Everything is turning Green

With the small amount of rain we had last week, the landscape is noticeably changing. Grass is sprouting up all over the place. Typically browned hillside are speckled with tinges of green. Seeds are now sprouting and garden areas are looking full. Clumps of grass are popping up where one does not expect to see them. One would expect it in the springtime, but the strength of sun is strong enough to feed them light, but not overbearing to extract all the moisture.

This weekend was a new time in the church. We introduced new songs. Most of the reception was very positive, though there are some who are not used to the new music. It is an abrupt change from what went before. Most of the music was a capella because it will take some guitarists some time to learn new chords. Since Advent is a time of scaled down liturgies, the Advent hymns are meant to emphasize waiting and longing.

The choirs weren't able to effectively engage people with singing because they did not print the music for anyone to sing along because they prepared the music sheets a month ago. They learned a couple of the songs wrongly and it is difficult for them to unlearn what they know.

It is a start. The positive response has been overwhelming and people are excited because they feel joyful. When there is a fair response, it is because there is no instrumentation and they feel a little more remote, like they are an audience. When there is a negative response, it is because the lack of instrumentation makes the mass feel too solemn and not peppy.

We'll see what next week brings. The choirs are doing their best.