Week of September 16, 2002
Nancy E.

"Day and night they never stop singing: 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.' "
     Revelation 4:8b

In July, four senior choir members (Phyllis, Alice, Ellen, and I) traveled to Ocean Grove, NJ, to participate in the annual choir festival. For Phyllis, it was a first time. Alice, Ellen and I have represented Abiding Presence Lutheran Church several times.

As in other years, the festival was held in the Great Auditorium which seats 6,327 people. Also, as in the past, every seat was taken at the evening worship service and untold numbers listened outside. The total number of musicians taking part this year was 1,688: 11 conductors, 8 soloists, 15 instrumentalists, 523 sopranos, 645 altos, 212 tenors, and 274 basses.

Each year when the choir sings the first chord at our afternoon rehearsal, it is a truly glorious sound! Listening to the choir during the evening service is something in itself, but what it means to be one of the singers can really only be experienced. You quickly realize the rehearsals back home and the travel to the festival were well worth the time invested.

For you who are unfamiliar with the Ocean Grove Choir Festival, it is a piece of "the old-fashioned Americana" such as I experienced (and heard about) as part of my growing up. The festival is a religious summer "gathering" in a location of outside, year-round church buildings. It is an old tent-meeting-town setting along the Jersey shore, filled with both religious and unabashed patriotism. As my friend, Margie, would say .... "It is a hoot!".

The theme this year centered round the 9/11 tragedy and the music included a few more patriotic pieces than usual. In all, the service was very much like other years. However, one of the anthems spoke to me in a unique way. Amid the mainly loud, trumpeting pieces presented, it was one of few quiet anthems. The anthem was "At the Name of Jesus", by Rene Clausen. The text follows:

"Christ Jesus being in the form of God, emptied himself, being in the form of a servant, in human likeness. Christ has humbled himself and become obedient unto death, even death on the cross. Alleluia! At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and earth and under the earth. God has exalted Christ! At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! In thee is gladness amid all sadness, Jesus sunshine of my life. By thee are given the gifts of heaven, thou the true redeemer art. Alleluia. Amen."

Prior to singing that anthem, I always thought of the "living creatures" referenced in Revelation as professional musicians. After all, in heaven only the best would be good enough. That night, hearing such a beautiful sound from 1,654 nonprofessional singers opened a new avenue of thought. Yes, the professional singers will be praising God in heaven, but we amateur musicians who sing the Lord's praises on earth will surely also be permitted to raise our voices as a heavenly choir.

Lord, thank you for giving church musicians
"a foretaste of the 'feast' to come". Amen

Contributed by Nancy E.
Published Monday September 16, 2002
Week 42 of Liturgical Year A