“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live”.
Psalm 104:33
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
As we read in 2 Chronicles 5:12-14, it is the duty as choristers to make themselves heard in unison in praising and offering the God given talents for God’s glory alone. Being a choir member is a sacred responsibility and not to be taken lightly.
Choir in IFC has been a blessing to the choristers as well as the church for many years. For most of us, it is a part of their stewardship, giving of their time and talents, enjoying the fellowship of christian brothers and sisters. Not all choir members are trained musicians, able to read music and experienced in singing with a group. However, even with ‘amateurs” and “volunteers” choir members have grown in their knowledge of music and create a sound that matches the beauty of our services and their surrounding – the music, the chanting and the vestments all strive to be as perfect and beautiful as possible as we offer up worship to God.
Choir members offer significant amounts of their time and talents to the church, and thus serve as examples to others. The choir member’s role does not end on Sunday when the Divine Liturgy ends…rather, there are opportunities to
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- be a source of encouragement to those in distress and in need.
- be supportive of those in the process of joining the choir – make them feel welcome and comfortable.
- motivate and encourage the youth to offer their talents for God’s glory.
- Through all these years, the church has been blessed with many members who have offered their time in volunteering to be part of the IFC choir and to lead all the worship services and other church sponsored events.