Music Ministry - An Opportunity for Consecration

By Tom Brantigan

In last week's sermon, Pastor John discussed how we as individuals can consecrate something to the Lord, how we can set aside something of ourselves that we dedicate to God. As I thought about this, the first thing that came to mind is how many people I know at Central who already do this and how wonderful it would be to see more people consider their commitments in this light.

Of course, the first group I thought about was the Chancel Choir and about those who seriously commit to attending rehearsals every Thursday and services every Sunday that they are in town. These people have consecrated this time. The effect of this consecration is obvious not only to everyone who attends worship on Sunday morning but also to a wide variety of people beyond these walls - as many of you witnessed at the recent Christmas Concert.

The interesting thing about consecration of time is that the benefit flows in all directions. I would like you to share in that benefit of consecrated time by joining the Chancel Choir. We need to grow, to replace some who have left us, to plan for the future. You may think that this requires "giving up" something for Christ, that you do not have time, that you are too tired, or too rusty, or not talented enough. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those of us involved in this effort are receiving far more than we are giving. We are energized by our fellowship, by our efforts at excellence, and our worship of our Lord. The benefits then spread to the congregation and pour out into the community. Together, as a body in the choir, we are better than the sum of our parts. We are a powerful voice, in service to the Lord.

At the beginning of February, we will be holding a Chancel Choir "Open House" to welcome new people into our midst and to help make such consecrated time meaningful as we all prepare for Holy Week and Easter. Stay tuned for more to come. This is the time. This is the opportunity to turn faith into action. This is the time to think about joining the choir!

Remember, this is an all volunteer force with no auditions and no boot camp! You don't really even need to wait for February. Come on Thursday night!