Spruce Street United Methodist Church has a motto that is emblazoned on its website and weekly bulletins: “Open hearts, open minds, open doors.”
I encountered the open doors when I attended Palm Sunday services at the beginning of April. I didn’t plan to attend SSUMC that particular morning and showed up in a bit of a fluster with little time to spare. The Reverend Bart Thompson, pastor of SSUMC since 2021, welcomed me personally and gave me, along with a smile and a warm handshake, a gift bag filled with snacks and pamphlets that are kept on hand for newcomers such as myself.
I didn’t come for the food, but even if I had I would have stayed for the music. Music has been tied to the sacred for millennia, but in the modern day, it can be tough for churches to make music a priority. Budgets are tight and busy schedules make participation difficult. However, SSUMC seems to have struck gold with its music program. The chancel choir at SSUMC is led by Director of Music Marguerite Bostonia and Choir Director Sam Spears.
The talent of the choir and the experience of the directors were apparent during the Holy Week cantata, a roughly 30-minute arrangement of choral music reflecting on the Lenten season. It was clear to me that all involved took their task very seriously, and that SSUMC invests time, effort and money to gift worshipers with high-quality music. Throughout the year, the church will be fundraising to support the music program by selling American-made, handcrafted Rada Cutlery (https://radafundraising.com/rfsn=7158347.9a340af)
Great music doesn’t just happen. It needs to be guided, nurtured and supported. I was impressed by SSUMC’s care for the music played within the church’s walls. And, in turn, that music can uplift and nourish those who listen.
EVA MURPHY is a freelance business writer for The Dominion Post. She writes a column on businesses, churches and other entities in the city. To suggestion a topic, email her at Newsroom@DominionPost.com.
