It always surprises me when it happens. It shouldn’t. It’s been happening for to me for over twelve years! But every so often someone will say something like, "I can tell that singing in the church choir is a spiritual experience, not just musical." We in the choir know this, of course. But it never ceases to amaze me that someone who has never even been to a choir rehearsal can sense this supernatural phenomenon.

Most folks don’t know that the first 10-15 minutes of every choir practice is prayer time. Choir members share requests and praises; then begins a precious time of prayer. Choir members volunteer to pray for a specific request. And we literally bear one another’s burdens as we bring our brothers’ and sisters’ needs before the Lord. Some requests we have been praying for as long as I’ve been here. And sometimes, we pray for a request one week and praise the Lord for His answer on the next!

I’ve noticed that folks often will share requests with the choir that they wouldn’t share with the entire church family. I guess it’s because we’re like a family-within-a-family. So what is it that bonds the choir together so firmly?

Well, I think that the fact that we are all striving toward the same goal every week binds us together in the Lord. We have a love for music, but more importantly, we have a love for the same Lord. There is a spiritual oneness that brings us together.

Also, we have been through emotional experiences together. Just about every week we laugh, work hard, get frustrated, maybe cry and then laugh some more. And, really, just the act of making music together is an emotional experience. That kind of emotional openness forms a very strong bond between us.

This care for each other somehow projects to the congregation. I have even had unsaved people say about our choir, "There is something more than good music going on here." And they’re right! There is a lot more. And through our care for each other we demonstrate to the world that Tri-City Baptist Church cares.

David Stertzbach II, B.A.
Music Pastor