I need to do a quick “no thank you” blog this morning since I have to be at work in an hour. A “no thank you” blog is like a “no thank you helping” when someone offers you something you don’t want or don’t have time to eat.

Yesterday went well at work. I had nine singers and they did a fine job. After service a church leader made an odd suggestion that maybe our new pipe organ would be best served if the pipes pointed into the room and the choir and the player were behind them in the choir area. I tried to explain that some pipe organs do indeed have pipes behind the player that speak into the room but that they were more elaborate than the instrument we were purchasing. Also that I didn’t think it was a great idea to not have the sound behind the choir.

The parishioner was of course entirely well meaning and one likes to keep the communication lines open. It never fails that after an exhausting morning someone will approach me and I will have to draw on my draining reserves to be as non anxious as possible. This is not an accident according to St. Friedman. I hope I did okay. I know I did the best I could at staying non anxious and at the same time communicating.

I know I have lost my mind since last night I found myself looking up all the hymns we did yesterday in the Hymnal 1982 Companion. It occurred to me to do this since all the hymns were drawn from it yesterday.

I thought it was pretty interesting that the entry on “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was written by Harry Eskew and Marion Hatchett. I have met both men. Eskew has written an important history of hymnody which I own (and he signed for me.). Cool.