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By
2:30 p.m., the cartolina letters that were supposed
to serve as our stage backdrop, were still being cut
out. Monobloc chairs threatened to attack unsuspecting
humans as they were shoved to and fro, stacked 8 - 10
high. Food and drink left over from the just finished
Love Feast, refused to go quietly with the brooms and
mops of the clean-up crew. The sound system and the
instruments still had to be set up and plugged into
their voltage source. All this and we barely had two
hours before the service was to begin! It didn't help
that the worship leader/event director, was tense and
stretched to bursting point.
There
was only one way to go …. we started late.
But
we didn't mind (hopefully the attendees didn't either).
The UP Statistics Auditorium was packed, which was reason
enough to be glad since the Sunset Service's average
attendance usually fills up only a third of the hall.
However, the expectant faces of the guests, gave us
(that would be the musicians, ushers, dancers, projector
person, and all who were tasked to keep the program
flowing), the jitters.
Butch
Pang finally called the congregation to worship and
the service opened with the singing of The Wonderful
Cross. Praise soon replaced the initial clamor and our
individual distractions eventually filtered to a single
focus as Carlomer Camannong ushered us into the Lord's
presence.
Testimony
time followed with sharings by Sharon Fangonon and Jacquelyn
Libatique. Ate Sharon, who although much graduated from
college some time ago, has considered the Sunset Service
as her ministry, hence her staying on with us "through
the years." She had us in stitches when she complained
that she was not cut out to be a leader firstly because,
she was "female" and secondly, because we
have a Baptist pastor.
Jacq,
who joined the service only last year, in turn shared
bits about her colorful romantic past and how God streamlined
her passion into service through the music ministry.
Afterwards,
it was Pastor Willie Girao's turn to grace the pulpit
and he summed up the anniversary theme with "Growth
is the essence of life!" Aside from some good-humored
advertising of *ahem* certain Christian literature (the
reading of which should have a believer mature in leaps
and bounds), Manong Willie expounded on other disciplines
such as prayer, fellowship, and Bible reading that are
crucial in keeping in step with Jesus.
When
the tithes had been collected (which had the bags unusually
heavy and the treasurer unusually happy), Find Us Faithful
was sung, and the benediction given, followed by a repeat
of "Marvelous Light." By insistent public
demand, we agreed to "replay" our performance
during the last Christmas Cantata for those who weren't
able to watch it, especially for those who worked the
aisles as ushers last December.
And
so we scuttled to our stations, amidst all the whooping
and applause, just before the lights were turned off..
Our legs had turned to jelly. It didn't help that we
couldn't see the conductor, nor our instruments.
Then
the candles slowly illuminated the auditorium with a
soft, golden glow and we made an attempt at "Time's
Scar"-sans the violins and the triangle but with
the Creation video in perfect tempo. In "God of
Wonders," Paul Balite got hold of the wrong microphone
so the back-up vocals-all six of us-squeezed together
for maximum amplification from the two remaining mics.
But Paul managed-again-to beat the 16-beat, single-breath
final note ("Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and
eaaaaaaaaaarth . . .").
In
the "What Child is This?" remix, Jojee Nogra,
Jacq, and I literally waltzed through the number, successfully
avoiding collisions with Kristina Mendoza, who was on
pointe. I was squinting most of the time though: yes,
I was not emoting but was figuring out whether Kuya
Butch was simply beating to quarter time or threatening
a post-performance beating.
Jason
Enriquez then sang the lead for "Marvelous Light,"
which earned some muffled shrieks in the crowd. Some
attributed the packed hall to news of his slated performance;
some also attributed the crowded hall to the free dinner
that was to follow. We were more than pleased, either
way.
Then,
it was finally the conductor's turn to sing. "I
Can Only Imagine," which served as a technical
breather, even if it sounded less edgy with the sorely
missed strings. At this point, I stopped obsessing and
being critical of how we sounded. As Kristina and Salve
Escañela twirled and knelt and tiptoed in their
danced prayer, I took the song's chorus to heart:
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