Seven Eleven

Our worship service usually begins with a choral call to worship sung by the adult choir. The music is an invitation to enter into worship, to invite the presence of God, to help us focus on eternal matters.

This week, we were blessed to have the Roberts Wesleyan College Men's Barbershop Quartet. They call themselves Seven-Eleven. Why? Because they all started college in 2007 and will all graduate in 2011! So 7/11. Before the service began, they tried out the sanctuary to see how the space works. Then they warmed up properly in one of the Sunday School rooms. The place was abuzz with excitement.

They were decked out in bright red jackets with gold buttons - several of which went awol in the hallway right before service. One of the ladies in the choir scurried around and found a small sewing kit and worked her magic in making them jump back on the jackets and stay there.

What a joy to hear songs like "I'll Fly Away" and other gospel style music. I asked them to sing in as many places in the service as I could manage to wedge them. It added such a wonderful touch to the theme of passionate praise, one of our topics in the series pastor is teaching on. I'm working on convincing them that they should join the choir since three of them attend the church on a semi regular basis. Nothing like augmenting the ranks now and again. But of course, their lives are hectic and crammed with all the things college students love doing.

But its a definite booking for next year! And the next. I sure hope they get a few freshmen to take over after they graduate! I could get used to this tradition.