A performance? Or a gift?

If you’ve been keeping up with your St. Andrew’s newsletters (and boy, our church is blessed with so many faithful readers!) you’ve seen pictures of an intergenerational choir rehearsing before worship. Children were invited to join the adult choir for a joint anthem coming up on June 2nd, and the response from young families has been amazing! Rev. Anne referenced this group (over 30 people when we’re all present) in her Pentecost sermon as one of the many ways she sees the Holy Spirit at work at St. Andrew’s. Indeed, I am struck with an undeniable sense of God’s presence when I see an adult choir member bend down to help a child find his place in the music, or a child who has been a member for only a few months sing out heartily next to an adult whose involvement at St. Andrew’s spans several decades.

At one of these rehearsals, I referenced the fact that we will be singing at worship, and I noticed one child visibly recoil. I was instantly transported back from the person I am now–whose job it is to perform weekly at worship– to the person I was at her age. I loathed having more than a few sets of eyes on me at once.

I hastily backtracked and tried to reframe the scenario. When the choir sings in worship (or when someone delivers a sermon, or signs up to be a lector), it is for the purpose of strengthening the faith of everyone present. Singing with the choir feels like a performance but is actually a gift. Culturally we are led to believe that singing is a competition, a solo activity that opens one up to criticism and exclusion (thanks a LOT, The Voice and American Idol!). In the face of that, WE are here as this child’s church family to remind her that God gave us voices to sing in order that we might be a blessing to others (and, in turn, be blessed ourselves).

The intergenerational choir is singing– offering our gift– June 2nd at the 10:30 service. At this service we will recognize all worship leaders, graduates, children’s chapel teachers, and children’s chapel participants. It will be a great way to see and hear the incredible ways God has been working in this congregation all year.

            Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. –1 Thessalonians 5: 11.

-- Ginny Chilton, Minister of Music