May's Pastor's Note

Last weekend was the big concert weekend for the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir, which made it a very busy weekend for our household with Micah participating. I also enjoyed seeing the faces of the young singers in the choir concert. The joy of singing was palpable. I found myself smiling throughout both performances, and I think we all left Lehman Auditorium feeling a little lighter in spirit, and fortified for the journey ahead.

Because of the Sunday concert, I wasn’t able to attend the wonderful concert here at Trinity. I’m so grateful for the many musical gifts we have gathered here, and for the generosity of our musicians in sharing their time and gifts that afternoon. I’m also grateful to Bill Reinhold, who sent some pictures. What struck me was how much fun Bryce, Eric, and Paulo seemed to be having!

I can’t begin to calculate how many hours of playing our pianists have under their belts. For the young musicians, regular practice outside of weekly rehearsal times is also required, and it shows. The program included songs from multiple languages, including Japanese, Swahili, French, Latin, and even American Sign Language.

Our musicians and those choristers have spent countless hours practicing. One result of that practice and developed expertise is that the final product looks effortless - or at least it looks a whole lot easier than it is! It’s often said that practice makes perfect, but perfection falls flat without passion and joy.

That expertise also doesn’t come without a whole lot of failure before it. SVCC recognized their graduating seniors, and Dr. Hostetter invited the seniors to share what they learned, which included the lesson that mistakes are amazing!

All of this reminded me of Bluestone Elementary School’s mission, which also provides the lyrics for their school song: “We are every-moment learners who actively seek joy, rely on one another, choose to be present and participate, make meaningful connections, courageously fail, learn, and try again. We care for ourselves, each other, and our world.” It’s not a bad mission for the church, either.

How might you live into this wisdom in May?

Grace and Peace,

Stephanie