OTIS

Four years ago today (week 8, 2007) was my first full day at Chautauqua.    I know that on Wednesday of that week I was moseying (I mosied, even back then) by the amp during the morning worship service, and I heard Otis Moss preaching.   No longer a churchgoer, even back then, I was pretty much riveted by his delivery.   So much so that I came back on Thursday and Friday and then bought the sermons on CD.   The following year, I selected my one week at Chautauqua based on when Otis would be here.

Otis Moss III is pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. .  Barack O'bama's church.   Otis is a powerful black preacher.   He has a true gift for preaching, and what he says is always important and dynamic.   And he's back for the whole week.   And he brought his choir again.

The choir, a gospel choir extrordinaire, traveled all night on a train from Chicago to sing with us in church this morning and to present the Sacred Song Service tonight.   It is wonderful to hear and to sing gospel.   The Choral Arts Society gets to sing gospel every year during our Martin Luther King tribute in January or February.  It's one of my favorite concerts to sing.    Another reason why I hate to miss the dedication of the MLK Memorial on Aug. 28, which CAS will be singing for.

Gospel singers sing from their toes. . . with completely wild abandon and excitement.   The sound is intoxicating and the energy is contagious.  For this morning's service all the women were dressed in white dresses. . . all different, all beautiful.   Tonight everyone was in colorful dresses. . . . . some with an African influence, all stunning.   There must have been alot of luggage coming in off that train!   As I write, they are on their way back to the train in Buffalo to ride all night so that they can get to work tomorrow morning.  What a gift for us all.

It's week 8 and Otis is here. So each morning, when the choir is dismissed after the Lord's Prayer, as usual,  I will circle back into the amp to listen to the sermon.   It will be a great way to start the day.