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MUSIC AND WORSHIP MINISTRY

It seems that each year rushes by faster and faster, I would swear that I just wrote the report for 2015!  I suppose that is a good thing as time only seems to go slowly when you are bored and there is certainly none of that here!

In January we began Epiphany with a Sanctuary installation that featured all of the mirrors in the church building and a few more that were borrowed!  To this we added small mirrors that could go in our pocket to remind you that you are the reflection of God in the world every day.  With these mirrors we were looking to reflect the light of God in each of our lives a bit more brightly each week.  A feature in worship each week was the uncovering of a beautiful piece of artwork painted on a mirror by Rachel Laughlin.  It was covered in blue paint and a different section of the work was revealed each week.  Epiphany was a fairly short season this year as Easter was in March!   Ash Wednesday was February 10 so we moved into Lent.  

During Lent the mirrors were mixed with stones that became a pathway to the cross on Good Friday.  Each Sunday in Lent the children filled in the “shadow” of the cross with stones and small mirror pieces.  On Good Friday the shadow was destroyed and poured out on the offering table.  Easter was then a grand celebration of lilies and gold fabric.  The Sanctuary Choir, Children’s Choir and the Youth Choir sang a joint anthem and the choir loft was filled with people and song.

The Easter season featured the rocks and small mirrors slowly developing into a picture of a dove rising from the fires of the Holy Spirit to celebrate Pentecost.  The season of Pentecost lasts a really long time!  We are still in the Pentecost season in the fall when the new cycle of the Narrative Lectionary begins.  The fall season did begin a new with the Narrative Lectionary in Genesis walking through a set of Old Testament stories.  The sanctuary installation consisted of a large chalkboard with a road on it was a symbol of the road we walk along with God in life.   Each week we added the scripture passages to the road in many different languages from Biblical Hebrew to Karen.   

Through all of these seasons the Sanctuary Choir has been hard at work providing appropriate music for each season.  We presented “Return to Me” on Good Friday followed by the joyous music of Easter.  The choir sang for most of the summer.  We sang many different settings of “The Lord’s Prayer” during the summer series on the prayer.  The fall season had the choir working on many anthems based on the Old Testament scriptures while working on music for Advent and Christmas.  This Advent season featured an anthem written for us by Ryan Corbitt “Christmas Candles” and several other anthems composed by Susan Braden.  We presented these as well as other works at Tabernacle and also at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg.  The Sanctuary Choir is a wonderful dedicated group of people who love to sing and lead in worship.  We have a wonderful time together and are always open to new people joining us.

In the spring, The Older Children’s Choir and Handbell Choir was led by Terry Witt, Jessica Corbitt, Laura Severns and Judy Fiske, the Preschool Choir was led by Helen Davidson and Judy Fiske and the Youth Worship Arts group was led Marty Watkin, Judy Fiske and Ron Simmons.  Dylan, Kaeo, Kanoa, and Kekoa Burgess, Frances Lowery, Waysnah Htoo, Monica Iang, Christina Sung and Brynne Severns attended Virginia Baptist All-State Choir in January and February.  Five youth and two chaperones attended Animate Worship Camp in June.  In July we had 15 people attend Music and Worship Arts Camp at Eagle Eyrie.   In the fall the Older Children kept their same leadership and Larry Allen assisted Helen Davidson with Preschool Choir.  Ron, Marty and Judy continued to lead the Youth Worship Arts team.

This summer Susan Braden presented her musical “Because I Can Sir” in our Sanctuary.  This musical tells the story of her battle with cancer.  She has also presented this program in NYC at Metro Baptist in NYC, in Arkansas and in Roanoke.  In 2017 she will present the show again at Metro Baptist as a fundraiser for cancer research.

The music staff continues their excellent work.  This year we celebrated “10 years with Ryan Corbitt.”  In 2017 we will celebrate 20 years with Ron Simmons!  Terry Witt has become a great mentor to our older children musicians as well as an anchor to our Sanctuary Choir.   These dedicated and talented musicians are invaluable to the ministry that is accomplished at Tabernacle. 

It has been a busy year for all of us and definitely not boring.  Take the time to thank a musician, young or older, for their hard work in preparing to lead our congregation in worship each week.

Judy

Mary Beth Foust shares a reflection about her family’s Epiphany star words from 2016. Mary Beth and Caleb and their daughter, Ava, worshipped with us during a season of transition. The Foust family relocated to High Point, NC where Caleb serves as a youth minister and Mary Beth works at the local university. 

“And darkness covered the land.” Well, at least that is what it felt like. The little piece of land in Glen Allen, Virginia that we called ours simply seemed dark. Never mind it was a marshy, wooded area and our house had little to no windows to let in the light, the circumstances of our lives simply seemed dark. We finally sort of landed at Tabernacle for a brief window during that time, September-February. We needed to simply be at church. We needed to walk in the doors without crying; to be angry at the ministers without the ministers taking it personally. To believe in the institution of church we loved so dearly. We wanted to participate but not have to be known too deeply, because it just hurt too much.

Ava girl was loved on in the nursery and nurtured even then in ways that won’t bear fruit for years. Caleb was allowed to be angry and I held my hymnal in worship so that I could cling to the words and promises I knew lay deep in my soul…somewhere. We moved through our season as the church moved through hers. Our first Sundays, a large tree was taking root and growing in the sanctuary. It seemed like God was preparing to remind us Fousts where it was that our roots came from, how it was we grew and where our branches and trees sprouted. We participated in Thanksgiving dinner feasts and delivered Christmas baskets with Ava in tow. We waited in anticipation during Advent, celebrated Christmas and landed in Epiphany, a season of light. And yet, we still weren’t finding the light in our lives.

That Epiphany Sunday Caleb and I both lead in worship. My reading was about stars as that Sunday we would receive a metallic paper star with a word written on it. After I read, we both semi-trudged down the aisle. I walked past Tracy Hartman, a mentor and teacher in ministry, and she handed me, my star (face down of course, for it was God’s word to me, not hers). As I returned to my pew I wondered what it could mean—I wondered what Caleb’s would read. Affirmation and Obedience. Okay God. Whatever.

As the weeks would pass after that Sunday, new opportunities would begin to grow under the icy surface. Roots and blooms growing that we would not and still cannot fully comprehend. Caleb interviewed for a position at a small church in Mechanicsville (after we graciously caught the tummy bug with half the congregation of Tab). So, our Sundays and Wednesdays were re-arranged. It became increasingly difficult for me to make the trip downtown to Tabernacle by myself and work through the schedules of Sundays and Wednesdays alone, and to be honest, I missed my partner and confidant in ministry. But, that part-time position allowed Caleb to dip his feet just deep enough into the shallow end of ministry to know where his soul fit was. It was and is in the church. In that season in January, Epiphany time, I started a new job in the city. I loved it—but I knew it was not a permanent place. In February, my dad was hospitalized and didn’t leave the hospital without a 7-bypass surgery. All the while, we were surrounded in prayer and loved by sweet Tabernacle.

After the spirit began stirring in both of us, we realized we needed to make a change and we began to see the light again. Not only the light of candles, but the weight of burdens begin lifted, lighter weight to carry, little by little. An opportunity in High Point, NC of all places began to bubble and we pursued, somewhat at a distance, somewhat at the ready. After visiting with the congregation (and a unanimous yes from the search team) we knew that our stars were guiding us away from the land in Glen Allen. We moved with excitement—it’s not as hard to leave when you don’t have much left. And as we did—we pulled out our stars. Affirmation and Obedience. Okay God. Whatever.

As I prepared for my exit interview, I made notes of my helpful suggestions I would share with the CEO (yep, she conducted the interview, stellar woman and organization). I didn’t really think I had much to offer and that it might be a simple goodbye and thank you for a job-well-done-in-a-short-time kind of meeting. But she offered me words of affirmation. She encouraged me, as did my own manager, to not settle moving forward in a new position. To seek management and to rest in the assurance that I had the skills (and the references) to pursue this possibility. I hadn’t believed that about myself since I was forced to leave my ministry job in Virginia.

Looking back now, I can see and claim those two stars as God’s guiding lights in our darkness. It is no small coincidence that Tracy gave me that word, as her words of affirmation have long been in my ears, but I couldn’t allow myself to hear them. I had no idea if I would find any work in High Point, but God had bigger plans that I could see. Affirmation and Obedience. Okay God.

Here we are, the beginning of a new year, leaning in to the anticipation of Advent and tip-toeing our way toward Epiphany. This year, we will not trudge to the front, instead we will be star gazing (and sharing the starlit sky with our congregation) for more stars to guide us. But this year, the light of the stars illumines the darkness and the darkness Can. Not. Overcome it.

We are indebted to our Church and Childcare Ministry Leadership for their hard work on the 2017 budgets. We will vote on the church budget next Sunday, December 11. The Child Care Center Ministry Budget vote will take place on Sunday, December 18. Digital copies of each document is available. Contact the church office to request an e-mail attachment. Hardcopies are available in the back of the Sanctuary.

Words cannot begin to express my gratitude to Frances for her faithfulness and steadfast care of numerous children, parents, and teachers. Frances is a pastor, mentor, and counselor. She is also a gifted plumber, painter, referee, party planner, accountant, nurse, bus coordinator, and cook. The Director’s job description morphs with each passing day as God brings new life into the center and the old building responds with the presentation of a new challenge. She is the quintessential model of a jack-of-all-trades. 

She would want us to mark this anniversary with an acknowledgement of the extraordinary parade of teachers that have served faithfully in the guidance of children. She’s right, they’ve been amazing. However, with that said, Frances has helped to bring out the best in our teachers. Her commitment to their development has helped put the Tabernacle Baptist Church Child Care Center on the map in our community. 

God has used her ministry to share the light of Christ and equip generations of children, and adults, to share that light as they venture out into world. We are blessed for the gift of her ministry and I feel blessed, beyond measure, to call her my friend.  

– Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor