Song Light

A moment of light from worship at Assembly Mennonite today…

The following paragraph appeared in our newsletter, and was also read to the congregation this morning, before we sang Adam’s beautiful song together.

Will You Hold Me in the Light. Adam M. L. Tice, associate pastor at Hyattsville (Md.) Mennonite Church, sent us this note about "Will You Hold Me in the Light."  He writes, "I don't know Heidi well but we are facebook friends.  I do, however, have numerous friends at Assembly and feel a strong connection to the congregation.  I watched the online display of candles holding Heidi 'in the light' and wanted to offer a song of comfort and healing to the congregation as a whole.  I had passed the text to my composer friend, Sally Morris, who always does amazing things for me.  Then last week, on Sunday morning, James Miller's death was announced during the sharing time.  My wife and I immediately began crying for our good friend Lisa Rose.  That afternoon I called Sally again to tell her that Assembly was in the midst of a second tragedy. She hummed what she had developed already for the melody, including some material still in need of text.  By the next evening we had a completed hymn.  I passed it on to several musicians at Assembly. Sally and I dedicate it to your congregation (hence the tune name) in the hopes that it can be a means of holding one another in the light during these dark times."

“Will you hold me in the light with prayer and song? Hold me in the light of God….”

As copastor Karl Shelly said, we are being held in the Light by people and congregations in many different locations, as he’s realized through messages and emails he has received this past two weeks.

A note to those who are visiting regularly….for the next five days I will be traveling and attending a Mennonite spiritual directors’ retreat in eastern Pennsylvania. I will continue looking for moments of light, taking photos and writing, and lifting Heidi, Lisa Rose and others to the Light. But I will be observing a technology retreat and will not post until I’m back in Goshen – come back and visit next weekend!