Gracious Spirit

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me:
I myself would gracious be;
and with words that help and heal
would thy life in mine reveal;
and with actions bold and meek
would for Christ my Savior speak.
    Truthful Spirit, dwell with me:
    I myself would truthful be;
    and with wisdom kind and clear
    let thy life in mine appear;
    and with actions brotherly
    speak my Lord's sincerity.
Mighty Spirit, dwell with me:
I myself would mighty be;
mighty so as to prevail
where unaided man must fail;
ever by a mighty hope
pressing on and bearing up.
    Holy Spirit, dwell with me:
    I myself would holy be;
    separate from sin, I would
    choose and cherish all things good,
    and whatever I can be,
    give to him who gave me thee!

Thomas T. Lynch (1855)

The Spirit bears witness with our Spirit, that we are children of God ...

Sing on!

The Father of fearless freedmen

This week's Anchor memory verse (see the Prayer Column in the sidebar) suggested this hymn:

Children of the heavenly King,
as we journey let us sing;
sing our Savior's worthy praise,
glorious in his works and ways.
    We are traveling home to God
    in the way our fathers trod;
    they are happy now, and we
    soon their happiness shall see.
Fear not, brethren, joyful stand
on the borders of our land;
Jesus Christ, our Father's Son,
bids us undismayed go on.
    Lord, obediently we'll go,
    gladly leaving all below;
    only thou our Leader be,
    and we still will follow thee.

John Cennick (1742)

Sing on!

Summertime

With strains of George Gershwin's famous aria in my head, I look at the summer weeks ahead and wonder: For how many of us will "the livin' be easy"? It seems that we manage to fill up our lives with activities regardless of the season. And though those activities are a change from the "normal," they may not be a chage of pace.

With the Chancel Choir finally joining the ranks of College Church musical groups now on summer hiatus, I find that a significant part of my weekly calendar is freed up for other important projects. Will I approach them with at least the same purposefulness and joy that I use for choir rehearsals during the school year? How will this change of focus affect the pace of my work week?

More importantly, how will the change from normal, and the potential change of pace, prove useful to the church and her musicians? Will this summer matter when things pick back up at the beginning of the school year? Will I be better equipped, refreshed for fresh starts, and raring to go in late August? Hey, good questions! Would you pray about those things, for me and for yourselves as well?

I normally take summers off from writing this column in "Knowing the Score," but try to keep musicians informed about events and prayer needs via weekly email. This summer I want to briefly update this space weekly, along with the Prayer Column. I won't be writing while on vacation. And I won't go very "deep" in this column! But because our work does not stop for the summer, I'll keep checking up on it on Wednesdays.

Sing on!

Cross Training

It was almost exactly a year ago that I first considered running for the STARS. I have shown up, hung around, and cheered for runners every year since this great event started. Two years ago, I walked the course. One year ago I decided in early June to give myself a week to see if I could run 5 kilometers. And when the day came - rain and all - I showed up and participated in my first organized running event.

I fancy myself more of a cyclist. I have always insisted that when runners get old, they become cyclists, so why not just cut out the running thing altogether? There was no reason why, at age 53, I should all of a sudden put on a pair of running shoes and try this thing out. But it was for a good cause, and there's nothing quite like doing something with some 300+ enthusiasts, of all abilities and descriptions.

I was pleased by my time in last year's Run for the STARS. But I was surprised by the comments of supposedly knowledgeable people who thought it was a really good time, and who seemed to question that it really was my first 5k race. Hmm ... maybe I should be running?

As some of you know, that question lingered, niggled, and finally got under my skin. And about 5 weeks ago I ran my first marathon. So, what happened to my cycling? Well, I like to say "cycling is my love language" - it's what I most prefer for physical exercise. During the winter weeks of 2010, training for a spring marathon, cycling became the other sport. Now that the marathon is behind me, and I still enjoy running, cylcing is the main event, and running is the other.

In the world of exercise and sport, this alternating of activities is called "cross training." An athlete (and no, I do not put myself in that category!) trains hard at her sport, and on off days does a different activity that will still keep her fit but give her a rest of sorts. A change-up. So, during the cylcing months, running has now become my "cross training."

I know many musicians reading this column are engaging in ministry "cross training" this summer. You are giving time in a nursery, with a children's Sunday School class, hosting a Back Yard Bible Club, or helping out in some other area of ministry. When choirs and ensembles pick back up in the fall, you will return to your main event.

But we also see what we do as "cross training" in a very different way. Our work together in ministry is a very real participation in taking up the cross and following Jesus. It involves sacrifice, dying to ourselves, and living for others. It brings us out on cold winter nights and snowy Sunday mornings; it keeps us in stuffy rehearsal conditions and in warm robes or suits. It drives us to prayer and to mutual dependence on others with whom we serve. And ultimately - I pray, purposefully - it is all to the end that the Cross of Jesus would be displayed, preached, responded to, and lived under.

Sing on!