If God is the audience of our worship and pastors are the leaders, the choir, as it processes, serves as the encouragers, stabilizers, and up-lifters.

Traditionally, the choir processes from the rear of the church toward the chancel during the first hymn. Their voices announce their approach, growing clearer as they pass each pew and draw closer.

They appear, assured in both text and tune, setting the standard for congregational singing. They guide those of us who are close to the notes but not consistently aligned with them, and they affirm the sweet sincerity of those moments when the words we sing are not those in the hymnal, but the verses remembered from younger selves.

They arrive as confident, paired guides, singing, “Follow us, we’ve got you, isn’t this a lark?! Sing!”

Like a stream, they diverge around the communion table, exchanging brief smiles with the pastors before ascending the short steps to the choir loft. Turning to face the congregation, they maintain their song.

They sing in harmony, which embodies the universal human desire that each of us has a part to sing in life, a part that joins and enriches others. They sing beyond our typical range, demonstrating what is possible. They sing as friends who have built years of relationship and welcomed new members into their circle. Sing!

On very special occasions, the sopranos (the embellishers of the choir world) may add a descant. The effect is an auditory lift, a sudden infusion of celestial light reaching toward the divine.

Thus, the choir’s procession and presence are more than mere tradition; they are a living metaphor for the way community sustains belief, offering both stability and transcendence to the worship we share.

Sing, creation, sing! 🎵🎵