This Month's Newsletter

The monthly Sing For Joy newsletter contains a letter from the program's host, Rev. Alexandra M. Jacob, along with a listing of music selections for each program and the corresponding scripture readings. If you'd like to receive a complimentary subscription, fill out our online request form to subscribe.

March 2024 Newsletter (Year B)

WINDOWS INTO THE STORY

This winter, I traveled to Paris with my mom for a trip we had been dreaming of and planning for several years. We had a wonderful time exploring the history, art, and food of the city, and of course, the trip included a number of visits to historic churches! A highlight for me was my visit to Sainte-Chappelle, a thirteenth century gothic cathedral built by Louis IX to house a holy relic. Sainte-Chappelle is captivating from the outside — a remarkable feat of medieval architecture and construction — but it was the stained glass that most captivated me. The upper chapel is filled with floor-to-ceiling stained glass, each piece telling a story. The stories are grouped according to parts of the biblical narrative, and together, the entire chapel tells the story of the Bible from start (a Genesis window) to finish (the amazing Revelation rose window). I could have spent a whole day inside the chapel and not absorbed all the details.

In our current age, it is easy to forget that historically, stained glass has served a theological and ecclesial function aside from providing beauty and adornment to worship spaces. During a time when literacy was reserved for the few with means to receive schooling, visual arts offered a crucial mode of faith formation. Stained glass windows like the ones in Sainte-Chappelle tell the story of the Bible without words, widening our access to that grand story.

Sing For Joy listeners know that music does a similar thing, allowing us to enter into biblical stories and hear theological truths in new ways. Through music this Lent, we are journeying through Jesus’s wilderness temptation and his cleansing of the temple; in hymns and anthems, we are hearing his teachings to take up our crosses and follow, and his words that foreshadow what is to come in Holy Week. We will hear “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,” remembering his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and then listen in as the crowds turn to jeers at the crucifixion, with musical commentary from Bach’s St. John Passion. 

Music provides special windows into the biblical stories — stained glass windows, perhaps, each with different shapes and colors to invite us into the story anew. This Lent and Holy Week, I hope that you find your own windows into the story. Blessings to you as you move through this season.

Peace be with you,

Rev. Alexandra M. Jacob

Program Host, Sing For Joy

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Sing For Joy is supported by listeners like you. All gifts go directly towards our operating budget that makes Sing For Joy possible. To become a sustaining supporter, check the "recurring gift" option on our online giving form.

March Playlists and Programs

Interested in reading hymn lyrics as you listen? We recommend hymnary.org, where you can search by hymn name, composer, and more.

Lanterns in Boe Chapel

Memorials and Honorariums

Thank you for your gifts in memory and honor of those close to your heart.

IN MEMORY OF:

Harold E. Anderson

Charlie Brehm

Mary Helen Detmer

Albert and Norma Eickmann

Arthur and Velma Johnshoy

Mr. and Mrs. Grover Poole

Arthur and Erna Raap

Rev. Alvin Rueter

IN HONOR OF:

Dr. Matt Brittain

Rev. Dr. Gary Scheidt

To include an honorarium or memorial when you give to Sing For Joy, simply include the name(s) and occasion(s) in the comment box, as well as who should receive an acknowledgement letter and their street or email address. Due to editorial lead times, Honorariums and Memorials will appear in the Sing For Joy newsletter two months following our receipt of the gift. 

Sing For Joy is sponsored by:

Sukup Manufacturing Co., St. Olaf College, and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)