Following the organist appreciation meal on Sunday afternoon, November 19, Pastor Haan gave a thank-you to Joan Wittmeier, remembering her 30 years of service as organist.
Joan started playing regularly for our church in November 1990. That was a very turbulent year for me, as our organist Florence Meyer passed away, so I did not forget the date. We should have celebrated in 2020 but Covid messed up our anniversary schedule. This is really the first time, we have had opportunity to do this.
Joan was a good organist when she came and she has only gotten better through the years. I have heard some very accomplished Presbyterian organists during our time on the East Coast, but personally I would rather listen to Joan. Here she is, playing organ at our church in Pollock. Thank you, Lord.
An organist is extremely important to me as a pastor because that person is my co-worker when it comes to leading worship. We are leading worship together. As a congregation, we should never take for granted the person who does this work, especially in this day when organists are becoming more scarce.
One of the directives of Reformed Worship is that when a instrument is played by itself, such as in a prelude, the person listening should be able to sing the words in their mind devotionally. One of the songs that Joan often includes in her prelude is the chorus, “I Love You, Lord.” During my two weeks teaching at a school in Jamaica, I heard the Jamaicans sing this song nearly every day, multiple times. When she plays it, I am singing it in my mind, “I Love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my soul rejoice, Take joy my King in what you hear. May it be a sweet sweet sound in your ear.” I think that song summarizes what makes Joan such a wonderful organist… when she plays, you can feel the hymns being lifted up to God as an act of worship. Thank you, Joan, for helping us worship God with our soul, with our emotions.
Everyone needs to realize that Joan doesn’t just sit down and play for us on Sunday. She has to drive into town on Saturdays to practice and line up her music ahead of service. Sometimes you can see lights on at church at 10 o’clock at night. Because of that dedication she has offered us some moving preludes and superb hymn playing. Thank you, Joan, for all those hours of practice at the church here. We need to include thanks also to Mike, for he was often part of her time at church.
Thank you, Joan, for your faithfulness through the years including the 15 years you played for us during the second service in the afternoon, a more informal service, when you would play 20 minutes of hymns on request.
During Covid, her work as a nurse brought her into contact with some very sick people, some of whom had to be airlifted to other hospitals. Yet Joan kept playing for us during the shutdown and beyond when we started up again, having people social distanced at worship. I admired her courage for doing that. We had some sad Sundays during those six or seven weeks when our doors were shut. There were eight of us behind the microphones to lead worship for the radio broadcast and we looked out on an empty church. When Joan started playing the organ, we all felt better. You felt better at home listening. Thank you, Joan, for helping us get through Covid.
Thank you for bringing comfort at so many funerals, playing 20 minute long preludes ahead of the funeral service, in addition to the hymns. Often you left work to engage in this ministry to people who were grieving.
One other person we need to thank is Joan’s mother, Frances. Frances, not only did you play organ for Hull all those years, but you taught your daughter to use her talents for God’s glory, and look how you have helped out this church in doing that. Thank you.
Some have asked in horror, Joan isn’t quitting is she? No, we are just thanking Joan for her years of service. For those of you who are feeling anxiety about that, keep in mind that it is not unusual for church organists to be serving yet when they are over 80 years old. Someone recently told me of a church organist in our area who is in her 90’s and still plays for Sunday worship. We are thankful that we have a young organist as we hope to celebrate more anniversaries. Thank you, Joan for continuing to share your musical gift and be God’s blessing to us all!
Pastor Haan concluded by offering this prayer framed on Sunday’s lectionary Gospel passage known as “The Parable of the Talents.”
Prayer– Lord, we thank you for your servant Joan. We thank you for her past decades of faithfulness. Thank you that Joan was not overcome by fear and anxiety that would cause her to bury her talent. She knew you to be a gracious and faithful God, and by faith in your promises she sought to glorify you with the gifts that you gave her. We praise you for the present, even our worship service today. Thank you for her love for the Lord Jesus and her love for his Church. We humbly ask for your blessing in the future…that you would grant her and her family health. We pray that you would give Joan great joy whenever she uses her talent to lead music. We pray that someday she and all of us, might hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We ask all of this for the building up of your church and the glory of our Lord Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Prelude from the service on November 19, 2023 played by Joan.