Prior to our coming, the priest and I had worked out most of the details pertaining to the Sunday service. The young priest was very happy to have us.

He was standing in front of the church when we drove up. He was all smiles and in his somewhat broken English he was telling us how great an honor it was that we were going to participate in the service.

Everything was going beautifully until we started to unload our equipment. The poor priest was visibly shaken. He had not planned on drums and bells and a keyboard! This obviously was not a “Contemporary Service” congregation.

I could almost read his mind. “What if the Bishop finds out, or maybe even the Holy Father! There goes my career!”

I assured him that we were not some crazy rock and roll group and that he and his congregation would love our presentation. I also assured him that not all the selections would be “modern.”

He tried to believe me but it was not working too well.

We had a few minutes to “warm up” and the Father began to relax a bit. We started to play and sing some of our songs for the Prelude. The parishioners and visitors from various parts of the world, who had seen the advertisements announcing our being at the Church of the Angels, were coming in, smiling, and applauded every song.

The priest was smiling.

Parishioners were telling him how wonderful it was that he had invited us. Before the service even began, the priest was totally on our side. It turned out to be a great experience for everybody, including Father!.

The church’s pipe organ left a lot to be desired, but I gave it my level best; and even that part of the program received applause. It was a great morning for everybody.

We touched hearts with our program of Classics and Gospel Music, and our audience touched us with their enthusiastic applause.

We saw a lot of Switzerland; and in so doing, we were awed by the mighty examples of creation as we traveled over, around and sometimes through the breathtaking Alps.

There were many unforgettable moments for all of us. For me, the most personal moment came early on a Sunday morning. I was sitting on the balcony of our hotel room overlooking the Bodensee; a huge lake that borders Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It is a moment I will always treasure.

The area around the hotel was a paradise of flowers. The view of the lake was magnificent. Birds were singing the praise of Him “whose eye is on the sparrows”.

Serenity filled the air. I was at peace. I had been reading a book by Philip Yancey entitled, “Reaching for the Invisible God.”

I had been reading about “hearing the voice of God.”

My mind began to wander. I must admit that in the past I used to envy people who proclaimed that God spoke to them in audible sounds. TV preachers seem to hear that voice a lot, telling them to do specific things (especially to sell stuff and to ask for donations).

As I have become older, I have also become more skeptical. I don’t doubt that God speaks to us; but I believe that that voice comes to us in music, in the written word, pictures, in the beauty of nature and in the eyes of a child. God can, and does, speak to us in a thousand ways.

That morning, sitting on that little balcony pondering the voice of God, from somewhere across the lake a church bell started to ring. It was not a supernatural occurrence. It was merely announcing the hour of the day, yet for me, it was the voice of God reminding me of His presence.

It reminded me of how blessed I was to be a musical laborer working in His vineyard at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in West St. Paul; a place where I can improvise as I preach from the organ bench, and lead the congregation in singing the music of God’s love with bell players, singers and instrumentalists; and working in God’s vineyard with the Woodbury Chorus and Orchestra helping to feed the hungry through our musical performances.

God speaks to us daily. All we need are eyes to see and ears to hear; therefore, take time to look, to see and to listen!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Gerrit Lamain is a former Copper Country resident who served as a music professor at Suomi College. He has published a book, “Gerrit’s Notes: A compilation of essays,” which can be found on Amazon. His email address is gerrit.lamain@gmail.com.