By Lara West
For my continuing education this year, I attended the Biennial Conference of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. We (over 300 of us) met in Philadelphia, whose name comes from two Greek words: Philos (loving) and adelphoi (siblings). Appropriately, our theme was “What Wondrous Love.”
Our gathering included daily worship, a choral concert, a hymn festival, workshops, masterclasses, and plenty of time for fellowship during meals, coffee breaks, walks, bus rides, and a reception. Daily plenary sessions focused on “What,” “Wondrous,” and “Love.” One of our worship services was in Benjamin Franklin’s church, and another was in the church where “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was written. I also squeezed in a tour of the Kimmel Cultural Campus and a quick visit to the famous Wanamaker Organ.
I especially appreciated having the chance to worship and sing with my colleagues, and to be renewed and inspired for my future music ministry. I’m grateful to all of you at Trinity for allowing me the time and funding to attend.
