Saturday, November 27, 2004

Notes from the Music Guy VI

And so another church year begins. Last week we announced the inevitable triumphant reign of God, this week we await the arrival of a savior. Similar themes, but far different tones. The Gloria is gone, a Kyrie in its place, and the big brassy hymns of triumph are replaced with pensive songs of expectation.

Our hymns of the month show this contrast: We leave behind the victorious, jubilant "Come Now, Almighty King", and replace it with "God of All People", a quiet prayer that ultimately asks the same thing: "Come, Lord Jesus, Come."

Such quiet prayerfulness can be hard to achieve in the bustling "last shopping days before Christmas", but perhaps the songs of the Advent season can help you find that solitude, that you might hear the still, small voice of God reassure you that he is, indeed, coming.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Monday, November 22, 2004

Happy St. Cecilia's Day

In honor of St. Cecilia's Day, our blog photo seems to have gone MIA. Sigh...

Anyhow, actually threw my first St. Cecilia party Saturday, after the mass mentioned in the post below. Choir was great, Mass was great, party was great, though no locals made it: the St. E's crowd was enough to fill my house. Good food, good company - hope we do this again.

Off to find us a new photo!!!

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Notes from the Music Guy V

The Feast of Christ the King is not just the last Sunday mass in the church year, it is the culmination of the church year: we celebrate the eternal reign of Christ as King of heaven and earth.

It's really a big deal, though we sometimes lose track of it, with all those other feasts and seasons all over our calendars, and with Thanksgiving coming right behind it.

This year, we thought we'd give the feast its due, so this Saturday the Resurrection and Nova Gospel choirs, from St. Elizabeth's Church on Detroit's near east side, will be singing at our 5:00 mass. They've been working to learn some of our acclamations, and we've been working to learn some of theirs (whether you knew it or not, heh heh). I had the privilege of working with St. Elizabeth's for the past year, and they graciously agreed to bless us with their presence.

By the way, a quick read through the Book of Revelations makes it pretty clear what all of us will be doing when we reach heaven: we'll be singing in the choir. Mass is a great opportunity to get in some practice!

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Notes from the Music Guy IV

Here’s what we share with every singing Christian community out there: the opportunity for “engaged worship” – worship that draws the believer in and resonates throughout his or her being. That means that “alleluia” doesn’t come just from my voice box, it comes from my heart. Such engagement is elusive, and ultimately a very personal thing, different for each worshiper.

There are a variety of tastes and opinions and moods in the assembly these days, and music can divide as easily as it can cause us to come together. Some churches have taken to offering different masses or services in different styles: I hope WE never come to that. Part of our calling as Christians is to encourage each other in faith – perhaps best accomplished by helping the other guy sing his song. So here at St. Clement’s, I will strive for enough diversity in the mass that, by the time each mass is over, we will have sung something that touches everyone.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay