Almost Like Being There!

Not long ago I had an email from Carl Southerland who is one of the pastors of the Home Moravian Church in Salem, North Carolina, one of the historic Moravian congregations in that lovely place. Carl wanted to know if I would permit their church to sing a hymn that appears in the Moravian Hymnal and, as he said it, is one of their favorites. They were printing up a bulletin so that the congregation would not have to find the hymns in the hymnals which are in the pews, and so, take time away from the flow of song for their anniversary worship on November 13th.

Well! I readily agreed. 

As my Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, friends know, I am very fond of the Moravian Church, its theology, its worship, and its faithfulness. Dear friends from high school days are active in the Moravian congregation in Lititz, I've made a pilgrimage to the Little Town of Bethlehem (PA), and was so delighted when the editorial committee chose several of my hymns for their most recent Moravian hymnal.

And...to be part of the anniversary worship at Home Church! 

What an honor. Several of my friends and family said in effect, "John you really need to go and be there for that service." I could not be away at that moment, alas, but this is one of the joys of hymn writing. One's hymns can travel far and wide without a passport or having to tote luggage, and it is truly the next best thing to being there.