I started this message writing about how we'll always remember this Easter service because of how unique it was--sitting at home, Easter Dinner modified or cancelled, trumpets barely audible, no Easter clothes, etc. However, the more I wrote, the more grateful I became to all of the people that helped make Easter and much of the season of Lent.
The Lent and Easter services this year may have had fewer people making it possible. With the shelter-in-place, no choirs gathered, no trumpets blared, no Easter bonnets dotted the pews--but it still takes lots of individual efforts to produce a worship service. I am eternally grateful for these people. And while running the risk of omitting someone, I'd like to tell you about the efforts of our friends and family who are helping make this possible.
Stephanie, after hearing rumors of a shelter-in-place, started frantically emailing singers to come in that day(!). She then rewrote the service to blend our different services together (and added in rewriting, taping, and editing the Children's services). Julie and Cheryl redid all the projection slides, redid bulletins that had been completed weeks before, and searched the server for pictures to incorporate into worship services. Rob has to rewrite his sermons before taping, because things change so regularly and wants the message to stay as fresh as possible. Since I taped most of the worship services and edited all of the non-children's worship services, my wife pulled double-duty keeping the kids at bay while I worked late at night finishing things.
Besides the Musicians/Assisting Ministers you've seen on screen, Pat Lair, Mollee Erickson, Karly Jacobson, Tim Krieg, Andy Hayden, Jesse Myers, Greg Anderson, and Lori Murray; Jon Sasseville and Nancee Erickson reconfigured the soundboard and ran it for the worship services and cameras when I was filmed. Howard Johnson, our original cameraman and Diane LaFontaine ran the projection for many services. All of those people came in at least twice for filming different services. Then there are the many lectors who came in quickly to tape their part in the service--Laurie Blanchard, Becky Olson, Greg Hornicke, Mark Bergherr, Al Buss, Lori Murray, Bette Gamboni, Michelle Sundet, Mark Roberts, and Jodi Murphy. And Bette Gamboni made sure that all the paraments for Holy Week and Easter were accessible because we were filming so many different parts.
I am also grateful for each of you. Thank you for your patience as we try new things and make mistakes. I know many of you are praying for me and I continue to pray for you all. When we come back at join together singing and praising God, that will be a great day. One I look forward to with eagerness.
We will continue to experiment with worship. We have recordings of worship (except the sermon, children's message, and a few things) through April. Starting May 3, though, we will need to do something else. Some of the people I mentioned you will see online again, but we are hoping to provide some variety with personnel, depending on how things change with Governor Walz's directives. Then I will have more people to be grateful for.
With Sure and Certain Hope of the Resurrection,
Sean Johnson, Choir Director
*Update: first version omitted some key people in our first worship services.
The Lent and Easter services this year may have had fewer people making it possible. With the shelter-in-place, no choirs gathered, no trumpets blared, no Easter bonnets dotted the pews--but it still takes lots of individual efforts to produce a worship service. I am eternally grateful for these people. And while running the risk of omitting someone, I'd like to tell you about the efforts of our friends and family who are helping make this possible.
Stephanie, after hearing rumors of a shelter-in-place, started frantically emailing singers to come in that day(!). She then rewrote the service to blend our different services together (and added in rewriting, taping, and editing the Children's services). Julie and Cheryl redid all the projection slides, redid bulletins that had been completed weeks before, and searched the server for pictures to incorporate into worship services. Rob has to rewrite his sermons before taping, because things change so regularly and wants the message to stay as fresh as possible. Since I taped most of the worship services and edited all of the non-children's worship services, my wife pulled double-duty keeping the kids at bay while I worked late at night finishing things.
Besides the Musicians/Assisting Ministers you've seen on screen, Pat Lair, Mollee Erickson, Karly Jacobson, Tim Krieg, Andy Hayden, Jesse Myers, Greg Anderson, and Lori Murray; Jon Sasseville and Nancee Erickson reconfigured the soundboard and ran it for the worship services and cameras when I was filmed. Howard Johnson, our original cameraman and Diane LaFontaine ran the projection for many services. All of those people came in at least twice for filming different services. Then there are the many lectors who came in quickly to tape their part in the service--Laurie Blanchard, Becky Olson, Greg Hornicke, Mark Bergherr, Al Buss, Lori Murray, Bette Gamboni, Michelle Sundet, Mark Roberts, and Jodi Murphy. And Bette Gamboni made sure that all the paraments for Holy Week and Easter were accessible because we were filming so many different parts.
I am also grateful for each of you. Thank you for your patience as we try new things and make mistakes. I know many of you are praying for me and I continue to pray for you all. When we come back at join together singing and praising God, that will be a great day. One I look forward to with eagerness.
We will continue to experiment with worship. We have recordings of worship (except the sermon, children's message, and a few things) through April. Starting May 3, though, we will need to do something else. Some of the people I mentioned you will see online again, but we are hoping to provide some variety with personnel, depending on how things change with Governor Walz's directives. Then I will have more people to be grateful for.
With Sure and Certain Hope of the Resurrection,
Sean Johnson, Choir Director
*Update: first version omitted some key people in our first worship services.