Link - A Special Easter Egg

Eggs! Some of you might have prepared some variation of a singing time using plastic Easter eggs. Because I need something truly simple this week, I am (probably) using plastic eggs and "Titles and Tricks". But I am posting this week because I wanted to share a wonderful link to another post that touched me. Our loving Heavenly Father knows and blesses each of us, according to our need and as we are open to his ministering.

Just like most, I sometimes wonder if my own efforts are meaningful or even useful, considering the enormous need to build the Kingdom around the world. I've been feeling especially discouraged about how attendance in our own little primary has shrunk to almost nothing right at the moment. But, I was recently mining the depths of the labels of one of my favorite blogs when I read Michele's post about One Tiny Gift. I knew I wanted to share it with those that I love this Easter weekend. If you have read my philosophical posts, you know that her testimony is my testimony as well. That small efforts combine to bring about the purpose of God. That Jesus Christ loves and appreciates all who bring even one tiny gift, to make His kingdom -even the world, better and brighter. Thank you, Michele for such a lovely reminder of this truth. A Blessed Easter to all of you.

Wrapping Up?

Well, the time has come to begin wrapping things up with this blog. I think I have posted all but a couple of singing time activities on my master list and I'm not sure where to take the blog now. My objective, in the beginning, was simply to post my ideas and then leave them as a resource for my daughter(s). But, now that that goal is met, I find that I'm reluctant to leave such a wonderful community as you all are. However, my life is very full, and I have other paths to pursue. I've gone back and forth with this.

I know there are some gaps here, especially with ideas for holidays and other occasions (although there are LOTS of ideas for pioneers). I'll try to continue to post occasionally, to fill in some of those blanks, but it will not be weekly. If any of you have any questions, I would be happy to explain what I do or how I might address it. Please just send me an email or leave a comment.

Meanwhile, I think I will take just a little blog break and try to figure out how to organize so that I can best leave things here as a resource. My husband tells me that what I really need is a static web page, but I don't know how to do that. If you are not a follower at this time, you might consider it now, so that you don't have to keep checking to see if I've posted something.

I've surely loved hearing your comments and even becoming acquainted with some of you. I will certainly miss that interaction. Just know that I'm sending much love and good thoughts to all.

My Other Blog!

Okay, I know this doesn't have anything to do with Primary music, but I want to tell you that I recently launched another blog. It is going to chronicle the making of my daughter's hope chest. So I may be just a little distracted while I get it organized and figured out. Do you think I can keep track of two blogs? I bet I can. My husband just heaved a big sigh when I told him. Mostly because I'm not connected to the internet at home and do my blogging from the public library, of all places. I hope you'll all be more enthusiastic than he was! ;o) I am excited about it! I finally have a few posts up and I hope you'll come by and visit at http://missabigailshopechest.blogspot.com/ Let me know what you think!

One more thought...

Before I leave this series, I want to tell you how God is so good to me; how He blesses me and sustains me in this calling. When I first saw the new outline for 2011, I eagerly looked for the songs. I have to confess that my heart slumped a bit. I looked at the new song and I thought “Oh great. Three verses, long phrasing, abstract principle, involved music. Look at those eighth notes! This is going to be hard to teach.” I recognized right away how beautiful it would sound - with a children’s choir! Unfortunately, I don’t have one of those. So I’ve been just a bit discouraged about teaching this song and I didn’t look forward to plowing through a study of it.

But God is as good as He always is! Studying the message of the song brought His spirit to me. Listening to the beautiful intervals and harmonies in the music again and again, as I tried to discover what was going on, stirred the familiar feelings of love and commitment in my heart. Sure enough, ideas began to come to me. Now that I have a plan in place, I am excited and confident that I can teach this song. There is still time to refine the plan when other ideas come, but I’m looking forward to it now and anxious to get started.

“And if I listen with my heart I hear the Savior’s voice.” Thank you Sister DeFord, for such a lovely song. What a wondrous God we all serve!

Lyrical Misunderstanding

Recently one of the moms in our branch reported to me that the favorite song of her two daughters is "In the Leafy Treetops." "Oh", I said, "I have puppets for that song. I'll bring them and they can help me use the puppets to sing their favorite song." She then went on to tell me that her youngest daughter had finally admitted that she couldn't understand why all the flowers in the pretty garden were naughty. She was really bothered by that. If she, indeed, had a pretty garden, she was certain that her flowers would not be naughty. She was relieved by the explanation from her mom that the flowers were merely nodding in the wind.

There are so many funny stories like this of children misunderstanding the lyrics of the song. While it gives us adults a good laugh, as the chorister responsible for teaching the songs, we should really give some thought to ways that we can help the children really understand what they are singing.

Naughty flowers indeed! That's the best one I've ever heard. :O)

Role of Music in Testimony

In an article entitled “Praise to the Man” in the August 1983 issue of the Ensign magazine, President Gordon B. Hinckley described how music played a role in his gaining a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He states:

“Many years ago when at the age of twelve I was ordained a deacon, my father, who was president of our stake, took me to my first stake priesthood meeting. . . .Together these men lifted their strong voices, some with the accents of the European lands from which they had come as converts, all singing these words with a great spirit of conviction and testimony: “Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah! Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer. Blessed to open the last dispensation, Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.” (“Praise to the Man,” Hymns, no. 27) They were singing of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and as they did so there came into my heart a great surge of love for and belief in the mighty Prophet of this dispensation. In my childhood I had been taught much of him in meetings and classes in our ward as well as in our home; but my experience in that stake priesthood meeting was different. I knew then, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God.”

I have experienced the same thing with a number of hymns and Primary songs. This great surge of love and belief that President Hinckley described has swelled my heart also. I know that the Spirit is close by when we sing, to testify of the truth of spiritual things. It is such a responsibility to foster the situation that can bring this about. It is such a responsibility to learn how to balance fun and sacred time, to be careful that our activities don’t divert attention away from what might be a sacred experience. I don’t have to wonder that President Hinckley would not have had the same experience if they had been playing a noisy game with the song.

I’m not against games in singing time, really I'm not. In fact, I’m always on the lookout for a good review game. Primary ought to be fun and is about the only place at church that you can play a game. But the fact remains that the Spirit is very sensitive. I think it doesn’t hurt for us to be reminded that our responsibility might include, but certainly extends beyond finding a great game.

The Outline for Sharing Time strengthens the Primary Handbook when it restates: “Music in Primary should establish a reverent atmosphere, teach the gospel, and help children feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and the joy that comes through singing.” If you give this more than a casual glance, the charge is weighty.

I want our Primary children to have fun in singing time, but more than that, I want to create an atmosphere where the Spirit will be there to testify. I need to carve out time and space for the sacred - for the Spirit. It seems that it is not always an easy thing to balance. How do you all handle this?

Talent Is Not the Issue

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." (D&C 25:12)

Too many of us believe that making music has something to do with "talent," and we are relieved that only those with skill are expected to make music. Heavenly Father has revealed in the scriptures and through modern prophets that music is an essential part of our worship. We understand that making music, and specifically singing, is a form of prayer. Music is a tool for praise and thanksgiving. (Psalm 150, Psalm 30:4) Music is also an effective way to help strengthen and instruct others. (Eph. 5:19, Isa 12:4,5) Music is a weapon of great power against our spiritual enemy. Jesus, Joseph Smith and many of us have used music as a strength in facing trials.

The role of music in our meetings is not to entertain the congregation. Being entertained is a passive, secular response to music. The purpose of music in our meetings is to involve all of us in active worship and praise. It is not meant to be left to those with talent or to those who find it easy. It is an essential part of our meetings. Heavenly Father is delighted with the efforts of each of us to make music. He has promised to answer with blessings. (D&C 25:12) In fact, He will sing back to us! (Zeph. 3:17)

We all like cute ideas. But I think that sometimes we develop the mindset that we must entertain the children. We search for the most captivating ideas and we're always looking for a better one for next week. We wish we were more creative, we wish we were talented, we wish our voice sounded better, we worry when the Stake Primary Presidency visits that they will think we are boring, we worry that our children will not learn fast enough and be "prepared" to sing. If we could truly understand how our Heavenly Father loves to hear his children sing, and switch to a mindset where we simply try to create an opportunity for worship, I believe the Spirit will be there. We will have prayed twice.