Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sundays

Sunday mornings usually find me scrunched in the corner, between the piano and my music stand, and scrunched between the wall and the other guitarist.  All this scrunching is necessary because all of us, the pianist, the keyboard/recorder-ist, both guitarists and the rest of the oh, 10-on-a-good-day choir members have to be able to SEE our choir director.

A little background might be handy about now.  I was raised going to church with my family, sitting in the pews, nodding off during the sermons, pretending I was paying attention when I was really thinking about how silly all those HATS the women were wearing looked... of course, MY hat was JUST as silly and I opted to "forget" it as often as possible.  Sometime after we returned from our years in England, once again in the small church in Bowie, MD we'd always attended, I ended up in the choir.  How that happened, exactly, I haven't a clue... I imagine Dad had something to do with it, because my earliest choir recollections, also include Dad and my brother Tim singing tenor.

I have to be honest.  My love of music and of singing was a MUCH bigger drive to "keep me coming" to church than the sermons, or the Sunday school classes (which I did like).  Somehow, music was my connection.  I sang in that church choir until I graduated high school and left for college... where I did not sing in ANY church for quite a few years.

When my first child was born, my then-husband wanted him to be christened, as he had been, in the church where he'd grown up...  and so it was, that I returned to attending church, but only sporadically.  My husband and I had not been raised in the same religion, and so I could either continue to practice in a different church/same religion, or join him, when he decided to attend (Christmas and Easter come to mind) at a different church/different religion.  For the twice a year decision, it seemed easy enough to go together as a family to the church of his choice.

We moved from Florida, where we'd begun our married life, to Virginia when my eldest - my son was seven years old. By this time my daughter had joined the family and she was five.  Our new community offered a VARIETY of churches and religions. (I don't know if anyone ELSE has noticed, but driving through VA, I see at LEAST as many churches as I see fast food restaurants, and THAT'S a LOT!)  Since it was "important" to my husband that the children be brought up in "the religion," I suggested it MIGHT be a good thing if there was some sort of regular attendance.

Jenn 5, Stephen 7

By the time we'd been in town three months, we were regularly attending the church in which I now scrunch in the corner every Sunday.  Doing the math on that one, I realize I have been attending church there for 22 years now.... my children are grown, their father and I divorced years ago, and though it WAS his church, I discovered these folks with whom I have been singing and playing the guitar every week are family.  He left, I stayed.

Today however, was the first Sunday service I participated in since September 12, 2010.  I was traveling for work for more than five weeks.  So when I walked into the church, 1 hour and 10 minutes before the service was to start, and only 5 minutes late for the beginning of choir rehearsal, I was greeted with a great big WHOOP!! from the other choir members.  "YEAHHHH!!!   Judy's Back!!" they cheered as I made my way to my designated scrunch position.

I tuned my guitar quickly and within a few minutes we all had our eyes on Kitty, our choir director as she guided us through the pieces in which we would lead the congregation during the service.  It was all old favorites... stuff I've sung and played a thousand times.  And it felt so GOOD to be back home.

As I listened to the priest's sermon, I was drifting back and forth between what he was saying and what that meant to me.... and I thought, this is not the same as when I was a little girl.  In fact I see nobody in silly hats.  And I am not inclined to snooze or to pretend to listen.  I actually "get something" out of the whole deal.

When we sang the meditation piece, "I'll Fly Away" from O Brother, Where Art Thou, it occurred to me that this really IS still my connection... the music, the singing, the choir family.  And I left the service with more energy than I have had in days!

Back at the old farmhouse, we worked on spreading more dirt and gravel on the roads we've made.  Tomorrow we will have 20 tons of road dirt delivered and later in the week another 20 tons of gravel.... we still have a lot of roads ahead of us.  Still today the weather was chilly, but beautiful, and we needed to get the last of what we had spread before the next loads arrive.  Despite the cold, once I was working with the rake, raking gravel and dirt, I warmed right up!

The end of Daylight Savings Time meant that we had to head in early, losing the light faster, but I believe we did our fair share of work today.  And yes, it WAS a wonderful Sunday!

Wasn't it Just SUMMER???


8 comments:

aswesow said...

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord"
Its a big part of our worship,often a sermon all by itself. It's amazing the power of music. But it is the whole deal. I'm not even sure that we should be looking to get anything out of it...tho I always do...which in itself is amazing...studying the same book for over forty years, yet its always new

Sharon said...

That sounds like a perfect day, from start to finish. Bet you slept like a log!. I would rather have standard time all the time, I say it was invented by people who wanted to stay in the bed longer, in the summer time! :-)

Judy's Corner said...

aswe,

You are absolutely correct... it IS the whole deal! And yes, though I cannot profess to have actually been STUDYING that book for more forty years, it IS always new...

Judy's Corner said...

Sharon,

Amazingly, I still had so much energy at midnight I had to FORCE myself to lie down. And sleep did not come quickly, as is typical for me. I usually am snoring three minutes after closing my eyes... not so last night. Too much energy. Still feeling energized today!

I'm not a big fan of the time switching either. Once knew and old lady who declared she wasn't going to "do not Fast Time" as she called Daylight Savings Time... she NEVER reset her clocks... it was standard time all year, every year for her!

Anonymous said...

Music and singing that exalts God will always energize the soul :-)

~Ron

Judy's Corner said...

I believe you are correct, OG, I believe you are correct!

mixednut555 said...

We don't do Daylight Savings Time in Hawaii, I'm glad yours is over though as now we are only 5 hours not 6 hours behind the East Coast.
Glad you had a good Sunday. We spent ours hiking around a botanical garden a mile from here. Was very muddy as we had rain for the past 3 days, but was beautiful. We feed the ducks and geese on a little lake, had a picnie and shared our lunch with 10 mongoose (mongeese?), and then left dessert for some wild chickens with chicks. One hen had 18 chicks! I think she adopted some. It started sprinkling and all 18 chicks tried to get under her, they kept getting bumped out. Was so cute, when we drove away, she lifted a wing for a minute and we could see 40 little chicken feet.
WV: lutprin

Judy's Corner said...

Kat,
That sounds like a LOVELY way to spend the day! And U'li's concern for you and Rachel (your post) is delightfully sincere. The little one is a treasure!

One day I am going to have to see the paradise of yours.... where Wal-marts still have a fabric section, and there is NO Daylight Savings Time!!!