152: Lift up your heart and sing

Today was spent visiting with old friends from my choir at St Paul's Methodist Church. For some twenty years, I was part of this group, either as an active every-week singing chorister or in an adjunct capacity, due to my heavy travel schedule.

The times that I have made music with this choir are among the most vivid memories of my life. There is something about music that touches my soul and spirit in the truest, deepest way.  Words fail me now; I sit here thinking, "surely I can come up with something better than that to explain it." If you are a musician, you know. I have certainly had my most profound experiences of God's presence while singing, and many of those experiences were with my friends both here in Houston and on the trips we took together to sing at conferences and in the great and small churches of Europe.

So, I was delighted to be able to spend some time with my roommate from several of those trips, Sharon. We visited the Menil Collection, a museum here, and enjoyed a great exhibit of Picasso's line drawings. Then Roger joined us for an up-town hot dog!

Kathy and Sharon at Good Dog eatery

Later in the day, we got together with some of the choir alums for a little chips and salsa.  Linda was another of my tour roommates, but more than that, she has been my high-school teacher, mentor, role model and friend for over 40 years. (OMG - has it been that long!?) Linda was one of the not-married women who worked in my high school (Laura McCleary was the other) who demonstrated to me that a woman could have a career and be successful without being married. I suspect they never realized the impact that their example had on me and doubtless other young women in the school, but they were certainly influential to me, and remain dear to me to this day.

And Frances - "Queen of Choirs" - came to visit also.  She directed our choir at St. Paul's for years and taught me to sing. She and Bob helped us create such beautiful music.  I will be forever in her debt for this gift.

Johanna, Linda, Kathy, Frances, Paul

Later in the evening, I attended the choir rehearsal and was once again lifted up by the power of music. Several of the pieces that the choir is working on, I had sung before, so I was able to sing along and oh, my, it was good for my soul! I will enjoy hearing them at the service on Sunday morning, and I'll include a photo then.