I thought back to more than 50 years ago caroling in Hudsonville, Michigan with our sophomore class choir--those of us who needed an extra year before joining the concert choir. I remembered taking our Family Literacy class caroling at an assisted living facility in South Bend and listening to a student singing a beautiful gospel song spontaneously in the halls of that facility and thinking what a privilege I had to be a part of that occasion. I remembered playing the organ for many Christmas Eve candlelight services at the South Bend Christian Reformed Church--and having the joy of dropping out and listening and looking at the congregation forming a circle, holding candles and singing a few very familiar songs acapella. Their faces and their glorious sound make a beautiful picture in my memories. I wrote last year about Christmas Eve but I am recalling the joy of seeing Laura's children in their Christmas pageant and then coming home and singing in our church's 10 pm service and seeing Jeff's family in the balcony. We had heard Katie and James sing at Princeton University Chapel with their high school choir--and also with the Princeton Pops Orchestra. And now they were there to hear their grandma sing!
My challenge this year was sending in a video to participate in our church choir's virtual singing for Christmas Eve. I was ready to give up more than once but I wanted to affirm our choir director who is doing his best to keep us all involved. Plus Alex, Dan's wife of ten days, said they would listen to the service so I was motivated to keep trying. But my voice is rusty from disuse and aging and I sounded bad. PLus it is a challenge to look into the camera without music in front of my face. But I persisted and tried to realize with humility that my voice would be covered by stronger alto voices.
Our anthem was "And the Glory of the Lord" from the Messiah and that brought back other memories of singing The Messiah as a Calvin College freshman. Professor Seymour Swets told us young women to think of ourselves as 40 year old mothers and strive for a darker, contralto sound. I am now a 74 year old grandmother and still striving for that rich sound! Well, we shall see how it all turns out when we watch the service in a few days.
Jim and I also took a "selfie" with a candle lighting our faces for the Silent Night candlelight singing as part of the service. That too was a challenge for the two of us--not usually a part of the "selfie" culture.
I am thinking about the hymn testimonial I gave at our church in South Bend in which I said that when I sang words of the hymns, the words went into my heart and I believed them. I need to keep singing even if it is at home, alone accompanied by myself. I loved the idea that Noel Werner shared from an aged member of the Nassau Choir who passed away last year: "I don't sing because I am happy; I'm happy because I sing."
Come thou long expected Jesus
Born to set thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in thee. Amen!
Dan asked last night about our traditional Christmas foods. Well, maybe that will be another blog post!
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