Church Musicians Supporting One Another
Happy New Year 2024!
The Fayetteville-Sandhills Area Chapter serves the Sandhills NC Community by connecting organists to share in fellowship, education, and mission. FS-AGO is a place to list organist and choir director vacancies, find substitute organists, and promote the continued use of the organ in worship and community events. We sincerely hope you will enjoy being a part of this supportive community.
DVDs of the “Salute to Our Veterans” Concert, held November 9, 2023 at First Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, NC are available by request. The concert was fabulous! Send your requests to marcia@firstprez.com
JANUARY – CHURCH MUSIC LUNCH!
NEXT LUNCH SCHEDULED
Monday, January 29, 2024
1 P.M.
Fun and Fellowship!
NEW LOCATION!
100 Broadfoot Ave
Fayetteville, NC
A Message from Our New Dean- Wes Lockfaw
Dear Fellow Organists,
As I was reflecting on what I would say to you in my first address as your new dean, I couldn’t help but wonder what might encourage us in our independent responsibilities as music directors and organists and also in our involvement with the Guild. I hope that in these few brief words there may be found meaningful thoughts that can buoy us personally and collectively as we embrace the opportunities of another season in ministry.
If you are like me, you probably are quite experienced in juggling two or more calendars! Those that immediately come to mind are the liturgical calendar that is punctuated by observances in the church year ranging from Christmas and Easter to smaller feast days. Then, there is the secular calendar, which I have heard referred to as the “Hallmark” calendar, that yields a host of Federal holidays. As it happens, I am writing this on one of those holidays, Labor Day.
As you are aware, most of our various hymnals provide much in the way of literature relating to the liturgical seasons but, with good reason, offer fewer in the way of those relating to the secular holidays. In thinking about hymns relating to labor, I do remember from my Episcopal background a hymn that comes up in many Episcopal circles on or around Labor Day weekend. Written by the Scottish hymnist, Jane Laurie Borthwick, in 1859, “Come, Labor On” appeared in a collection of poetry entitled, Thoughts for Thoughtful Hours. As I revisited this hymn, I couldn’t help but feel motivated and energized through the power of its words based upon passages in the Gospels of Matthew and John.
From the onset of the hymn, the reader is faced with the question, “Who dares idle” when the harvest is apparent all around us? In the subsequent stanzas, we are reminded that our God slumbers not and, though we may be His “feeble agents”, it is our Lord who works through us to fulfill His perfect will. While each stanza begins with the admonition, “Come, labor on”, it reminds us at the conclusion of the final stanza of those words we all strive to hear at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, “Servants, well done.” I submit to you the text of this stirring hymn in the hope that you will find encouragement as you enter into this new year of ministry and music making!
Come, labor on.
Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain
while all around us waves the golden grain?
And to each servant does the Master say,
“Go work today.”
Come, labor on.
The enemy is watching night and day,
to sow the tares, to snatch the seed away;
while we in sleep our duty have forgot,
he slumbers not.
Come, labor on.
Away with gloomy doubts and faithless fear!
No arm so weak but may do service here:
by feeblest agents may our God fulfill
his righteous will.
Come, labor on.
Claim the high calling angels cannot share:
to young and old the gospel gladness bear.
Redeem the time its hours so swiftly fly
the night draws nigh.
Come, labor on.
No time for rest, till glows the western sky,
till the long shadows o’er our pathway lie
and a glad sound comes with the setting sun:
“Servants, well done.”
Supply Organists (Funerals, Weddings only – no Sunday mornings)
Wes Lockfaw –(757) 636-8731 – weslockfaw@haymountumc.com
Marcia Mervin – (269) 275-4280 – marcia@firstprez.com
Diana Kirkpatrick- cellokirk@aol.com
See the May/June 2023 Newsletter (Click this link): AGONewsletterMayJune 2023FINAL
Executive Board
Dean—Wes Lockfaw
Sub-Dean – Timothy Lloyd
Treasurer— Diana Kirkpatrick
Newsletter Editor, Webmaster – Dr. Marcia Mervin
Chaplain – Fr. Jack Morrison, Jr.
Contact Us:
For website or newsletter information, please contact Marcia Mervin, fayettevillesandhillsago@gmail.com
