I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to all our choir members for participating in our winter worship gathering, With One Voice, this past Sunday evening. They worked very, very hard for several weeks, preparing to join other musicians from First Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Haymore Memorial Baptist Church, and Bethany Baptist Church in Woodlawn, VA, for an evening of music, celebration and praise. This gathering included a variety of music from several church choirs and then, as a finale, choir members from all the churches joined together for a closing selection, “Fly Away to Glory.” This combined choir was 70-75 members strong. They were a passionate group with lots and lots of talent and energy. Without a doubt, I know we raised the roof at First Baptist Church.
Jansen Huff represented our community of faith in this special service with a piano solo. He truly blew folks away with his stirring medley of hymns.
Mary Boyles, executive director of The Shepherd’s House, shared her testimony of the work that is done there. We received an offering for The Shepherd’s House and collected $1,045.41.
Our time of worship together was truly a service of music and praise. Let me leave you with these words from From Glory into Glory by Susan Palo Cherwien.
To sing is to open the heart; to sing is to lay aside pretense;
to sing is to marry spirit and body and so honor both;
to sing is to send vibrations of beauty out into the universe;
to sing is to weep openly; to sing is to lose self in wonder to dance before God;
to sing is to offer up the fragrant smoke of incense, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the raised hands, the heart of gratitude;
to sing is to open the heart, to see God.
Musically yours,
Paul
