I was really glad when it ended up that we were back in town by Saturday afternoon as it meant I could go to church on Sunday as I had missed it. While we were away, the first Sunday away was busy with preparations for the funeral service the next day, and the second Sunday was the second day of our long drive back.

I really enjoyed the service - got me all fired up to go out onto the week ahead. I do have a few observations which I will share below.

There was no singsong - I guess I should have made arrangements for that aspect of things just like I did for the PowerPoint; I just did not think about it. Hopefully people will still be receptive to the singsong when I start again.

I also noticed that they did not use the mixing console I am renting for the church. It kind of showed for the prayers of the people as the sound was not loud enough. There again, I just assumed that someone would be familiar enough with it to make use of it.

It was our choir director's last Sunday at our church. It had appeared to me that, ever since she had given her notice, she had been more easygoing as well as more willing to try and do new things. I guess I thought she was taking herself too seriously before. In any case, she will be missed.

If there was something that sort of annoyed me during the service (besides the kid noise - did we really have to let her drag/push a chair around?) was the medley of songs. Not that there was anything wrong with the songs themselves. It was just the manner/order in which they were sung. I am sure that my position on signing new hymns during the service is known; but just in case you are stumbling upon this blog for the first time: I do not think we should introduce new hymns by having the congregation sing them during the service. The meaning of that hymn was completely lost on me as I spent the first verse looking up the hymn in Voices United; the second verse trying to learn the melody and the third verse firming up my grasp of the melody. And then the hymn is over. Also, I think there should have been some kind of bridge played in between the hymns to smoothly move from one hymn to the next. Lastly (I am sure that by now you're were wondering if I ever was going to stop) I personally think that the order of the hymns for the second medley was wrong - musically that is. "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" should have been first, then "I the Lord of Sea and Sky" and finally "We Are Marching". The reason for that is that musically you want the rhythm, tempo, intensity to keep building and to me it felt like we put the brakes on after singing "We Are Marching".

One persons' opinion...

God Bless You!