Dear Grace Community,

In June I attended a Worship and Music Conference in Montreat, North Carolina.  It’s an annual event, but I had not attended in ten years. I’m glad I made it a priority this year.  Montreat is one of my favorite places in the world, and in addition to the conference I was able to spend time with family and to connect with friends and ministry colleagues.

The conference is put on by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, and the music is phenomenal. There are multiple adult choirs, children’s choirs, and youth choirs, and then there are instrumental groups (bells, drums, brass) on top of that. I did not participate in any of these choirs or ensembles, but I was blessed by their leadership.

My musical contribution was singing in worship, and it was fun to sing with so many gifted musicians. Because there are so many musicians in the congregation we were able to sing some of the more difficult hymns in our hymnal. The conference was called “Sacraments and Seasons,” and followed the seasons of the liturgical year  Sunday was Advent, Monday Christmas, Tuesday Lent, Wednesday Holy Week, Thursday Easter, and Friday Pentecost.

I took some classes at the conference and was grateful for the practical components as well as the generally enriching aspects. The PCUSA just put out a revised edition of our Book of Common Worship, and I took a course with one of the editors. It was great to feel like I really know the book now.  One of my seminary professors taught a class on theology and art around baptism and the Lord’s Supper. While far less practical, it was fun to explore academically and from a faith perspective.

I am grateful for the ways that you, the congregation, make it possible for me to attend conferences like this.

In Christ,
Catherine