While I’m on the subject, Wichita State University is apparently giving personal information about me to military recruiters. I’ve received numerous calls, from at least two different branches of the military. Some of them know nothing but my name and home phone number. Others appear to know my age, and still others how close I am to graduation and that I’m taking evening classes.

WSU never informed me that they would be sharing this information with the military. I am quite troubled that they do so without my informed consent, and I will be letting them know this.

Wow — this really ought to put Marquette University to shame. They have suspended a student for making comments on his blog, which their own ethicist thought were harmless.

Scary.

Yesterday, I told you about Aunt Viola, choir director at our church for many years, about 50 years ago. Today, I’d like to tell you what she did in church last week.

In our community, the song Nun Ist Sie Erschienen is a traditional Christmas hymn. Even though our church services have been in English since the 60s, and the song isn’t in any current hymnal, it’s still sung around Christmas. (There is a photocopy of this song with each hymnal.) Some of us wish it were sung a little more often.

Our church, like many Mennonite churches, has a sharing time during the service. People share what’s going on in their lives — joys or concerns, or whatever it may be.

Last Sunday, the first day of advent, the hymn wasn’t in the bulletin. The sermon that day was on surprises (very fitting). At the end of sharing time, one of the older people in our church got the mic and said something like “I feel like singing Nun Ist Sie Erschienen, so we’re going to right now!”

Aunt Viola had been in on this — she had checked with the organist in advance. So it was all set. Aunt Viola sprung up and somehow got to the front of the sanctuary very quickly (she is in her 80s), ready to direct the congregation! And it was great. I like the song too. It was one of my grandfather’s favorites (he played it wonderfully on harmonica) and we sang it (in English) at our wedding.

After church, I asked Aunt Viola how long it had been since she had directed for a song. She didn’t know — “a very long time”. But she said that if I ever wanted to request a song during sharing time, she’d be happy to direct again! I think I might have to one of these days.

I’m in the adult choir at church. The current choir director’s aunt, Viola, is also in the choir. So she is Aunt Viola to quite a few people.

Aunt Viola was the director of the choir herself for many years, back in the “old” church. That church was torn down to make room for a new building in 1965.

Not long ago, I heard from someone that she was looking for a picture of the old choir. She thought it was in the church archives, but nobody could find it. But I happened to have a copy. Another person that was in the choir had given it to me to scan for a book project a few weeks before.

So I uploaded it and ordered an 8×10 print for Aunt Viola. I sat behind Viola and her husband the next Sunday. As people were visiting before church started, I handed over the envelope and told her there was a little surprise in it. She opened the envelope, and knew right away what it was. And was she ever excited to have it! It made us very happy to have made her day. She was talking about it for the rest of the day — actually, for a few weeks.

So here it is, the choir of Tabor Mennonite Church in 1946. Aunt Viola is on the far right in the front row.