Don't forget about your Ward Organist....

Organists are hard to come by in our little student ward.

That's why when we had been living in this ward for about a year my Bishop came to me and asked if I would start to learn to play and play once a month along with Maren so that when Spring needed a backup we would be ready to play. I have heard this ward referred to a "training" ward and that is what it feels like. I wasn't really excited about this new idea, I didn't even feel comfortable playing many of the hymns on the piano, and I had never even touched an organ.

Well I got busy, the bishop got busy and we all just kinda forgot about the whole organ training until one day several months later the Bishop called Maren and I to be the Organists.

That was probably physically, the hardest calling I have ever had. It took way more practice than I could have imagined, and a lot of sweat and tears up on the stand. Pretty soon Spring moved, then Maren moved, and Dave Johnson moved in and started playing along with me, I just kept playing the organ. I started to feel really comfortable with the calling. It would only take half a week to be prepared to play on Sunday as compared to the 2 1/2 weeks it had previously taken.

I played the organ for about 2 years in this ward. I was starting to feel a little burned out with school and having Chase, and practicing the organ every week. The Lord must have known that as well because the very day that I started to wonder if I was stuck in my calling forever I got the new call.

They called me to be the Relief Society Secretary, and much to my surprise I was released from the organ. (It wasn't unheard of to play organ and do something else.)

Well today was Ward Conference and I was warned that I MIGHT have to play the prelude music on the organ before church. The Stake Presidency was very strict and told the bishopric that they expected the organ to be playing 15 min. early no exception. No problem. Then I was told that maybe I should call and find out what the first song will be because just in case the organist is late, I MIGHT (but most certainly probably not,) have to play the first song. Then the organist should definitely be there by the Sacrament. "Yea, I doubt you will even have to do anything at all, but could you just be prepared with prelude...." is what I was told.

Well I started to play prelude today and when church started I was getting ready to get down from the organ bench when I noticed the organist still wasn't there.... OH NO! I only practiced the first song and barely at that.....

So, I played the first song, and then the Sacrament song, and then the Closing (a little bit rusty I might add.)

I forgot how hard that calling is, and I sat up in front of everyone sweating, scared to death once again...

I think I will tell Brother Stock how grateful I am that he plays the organ next week. You probably don't notice who your organist is, and their "huge" mess ups may not even faze you, but don't take your organist for granted!