Tag: hymn sing
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The Goose Family is Home Again! Happy Spring!
I got up from my desk and walked over to the patio door. “Oh, look, Floey, the Goose Family has returned.” A goose made a big splash as it landed on the water. The honking got even louder as another goose landed. “That looks like Gilbert and Gloria. Let’s go out and welcome them.” “Who…
Marian
Abbey, Cleland McAfee, Floey, friends, geese, Gilbert Goose, Gloria Goose, God loves us, God’s love, God-given gifts, goose family, Grace Goose, Gregory Goose, hymn sing, joy, kindness, Lent, lenten hymns, Lenten songs, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, nature, Near to the Heart of God, reflections, seasons, spirituality, talking with God, whispering winds -
Living inside a Broadway Musical
Last weekend was like living inside a Broadway musical – like “The Sound of Music.” Life wasn’t an opera – our conversations were spoken, not sung – but the whole weekend seemed to flow from one musical moment to the next. It’s almost like we were taking the message of the Psalms – to sing…
Marian
Advent candles, Away in a manger, Beverly Taylor, Broadway musical, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas Carol Sing-along, Christmas Carols, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, God’s love, Hallelujah Chorus, Hutchison, hymn sing, I thank you Lord for each new day, Joy to the World, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah, Madison Symphony Choir, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Christmas concert, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Youth Choirs, Messiah Lutheran Church, Monona Senior Choir, Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, music, O Come All Ye Faithful, Overture Center organ, Overture Hall, reflections, Sam Hutchison, Silent Night, sing praises, Sing to the Lord, sing with the angels, sing-along, spirituality, The First Nowell, The Sound of Music, Winter Underwear, Winter Wonderland -
The Blessings of Awful Stories in the Bible
There are some pretty awful stories in the Bible – like the story of Tamar in Genesis. She was a young widow who disguised herself as a temple prostitute in order to entrap her father-in-law into having sex with her so that she would have a son. Have you ever wondered why that story is…
Marian
awful Bible stories, awful stories, fairness, friends, God’s love, hard decisions, hymn sing, jail ministry, joy, kindness, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, praying for each other, reflections, sharing our stories, sharing stories, singing together, spirituality, talking with God, Tamar, tough decisions, worship service -
Top 10 Christmas Carols and my new favorite
What are your favorites – your top 10 Christmas carols? I made a list of mine. It was hard to stop at ten, but I did it. Then I went on the Internet to see if I could find a list of the most popular Christmas carols. Chris Wilson compiled a list of favorites for…
Marian
accomplishments, Away in a manger, Before the Marvel of this night, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas caroling, Christmas Carols, favorite Christmas carols, God’s love, hymn sing, jail ministry, Jaroslav Vajda, listening for God, Merry Christmas, O Holy Night, reflections, Silent Night, Singing Christmas Tree, spirituality -
Attitude
In today’s reading of “The Monastic Way” Joan Chittister, OSB, said, “The attitude we bring to every day will determine the character and quality of that day.” For me, that’s a timely statement to read on a Monday morning. That’s when I look ahead to everything on my calendar for the week and everything on…
Marian
assisted living, Country Comforts Assisted Living, daily devotions, getting organized, God’s love, hymn sing, Joan Chittister, Lent, lenten hymns, Lenten Music, lenten season, life challenges, listening for God, love letter, Monastic Way, monday mornings, Mother Teresa, Oscar Wilde, pencil, play day, reflections, seasons, spirituality, Valentine, Valentine candy, Valentine card, Valentine’s Day, writing God -
Reflections on Christmas from a Church Organist
It’s over. The busiest time of the year for everyone, but especially for church organists, is over. As I look back over this holy season, what were the highlights for me? Celebrating Christmas together with our church family at Messiah Lutheran Church. I played the organ for the 10:00 service on Christmas Eve. This is…
Marian
accompanying singing, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas Carols, Christmas music, Christmas season, church musician, church organist, church pianist, congregational singing, East Koshkonong Lutheran Church, God’s love, hymn sing, jail ministry, leading singing from the organ, leading singing from the piano, listening for God, Messiah Lutheran Church, playing the organ, reflections, spirituality, talking with God, whispering winds -
The Price of Kindness and Gas
About noon on Friday I left Christmas Mountain in Wisconsin Dells to drive home for the weekend. I’ll return today (Monday) for three more days of my 10-day writing retreat. I’d made the reservations for this writing retreat a couple months ago. Since then a few things have come up for the weekend that required…
Marian
beggar, begging for money, being kind, buy gas, Christmas Carols, christmas hymn, Christmas Mountain, Christmas Mountain Village, gas money, generosity, generous, God’s love, God-wink, hospitality, hymn sing, kindness, lessons from God, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Mary Had a Baby, panhandler, person in need, reflections, spirituality, whispering winds, Wisconsin Dells, writing retreat -
Enjoying Christmas Music to the Fullest
I love Christmas music – listening to it, singing it, and playing it on the piano and organ. The Christmas music season for me begins the Monday after Thanksgiving (today!) and extends at least throughout the week of Epiphany (January 6), and sometimes longer. I like playing Christmas carols from hymnals, but I also like…
Marian
assisted living, christmas, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas caroling, Christmas Carols, Christmas Eve program, Christmas memories, Christmas music, God’s love, hark the herald angels sing, hymn sing, I am so glad each Christmas Eve, Jeg er sa glad hver julekveld, Joy to the World, lutefisk, reflections, singing Christmas carols, Singing Christmas Tree, spirituality, whispering winds -
Let’s Celebrate!
To forget to celebrate is to forget to imitate the God who created us and then relaxed and said, “that’s Good.”[Joan Chittister, OSB, “The Monastic Way,” July 2012] The theme of Joan Chittister’s little devotional pamphlet, “The Monastic Way,” for the month of July has been “celebrating life.” When I first pulled the pamphlet out…
Marian
anniversary celebration, Bible Camp, celebrations, daily devotions, Edith Kenseth, Edith Kenseth Chapel, God’s love, Gospel pianist, hymn sing, Joan Chittister, Lake Ripley, Monastic Way, Naked Ladies, nature, Organ for Eight, reflections, Resurrection Lily, Sinsinawa, spirituality, whispering winds, Willerup, Willerup Park Bible Camp -
Getting Together with God and Some Friends in Jail
Last Thursday I had a glimpse into some of the unfairness and viciousness experienced by the women spending time in the county jail. As usual, I went through security to get into the jail and walked down the long hallway to the chapel to play the piano for the women’s worship service. Chaplain Julia was…
Marian