Post-mortem, last night's prayer service:

Let's start with the errata and clarifications:
Ps. 104 was the source for the refrain only - verses were taken from psalms 70, 77, 86, 88, and 109)
No Kogut - decided to use only two responsorials.
Added Fishel's "Alleluia Alleluia Give Thanks", Cowan's "Come Into My Heart", my "Even the Rocks Will Cry Out", and "Praise to the Lord" (LOBE DEN HERREN).

The short of it:
Eleven people. Eleven. Subtract the 2 musicians, 2 altar servers, and 1 deacon, and you got SIX. Sheesh.

But it was good. I hope the prayers of the eleven faithful (hmm - where have I heard THAT before?) helped tip the scales. And it may be the closest we ever get to 100% participation!

Musical high points were Ps. 104, which, with 10 verses, became this Taizèesque sort of prayer (though much more gospel-influenced than anything I've heard from them), and "Softly and Tenderly", which was goosebump city. Very minimalist. Added verse 4, missing from Amy's version, which talked about salvation. Skipped 3 which talked about death - didn't seem quite on topic, though it DID help set up verse 4.

I posted this rhetorical question over at npmusers:

Does this low turnout reflect:

1 - the primacy of the personal schedule?
2 - the doesn't-hit-close-to-home factor (never a case of reported abuse in Lapeer County)?
3 - absence of the priest meant people didn't take it seriously?
4 - Deacon's presiding meant we'd have to listen to another one of his lousy homilies (we did, it was. At least it was short)?
5 - people just don't believe corporate prayer makes a difference?

I'm guessing all the above.