For
Christmas Music Sunday in 2011, our Sanctuary Choir sang two choir pieces
written by D. Buxtehude and J.S. Bach. These great composers are important
musicians to me for two reasons. J.S. Bach is the greatest composer in western
music history, as many people may agree, and Buxtehude may be the most
important one Bach learned a lot from. He once traveled 300 miles to listen to
Buxtehude’s music on a couple of weeks of vacation and stayed there for some
months instead! This was very unusual for him because he was very dedicated to
his work at church and had never left this post for long periods of time. I
wanted to give my respect to these two musicians, and it’s the reason I wanted
to perform their two pieces, “The Infant Jesus” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”,
again this year for Christmas Music Sunday Service on December 9. Our
Celebration Ringers will also play for the prelude and introit during the
service.
Waiting for
some good news and a new beginning is painful and nervous, but it also can be a
time of hope and positive expectation when we have our trust in someone we rely
on. That’s what the time of Advent and the end of each year means for us. Our
church and I will enjoy this wonderful season of the year and will keep walking
our journey in different directions. We will be in the same God’s hand to do
our ministries by His guidance though. Let us praise our God and celebrate our
Lord Jesus’ birth with one voice and mind. Thanks be to God!