Sacred music

 

 

 

 Just after Christmas we enjoyed another family session singing around our piano.  Left to right: Rebecca and Carroll; back row Javan, Hensie, me, Amelia, Quoc.  Thank you John for taking the photos.  One of the joys of my life, singing around the piano started when my mother would gather us around the piano on Sundays.  Dad would play the piano.  What Mom lacked in ability she made up for in enthusiasm with me and my brother and sister.  Carroll and I started out our marriage by singing at our own wedding reception.  Our family has been blessed with Carroll's ability and willingness to play the piano for our children.  In turn, our children bless our lives with their singing.  We are glad to see their children developing their musical talents in band, piano, dance, and singing.

One of my callings at church is to lead the congregational singing while Carroll plays the organ.  It's another blessing that we can choose the hymns and practise together.  We all have our favourites and we make sure we sing some every Sunday, but we also introduce those that are not so familiar.  Carroll found a hymn for us to sing last Sunday that supported the theme of the talks on service.  It has become one of our favourites.  Hymn # 155, "We Have Partaken of Thy Love", has a simple melody and some of the following phrases:  1. "We have partaken of thy love, O Lord, this sacred hour; We have renewed our covenants And felt thy cleansing pow'r"  2. "Let us go forth refreshed, resolved to Serve our fellowmen, Forgive our neighbors, live thy word, Until we come again,"  3. "Raising to thee in song and word Our praise, most holy One, We ask thy benediction, Lord, thru thy Beloved Son".   Hymns contain powerful doctrine but also beautiful expressions of the heart.  Sometimes when Carroll and I are practising alone in the chapel, I ponder on the meaning and my eyes glisten.  I am grateful for this opportunity for such a musical association and a focus on sacred music.