It was exciting to have people in the seats this last Sunday! I can’t tell you how good it is to actually “songlead” hymns instead of soloing them to a mostly empty room! What a difference! And, I hope to be making some careful music changes to our service as we ease out of COVID mode in the next few months.  I was happy to be able to give you the Weddle Twins via video this last Sunday, May 9, but I want to work toward live performances — in a safe way. 

We will start that process this coming Sunday with member Dan Gore, who will play two pieces on mandolin. On May 23 we are so lucky to have our speaker, member Jacob Johns and his daughter singing a Native American chant together. Don’t miss that service — Jacob Johns is a terrific community organizer for Native rights, among other things, and he is always fascinating to hear speak.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to say a few words about Josef Sloma, the young man we lost as a result of a horrible accident in late April. I was one of many people in this congregation who was shocked and saddened by his death. Josef was a truly exceptional  person who increased a sense of excitement and adventure for life wherever he went. I was lucky to have two fairly large “doses” of him — one in our Mixed Choir, which he joined in high school (rare) and the other on a church trip to visit our sister church in Felsorakos, Romania. Josef was a joy in Choir. I noticed that he especially energized the Bass section — the other Basses had great fun mentoring him in choral music. Josef then gave as good as he got by resurrecting a young men’s glee club at LC, building it up to huge numbers! On the trip to Transylvania he infused all of us older adults with his sense of joy and eagerness to explore. He got to know everybody on the tour bus by sitting with a different person each day. I will never forget a day I spent with him in Budapest walking all over the city, discovering Roman ruins and exploring the island in the middle of the Danube.

 I got to know Josef because he reached out — that was just his way. I would like to suggest that we “older” folks might benefit by reaching out to the young people in our congregation a bit more. Those connections to the younger generations can mean a lot — and it is a two-way street! Every time I have gotten to know some of our young people, I have been delighted to find real value for me and for them in the exchange. In our modern world we need to make an effort to foster these connections. They do not seem to happen as a matter of course any more. So, in memory of Josef, join me in making that effort. It can be a most fruitful adventure!

Deb Jacquemin
UUCS Music Director