Avocational music and musicians

I heard an radio ad for the Dessoff Choirs on NPR last Friday afternoon.  The Dessoff Choir is a an avocational Choir which means volunteer group who become members by audition.  In the radio story about the concert which was held last weekend the new music director Chris Shepard  of the Dessoff Choirs was interviewed.  He commented on the fact that in the job description they said they were an avocational choir.  He was happy to learn that the group is together to sing because of their avocation which is the love of music.
This was the first time I had heard avocation used in reference to singing in a chorus and I thought about our Christ Church Choir.  For those of us who are members singing is an avocation I guess.  We strive to do the very best that we can do during the church service and our directors work very hard to see that it happens.
It was pointed out to me yesterday when I sang with the Princeton Amateur Singers.  We read through Bach's B Minor Mass which I had committed to memory early in my singing career.  I was a little disappointed because the group of women next to whom I was singing, although they knew the music what we came up with was not up to the performance level. It was only a read through and not a rehearsal so we could not go back and correct mistakes.   So although I was singing I was not a happy camper.  Our choir as far as I know reads very well even when we are exploring new music.
So I am hoping we can entice some new avocational singers to join us in the future.
Jeannette Brown

The Green Group in Christ Church

At Christ Church we have a green group who work to see that we are environmentally friendly.  We no longer mail bulletins and we recycle them when done.  We have an e-newsletter that comes out once a week so we don't waste paper sending one out.  It is also much more up to date then a quarterly newsletter would be.
In my home I had a 30 plus year old GE refrigerator that still worked except you had to defrost the freezer and since there was a air leak you had to do this frequently.  So last June I bit the bullet and bought a brand new GE refrigerator.  We are so excited about this refrigerator because it makes ice cubes and you can get filtered chilled water!  The old refrigerator was taken by the State along with an old non working freezer ( it was supposed to be working but they took it any way).  For this I just received a check from the state for $100.00 ($50.00 each) so it pays to recycle!
About that chilled water.  This means I no longer buy bottled water, and now we come to the point of this blog, assuming that you are still with me.  Here is another UCC Daily Devotion about water.
Think Outside the Water Bottle
Excerpt from  2 Thessalonians
1:3-12
“To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you
worthy of [God’s] call.”
Reflection by Donna
Schaper
Worthy of a call?   Could I get a rain check? A way out of my home
in I-don’t-know-how or I-wish-I-could?
Excuses abound for unworthiness.  Even more, unworthiness is an excuse.
Consider thinking outside the water bottle when it comes to your call from
God.  We have so many habits that distance us from the divine.  How
about changing just one this week, and another next week?  Think of it as
taking one step on a stepladder to the heaven of worthiness. 
Here’s one step to take: Water comes out of a tap.  We don’t need to
buy it in a bottle.  We have cups and glasses.  Even if we recycled
the same water bottle or purchased the more politically correct type, we could
step our way to a cleaner ocean. 
Consider as well the spiritual side of the way you drink water.  Many
women in the world walk 20 miles a day to get water. They also send their
children to fetch water, the same children who then can’t go to school.
We become worthy of our call not just by keeping the ocean clean. We become
worthy of our call by treasuring our water and remembering, always, in every
way, who has and who has not. I do ridiculous things not to waste water, like
using the dog’s bowl to water the plants if the dog bowl needs
freshening.  Or washing dishes in the most conserving ways I can imagine.
Doing these things won’t make me worthy of God’s call.  But it will
remind me of whose I am and who my friends elsewhere are.  Worthiness
might be a side effect.  I might even run out of excuses.
Prayer
Oh, God, take us away from our hellish habits to spiritually-stepped rituals
that ache to be worthy. Amen. 
Jeannette Brown

New UCC Video and Global Minisitries Update

When I went to the UCC website this morning this awesome video played.  Here is the link: http://www.ucc.org/ Note: if the link does not work cut and paste into your browser.  At the end there are two other videos to see.

The Global Disciples Ministry today had information about Alternative Giving
http://globalministries.org/get-involved/special-giving-opportunities/alternative-christmas-giving.html

"Alternative Christmas Giving

With an Alternative Christmas gift, you honor your loved ones and make a difference in the lives of people around the world at the same time.  Alternative Christmas Gifts don’t get returned because the recipient already has one. They’re perfect for the person who has “everything” and are sure to bring smiles to the gift recipient and to the faces of global partners. "

The article goes on to say people should donate to the Disciples Ministry.  I want you to attend the Alternative Giving Mall that Christ Church along with other religious groups in Summit are sponsoring on November 21 at Temple Sinai.  It will run from 9:30 to 2:00 PM.  Drop by after Church. 
At Christ Church the Board of World Fellowship takes care of our global ministries which we do through their gift to the UCC.  Therefore this donation is a part of your pledge to Christ Church. 

Jeannette Brown

Note: My blogger website is not working properly so you need to cut and paste the links today.

Daily Devotional and the Annual Pledge Campaign

I know that soon it will be the time for us to renew our pledges to the church.  As you know the UCC Daily Devotional comes into my e-mail inbox.  I thought I would share today's devotional with you about the subject of giving to the church.


November 7, 2010

An Offering You Can’t Refuse

Excerpt from Luke 21:1-3

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he
also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.  He said, “Truly, I
tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them
have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in
all she had to live on.”

Reflection by
Martin B. Copenhaver

I have a recurring dream, particularly this time of year.  Someone
calls me on the phone and invites me to lunch.  Over lunch that person
says, “Martin, I am aware that the church is pressed for funds, particularly in
this financial climate, and the church has to spend so much energy to raise
those funds.  Well, I came into some money this year, so I want to cover
this year’s entire church budget with my own gift.”

First I try to catch my breath.  Then I offer to pay for lunch.
But the person goes on:  “I ask only one thing,”

I say, “Sure.  Whatever.  Would you like some champagne?”

“No, thank you,” he says.  “All I ask is that you not accept any other
contributions or offerings for the rest of the year.  I want to do it
all.  My gift to the congregation.”

Then I take another deep breath and say, “I’m sorry, but I cannot accept
your gift.  I can’t do that to the people.  It’s not just a matter of
being able to pay the bills.  We need to be able to respond to all that
God is doing in our midst and to share in that work.  We can’t be deprived
of the opportunity to give of ourselves.  To hear the promises of God and
to receive the gifts of God, and to be unable to respond?  Why, that’s a
burden.  We just can’t do that to the people.”

A contribution and an offering are different:  We make a contribution
because the church needs money.  We make an offering because we need to
give.  Only some are able to give a large contribution.  Anyone is
able to make a great offering.

Prayer

Giver of every good and perfect gift, accept this gift of mine, that I might
share in your work and that your work might prosper. 

The Rev will be speaking about this soon.

Jeannette Brown