“The one who sings prays twice.”

— St. Augustine

Dear Friends,

Although the words above are attributed to St. Augustine, it is not entirely clear that he wrote them. But whoever the author was, I agree!  Singing has always been an essential part of worship at St. John’s, and we look to our choir and Music Director to lead us in that endeavor.

The whole “choir” in church, however, includes all of us. With our choir on their summer sabbatical and Douglas having one more week of vacation,  we will discover that truth this Sunday. I will be leading us in hymn singing – some of it acapella and some accompanied on the piano, and my sermon will focus on how the singing of hymns is a means of both offering our praise to God and hearing God’s word for us.

There may even be a chance to answer some of your questions about the music we sing and why we sing it. You’ll have a chance to jot down a question as you arrive on Sunday; or you can reply to this email if there is a question you have always wanted answered about music in our worship. I can’t promise to answer them all, but I can promise to immerse us in the rich heritage of hymnody that is so central to our worship. I hope to see you on Sunday

Faithfully,

Tom