CANTO A LAS CONFESIONES
by Rev. Dr. Jorge Texidor, Senior Pastor, Iglesia Presbiteriana El Redentor
On Sunday, May 7, 2023, El Redentor Presbyterian Church presented the concert "Canto a las Confesiones" (Song to the Confessions). This initiative arises as part of the Confesiones 12/5 project, which is a proposal we developed by invitation from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. In this proposal, we carried out an exhaustive study on the confessions of the PCUSA. We created various activities to shape and educate the congregation around the reality that we are a confessional church.
We have twelve confessions, and we have five senses (Confesiones 12/5), which is why we exposed our congregation in Oviedo, Florida to see and touch (banners), listen (songs), and smell and taste the confessions through a night of typical dishes from the places where each of them originated. The project was a very diverse experience with workshops, the creation of banners for each confession, which are now displayed in the Sanctuary, and the composition of 12 musical pieces, one for each confession.
To develop the songs based on each confession, we recruited Rev. Dr. Julio Vargas-Vidal (musician, chaplain, and ordained minister of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico) and Rev. Jorge D. Zjilstra Arduin (Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Levittown, Puerto Rico). Together, we created the lyrics for the pieces. The music created by Dr. Vargas is diverse. We have various genres such as Pop, Gregorian Chant, Tango, Andean Music, Irish Ballad, Merengue, Nueva Trova, and African Rhythms, among others.
The experience of immersing ourselves in the Book of Confessions was truly enriching, and we have no doubt that the Holy Spirit guided the entire project. One of our aims was to somehow capture the essence and uniqueness of each confession. We praise God for the gifts and talents that He has bestowed upon His Church.
"Canto a las Confesiones" is a celebration of the people and an affirmation of new ways of learning. It is not a secret that some confessions are extensive, and at times, their reading can be tedious. Therefore, while we use certain parts of them as statements of faith in worship, now we will have the opportunity to sing the confessions. This project provided us with the opportunity to become aware of the faith positions that we have incorporated into the life of our church throughout history. With "Canto a las Confesiones", we hope that the essence of each confession resonates and moves us to serve in the Kingdom.
Soon, we will be uploading these songs, along with their music scores, to different platforms such as YouTube, making them available to the entire Hispanic community so that they can be incorporated into their congregation’s repertoire. Additionally, we will be developing other projects related to this one for the benefit of the entire Church. My dream is that the pieces can be translated into the English language as we sing the confessions with a spirit of unity, celebrating with the Church of all times that Jesus Christ is the Lord. To God be the glory!
We have twelve confessions, and we have five senses (Confesiones 12/5), which is why we exposed our congregation in Oviedo, Florida to see and touch (banners), listen (songs), and smell and taste the confessions through a night of typical dishes from the places where each of them originated. The project was a very diverse experience with workshops, the creation of banners for each confession, which are now displayed in the Sanctuary, and the composition of 12 musical pieces, one for each confession.
To develop the songs based on each confession, we recruited Rev. Dr. Julio Vargas-Vidal (musician, chaplain, and ordained minister of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico) and Rev. Jorge D. Zjilstra Arduin (Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Levittown, Puerto Rico). Together, we created the lyrics for the pieces. The music created by Dr. Vargas is diverse. We have various genres such as Pop, Gregorian Chant, Tango, Andean Music, Irish Ballad, Merengue, Nueva Trova, and African Rhythms, among others.
The experience of immersing ourselves in the Book of Confessions was truly enriching, and we have no doubt that the Holy Spirit guided the entire project. One of our aims was to somehow capture the essence and uniqueness of each confession. We praise God for the gifts and talents that He has bestowed upon His Church.
"Canto a las Confesiones" is a celebration of the people and an affirmation of new ways of learning. It is not a secret that some confessions are extensive, and at times, their reading can be tedious. Therefore, while we use certain parts of them as statements of faith in worship, now we will have the opportunity to sing the confessions. This project provided us with the opportunity to become aware of the faith positions that we have incorporated into the life of our church throughout history. With "Canto a las Confesiones", we hope that the essence of each confession resonates and moves us to serve in the Kingdom.
Soon, we will be uploading these songs, along with their music scores, to different platforms such as YouTube, making them available to the entire Hispanic community so that they can be incorporated into their congregation’s repertoire. Additionally, we will be developing other projects related to this one for the benefit of the entire Church. My dream is that the pieces can be translated into the English language as we sing the confessions with a spirit of unity, celebrating with the Church of all times that Jesus Christ is the Lord. To God be the glory!