Reason to Sing!

I'm teaching a class right at the moment dealing with the history of music.  Actually, to be more specific, I am co-teaching the class, and it's not music history in general, it's the history of sacred music in the Jewish and Christian traditions.  The course is called Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs.  My co-teacher is Doug Renfroe, the cantorial singer and music director for Temple Bat Yam, a Reform Jewish congregation that shares our space here at Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ.

Over the four years that I have been here, Doug and I have undertaken several projects together.  We have sung at each other's worship services and in concert.  He's a great guy--and an excellent musician.  I feel honored to be able to work with him so frequently!

Some folks would see this as a rather unusual arrangement--the Temple sharing our building; Doug and I leading worship and teaching classes together.  And, unfortunately, I guess it is a little rare.  But certainly not unheard of!  I've been blessed with good working relationships with a number of rabbis and cantors over the years.  My former congregation hosted a Reform Temple in Connecticut as they started their life as a congregation, and now, years later, after a horrendous fire at the Connecticut church, the Temple is returning the favor and providing them with a temporary home.
In New Jersey, I pastored a church that had also provided a worship space for the new synagogue in town when they were in the beginning stages of their existence.

Here's the point: despite what makes the news every day of the week, people of different religious persuasions can not only co-exist, they can live and work together.  That is cause to celebrate.  That is reason to sing!  Which is just what Doug and I are doing this month!