Today at both 8:00 and 10:30 am services, Dr. Felipe Miguel will be installed as the Director of Music and Liturgy at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. In honor of his installation, a reception will be held after both services. As people enter the courtyard, they won’t help but notice Carol Langner’s bulletin board devoted to Miguel, his background and his relationship to the people he will serve in this faith community.

Here are Miguel’s thoughts about LCH (loosely quoted):

1. Music holds the worship together; it makes the transitions between different parts of the service work.
2. Music communicates what the spoken or written word cannot — the ineffable, emotional content of worship.
3. In most churches, the music ministry involves the largest group of members. It teaches and spiritually feeds participants and listeners alike.
4. There is a fierce need to make music relevant; this may mean a more informal format, but it is not dumbing down.
5. LCH is a super healthy place; it comes from a position of strength in exploring new awareness, and in asking questions about the relationship between music and worship.

One of the panels which caught my attention was the paragraph about Miguel as a teacher. At Compline, it’s not unusual to have high school and college classes come to the service to experience it as a music history or music appreciation lesson. Recently So Jin Kimura, professor of music appreciation at Windward Community College, brought her class and Miguel met the students after the service. So Jin recognized Miguel as her online professor of music history, and said, “You’re the best teacher I ever had,” as they squealed and embraced. They had never met face-to-face before!

And when former student Joey Fala went back to college this fall, he found out that Maury Castro, the organist at the church where he practices in Troy, NY, was a conducting student of Miguel Felipe!

Chalk another two up for the “It’s a small world after all” department!