Thurs. 2 Dec. 2021

HOPE

Away But Never Gone

Hope: what does it mean to you?

This idea of offering a series of meditative evening services during Advent belongs to Anne Williamson. It was a gift for us all here on staff at SJC, really, given that it took us outside of our normal weekly offerings, and presented the opportunity to dream different. I really appreciated that opportunity, particularly with Jennifer McPherson and Ashley Wade empowering me to choose a musical meditation for us to offer during the first service - a service centered around the concept of “Hope.” We love our little trio, and have been looking for ways to come back together, and do more of this type of music together.

I think I speak for us all when I say it seemed easier, in a way, during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, because we would record our own parts separately at home, then share the files digitally, and one of us would stitch them together, and BOOM we had a musical offering. When in-person church resumed (and I was officially hired at SJC), our plates quickly filled with the tasks of maintaining our online church offerings, but also with everything required to bring church back in-person, with parish choir rehearsals, children’s programming, youth offerings, live-streaming and technology… the list is long, and it takes time!

What a blessing it has been to get to dream different, and to resurrect our little trio which feeds us in some pretty beautiful ways. We hope you’ll enjoy this song, “Away but never gone,” by Nicky Mehta, as sung by The Wailin’ Jennys. I think it’s about “hope.” I wonder what it will mean to you?

-Olin Johannessen