As Lutherans, we recognize that “faith is active in love [and] love calls for justice in relationships and structures of society” (ELCA, Social Statement on Church in Society, 1991). That call to strive for justice took on new meaning for my congregation in 2020 when many were struggling anew with the effects of racism. Initial efforts to wrestle with the topic included book studies, small group conversations, and partnerships with other congregations in our neighboring city of Philadelphia. Along the way, we discussed African American spirituals and their use in enriching our worship. Was this use of spirituals considered cultural appropriation? How could we continue to use them in a way that was sensitive and respectful?

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Whether you have played one hundred weddings or three, you may dread playing Purcell’s “Trumpet Tune” or Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” even one more time. There is a reason couples keep choosing tried and true wedding pieces—they are good pieces of music that have lasted for centuries—but there are obviously many other options, and it’s helpful to explore them.

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Several months ago, Paul Stever, a colleague from a neighboring church, contacted me about the possibility of joining our choirs together for an evening service on Pentecost Sunday. The service would feature Kim Andre Arneson’s beautiful “Holy Spirit Mass.” The National Lutheran Choir premiered this work in 2017 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Washington, D.C. Since Pentecost is early this year, and this is a festival that often gets shortchanged, he suggested that this was the perfect year. Paul had put a great deal of thought into what this collaboration would take. This work would be difficult to do with its divisi without a larger number of singers than either of our churches have.

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As a music educator and children’s choir director, I know that it is very important to expose children to a variety of repertoire. Variety means ensuring that they are singing in different modes, meters, and languages. It means including something that was written generations ago, as well as something that is newly composed. It means exposing children to rich, poetic texts that need exploration to understand and texts that are simple and repetitive with the potential to easily remain with them during the week. Not only does variety in music selection keep things interesting, but it ensures a curriculum that weaves a thread of connection to different times, places, and styles.

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I recently commented to a friend that a singer in our church’s youth choir was the bravest young man I know. The last time he was in choir was before COVID, when he had sung treble beautifully. Now his voice has changed, and he is struggling to figure out how to work this new instrument, which feels and sounds so different. An additional challenge is that his peers are reluctant to join the choir, so he sings alone in the bass register. I admire his tenacity and his positive attitude, even when he makes mistakes. I say that he has courage. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Of course, singing in a choir is not dangerous, and he doesn’t seem to be afraid, but it is difficult for him.

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For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …

The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything. How we choose to live in each of these times affects our own well-being and that of others. I can relate to this passage more as I have gotten older, and I can relate to it in my vocation as a church musician as well. Here are a few thoughts:

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Well, here we are. Another choir season has come to an end, and the summer months are upon us. The Sundays keep coming and the planning never stops. How are you doing? Now is an ideal time to check in with yourself. What do you need in the next several weeks to restore, energize, and enliven you and your music ministry?

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“Anybody can write . . . that is easy, but to write with a specific audience in mind, using the right amount of amusement and persuasion, to address them in a manner that is relevant and insightful, while offering practical advice in a convivial manner—that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.”

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“Now we wait. We wait for the child to be born.
We wait for the newness that God is bringing into the world.”

Advent is a season of anticipation, longing, and hopefulness. This year, after almost two years in a pandemic, these themes, and the emotions that they invoke, are heightened. We long to see signs in our lives and in our communities that Jesus is present. We need to hear the promises that only God can give.

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