We’ll Sing his Faithfulness

I haven’t written much here on the blog for a while. My feeling is that with all the content out there, unless it’s something I sincerely want to share, I’ll not add to the noise.  God knows who needs to read what at a given time, and He always directs those here who do.

I was almost asleep when Tom brought me my phone last night. It was  our son Will calling from Wheaton College. “I want to know what hymn you’d like  to be sung at the recital. I’m doing this for you. I have three in mind.” His senior recital is next Tuesday night, something he’s been preparing for since September. Needless to say, I was touched that he would include a hymn. He knows how much I love to hear them on organ with congregational singing. So I requested, Great is Thy Faithfulness. He said that had been one of his three picks.

When Will began college, it seemed like an insurmountable mountain for us to help him.  Four years later, I can say that God has been faithful, down to small details!  Will  is taking the next year off to work before graduate school, and he has a wonderful position at a church in Arlington Heights.

The LORD said, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” (Lamentations 3: 22-24)

The things that happen to us in life may not be good in themselves. Far from it. But truly, all things work TOGETHER for good, to those who love God. I have seen this. Our vision gets clouded by circumstances or the immediate pain or dismay of things, but God “plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm,” as the hymn puts it. It’s trusting and not losing hope in the middle of the waves that is our challenge.

I had to smile at the quote from the great organist and composer, Charles Marie Widor, as told to Albert Schweizer who interviewed him.

“Organ playing is the manifestation of a will filled with the vision of eternity.”

It’s also the manifestation of a Will (Schlueter)!  😉

 

 

Here’s a beautiful version of the hymn! Maybe you could use it today.

Please Don’t Pass Me By

Before Will left for college  for the first time, a year ago this last August, he played a few simple gospel songs and hymns at my request. I love big organ music, but my favorite is still the old hymns. He gave the pipe organ a warm sound by pressing a few buttons and played a stanza of one of my favorites, “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.” I felt like posting that today. (Sorry the video is so big. It’s off my phone.)

“…Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.”

Full text is here.

A Little Music for Your Monday

William has been filling in as a church organist since January, and is gaining good experience in playing hymns, Psalms and liturgy. He hopes some day to be a church music director/organist/choir master. We are glad for his opportunity to serve the Lord in facilitating worship with his developing skill. After the service was over, he played a postlude that is so fast it looks like the video is playing at a higher than normal speed. He assured me that it should be played that quickly and after checking out other versions on YouTube, he’s right!

P.S. to a Post

This post is a P.S. from Will’s concert several weeks ago. While I failed to record anything very well due to being distracted that night, I realized I did have a recording of the Manz Aria, after all (pew thumps notwithstanding–my apologies.) This reflective, hauntingly beautiful piece for organ and trumpet will always have a special place in my heart. It was on a tape 18 years ago that Tom gave to me long before I ever knew we would be married some day. I wore the tape out. He had played the Aria at an Easter concert way back before I knew him, and had it recorded on an ancient device called a “cassette.”

Now I have the same piece recorded in the very same church, this time, with Tom and our son, William on organ. The music is sad and sweet, but ends oh so softly on a major chord that to me represents resolution and hope after sadness. Paul Manz is the composer.

Manz Aria – Will and Tom

Thou, Whose Almighty Word

The final hymn today was Thou, Whose Almighty Word. The text of this great hymn is here.

Here’s the last stanza:

Holy and blessèd Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
boundless as ocean’s tide,
rolling in fullest pride,
through the world far and wide,
let there be light!

Happy 15th Birthday, William – June 3

William is turning 15. He is an honor student with a 98 average who has enjoyed his freshman year of high school. He studies piano, pipe organ and percussion. This year he played with the Youth Wind Orchestra of Wisconsin, played for the performathon at the Conservatory of Music, and won a scholarship for his piano work this spring.

Will has an internal drive that is very interesting to watch. He sets goals for himself and reaches them by working hard. His goal for the summer is to improve at something. He is interested in basketball and fitness, so maybe that is what he’ll be working on. You never know.

Will’s passion is the pipe organ right now. I hear him downstairs practicing on his Allen, and it makes me smile. William’s teacher saw him at his first lesson and remembered when he used to carry his Dad’s trumpet case for him when he would go with Tom to concerts and weddings where she played the organ. Now he’s a young man, and is learning the organ himself under her excellent teaching.

Happy Birthday, William. You have brought non-stop joy to our family through being the loving and hard-working son that you are. Godspeed!

Aunt Kris from Oklahoma stopped by for a surprise birthday visit.