The Piano
As many of you know, St. Andrew’s is the new home of a beautiful, nine-foot, Steinway concert piano. The piano belongs to the Santa Barbara Music Club, which is an organization that hosts free concerts around town. The piano represents a new partnership between our church and the SB Music Club. They appreciate the beauty of our sanctuary and we appreciate the importance of their mission in making high quality music available to people who might not otherwise experience it. As Tim Accurso explained last Sunday, the seeds of this new partnership first took root last fall. Tim heard that the piano, which was being housed at the library, needed a new home and he immediately mentioned St. Andrew’s as a possibility. Months went by with no response, so he assumed it wasn’t going to happen. Then, just two weeks ago, Natasha Kislenko received a frantic call asking if we could receive the piano within 24 hours. It was an impossible request. We needed more time to arrange for the move and for Session to approve it. I talked to Betty Oberacker, one of the directors of the SB Music Club, and explained we couldn’t do it in that timeframe. We let it go.
Then Betty called me back. “We have more time! Can you take it next Saturday?” We would have to hussle, I thought, but it was possible. That would give us time to arrange the move of the other pianos and present the idea to Session at our regular meeting. “Yes,” I said, “that just may work!”
Betty and I had several more phone calls and meetings. It was a rollercoaster! First the lock on the piano was broken rendering the piano unplayable. Then the movers said they didn’t have to set it up for Sunday’s worship. Then he said it would never fit on the chancel. With each obstacle that popped up, I felt an odd sense of assurance that all would be well. “It’s okay Betty,” I said at the end of each phone call, “it will work out somehow.” It’s unusual for me to be so calm, especially when I am invested in the outcome. But I meant it every time. It was going to be okay.
Everything turned out okay. Betty and I sat in the sanctuary last Saturday, waiting for the movers to arrive. Even then, she wasn’t sure if they were coming or not. As we sat there, she said to me, “you know, I do my research. I checked out your church online and I liked what I saw. I knew this was the right place for it.” As I watched the movers putting it together on the chancel, I knew Betty was right. This is its home. It will be well loved and well cared for here. I look forward to seeing people from all walks of life enjoy the beauty of its sound in the spiritual comfort of our sanctuary. It is a match made in heaven, orchestrated by forces beyond me, for purposes beyond our current understanding.
Blessings,
Pastor Jen