November has five [5] Sundays this year. Three of them are extra special. As is usually the case, we will do what we can to make the other two special, as well.

We begin with All Saint’s Sunday. The anthem is doubly worthy. The text is by Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr. and was written in 1989. He was a member of the Hymn Society and was named a Fellow of the Society before his death in 2007. The tune was written by Robert A. Hobby. We have sung several of his anthems in the past. This one calls for brass quartet and congregation. We hope you will join in this meaningful anthem.

To make the next two Sundays more special, we will add percussion with the anthems. “Keep Your Lamps” calls for conga drum accompaniment. The children will assist in “Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ.”

We conclude the church year with Christ the King Sunday on the 23 rd. We sing John Leavitt’s setting of Psalm 67, “Let All the People Praise You.” I bought this anthem last year on recommendation at the Virginia Wesleyan Church Music Conference. We begin the new church year with Advent on the 30th. The anthem looks back to Christmas, to the previous Sunday abut Christ reigning in glory, as well as ahead to the time when Jesus comes again.