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There is always a special buzz around the church when we enter Cantata Week! This has quickly become one of my favorite traditions here at Grace.
Preparations for each year’s cantata started way back in August when Libby and I began looking ahead at the calendar to pick out a date. Once that was set, she began reading and listening to various options. Libby has joked that September is a strange time for her, as she immerses herself in Christmas music long before all the pumpkin spice everything begins hitting the shelves!
Come October, the choir members got their books and CDs to start their preparations. Meanwhile, Libby worked on securing all the instrumentalists we need for our orchestra. She always does a magnificent job finding talented musicians, plus a pastor/percussionist whose fee is always very reasonable (heehee). But, in all seriousness, it is fun to be able to, quite literally, dust off my drums and play a small role on this special Sunday.
This all finally brings us to Cantata Week! On Monday, Harold Stophel and several other volunteers beat me into church in the morning, as they added the stage front to the altar area and risers for the choir. And they will all be back next Monday morning to help reset the sanctuary so that we can continue our observance of Advent.
Also going on during this time are the many Altar Guild preparations and decorations. Throughout Advent, Beth Reavis and her team work to build momentum in this season as we prepare for the Christmas celebration. This week we had great volunteers on Tuesday morning getting the Chrismon tree set up along with the other greenery around the sanctuary. But do continue to watch throughout the season as there is something new added each week!
With one final practice on Wednesday evening, the choir is almost ready. On Saturday morning, all the musicians and singers will gather for a full dress rehearsal. Then, we wait for Sunday morning to arrive.
Each year the Grace Christmas Cantata is a seasonal event that our congregation loves, but it is also something that we share with our wider community. Friends and family, local and beyond, make it a point to be at Grace on Cantata Sunday. So, just a word to the wise; since this will likely be the first time since the pandemic that we will have such a large crowd, make plans to arrive a little early and be patient as our parking lots will likely be near capacity.
Finally, since this is such a special event, we wanted to make sure that our online worshippers had a way of participating as well. So, this Sunday, the online service will see a regular worship service. But on December 11th, we will share the Grace Cantata online as the worship service that day.
Blessings as we continue through Advent!
~Pastor Steve
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