Change Brings Change

Last Sunday night was the end of a wonderful, weekly event for me. Our Sunday evening service always ends with a time of prayer. The congregation is invited to come to the altars, walk the aisles, or pray in whatever manner is comfortable for them. During this prayer time we play music that is appropriate for this quiet time. In fact, the inspiration for the CD that I recorded in 2005, Gentle Worship, Quiet Praise, came from these 30-45 minute sessions in which we played from one song to the next without much of a break. While we have had different musicians join us from time to time, basically Jonathan Gathman and myself have been the primary musicians. Over the years that I have been on the staff of WCAG, this evening service has diminished in attendance and beginning March 1st, our Sunday evening and Wednesday evening schedules are changing. One of the changes is the elimination of the Sunday evening service.

Jonathan is one of the greatest musicians I have ever had the pleasure of performing with. He moves effortlessly between the cello and recorder. His mastery of the cello is phenomenal. There have been times during our playing that I was so distracted from my own contribution because I was so taken with what I was hearing Jonathan play. There were other times when we both wished the session had been recorded because we knew that something special had taken place. For us, this became a worship time, our playing to God, that benefited us far more than anyone else who might be praying, and listening. I know people enjoyed our playing. They told us every week. When you play with someone week after week, you begin to "feel" how the other player will interpret the song you are playing. In our case, we would exchange the lead or melody without having to signal each other or say "you take the lead". In most cases I would change songs and Jonathan would follow, changing keys with me so easily that most people would think that we had written down all the songs, keys and arrangements. I think that when musicians truly worship God in their playing, you almost play beyond your ability. I think there were many times that Jonathan and both felt like that is exactly what was happening.

Last Sunday night we played as usual. As people began to leave, we finished up the last song. My emotions got the best of me as we played the last phrase and brought the song to a conclusion. When I stood up from the piano and turned around to thank Jonathan, it was obvious the same thing had happened to him. We embraced, and almost simultaneously we each said "I'm really going to miss this", and that was that. I'm really going to miss those times...