God Always Provides
How He Makes The Christmas Cantata Happen Year After Year
The suggestion sent a shiver down my spine. “We should organize a live orchestra to accompany our Christmas Cantata instead of singing to a CD,” said our piano accompanist. Live orchestra? In Pendleton? Who would play in it? And how would I conduct it while directing the choir? All these questions flooded my mind as I told her I would “consider” it. But I left the conversation thinking that was all it was going to be - just a fleeting consideration.
At that point, I had been the volunteer choir director at Pendleton Center United Methodist Church for a few years, and each December, we presented a Christmas Cantata, or concert, to the community. We assembled a group of about 60 singers from various churches, spent a couple of months practicing, and sang along to a CD. I was in my comfort zone, and I wanted to keep it that way.
But then I realized it’s not about me. It’s supposed to be about bringing glory to God and bringing people closer to Him. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 states, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” So, after a few sleepless nights and lots of prayer, we instituted our first-ever Cantata Orchestra, and the results were astounding. With God’s magnificent help, we found enough instrumentalists to comprise an “orchestra,” and it’s been ebbing and flowing ever since.
Each year, I need to trust that God will continue to provide as some of our musicians graduate, while others move away or are just not able to participate for various reasons each year. But every time I think we won’t have a large enough group - or the correct instrumentation - God proves me wrong. I remember saying to one of our pastors a few years back that I shouldn’t be surprised by this, for I know that our God is God of the universe. So, putting together a small orchestra in Pendleton, New York, to celebrate the birthday of His Son is really no big deal!
Fast forward to fall 2018. As our group started to prepare for our most recent Cantata, that same piano accompanist who suggested we do the full orchestra - and who had become a wonderful friend and blessing in my life - had just lost a dear loved one. My heart was aching for her, and I didn’t want to burden her with the added stress of playing for the choir at that time. We talked, and she admitted that it would be very helpful if she could take a break for the upcoming Cantata. I understood immediately and knew it was the right thing to do. I was tempted to worry again about how we were going to find a substitute pianist to play with the orchestra, but God quickly reminded me that He provides, and He often works in mysterious ways.
Within days, I learned that a special young woman from our church who had played for the choir in the past was finishing her senior year away at college. But she would be home in Pendleton from October to December for student teaching. October to December - the very same months we needed a pianist. I initially thought, “Wow, what a coincidence!” And then I realized - yet again - that the God of the universe still has His eye on Pendleton and had found yet another way for us to praise Him and celebrate the birth of His Son, Jesus.
- Story by Kelli Putney
If you are interested in singing in the choir or playing in the orchestra, please listen to that nudge from God and reach out to Pendleton Center Church at [email protected] or 716-625-8306 for more information. Christmas Cantata Choir rehearsals begin Wednesday, October 16 and Cantata Orchestra rehearsals begin Saturday, November 23.