each service. Reminiscent of Fred Rogers, though looking a bit more like David Letterman, Pastor David's greeting "It's a beautiful day in Bryn Mawr!" represents his positive, welcoming approach to worship.

I hope you're intrigued and will stay tuned for more posts!