If you are “in the trenches” in music ministry, you know that this week can be, in some ways, tougher than Christmas week itself. It’s the last week before Christmas, and you might be making last minute binders for your trumpet players….as you get an email from your chorister that says they have the flu, and won’t be making the last choir rehearsal before Christmas. At the same time, you must prepare music of your own! One year I sat down to play the 4 pm Mass on Christmas Eve and as I began to play the prelude, I realized that I never prepared a binder of music for myself.

Not only do we need to prepare binders, but we need to prepare multiple prelude and postlude selections….while still wrapping gifts and preparing for the non-liturgical part of the holiday itself.

How do we stay afloat?  What can we do in a jam-packed week such as this?

Many of us are assisting in liturgies to honor the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother today, as the Holy Day of Obligation is transferred to today in the United States, and I can’t help but pray to our Mother, Mary, today, as we begin the episode.

Mary’s simple “yes” to God’s call is always an inspiration to me in a time of year that can be overwhelming to say “yes” to everything that’s expected of us. As we continue the conversation from last week’s episode, I hope that you’re taking time out of the hectic schedule for a little self-care. Silence and stillness can be the foundation of self-care if we are listening for God’s voice a little more deeply.

We have officially entered into the new church year, and with that, the beginning of the Advent season. Advent is, of course, a time of longing and expectation for the birth of our Lord, and yet it can be some of the challenging days of our year. From extra rehearsals to cold and flu season to preparing binders of music for Christmas musicians, Advent can be a very busy time for pastoral musicians.  

At Ministry Monday, we know how you feel. That is why we are beginning the Advent season with one of the highest-rated “Key Changes” from this year’s NPM National Convention. What is a “Key Change”? A “Key Change” was a breakout option at the convention that was meant to refresh its attendees on a topic they may already know about, in a smaller time frame than a traditional breakout session.