This prayer can be offered by ensembles who are returning from summer break, by people who are returning to music ministry after a time way, or by any individual who desires a deeper connection to music ministry.
Prayer for a Return
It is time again.
The silent descent of leaves and the rumble of yellow buses
Calls us to attention
Refreshed from summer respites, and anxious for stability
In the uncertain world that has become a norm,
It is time again.
To gather in choir lofts, near pianos and drum kits,
by mic stands and music stands and guitar stands,
ready to take a stand for the power of sung prayer.
To rejoin our voices and reach for harmonies (a longer reach after summer’s break).
To follow the director’s plea for following.
To blend instruments and reconsider arrangements,
making new songs accessible and familiar songs fresh.
It is time to recommit ourselves and encourage others.
Are there new hands willing to try percussion?
Are there young musicians who need a place to hone their skill?
We need female voices, male voices, children, and teens,
those who can read music and those who are earnest in their effort.
Let us welcome them all. For music ministry is
a demanding call. It takes time.
It takes time to learn to sing and play and breathe together.
It takes time to achieve the coordination of sound
that can take your breath away.
It takes time to meld our individual talents into the Body of Christ
We need this.
To remind us who we are and whose we are.
Our churches need this.
To remind us of the depth that can happen when we gather
in prayer, in flesh, in community, in the moment.
We need this gift of gathering in person, taken for granted,
now forgotten or forsaken by many.
It is time.
So let us, like the ancient ones,
sing ourselves into being once again.
Written by Kathy Felong, who is director of liturgy at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Copyright © 2023 Catholic Liturgical Ensemble Formation
