The piece that we’re singing after communion this Sunday comes from a larger work of Felix Mendelssohn’s called, Christus. It was an unfinished oratorio (an unstaged, opera performed in church).  Mendelssohn died a year after he started working on it, but it was later titled and published by his brother. It makes me very curious about what the finished product would have been. The text of this movement is the story of the three wisemen. Today’s wisemen are portrayed by our very own George, Jesse, and Marshall – very handsome and distinguished wisemen, I might add! Lauren is playing the role of the narrator, who at the beginning of the movement, announces the intent of the wisemen to visit the young Christ child, who had been born in the city of Judea.

There have been many other composers in history that have unfinished works. Franz Schubert’s last symphony (Symphony No.8), for example, never got finished. Also you may recall that Mozart never finished his famous Requiem. That piece was completed by a man named Franz Xaver Süssmayr. There are countless examples of other composers who for one reason or another never finished what they started. Could you imagine if Handel had not been able to finish Messiah? There are many things in my life that are unfinished too – sigh.  There are so many good organ pieces that I’d like to learn, but I am certain, I’ll never get around to learning them all. At the very least, I am very grateful that God has provided, though the work of the great masterful composers, a body of organ music that I can never fully explore and perform!

Perhaps there are things in your life that remain unfinished. While I don’t worry too much about not finishing, I do regret never starting! History is full of great men and women who roll up their sleeves and at least begin the work God places in their hearts. The data shows that 80% of us who at least begin work on something, will actually get it complete. Even a fragment is better than nothing. So I suppose the moral of the story is to not wait! Chip away at that project you’ve been putting off. If you finish it, even better. But don’t let your ideas die with you. Be productive and do things that people will remember. Mendelssohn actually completed approximately 750 works; he travelled and performed extensively; and he even dabbled in painting. He did all of this, and died at the ripe-old age of 38. Thank God, he was so productive. So let’s learn from this – no more putting off what’s in your heart. We can certainly be grateful that Mendelssohn developed his gift as a composer, and that he took action on the musical ideas that crystalized in his imagination. It’s certainly just fine that he left a few things unfinished!  Soli de Gloria!