Singing piano…

Last Sunday, our church held its annual Palm Sunday Cantata.  Our church is so blessed to have a array of musical talent led by the Griepentrog family.  Maureen (“Mo”) has been the music director at St. Paul’s for several years and has created dozens of worship songs and two completely separate Palm Sunday Cantata from her Treble C Music Company, and husband Tedd has led the choir in concerts, despite both them and two of their three children battling health problems that would normally render ordinary people helpless.  Aiding the Griepentrog family has been Susan Liebrecht and the Michaels family.  Gretchen Michaels and Susan Liebrecht have collaborated with Mo on several songs, while Bob Michaels may be one of the most gifted singers around.  That shows when Bob plays Jesus during the Palm Sunday Cantatas. 

A variety of musicians have helped during these Palm Sunday Cantatas.  Dick Romenthal has played the role of Pontius Pilate so well for many years, and our Associate Minister, Pastor John Warther, is gifted in singing ability.  Our Senior Pastor, Pastor George Black, loves to dress up as either Caiaphas or King Herod.  And a variety of singers, actors, and musicians have helped to contribute to the success of the Cantata.

I have participated in the Cantata largely as one of the disciples of Jesus.  But this year I was asked to step up and take a singing role opposite Mr. Michaels in one of the tunes.  Although I enjoy these opportunities to sing on my own, I’m relatively quiet about doing these events.  I don’t really make a big deal that I’m singing.  It’s for a number of reasons.  One, I prefer to sing instead of talk about singing.  Two, I like to surprise people.  Three, I never want to get too big headed about musical talents.  Once I thought I was very good musically, and when I got knocked off that high horse, it took a long time for me to recover.  And four, let’s be honest, my singing talents come from God, not from my own ability.

Apparently, my singing was good on Sunday.  People came up to me to thank me and my wife was upset that she was sick and did not attend.  But, I’m just glad the Good Lord is allowing me to be still doing something musically after all these years after giving up playing the piano, the recorder, and the clarinet.