As I attempt to put together the words to express how I think about the music in worship at Trinity Church, the word that comes to mind is: teamwork.  Father John would have a more theological term for it, but the worship life for us really does involve a team of people, each playing his or her position–this is starting to sound like a sporting event, isn’t it?  But it is so much more than that.  

To take it in reverse, we might start with the congregation.  That is, the people who gather each Sunday morning to become a gathered community of the followers of Jesus, hoping perhaps to gain something that will enable us to more fully let our “little light shine” as we go about our daily life–work and play.

This is where we greet each other, sing together, listen to the reading of scripture, join in prayer together, listen to organ and vocal music together, confess our sins and receive assurance of God’s forgiveness, share the sacrament of communion together, all in the traditions and liturgy created and advanced by generations of Christians–Episcopal and more ancient, lay and clergy–who preceded us!  (Are they part of the “team” too?)  The lectionary readings have been chosen for us: the sermon will usually focus on the themes or contents of them.  That team leader is, of course, the priest. The lay eucharistic minister leads us in most of the liturgy, making sure that other parishioners are prepared to read the lessons and prayers as well as the announcements that enable us to continue our life together and reach out to others in the place where we live. 

All I do is read the lessons; consult several reference books that include recommendations regarding which of the 900 or so hymns in our pew editions of hymnals “fit” with season of the church year and the themes of the lessons; check to be sure that the hymns chosen have been sung previously at Trinity; and send my recommendations to the parish administrator and interim priest, noting that they may feel free to make changes.  After that I make sure that I have at least a couple of pieces of music that can be satisfactorily prepared to be sung by whoever of the choir members will be present on that particular Sunday morning, so that any anthem will present the possibility of inspiration that might help us on our daily journey.

Finally, I choose organ music for the prelude (preparation for worship?), postlude, communion–hoping that I can still play it adequately or better.  Then, of course, I drive to Marshfield and practice.  

I sometimes ask myself:  Does what we do in that brief amount of time on Sunday morning when we are gathered together really matter?  My answer is: I hope so.  I know that when I have looked at hymns that I have considered, whether chosen or not, one or more of the tunes and texts will “play” in my head for days afterward.  I wonder: does that ever happen to anyone in the congregation after we sing the hymns on Sunday?  In other words, do the messages of the hymns stay with us?  Do they help us?  Again, I hope so.

`Sarah Hostetter, Music Director