S
Spoken4
Guest
Okay, I posted a ‘gripe’ thread so let me balance out with a Thanksgiving and Praise topic! 
Recently, our parish held its annual Memorial Tribute for the deceased and All Souls’ Day Requiem Concert. Our Traditional Choir presented (NOT ‘performed’!) its musical gift to God and to the loved ones who have lost someone close to them in the past year. We began the evening with a lovely prayer service and candle ceremony, listing the names of the deceased. Each family member or friend then lit a candle for that deceased person, and after a group of 4-5 names were read, the Handbell choir chimed bells. It was very moving and beautiful! After all the names were recited, the Traditional Choir, accompanied by a small orchestra, presented (again, we PRESENTED, we didn’t PERFORM) the beautiful Mozart ‘Requiem’.
My goodness, was it a beautiful gift-- God blessed us richly that evening, and He blessed the loved ones of the deceased. You have NO idea how joyful everyone was after the evening’s ceremony-service! While it’s normal and human to mourn for our dead, it’s a special gift that God gave us to be able to convey a small sampling of the hope and the eternal joy that He has waiting for us in Heaven. We were blessed to share that with the greatest number of people we’ve ever had in our 15 years of holding this service and concert-gift.
It is said that ‘Whoever sings, prays twice.’ And when I was young, I was taught that whatever God calls us to do within the church, or to help our neighbors, is a preview of the special job that He has for us in Heaven… Proclaimers come back in Heaven as those who echo the Message of God’s Kingdom; musicians and singers become part of the Heavenly Choir; medical professionals who faithfully heal the sick become God’s healing angels; teachers and the religious become guardian and teaching angels; etc.
Whatever the case may be-- God certainly sent His Heavenly music that night, and we had the honor of being the vessels for that music. And judging by the smiles on the faces of the people who came to hear that music and share their prayers-- I can only pray that God finds us worthy to fill His angel choirs! Thanks be to God that He has bestowed that gift and talent to us little ‘human beans’, that we may use it to bring peace, hope and jouy to others! :angel1:
Looking forward to next year, God willing… it is a joyful ministry, for sure!
In the joy and song of Christ–
~Spoken4
Recently, our parish held its annual Memorial Tribute for the deceased and All Souls’ Day Requiem Concert. Our Traditional Choir presented (NOT ‘performed’!) its musical gift to God and to the loved ones who have lost someone close to them in the past year. We began the evening with a lovely prayer service and candle ceremony, listing the names of the deceased. Each family member or friend then lit a candle for that deceased person, and after a group of 4-5 names were read, the Handbell choir chimed bells. It was very moving and beautiful! After all the names were recited, the Traditional Choir, accompanied by a small orchestra, presented (again, we PRESENTED, we didn’t PERFORM) the beautiful Mozart ‘Requiem’.
My goodness, was it a beautiful gift-- God blessed us richly that evening, and He blessed the loved ones of the deceased. You have NO idea how joyful everyone was after the evening’s ceremony-service! While it’s normal and human to mourn for our dead, it’s a special gift that God gave us to be able to convey a small sampling of the hope and the eternal joy that He has waiting for us in Heaven. We were blessed to share that with the greatest number of people we’ve ever had in our 15 years of holding this service and concert-gift.
It is said that ‘Whoever sings, prays twice.’ And when I was young, I was taught that whatever God calls us to do within the church, or to help our neighbors, is a preview of the special job that He has for us in Heaven… Proclaimers come back in Heaven as those who echo the Message of God’s Kingdom; musicians and singers become part of the Heavenly Choir; medical professionals who faithfully heal the sick become God’s healing angels; teachers and the religious become guardian and teaching angels; etc.
Whatever the case may be-- God certainly sent His Heavenly music that night, and we had the honor of being the vessels for that music. And judging by the smiles on the faces of the people who came to hear that music and share their prayers-- I can only pray that God finds us worthy to fill His angel choirs! Thanks be to God that He has bestowed that gift and talent to us little ‘human beans’, that we may use it to bring peace, hope and jouy to others! :angel1:
Looking forward to next year, God willing… it is a joyful ministry, for sure!
In the joy and song of Christ–
~Spoken4