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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Good Luck Finding an Organist
This subject is personal to me. I served as organist in my home parish (14 rank Estey tracker), in college, substituted in several parishes, played every Sunday at one service on vicarage, and still fire up the pipe organ from time to time (mostly for my own enjoyment). In addition, I have been instrumental in obtaining a new organ (pipe or pipe electronic) in every parish I have served -- from vicarage through this present congregation. So when I read a report on the tough times faced by congregations in search of an organist, I read every word.
The ABC News story begins in Oakland, Nebraska, not far from my home town. The organ at the First United Methodist Church in this largely Swedish community has not been played since their 80 year old organist "retired" almost one year ago. The story moves to Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and a seminary classmate reports that this 400 member church is scheduling substitutes because they cannot find a permanent replacement for their last organist.
In our own case, we went through a similar journey. We had two organists when I arrived but both of them left (following their military spouses) leaving us without an organist for quite some time. We eventually found a temporary part-time organist for one service and depended upon pianists for the rest of the services. We advertised and advertised without success. After purchasing a used grand piano from a piano performance student at the local college, we got our first "permanent" organist -- though he had never played the organ before but was a gifted and quick learner. When college was coming to an end, we advertised up the hilt for our part-time position and had a few applicants. Nearly all were really looking for a full-time position which we were not capable of (at the time). The applicant whom we hired turned out to be the perfect match and his interest and enthusiasm have multiplied our music program and helped us acquire two pipe organs (one, 65 ranks for the sanctuary, and another 12 ranks for the chapel). But I still fear for the long term future.
The cause of this organist crisis is not primarily due to the growing number of churches using a praise band, as some would like to say. We have a large number of organists but only 1% of all the positions are full-time and the pay is abysmal. Both part-time and full-time organists face a big job description and responsibility in the worship service for what ends up being minimum wage or less. Too many congregations are trying to be cheap in an area where you get what you pay for and you go begging when that pay is sub-standard. I, for one, believe that the most important budget line in the congregation's spending plan is the section that covers worship -- staff, benefits, music, maintenance, and supplies. Worship is the heart from which all other aspects of the congregation's life and work flow. If that heart is well cared for and strong, the rest of the congregation's life and work will probably be strong. If that is weak, the whole rest of who the congregation is and what that congregation does will surely suffer.
This is not about organists. This is about putting our money where our mouth is. We say worship is the most important activity, the central focus of our Christian lives as individuals and our life together as the people of God. Why is it that we are so unwilling to pay a living wage to those who are key leaders in the worship services -- specifically the organist, parish musician, choir director, or cantor? I actually heard of one demented Pastor who, in his search to make the parish financially viable, decided to make the organist position an hourly position -- with the clock commencing at the time the organist began playing and ending with the final note of Sunday morning (or other service) was sounded. It would be like paying this Pastor for the time in pulpit but refusing to consider sermon prep part of his official duties. What is wrong with us sometimes?
It is certainly true that there are less pianists out there as a potential pool of organists. It is certainly true that some congregations are giving up organ for "keyboard" and the praise band. It is certainly true that many congregations are financially hard pressed on all fronts. I am not denying this. But if our priorities are centered upon the worship service, some of these factors might fade away in our struggle to find someone to lead God's people in praise from the organ bench. Why not offer to pay for organ lessons for a piano student (youth, teenager, or adult)? Why not check the salary and expectations and make sure you are not asking for the impossible when employing an organist? Why not consider job sharing and adjusting the service times to allow those congregations with one Sunday service to share and therefore provide adequate compensation for some organist who would need only one part-time job to make it a go?
Lastly, and then I will get off my soapbox, the organ is uniquely qualified to lead congregational song. We do not have well trained singers in the pew and so they need certain and solid melody to encourage their singing. The piano, being an acoustic instrument, does not hold the sound and emphasize melody in the same way an organ does. Praise bands are great if you want people to listen to music but they are generally ill equipped to lead hymns (and most of the time they simply serve as back up to the lead solo singers -- generally female -- who sing center stage where the focus is on them and less on the song). The organ can be a solo instrument and some organists act as if it is all about them and their sound, but they are few in comparison to the total number of organists. Think about the role of music within the Lutheran Divine Service tradition, the high place of hymns and sung liturgy, and the theological underpinnings of music within the liturgy -- we can either gripe about it or do something about it to make sure that the people hear the sound that calls them to sing the praise of Him who called us from darkness into His marvelous light... Try going a few weeks without any music at all and you may begin to realize what you are missing. . .
32 comments:
We are a Midwest congregation in
Illinois and pay our organist $50
per service which comes to $100 per
Sunday. This is probably too low
and doesn't reflect her true worth.
- November 30, 2010 at 8:49 AM
There are several directions to go to answer this question; first since the 1940's we've been a nation that has steadily moved away from producing its own music to being consumers of music. Prior to WWII and the prevalence of affordable records and radio, if you wanted music in your home you had to make it yourself. This meant that the average person was accustomed to hearing themselves sing and be accompanied by a musical instrument. In the 1950's the split began between claassical music, church music and popular music became a matter of cultural identity. Or the 'you have your music and I have mine' dichotomy became a right. In 60 or so years we've gone from playing a musical instrument and singing along as a necessity to a sign of a well rounded education, to a luxury to something that only nerds do. Most music in some way is derivative of its predecessor, but lack of musical instruction and the ability for anyone to 'create' through computer software, it has become so derivative as to make most 'new' popular music to be a banal shadow, vaguely familiar to something we've heard before too many times.
Contemporay music is insisted upon in a worship setting because that is what we Baby Boomers (and our offspring) have been doing since we reached over the front seat and changed the channel in the car on our family trip to Yosemite. Music is seen as an expression of individuality and we will insist on having our music our way or we'll walk away. Boomers especially want to continue to be what we were in our 20's and having our music is one way we do so, it gives us a false sense of relevance. And rather than a walk out the church yields. I also think one of the reasons why contemporary worship tends to appeal to people isn't the music itself but because it appeals to us as consumers of music rather than makers of music. We prefer to listen rather than sing. There is a difference between clapping your hands, swaying to the music and repeating a refrain ad nauseum and singing a hymn in unision with 100 plus other people, as the hymn was written. Often contemporary worship is sold as encouraging 'participation.' That is not far from the truth, not because the historic liturgy bars participation, but because many contemporary americans (of every age) look at a hymn in a hymnal the way a holstien looks at a new gate; i.e., little or no idea what to do with it.
And so the organ as an instrument is as foreign to most suburban middle class Americans as it can be. The only time many young people hear Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D is at a Halloween haunted house, and when they hear it as pre-service music in church it makes them giggle. Mention the word 'organ' and it conjures up the sound of the ubiquitous Hammond B-3 with a tremulant set on 'coma,' not Paul Manz' glorious improvisations on "St. Anne."
If the music of the church is to continue beyond a class at a university, or a recording in our iPod we're going to have to educate, educate, educate our congregations. We cannot take anythig for granted, we cannot assume that our members know what it all means, that they get it simply because it's all that they've ever known. We need to have good reasons for what we do, and we have to teach and inculcate the beauty and the joy of liturgical worship and the music of the church. That means we should also be open to improvements, and have a high standard for worship, it should be the very best we can do, not pandering to the lowest common demominator.
There now, I've vented long enough.
- November 30, 2010 at 9:49 AM
There are many directions one can go to address this problem. First, prior to the 1940's and the prevalence of radio and recorded music if you wanted music of any kind in your home you had to make it yourself; which meant hearing the sound of our own voices singing along. After WWII and on into the 1950's the split between popular music, classical music and church music grew and became a part of our culture. Eventually the 'you have your music and I have mine' dichotomy became a right. In 60 years or so we've gone from making your own music out of necessity to being able to play the piano as a sign of a well rounded education, to music lessons as a luxury to music instruction of any kind being a tedious chore relegated to nerds.
We Baby boomers in particular have been insisting on our music since we reached over the front seat and changed the channel on the family trip to Yosemite. We (and our offspring) still insist on our music, because it is a sign of our individuality and personality and we will inflict this on the church or we'll walk. Our music is the way we cling to the past and pretend that we're just as young as we've always been. Yet I think the fact that we are predominantly consumers of music rather than producers of music is what makes contemporary worship appealing. It suits the listener more than the participator. There is a difference between clapping your hands, swaying and singing a praise refrain ad nauseaum and singing a hymn in unison with 100 plus other people. Contemporary music is often sold because it encourages 'participation' and that I think is not too far from the truth. It is not that liturgical worship bars participation, but that when modern Americans see a hymn in a hymnal and grapple with the meter of the text, the notation of the tune its rather like observing a Holstein encountering a new gate. They just aren't sure what to do with it all.
Needless to say the organ as an instrument is completely foreign. I would venture to guess that the only time most young people hear Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D is at a haunted house on Halloween. And when they hear that same music in church on Sunday it makes them giggle. Mention 'organ music' and it conjures up the sound of the ubiquitous Hammond B3 with its tremulant set on 'coma' not the glorious sounds of Paul Manz' improvisations on "St. Anne."
If the liturgy and music of the church is to exist in the future outside of a university music department and a few selections on our iPod we will have to educate, educate, educate. We cannot take anything for granted. We will have to have good reasons for what we do and be able to articulate them. We will have to inculcate the theology as well as the beauty and joy of the hymnody and liturgy of the church. We'll have to be open to improvements, but also be firmly set on excellence and not settle for pandering to the lowest common denominator.
It is not just musicians to play our organs that we're running short of. Contemporary worship is prevalent enough in the Synod that we have candidates at the Seminary who have not grown up with a hymnal in their hands, or used the historic liturgy on a regular basis. I'm not sure what these fellows will do when they discover that not everyone gets to go to 1000 member churches with video screens and praise bands. Most candidates get placed in congregations with around 100 members, comprised of blue collar workers, farmers and ranchers; and whose worship is found in the hymnal, and the accompaniment is a hand-me-down organ in ill repair.
There now, I've vented for the day.
- November 30, 2010 at 10:43 AM
- Pastor Peters said...
Hope you feel better, Allen... I do when I let go... Blessings to you...
- November 30, 2010 at 2:23 PM
Why, of all the crazy...
Actually, Pastor Peters, you describe what I believe to be a critical issue and, Pastor Bergstrazer, you offer what I believe to be an incredibly viable solution.
The parish I now serve has been blessed with an incredibly gifted organist. The congregation I served previously had an organist whose dedication to the task more than covered what may have been lacking in ability. In both cases, these organists recognized that their tasks figured incredibly the formation of faith. If we believe what we say as Lutherans, the hymnal is a critical text in learning the faith, more than simply knowing what our favorite hymns are. I would dare anyone to find modern praise songs that stack up in their theological content (if they have any) against the hymns of the Reformation.
Pastor Bergstrazer's suggestion of cultivating young people within the congregation to become organists certainly has merit. In our small context, we have had at least one young person who has voiced an interest in this line of service. I credit the organist at my home congregation with beginning and cultivating my own interest in sacred music for the organ, and with a desire to build the entry level skills I have.
The only issue with such a plan is that it takes an incredible amount of time (years) and the support of parents.
By the way, a Lutheran educator recently died in our area. I commented to our secretary that this was a near and dear event to me. I didn't personally know the individual, but I do sense that fewer Lutheran school teachers are being produced by our Concordia system, though I don't know it as fact, and that means fewer synodically trained organists.
- November 30, 2010 at 3:11 PM
We got an awesome new organist fresh out of school. Yes, I am bragging.
- November 30, 2010 at 5:47 PM
- OldSouth said...
At least, in one parish in the United States, the senior pastor gets it!
You are a blessed exception to the rule. May I make a few gentle suggestions?
1. Keep conveying what you know to your fellow clergymen, and to the seminaries, if they will deign to listen to you. The fact that you are well-informed, and are running a successful parish, make actually be two strikes against you in academia.
2. Your organist is undoubtedly a member of AGO. They have a program in place, 'Pipe Organ Encounters' that puts interested young people with some keyboard skills in the company of accomplished organists for a week in the summer. It works very well.
3. From the pulpit, encourage families to direct their children toward music studies, and away from soccer and football. There are a hundred good reasons for this, but one of the best ones is that little Nathan or Samantha won't be needing knee replacements at age 40 if they become organists.
4. As you know, the organ is not an easy instrument to learn to play well. That's OK, because we should bring our best gifts to worship. But it does take time, energy, and effort to grow a good organist. Encourage families to do it anyway.
5. A church concert series, done the right way, can really help you out.
There's much more to say, but don't wish to bore you. If I can find your email, I'll be in touch.
Best wishes, and a thousand thanks for this post.
- November 30, 2010 at 9:34 PM
I'm feeling much better now, thanks. The matter is not always money in a parish, I've had numerous organists who refused to be paid, in this case one must make sure that your volunteers have the best possible instrument and that it is in good condition, as well as encouragment,(do what you can to make their efforts a joy) support and the occasional workshop if they're so inclined. I also visited my in-laws recently renovated Catholic church, everything was repaired, restored, refinished except for the Pipe organ, that was left to rot away by choice while a keyboard is used instead. The money was there for repair and restoration, but it wasn't seen as a priority.
Organ encounters are an excellent idea if you have AGO in your area, an organ crawl can get your members to realize you have a wonderful resource in your church as well.
- December 1, 2010 at 9:12 AM
I think the church (LCMS) should have a special college devoted to training/educating single women as accomplished organists, fully trained in leading hymnody and liturgy.
This college should be located on the same campus of the seminary. All seminarians must be single and can only date females from their "sister" college. In order for a seminarian to graduate, he must be engaged to a graduate from organist college. This, I believe, would solve the problem. It falls nicely with most congregations: two for the price of one! Our churches are cheap - they buy or tollerate junky inexpensive appliances - if they do have a pipe organ, they don't want to pay to have it properly maintained. They don't want to pay a decent wage for a good organist so they settle for a volunteer who once took piano lessons and can "tickle the ivories." And then there's the pastors who allow their organists to play services unprepared . . . . with glaring mistakes. (What's even worse are pastors who have been given highly trained/skilled "ministers of music"/"Kantor" organists and they demote them to "the parish musician" and are instructed to play contemporary church music.) It's the former that has brought about contempory music in the church - - bad organist? Go Guitar or Karaoke. The latter has caused many great organists to hang up their hats. My graduating class at River Forest had 38 organists. There were 37 better than I and yet, today, only 3 have full time church music jobs in our church . . . I'm one of the three.
At music conferences, fellow organists complain about their pastors - I would guess that at Pastor conferences, pastors complain about their organists. Seems like my original plan at the beginning of this "comment" is the answer . . . but I'm also afraid it would lead to higher divorce rate in the clergy!
- December 10, 2010 at 9:52 PM
Wow, what a great conversation. There is so much to be said. I'm really happy my friend forwarded this to me, but I feel guilty spending the time reading it and commenting on it. I am fortunate to have a full time organist position (Kantor). I have a great Pastor, a wonderful choir, and the support of most of the congregation. I am truly blessed. But I play at a second church on Sunday afternoons, I have 10 piano students, and I take what ever side jobs (weddings, funerals, concerts) I can find just to make ends meet. I live outside of one of the richest areas in the nation. My church is inside that area and my congregation has more millionaires than you can shake a stick at. But even though I'm "full time" my wife and I can barely make ends meet. We are'nt going into debt, thank God (literally), but the cars are 10yrs old (231K miles in one case), the appliances are failing one by one, you get the picture. And the church budget passed because they reduced spending in every category. My salary will be the same as last year, but over the next 3 years I will take on more and more responsibility for my health care. I'm getting tired, and I'm no where near retirement.
If you want organists, they have to have organs to play on, and they have to be able to prepare. I don't play as well as I know I'm able because I don't have the time or energy to practice they way I should. Wouldn't it be great if an organist could spend his work week preparing for worship, instead of wondering how he was going to get everything done that he's committed himself to do because I needs the cash?
And, this is about more than just the organist! When we go away (we will, it's happening now), I suspect that our Lutheran heritage of worship and congregational singing will go away too. What goes next?
- December 14, 2010 at 12:28 PM
I was so happy to see this site. I have been an organist all of my life. Yes, the pay is horrible. Now in my fifties I have finally found a church that pays an adequate salary. I get almost $70.00 per service which is not up to standards set professionally but better than I had been getting all my life. We also have to pay for our music out of our salary. People do not realize this. I was happy to see the point he made about the Praise band doing more entertaining than leading the singing. I feel the same way. The organ leads the congregation. The praise band can not lead in the same way that the organ leads.
We have one Lutheran church in Appleton that does not pay their organists at all. The pastor feels it should be a service to the congregation. LOL They also can never get organists to play there.People forget how much we have had to pay for lessons over the years, books, etc. I will serve coffee in my free time. I did not havebut not play to take lessons to serve coffee.
This takes education. The problem is that there are so few organists. People do not understand the issues, the time it takes to get to the point where one can lead, and the cost involved.
- April 17, 2011 at 7:07 AM
- Hilarie said...
I appreciate your blog and understand how little priority is given to the position of organist. I have been providing my current congregation with music for close to 15 yrs now. We are a small congregation and have limited resources. I have limited "talent" but am able to get us through many services most days without too many errors. :-) All that being said I view my "talent" ( limited as it is) as a gift from God and can not bring myself to accept payment for giving back what God has given to me.
Some people do use this talent as a source of income so they most certainly should be compensated for it. Unfortunately, there are few congregations that have need of an organist for more than the hour or two on Sunday morning. So a large salary is not considered when putting together a budget
Personally I didn't not take my instruction with intent to earn a living with it so this probably why I have a slightly different view of it.
Just some of my ramblings
- August 7, 2011 at 9:43 PM
I played for Baptist churches for 40 years, 33 of them without a salary. When I started doing weekend night shifts 9 years ago, I kept on coming even after 26 hours of no sleep. While most of the congregation appreciated it, one church leader had no appreciation and in fact tore my head off when I had neglected to do something that week. She timed the blast for maximum effect.
The church ended later that year (no surprise) and I was ready to give up church organ playing and most of all, stop coming to church after my night shifts!
In a couple of months, an ad appeared in the paper for an organist and choir leader for an Anglican church. I called them up and offered to perhaps play on just my off weekends. They were so anxious that they raised their pay offer twice to an amount I couldn't refuse, for every Sunday, about $500 a month, which makes a huge difference to my retirement (from work) plans.
Now I have a lovely pipe organ to play, and a quality choir to lead, and money! And to think I was prepared to keep playing an electronic organ every Sunday for nothing, in the Baptist church with that dragon lady in it! Praise.
- September 1, 2015 at 3:22 PM
Hi, all! Thanks for the incredibly fine reflections. I grew up in the LC-MS, but have been a member of the ELCA now for twenty years plus. That said, I also wish to be respectful (as much as possible) of the unique historical, theo-political realities/differences which do exist among denominations. I also believe, as we are of the US culture, that many are (if unintentionally) discouraged from taking up an instrument which has something of a comparatively steep learning curve. It is however far from impossible. Alas, as with many artistic and scientific pursuits, we are discouraged from learning to explore and then exercise skills and talents regardless of how well gifted/disposed one may be. Our US culture (and baby boomers especially) tend to insist on such superiority, that it has squelched much openness to explore and learning even if it can't be done without excellence. Think about the joke, "What do you play?" (response) "I play my stereo." There have been thousands and thousands of people who learned to play the organ and did a perfectly reasonable job with modest skills: but they did play, and they were faithful, and they tried; week in and week out, for decades. Were they encouraged to keep going further, possibly many times not. When did a congregation or council just outright offer to pay for lessons to that faithful woman or man or high schooler, because of the investment she or he had made to them? In the past 75 years, I daresay rarely. We have indeed made our own beds. But we don't have to just wring our hands. Go the heck out there and do something about it. Be invitational. Don't hit anyone over the head. Just be there for that person--young or old--who's been trying. Make a point of making the organ available to the 6-7-8th grader who seems to be taking a shine to all the buttons, and sounds, and keys, and beauty of the instrument. We don't all have to be the world's best. The instrument can do far more than what we ourselves often think we need to make it do for us. Let it shine as a remarkable musical gift God has given us.
- June 1, 2016 at 9:58 AM
It's the same all over the place. Christianity has built too many large institutions that need to be fed, and the first thing to go is the music budget. I've been very lucky to have 10 great years at my church, but they have lost their ability to pay someone too. Who knows where all this is going?
- June 1, 2016 at 11:29 AM
3. The catalyst for my leaving this particular church fell to whether I, as the prospective director of music, could be granted the authority to turn off the four area microphones positioned two feet away from my choir during the Choir Offertory. Not only was the church incredibly small and with a favorable natural acoustic and no 'dead-spots' to speak of, but I had also spent at least a month re-training their choir to project (and sing correctly) without amplification. This request was forcibly denied, and nothing quite kills a Palestrina motet like a hard-of-hearing sound technician turning the unneeded amplification up to 'level 11' half way through from the back of the room.
I provide this specific example in part because it is ultimately an amusing story, and in part as a key illustration of how
a fundamental lack of respect for your trained musician and for the role of church music in general can contribute to the difficulty in finding and retaining an organist.
And for any other organists \ musicians \ clergy that are reeling in horror from this story -- things can and do improve: I was fortunate to find a different church a month after that incident that turned out to be a much better fit all around. Not only does my current church value traditional worship and liturgy, our Rector is also a very fine and capable musician in his own right, and also respects the role that music plays in Worship.
(Also as a side-note, I am in no way complaining about the fact that the organ at the first church was digital. I am a firm believer that putting a good quality two to three manual digital organ into a small church with limited maintenance funding is a far better overall investment than putting in a real instrument of lesser quality, smaller capability and less versatility that will be a strain on the budget to maintain. Fellow Organists need to get over the snobbery towards digital instruments. I'll take a good quality Rodgers over a 70's rebuilt Moller that barely plays any day of the week! That said, churches that have the room and budget, however, should always aim for actual instruments when presented a realistic choice. )
- June 1, 2016 at 3:02 PM
You omit one other key factor in the dearth of organists: the AIDS crisis killed off a number of my colleagues. May they rest in peace.
- June 1, 2016 at 4:22 PM
- George Mims said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 1, 2016 at 5:44 PM
- George Mims said...
While a sophomore in High School I stood up at a parish business meeting and asked for a raise in the salary I received as the Hammond Organist in the large Trinity Baptist Church ($20.00 per month in 1953 for the purpose of taking Organ Lessons running $12.00 a week in those days. The Pastor said Brother George we can't afford you a raise. I resigned with a two week notice and the next morning caught a bus ride across town to the also large South Main Baptist Church with a Kilgen Pipe Organ. The Minister of Music, Thad Roberts, was brand new on the job and walked me into the Sanctuary and showed me how to experience the organ (and not do any damage to it as well!) That was around nine a.m. I finished enjoying my new found friend at 5 p.m. and asked if I could return on the next morning and I was granted that privilege. Next morning, the Minister of Music greeted me with the news that someone heard me play and said "I'll give that boy lessons! ...but this must remain anonymous!" So began two years of study with Anthony Rahe, Organist-Choirmaster of Trinity Episcopal Church down the street. The Baptist Organist, Charles Lively, sent me there to receive the lessons because he owned the Baldwin-Lively Piano Store in town and would not be available to give the lessons himself. My Senior Year in High School concluded and I begged to meet the donor before heading off to Baylor University. Permission granted, I and my parents were invited to dinner with Henry Alvin Lott (H.A.Lott Construction Company who built the Astrodome!!!) and then again on the thirtieth anniversary of the Minister of Music there, the Lott's, me and my wife, Leslie, again went to dinner again after I played a recital for the opening of that church's new chapel, and also I played for the thirtieth anniversary services of the Minister of Music. Every where I've ministered over this 63+ years I've told Men's Groups you have not because you've not invested in the youth of your congregation. Look around and see who can be helped to become that organist, pianist, choir director, pastor, among you and invest in them. It worked for me and can work today! George Ellis Mims, D. M.
- June 1, 2016 at 5:50 PM
- Cynthia Tyler said...
I'm one Boomer who won't set foot in a 'Praise' setting. That's not music. I sang in a stunning little choir for nine years: Arvo Part, Mozart, Rachmaninof, Bach, Charles Villiers Stanford, Casals, Biebl, Tavener, William Byrd...It's the one thing I most miss in synagogue services. Yes, I'm a Jew. And Jewish music, that once followed the latest trends - from late medieval to baroque - that had a great tradition of cantorial soloists, is now reduced to sing-around-the-campfire simple melodies most often accompanied by guitar. No offense meant to Debbie Friedman, of blessed memory, but - it's not right.
I miss singing in the Episcopal church choir. For which, one really needs a nice little pipe organ.
- June 1, 2016 at 6:56 PM
payment for playing? I play keyboard at our church, spend a few hours on Thursday night practice and love every minute of giving back to God the talent He so freely gives to me. I also coordinate and take turns cleaning the church as an offering of love and gratitude. Wow...it never occurred to me to be paid. What a joy serving God!
- June 1, 2016 at 7:23 PM
- Mark Peters said...
Great topic. I completely support the payment of organists. As professionals in our field, as are pastors, we need to be supported by the congregations we serve. I am blessed to serve in a part time position at a congregation that truly loves the talents I bring to the Divine Service. My heart goes out to the musicians who can't find work. Because, for every congregation who bemoans that they can't find an organist, there is an organist who has to change careers since s/he can't find gainful employment.
- June 1, 2016 at 8:11 PM
- Michael Scott Giuliani said...
Could not agree more. I'm blessed to hold on of the few full-time organist positions in the LC-MS, but it was tough landing this job. We are currently trying to hire a part-time assistant organist and have had 0 responses. Yes, zero. And we're in Chicago! It's a sad time in history.
- June 1, 2016 at 9:56 PM
- Michael Scott Giuliani said...
Could not agree more. I'm blessed to hold on of the few full-time organist positions in the LC-MS, but it was tough landing this job. We are currently trying to hire a part-time assistant organist and have had 0 responses. Yes, zero. And we're in Chicago! It's a sad time in history.
- June 1, 2016 at 9:57 PM
Mormons have members of their own congregation playing in nearly every chapel in the country every Sunday of the year. Many are very good. Most are very passable for any denomination's services. I would be willing to bet a dollar that if you contacted your local Mormon bishop, he would be able to find you a Mormon organist willing to come and play your organ for free many, many Sundays for your services.
- June 1, 2016 at 11:23 PM
- Concerned said...
Unfortunately, the trend is toward fewer full-time positions.. for clergy as well as musicians, and that will probably not change in the near future. In response, some seminaries are beginning to talk about preparing clergy (if/when needed) to be bi-vocational. Is this also true of those training organists?
- June 2, 2016 at 10:31 AM
- Randy Terry said...
I'm a classical organist and church musician with 30+ years under my belt. I'm also an amateur organ builder and have shepherded several revoicing and expansion projects, and most recently found all the parts needed and had a professional organ company assemble what became a 6 rank unit organ for a church seating about 90.
Sometimes we organists are our own worst enemy. I'm thinking of people who play a lot of serious and often dissonant organ works, or a constant diet of full organ. Ponderous hymn tempi can add to what I have heard from those in the pew more than once "sounds like a funeral." The organ can be incredibly exciting, and can also add greatly to praise music. In one of my churches, the priest insisted on "Cursillo" songs during communion. These fall into the "praise" category. My choirmaster played the piano, we had a violinist or oboist pretty regularly. Priest particularly wanted the bass the organ could provide. With piano and other instruments leading, it freed me to improvise descants and provide other color. In the absence of violin or oboe I could solo out the melody. I also provided the interludes and modulations between selections. It was the best music we offered at the time, better than our choir anthems. And for heaven's sake, don't lock up the console like Fort Knox, have the office people welcome visitors who wanted to try the organ. Don't hesitate to make the organ fun! play "Happy Birthday" with a brief fanfare type intro once in a while (I don't do it often but people like it.) Last Sunday I heard my assistant's husband ask her if she brought the Marine Hymn (we did a 20 minute hymn-sing using patriotic music before the service) She didn't have the music, so I improvised on the Marine Hymn (from the halls of Montezuma) for a few minutes before service started. These things are good for the organ and its future.
- June 2, 2016 at 11:30 AM
I haven't read all the posts, so this may be a repeat.
Other manners of compensation include paying for continuing ed - encouraging the organist to continue to learn from a mentor (or a college or university where organ is taught). One church allowed the organist to hold piano lessons in the choir room. He also taught music, voice, and music appreciation at the local college. His students were allowed to practice on the church organ. These students then filled in when he was on his month's vacation. There was a concert series - funds collected went to the organ fund, as it is important to have a reserve for repairs). Students played their organ recitals in the church.
This broadened the appeal of the congregation as a place that nurtured the arts. It attracted new members who lived exceptional music. The choir expanded - was professional - and performed challenging music. Some members and members of the choir left bequests to the music program.
In MI especially there are a number of historic organs (fine instruments) that need extensive repairs. Leather bellows that need to be repaired or re-glued. Some have had minimal work done over decades. Encouraging people to train in organ restoration is key. It would cost close to a million dollars for some of these fine instruments to be restored.
What if someone who does this work spent summers traveling with a group of apprentices?
I realize I am addressing the passing on of an art form, of keeping these skills alive.
Once or twice a year I go to a "big church" to be filled with the experience of a fine instrument,well played. I feel the floorboards vibrate under my feet, and tears will probably slip down my cheeks. I am clergy with a good organist at one church, and a failing organist at the other, playing inexpensive electronic organs. They are willing, and we accept their gifts.
- June 2, 2016 at 12:38 PM
M - Yes but then clearly that means that this is not your livelihood. Serving God is a lovely thing - but so is being able to afford rent and groceries! I would think then, also, that an organist who plays in churches as their full time career is probably a higher caliber of performer, leader, and musician. Shame on you for trying to make professional musicians feel ashamed of earning a living!
- June 2, 2016 at 2:36 PM
In response to earlier comments about young people in local conversations: Allow me to plug Lutheran Summer Music (run by the Lutheran Music Program). I am an alum, and current music professor; many of my fellow alums are teachers, professional musicians, and yes, both church musicians and pastors. At a critical time, when I had not yet decided what role either music or the church would have in my life, it was a vital experience. Unlike many of the festivals and camps for young musicians, it was a serious and intensive place, but one that suited undecided folks like me well; you were not locked in a practice room. And also unlike many music festivals, there was a strong and dedicated program for organists, singers with a choral interest, and the other aspects of a life/career in music (and specifically church music) that are overlooked in most festivals, which tend to be more geared towards kids already aspiring to orchestral, conducting, or composition careers.
The first summer I went, I had to be strong-armed. A month? At a music camp? But it really was a life-changing experience.
- June 2, 2016 at 4:34 PM
I was a music education major in college in the early '70s, and organ was my primary instrument. In the 40 plus years since I graduated, there have only been a few years I didn't play on a regular basis. I have been the organist for a moderate sized Presbyterian Church in a small mid-western town for the past 30 years. For 11 of those years I was also the choir director. I am currently paid twice a month (which amounts to approximately $136 per week), and am allotted 2 vacation days and 2 sick days (paid) per year. I feel very fortunate to have a very supportive administrative staff and congregation.
Our greatest difficulty at this point is maintaining a dedicated choir. I believe there are several reasons for this, one of which is another major reason for difficulty in finding competent organists, and that is the increasing elimination of music education in the schools. Before public school music programs completely disappear, we have to find some way to impress on school administrators, the public. and most especially, government officials, the importance music plays in the development of the brain. There is no other school subject that utilizes both hemispheres of the brain, as well as what is commonly called the old brain, mid brain and new brain. Music enhances the ability of all those segments of the brain to work in harmony with each other. There is no other subject . . . bar NONE . . . that children study in school that has this capability. When schools don't see the importance of school music, it is a sure bet that most parents are not going to grasp the concept either.
- June 3, 2016 at 9:33 PM
- arpschneider said...
At least it was left in place, and perhaps in the future, someone wiser than the current incumbant will see it as a priority.
- June 7, 2016 at 9:20 AM


text:
Photo Details
The late Ethel Mae Leffew Jones was born in Harriman, Tennessee, to Parlee Taylor Leffew and Andrew Sterling Leffew. She was the wife of the late Charles Jones of Spencer, Indiana, and mother of six sons: Richard, William, Robert, Frank, John and James. Frank is the only surviving son as of Dec. 2007. Contact information has changed to: [contact link]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
V/Line will run a special train on the Gippsland line this week to inspect the condition of tracks between Traralgon and Bairnsdale.
Topics: rail-transport, bairnsdale-3875, sale-3850, traralgon-3844
Posted| Updated
A Traralgon teenager has been accused of attacking two other teenagers and trying to steal their phones in Victory Park yesterday.
Topics: crime, assault, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
Posted| Updated
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union is expected to meet GippsAero management today.
Topics: manufacturing, air-transport, unemployment, work, unions, states-and-territories, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
Posted| Updated
The Doctors for the Environment group says there should be better ways to monitor air quality during planned burns.
Topics: fires, emergency-planning, air-pollution, health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
V/Line says it has stepped up its maintenance program on the Gippsland train line.
Topics: rail-transport, traralgon-3844, bairnsdale-3875
V/Line train and bus services between Melbourne and Gippsland are still being disrupted by repair work in Melbourne.
Topics: rail-transport, traralgon-3844, warragul-3820, sale-3850
The State Government is drawing up a growth boundary to stop Melbourne's urban sprawl and protect farmland.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, regional, states-and-territories, programs-and-initiatives, vic, ballarat-3350, sale-3850, drouin-3818, geelong-3220, moe-3825, morwell-3840, traralgon-3844, warragul-3820
The East Gippsland and Wellington Shire councils are calling on the Victorian Government to get trains back up and running on the Gippsland line.
Topics: rail-transport, activism-and-lobbying, local-government, bairnsdale-3875, sale-3850, traralgon-3844
More than 2,300 people have signed a petition calling for better public transport between Traralgon and Bairnsdale.
Topics: activism-and-lobbying, transport, bairnsdale-3875, sale-3850, traralgon-3844
Gippsland police officers were injured in three separate violent incidents involving drunks on the weekend.
Topics: police, antisocial-behaviour, assault, traralgon-3844, sale-3850, warragul-3820
The Doctors for the Environment Australia group says the health impacts of coal dust on Latrobe Valley residents are being ignored.
Topics: air-pollution, environmental-management, activism-and-lobbying, coal, health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, morwell-3840, traralgon-3844
Posted| Updated
Seven teenagers have been arrested for impersonating police in eastern Victoria.
Topics: police, crime, offbeat, antisocial-behaviour, traralgon-3844
Latrobe City businesses have been asked to contribute to an employment and industry survey.
Topics: regional-development, small-business, morwell-3840, traralgon-3844
A man armed with a crowbar held up a cash lender in Traralgon yesterday afternoon.
Topics: armed-robbery, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
Posted| Updated
Australia's biggest emitters are being accused of passing on the entire cost of the carbon tax while pocketing government compensation.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, tax, climate-change, environment, business-economics-and-finance, electricity-energy-and-utilities, industry, vic, morwell-3840, traralgon-3844, australia
The owner of one of Traralgon's oldest buildings says he will allow it to go to ruins.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, community-and-society, history, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
The life of a Gippsland firefighter who died on the job in Tasmania this month was celebrated at a funeral service today.
Topics: community-and-society, death, disasters-and-accidents, fires, bushfire, traralgon-3844, hobart-7000
Loy Yang Power Plant in Victoria on January 9, 2013, with steam coming out of the stacks.
A 32-year-old man has died after being stabbed in Traralgon in Victoria's Gippsland region.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, crime, murder-and-manslaughter, traralgon-3844, vic
Posted| Updated
Operating theatres will be closed and patients will miss out on elective surgery if the Federal Government's hospital funding cuts are not reversed.
Topics: healthcare-facilities, programs-and-initiatives, medical-procedures, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
The Federal Government says a new gas-fired electricity substation at Traralgon will reduce household electricity bills.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, programs-and-initiatives, federal-government, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
A six-unit supported accommodation facility for people with mental illness will be built on Hyde Park Road at Traralgon.
Topics: mental-health, urban-development-and-planning, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
Latrobe Valley residents have been told to brace themselves for coal mining licences to devalue their properties.
Topics: coal, activism-and-lobbying, environment, environmental-management, mining-industry, traralgon-3844, sale-3850
Almost 20 people taking part in the Great Victorian Bike Ride in Gippsland were taken to hospital yesterday suffering from mild hypothermia.
Topics: lifestyle-and-leisure, traralgon-3844, sale-3850, rosedale-3847
The operator of the Latrobe Valley's late-night bus service is considering running another bus to cope with demand over the summer period.
Topics: community-and-society, traralgon-3844, moe-3825, churchill-3842


text:
Clark Ellis brings us Part 2 of an interview with Dr. Lucinda Bateman, where she answered questions posed by the patient community …
Discuss the article on the Forums.
Does XMRV cause ME?
Discussion in 'Media, Interviews, Blogs, Talks, Events about XMRV' started by Ana, Mar 13, 2011.
Page 3 of 3
Page 3 of 3


text:
Definition of ping in English:
An abrupt high-pitched ringing sound: the ping of the oven timer
More example sentences
- The gun's trigger guard cracked with a high-pitched ping, but the sound was pretty much lost in the screaming.
- Beeps, blips and pings are the everyday sounds that we live with, thanks to our push-button gizmos and fast-paced lifestyle.
- It will be interesting now to see, when the oven pings, if the whole confection really is a recipe for success.
1Make or cause to make a ping: [no object]: the doorbell pinged [with object]: Victoria pinged the bell
More example sentences
- Instead of being a taut, minimal straight line, I'm a curvy, springy, unmarshalled dithering thing, unable to ping, ding or ker-ching.
- Ward got another nudge which Barton blocked and the ball pinged up from their clash and smacked the unfortunate Mills in the face before finally looping into the net.
- When the lift came to a halt and the doors pinged open with a pleasant ding the girls dragged the bags down the hallway, stopping outside of the apartment while Forever searched for her keys.
2 [with object] Computing Query (another computer on a network) to determine whether there is a connection to it.
Example sentences
- To test your IPv6 connection, first try pinging something with the ping6 program on both the gateway and a connected host.
- Try pinging or otherwise connecting to hosts on the remote network; the connection should behave no differently from before when you brought the tunnel up.
- The laptop sitting on the center console continuously pinging at the networks being discovered.
2.1Send an email or other electronic message to (someone): at least a dozen people have pinged me or called to tell me this
More example sentences
- I guess you could think of pinging as eye contact via mobile phone; just enough information is conveyed to be useful, but not so much that it disrupts what you're already doing.
- Some people ping us directly, and most of the rest comes from blogs - which polls Weblogs.com once an hour.
- To get blogs is easy nowadays and so you just spam by writing pseudo blogs and linking and pinging.
Mid 19th century: imitative.
This word imitates the noise. The game ping-pong got its name in the early 20th century from the sound of a bat striking a ball.
Words that rhyme with pingBeijing, bing, bring, Chungking, cling, ding, dingaling, fling, I Ching, king, Kunming, ling, Ming, Nanjing, Peking, ring, sing, Singh, sling, spring, sting, string, swing, Synge, thing, ting, wing, wring, Xining, zing
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: ping
Definition of ping in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
Photo Details
Photo of Mary Ann Morison Steeples with her children, David James Steeples and Hellen Isabell "Nellie" Steeples. The children's father, Francis Oliphant Steeples died of pneumonia in 1881. The next year, Mary Ann married George Samuel Burns and had 3 more children: George Henry, Ethel Mary and Olive May Burns.
in Plainville, Rooks Co., Kansas USA
Heather Lurvey Hello sorry to bother you but i couldn't help but see the beautiful picture of someone whom i might be related to. My name is Heather Lurvey. I am the daughter of Keith Lurvey and Christine Uber. Could you shed some light on my dark search for my family's past?
Jun 05, 2006 · Reply


text:
messy by ChroniclesOfKateWatch
©2012-2016 ChroniclesOfKate
self-portrait C-:
The diagonal created by the tilt of your head really adds to the impact of the image. The fact that you are incredibly beautiful also makes this a striking portrait. Great work as photographer and model.
Holy Cow! That is a beautiful shot!
B E A UuuuuuTifulllllllll,, Superbbbbbbbbbbb work ♥
OMG nice phtot what camera did you use.
lovely portrait!
pure beauty
How absolutely lovely!
goodness, why thank you


text:
Strakal, McLaughlin
Bobbi Jo McLaughlin and Tommy Joe Strakal II were united in marriage Saturday, July 24, at the Salvation Army church, Wheeling, with Lts. Lee and Michelle Wilson performing the double-ring ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Jackie and Harold McLaughlin of Wheeling.
The groom is the son of Tom and Charla Strakal of Cassville, W.Va.
Rosealee McLaughlin, sister of the bride, and Robyn Miller, sister of the bride, were matrons of honor. Julia Riddle was maid of honor. Adam Strakal, brother of the groom, served as best man.
Other attendants were Phil McLaughlin, brother of the bride; Josh Ingram; Levi Boyd; Seneca Boyd and Tiffany Staggs.
A reception was held at the church hall.
After a wedding trip to St. Augustine, Fla., and a cruise to the Bahamas, the couple resides in Cassville.


text:
using Thomson's TG585v7 (latest firmware) as an internet gateway with the following setup:
- Windows XP @ Lenovo T61
- WPA2 crypted WLAN
brings unfrequent internet disconnects. The LAN is up anyway, it's just the internet over the WLAN. The internet connection on the gateway is up, too.
There are two ways to solve this problem:
- Repair/Disable+Enable the WLAN in Windows
- Switch off+on the WLAN on the notebook which implies the first.
What could that be?


text:
Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 188.8.131.52
I would guess that close to 40% of all dynamic websites are using a combination of VB and JScript. That's hardly lame and crippled.
40%? Maybe - I don't have the hard number. But from the Netcraft's figure of percentage of web sites running Apache, I really doubt it. Anyway, I am actually not a web-programmer by trade, and I've only used ASP+VB for 6 months, mainly to debug a COM object I wrote. That was VB 5, and things might have changed over the last year and half. I've been using PHP on various projects for the past three years, and it is currently my main server-end web language. Even that, I don't think PHP is a nice language, especially when it borrows lots of syntax of C and Perl.
From a programmer point of view, VB/JScript does not provide a lot of power in its language syntax to build up modular code. It just seems to be impossible (to me at least) to build a large and maintain-able dynamic web site using VB or JScript alone without using some COM objects. I guess many people are using it because (1) it comes with their web server (2) even non-programmer can write VB from their MS Office experience (3) no one bothered to consider an alternative. If these people have tried some other languages (Python, Ruby, etc), they would wonder why they would start programming in VB in the first place.
Okay. PHP is better, but I think it has lots of problems as well. It might have lots of built-in functions and modules, but each module just dump their functions into the global name space. It is particular frustrating to integrate multiple PHP products onto one page, when the variables and functions in the global scope just have conflicts with each other. You *can* use "class" to simulate name-space in PHP, but (1) it looks like a hack (2) not many products out there are doing that. Quite a lot of syntax are 'hackish' to me, as they borrow heavily from C and Perl. It is also quite difficult to produce reusable and componentised modules, even though PEAR tries to rectify that...
Enough rant for today. Still searching for a perfect server-side scripting language...
no one bothered to consider an alternative.
Personally I much prefer scripting in C-like languages (JScript, PHP etc) than basic but I've got to say that I really hate PHPs object delimiter thingy:
Who came up with -> anyway?
However, in the case you referenced, it may have been that ASP, even for ASP wizards with their own Wizarding Site, doesn't run so well on non-MS OS's:
04/19/02 17:43:01 Browsing [aspcode.net...]
Fetching [aspcode.net...] ...
Host: www.aspcode.net
Connection: close
User-Agent: Sam Spade 1.14
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 21:53:21 GMT
Server: Apache/1.3.20 Sun Cobalt (Unix) mod_throttle/3.1.2 mod_ssl/2.8.4 OpenSSL/0.9.6b PHP/4.0.6 mod_auth_pam_external/0.1 FrontPage/22.214.171.124 mod_perl/1.25
X-Powered-By: PHP/4.0.6
Location: /newaspcode/index.php
Connection: close
Transfer-Encoding: chunked
Content-Type: text/html
i dont think it will be too long until we see a strain of asp which is far more advanced than the current version - but still they will own the market by not letting it run on other platforms - with all this said and done there will always be many different server platforms that support certain languages - but asp is certainly not something to rule out.
with packages like ultradev as you'll know you can output many different languages - namely one cold fusion which is i believe one of the most advanced coding languages out there. surely to a degree using programmes like this to output makes some sense as there are features built into the application that will show you where you are going right or wrong. hand code will always take longer to learn as you're either adapting existing code or starting from scratch. this i guess makes it more specialised, however with an ever changing market place and new technologies it wont be too long until there is a new 'buzz' word or language which people will jump the band wagon with.
i am be no means a hardened microsoft fan
>>i dont think it will be too long until we see a strain of asp which is far more advanced than the current version
Isnt that the same for any technology? There will always be another version which superceeds the previous one.
joined:Apr 25, 2002
votes: 130
It sounds to me like you mean that you have mostly static content that you want to plug into a template dynamically. Is that right?
Then all you need to learn in PHP is how to use
include() and require(). This is really easy. If I'm correct, write back...
If you mean including content from a database, again this is still fairly simple if what you want to include is simple. I think that complexity increases fairly linearly with PHP. However, you will need to learn basic PHP programming and at least basic SQL. It's not necessarily hard, but you will need to have an interest in programming
joined:Apr 25, 2002
votes: 130
I assume that you have a server with PHP set up on it. If not, go to www.php.net and download the binaries you need (Lin/Win/etc).
Please note that PHP comments are delimited by // (or /* */).
1. Create a page that looks just like you want.
2. Cut chunks out to create the components you want, such as header, footer, side-bar. Save as "header.php" etc.
3. Now create a file called something like "template.php" and have code like this

<?php // now we switch to php with the <?php tag
// we include our header code
// filename is here a relative path. This should be the *filesystem* path and not the *server* path
// don't forget your ";"


text:
Just before sunset, Hotel Mont-Blanc, Jaraicejo, Extremadura, Spain
Chaos City, Hotel Mont-Blanc, Jaraicejo, Extremedura.
Hotel Luxe, Lisbon. Actually Basic rather than Luxe, and recently built. Google maps & street view currently (10/10) shows it as a building site.
View from 3rd floor bedroom, Hotel Luxe, Lisbon.
Mr. Swire approved of the colour scheme of his balcony
Mr. Swire on the balcony at the rear of Hotel Luxe.
Mrs. Masimba-Swire on the balcony at the rear of Hotel Luxe
Infants School Yard
Barack gets the convicts crop. He doesn't seem to be enjoying it as much as Leroy is.
...shooting from the hip again.
Beware of the tram
"OK, enough already!"
More balcony extensions in tasteful sky blue
View from South end of Rua Dom Duarte into Praça da Figueira
Vaguely Germanic?
Plenty of Port in Portugal
Elevador de Santa Justa
Looking North up Rua Augusta using the 'Bad Postcard' filter in Photoshop
Arse end of King José the First on horseback in the middle of the Plaza of Commerce seen through the Victory Arch at the South end of Augusta Road. More than that I know not.
Roast Chestnuts in a paper twist
South (port) end of Rua Augusta
Double entendre?
Just like Windsor
MUDE - the Design and Fashion Museum,
José the First on 'is 'orse in the Plaza of Commerce
Day 2. On the Way to Sintra. Lena goes for the huge sponge cake.
Coffee and cakes pit stop on the outskirts of Sintra
Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra
View across the Royal Palace of Sintra to the coast from the battlements of the Castelo dos Mouros
Royal Palace of Sintra (not Italianate farm buildings with an oast house)
The Sea! The Sea!
Palácio da Pena
Ferny Tree
Restaurant Vin Rouge, Cascais port.
Restaurant Vin Rouge, overlooking Cascais small but perfectly formed harbour.
A magnificent postre
In need of some TLC, as are many fine buildings in Portugal.
The House of Stories - Paula Rego Museum, Cascais
The Maids by Paula Rego, 1987
The Policeman's Daughter by Paula Rego, 1987
The Family by Paula Rego, 1988
Dog Woman by Paula Rego, 1994
The Shakespeare Room by Paula Rego, 2005
Day 3. Outside the main entrance of the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian
Lisbon is steep.
More derelict brilliance
Not open till 7.30. We decided not to wait.
Restaurante Costa do Castelo. Highly recommended. A starter of scallops in crustacean and saffron sauce.
A butterfly of roasted chicken breasts stuffed with spinach, cream cheese, pistachio nuts and a hint of (?) cardamom, served with couscous and a light meaty gravy
Day 4 - Mercado Da Ribeira, LIsbon's major indoor food market.
Market workers café grub
to 'settle the stomach', according to Mr. S
The Last of Lisbon
A not-quite-so-big a splash.


text:
- About Us
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- Seminarian Retreat
- Three Days of Prayer
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- Media & Downloads
- Directories
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- Meeting Minutes
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- Support Us
Upcoming Events
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Aug 12 - Aug 14
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9:00am - 3:00pm
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10:00am - 3:00pm
Seminarian Retreat
Sep 30 - Oct 2
LCMC StatsTotal number of congregations: 934
US Congregations: 745
States Represented: 41
US Territories Represented: 2
Countries Represented: 17
find a congregation
Connect with other LCMC congregations in your local area. Check out our Church Finder to search for LCMC churches near you!
resources & training
Strengthen the churches we have; plant the ones we dont.
News and Announcements
LCMC Cambodia Partners with ALWM, ILT for the 5 Year Challenge
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, Cambodia has partnered with Awakening Lives to World Missions (ALWM) and the Institute for Lutheran Theology (ILT) to expand and strengthen Christian Mission in the southeast asian country. Pastor Samuel Chim, Service Coordinator for LCMC Cambodia, has led mission in Cambodia for 20 years, establishing 50 house Churches, 9 Congregations, and 5 major regional projects. Some of his ... More
Annual Gathering Photo Contest Now Open!
Were looking for photos that exemplify what it means to be in mission for Christ in the 21st century to include in the 2016 Annual Gathering Book and on our website. Photos must be submitted via our online photo submission form by Friday, July 1 and will be selected based on subject matter, photo quality, and story. More
Service Project Update: Lutheran World Relief and Meals from the Heartland
Over the past few years, "service" has become a central part of our Annual Gatherings. In 2014, we packaged almost 300,000 meals with Meals from the Heartland and raised over $90,000 to do so. Last year, we donated just over 160 pints of blood to a local blood bank in Texas. This year, we will be working with Lutheran World Relief to help assemble personal care kits at the Annual Gathering, and participants at our ... More
Annual Gathering & Seminarian Retreat: Online Registration Now Open!
Online registration for our 16th Annual Gathering and our 2016 Seminarian Retreat is now open! The theme of our 2016 Annual Gathering is Back to the Future: First Century Principles for the Twenty First Century. Held October 2-5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Denver, the event features plenty of opportunities to get inspired, connect with other people in LCMC and get news... More


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I installed Subscribe To Comments Reloaded 2 days ago and I really like this plugin.
But I spent some hours trying to customize the management page for the users. For example, I'd like to put a specific class to a parent div, so I could use this class in my css selectors, or I could modify the generic template for this page.
I didn't find anything in the forum (but modify the templates directly in the plugin), but I found a way by myself... A weird way, but it works.
Here's the thing:
- First, duplicate the page.php of your theme (or index.php, single.php...) and rename it page-manage-subscriptions.php. "manage-subscriptions" is the url you indicated in the plugin settings (options tag, at the top), so you can change it to what you want, just make sure the file has the same name whit "page-" before.
- You can edit this file by adding your custom class or by modifying the html structure. Make sure to keep
- Then, go to WordPress admin and create a new page. You can give the title you want. You can leave its content empty. The only important thing is the permalink (under the page title): you have to edit it and name it the same way (manage-subscriptions for example) and save the page.
- At this point, if you try to go to your management page, you'll see it, but you have no management at all. Here's the trick: go back to your admin area AND PUT YOUR NEW PAGE IN THE TRASH! Yes, in the trash, and don't suppress it, just keep it there.
- Now you can go to your management page, it's here.
I know, it's a bit weird, but it worked for me. May be there's a simpler way for that but it's the only thing I found.
I hope it will help.


text:
Suburban Legends: True Tales of Murder, Mayhem, and Minivansby Sam Stall
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They told you the suburbs were a great place to live. They said nothing bad could ever happen here.
But they were wrong.
This collection of terrifying true stories exposes the dark side of life in the 'burbs—from corpses buried in backyards and ghosts lurking in fast food restaurants
It's a Terrible Day in the Neighborhood
They told you the suburbs were a great place to live. They said nothing bad could ever happen here.
But they were wrong.
This collection of terrifying true stories exposes the dark side of life in the 'burbs—from corpses buried in backyards and ghosts lurking in fast food restaurants to UFOs, vanishing persons, bizarre apparitions, and worse. Consider:
• The Soccer Mom's Secret. Meet Melinda Raisch of Columbus, Ohio. She's the wife of a dentist. A mother of three. A PTA member. And she has enough murderous secrets to fill a minivan.
• Noise Pollution. More than 100 residents of Kokomo, Indiana, claim their small town is under attack by a low-pitched humming sound that erodes health and sanity. Too bad they're the only ones who can hear it.
• Death Takes a Holiday inn. There's nothing more reassuring than a big chain hotel in a quaint small town—unless it's the Holiday Inn of Grand Island, New York, where you'll spend the night with the spirit of a mischievous little girl.
So lock your doors, dim the lights, and prepare to stay up all night with this creepy collection of true tales. We promise you'll never look at white picket fences the same way again!
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
- 9781594746536
- Publisher:
- Quirk Publishing
- Publication date:
- 10/01/2013
- Sold by:
- Penguin Random House Publisher Services
- Format:
- NOOK Book
- Pages:
- 264
- Sales rank:
- 587,624
- File size:
- Note:
- This product may take a few minutes to download.
Meet the Author
Sam Stall lives with his wife, Jami, in the quintessentially Middle American town of Indianapolis, Indiana. Their home sits on quiet, tree-lined Primrose Avenue, part of a beautiful suburban area where nothing bad ever happens (except for a low-pitched humming sound that disrupts the sanity of its residents; see "Noise Pollution" in Chapter VII).
Customer Reviews
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This was a great quick read for me. It isn't your typical book of short stories. The difference here is that they are all true. Not only are they all true, but they are all sufficiently creepy. The stories collected in this book made me think twice about assuming anything about my seemingly sweet neighbors. I felt myself looking over my shoulder and thinking about how some of these things could certainly be happening in my neighborhood. Out of all these twisted true tales, I enjoyed the stories about the twisted and crazy people out there. Maybe that makes me twisted and crazy too, but I found it interesting to think about what makes people tick. I breezed over most of the supernatural tales in this collection. They didn't seem as interesting or engaging, but it was cool to think about how these stories of haunted homes and supernatural sightings were reportedly real. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a fun little read and it was interesting. I would definitely recommend this to readers looking for a good short story collection and an insight into human nature. Sam Stall pulls the curtain back on suburbia and shows us its true hidden nature.
Just like the blurb suggests, this book is a collection of true stories that range from funny to fairly scary. Most of the stories take place in the suburbs but some of them take place in slightly more rural areas. There are 66 stories in the book (I have to wonder if that was intended or not) and are each less than five pages. This book is perfect for an October afternoon or evening when you want to curl up in some blankets and scare yourself silly. During the Halloween season, I love reading scary stories that are going to keep me up at night even when I read the book in the afternoon. I enjoyed reading these books; however, some of the tales were fairly gruesome (the events that the Amity Horror movie are based on are discussed). Although some of the tales are a bit, well, horrifying, I didn't feel anything was too over the top in terms of graphic details. At the same time, I wouldn't hand this book to someone who wasn't at least a teenager.