Called to Serve
FEBRUARY | 2019
300 GOVERNMENT STREET | MOBILE, ALABAMA 36602 | 251.432.1749 | GSPCMOBILE.ORG
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise! At the beginning of each choral season, it is my tradition to choose a pertinent reference from Holy Scripture to use as an inspiration and guide for the length of the season. The text shown in the header above is taken from Psalm 100, a familiar passage that most of us memorized in childhood, in the beautifully languid vernacular of the King James Version. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!” The verse begins, and the lyricism of the text takes a natural rhythm which, for me, enables memorization, and allows for a confident recitation of the chapter. “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing!” If there is one thing that GSPC does well, it is singing! I hear so often the overtures of gratitude for programming familiar hymns – and the results show how appreciated they are. When we approach worship with gladness, it is evident in how we worship. It’s contagious, even! The chapter goes on to say, “. . .be grateful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures forever.”
The author Maya Angelou wrote a book titled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In essence, the title itself is a message. You see, the bird has made a sanctuary of its space. No matter the circumstance, it continues to happily sing. When we enter into God’s house, I wonder if we make a conscious effort to put off worries, fears, adversities, and thoughts of the unknown. Those things form a cage in our minds where we sometimes get stuck. If we trust that the Lord is indeed good, and that his mercy and truth does last forever, then we can assert a thankful approach and offer our praise in his service. We are entering a new chapter of GSPC history. Since 1831, this church has held fast to its heritage and forged ahead while surviving many adversities. If we take what concerns us and apply the filters of goodness, mercy, and truth, we will indeed find much to be thankful for. And that alone is worthy of praise. This past Sunday, we said “goodbye for now” to our friend and our pastor who has brought to this body of Christ many reasons to be thankful. Pastor Paul and I worked closely to plan our worship services, leaving no stone unturned, and keeping our focus on the source of our worship. While Paul has moved on, please be assured that I stand committed to the charge and that our worship will continue to the glory of God. Our new Interim Pastor has also expressed his love of music to me, and I believe together we will continue to honor our heritage while embracing our future. Let us continue to “be grateful unto him”.
I know why the caged bird sings!