God calls us to create the joyful sound of music as we worship.
We read in Psalm 57: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is
steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul, Awake,
harp and lyre. I will awaken the dawn, I will praise you, O Lord,
among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For
great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness
reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let
you glory be over all the earth.”
And in Ephesians 5: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns an
spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father and everything, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We offer a variety of music in worship and other events. Our
newly rebuilt organ, the voices of our choirs, and the ringing of
the bells fill our sanctuary with marvelous sounds in praise to
God.
Thomas Carlyle called music “the speech of angels:” Tolstoy said
it was ” the shorthand of emotion.” Longfellow labeled it the
“universal language of mankind.”
Call it what you prefer, but at St. John’s music magnifies the
presence of the Holy Spirit during worship, helping us to
celebrate and appreciate God’s love as individuals and
collectively as a congregation.
At 9:00 am, our choir performs a variety of choral works, hymns
that reflect the scripture readings of the season and occasional
sacred anthems, providing the essence of our high worship
service.
If you want to sway or tap your feet a little more, then try the
sound of music at our 11:30 service. It’s different than what you
hear at our earlier services. The voices are backed by the music
of piano, drums, guitars and flute. It has more of a contemporary
flair, but without sacrificing the integrity of the liturgy.
There are 16 singers and musicians currently serving at this
service, and there is room for more.
The Celebration Singers currently rehearse on Thursdays at 6:30
pm.
Music is one of the great traditions at St. John’s. We not only
offer a great variety of musical talent in worship. We also host
a variety of concerts in our Sanctuary throughout the year. Check
our calendar to see what’s coming up.
Interested in using our Sanctuary for your next concert or
recital? Check out our building use
policy online or contact the church office for more
information.
Chef It Up! is a cooking series that will be held as fundraising
events for the music ministry of St. John’s. The featured chef
for this cooking series is Chef Rudy Gonzales.
Cost:
$50/person for the class and dinner (10 person limit).
Many of you may be wondering why we have not yet lay eyes on our
new organist.
Ryan Enright will have his first Sunday at the bench on November
13 at the 9:00 am worship service. We will have a welcome
reception for him during the coffee hour in Oehler Hall.
So, what is he doing in the mean time? Ryan is competing in the
Canadian International Organ
Competition (CIOC). He will be in the first round of the
competition tonight (October 5) and will perform in the last slot
of the day at 10:00 pm.
In 1894, St. John’s first organ was built and installed in the
sanctuary, then located at 12th and K Streets, by Felix F.
Schoenstein of San Francisco, utilizing his tubular pneumatic
system.
On October 6, 1912, a newly built sanctuary at 17th and L Streets
was dedicated. Included in the new worship space was a Murray
Harris pipe organ with 18 ranks of about 1,100 pipes. It was
beautifully voiced by a local theatre organ company.
