Jimmy Buffet, one of the greats of the American pop music scene, wrote about “changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes, nothing remains quite the same.” (Hum it for a few seconds, and then continue reading.)

The RUMC Choir has seen its share of changes over the past five years, but to many of the long-time members things haven’t really changed that much. I suspect that is because so many of us have remained steadfast in our commitment to the choir and have just taken it upon ourselves to “ride out” the changes.

But, let’s take a quick look at just a few of the changes that we have undergone in the past decade:

The addition of the contemporary service and the end of “doublers” leaving after the anthem in the second service;

An 8:45 AM service that required us to be in place at 8:15 AM to begin warming up (I still feel the throat “frogs” from this period.);

Wednesday night rehearsals;

Revival of the Talent Show

The choir cruise

Out with the old pale blue robes and in with the new navy blue ones;

Malone – gone; Mike – here;

Screens;

The loss by death and relocation of so many of our friends and loved ones;

The graying of more than a few heads and (ahem) balding of some others;

The welcoming of so many new members;

The joy of choir members welcoming new marriages, children and grandchildren;

New music to sing and enjoy;

The use of the Web site by so many people;

No more sounds of speakers falling with a “thud” when someone’s chair accidentally knocked them off the flimsy brackets in the Sanctuary

Feel free to add your own “new things” here.

But there still remains so much of the character that attracted each of us to this extraordinary group in the first place:

The amazing commitment to excellence that is the cornerstone of the choir;

The attitude of “caring” that can only be described as “contagious;”

The direction and musical gifts of Michael O’Neal;

The keyboard artistry (piano and organ) of Tom Alderman;

The steadfast professionalism of the music staff and the church staff;

Some old familiar music;

The occasional sarcasm, banter and repartee that flows both ways during rehearsal;

Certain notes that cannot be sung correctly no matter how hard we try;

Pieces like Jacob’s Ladder that continue to move us, no matter how often they are sung;

The Christmas and Patriotic Concerts performed to huge crowds;

Standing room only at Easter services;

The Sounds of the Spirit Concert Series;

The easy and cooperative transitions among the various choir officer positions;

The pictures of choir members lining the various bulletin boards;

The arm-twisting to attend MOS concerts

The great post-concert parties in December and June

Long-winded devotionals (in the grand scheme of things – who cares?)

The squawking when a change of any sort is proposed.

Routine can lead to boredom, while change is the lifeblood of a dynamic organization. If the changes being proposed are the most traumatic things in anyone’s life these days, you are truly blessed.

Isn’t it really better to just “go with the flow?” Who knows, we might just discover something about ourselves when we stop clinging to the status quo and embrace something new and different.

Those of us who have sung in a number of choirs over the years remember some of the good ideas that worked at other places that are not incorporated here. And, we also remember the crazy things from our previous stops that we don’t ever want to see again.

I can remember this one tenor …..