Dear friends,
Thank you for spending your Saturday with one another and with Jeremy and me. It was a beautiful day in Lincoln before we gathered, but it was a blessed day in Lincoln because of what we experienced here. Coming together on a summer Saturday was a huge sacrifice on your part, but I hope you can join me in feeling that it was one worth making.
I am thankful for how welcoming and supportive you have been. I am thankful for your willingness to explore some new ideas and to share honestly. I am thankful for your energy and enthusiasm. I am thankful for your patience and openness. I am thankful for your spirit and commitment. I am thankful that God has brought us all together. You possess so much collective talent, and the time we spend together (and the discipline we employ along the way) will determine how fully we are able to realize our potential and possibility.
There are two great loves in my life. One was affirmed on June 27 and every day since, when my partner Brent and I celebrate our commitment to one another and to the God who brought us together to share life and ministry. The other will be affirmed week in and week out as you and I share life and ministry together, celebrating over and over again our commitment to one another and to the God who brought us together. Sharing faith, building community, supporting each other, creating beauty, discovering artistry, expressing wonder, communicating light-- WOW-- what blessed work we do. Thank you for inviting me here to serve with you. We are already beginning to truly share and grow.
You just left a few minutes ago, and I already can't wait to continue our process on Wednesday evening! On Wednesday, we will begin to 'seat' the choir. This is not a hierarchical process of placement. It is not about determining who is good or bad. The goal is to have all singers sitting in the best place for them to sing their unique voice, even as we enable the choir sound its collective best. The sopranos will be the first to have a sectional time, Wednesday from 7:00-7:25 p.m., then the rest of the choir will join us for rehearsal from 7:30-9:30 p.m. No one will be asked to sing on their own, but we will sing in rotating groups of 3, 4, 5, and so on as we shuffle folks around. We do this seating not to cause anyone grief or to put anyone on the spot. We do it because we want to use every possible tool, including acoustical placement and space, to make ours the most beautiful choir it can be. I appreciate your willingness to trust me that this is an important part of our process and pedagogy. I also appreciate the time you invest in that process.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon, and please remember to let Sarah Gauger or Jim Carr know soon if you would be willing to host one of the DINNER FOR EIGHT parties. As we shared today, the volunteer hosts or hostesses can choose the date of the meal, and we will randomly connect you with guests who are free the same night. Our goal is to enable some interaction between people in the choir (singles AND couples) who may not otherwise spend much time together. For more information on that activity, please contact me, Sarah Gauger or Jim Carr at your convenience. We hope that everyone can be involved, either as host/hostess or guest/guestess or both/bothess! : )
Grace and peace, and many thanks for all you are and all you do.
TT
