A Little Better with Music

The face of music has dramatically changed at St. John’s Church. Just a few years ago, long-time music director, Pam Phillips, retired. David Wagner, who faithfully filled Pam's spot, moved away from Jackson this year to pursue his dream job. This past summer’s tent and online worship services were led by our interim musician, Andrew Todd Palmer. St. John’s music assistant, Kirsten Farney, recently resigned to focus on family and other goals. And finally, here I am. I have observed that the warmth and welcoming of this congregation permeates all that is done at St. John’s church. I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve this congregation and work with its caring team.

Due to COVID-19, our worship services have been modified from being physically distanced and masked outside under a tent to online streamed church services without an in-person congregation. As music director, one of my main responsibilities is to promote singing, so it is frustrating trying to do my job in a pandemic when singing is restricted. Being hired to be a choir director when the choir is not allowed to sing, and working to select hymns that the congregation wants to sing but shouldn’t, has been challenging.

One highlight of my short ministry at St. John’s church was restarting the handbell choir. Even though we can’t sing together, we can ring together! Unfortunately, when we got this group going, the COVID-19 cases in town went up and we had to postpone rehearsals until a time when it would be safe to ring together. Once we return to in-person worship, we will start up the handbell choir again.

With the availability of vaccines, there is hope that the COVID-19 quarantine will end soon and life, including church life, will get back to some sense of normalcy. Looking forward to the future, I hope to build on all of the musical accomplishments of my predecessors in helping our congregation to pray together through song. I find it a privilege and a challenge to select music that puts words into people’s mouths to worship God. There was a sign in the kitchen of a church where I previously worked that stated,

“Please leave this place a little better than when you found it.”

My hope is that in the future, when it is my time to leave, you can say that I left this church musically a little better than when I found it.

The only regret that I have being at St. John’s church during this time of COVID-19 is that I have not had the opportunity to meet the congregation and the wonderful choir in person. I look forward to when this will change.

God bless,

Ron