He is Risen! Alleluia!!

Easter was really meaningful for me this year, and I think it was because I experienced it as a Lutheran. Let me explain...

Growing up in the Baptist church, the Easter season to me consisted of about a week...Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. In the Lutheran church, the season is much more drawn out, which is something I really came to appreciate.

It starts with Ash Wednesday, which a service that reminds you of your mortality. "You are dust, and to dust you shall return". A reminder of the brevity of this life, and what a gift it is.

This service begins the season of Lent, a time when traditionally people "give up" something in their lives as a constant reminder of the sacrifice of Christ. It's also been encouraged recently to add something rather than giving up something, or add something as well as giving up something. Many people I spoke with added more prayer/Bible reading time, serving in the church, ministering in their own special way through meals or cards, etc. I thought this was a cool idea.

The services are different during Lent. Every Sunday service during the 40 days of Lent omits the "Alleluia" from their liturgy. Lenten hymns are sung. Basically nothing too joyful goes on in the services as far as music/liturgy for the sake of keeping the focus on the upcoming death of Christ. Also during Lent there are services each Wednesday that have a special theme. The theme at the church I attended in Ventura was what a disciple of Christ should look like...what fruits should be evident in their lives. These services often have a soup supper afterwards.

Then Palm Sunday arrives, this service is pretty much the same as what I grew up with. Most Lutheran churches hand out palms and have a processional. Palm Sunday is the beginning of "Holy Week". On Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) there is a service that reflects on the last supper, the washing of the disciples feet, etc. We took communion at this service.

The Good Friday service was the most moving for me. When we were rehearsing as a choir before the service, the director reminded us that "this is the only service that we leave Christ dead". He was right...I've heard the story of Christ's death I don't know how many times, but it never ends at his death, it is always followed by the glorious news of His resurrection, and rightfully so! At the Good Friday service, however, we left the story at his death and simply left in silence. It was very powerful!

Easter Sunday was amazing! All of the decorations were back in the church and you say "HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!" about a million times, and everyone and everything is so joyful having experienced 40 days reflecting on the death and sacrifice of Christ. You get to sing the most joyful hymns in the hymnal, including "Easter Hymn":

Hear the bells ringing, they're singing that you can be born again!
Hear the bells ringing they're singing Christ is risen from the dead!
The angel up on the tombstone said, "He is risen, just has He said!
Quickly now go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!"

Joy to the world, He is risen, Alleluia!
He's risen Alleluia! He's risen!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

How is that not the best Easter Hymn ever? That's why it's called Easter Hymn. :) S

So yes, this years Easter was incredibly meaningful to me having experienced the whole process from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. Every church seems to have their own ways of reflecting and celebrating, which is great...I hope it was just as meaningful for you all this year!

HE IS RISEN!!!!!!!!!!!

SPRING

My sisters don't blog anymore. So, in an effort to encourage them to resume posting, here is my best foot forward.

I left Ventura in mid February to join the spring Continental tour on the road for a few weeks. ahhhh to be on tour again. It was, however, very different from the touring I've experienced during the past four years through Luther. Different music, of course...but...different. As one of my recruits put it, "My heart is more drawn to musical leadership than performance". I think I'm there.

My experience on the road for those 2 weeks was COLD. We traveled from Iowa through IN and OH, then up through VT, ME, and New Brunswick, Canada, then back down, hitting NY, NJ, NH, and all of those little tiny states. COLD. SNOW. Wow, you forget that things are still like that in other parts of the world. I returned to LA and Spring had sprung while I was away...what a relief!

Lots of things happened while I was gone, the most exciting being the engagement of Chris and Jess, who will wed October 25. If you want to know what percentage of their wedding is planned, you can consult Chris' spreadsheet. If you want to know what percentage of our wedding is planned, we will probably meet you with blank stares..."what? weddings have to be planned? are we responsible for that?" :)

Life is nice right now, exciting things coming up: getting to see Brian Meyer, our best man, Patrick and my piece being performed for the first time at the Good Friday service, Easter!, Julia coming to visit from Luther for a few days next week!

In Loving Memory

My textbook was right...music is the tonal analogue of the emotive life. A piece of music is not meaningful without the rise and fall of sound, the stretching and clenching of notes and rhythms, the disonence and consonance of chords. A resolution requires disonence, there must be stress, drama, pain. Without it it goes nowhere, it means nothing, and it moves no one.

Thank God that he weaves his orchestration always to create something beautiful.

We will miss you, Colin and Gracie.

My Husband the Composer

Ok he's not my husband yet, but he IS a composer. And we just experienced the first of many experiences sitting in the audience as one of the best choirs in the nation performed a Burzlaff original. *sigh*

Patick and I (and Alan and Jo Dena, his parents) flew to Denver last Thursday for the Nordic Concert at Augustana Lutheran Church. We got a call Friday afternoon that the choir was being dropped off at the mall to eat and shop for a while before rehearsal, so we met them there and had a joyful reunion in the middle of one of the department stores. We must have been a sight...all these college kids wearing the same blue polo running in, screaming, embracing, laughing, crying. Ha!

Patrick and I rode the bus to the church where we watched them rehearse. How weird to not be on the risers! After that Patrick and I went to our first Alumni Dinner--even weirder.

The concert itself was incredible. Easily the best choir concert I have ever been to, including that one Russian choir that came to Luther when I went to school there. WOW. Nordic's tone and sensitivity are incredible this year, and it doesn't hurt that thier repertoire is perfectly programmed. GAH! Can I buy the CD now?? '

Dr Arnold said Patrick's piece has been very well recieved. Apparently there was a music publishing something or other guy there that approached DCA asking to publish it. Dr Arnold had to inform him that the Luther College Choral Series would be getting to it first. How proud am I right now?? :)

OK I'll stop now. BUT I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!! :)

Home is Where the Heart is

I feel like my whole life is a "transitional phase".

When you're growing up you're obviously constantly changing physically, then comes the big transition to college and the even bigger transition out of college, going on to who knows what, but it doesn't matter because you're going to move on to something else and get married and have kids and buy a house and never pay off your loans. And as if that weren't enough you have all the little transitions and changes in between!

I live in 4 places right now.

I live in Iowa, because that is where part of my heart is and that is where I want to live someday. When I think of "home", I think of Iowa.

I live in my apt on Preble Dr, because that is where I do my cooking and cleaning and showering and sleeping. When I think of "home", I think of Preble Dr.

I live in an apt on the beach, because that is what I will indicate on all of my change of address forms because I am moving there in 3 or so weeks. When I think of "home", I think of the apt on the beach.

I live in Bakersfield, because that is where Patrick lives, that is where I will live and work when we are married, and that is where I am most wknds. When I think of "home", I think of Bakersfield.

Is it August 2 yet?

Jeopardy and USC

I've really been getting into Jeopardy lately. Mostly because they almost always have some sort of music category. I'm really good with Opera and Composer categories, but not so much with Musical Theatre. Once they had a Bach category and I got all but one right!

So anyway, the other day there was this clue: "In the historic 2007 game USC's 35 home game winning streak was ended by this team"...."WHAT IS STANFORD!" I yelled. Yes, I knew the answer, but I was also THERE! I was so proud to have witnessed a Jeopardy clue! As I think about that game, though, my memories aren't so sweet...the Burzlaff boys don't respond so well to a USC loss. Jess and I always pray for USC wins for OUR sake.

Actually, I'm staring to like college football. I think the reason I was never interested was b/c I never knew how the game was played (Matt and Steve, wasn't that your job as an older brother??). Patrick has been teaching me, slowly but surely, for the past year, and I'm finally catching on. And I've discovered that even if you aren't in love with football, it's still fun to go to a game and have a hot-dog wrapped in bacon and covered with onions and peppers...*drool*

We went to another USC game a few wknds ago. This time it was better b/c they WON and afterwards I got my first glimpse of Pasadena...we had dinner there as a whole "potential Burzlaff family". Awww...

In other news, this wknd marks the end of my Bakersfield blitz...I've been going up there every wknd for the past 4 weeks (church stuff, USC game, Patrick's bday), which has been fun, but it will be nice to spend some time in Ventura again. Patrick and I are hoping the weather will be nice (70s?) so we can have a picnic at the beach!

I miss Iowa

I miss Iowa.

It's true! It's not that I'm seeing my family any less than I did before (well, I am, but only slightly)...it's just being aware of all the miles between us that impacts me. And not only that, but IOWA. IOWA is so far away.

Last weekend I was at Bakersfield and had a little cry fest because when I look outside I do not see changing leaves, frost, and fields. When I go to the store I do not see A&E, Mrs. Grimes chili beans, and that one brand of bread that I really like but can't think of right now.

One of the highlights of my week is when I wake up on Saturday morning and sit down to breakfast at the Burzlaffs...the Iowa game is always on TV.

I don't regret coming here though...if I hadn't I'd always want to go away. I'm here now so I can later be perfectly content in Iowa.

I'll be back.