Always be thankful.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
These words from Colossians 3 have been a part of my consciousness for many years, as they clearly speak directly about the necessity and admonition to make music to honor God, which has been my ministerial calling since my undergraduate days. But this passage begins with saying to be thankful in everything, which is not always as easy, nor is creating music with gratitude when the turmoil around us makes that seem almost trite.
I am so grateful for Trinity and how you embrace music and the arts and show us your gratitude in large and small ways. Special thanks goes to Teddy Jones, who graciously stepped in the past two weeks to help us fill in and to provide much-appreciated musical support. We hope to involve the harp in new and frequent ways here at Trinity. You will be hearing him again during Lent as we return to chanting of the Psalm.
As we enter the season of Lent, this offers us a time to pull back on the ornate, extravagant and showy, so our music for the next few weeks will most likely be a cappella. I have truly enjoyed hearing the people of God lift hymns and songs in worship, which unfortunately, we often miss out on in the choir loft with our extraordinary organ sounding in our ears. It is an honor to serve a church that loves to sing! I hope that you will take this unique opportunity to tune in to your fellow parishioners and to listen to the beauty of the music in it’s simpler form.
I also would like to provide a space for us to come together to offer prayers, candle-lighting, music, meditation, and a communal labyrinth walk for Anne’s healing. This month’s Final Friday service on February 23, we will be doing just that. Even if you don’t normally come out for this end-of-the-month time of reflection and contemplation, we hope that Anne’s Trinity family will join us as we lift her up and commune to honor her in all her good gifts to us: her music, her humor, her baked goods, and her over-the-top generosity! Join us as we pray for her speedy recovery to health and wellness. The service will begin at 6:30 and end whenever we feel it needs to.
In Peace,
Virginia
