Roger Knight leads
Paul’s Pals, a musical outreach to seniors in the Portland,
Maine, area—here
at an assisted living facility in Gorham.
JFust as I am KEN SCHOEPF Along the baptismal journey, a Lutheran found his voice By Ellen Cutting Schoepf
or most of his life, Roger Knight didn’t sing.
Knight vividly remembers the day his music teacher walked to his desk, slammed his music book closed and said: “Will you be quiet?” The other second-graders laughed. He loved singing, but that day, humiliated and embarrassed, he stopped doing so in public. For decades while music played and others sang at church, Knight would move his lips, pretending to sing. In 2002, Knight’s wife, Sally, and
daughter, Becky Knight Lilly, joined the choir at Trinity Lutheran Church, Westbrook, Maine. His daughter repeatedly invited him to sing with them. Repeatedly and emphatically Knight said, “No.” Yet Lilly knew that when he was a school bus driver he led songs with the kids during the drive. So she surprised him with a gift for his 67th
birthday: three singing lessons with the congregation’s choir director, Betty McIntyre. Lilly told her father the lessons were nonrefundable. Not wanting to disappoint his
daughter, Knight reluctantly agreed to one lesson. To his amazement, McIntyre helped him relax and enjoy learning songs. Soon he began work- ing on a hymn to offer as a solo. He joined the choir. One day, he gave a ride to his friend and neighbor, Paul Sanville, who was going through a difficult time. Sanville found a copy of sheet music for Knight’s solo between the car seats. It was Sanville’s favorite hymn, “Just As I Am.” Sanville shared the story of the hymn and its writer. Knight hap- pened to have a recording that he was using to practice his upcoming solo. So he pulled over to the side of the road, and the two began singing
Schoepf is a pastor of St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Portland, Maine. Becky Knight Lilly also contributed to this story.
32 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
“Just As I Am” with the recording. Raising their voices in song, they experienced a life-giving, healing moment of sheer grace. It was a moment of spontaneous worship. Both sensed God’s presence at work in their lives.
Knight eventually sang his solo in church and received a standing ovation. And when his dear friend became ill, he visited Sanville regu- larly at the assisted living facility. Aware of Sanville’s failing health and growing sense of depression, Knight decided to gather a group of singers, mostly choir members, to visit Sanville. The group sang many old favorites, and Knight and San- ville sang their treasured duet.
Lovable Lutherans That visit, 10 years ago, gave birth to a new ministry: Paul’s Pals, a sing- ing group that one Sunday a month shares the gift of music and hope with nursing home and assisted liv- ing residents throughout the greater
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52