Church Choir

 

Monday, September 9, 2013

Benefits of Singing in the Choir

When I was a child, I sang in the choir at Bellefontaine Methodist Church.  Before the new sanctuary was built, we worshipped in the old historic church built by slaves.  The choir, at that time, sang in the choir loft, which we were told was where the slaves had sat.  Being out of sight, we had a lot of time and opportunity for hi-jinks, including paper "accidentally" flying out of our hands, over the edge into the congregation.  It was a wonderful, but social occasion. I am still friends with several of my fellow choir members. Occasionally, we had moments of being a part of something big, especially when we marched in with the adults on special Sundays.  I can still sing the alto section to several of our hymns, today, thanks to that wonderful experience.

Proclamation Choir 1980's

St. Mark Cherub Choir 1980's

I have not sung in a church choir since I was a teenager although I encouraged my children to sing through high school.  While none of us are soloists or have particularly good voices, I believed that church choir taught them to follow directions, read music, work as a team to achieve a goal.  But, more importantly, it was one way young people could contribute to the life of the church and to celebrate God.

Several months ago, I read an article in Huffington Post which added a benefit which I hadn't thought of.  It relieves stress!  Click here.  And NPR just wrote a piece also on the health benefits of singing in a choir. Click here.

Won't you or a member of your family, consider joining one of our choirs.  You will benefit in so many ways, while making a contribution to the St. Mark community by glorifying God.  And, you may make a friend or two.

Jaclyn Morgan, 2013 (middle row, middle singer, late 1950's) with my brother-in-law Tom in the bow tie, my cousin with the long banana curl and sister with the braid.  Click here for more information on our music programs.

Tomorrow's Back

 I have my tomorrows back. . . 

I had only lived for today. .. . 

with hesitation.

I hadn’t been alone for a while.

I grieved the loss of tomorrows

with someone I loved being with.

I was a little afraid to take a step by myself:

of breaking out of my safe coccon

You reminded me how much I loved

dancing and singing: 

It re-awakened the joy buried in my heart.

Now I can look forward to  tomorrow

With a spring in my step

a smile on my face

and love in my eyes

To have a companion to dance with and sing with,

To discuss a book with,

To collaborate on songs with

Means everything to me: 

I feel With not Without.

I love that you share your past and let me share mine.

We are what we have been

And can’t be seen without that.

I feel a little bare having revealed so much of myself

But it was necessary for a new beginning.

Shedding my cocoon, I’m fluttering my wings:

Still a little afraid to take flight,

 but soon.

Thank you for sharing your path. . .

helping me find mine.

Mister Rogers

 

Friday, January 31, 2014

Mister Rogers

1977 Premium from PBS

When I was pregnant with my first child, I started watching "Sesame Street", a fairly new show on PBS.  As a high school teacher, I loved the wit and the pace.  While visiting a friend who was a new mother, I saw "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and turned my nose up---so boring, so ordinary---none of the snap of "Sesame Street".

My friend assured me that it grew on her, and her son obviously loved it.  Shortly after that we moved to Pittsburgh, PA where Fred Rogers lived and filmed his show.  My daughter watched the show and it  started to grow on me:  I started listening to what Mr. Rogers said, the messages he was sending to our children.

Recently on Facebook, I've seen several references to Mister Rogers.

From Mashable:  "10 Mister Rogers Quotes to Remember on Bad Days". 

From Mental Floss:  "20 Gentle Quotations from Mister Rogers"

11. ON LOVE

"Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now."

Forty years later, I value "Mister Roger's Neighborhood" (and now "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood") more each day.  Click here for a previous post on Fred Rogers. What was "boring" is now calming.  What was "ordinary" is now comfortable.  With endorsements from Buzzfeed, Mashable and Mental Floss, Mister Rogers is epic, boss, awesome.

Intertwined

 My poetry, his chords

healing us—

15 years are a long time to wait

for intimate conversation

about our feelings, our losses, our lives

Sharing our needs

with each other

after so many years of hiding them 

to attend to spouses’ needs.

Now, with support

I feel alive again---

Ready to see the world

through someone else’s lens.

Ready to laugh with someone

about life’s ironies.

Ready to face aging

holding hands:

Vines intertwined for strength.

What seemed impossible—-

insurmountable alone,

Now is manageable together.

Quiet My Soul

 

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Quiet My Soul

Morning Psalm 42

1   As a deer longs for flowing streams,
          so my soul longs for you, O God.
2   My soul thirsts for God,
          for the living God.
     When shall I come and behold
          the face of God?
3   My tears have been my food
          day and night,
     while people say to me continually,
          “Where is your God?”

11  Why are you cast down, O my soul,
          and why are you disquieted within me?
     Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
          my help and my God.

And now we wait.  The last chemo was June 28 and we should be celebrating.  We wait for another PET scan to show us if my husband still has cancer.  He is feeling better, looks good, and I am hopeful that he will soon be strong again, but I can’t shake the “disquiet” in my soul.

We are grateful for a good life, caring children and loving grandchildren.  We are “comfortable” and not in need of anything, but. . . a clean scan.  Even with a clean scan, will I be worry-free?  Probably not—I will be waiting for the next scan—waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I feel battered like a ship in a storm.  The storm has moved on, but I feel damaged as I head into the port.  Will I be strong enough to withstand another storm?  What I need is peace and only I can find that, with God’s help. 

God, please give me strength and peace to navigate the troubled waters of life.  Make me strong enough to weather the next storm.  Quiet my soul.  You are bigger than the storms in my life.  Thank you for the gift of writing which helps me heal.  Thank you for our friends, family and church who are the lifeboats.  In Your name I pray. Amen.

JaclynMorgan

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash