One in the Lord

I became Mrs. Bryant Moritz on February 20. 2009 at Pilgrim Ev. Lutheran Church at 6817 W Center Street in Wauwatosa. We were married by Rev. Paul Peckman, Dr. Paul Hunsicker preached the sermon, and Sister Mary Jane Wagner played the pipe organ. Here's a list of our music selections. The recessional was so well-suited to the occasion--opulently triumphant. Thank you, Mary Jane! Thanks to all who had a part in our wedding. Praise God for a beautiful day and glorious celebration.

Preludes:
1. “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, Op. 7 #3 (Paul Manz)
2. “Rhosymedre” (“Lovely”) from Three Preludes for Organ (R. Vaughan Williams)
3. “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” (J.S. Bach)
4. “Air on the G String” (J.S. Bach)

Processional: Festive Trumpet Tune in D Major (Mark Thewes)

Recessional: Allegro from Concerto in G, BWV 592 (J.S. Bach)

Postlude: Choral Prelude on “Ar Hyd Y Nos” (Go, My Children, with My Blessing) (Paul Manz)

Pilgrim Lutheran's German Sing-Along

The first-ever German Sing-along at my church (68th and Center) was a great success. Even though we didn't advertise extensively, we had a turnout of perhaps thirty to thirty-five people, all eager to sing traditional German Christmas carols familiar from childhood.

Rather than bothering with reams of paper, I simply put the lyrics on PowerPoint slides, and took advantage of Pilgrim's newly purchased projector. We began with a quick pronunciation tutorial just to refresh our memories, and Pastor Peckman helped navigate the slides. We sang about twenty-five of what I thought were the most familiar carols, and I thought we could have used a few more. Bryant helped with just about everything, even setting up snacks for the informal social time afterward.

It was a superb time of fellowship and most of our guests were able to meet new people, increasing their German-speaking contacts. We do plan to hold a sing-along next year, so we're open to suggestions for improvement, whether on repertoire, timing, or format. Thanks for making this so much fun!

Our Time

In the omniscient providence of God, we were born to this age, and not to another. We were divinely appointed to the peculiar time and place in which we find ourselves. Mordecai had to remind Esther that she was born “for just such a time as this,” and no less were we.

To my contemporaries who mourn a bygone era, I say, This age is what we make it. We are the visionaries, we are the proponents of ideas, we are the actors on the present stage; the burden rests squarely on our shoulders. If the surrounding culture labors under false ideals and attending problems, we must blame no one but ourselves. Those who would go back to a Victorian era dread the work of influencing our own. They forget that previous cultures were shaped by the “tireless minority” spoken of by Samuel Adams.

At times those who put forth those endeavors are frustrated by an apparent lack of results. Think of the long effort to dismantle slavery in the United States. This paradigm shift required much time to take effect, and yet now those who fought that battle of ideals are hailed as heroes.

Therefore our responsibility is clear; we cannot afford to accept the status quo and pretend that all is well. As Christians, we must exert our powers of influence if we wish to make the culture more hospitable toward us and our views. Let us labor to make the case for Christ, for the Church, for Biblical directive, for the majesty of tradition, for reverence.

The Apostle Paul often busied himself in the public square, persuading people to consider the claims of Christ. Surely this is the work of Christ’s Great Commission, in whose fulfillment we find the presence of Christ Himself, “even unto the end of the age.”

German Christmas Sing-Along at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa

To be held Sunday afternoon, December 14, at 3:45 P. M. (after the Packer game) at my church (68th and Center Road). It will be a fantastic time of revisiting the traditional carols of our childhood, reminiscing and speaking some German in an informal setting.

I'm busy making PowerPoint slides so we can have the songs up on the projector, rather than killing a dozen trees. =) If anyone would like to bring a dish to pass, we could plan on having refreshments afterward.

Please come and enjoy! Bring a friend or two or three.

The Challenge

I love my work as a church musician--I was inspired enough to earn a master's degree in church music. Those who know me understand that I work very hard to imrove my musical skills as I can: I sing in a chamber choir and take organ lessons. Someone recently asked me, "Don't you get impatient working with novice musicians?"

I thought about that and realized I didn't.

In the church, people bring to the table whatever musical foundation they have. I can't change their backgrounds, but I can work with what we have. I can play the role of a coach, and help people make the most of their gifts. I can choose music that suits their needs. I can make them feel good for contributing and doing their best. For some, I can offer lessons one-on-one, and naturally, everyone receives skill benefits from ensemble work. Just as a coach develops affection for the members of his team, so I appreciate each person who does his best to bring glory to God. Quite frankly, I applaud anyone who contributes to my music program. Far from being put out, I'm blessed to be able to coordinate and facilitate all of that activity.

Matthew 21:15-16 "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

It's not entirely clear from the text whether the chief priests and scribes were displeased because Jesus was called "the Son of David" or because the chant annoyed their elite ears--perhaps both items offended them. Yet, reminiscent of the widow's mite, Jesus royally accepts praise from the least skilled who love Him. He Who made them fully comprehended that they indeed offered their best, and He asked no more.

German Church Services in Milwaukee

In the autumn of 2006, I had just moved to Milwaukee from a tiny rural community. I knew perhaps three people in the city, and so I eagerly tried to increase my circle of contacts, especially those who shared my interests. I had discovered the internet as a cutting-edge advantage to social networking--specifically Meetup.com. I found a local German Meetup group within two weeks of changing my residence and headed downtown to check it out. I met several nice people who spoke German in varying levels of proficiency, among whom was a man named Dan Sweeney from Wauwatosa. Without hesitation, he invited me to Ridgewood Baptist Church, which hosted a German church service. Intrigued, I found my way there on Sunday morning. The first person I met was a girl about my age, I thought, who introduced herself as Andrea, then Ed Maczolleck. They promptly invited me to lunch, then to Starbucks, then to Andrea's house. We had a fantastic time together, and I couldn't wait to come back the next week.

Andrea is now my roommate: we became close friends. Ed is like a father to both of us, and Dan Sweeney is still a very good friend. I so appreciate that this avenue was open to me upon my move to a strange city. Thank you, Ridgewood!

It goes without saying that I enjoyed the service very much. A dedicated (native speaker) German Baptist pastor, Reinhold Schulz, preached every sermon in the German language. It's inspiring to listen to this man who has long since passed the age of retirement, but refuses to stop serving God as long as he is needed. It's also very refreshing to sing in German with a group of people who love the language and who love the Lord. When I began coming, there was also a choir under the direction of Lothar which sang special music.

I wonder how many people know about this wonderful little oasis of German community in Milwaukee, the city of Gemuetlichkeit. If you live in the Milwaukee area and wish to exercise your German skills, Ridgewood Baptist Church is the place to do it. Sunday school starts at 9:00 a. m., and the service proper at 10:15 a. m. The people there will welcome you with open arms. Sometimes missionaries come through on their way to or from Germany, and we are able to minister to them--always a treat.

Another great resource under "Spiritual Development" is Benediction Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, which holds bi-monthly German services. The Weinacht service is very special, featuring local Teutonic performing groups.

Some of us are planning a big German Christmas sing-a-long in December. I'll be sure to advertise it widely--so check back for further details!

Personal Update from the Summer

I’d just like to step in here and update my readers on my recent adventures. In June, I terminated my employment with VCY America in order to look for new opportunities. As the prudent know, the economy has taken a hit or two over the last months, and so finding a job was not the quick and easy project I thought it would be, causing me some anxious moments. I spent the summer months doing custodial work for my church to bring in some extra cash while I applied for many different types of jobs.

At the end of August, I found half-time employment with Principal Financial Group, which gives me time to work on wedding plans and give piano and voice lessons at Milwaukee Lutheran School. I must say the variety of what I now do is very inspiring, and I have greatly enlarged my circle of contacts and opportunities. Having my routine upset again and again has been bad for my writing and blogging habits, and I apologize for not finding time to keep up. Special thanks to my Bryant for his incredible morale support during this difficult time of transition, and to Liz without whom I would still be floundering.

I’ve compiled a list of questions I’d like to discuss with other music aficionados. I’ve been thinking about the arguments often used against “contemporary” Christian music, and have decided that many of them are heavily colored with opinion rather than informed by Biblical principles. Here’s one to get us thinking:

Does it make sense to say that a composer may be creative with every element of music EXCEPT rhythm?

The Arrow and the Song

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me?

1. Why should cross and trial grieve me?
Christ is near With His cheer;
Never will He leave me.
Who can rob me of the heaven
That God's Son For my own
To my faith hath given?

2. Though a heavy cross I'm bearing
And my heart Feels the smart,
Shall I be despairing?
God, my Helper, who doth send it,
Well doth know All my woe
And how best to end it.

3. God oft gives me days of gladness;
Shall I grieve If He give
Seasons, too, of sadness?
God is good and tempers ever
All my ill, And He will
Wholly leave me never.

5. Death cannot destroy forever;
From our fears, Cares, and tears
It will us deliver.
It will close life's mournful story,
Make a way That we may
Enter heavenly glory.

7. Lord, my Shepherd, take me to Thee.
Thou art mine; I was Thine,
Even e'er I knew Thee.
I am Thine, for Thou hast bought me;
Lost I stood, But Thy blood
Free salvation brought me.

Hymn #523 The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ps. 73: 23
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Translated by: composite, based on John Kelly, 1867
Titled: Warum sollt' ich mich denn graemen
Composer: Johann G. Ebeling, 1666
Tune: Warum sollt' ich mich denn graemen

Four Preludes on the Playthings of the Wind

Here Sandburg gives us a somewhat uncomfortable perspective on reality. The language is nothing if not straightforward, and the meditation seems to come straight from Ecclesiastes: "Vanity, all is vanity." As Christians, our focus is to be "on things above, not on things of the earth"--items that become the "playthings of the wind." Christ Himself urges us to "lay up treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt, and thieves do not break through and steal." What are your treasures?

"The Past Is a Bucket of Ashes"
1
The woman named Tomorrow
sits with a hairpin in her teeth
and takes her time
and does her hair the way she wants it
and fastens at last the last braid and coil
and puts the hairpin where it belongs
and turns and drawls: Well, what of it?
My grandmother, Yesterday, is gone.
What of it? Let the dead be dead.

2
The doors were cedar
and the panel strips of gold
and the girls were golden girls
and the panels read and the girls chanted:
We are the greatest city,
the greatest nation:
nothing like us every was.
The doors are twisted on broken hinges.
Sheets of rain swish through on the wind
where golden girls ran and the panels read:
We are the greatest city,
the greatest nation:
nothing like us ever was.

3
It has happened before.
Strong men put up a city and got
a nation together,
And paid singers to sing and women
to warble: We are the greatest city,
the greatest nation,
nothing like us ever was.
And while the singers sang
and the strong men listened
and paid the singers well
and felt good about it all,
there were rats and lizards who listened
... and the only listeners left now
... are ... the rats .. and the lizards.
And there are black crows
crying, "Caw, caw,"
bringing mud and sticks
building a nest over the words carved
on the doors where the panels were cedar
and the strips on the panels were gold
and the golden girls came singing:
We are the greatest city,
the greatest nation:
nothing like us ever was.
The only singers now are crows crying, "Caw, caw,"
And the sheets of rain whine in the wind and doorways.
And the only listeners now are
... the rats ... and the lizards.

4
The feet of the rats
scribble on the doorsills;
the hieroglyphs of the rat footprints
chatter the pedigrees of the rats
and babble of the blood
and gabble of the breed
of the grandfathers and the great-grandfathers
of the rats.
And the wind shifts
and the dust on a doorsill shifts
and even the writing of the rat footprints
tells us nothing, nothing at all
about the greatest city, the greatest nation
where the strong men listened
and the women warbled:
Nothing like us ever was.

Carl August Sandburg (1878 – 1967)