But what will it look like?

I have always loved making puzzles.  One of my early memories is just that:  making puzzles on the living room floor in Meaford, Ontario.  I indulge this 'obsession' about 2 or 3 times a year.  I'm calling it an obsession because once I start a puzzle, I have a hard time doing anything else until it's finished.  There have been a few puzzles over the years that were really tough.  I remember, in college, working on one that was all yellow with a small Dole banana sticker image in one area.  Even though it was a group endeavour, it took quite awhile, as I recall.

One day last week I stopped in at the Salvation Army thrift store.  I think I went in to look for a lamp, but I came out with a puzzle!  You may have guessed from the photo that this is a Clue puzzle which means there is a brief story included giving the facts of a murder.  All the characters from the board game play a part, and the puzzle, once completed, is supposed to give me the clue I need to solve the mystery.  There's a catch though.  There is no picture to follow to make the puzzle - just the challenge this girl needs!

By now you may be wondering how this has any connection to the conference I recently attended. In my previous post I made reference to some of the resources I acquired.  What I didn't mention is that I sang 54 hymns and songs I had never seen or heard before.  I sang 15-20 that I either knew, thought I had sung before or just the text was new (used with a familiar tune).  In trying to think through what might be appropriate and/or practical to use, I feel a little (actually a lot) as if I'm trying to create a new picture without knowing what that picture will actually look like.  It's not impossible, but it will take awhile.  As one song or idea gains credibility, another seems less useful and is set aside. 

Will a clear, complete picture ever emerge?  I hope not - because that would mean that worship, at least musically, is stagnant - not moving forward, just sitting there, finished and in the past.  And that, my reader friends, would be sad.

What are you going to try in worship in order to create a new picture?

Task: Summarize "The Meeting Place: Sharing Our Song"

 
 Remember that song from the early 70's - "There's got to be a morning after..."?  Well, today is the morning after the conclusion of the annual conference of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.  How can I possibly articulate what a wonderful impact the last five days have had on me? 

I think more time is needed to digest what I took in; the most I'm capable of today is a brief overview:

• 2 brand new, hot off the press, hymnals.
• 3 very thought provoking plenary speakers:  Alice Parker, Andrew Fullerton and Stan McKay.
• 4 hymn festivals - all included lots of sight singing, often in 4 parts, with 200+ people.
• 5 great workshops covering a variety of topics including Canadian hymn writers and finding and using hymns on YouTube.
• innumerable new friends and colleagues, all enthusiastic about music for worship in its many forms!

As I write, the sending song/benediction of our closing hymn festival is running through my head.  I'm sure that was the intent of the organizers - that we go out singing something joyful and energetic which would propel us back into everyday life with the inspiration such a conference provides to those who attend.  The song's tune name is GIPGIL - Go in peace, go in love!

Through gates of pearl...

We sometimes hear the expression "the pearly gates", often in connection with a joke that mentions Peter and someone seeking entrance to heaven. Today, for All Saints' Day, we sang the hymn For all the saints (words by William W. How) and the line that grabbed my attention this year was in the 8th verse: "...through gates of pearl streams in the countless host..." I think the reason this line stood out to me today is connected to what I witnessed at the women's conference I attended in May. You can read about that here. At the end of the message this morning, each one in the congregation was invited to come forward and light a candle representing someone (a saint = Christian believer) who had influenced them in their spiritual walk in the past. The candle would also represent someone that we hope to influence for Christ. Although we are a small group, it was moving to see each flickering flame and realize that those candles represented a miniscule portion of 'the countless host' - some of whom have gone before and some who will come after us.

A glimpse of heaven

Before too much more time goes by, I'd like to write a little about the music at "Look In, Shout Out!" - the first ever national gathering of Presbyterian women in Canada. This event took place May 20-23, 2011 in Richmond Hill, ON and attendance exceeded initial expectations with registration around 540 people. Our worship leader was Glen Soderholm, ably assisted by a 4 piece band and a few others on occasion.

It's hard to know where to begin! The music was well-presented both in format and selection. I enjoyed participating without having to play. There is joy and strength in worshiping in such a large group - an opportunity I rarely have. We learned some new pieces together, which is always a joy to me, and sang old ones in an updated way, breathing new life into them.

Sunday morning worship began with a processional hymn, the traditional "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty" led by Glen and the band. The procession was led by Rev. Margaret Mullin, Thundering Eagle Woman, director of Winnipeg Inner City Missions, who joined the band playing her Indian drum. She was followed by women from many parts of the world - our international guests - from Hungary, India, Guatemala, Malawi, Scotland, Korea and Japan. (I've probably missed a couple countries.) As we got to about the third verse and I watched these women of God come forward, I suddenly had a glimpse of heaven with people from all nations gathering around God's throne singing and praising God with words very much like this hymn. It was an extremely meaningful moment in worship which I think will stay with me for a long time to come.

On the other side of Easter

Now that Easter has come, but not quite gone, (we're still in the church season of Easter) I can focus on upcoming events. The next thing on the calendar is wrapping up the choir season at St. Andrew's. With Easter being so late this year, (I think nearly as late as it can possibly be) there are only 3 Sundays left before the Victoria Day weekend which is when we end choir for the summer. I generally feel like we're coasting downhill to the finish line and that's okay. There is a time and season to everything under the sun.

The second event on the horizon is a pair of concerts in southern Ontario in 3 weeks' time. While I'm down, I will also be able to spend precious time with my Mom and other family members, and attend the first ever national women's conference for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. All these are exciting things for me to do. Guess I'd better go practise!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011
7:30 p.m.
St. John's United Church
13 Spring St., Flesherton, ON
Suggested Donation: $5-$10

Wednesday, May 18, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Church of the Nazarene
347 Fairview Drive, Brantford, ON
Suggested Donation: $5-$10

Refreshing Winds

February has flown by! You might think that since I haven't posted anything about the conference, Refreshing Winds, that I didn't get anything worthwhile out of it. I did! It just seems that once that was finished, life kept on rolling at a crazy pace. Nearly 3 weeks have passed, and I guess it's now safe to say that the things I'm still thinking about are the things that made an impact on me.

The workshops were the highlight for me. I attended 2 given by Doug Gay - both very thought provoking and informative. The Saturday one gave me good insights into the emerging church movement and how it is shaping worship and, I believe, how it will continue to have an influence on the church.

Another great workshop was the one called "Improv-ing Worship" led by Marilyn Houser Hamm. She worked with other musicians, including CMU profs and students, to challenge us with breaking out of the traditional re: accompanying for worship, and into the improvisational. The Celtic flavour was strong with the use of fiddle, bodhran and pennywhistle. However, I'd have to say the most unusual twist came with a tango-like accompaniment and beat used for the German chorale "Jesus, priceless treasure" (Jesu, meine Freude). It really did work!

Last but not least, and perhaps leaving the most lasting impression on me, was the panel discussion with 4 CMU students who talked about their worship experiences. They each related the type of congregations they were nurtured in growing up (if any), and where they worship today. A wide range of experiences was revealed. The phrase that has been echoing in my mind ever since, that lasting impression articulated by one of these 20-somethings is this:
"We are ready to be ecumenical."

January - exhilarating?

January is not always exhilarating. In fact, earlier this month I don't think I would have written what I am about to write. One week can make a big difference in a person's outlook though, and here in Winnipeg we have turned a weather corner. Last week, our temperatures were in the minus 30C range with nasty windchill to accompany that. This week, not so much! Add to that the fact that January is nearly over and it all feels good.

I am in the midst of making some concert arrangements for this coming spring, and am definitely planning to record a second CD in July. All these plans are very exhilarating to me, and just to top it off, I'll be attending the Refreshing Winds Conference next week out at CMU. I went to this conference in 2007 and was very inspired by the workshops, the worship, and the speakers. So, all this to say stay tuned for concert dates and a few thoughts on what I saw, heard and experienced at "Refreshing Winds".