Oh yeah.. September's WiTW

I want to keep everyone up to date as to some things happening in the US church. For a few years now, the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has a group of people working on a newly revised English version of the mass. Supposedly, they don’t believe that the one we use now is a literal enough translation, so some things are going to change. The translation was finally approved at the end of July, but won’t really go into effect for a couple of years. A copy has been made available for “pastoral preparation” purposes, and I have that if anyone is interested. Mainly, they want to give various ministers a chance to get familiar with the new texts and wordings. Songwriters will have a chance to write music based on the new words. Beyond that, not much else is known right now. The words aren’t greatly different from the ones we know, but it will be a little confusing at first, because we have become so familiar with the way we say mass now.
You know, we all have a way we think the church should be or needs to be. I know when I walk into an unfamiliar mass with a priest I’ve never seen and music I’ve never heard, I wonder if it’s going to be done “right.” I got into a discussion (argument) with a Catholic artist online recently about one of his pieces portraying a long haired, bearded man with a sign looking for work after “40 years of disservice” to the church. This artist proceeded to tell me that Vatican II, back in the sixties, opened up a door to these people leading us away from “real” Catholicism – that he and his people consciously tried to drag the church down. As much as I think a lot of the music and methods of liturgy were quite off-the-wall and possibly misguided through the sixties, seventies and even the eighties (many of my formative years by the way), I would never say that anyone intentionally tried to bring down the faith of the people.
Is there room in the church for organ, piano, violin and guitar? Is there room in the church for English, Latin, Spanish, and Polish? Can there be priests in the church who speak very theologically and others who tell stories or jokes during their homilies? Can there be masses that are uplifting and exciting and others that are more solemn and reflective? All indicators I have show me the answer is YES! Christ welcomes all of us to come to the table and share in the meal of life. He invited both the rich and the poor throughout the gospels. I believe Christ calls people of all walks of life and inclinations still today. When we approach the altar with disdain for a Christian brother or sister without forgiving them first, then where is the bond of the communion of saints or the love of a God who is infinitely merciful and welcoming?
On a side note, I am looking for people to join the newly reformed Spiritual Life and Worship commission. We are changing the focus of this group toward one of brainstorming, preparing and evaluating our liturgies together, as well as learning about the foundations of Catholic liturgy and seeing how it applies (or doesn’t) here at Good Shepherd. If you are interested in joining us, or want to know more, give me a call at 618-5986. Thanks!

Death of a great song writer

One of the most famous names in Catholic Church music is that of Joseph Gelineau. He was very popular back in the 1960's writing many simple but powerful settings to the psalms for use in the liturgy. He later went on to write refrains for the Taize community in France. I will come across a psalm setting by him in a liturgy I'm part or or attending, or even schedule one myself on occasion. Why I like his music is because it is easy for the congregation to learn, yet includes beautiful chordal progressions in the verses that catch any ear when done well.

I just heard today that Joseph passed away a few days ago. I'm including his obituary.

+ Rest in Peace.

Joseph Gelineau died in hospital in the French Alps. He had fractured a femur and was hospitalized. It was not possible to operate for ten days, due to circulatory problems. In the event, the surgery was not a great success, and then a renal blockage appeared which it was impossible to do anything about.

The funeral is this Tuesday, August 12, in the village of Vallorcines in the Savoy Alps, and Père Joseph will be buried with his Jesuit brothers in Grenoble.

August WitW

Sorry I've been absent so long... its been an unusually long month. Without further adieu...

A few years ago I found myself reading a quirky book called Zen and the Art of Guitar. One of the lessons that stood out the most for me was their description of how to master an art form. The student of an art must begin by putting on a white belt every day, according to the author. Every day, that student sees himself or herself as a novice… a beginner. Over time, that belt begins to gray and becomes worn and dirty. Eventually, the belt turns gray and then black, without the student even noticing it. Continuing the practice, the belt eventually wears itself clean and becomes white again. Only by not being focused on the status of the belt does a student learn to improve and grow, eventually having the same color as the beginner.
How would this apply in the life of a student of the Christian life? David Haas wrote a catchy tune called “We Are Called.” The lyrics to the refrain are as follows:
We are called to act with justice.
We are called to love tenderly.
We are called to serve one another,
To walk humbly with God.
I don’t see any room for pride, self-serving, or aspiration in this gospel inspired way of life. The gospels try to teach us that serving others, loving others, seeking justice and walking HUMBLY with God does, in fact, please God and draws us closer to the community of faith. No matter what we are faced with, be it brutal and seemingly insurmountable challenges or a place of being loved and adored or just the everyday predictability of a comfortable life, maybe Jesus is teaching us to be that student, always looking to learn more and grow more and not to be the best or greatest at anything. Blessed are the poor, the meek, the humble and the despised. Theirs is the kingdom of God.
As we face new challenges, a lot of times it’s easy to think we have all the answers and know exactly how to handle things. I think walking humbly with God means knowing that the more we think we know, the less we really do. One of my favorite catch phrases is: I’m not great, but I’m an apprentice to greatness. It’s God’s wisdom, love and power that give me the strength to move mountains.

As the fun ends...

Wow, what a week a couple weeks ago. I didn't blog before this because I have been recovering for the last week. We had our annual summer social at the parish Thursday through Saturday. There were some very powerful storms that came through unfortunately, but I think we had fun despite the incliment weather. Last year I volunteered to help with the Texas Hold'em portion of the social, and this year, I volunteered to run the whole thing. What a lot of work that turned out to be, but what a great deal of fun I had with it. We had nightly mini tables all through the week, and a big tournament on Sunday. With close to 90 players, we ran about five exciting hours. Thanks to everyone who came out to play and deal and supervise. I cant wait for our next one.

Opposites attract

Just reflecting on my life...

Last night, my dinner club got together for the third time. We had a fantastic southern inspired dinner with ribs, sweet potatoes and polenta with goat cheese. My fried zucchini even fit in pretty well. We had two guests for dinner as well, our host's nephew and her mother. It was a very pleasant evening hearing stories about their life back home in Kentucky. We were there for close to five hour just eating, talking and laughing.

And now for something completely different...

Tonight, I was asked to take a visiting missionary out for dinner after he talked to our communtity. He is a priest from India, and runs a vocational school there. This was his first trip outside of India, and he winds up in Indiana. Ironic? Anyway, our discussion as we enjoyed our Chicago style pizza ranged from music to poverty to global political structures. How different from the night before, but still as engaging and enjoyable for me.

Some days, I really love my job.

Unanswered Prayers

On a more personal note...

Ever have one of those series of experiences that really makes you wonder about your life? About whether you are really connecting with the people YOU feel like you are? I've had some of those lately. For me, this experience has come in the form of weddings. Two of the women I have cared about more in my life than I'd care to talk about, got married. A couple months apart, both of them married men who seemed to make them unbelieveably happy. The funny part is, I was an important part of their life when they met their to-be husbands.

I guess its the fact that I was hoping that I would be the one to make them happy, or maybe it is the jealousy I feel when I know someone can really feel like that. On a positive note, I have been successful in stepping back and really caring about them enough to say that their happiness is SO much more important than my selfishness. "If you love them, set them free." Right?

On a slight tangent, I was watching Drumline last night. One of the big catch phrases in that movie is "One Band, One Sound." Toward the end of the movie, the band director calls aside the head of the drumline and asks him, "Do you remember why I said you would be a good leader for this group? (or something like that)" He replied, "You said I liked the sound of the line better than the sound of my own drum." I've seen that movie four or five times, so I dont know why that just struck me like it did last night. Maybe because I believe that the love I have for those around me isn't about how I "sound" to them, but how my contributions can help them sound the best they can.

I think this lesson applies to these two women and their pursuit of happiness. If I was to be selfish and want them in my life more, then maybe they wouldn't have found these great men who make them so happy. I would have stood in the way of their voice being heard.

I also apply this lesson to my life as a Director of Music as well. Many people in the parish here think that I need to do more solo work, and lead with my voice. I tend to step down and give all the support, training, and encouragement to the leaders in this program, helping them to shine with all they have. I have opportunities to make a difference here, but usually its when someone (or a group) really does well. I am so proud of each and every person who I work with here. We have made some beautiful music together (metaphorically and actually speaking).

I used to pray to God to bring someone back into my life. I've been through quite an emotional rollercoaster with a few people along the way. Maybe I just need to be thankful for unanswered prayers. God hasn't let me down yet. Its about the sounds of the line (choir, community, family, friends) after all.

June WitW

Wow, its been a while since I posted anything. Amazing how time flies by when you're having fun. So, I think I'll post two, just because I've had so much running through my head lately. Here is my newsletter article from this month. I already blogged about it, but this article has gotten me more comments than anything I've written so far.

You know, unity is a funny thing. We sing about it, we pray for it, and we hope for it among Christians and fellow citizens of this country and the world. I recently had a parishioner come up after mass and comment on the inappropriateness of one of our songs because it was too “Baptist.” We may not be in unity with other Christians in our doctrine or structure, but can we be unified with them in the Spirit?
The early Church struggled with the same questions. They were faced with quite a few non-Jewish people wanting to follow the teachings of Jesus in community, but some people would have nothing to do with it unless they followed the “right way.” They struggled over issues ranging from following the Jewish calendar or prayer styles to circumcision. We have many of the same questions today. For example, how do we deal with a non-Catholic person who wants to teach in a Catholic school? How do we feel when a member of our community decides to leave the Catholic Church and go to another?
Jesus talked about one faith, one God, and one Spirit. One image I’ve always liked is that of the “body of Christ” with a body, a mind, and a spirit. The body is the structure – a particular denomination’s buildings, rules and specific rites. The mind is the doctrine – the teachings and beliefs. The spirit is the Holy Spirit – the animator of our faith life and inspiration for all holiness. If we can’t be unified in the first two areas, maybe its best to work on the latter, and most important, one.
Of course, to even begin to imagine a unified Christian church, we need to work on unity among ourselves, person-to-person. If we can succeed at connecting with each other one-on-one, then maybe we can show the world the power of Christ still present after all these years. I think that working and praying together in a faith community is exactly what Christ had in mind.
I’ll leave you with the lyrics to one of our most well-known songs here at Good Shepherd, “One Bread, One Body.” My favorite line is “and we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.” Let’s continue to strive for unity among ourselves as a faith community, and therefore witness to the world that Christ is alive and thriving here.

You cant win for trying aka. You cant always get what you want

Part 1: The curse of the piano

First of all, I never claim to be a pianist. I have had minimal lessons over the years, but the whole doing scales thing never really stuck with me. Not to say I wouldn't give it another shot someday soon, but for now, I am a liturgical guitarist and a vocalist. When I was hired on at Good Shepherd, I made this evidently clear. So, we set up some goals: 1) Convert the parish to guitar music, or 2) cultivate musical talent from the congregation, or 3) learn how to play piano (or organ) and lead the music that way. I got to work right away with the first two possiblities, knowing that I would get to the third in time. Due to some constraints, I was the only instrument at the early Sunday mass, so I played guitar. If anyone's ever been to an early Catholic mass, they know it's not a guitar sort of crowd. I would get comments like "I love the music today, are we getting a piano player soon?" A couple months ago, I was feeling invulnerable, so I tried my mediocre piano skills out on the early mass crowd. I could never have expected to be swamped at the piano after mass with congratulations and wishes on my continued return to the bench. To this day, I have played piano at every early mass, and now I play for our "Over 50's" mass as well as prayer services, reconciliation services and monthly benediction. I still play guitar for school masses and with our Spirit and Life choir, a nice balance I thought. Well, Fr. Attila comes up to me this weekend and makes the comment that he misses the guitar. Talk about irony.

Part II: "Baptist" music isn't all bad.

Also, when I was hired, I was asked to be a cheerleader of sorts - to bring energy with my music as well as new and exciting music. I've done my best with this, slowly seeping out the repatoire I had gathered over the years. This weekend, I choose "Shall We Gather At the River" as our closing song. This has been one of the favorites and a song that seems to invoke quite the passionate singing. One man came up to me after our Saturday mass and wondered how this "Baptist" song made it into the mass. I tried my best to answer him as I was thinking he was joking by saying "Well, its in our hymnal and I like it, so I put it in." He replied in a cold, brutal way with "Well, anything will get in there if its shoved up someone's a**" and walks off. Yikes! I'm glad my job doesn't depend on his opinion. Fortunately, a woman also came up after our later Sunday mass to say hi. She said how much she appreciated by spirit and my body movements as I directed the choir. I know sometimes I get a little too into the music. :) So, I guess these two people I dont remember meeting before kinda balanced out for me. I'm still pumped up about music and picking the right songs for the litugy and making people glad to be there. A once in a while negative comment is good for keeping my ego in check.

In other news...

I played guitar for our scouts on their spring outing this weekend. As I was setting up, two girls from our school came up and volunteered to help me sing. That just made my night. I have been leaning what I can about leading children, and I took every opportunity to encourage them to come back and do it again someday.

The adult choir performed two of my arrangements this weekend. I know they aren't original songs, but they are my harmonies, and that left me with some butterflies today. I have been feeling much more confident about writing and arranging for voices and instruments. I am so looking forward to this month's Spirit and Life choir as I get to arrange for a variety of instruments (depending on who shows up). Heck, we may even have a ukelele this month. Whoo hoo!

Post Traumatic Sydrome

I know that this is no laughing matter, but I feel like I just went through Post Traumatic Syndrome this week. I had a very difficult couple of weeks, and once everything was finished and the last song had been sung and the last book had been put away on Easter morning, I was ready to crash. Not more than two days later, I got very sick. I somehow was able to have both a bad Flu virus and Strep Throat at the same time. I dont remember the last time I went from chills right into the sweats and back into the chills again. I guess I can be happy I had some sick time to take off from work and do some serious recovery. Now, all is well again, and I'm ready to take on the world. Last night, I just had to get out for a nice long walk... wonderful.

The School choir had its "return" practice yesterday. We had so much fun. Every one of those who came were in a great mood, and were excited to be back together again. (We're getting the band back together.) By the time it was over, my heart was racing, and I had to stop before I got to a couple songs I wanted to play with because we ran out of time. What a fantastic feeling. When we had mass this morning, that energy carried over. They were so good today, and I am so honored to be up there leading them.

So, now the tedious work begins, putting everything back together. My office is in shambles, my music files are seperated out into stacks from various days we sang, and I have a new season to tweak and primp so that I can offer the best possible worship experience. I have come to love my "creative" days as I call them. These are the days I can step back from the administration parts of the job, and really dream about what this music program can be. I think the rest of this week can be used for a bit of that time. I have some new songs I'm getting excited about. I have some young cantors that I am looking forward to seeing what their made of. It's a brand new day.

P.S. Ugh... wouldn't you know it, but I forgot to thank John, the fantastic guy who covered for my while I was sick this last weekend. He is definately one of my best resources, trusted advisors, and good friends. Thanks John.

Worship in the Works - April 2008

It’s amazing how the time goes by. I’ve now been here over a year, and what a year it’s been – for me, for us as a parish staff, and as a parish community. This month, I’d just like to share some of the reflections I’ve gleaned from working here at Good Shepherd. Many of these are from personal experience, while others are from those I’ve seen around me.

1. When you’re used to doing something with a friend, child, parent or family, it takes a lot of courage and faith to do it alone.


2. It’s very important to feel like you belong to something or someone.


3. Change is difficult. Unwanted and/or necessary change is almost too much to bear.


4. When you’re faced with a choice between “what’s always been done” and “the best thing to do,” you both win and lose either way.


5. Sometimes people step out of their comfort zone on their own. Sometimes, they need an invitation, or a nudge, or a kick in the rear.


6. It’s easier to do something on your own, but it’s so much more rich and fulfilling to work with other people.


7. When you feel like you’re at a very low point, the most amazing and unexpected things can happen to lift you out of the muck.


8. Christ invites us to have the faith of a child, but what about their imagination, courage, spirit and compassion as well?


9. When someone makes a choice for you, you have three choices: a) run away, b) get angry at the person who did this to you and live with frustration and resentment, or c) change what you can, accept what you can’t, talk it out with friends, and find comfort in the fact that everything will be alright.


10. There is nothing better than a good meal, a good book, good conversation, a good song, good friends and family, and knowing there is a loving and faithful God always by your side.

May the Lord be with us as we continue to strive toward wholeness and holiness in the future. I’m thankful for my experiences, opportunities and friendships I’ve been blessed with this year, and look forward to many more to come.

Inspiration and Perspiration

I just thought I'd throw in a quick update on all the fun things happening in my life these days.

With Holy Week being this week, I'm kinda out of my head with everything that I need to get done before Wednesday and beyond roll around. I forced myself to take today completely off. It's so easy for me to go in just to get something done, but right now, I need to take the time when I can get it. I know I'll be running around like a crazy person soon, so I enjoyed my time to myself.

I joined several people and we started a dinner club. Our first dinner was on Friday, and it was so much fun. We have 5 "families" involved and a total of 7 people. I was quite impressed with the creativity first of all. I think we were there till nearly 11 o'clock that night just talking and laughing the night away. I cant wait till our next one in April.

I've been arranging quite a bit of music these days for various instruments and voices. A few of my arrangements will be used during our services this week, so I'm pretty pumped about that. I am really getting into using Sibelius which my choir gave me as a surprise Christmas gift. It is much more powerful than my other program, and a lot more rewarding. I can potentially whip out an arrangement for four or five instruments in about an hour now. I've also been playing more piano these days too. To me, it feels like I'm just tinkering around, but people seem to like it, so I'll keep going. Nothing wrong with a simple improv once in a while. Of course, now their staring to ask for me to try playing the organ. It's kind of scary that I am the parish organist all of a sudden. Last I knew, I was brought in as a guitarist. Oh well!

Lets see... other things. I've been getting into baking, candy making and card making these days. I've run into a number of old friends lately... fun! I really feel like I need a spiritual director or something similar to help me stay on the right path. Life is terribly busy, but very good right now. I cant wait till this week is over.

I'll leave you with a few quotes I borrowed from one of my favorite websites, Just Plain Folks.

"Getting there isn't half the fun - it's all the fun." -Robert Townsend

"Grab a chance and you won't be sorry for a might have been." -Arthur Ransome

"Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is give them a reason and an opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney

Worship in the Works - March 2008

Here's the latest newsletter article... enjoy.





Do you ever feel like there is something missing in your life? Like your life is unfulfilled? Empty? Directionless? Meaningless? Maybe you feel like there is something else you could have done if only you had the means or opportunities. Do you feel a burning desire inside you that you just can’t ignore? Has it been there for a long time? Do you ever feel like you aren’t helping others to be the best they can be? Are you using your talents the way God intended?
I can honestly say that I answered yes to a couple of these questions. If you answered yes to any of them, I’m sorry to say I don’t have the answers, but, maybe the stories of Jesus during this time of Lent do. If Jesus were asked these questions, I would guess that he would say a resounding “no” to them all. How do I know this? The famous last words of Christ include the following: “It is finished.” Some translations of the bible use “It is accomplished.” To me, these words come from a man who has seen his fair share of pain and sorrow, but also a man who really made something of himself. How could he have looked back over his life and said, “If only I had…” to anything? From the beginning of his ministry, he made all the choices of his heart. If we are to follow Jesus with our whole lives, then shouldn’t we also try to see our lives as a real accomplishment and success?
“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” “Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?” “Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?” I doubt any of us can say yes to any of these questions, but if we can see that we have made the most out of our lives and really invested our talents, then we can have no cause to “tremble” before the awesome power of God. It’s hard to see beyond our “comfort zones” and really be there in the suffering of others, much less Jesus who lived over 2000 years ago. If Jesus was able to go through all the torment and agony and still come out feeling successful, then I have no room to complain. My gift to Christ, who died for my salvation, is to die to myself and give to those he died for. This continues the cycle of love Jesus began when he forgave even those who put him on that very cross.

School Choir Update

So, get this...

Not too long ago I posted a blog about the whole Children's choir thing? Well, this last weekend, I may have found someone to help me organize and lead the kids. I am so pumped. She is one of the parishioners here and has a great background both with kids and in music. I think she would be a perfect addition to the ministry we have going here. Her husband even said that he would nudge her a little to get her involved. This could be the beginning of a very good thing.

Once Upon a Time

During my day off today, I decided to watch my movies that have been sitting in my apartment for the last few days. (I do Blockbuster Online) One of these movies really touched me for many reasons. Maybe its the musician in me or the songwriter or even the person struggling to find that great relationship.

The movie I'm referring to is Once, a low budget and gritty movie about, in my opinion, finding one great friend who "gets" you. There is a lot of great music performed by the songwriters themselves. The movie is about a guy (in the credits named "guy") who makes a living out by fixing vacuum cleaners and singing songs on the streets of Dublin. He meets a girl (named... you got it... "girl") who takes a keen interest in him and his music. The movie is so simple and real, that it speaks volumes about being true to who you are no matter what, following the dreams of your heart, and respecting everything about the people you encounter.

I think the reason I was moved so much by this movie is that I feel so much like the hero portrayed. He recently ended a relationship and is wandering around looking for meaning in everything. When he finds someone who takes an interest in him and helps nudge him toward being a more than he was, he gets the signals mixed up for a time, then realizes the gem he has in her. I wonder if that's what I've been looking for for so long... someone who can inspire me, someone who can be my muse and push me to greater things.

I know it sounds selfish to say that, but it's real. Who knows what form this person is going to come in, but I do know that our friendship will be the stuff from which poems are written and legends told. I know I've missed quite a few opportunities for this kind of relationship, and I am willing to admit that I may lack what it takes to make a relationship like this happen, but I feel, right now, a longing for it. I just hope I'm ready for it when it comes. :)

Worhip in the Works - February 2008

Sorry about the lateness in this post. March will be here soon... lol



Worship in the Works - February Edition



How do we talk to people of other faiths about our practice of Lent? Why is it that we give things up during Lent, or do special things? Why do we put ashes on our heads at Ash Wednesday? Lent is rarely one of our favorite times of the year. Images about sacrifice and dying to ourselves come up in readings and songs throughout the season. I would like to offer another way to approach this season. The following are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Elder Joseph, a shaker from Maine, wrote this “dance” song in 1848 as an expression of the shaker way of life, simple and joyful. Even though we have opportunities to simplify our lives, if left to our own devices, we probably wouldn’t. Lent is a reminder to us that God should be the first priority in our lives.


St. Francis of Assisi said, “First you Lord, then I.” Saints in all ages were known for placing their lives in the hands of Our Lord, simply. When I say simply, I don’t mean without regard for ourselves or our families, but with a single-hearted generosity and fervor that is characteristic of the people of God.


Lent is an opportunity to experience “metanoia” or holy conversion – turning as the song suggests. Even the words that accompany the application of ashes are “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” One way to interpret this is “I am a worm.” Another is that I am a person on a twisting road, and the utmost important thing is I am constantly seeking to make myself and my life holy. God takes great delight in our efforts, though we aren’t always successful.


I am going to join all in this season as simplifying their hearts, in seeing all our experiences as touched by the Divine. Everything from going to mass on Sundays or weekdays, talking with family and friends, having dinner, going to the mall shopping, or even watching TV or movies. Then maybe I wont be asham’d to bow and bend when life’s surprises are blown my way, because I know, like the palm tree, I am again going to stand straight.

I believe that children are our future...

Teach them well and let them lead the way....

Now, I'm not fully convinced that signs just appear in our life as a supernatural thing, but I do believe in reading the signs of the times. Lately, I have had my awareness swamped with words and images pertaining to leading, teaching and being mentors to children. Case in point:

1. I just got a professional magazine (Pastoral Music) in the mail last week. The subject of the majority of the articles was directing children's choirs. I just about read that magazine cover to cover. Loved all the suggestions and examples they gave.
2. The headlining story in the Faith and Values section of the newspaper on Friday was about when and how to introduce children to prayer and questions of faith. It was a very interesting read from several of the local faith leaders in the area here.
3. I had a nice long conversation with a classmate in my summer master's program this weekend. One of our topics, among many others, was about school choirs and cantors. This really stuck out to me for some reason.

I gleened several things from this succession of events in my life. Here at Good Shepherd, we are blessed with a vibrant school choir and good school liturgies. We have quite a few very talented cantors in the school and many more coming up through the grades.

I have recently been given the school choir as one of my tasks, and I've been trying to think of how to really make their experience a good one. Luckily, I have a great piano player who is so reliable and gifted. I am really finding it more crucial for me to learn how to utilize these gifts and talents as well as I can. I know my management skills aren't always the best as my creative and adventurous side likes to get in the way. I started praying for someone to come along who would be interested in helping to lead the choir with me. We'll see how that turns out.

These are great kids, and they deserve great opportunities.

Gifts abound

Sunday was the anniversary of the deaths of two great men. One, you probably know, is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He began playing piano at the age of three and composing music at the age of five. His talent will be remembered for a long long time, and his melodies, though sometimes defiled by remakes, are timeless and speak to our souls.

The second person is someone you probably dont know, St. John Chrysostom. He was the bishop of Constantinople in the 300's. He was known for his pointed and powerful preaching (Chrysostom translates as golden mouth). One of his famous quotes is "Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead."

Sometimes, in the shadows of greatness, it's hard to see our own gifts and talents in the proper light. This weekend, our youth group went down to the homeless shelter downtown and had a great time. Two weeks ago, they also put on a very nice musical written by two of our high school students, in our cafeteria. Last weekend, a small band of musicians and singers gathered to make some very impressive music for our Saturday mass. Beginning this month, I am helping to start a dinner club comprised of some friends of mine in the parish.

This parish has so many gifted people. I guess I'm writing this to thank everyone for all their work and effort in making Good Shepherd Parish a great place to be and worship each and every week.

Talents are so often overlooked, or squelched early on. I cringe everytime I hear a mother or father tell their child that they cant sing or they dont have rhythm. If you are in the Simon Cowell school of parenting as a talent show, maybe, but why not let them try. I know I would have never discovered my voice or musical talent (or any other for that matter) if I hadn't been encouraged and given the chance to fail or succeed. Where would the world be without the 3 year old Mozart being given the chance to sit at a piano when the rest of his class was out playing somewhere?

Source and Summit 2008

I am starting to get excited now about a new opportunity I volunteered for. Every year in this diocese, the youth come together for a weekend retreat. Up till this year, it was called Youth 2000. This year, they renamed it Source and Summit, meaning that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. It is based on a national movement aimed at bring focus back to the Eucharist, especially for young people.

Last year, when I moved here, the people who organize the retreat caught wind that I was a new music director and a guitarist, so they invited me to be on the team as a musician. I had a great time. The spirit and energy of the retreat was inspiring and moving. Several of Good Shepherd's kids were there and I got to know quite a few people from around the area.

This year, I was called to head up the music for a new component to the weekend. In an effort to integrate the kids families, there will be a parent's component to the weekend. So, while the youth retreat is in full swing, parents are invited to attend mini-retreats of their own (three in total, lasting about four hours each). Many of the same talks and activities will be used so the parents understand what their children are experiencing. We are also going to use much of the same music - high spirited, contemporary Christian worship music. The fun part will be teaching the parents all the hand motions and movements involved. Then, to wrap it all together, everyone is invited to attend the closing mass on Sunday together.

If you are interested in seeing a little more of what this weekend is about, click here and you will be taken to the site hosted by a local parish. Here are a couple pictures from last year's retreat as well, kids dancing and singing.

New Year

Today is the anniversary of the birth of J. R. R. Tolkien in 1892. He was known to have said, "All that is Gold does not glitter," and "All those who wonder are not lost." How many times do we see people, especially at this time of the year, who dont seem to have any direction. How hard it is, sometimes, to know that another year has arrived and we are still as unhealthy or unorganized as we were this time last year. Maybe that's not a bad thing. The beauty of life is not in the destination, but in the journey. It's in the eyes and hearts of our companions and the challenges and surprises of our experiences.

Our parish puts out a monthly newsletter. A couple months ago, I started a column in it called "Worship in the Works." Beginning this month, I think I'll start posting my article here too. So, without further adieu.



Christmas has come… and gone. The stores have put their decorations away for another year and chances are everything is on sale. Many families take down their decorations right after the New Year if not right after Christmas. The carols have all been sung and the presents have all been opened (and maybe even returned already). The mothers of the world are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

The season of Christmas, in the Church, though, continues until January 6 with the celebration of the feast of Epiphany, the coming of the Magi. [Correction: Christmas season ends with the celebration fo the baptism of Jesus. Thanks Tim!] I have always been fascinated by their story. They traveled a long time and a great distance to see the one who they believed was the savior of the world, the Messiah. Advent is meant to be the journey we take to find Christ in our lives. Christmas is the moment of revelation, when we see Christ and rejoice with the Angels.

What then? What do we do next? The Magi went home to continue their lives, albeit by a different route. Once you’ve had a profound experience, you are never the same. Hopefully, we have laid OUR gifts at the manger of our Lord, and we have been given even more priceless gifts, salvation and love. As we struggle to reorient our lives and succeed at our resolutions for the New Year, let’s keep in mind this Lord who is with us always. Personally, I am trying to make myself into a “Christmas” person, always living my whole life with wonder and expectation. May everyday be an adventure for us all, a chance to expand and enrich our lives with wonder. The people we meet can help us discover it; our parish community can help us discover it; our family can help us discover it; Jesus, the “wonder”-worker certainly can help us. Many times, all we have to do is ask and seek.

Consider joining us for our monthly adoration, daily mass, weekly evening prayer on Thursdays, or Eucharist 101, Fr. Attila’s class on the Eucharist. Maybe you feel moved to serve this parish as a proclaimer of the Word of God (Lector), or a giver of the body and blood of Christ (Eucharistic Minister), or as a musician or singer, giving praise to God with the music within you. Just call the office for information on any of these. If there’s anything I can offer or do to help find that wonder in your life, feel free to ask.

Peace to all!

Christmas reflections

Wow! What a rush. It's obviously been a while since I posted in here. With Christmas and New Years now past, I can take a deep sigh and brace myself for the next big season. Whew!

What a great time I had for Advent and Christmas this year. Working with our Adult Choir, School Choir, and all the cantors was a lot of work but so worth it. I was able to bring a number of new songs and experiences to the parish community here, and am quite happy with that. I was not able to do my Advent Lessons and Carols service, but I am already preparing it for next year. I think it could be a hit, if given a good shot. One of my fellow music ministers in the city wrote one and, from what I hear, it was absolutely phenomenal. I could only hope to do one half as nice. Props to Paul.

It's amazing how putting yourself fully into a church Christmas makes all the other aspects of Christmas seem so different. I started my Christmas shopping early this year, and felt very laid back and comfortable with the whole thing by the time Christmas arrived. I even had a couple extra gifts, that I dont know what to do with. HA!! Also, the woman who does our decorations, Jacki, did such a good job designing and implementing her ideas this year. I'll have to get some pictures and post them before they all come down. Being part of it all was such a privilage.

Christmas Eve was quite difficult for me this year. I think for the first time, other than being at Church, I was alone (other than my cat of course). After our late service, the Choir surprised me with a gift that just blew me away. I had no idea they even thought of it. Truely a gift in many ways. Thanks all!

Well, now we are getting ready for Lent and Easter which are coming up on us very quickly. Its funny talking about Lent when our Christmas decorations are still up. Here's to a great success and continued successes throughout the new year.