Join the Feast of Tabernacles Choir! Who, Me?
Yes, you! You are needed to offer your service in honor of your heavenly Father and to inspire and encourage your fellow brethren. You don’t have to be a professional musician or singer to offer your musical ability to serve others.
Each Sabbath day the United Church of God holds services in local congregations to worship our great Creator. It is also a time for members and visitors to fellowship and learn more about God’s way of life. In addition, the Sabbath is a day to serve one another. It may be through speaking, setting up chairs, handling the sound system or performing other responsibilities.
One form of participation that greatly enhances worship is the inspiration derived from music. Everyone sings hymns as an integral part of Sabbath services. In doing so, we are serving! We express our love for God, His Church and our spiritual brothers and sisters. Plus, all of us sincerely appreciate the delightful service of brethren who periodically provide special music—which is not only a blessing and inspiration but an added opportunity for us to honor our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
A Biblical Precendent
Many scriptures offer important models for us to follow. For instance, Psalm 95:1-2 says, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (New International Version). Also, Colossians 3:16 declares, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Worshipping God through congregational hymns and special music certainly includes the highlight of the spiritual year, the Feast of Tabernacles, which pictures the breathtaking time when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return to earth to begin His millennial reign of global peace and harmony. As we learn about this future era during the Feast and the Eighth Day, we raise our voices in joyous hymns of praise! Moreover, we treasure the beautiful special music brought to us by choirs, instrumental ensembles and vocal solos—which further enhances our worshipful praise toward Almighty God while inspiring and encouraging everyone in attendance!
Participating in the Festival Choir
With this in mind, Ministerial and Member Services has recently observed a lessening in the number of brethren participating in the Festival choirs. This may be the result of older brethren who, after having served faithfully for many years, are no longer taking part due to health concerns or other reasons. Therefore, to continue providing the optimum level of involvement in Feast choirs we need you—including adults, young adults and older teens—to offer your loving service to God and His people.
Even so, you may say, “Who me? I can’t sing.” But wait! Why not consider participating? You don’t have to be a professional musician or singer to offer your musical talents to honor God and serve others. Could it be time to leave your “comfort zone” and serve in a wonderful, new way?
Let’s illustrate this with an example. Tanya Winger of the Ambassador Bible College Class of 2023 wrote an article in the May-June 2023 issue of United News, titled “The Stories We Tell Ourselves.” There she revealed her personal belief that she didn’t have singing talent and was therefore very reluctant to join the ABC choir. Nevertheless, when she finally tried out, she learned that she was well-qualified which resulted in rewarding and enjoyable participation throughout the school year. Perhaps you have undiscovered talent that you could exercise in much-needed and fulfilling service to God and His people in the Feast choir and even in your local congregation’s choir or vocal group!
Finally, for some who serve musically in their local congregations all year round, it’s tempting to consider the Feast as a time to take a break and not participate. But being willing to serve at the Feast whenever possible is very important because it contributes to the overall success and quality of the Feast. Your service does matter!
Remember, you are needed! So please consider jumping in and signing up! You’ll be glad you did! The easiest way to volunteer is when you register. Most registration forms have a dedicated section for “Volunteer Opportunities” where you can check the box for the areas you are willing to serve. Don’t miss this opportunity to help with music at the Feast!
How You Can Make a Difference in Your Local Congregation
Local congregations benefit greatly by offering special music at Sabbath services. However, many have little to no special music on a regular basis. Some congregations do not even have a piano player to accompany hymns. However, if you are in a church area that rarely has special music and you are in a position to do something about it, why not discuss it with your pastor? This may be a wonderful opportunity for you to personally serve while also encouraging others to participate with you in a duet, a trio, a quartet or other vocal group!
Furthermore, if you play a musical instrument or did so when you were growing up, why not consider accompanying hymns with your instrument? Hymns are made even more special when musical instruments are utilized! Also, how about finding others in your congregation who would be willing to serve with you in an ensemble?
There is no requirement to be a highly skilled musician or vocalist to offer your musical talents to serve your Creator and your fellow brethren. Volunteering to participate in a musical capacity is a very important service because it sets a great example of service to children and young people who often respond positively to music. Likewise, it’s important to understand that music provides a different form of connection with Sabbath services than does speaking since it adds emotion that may not always be the focus of the spoken messages.
So, are you willing to make a difference? Your readiness to step forward is an opportunity for you to serve your heavenly Father and your fellow brethren! Why not take up the challenge? You will be pleased with the results.
Course Content
Randy Schmidt
Mr. Schmidt and his wife, Darlene, were baptized in 1972. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Music and a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, from where he retired in January 2020. He has served in musical and other capacities in the Church for 40+ years and sung with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus for 30 years. Mr. Schmidt attended Ambassador Bible College in 2020/2021 and graduated from the program on May 9, 2021.
John LaBissoniere
John has served as an employee of the United Church of God in a variety of media-related responsibilities and as a senior writer for Beyond Today magazine.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1973. He also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology at Ambassador College, Pasadena, California in 1978. John was ordained an elder in 1994 and serves in the Cincinnati, Ohio congregations.
