Handbells and Cemetery Clubs

Sunday morning found us going to the Methodist Church again, and this morning the service was filled with more activities than usual. We had noticed when we arrived that the church was almost full, and the area in front of the altar rail was taken up with the handbells for "Bells of Praise."  We heard these bell-ringers last year and they are absolutely wonderful, led by a lively and energetic young woman and a team of skilled bell-ringers; they performed "Sweet Spirit" in a complex and full arrangement, using some "bells" that I had never seen before.  The two women at one end worked with a tall six-foot high brass rack holding nine large dangling bells, in addition to their normal two bells, and they were very busy ladies indeed, hitting those racked bells with little padded sticks.  (My on-line search for this piece of equipment  proved fruitless; it may be called a "bell tree," or it may be something invented solely by these bell-ringers.)  They also used these long, square instruments called Choirchimes, which were again new to me.

A  dozen little girls in a children's choir also performed, passing two microphones between them, singing with those sweet voices which only little girls have.  And the choir featured a solo by Michelle Johnson, whom I imagine having started singing here with a child's voice and blossoming in adulthood into a lovely soprano.

It was Scout Sunday, and "Celebrating the Gift of Scouting at First UMC" was also part of the service; the scoutmaster and a dozen or so scouts told us all about their programs, and we learned that over the years, since the 1950s, this church has produced 150 Eagle Scouts, which was an amazing number and testimony to the emphasis this church places on youth.  Good role models make good choices.

Rev. Powell's sermon was about Truth (the Ninth Commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor") and he made his points powerfully and eloquently against the background of "alternative facts" and our "Liar-in-Chief" President, although he was careful to side-step politics. 

An honest witness tells the truth,
    but a false witness tells lies.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Truthful lips endure forever,
    but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
    but those who promote peace have joy . Proverbs 12

After lunch we had a real treat:  a performance at the Carteret Community Theater in Morehead City of a touching and very funny play, "Cemetery Club" - "Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before visiting their husband's graves" - well-written and perfectly performed by three actors reprising the same roles they had played 17 years ago.   

And now it is a peaceful Sunday evening, the wind rising up powerfully again outside, rattling the handrails and blowing the palm trees back and worth wildly out by the swimming pool.  It may be time to settle in for more Tana French.