Advent 1 - Anticipation!

Each year, during this busy season of Advent and Christmas, I try to attend one event where I can sit, listen, and sing unencumbered by the responsibilities of playing. You, my reader, can appreciate that as a church musician, I don't get such an opportunity all that often. For many years I attended the Advent Lessons and Carols service at All Saints Anglican here in Winnipeg. They had (it was said) the best men and boys choir in all of western Canada. Don Hadfield was the organist then, and I looked forward each year to hearing him play. His prelude was always the same: various settings of "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Come, Saviour of the heathen), each one building in intensity. This was followed by Brahms' setting of "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" (Lo, how a rose e'er blooming). The postlude was Bach's great Toccata in F major (still on my learn-it-someday list). Those days sadly came to an end but several of those choir members are still very active and involved in Winnipeg's music scene in different ways.

One of these is Blair Anderson who is now the Organist/Choir Director at St. Luke's Anglican and yesterday I went to the Advent and Lessons there. It would have been easy to stay home. I'd already been out Friday and Saturday nights. I like to nap Sunday afternoons. It was Grey Cup Sunday and I'd probably miss the first part of the game on TV. In spite of all that, I felt compelled to go. Parking in the older part of town is often a challenge; yesterday was no exception. Two churches in two blocks, both with something going on - you get the picture. I finally got a spot, close to the church, parked the car, and got out. As I scurried across the street, I realized how excited I felt to go to worship! The anticipation of God's presence through music and scripture was almost overwhelming. I have found before that when I begin worship by anticipating that I will hear from God, it almost always happens. I was not disappointed:

Haggai 2:6-7
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
"In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come,
and I will fill this house with glory, "
says the Lord Almighty.

In the service of the King

Yesterday was Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday in the church year. I heard a very good, thought provoking sermon titled "Active in the service of the King". This title, as well as thoughts brought out in the message made me think of an old song I haven't heard for years. Of course, I had to look it up. Here are the words of verse and the refrain:

I am happy in the service of the King.
I am happy, O so happy!
I have peace and joy that nothing else can bring,
In the service of the King.

Refrain

In the service of the King
Every talent I will bring.
I have peace and joy and blessing
In the service of the King.

Cyberhymnal indicates that these words were written in 1912 by Alfred H. Ackley and there are days when I quite agree with Ackley: I have peace and joy and blessing as I serve my heavenly King to the best of my ability.

But I also think there are days when serving doesn't bring that much joy. Rather it brings headaches, planning nightmares, logistical diplomacy to the nth degree. Maybe we have to work through those parts to get to the blessings.

Thoughts my faithful readers?

A long absence explained

Anyone who is a regular visitor to my blog will have noticed the very lengthy gap between my post in June and the previous post in October. Last spring, it was my intention to record a second CD in July and I did, in fact, have studio time booked to do just that. But in mid-June plans suddenly changed. My family had been living in a side by side (duplex) home for over 12 years and through most of that time, we had really good neighbours. We got along well, respected each other's noise tolerance levels and had a friendly relationship. Two years ago that changed and the noise level became a point of unresolvable tension. My breaking point came with a confrontation that made me realize 'compromise' was not in their vocabulary.

We had planned to move in 2012 and had been keeping an eye on the housing market for awhile, just to know what was out there. Suddenly, our efforts were put into high gear and within 10 weeks we looked, bought, sold and moved. (A note to readers not in my part of the world: it is a seller's market where we live. We bought 1st knowing we would have no trouble selling afterwards; we lived near the U of Manitoba and affordable housing is hard to find.)

Right from the day of our decision, I began to pray that God would lead us to the right home for us. The song that kept coming to me was Don Moen's "God will make a way where there seems to be no way." It became a litany of sorts to get me through a process I knew would be stressful and tedious. The first day we looked at homes, we saw one we really liked. We made an offer and knew we were not the only ones offering so were not really surprised when we didn't get the house. Two days after closing, our agent called us. "You won't believe what happened! The buyer's financing fell through. The house is yours if you want it." Yes! We matched the previously accepted offer and that house is now our home. The amazing thing is that we were not the second offer in line - we were the fifth! God made a way where there seemed to be no way!

Some of the lovely walking paths in the park directly behind our new home.

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.

The Lord is my Light

Last week when I turned one of my calendars over to June, the verse that greeted me was Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Coincidentally, or not, I had just heard Frances Allitsen's great setting of this psalm at the women's conference I attended. It was sung during Sunday morning worship by baritone, Peter McGillivray, and I've been singing it in my head periodically ever since. I first heard this piece during my college days and have accompanied a couple vocalists singing it over the years. In fact, when I stop to think of it, I don't know of another setting of these words! Does this overshadow all the others? Or have composers after Allitsen's time (1848-1912) not even tried to write something more compelling? Or (more likely) there are other versions in less formal styles.

This got me thinking about why I find this piece so powerful.

1. One reason is that the words are scripture. My Dad always encouraged me to listen to the words; are they sound theologically? do they contain mindless repetition? do they speak to me?
2. The music rises and falls with the text. The joyous arpeggios underpinning "The Lord is my light..." give way to a martial feel when we hear "Though a host of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid..." The quiet chords under "For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His tabernacle..." sound to me like waves lapping on the shore - a comforting sound.
3. Could it be a physical connection to the piece because I've played the accompaniment? I have felt the strength required to land those notes in the right place and because of that I respond when I hear the piece.

No matter the reason, I enjoyed hearing McGillivray's interpretation and, judging by the response, I was not the only one. Also, because I've been on the bench at the piano for this one, let me add that his accompanist was no slouch either!

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.