One thing I have learned at seminary from the pipeliners is just how far from my twenties I am. Actually it has been really energizing to be around them and to connect. While I will post more after my final tomorrow, I got to thinking about music from " back in the day." From when I was in high school, I was reminded of this Keith Green song I hear at a Creation event. Bring on the bamanna bread!
About Me
- Law+Gospel
- I'm a proud 2011 graduate of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and the Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church continuing the journey that God has planned. This is where I somewhat regularly contemplate the intersection of faith and the real world, and the tension between law and the Gospel. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, two Lutheran Chicks and Toby, our beagle/pointer mix! And now for the legal lingo:Views expressed here are mine alone, and do not represent the ELCA, LTSG, or any ministry context in which I serve or to which I belong. The names in my stories have been changed to protect the innocent, as have key facts. If the story sounds familiar perhaps it is because life experiences can be universal.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
5 Things My Children Should Know ( and since I have children I hope they do/will)
Thanks to David for tagging me for this meme and getting my head out of the summer Greek to come up for air. And this is a great topic. So here are my five things, not necessarily in order and sorry for some brevity but you former summer Greek people know where I am - tomorrow is the final:
1. There is nowhere that life will take you where God is not right there with you.
This is the teen version of the Romans verse which is my fave
( my Lutheran Chicks are 13 and 15)
I have relied on this to get me through many things. We are NEVER without God
2. Although not every thing can be fixed, there is nothing than cannot be forgiven.
First taught to LC #2 when she pulled a page out of the printer too quickly
and it went "crunch". When told this her tears and fears melted away.
3. Everyone is different- that is what makes life interesting. But be who you are.
4. There is a difference between being " the best" and doing "your best."
The first is a matter of opinion and opinions change. Working to be your best shows that you are using your gifts from God the best you can. Sometimes this will go well, sometimes it will go not so well. But God's grace is unending.
5. Never pass up a chance to show someone you love or care for them. You never know if there will be another. You may be just what that person needed at that moment.
Do this and you will not have regrets for what could have been.
So there you have it. I hope the Chicks live these out. I see times when they do and I am reminded of how blessed I am to have my children and my husband- gifts don't get much better than that!
1. There is nowhere that life will take you where God is not right there with you.
This is the teen version of the Romans verse which is my fave
( my Lutheran Chicks are 13 and 15)
I have relied on this to get me through many things. We are NEVER without God
2. Although not every thing can be fixed, there is nothing than cannot be forgiven.
First taught to LC #2 when she pulled a page out of the printer too quickly
and it went "crunch". When told this her tears and fears melted away.
3. Everyone is different- that is what makes life interesting. But be who you are.
4. There is a difference between being " the best" and doing "your best."
The first is a matter of opinion and opinions change. Working to be your best shows that you are using your gifts from God the best you can. Sometimes this will go well, sometimes it will go not so well. But God's grace is unending.
5. Never pass up a chance to show someone you love or care for them. You never know if there will be another. You may be just what that person needed at that moment.
Do this and you will not have regrets for what could have been.
So there you have it. I hope the Chicks live these out. I see times when they do and I am reminded of how blessed I am to have my children and my husband- gifts don't get much better than that!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Chris Tomlin - How great is our God-Friday flick
Off to take the first big Greek test. Saw this over at Revgals and it really lifted me up. Give thanks for a great and gracious God!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Time
I have been thinking alot about time-having time for things, or feeling like there is not enough time. How much time do I need to cram 24 ways to say the word "the" in Greek into my head. How long will I have to translate these sentences? How quickly time has passed from when I got here last week.
How long it has been since I texted my kids or emailed my Mom and Dad. How short was the time I spent with my husband over lunch yesterday.
And it is easy to get sucked into the vortex of studying and stressing and memorization and the whole learning/testing cycle. But yesterday hit the wall and my brain just needed a break. And I was kind of clunking around, wondering what to do to avoid the nagging presence of my Greek. And yet I really should stay focused.
In the midst of this, one of my classmates, who is from Ethiopia, and has come to Virginia to obtain education, was meeting with his candidacy committee. And I thought I had stress!
Here is a man who has come here with his family, is still learning the crazy ins and outs of our language and Greek on top of it. He has left Ethiopia where he was an evangelist in the Lutheran Church to come here to become a pastor. And he is doing this while serving a church for Ethiopians here in Virginia, where he plays the organ, preaches and teaches. He began by posting flyers at the airports and other places where Ethiopians would see and he has a growing congregation serving a ministry need. He has a wife and three children as well.
And so as I rejoiced and praised God with him last evening that he has been given positive entrance by his Synod, I thought some more about perspective and time.
The night before his interview I sat with him and listened to his story and we shared candidacy experiences. Last night we could spend some time being glad.
And while it is important that I work hard, it cannot be any more important than being present to others.
And when I think about whatever sacrifices I am making to be in this place, my classmate really is proof that God will move mountains much bigger than my worries for the sake of His church.
And since we really only get so much time, we should try to be good stewards of it, not just in the busy work of a day, but in the connections we make and the relationships we build.
In Ephesians, Paul writes in chapter 5, verse 15 that we are to be careful how we live, making the most of our time. True enough, but I think that even more defining is the words of the earlier chapter, Chapter 4, 1-7 in which he urges fellow believers to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are one body, one Spirit, with one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.
We each have different gifts, we come from different lands, and times, but the more that we can remember this unity of purpose and spirit, we and the church will be strengthened and sustained, even when 24 ways to say "the" is calling.
I have seen a great video about time and how we use the gift of it. Unfortunately I cannot directly post it here, so I offer the link:
http://www.thetimemovie.com
Enjoy the gift of time God has given to you this day!
How long it has been since I texted my kids or emailed my Mom and Dad. How short was the time I spent with my husband over lunch yesterday.
And it is easy to get sucked into the vortex of studying and stressing and memorization and the whole learning/testing cycle. But yesterday hit the wall and my brain just needed a break. And I was kind of clunking around, wondering what to do to avoid the nagging presence of my Greek. And yet I really should stay focused.
In the midst of this, one of my classmates, who is from Ethiopia, and has come to Virginia to obtain education, was meeting with his candidacy committee. And I thought I had stress!
Here is a man who has come here with his family, is still learning the crazy ins and outs of our language and Greek on top of it. He has left Ethiopia where he was an evangelist in the Lutheran Church to come here to become a pastor. And he is doing this while serving a church for Ethiopians here in Virginia, where he plays the organ, preaches and teaches. He began by posting flyers at the airports and other places where Ethiopians would see and he has a growing congregation serving a ministry need. He has a wife and three children as well.
And so as I rejoiced and praised God with him last evening that he has been given positive entrance by his Synod, I thought some more about perspective and time.
The night before his interview I sat with him and listened to his story and we shared candidacy experiences. Last night we could spend some time being glad.
And while it is important that I work hard, it cannot be any more important than being present to others.
And when I think about whatever sacrifices I am making to be in this place, my classmate really is proof that God will move mountains much bigger than my worries for the sake of His church.
And since we really only get so much time, we should try to be good stewards of it, not just in the busy work of a day, but in the connections we make and the relationships we build.
In Ephesians, Paul writes in chapter 5, verse 15 that we are to be careful how we live, making the most of our time. True enough, but I think that even more defining is the words of the earlier chapter, Chapter 4, 1-7 in which he urges fellow believers to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are one body, one Spirit, with one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.
We each have different gifts, we come from different lands, and times, but the more that we can remember this unity of purpose and spirit, we and the church will be strengthened and sustained, even when 24 ways to say "the" is calling.
I have seen a great video about time and how we use the gift of it. Unfortunately I cannot directly post it here, so I offer the link:
http://www.thetimemovie.com
Enjoy the gift of time God has given to you this day!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The life of a young lawyer
During the same time I was getting my feet wet in our church I was also learning what it mean to be a "real live" lawyer. Not at all what they teach in school. Like many of my fellow seminarians now I went straight from high school to college to law school. So I am 25 or so and the people whom I am representing are frequently much older than me.
I took a position as an associate lawyer in a mid-sized firm but my primary location was as the second attorney in the town where I lived ( about 10,000 people). At the time many people living here were "from here." And I was the only female lawyer in town so I became known as " that lady lawyer."
I also learned that since many people did not think of women as lawyers, if I was standing near the receptionist's desk, I must be a secretary. This was still a time where women were required to wear a suit with a skirt to Court and this rule applied even in winter when men came in with khakis, a blazer and duck boots. I was once chastised for wearing snow boots for a brief routine presentation in Court where I had just driven forty minutes through a foot and a half of new snow to get there.
So.. I expected to mainly write wills, maybe do some real estate closings and some other civil law things, and lots of research for other older lawyers. And I did do those things. But what really happened was this..
Two weeks after I started my boss went on vacation and there were thirteen-fifteen real estate closings to do every day. I had seen him do one. Mine. Thank the Lord for a good paralegal. Several of the closings had weird issues come up but the strangest one was where the people had a house built and by the time of the closing, it became obvious that the wife had ordered a lot of "extras" like special fixtures for the house. She had not, however, talked with her husband and the total was ore than the amount of money they had.
So there sits the wife in tears, the husband in shock, the builder in fits. And this was not something I was prepared for- having to tell everyone what happens if people walk away and litigation starts. Deep breath. They have no idea that as scared as they are- I am petrified.
I suggested we take an hour break for everyone to evaluate their options and come back ( after all other people are stacked up waiting for their closings). I suggested it was in everyone's interest to not be too hasty. For some reason they listened.
I still do not know what happened during that hour but the buyers came back with money from a friend or family member and we closed the deal. They are, miraculously, still married.
Pretty soon after I started, my supervising attorney started giving me files to handle start to finish and many of them were the divorces he did not want to do. I never had a family law class in school ( because after all I was going to write wills). I realized quickly how little I knew about the dynamics of these cases, even though I have practiced in this area now for many years, I have struggled with the context of reducing lives to numbers and formulas. From the perspective of each person there is too little or too much, or too soon or too late.
Wanting litigation experience I answered a posting for a part time-public defender in criminal cases. When I was called to tell me I had the job, I was now working full-time for my law firm and part time for the county. I was handling preliminary hearings for everything from stolen lawn ornaments ( real case) to arson. Routine traffic violations and aggravated assault.
I had the chance to get in a couple of trials as well. One of which involved a 14 year old who got mad because a known drug dealer made fun of his girlfriend and he bought a fully loaded gun on the street for $40 and came back and blew the dealer away. My job was to handle the juvenile certification phase- should he be tried as an adult or a juvenile? In the process of preparing his defense we learned a lot of the markers of troubled people.
He was Hispanic, living in the worst part of town. No father in the picture. His mother was clearly overwhelmed by raising several children. She did not speak English well and therefore was relegated to working in a laundry. Long hours, not good pay. And this young man had learning issues, and ADD- which was not fully addressed in school or at home because this city school district did not have the resources, and the mother did not have the time or the desire or the energy or could not make it to school without missing work because if she did she would lose her bad job - but it was her only income. ( Yes that was a run-on sentence for effect- this is how people relate the stress of their lives).
So what does a young guy with no hope who people make fun of with too much energy and a brain function issue like ADD that prevents you from properly reading social cues do? He acts impulsively, angrily. And yet after he shot the dealer, it did not seem real. It seemed just like the video games. And since nobody cares about the dealer because he is a bad guy, does it matter?
Years later I watched a movie called Children of God about the drug slums of Rio. I thought of C. the young man who shot the dealer.
And the truth is that C was also using drugs so he had another relationship with this dealer. And the dealer had another tool to taunt C- you need me to feed your addiction so I can mess with you and what are you going to do about it?
He was tried as an adult- there was after all no real way to successfully argue otherwise. And he got a life sentence. That was 16 years ago so he is now 30.
Over the next years I would condense a lot of quick learning about much more than just the law.
I took a position as an associate lawyer in a mid-sized firm but my primary location was as the second attorney in the town where I lived ( about 10,000 people). At the time many people living here were "from here." And I was the only female lawyer in town so I became known as " that lady lawyer."
I also learned that since many people did not think of women as lawyers, if I was standing near the receptionist's desk, I must be a secretary. This was still a time where women were required to wear a suit with a skirt to Court and this rule applied even in winter when men came in with khakis, a blazer and duck boots. I was once chastised for wearing snow boots for a brief routine presentation in Court where I had just driven forty minutes through a foot and a half of new snow to get there.
So.. I expected to mainly write wills, maybe do some real estate closings and some other civil law things, and lots of research for other older lawyers. And I did do those things. But what really happened was this..
Two weeks after I started my boss went on vacation and there were thirteen-fifteen real estate closings to do every day. I had seen him do one. Mine. Thank the Lord for a good paralegal. Several of the closings had weird issues come up but the strangest one was where the people had a house built and by the time of the closing, it became obvious that the wife had ordered a lot of "extras" like special fixtures for the house. She had not, however, talked with her husband and the total was ore than the amount of money they had.
So there sits the wife in tears, the husband in shock, the builder in fits. And this was not something I was prepared for- having to tell everyone what happens if people walk away and litigation starts. Deep breath. They have no idea that as scared as they are- I am petrified.
I suggested we take an hour break for everyone to evaluate their options and come back ( after all other people are stacked up waiting for their closings). I suggested it was in everyone's interest to not be too hasty. For some reason they listened.
I still do not know what happened during that hour but the buyers came back with money from a friend or family member and we closed the deal. They are, miraculously, still married.
Pretty soon after I started, my supervising attorney started giving me files to handle start to finish and many of them were the divorces he did not want to do. I never had a family law class in school ( because after all I was going to write wills). I realized quickly how little I knew about the dynamics of these cases, even though I have practiced in this area now for many years, I have struggled with the context of reducing lives to numbers and formulas. From the perspective of each person there is too little or too much, or too soon or too late.
Wanting litigation experience I answered a posting for a part time-public defender in criminal cases. When I was called to tell me I had the job, I was now working full-time for my law firm and part time for the county. I was handling preliminary hearings for everything from stolen lawn ornaments ( real case) to arson. Routine traffic violations and aggravated assault.
I had the chance to get in a couple of trials as well. One of which involved a 14 year old who got mad because a known drug dealer made fun of his girlfriend and he bought a fully loaded gun on the street for $40 and came back and blew the dealer away. My job was to handle the juvenile certification phase- should he be tried as an adult or a juvenile? In the process of preparing his defense we learned a lot of the markers of troubled people.
He was Hispanic, living in the worst part of town. No father in the picture. His mother was clearly overwhelmed by raising several children. She did not speak English well and therefore was relegated to working in a laundry. Long hours, not good pay. And this young man had learning issues, and ADD- which was not fully addressed in school or at home because this city school district did not have the resources, and the mother did not have the time or the desire or the energy or could not make it to school without missing work because if she did she would lose her bad job - but it was her only income. ( Yes that was a run-on sentence for effect- this is how people relate the stress of their lives).
So what does a young guy with no hope who people make fun of with too much energy and a brain function issue like ADD that prevents you from properly reading social cues do? He acts impulsively, angrily. And yet after he shot the dealer, it did not seem real. It seemed just like the video games. And since nobody cares about the dealer because he is a bad guy, does it matter?
Years later I watched a movie called Children of God about the drug slums of Rio. I thought of C. the young man who shot the dealer.
And the truth is that C was also using drugs so he had another relationship with this dealer. And the dealer had another tool to taunt C- you need me to feed your addiction so I can mess with you and what are you going to do about it?
He was tried as an adult- there was after all no real way to successfully argue otherwise. And he got a life sentence. That was 16 years ago so he is now 30.
Over the next years I would condense a lot of quick learning about much more than just the law.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Give me Shelter
One of the things that happened early on in my time as a member of our church was that the church had a chance to buy the property that was located between our church and our parking lot. Doing so gave our congregation continuous land from the Christian Ed building/sanctuary, paprish house, this other property and on to our parking lot. Wary of who or what might otherwise locate there was a concern to those leading our congregation.
So suddenly we were the proud owners of a two story house that has been another lawyer's offices. What to do with the property? Our congregation did what is often done when such things arise, we formed a committee. Other than singing this was one of the first things I became involved with. Lots of ideas were kicked around, such as just renting it out, tearing it down and paving it over, among others.
This was one time where as a lawyer I saw a need. I had been practicing for a couple of years and had started to become involved in family law cases, some of which are exacerbated by issues of abuse. Getting a protective order against an abuser is one thing, and the abuser can be evicted from a residence, but this is not as simple as it sounds in real life. what if the only breadwinner just got kicked out and you will not get support money for months? What if you are just too scared to stay because the abuser will violate the order- the law is not enough? What if you are in a bad landlord tenant situation and you need safe housing? None of these need long term solutions when first there is an immediate need.
So I pitched the idea of transitional housing. To my surprise the committee was on board because it fulfilled a ministry role for an identified need. We were able to furnish the apartment from donations within the congregation. I drafted the housing agreement and had it reviewed by a the local district judge to assure its enforceability.
When I became aware of a need, I met with the person, we reviewed what the "rules" of the housing were. We clarified the time which the housing could be used and explained that if someone stayed too long it meant someone else was out in the cold.
With a couple bumps in the road over the last 15 years it has served a valuable purpose. Perhaps my two "favorite" times- defined as being good we have had the resource were:
1. People called me with an apartment that had just been condemned because the roof was collapsing. It had a hole in the roof, the snow was coming through, and had shorted out the electric. The family was heating with kerosene and the daughter was treating for Hodgkins. The 30 days with us allowed the family to pool resources and get a refund form the landlord of rent through the legal process.
2. A client of mine had an alcoholic spouse who was abusive. Even though she got an order for protection my intuition told me he would be back. I convinced her to move with the children to our apartment. He did come back swinging an ax. There was only one way in and out of the apartment. The resident downstairs heard the commotion and called the police- he was arrested. The family was already elsewhere.
We have more recently hosted Mekeshti Turks who are resettling here after excaping persecution.
This was my first foray into real faith in service. Each time I work for the kingdom helping those others would rather not get their hands dirty with, I come away learning more from them than I can imagine
So suddenly we were the proud owners of a two story house that has been another lawyer's offices. What to do with the property? Our congregation did what is often done when such things arise, we formed a committee. Other than singing this was one of the first things I became involved with. Lots of ideas were kicked around, such as just renting it out, tearing it down and paving it over, among others.
This was one time where as a lawyer I saw a need. I had been practicing for a couple of years and had started to become involved in family law cases, some of which are exacerbated by issues of abuse. Getting a protective order against an abuser is one thing, and the abuser can be evicted from a residence, but this is not as simple as it sounds in real life. what if the only breadwinner just got kicked out and you will not get support money for months? What if you are just too scared to stay because the abuser will violate the order- the law is not enough? What if you are in a bad landlord tenant situation and you need safe housing? None of these need long term solutions when first there is an immediate need.
So I pitched the idea of transitional housing. To my surprise the committee was on board because it fulfilled a ministry role for an identified need. We were able to furnish the apartment from donations within the congregation. I drafted the housing agreement and had it reviewed by a the local district judge to assure its enforceability.
When I became aware of a need, I met with the person, we reviewed what the "rules" of the housing were. We clarified the time which the housing could be used and explained that if someone stayed too long it meant someone else was out in the cold.
With a couple bumps in the road over the last 15 years it has served a valuable purpose. Perhaps my two "favorite" times- defined as being good we have had the resource were:
1. People called me with an apartment that had just been condemned because the roof was collapsing. It had a hole in the roof, the snow was coming through, and had shorted out the electric. The family was heating with kerosene and the daughter was treating for Hodgkins. The 30 days with us allowed the family to pool resources and get a refund form the landlord of rent through the legal process.
2. A client of mine had an alcoholic spouse who was abusive. Even though she got an order for protection my intuition told me he would be back. I convinced her to move with the children to our apartment. He did come back swinging an ax. There was only one way in and out of the apartment. The resident downstairs heard the commotion and called the police- he was arrested. The family was already elsewhere.
We have more recently hosted Mekeshti Turks who are resettling here after excaping persecution.
This was my first foray into real faith in service. Each time I work for the kingdom helping those others would rather not get their hands dirty with, I come away learning more from them than I can imagine
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Sing a Song to the Lord
Over the last couple of days, we have had a chance to talk about facets of our " call stories." Among other things. I thought today we would be a good day to talk a little bit about what I was doing as a Lutheran and as a lawyer before I got to this point. Today I am thinking about music in worship.
As I mentioned earlier I joined the choir and the handbell choir. Music has always been a major part of my life. Although in my profile I listed a few types of music I enjoy, the truth is, I am a music mutt. I love all kinds of music, vocal and instrumental. In worship I love to sing. Sacred, contemporary, African praise, Taize, you name it. One of the things I have loved being a part of on occasion is to sing the psalm or verse for the Gospel procession as a cantor. And more recently to intone the kyrie and lead the Hymn of Praise. I look forward to the proper preface.
As much as I love to sing, I get nervous- less now than I used to. But when I get nervous, in the choir pew I would take off my shoes. Which is the first thing I do at the end of a day to get comfortable. One Sunday the acolyte stole one of my shoes and I was faced with communing with one shoe or no shoes. Good times.
As I said, I would get really nervous. Because after all this God we are talking about here. Eventually I have come to terms with the "gotta be perfect" and I enjoy solo parts more. Gotta love grace.
But one thing I can tell you is that my voice changes with the piece. I do not really try to do this. And although I have the ability to sing outside of church, it is in service in worship where sacredness of the moment and space allow me to transcend what I could normally do.
It just happens.
Our congregation is blessed with an outstanding organist and music director, as my home congregation was when I was growing up so music has always been integral to my faith experience. And seeing music as an offering in worship service, not a performance is a distinction worth mentioning.
Sometimes I wish we did more to educate the congregation about the events that lead to certain hymns or pieces being written. It allows the words to be even that much more meaningful. Like a piece composed by Paul Manz when he believed that his infant son would not live through the night and he invoked the Lord Jesus to swiftly come.
One of the things I rejoice in is the youth choir and youth instrumentalists who perform prelude and offertory music. A Sunday does not pass where there is a tear in my eye for their talent and gifts and their willingness to remain connected to our faith. Of course, there is definitely a tear when it is one of the Lutheran Chicks at the front of the church. LC#1 is hoping to successfully audition for Lutheran Summer Music Camp which is a month in the summer at Gustavus Adolphus so I will need tips from the Minnesotans if she is selected.
Before I leave you with a list of some of my favorites, I share this with you. In my experience, music is intertwined with the milestones of our lives in faith. I still remember the hymn sung for each Lutheran Chick's baptism. The music and anthems offered at weddings and services of Resurrection victory and ordinations put flesh onto the bones of the Word. One of the times I feel the greatest sense of service is in services of resurrection victory when our music is part of the balm.
So here is my partial list:
Lift high the Cross
Lead on O King Eternal
O Sacred Head Now Wounded'
If You But suffer God to Guide you
Tree of Life
Let Us Break Bread Together
Here I am Lord
Silent Night
A Mighy Fortress
Of the Father's Love Begotten
Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer
Anything Taize
Amazing Grace
Shepherd Me O God
I want to walk as a Child of the Light
O Come and Mourn
Jesus Christ is risen today
Hallelujah Chorus
Were You There
I am sure there are others but that is my list for now.
What are your favorites?
As I mentioned earlier I joined the choir and the handbell choir. Music has always been a major part of my life. Although in my profile I listed a few types of music I enjoy, the truth is, I am a music mutt. I love all kinds of music, vocal and instrumental. In worship I love to sing. Sacred, contemporary, African praise, Taize, you name it. One of the things I have loved being a part of on occasion is to sing the psalm or verse for the Gospel procession as a cantor. And more recently to intone the kyrie and lead the Hymn of Praise. I look forward to the proper preface.
As much as I love to sing, I get nervous- less now than I used to. But when I get nervous, in the choir pew I would take off my shoes. Which is the first thing I do at the end of a day to get comfortable. One Sunday the acolyte stole one of my shoes and I was faced with communing with one shoe or no shoes. Good times.
As I said, I would get really nervous. Because after all this God we are talking about here. Eventually I have come to terms with the "gotta be perfect" and I enjoy solo parts more. Gotta love grace.
But one thing I can tell you is that my voice changes with the piece. I do not really try to do this. And although I have the ability to sing outside of church, it is in service in worship where sacredness of the moment and space allow me to transcend what I could normally do.
It just happens.
Our congregation is blessed with an outstanding organist and music director, as my home congregation was when I was growing up so music has always been integral to my faith experience. And seeing music as an offering in worship service, not a performance is a distinction worth mentioning.
Sometimes I wish we did more to educate the congregation about the events that lead to certain hymns or pieces being written. It allows the words to be even that much more meaningful. Like a piece composed by Paul Manz when he believed that his infant son would not live through the night and he invoked the Lord Jesus to swiftly come.
One of the things I rejoice in is the youth choir and youth instrumentalists who perform prelude and offertory music. A Sunday does not pass where there is a tear in my eye for their talent and gifts and their willingness to remain connected to our faith. Of course, there is definitely a tear when it is one of the Lutheran Chicks at the front of the church. LC#1 is hoping to successfully audition for Lutheran Summer Music Camp which is a month in the summer at Gustavus Adolphus so I will need tips from the Minnesotans if she is selected.
Before I leave you with a list of some of my favorites, I share this with you. In my experience, music is intertwined with the milestones of our lives in faith. I still remember the hymn sung for each Lutheran Chick's baptism. The music and anthems offered at weddings and services of Resurrection victory and ordinations put flesh onto the bones of the Word. One of the times I feel the greatest sense of service is in services of resurrection victory when our music is part of the balm.
So here is my partial list:
Lift high the Cross
Lead on O King Eternal
O Sacred Head Now Wounded'
If You But suffer God to Guide you
Tree of Life
Let Us Break Bread Together
Here I am Lord
Silent Night
A Mighy Fortress
Of the Father's Love Begotten
Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer
Anything Taize
Amazing Grace
Shepherd Me O God
I want to walk as a Child of the Light
O Come and Mourn
Jesus Christ is risen today
Hallelujah Chorus
Were You There
I am sure there are others but that is my list for now.
What are your favorites?
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