today was our ward's primary program. primary in mormon-speak is the sunday school class that kids aged 3-12 attend. i currently serve as the primary chorister, which means i teach these kids songs all year long. first i teach the three-to-seven-year-olds for 20 minutes, then the eight-to-eleven-year-olds for 20 minutes, then the 18 month to 3-year-olds for 20 minutes. sometimes it feels overwhelming, but mostly we have a lot of fun. then at the end of the year, we have a special sacrament meeting (the first hour where we take the sacrament and hear members of the congregation speak). during the primary program the kids sit up on the stand, each has a part that they say into the microphone, and we sing about 8 songs that we've been learning all year. i was a nervous wreck about it because our primary is relatively small and as they showed us at mother's and father's day, they get stage fright. also...i'm not a great chorister so i wasn't sure how it was going to go. but i think it actually went pretty well, and i heard from several people who were way in the back that they could hear the kids sing, so that was exciting. it was isaac's first primary program, and he memorized his part...but his teacher tried to help him say it so we only got part of it. he was supposed to say "we are free to make our own choices." but when his teacher whispered "we are" into his ear, he didn't repeat it, he just said "free" and when she said "to " in his ear, he said "make our own choices"...so the congregation only got a part of it. but he did it! i didn't think he would.
my favorite song this year was "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." you can listen to it here if you want, it's such a beautiful song. as we started singing the third verse, i felt an undeniable witness that what these kids were saying was true, and more than that, that God loves those kids so much. the third verse says,
He is always near me though I do not see Him there,
And because He loves me dearly I am in His watchful care.
So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be
If I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.
art credit: hold on tight, by liz lemon swindle
11 comments:
Awww, so glad it went so well, Emily!
The primary did so well! You taught them really well. By the way, did you teach the Nursery the Wiseman/foolishman song? Rachel came home from church yesterday singing that song. I have never sung it to her, so I thought about you. By the way, play groups is Wed. 11:30-12:30 at Dana Fenwick's house. I think that we are tumbling.
that's great!
I love that scripture. So amazing, I love reading your blog. I've never really known you Emily, this is really cool to read about you and your family. It's sad we're related and I know more about you now than I have ever known about you. Guess that's the way of our family isn't it?
I love the primary programs. It is so much fun to watch and listen to the kids. We have a pretty small primary so I understand where you are coming from. I am sure that your little group sounded wonderful!
Our program is in two weeks!
How beautiful. Have you ever heard of the band Mercy Me. They are a Christian band that I got into about 4 years ago, recommended to me by my Mother of all people! The song "I Can Only Imagine" brings me to tears everytime. If you've never heard it, I think you would like it.
I really like that song too, congrats on a successful Primary Program. Everyone knows it's all the chorister :)
YES tori! It's Noah's favorite so we try and sing it every week in nursery because he'll actually do it with me (otherwise I'm always the only one singing).
Brooke, sometimes I feel like I know you, at least a little, because of DeEtte. When she lived with us she talked about you sometimes. I guess that's been a lot of years ago now and we're all different than we were in high school, but it really is nice to get to know people on blogs.
Thanks everyone!
Ahh...I totally tear up when our primary sings that song!
That was my favorite song this year too. I tear up every time our Primary sings it which is getting really annoying! Our program was last Sunday too and it went well (even though we had 85 kids with speaking parts. Our Primary is HUGE - we have 5 nurseries!). Hannah had a fever so she missed it but Charlie has his part memorized and it was so cute. He said, "I'm excited to see the Savior again but until that day, I will follow the prophet who tells me what the Lord would have me do." I love being in Primary too!
that's a cute part for little charlie!
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