Thanksgiving

I can't help but being so thankful, on a daily basis, for the wonderful musicians that I have the opportunity to work with at Immanuel and Sanctuary!  What a blessing it is to our congregation to have such a faithful, dedicated, and talented group of volunteers.  You are all, so appreciated.  Thank You, Thank You!

Here are a few great pics from just today, of one of our bands at Santuary- The 4D's.  They have now added a keyboard player, who's name begins with M, so I suppose they are now the 4 D's and an M!  Credit for the photos goes to another of our volunteers musicians/sound guys- Jake Burgy

small

Recently I drove by what seems to be the smallest church I have ever seen in the area. (please note when you view the Google map that the church is the very tiny white square, not the big buildings, which are actually townhouses, along side of it)

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 A tiny wooden chapel that looks about the size of my kitchen,  I smiled as I read the message on the sign out front- Southern Gospel Concert- Free!  All are welcome. Aww how nice, I thought, as small as they are still trying, reaching out, opening their doors.  I imagined 'the board' of all 90 somethings, sitting around the meeting table discussing how they could reach out to the community, and coming to the conclusion that the Southern Gospel concert was the best route!  Praise God for churches like them!

As I come to the home stretch of my first semester back to college in some 18 years or so, I have been becoming more and more aware of how small I am.  One of the first reminders came when I had my first organ group lesson.  Now, I came to college fully aware that an organist I am not. I mean I can make do, but I am surely what I (and my organ teacher) would consider a beginner on the instrument.  But still, I have been playing, and filling in here and there for years so surely I could play as well as at least some of the students half my age.  uh...no.  As each student got up to play, each one better then the next,  I sank deeper into the pew i was sitting in. Thankfully I was spared, when my teacher didn't call my name to play in front of the group.  Phew- did i dodge that one!

I wasn't so lucky at my voice group lesson just a couple weeks back.  A case of stage fright like I have never experienced got the best of me, at this, very friendly, very laid back gathering.  Again I was in awe of the talent and confidence in this group of college students, but as the evening of amazing voices wore on, I felt like I wanted to shrink into the background, or better yet just quietly sneak out of the room. When it was finally my turn to get up to sing, I did my best, never once looking up from my book, kind of like a toddler covering his eyes ("you can't see me, you can't see me"!)

Yah, I've been feeling kinda small lately, but even though I might be feeling like that, I know something that is much more important.  I may be small, but I am not insignificant.  There will always be someone far more talented then me, but God uses the talents I have, and expects that I use these talents that He has given to me- for His glory.  I am so blessed to be among the many musically talented people at my work at Immanuel and now in addition, the college students and amazing professors at Concordia.  I am blessed because no matter where we 'stack up' talent wise our lives are just so darn significant to the plan that God has for this world! 

Back to the. smallest. church. ever.  I decided to check them out online... maybe not all 90 somethings around 'that board' table (although that wouldn't be a bad thing).  They have a new Youth director, a young pastor and family, women's and youth ministries, fall festival, and on and on.  What do ya know?  Maybe not so small after all!

Immanuel/Sanctuary Music News Sept 2010

The following is the September addition of the bi-monthly "e-newsletter" that I send out to current, former, and prospective music volunteers and music friends of Immanuel and Sanctuary1010.

Immanuel/Sanctuary Music News September 2010

Hello!
I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of Fall! This season is always a reminder to me of back-to-school, and learning, and new pencils, and the smell of crayons, and fresh notebooks, and clean slates!

As many of you know, this year's back to school time, has special significance for me, as I have decided to begin the process of finishing my bachelors degree after a nearly 20 year absence.

 I wanted to share with you, and fill you in with a little background of why this is so meaningful to me.

I began college the first time, at Concordia, in Seward Ne, as a kinda naive, pretty immature, 17 year old. I entered the Lutheran music education program, and sailed through all of my music classes. I couldn't wait to get to those classes, and would stay up all night working on compositions, and other music homework. I loved it, and my professors were encouraging and supportive.

The rest of college for me, was unfortunately, much more difficult. My college years were a very dark time for me personally. The choices I made did not reflect the person I wanted to be. Ultimately the choices I made, and the things I did, resulted in me not being able to finish the degree I had dreamed about.

 Today I thank God that he pulled me out of the dangerous depths that I found myself in during college when I was young. I thank God for His beautiful grace and loving forgiveness. I thank God, that I have been able to find work serving the church with music, almost from the day I left college. I thank God that he blessed me with two beautiful children that changed my life. And I thank God that he has led me to this time and place, and these circumstances, that will allow to me to finally finish the college degree I never stopped dreaming about.
I am now taking classes as a junior in college at Concordia University, Chicago (its actually in River Forest) I am a Music Major, and am also seeking a Director of Parish Music certificate. I should be able to graduate in about 3 years!

In the four short weeks since I began college (again), I have already learned so much, and I am so excited about sharing it all with you! (just tell me to be quiet if I talk to much about it!) It is my prayer that this education will give me more tools, and more knowledge, and more skills to help me to be the best servant of God that I can be. It is also my prayer that I will be able to use what I learn to be better at what I do as Music Director at Immanuel/Sanctuary. I hope to be more of a help to all of you, and more of a resource for the congregation. 

I am so excited about what the future holds for us and the music program at Immanuel/Sanctuary! Great things are happening every week! The talent and dedication we have in all of you, is unprecedented in churches our size. Every Sunday, peoples' lives are being changed as they hear the message of God's love in the songs that we sing and play. No education is needed to know that you all, and the time that you give, are the ones that are making these great things happen.
As always, and I don't tell you enough... Thank You! Thank You for your support towards me. Most of all, thank you all for all the things I learn from you on a weekly basis, you have been my 'college' for my last 13 years working here at Immanuel! I pray that we can all keep learning from each other! Please feel free to call me at any time with any questions or anything at all, and please keep sharing all your knowledge with me! :)

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OTHER STUFF-
I'd love to hear some live music with you!
Nathan Fisher has started a new band called Indeed and has quite a few shows lined up. There is one THIS Friday Oct 1 at 9pm

here:
McBrody's Bar and Grill
73 W. Jefferson St.
Joliet IL, 60432
P:815-726-8960

You can check out Indeed here at their Myspace Page

let me know if you want to car pool! Also let me know if you hear of another show (secular, sacred,classical, professional, open mic) whatever! that you would like to get a group together for.
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I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful fall weather!
Ellen

Beyond A Mighty Fortress

Here is a neat little resource for those of you interested in learning a little bit more about the musical heritage of the Lutheran Church from the 16th-20th century!  (I'm only a week and half in to school, just wait!)
Thrivent Financial put this out- here is a little description from their website- be sure to notice the last sentence.

 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has created "Celebrating the Musical Heritage of the Lutheran Church"- a compilation of five CDs, an interactive CD-ROM and a 50-page booklet highlighting the music of Lutherans from the 16th through the 20th centuries. The collection was provided by Thrivent Financial to Lutheran congregations and select institutions. It is no longer available.

Yeh, you heard it, the resource is no longer available but you can access much of its information including audio clips of muisc and interviews, organized in an easy to use fashion, at the website right here:

Musical Heritage Of the Lutheran Church

patting my stomach while rubbing my head

So, yesterday was the last day, of the first week of of my return to college after an eighteen year absence.  Phew!.  The first day is almost a blur, as this almost (but not quite) 40, woman, walked around campus, with everything I could possibly need pouring out of my way too heavy backpack. With my schedule in my pocket, and my classroom number locations printed carefully on the palm of my hand, where I could not lose them, I found each of my classes, AND managed to be on time!

By mid-week I felt like an old pro, well for sure old.  One of my home work assignments was to sing the do-re-mi song from Sound of Music (my favorite musical)  using Solfege. (solfege is the use of syllables-do, re, mi, etc, in the sight singing process).  Okay, okay, it goes kinda like this... sing it with me now

Do re mi do mi do mi

re mi fa fa mi re fa

mi fa sol mi sol mi sol

fa sol la la sol fa la

so do re mi fa so la

la re mi fa sol la ti

ti mi fa so la ti do

do ti la fa ti so do!

Yeah, that took me awhile to figure out, now I can't sing a song without thinking of it in solfege!

In the very same class the professor sent us home with the task of practicing conducting with our right hand,  while, tapping eighth notes with our left hand, while sight reading... while using that darn solfege.  All I can say is, there is a reason college students usually are in the 18-23 range!  Younger, quicker minds...

Slow mind or not, I am excited about the school year ahead, excited about using what I learn right away in my work at church, excited about being a good example to my teenage boys.  I love to learn, and there is so much out there to learn.  Here we go!

Majesty

Take a look at this incredible footage that was captured of a lightning strike in Chicago recently.   The image is slowed down 2 times to allow us to really see the beauty.  The music in the video accompanies the majesty perfectly.



 PS.the  music is by Sufjan Stevens, from his album, Illinois.  I just referred to Sufjan in a post, two Fridays ago right here

Great is thy Faithfulness

 Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960)  lived most of his life with illnesses that left him bed-ridden.  When he wasn't ill he would work many odd jobs, just to make ends meet.  At the age of 27 he found faith, and began writing poems expressing his faith.  One of those poems-  Great is Thy Faithfulness, expressed his belief that God was faithful in his life even in the darkest times.

Sometimes it takes a re-listen of a hymn to remember its strength.  Take a listen to this re-arrangement of this familiar hymn .  Fernando Ortega's tender rendition brings about the lyrics, even more than the original. melody.  Enjoy.