Today I will direct the Chancel Choir at Edenton Street
United Methodist Church for the final time as their Interim Director of Music.
What a joy this tenure has been!
Mulling over what parting words to leave with these dear
folk, a verse from the Old Testament book of Zephaniah kept coming to me,
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.Zephaniah 3:17
When Josh Dumbleton (Associate Director of Music at Edenton
Street) stopped by my office with a decorative setting of the last phrase from
that text for the wall of my home office, I took that as a nudge from the Lord
to indeed share these words as we end our brief ministry together.
The imagery in that verse is powerful, beautiful, tender, and
hopeful. I love the thought of the Lord
singing over his children. The song runs the gamut, the FULL BOX of crayons,
from a quiet loving setting, to loud rejoicing. In Hebrew, singing, rinnah, speaks of joyful shouting.
It may refer to a shout of delight or happy laughter. The happy laughter
captured in this photo of the choir at our final rehearsal, is indeed a beautiful song!
Chancel Choir at Edenton Street UMC |
God’s rejoicing over us by singing happens in different
ways. I’ve been listening this week especially for God’s voice singing over me
and have been delighted and comforted by all the songs I’ve heard. In the voice of a choir, many can hear God singing at the same time, place, and in the same song. Certainly the collective
voice of the Chancel Choir is not just the singers lifting their voices to the
Lord, but a concrete manifestation of God’s song over his children gathered in
worship and even rehearsal.
To my Chancel Choir friends, thank you. May you both hear
God singing over you, and continue to sing his song over each other and the
congregation that gathers in worship. I have grown to love you, and yes, I’ll
miss you! And I will thank my God every
time I remember you (Philippians 1:3), especially when I have occasion to hear
God singing over me through your beautiful voices.
~ ~ ~
The Chancel Choir sings Salvation Is Created for the anthem today:
Here in Russian (Spaseniyesodelal -Salvation is Created) - Salt Lake Vocal Artists
Today’s Benediction was also used at the church’s Bicentennial celebration in November:
Warm-up for the Bicentennial Celebration, Sunday November 13, 2011 |
Worship at Edenton Street UMC, Sunday, November 13, 2011 |
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