Every year in the SNU Chorale, one of the most important things we do is visit local churches, occasionally even visiting some across Oklahoma’s state lines. Part of the reason we do this is to advertise the school and the music department, showcasing our God-given gifts and the school that lets us do what we love. As Christians, we are also called to share our faith and build the Christian community through many different ways, and performing at churches is a great way of doing this.
When talking to SNU student Liberty Attaway, Attaway mentions the impact the choir has on the church community and how this starts from a place of hard work. She expresses that “we have a big responsibility” to represent SNU and its music department. She also said that it is important to “go up there and sing to God and for Him.” The SNU Chorale has always had a great track record of working hard to put on performances to be proud of. However, the time taken to worship in other churches in our community helps strengthen our relationships with God as well as each other, with everybody united for a common purpose.
Some people in the SNU Chorale are newer to this particular practice, but it nonetheless has had an impact on them. Hannah Elrod, a freshman here at SNU, expresses that, even though she has only been on one church visit, the experience stuck with her. This includes the bus rides on the way there and back “talking to one elderly lady and hearing her story in Guymon.” The community that God has allowed us to build always ends up taking center stage on these trips in sometimes surprising ways. Often, those simple conversations we have with friends or strangers end up being what is so important, allowing us to be both messengers of God’s Word and crazy college kids who can enjoy each other’s company.
In essence, the church visits that the SNU Chorale goes on are meant to bring the Christian community closer to each other, as well as to God. They also present an opportunity in which everyone in the choir gets to spend time with one another. On February 22nd, the choir visited a church in Arkansas, which provided everyone with more opportunities to do all of these things.
Photo by: Jacob Mash