A tale of two churches

"And know you always have a home here", the priest at the small Episcopal church in Tacoma said up to me in the organ loft during the church service. "I know", I responded in my announcement back voice, "that's why I invited myself back today" and everyone laughed.

This was the church where I served as organist during my grad student tenure. My Sunday morning routine often was to wake up off some friend's couch in Seattle (wearing last night's dress), scoot along on my bicycle to the bus stop, fill my wee going mug with delicious Seattle coffee, disinter a misshapen muffin from my bike panier, then sup and dine on the bus for the 50 minutes to Tacoma. Once at the church I'd sneak upstairs to my stash of church appropriate clothing there and play some hymns.

This was a small and diminishing congregation, with many health struggles shared during gratitudes and concerns. But there were always donuts and hugs during coffee hour, and so much love and enthusiasm. I was in the epoch of my tall colored socks and tropical bird hair and I think once they accustomed to this and my incessant biking, they got a bit of a kick out of me.

On a little trip back to the Pacific Northwest (balmy in comparison to central NY state), I played again for them--after having been gone a year-- as organist last Sunday. They had no money to pay me, but if I had a dollar for every time someone said, "it is SO great to have you BACK!" I would be rich. Regardless, I was rich, just from the glow of how much everyone appreciated hearing the organ again.

And in true form of that congregation,  I did receive three new pairs of tall socks. :)

Sliding onto that organ bench again, I found a little sticky note with a list of hymns in my handwriting, as messy as a six-year old's left-handed scrawl in the back of a swerving vehicle. Dated July 2013! I also found a paper sticky tab marking a hymn page: it had written on it, also in my handwriting, "Nutrient Spiralling." The thing must have migrated from my soil science soil fertility notes to my organ music. I wonder if the organists
following after me wondered what that could have been about.

In addition to the Sunday morning service, I gave an informal little recital on piano and pipe organ the day before on Saturday. A few handfuls of people gathered in the sanctuary on a fiercely dreary afternoon of pouring rain, and I got to play my favorite pieces for them. I wore a mostly black outfit for this--wanting to seem appropriate as a performer. But the comments I received, "Where are your socks?", "Where is your color?", "Why is your hair not purple?", made me realize that I still had a role to provide whimsy and playfulness.

One church lady joked that everyone should have agreed to show up with purple hair to hear me play.

Before the recital began I hadn't realized there had been a slightly heated discussion about whether the lights on the Christmas tree behind the alter should be lit: Father Priest wanted to save them for Christmas eve but Mrs Red Green Earrings argued they should be lit now for the recital to increase the festivities. So they approached me, one on either side, and asked my opinion and without knowing the import of my tie-breaker response said, "sure turn them on!"  Mrs. Earrings clapped her hands looking victorious and Father Priest stalked over dutifully and lit them. It was indeed more festive. As I stood up to play my recital I thanked everyone for coming, and then made up a little story how Father Priest graciously agreed to turn on the tree lights to compensate for my uncharacteristically boring outfit and that I would wear some colors for church tomorrow.

The next morning, because I couldn't choose among all the new pairs they'd given me, I wore two different socks to be church organist.

And now I am in Idaho, preparing Christmas music for services at my other "out west" Episcopal church. I found the worship bulletins from Easter left on the bench still, in addition to a long-lost music book of mine. No organists had played that instrument since I was guest for them this Easter. I am indeed happy to be their Guest Christmas Organist now.

I love traveling around and visiting friends and playing for the old churches.