STORIES ARE CRITICAL TO STUDENT CHOIR COMMUNITIES
Part 5 of 5
Sacred moments will be held in the heart forever
Frank Pollard, my friend, pastor, and supervisor in the early 1980s often incorporated memorable word pictures in his sermons and other official messages. One of dozens of images he used was “write (or written) upon the walls of our awareness.” This active picture has stayed with me for the past 45 years because 1) it encourages healthy action, 2) it represents strong and accessible memory, and 3) it provides positive benefits in the remembering of important times. When I think “write this upon the walls of my awareness,” I tell myself this is an important life-moment, these are transformative memories, and the recollection of this will change my life for the better.
Some things get written onto the walls of our awareness as the words of JFK have found themselves etched into marble; they just show up and we’re not sure how they got there. But rest assured, someone has made the decision to inscribe these specific words upon the surface of this stone; someone else actually did the measuring and inscription work; and yet someone else actually set the heavy stone in place for it to be noticed, read, and remembered. All of those tasks must be begun and completed with great respect for the power of these words.
As directors of student choirs, we often have a good idea which events, lessons, slogans, mottos, and actions need to be set in stone in the lives of our students. We know and might even predict many of these, but even we, the teachers and mentors, cannot be sure of all the positive memories being experienced, expanded, and etched upon the walls of adolescent awareness. We must be ever diligent in perceiving the important times and happenings as they occur and then, faithful in following up with encouragement to the adolescents to remember the great experiences for the days, years, and even decades ahead.
Tours, retreats, festivals, choral performances, worship services, mission projects and, yes, even what we might refer to as “mundane” rehearsals — these and more are often holy moments waiting to be perceived, recognized, celebrated, treasured, and remembered.
Moments of holy encounters, collaboration, and fellowship need to be written upon the walls of our awareness. And this is just as true for us directors as it is for the students we actively love, serve, and lead.
Randy Edwards
