A Mighty Fortress

Music Man and I have a favorite brass group that we “follow” whenever they are performing in the Chicagoland area. The King’s Brass is a seven-piece brass group with additional keyboard and percussion players. Founded 35 years ago by director Tim Zimmerman, the group plays about 120 concerts a year in churches and concert halls. The members of the group are all professional musicians with gigs at universities and symphonies, but they travel six months of the year with King’s Brass. Their concert tour schedule is here; if they are in your area and you like church music, I highly recommend that you try to attend a concert.

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Click into photo for source and more information about King’s Brass.

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Easter Traditions

Every family has its special holiday rituals and Easter is no exception.

Growing up, my mother always made us a lambie cake for Easter. My brother has her mold and continues the tradition. It HAS to have jelly beans for its eyes and nose and I love seeing that my brother makes the lamb cake to honor and remember her.

GotMyReservations Lambie Cake

Today I encountered another family tradition with another family.

GotMyReservations Black Sheep Cake

The black sheep — instead of the pure white lamb — sang a beautiful pascal song to me. Easter is a time of celebrating all humanity, not just the pure and obedient among us. Jesus’s resurrection brings us a new beginning and a washing clean of our prejudices and bad habits.

Happy Easter, and may you have a blessed and inclusive day.

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A Spring Prayer

The last of the snow

Birch bark against the snow

The view without leaves

NOW THE GREEN BLADE RISETH

Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

In the grave they laid him, love whom men had slain,
Thinking that never he would wake again.
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green,

Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain.
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

Words: John M. C. Crum, in the Ox ford Book of Carols, 1928.
Music: Noël Nouvelet, 15th Century French melody

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