MUSIC BOX
Melinda Coffey Armstead, piano
Prelude to Worship
Prelude in C minor Well Tempered Clavier Book I . . . J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
Chorale: In allen meinen Taten (Where’er I Go, Whate’er My Task)
Where’re I go, what’re my task, the counsel of my God I ask, Who ruleth all things right; For what can all my toil avail? My care, my watching, all must fail, unless my God is there; Then let Him order all for me as in His will He shall decree, on God I cast my care.
Musical Interlude
Brother James’ Air (Psalm 23). . . James Leith Macbeth Bain, arr. by Larry Shackley
Postlude
Chorale: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (What God Ordains Is Always Good)
What God ordains is always good! His holy will abideth. I will be still whate’re he doth, and follow where he guideth. He is my God; though dark my road, He knoweth how to shield me, Wherefore to Him I yield me.
Fugue in C minor WTC I . . . J. S. Bach
I’ve been accused of controlling behavior, which I positively deny. I’m as conciliatory and flexible as the next person, as anyone who knows me (except for maybe one person, who could do with a little guidance himself) can tell you.
I’m as reasonable and open to new ideas as a person can be, even to those in opposition, and am willing to consider them, presented intelligently, subject to scrutiny by various filters I maintain for the benefit of myself and others around me.
It’s quite clear when someone tries to strong-arm me intellectually; I can tell by the flurry of murky sophistry concealed in a cloud of so-called facts and reasoning conflicting with my own well-considered views. I haven’t thought about controversial issues just to flex my cerebrum on the stage, you know.
Some people are willing to spend a lifetime building a framework representing reality and the reasonable responses to it. These people should be respected for holding themselves to high standards of propriety, navigating by their overarching sense of what is best for everyone, and should not suffer disdain from those with a less secure grasp on the clear way forward.
In short, I’m not a control freak, so think twice before you attach that distasteful label to me. – MCA
