Sermon: “You’ve Got To Have A Song”

For the Occasion of Linda Pawelek’s Spring 2017 Music Sunday
Unitarian Society of New Haven
April 30, 2017

Linda Pawelek came to USNH to fill in for two weeks. That was forty-five years ago.

For forty-five years, she has been a mainstay here, sharing the ministry of Sunday services, choir rehearsals, musicals, life’s ups and downs, and this community’s joys and sorrows.

World renowned peace scholar John Paul Lederach once said, “You’ve got to have a song; you never know when you might need it.”

Linda always has a song. The work of a director of music is tricky. It involves matching music to the themes, the ideas, the whims of the minister, the worship committee, the worship team. It involves having a song to sing the children out to, a song for gathering, a song for closing, the perfect anthem for right before the sermon and always being ready with a hymn or two to fit in where we need them.

Linda is a master at finding the right song – no matter what the theme might be. She has an archive of sheet music, of course, but a lot of it is up here (head) and in here (heart).

Not only does Linda always have a song, she also has deep wisdom, and a knowledge and understanding of the people and the systems of this congregation. She has a pot of soup when someone is sick, a thoughtful gift when the occasion calls for one, a delicious dish for potlucks, and just the right words of encouragement for a new minister or a long-time choir member.

Linda has seen ministers come and go over the years; her ministry has been constant.
It will be a big shift for this congregation to not have her here in front leading hymns, leading the adult and
children’s choirs.

I hope we will take comfort in the foundation she has built: that music is an integral part of the shared ministry we undertake together.

We are a singing congregation, thanks, in large part, to Linda’s leadership. We have two stellar choirs, thanks to Linda’s leadership. We have a gem of a pianist, thanks, to the partnership between Linda and Bill for decades. We are grateful, Linda, that you have brought your love of music to us here at USNH, that you have taught us that music is a vital part of our spiritual lives, that you have helped us to sing out and sing on, no matter what comes.

Yours are big shoes to fill. They are so big, we had to hire two people to fill them.

At your suggestion, Linda, we pursued the opportunity to hire a fantastic duo from within our midst, and we are delighted that they accepted.

I now want to recognize our new co-directors of music: Erika Schroth and Jeffery Douma who are singing with the choir this morning.

And I want to recognize the Music Director Search Committee that thought long and hard about this position and about our needs as a congregation. Would you please rise as I call your names?
The search committee was:   Peter Hansen (chair), Carol Holloman, Colin Phillips, Christine Shadle, Jackie Trimble Shapiro, Rich Zelisko and liaisons Bobbi Pace (Personnel Committee) and David Stagg (Management Team). Thank you all for your thoughtful and hard work.

Erika and Jeff, thank you for accepting our offer, for lending your talent and dedication to continuing what Linda has built here at USNH. Exciting times are ahead.

“You’ve got to have a song. You never know when you might need it.”

Linda, thank you for always having a song. For all that you have brought and done and all that you are. You will be deeply missed – though I have a feeling, you won’t be going too far.

Here’s to forty-five years and so many blessings on the next chapter. Let the music continue!