December 20, 2023

Dear Derek and Laura, Choir, Orchestra and Tech Crew,

The Christmas Night of Worship this past Sunday night was such a wonderful gift to our congregation and to all of our guests. Thank-you for the selections, the variety, the heart and the art, the joy, the settings, and of course, all of the preparation. It has to be like preparing a Christmas meal. You pick the menu, then you purchase the ingredients, then you spend hours upon hours in preparation, and then in a matter of minutes, the entire thing is consumed and now, the entire kitchen needs to be cleaned up. Behind the 90 or so minutes of a worshipful banquet, were hours of thought, conversations, rehearsals, and attention to details that enabled us to gather together and be reminded of the glory of Christmas, the accomplishment of our salvation the promise of Christ’s return.

Our guests heard the gospel message and saw the effect of the gospel through you. We were blessed by the clear gospel focus, the quality of your work and the way you involved children, students, instrumental and vocal variety. It was such a wonderful event.

We also know that hosting the Getty’s just a little over a week before, was a major undertaking that demanded a lot of flexibility and extra work. We know that events like these do not “just happen” but that it takes a lot of patient, humble and diligent partners to make these things happen. But you (and a few others) helped that night be a delight to so many as well.

Sunday after Sunday, we gather, and you lead us well in song and feed our souls with the Word served in musical settings. It is easy to just take it for granted that our music is theologically rich and musically appealing to a congregation with so many different backgrounds and tastes. We know that our gathering on Sunday mornings is really the heart of our life together as believers and you help that heart beat so well. So, our biggest thanks is for all that you do to provide opportunities for us to be encouraged, fed, and to worship. We are blessed by you.

And oh yea, we can’t wait to do the Hallelujah Chorus with you this Sunday!

On behalf of a grateful congregation,

Bob

Sunday’s Text: Luke 2:8-21