November 29th, 2006 - The Not-Yet-Advent Service

Technically Advent starts Sunday but Wednesday services began tonight at Creator. The altar was bathed in a reddish light as we entered the sanctuary and the candle banner hung behind it focused us in on the Advent season. A service anticipating the season of Advent does seem appropriate.

For Advent we start with a shared potluck of soup and bread. During the Wednesday services we worship with "Holden Evening Prayer". This service by Marty Haugen is revered by many people I talk with about it. This is a worship service that has a beauty and mystery and consistently reveals new truths.

This evening Pastor Dayle and Janice harmonized in leading the service. The blending of their voices was superb. Tonight, there were strong associations and echoes of past harmonies in my ear; particularly of Pastor Dayle and then Vicar Amanda leading the service several years ago. This was when attending worship regularly was becoming a habit for me. The profound feeling this service evoked helped establish that habit.

Tonight Kelly and other strong singers in the congregation, together with Matt's piano performance particularly propelled a special experience with the music. There was a strength, purity and richness that opened up and it all sparkled for me when we sang together:

Joyous light of heavenly glory
Loving glow of God's own face
You who sing Creation's glory
Shine on every land and race

Now as evening falls upon us
We will raise our song to You
God of Daybreak, God of Shadows,
Come and light our hearts anew.

Deep truths can come in moments of devotional silence whether it is personal or public. During the silence in the Holden Evening Prayer before the reading there was a public moment like this. Many times there are understandable distractions; coughs, people moving in or out of the sanctuary, or even intrusive thoughts that come to mind without being summoned. This evening it was just the moment, the stop of daily concerns, the center often sought and but not often found.

Wait for the Lord and Come and Fill were sung while the congregation walked from our seats to light candles at the altar. The repetition and constantly changing harmony, people's silence and their joining in again made a particular impression this evening. There are times one can feel connected with history and other countries in a way that can barely be explained.

After service was choir practice. This was a rehearsal for the Christmas Program and the additional past choir members who attended this Wednesday made a big difference in the overall sound. Matt focused us on two of the three pieces that we worked on for the past couple of weeks and let us know we would be perform all but two songs from Let Heaven and Nature Sing Gloria.

I think there will be many hightlight performances in the program. Until then there will be waiting, helping and rehearsing.