Testimonials

The Community Cantata Choir has meant a lot of things to a lot of different people over this year...both to participants of the choir and to those who have come to experience the music.

From 2007 audiences:

•  "I want to encourage anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to experience “Evidence of Grace”, as presented by the Community Cantata Choir, to not miss their last performance on Wednesday, June 13^th, 7:00 pm in Dayton, at the First Baptist Church.  You will not be sorry you made the time to attend.  You can’t help but be moved by this group’s voices, energy and all out love for our Lord.  You will hear the Lord in their voices, see Him in their faces and feel Him exude from their hearts.  If you have been looking for a way to introduce an acquaintance or family member to the Lord,  let this group share their God given talents and His wonderful message to them!!"

•  "I've been struck by how many people have been touched already by this music during practice, some with goose bumps, some unable to continue to sing or stand; your comments about the number of places where people may be blessed to name a few.
  In music we're petitioning God to open our hearts, acknowledging His love for us, His Grace, and asking His Holy Spirit to Rain Down on us, 'over the church and over our lives.'  ... I was convicted this week that I need to also be working on the spiritual preparation too.
  Do I really want what I'm singing? Do I want Him to 'purify my heart'?  Is it only lip service to say, 'I want to be holy'?  Tough questions, life affirming and life changing when answered.
  Then my thoughts went to those coming to hear us.  If we ask God to make His presence known at our presentations, are we expecting Him and the blessing of His Spirit?  My prayer is that God will have reign over us, the music, and those who attend, and that nothing we do will inhibit or create a stumbling block to the Holy Spirit from doing a work in each of our lives.
  Praying for this reality,"
• "WOW!  Your musical offerings are being anointed & multiplied by the Lord!  Thank you all again for your sacrifice, commitment, patience & hard work during & between rehearsals!  The Lord is wonderfully glorified.
  Alleluia!  You were wonderful at Hillside Manor on Sunday evening!  Thank you so much & praise the Lord for his presence among us!" 

• "The "Generation X" perspective of the Federal Correctional Camp!
  HOLY COW!  Did you feel that?  I think that was the Holy Spirit moving through us!  Lee, it really is too bad that you have to look at the choir the whole time during the performance.  You should have seen their faces yesterday.  There were so many of them "Shining in the light of Your glory"!  Often God's people are focused on their daily life so much that they forget about just how easy we really have it.  One of the narratives in the book talks about how we are closer to God when the checking account is empty...Praise God if that is the only thing in life that is getting you down.... Because society tells me that people who are in the correctional system are Bad People
  I just assumed they all were!  Every single one of them had a past that I had not lived and it filled me with great pain to  learn about the things that had happened to them personally as young children and how from those horrible experiences they believed their own actions were not wrong but a part of an acceptable life style.  "Open Your eyes to my heart Lord, I want to see you!"  Don't forget that God is also asking you to open your eyes and heart to the world!  For years I have struggled with my faith in the Lord and I have been angered by God's standards which seemed hypocritical.  But I've finally realized that I really have never been angry with God, it's God's people I have a beef with!  God has given us all free will and with that comes great responsibility.  Not only must we spread the Word to others but we have to lead our own lives as an example to those around us.  Yesterday was the first time I have ever sang in a correctional facility and it was also the first time I really felt that God was with us. I don't know what those men believed in when we arrived.  Maybe they were atheist, Buddhist, Catholics, Lutheran, Baptist, maybe before yesterday they had never heard anything about God at all.  Regardless of what they believed before we got there they were believing in something when we left.  We did that!  God did that!  We are messengers of hope and happiness! ... Open your eyes to the Lord and to the world.  Live your life as if this is your last days on Earth.  Bring your Light with you always, because people are searching for that Light and all of us have it to give!