Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Sun Oct 22, 2017 9:48 pm
This morning I was going to call this thread Surprise Sunday! but decided that was inviting trouble! Not all surprises are good.
It did turn into a surprise day for me.
The first part went according to plan. The drive up was stunning. We are about at peak fall colours and there was sunlight and it is a pretty drive anyway once you get out of the city with wide vistas, the river, a lake and lots of rolling farmland.
I was a bit heavy-footed so arrived at the church waaayyyyy early. I said hi to a few folks, brought in my squares, offered to help set up but they didn't need help so I explored the church for a while. There are parts I'd never been to and now I have a good map of the basement in my head. It was the 131st anniversary and the building has been there since 1887, but has been added on to many times over the years so that's why a map of the basement is needed! There are 4 different sets of stairs from the basement to the upper levels, for example and today I learned that the Lounge (where many small groups meet) isn't the same as the Family Room (a living room at the back of the sanctuary glassed off but with speakers so parents can take noisy children there and still be part of the service.)
I sat with an elderly man who is becoming a missionary (he's made 2 trips so far and is looking forward to going back to Africa or India as soon as possible.) He's one of my favourites. His wife was a favourite of MF and she died suddenly. They were members of the other church but after she died he started attending both. Now that the churches have parted ways, he comes to the 'big church' because he wanted to stay with MF as his minister.
The service was lovely. The choir sang two anthems and the bass was lovely. Dh would have liked that very much. Turns out MF, who normally sings tenor, was singing bass this morning and was chuffed when I asked him who had the lovely bass voice in the choir. That explains why I haven't heard it when I'm preaching there!
The guest preacher was quite good. I would have loved to have talked with him after but I sat with congregation members during the potluck. Which was excellent and abundant!
So, all that was as expected, no surprises.
As the people dwindled away and MF wasn't ministering to people any more, I went and asked him what was up for the afternoon. Was he up for a coffee, or should I change into my hiking clothes and head off on my own for a hike?
He then (and only then!) asked if I'd come to a mass church choir concert. He didn't ask me to come to listen to him and the other members of his church. He was asking me to come sing. I agreed (after 3 minutes of waffling) and within 15 minutes I heard about the idea, was tossed a choir robe and binder, then found myself following MF's car to the other church, then loading the binder with music and getting instructions from the people at the host church. I was literally out of breath and the nice man offered me the elevator because he thought I couldn't do stairs!
I did have a good time, although they put me in the front row. And I missed most of the practice of the anthem I didn't know (I knew the other one already) but it was a variation of Here I am Lord, and I can read the music instruction so knew when the Sops were to sing. I had to be placed between an alto and a soprano since I knew I'd sing sop for all but the one anthem I do know and didn't want to throw off the altos.
It was an Old Tyme Hymn Sing and there were choir members from 6 United churches in the area, over 50 in the choir.
It was 90 minutes of music: 12 hymns, 2 anthems, plus 6 other solos/duets plus medleys for the prelude and postlude.
Anyway, it went well. Because MF was there (Mr. Doctorate in Church Music Performance), the music director pressed him into service on the piano and he ended up playing the prelude, offertory and postlude while she played the organ. Improvising it all. So that was a bonus, I had heard him sing in the morning and then got to hear him on piano (a rare treat.) The only thing that would have made it better was if he played the organ too but he wasn't expected to show up so that didn't happen.
He was anxious to leave after, so no tea and sweets and visiting with others for me. We went over to the new restaurant on Main street but it was too fancy, it was just 4:10 and we were still full from the potluck so he suggested coffee. I asked if we could go to one in his town (I was anxious to do at least part of the drive in sunlight since the leaves were so beautiful.) Since that would have us there for 5 p.m. we settled on a schnitzel restaurant there and split a dinner between us. We've never eaten in that town with just the two of us and about 5 people came in who knew him so I'm not sure we'll do that again. I asked him if it would be a problem and he brushed it off but I could tell he wasn't as relaxed as he is when we meet up in the suburbs. At lunch someone was telling me that for the first few years he was at their church they were convinced I was his girlfriend. So this could be a problem. Small towns, big rumour mills.
I left for home just after 7 and had an uneventful drive. I'm glad most of the driving today was in sunlight because it is peak colour right now and there were many breathtaking views in both directions (we took a back country route instead of the highway on the way to dinner.) It sure is God's country. On the drive into the city after, as I got to suburbs I could sense the energy change and the pace quicken. I don't want to live in the country but I think I might have to start making more intentional visits to it since it does my soul good.
Anyway, I'm home now, having decaf tea. I'm already out of my clothes and in my robe and I suspect a very early bed tonight. My ears are still ringing from all the music today. But it was a very excellent and surprising day. Extra singing, and dinner with MF, neither of which were on my agenda for the day.