Dear Fellow Pohickians,

As this is my last Pohick Post article during my ministry here at Pohick, I would like to thank you all for your support these past seven years. These years, I would describe as formative, inspiring and exciting. I have played and directed for various churches, but Pohick was my first venture in leading the complete church music program. From my first meeting with the music committee and then with our former Rector Bill Brake, I knew Pohick would be in my life for a long time. We have grown together from our weekly rehearsals and Sunday gatherings, as well as during times of choir fellowship. I have been blessed to share in this musical fellowship with parishioners of all musical abilities. These various musical abilities are what have made my time at Pohick a growing experience. We have shared our various experiences and put them into our musical offerings, making them better than we first imagined. The stories of your past musical experiences, and most of all how music has touched your lives has been inspiring and serves as a reminder of the lasting effect of music on the mind and spirit. I am thankful for all who have contributed to the musical life of Pohick, and mine as well.

I will be with you all from time to time this next year, as I will be taking a year to study organ more in depth, visit other churches to experience music in their liturgies and serve as substitute organist to play various instruments in our area. My life as an organist has taken on some new roles this past year. I have accepted the position of Executive Secretary for the American Guild of Organists 2010 National Convention here in DC as well as the position of coordinator for the Potomac Organ Institute, of which two of our young parishioners have won scholarships to study in the program. In addition to my new duties as an organist, I will continue as a dog trainer with All About Dogs, Inc. in Woodbridge, VA. Dog training has helped me fulfill a lifelong dream of working with animals. My goal in life is to use the talents that God has given me and to find a balance for these talents in my life. I believe God is laying a path before me, and I’m taking a leap of faith to see what new adventure lies before me.

In his Virginia Episcopalian article this month, Bishop Peter Lee talks about the Church as a community of imagination and how the Church employs the arts “to bring us into a grasp of the Holy whereby we are more in touch with God’s image in one another.” Please keep the music search committee in your prayers as they continue to search for someone to bring you closer to the Holy. I pray that the music we have shared continues and reaches new heights with your future Minister of Music in Pohick’s community of imagination.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Vicky