[Our church is delighted to announce that Dr. Bradley Naylor will be our Director of Music during Dr. Peter Jarjisian’s sabbatical year which begins this summer. Bradley has served since 2017 as Director of Choral Activities at Ohio University, a position previously held by Peter. There, Bradley teaches courses on choral music and conducts the OHIO University Singers and The Singing Men of Ohio. A native of Houston, Texas, he lives in The Plains with his wife, Elizabeth and their children Abby and Luke, who attend Morrison Gordon Elementary School. Bradley is excited to join Pastor Robert, Jeff Daubenmire, and the music ministry team at Athens First in building and supporting the church’s mission through music. Welcome to Athens First, Bradley! Speaking of music, for Sunday’s online Music Sunday worship service which includes a recognition of our graduates, click here.]
O God, even though our church buildings continue to be closed, our singing continues. On this Music Sunday, we are singing many different songs; songs of praise, songs of lament, songs for justice, songs of hope. From Italian balconies to recorded online worship service music, people all around the world are finding music to be a way that you are uniting us and reminding us that we’re all in this together.
O God, we may be finding it difficult to know what day of the week it is, but this day is different. This day reminds us to sing our faith. Thank you for the music ministry of our church, and as the Apostle Paul tells us in our scripture reading this morning, for psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
As these weeks get longer and as patience begins to wear thin, give us songs to sing, O God. When we feel overwhelmed by the daily death toll of this virus, give us songs to sing, O God. When we become anxious with what the new normal might look like, give us songs to sing, O God. When we become frustrated with people’s responses to the crisis, give us songs to sing, O God. And as our high school and college graduates contemplate their future plans during this time of uncertainty, give them songs to sing, O God.
And give us songs to sing as we meet a new neighbor during a walk, as we spend more time planting flowers, as we call on friends and family to see how they are doing, and as we discover new ways of being the church away from the building. O God, thank you for giving us songs to sing in this new way of living out our faith.
O God, this is why we can sing that it is well with our soul. It is well with our soul because you have given us psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We offer our songs to you in the name of the Lord Jesus who taught us to pray saying…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
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