A Recital and A Lesson

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The lights have been turned low except for the stage area…the grand piano has been moved center stage….all is ready for an evening of beautiful music. The audience is quiet, expectant, excited to see the youth of the church share their talents after many months of lessons, practice, more lessons, and even more practice. Some are beginners as young as six (6); some are almost seasoned veterans – seniors performing for their last time as a part of this group. The audience is primarily parents and friends; their excitement is tinged with just a little bit of worry and some concern that all will go well. The program stated that the musicians would be performing a mix of musical pieces from all around the world on several different instruments: violins, cellos, trombones…not just the piano – an amazing variety for such a small group.

The first performer moves across the stage and takes her place at the piano. She is beautiful – tonight especially – wearing a long gown for the occasion with her hair flowing down her back as she faces away from the audience. She lifts her hands to the keyboard and begins…stirring beautiful music from the middle east….but then she stops after only a few minutes. It is clear that the notes have just vanished from her mind….nerves have seemingly gotten the best of her. She pauses, moves her hands to her lap, but then looks helplessly to her teacher sitting down to the right on the first row.

Her teacher nods, “start again” and so she does.

But, once again, the young lady gets to the second stanza or so and stops. My heart is in my throat – oh my – will she be able to push through and finish? Please, Lord, I pray, give her strength and help her to remember the notes. Again, she looks to her teacher for guidance.

“Would you like your book?” her teacher asks. She nods a “yes” and the teacher moves quietly up to the stage with the music book. The young lady takes her music, opens the folder quickly, finds her page, hands on the keys now, she plays the piece through without hesitation – beautifully and flawlessly. That little bit of encouragement and support was all that she needed in that moment.

I breathed a sigh of relief on her behalf and said a little prayer of thanks. I’m sure I was not the only one to do so. As the young lady rose from the piano, faced the audience, gave a bow, and received well-earned applause, I was so very thankful that she had found the courage to continue in the face of difficulties.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of this recital and this performance that started with hesitation but ended so beautifully. The teacher handled things exactly in the right way – never chiding or fussing – just offering silent encouragement and assistance prompting her to begin again….and finally, bringing up the music book.

This has reminded me of my own struggles with my faith and ministries. I do the studies and I learn the lessons. I know that God wants me to be a “doer of the word” and not just a learner. James 1:22 is quite clear in that respect. James also says in chapter 1, verse 5, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to hi.

Then, just when I think I’ve got it all together and I’m ready to go, I find myself doubting again, at a stalling point, sort of spiritually paralyzed, unable to do anything at all. I pause, I wait, I try to figure out how best to move forward, I try to figure out things on my own and nothing comes…so I wait some more. I know that God is with me and strengthens me, but I’m stuck – my hands in my lap, looking at the keys, wondering if the music will come.

I keep waiting but, really, the answer is right there in front of me; or, rather it is inside of my heart – for the Holy Spirit is there. I need to look to him for the encouragement that I need. Like the music teacher at the recital, he will prompt me to just “start again” and when I stall again, as I’m sure that I will, he is there to pray with me and to pray for me. Ultimately, he will help to turn me back to the “book”, back to scripture for the answers that I know are there.

While it is all very simple, it seems so complicated and unreachable when you’re stalled and can’t see what to do. The Holy Spirit is there to teach us, to comfort us, and to encourage us. He is ever with me and, when I fall, he picks me up, turns me back to scripture and back to prayer. As long as He is there…I sure that the music will never ever leave me….and he is always, always, with me.

The Stacks

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They came in 1741 to find a place of their own, a home for their families, and a place where they could live in peace and worship God in freedom and reverence. Nicolaus Zinzendorf and David Nitschmann led a small group of Moravians to a fertile valley at the confluence of the Monocacy and Lehigh Rivers in eastern Pennsylvania. The story goes that Nicolaus (a bishop of the Moravian church) noted how the beautiful night sky reminded him of the birthplace of Jesus and so the newly founded mission site was christened “Bethlehem” on Christmas Eve in 1741.2 Not surprisingly, it was here in this small village that local history records that the first decorated Christmas tree in the United States was displayed.1 (Bethlehem is just one of several Pennsylvania towns inspired by Biblical sites such as Emmaus, Jordon Creek, and Nazareth.)2

The Moravians ministered to the Lenape Native Americans2 in the area and established a growing religious community in the area that continues today. But the peacefulness they sought in that valley would not linger too many years before the Industrial Revolution and its entrepreneurs found that the town was ideal for new things and progress on a different front. Nearby Allentown just northwest of Bethlehem was founded in 1762 and iron ore was discovered there in the 1840s3. Iron ore – pig iron – the main component in making steel…. steel which was needed by a young country on the move in order to build the bridges and buildings and ships and weapons that would be needed to prosper.

The Lehigh River at 109 miles long is a tributary of the Delaware River and ultimately the Delaware Bay – perfect for shipping goods down to Philadelphia and via the Atlantic to all parts of the world.

Both Allentown and Bethlehem became vibrant steel-producing cities. (Now, doesn’t that get you to humming Billy Joel’s “Allentown”4?)

Not to overwhelm you with too much history….but the first iron works facility was built – Saucona Iron Works – in Bethlehem on the Lehigh River in 1857. The name was later changed to Bethlehem Iron Works in 1861 and finally to Bethlehem Steel in 1899. Bethlehem Steel, which would quickly become one of the world’s largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies.

Machine Shop #2 – Just about 1/3 of a mile long.

Once incorporated, Bethlehem’s first elected mayor was Archibald Johnston, not surprisingly, a Bethlehem Steel executive2.

During its time, Bethlehem Steel would prosper –  “Among major buildings, Bethlehem produced steel for 28 Liberty Street, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, and the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City and Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Among major bridges, Bethlehem’s steel was used in constructing the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the Peace Bridge between Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario.”2  

My personal favorite on the list of accomplishments was provision of the iron that was used to build the 45.5’ steel axle for the world’s first Ferris wheel (264’ tall) created for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.2

While the Moravian community up on the hill would continue, it was Bethlehem Steel with its manufacturing plants at Sparrows Point, Maryland, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna, New York, and Burns Harbor, Indiana, that would dominate the growth and economy of the little town for more than 140 years until its closure.

So, all good things must end, I suppose, and that would include Bethlehem Steel (later to be merged with US Steel). The great furnaces that roared continuously night and day for eighty-one years from the first firing in 1863 were silenced forever in 1982. Finally, in 2003, the once mighty Bethlehem Steel was done.

It seems that there were many reasons for the demise of this great company – bad investments, mismanagement of pension plans, increasing competition from overseas companies, rising labor costs, less labor available altogether…. the list is a long one.

Today, Bethlehem is quiet and again (for the most part). The town itself thrives and is home to two universities – Lehigh University and the Moravian University.

As for the steel industry, the town has preserved its history in “The Steel Stacks” that remain down by the river. The area has been transformed into a park and event venue that is dominated by the old steel furnaces and industrial buildings. Most of the buildings are slowly but surely rotting away. All have been fenced in for safety of visitors and are no longer accessible. The “Stacks” themselves are also fenced in, but a catwalk has been built alongside the old infrastructure where visitors can walk and view the rusting furnaces of the abandoned mill. We spent an afternoon exploring the park and strolling along the catwalk gazing in amazement at the size and sheer “presence” of the steel stacks that dominated this valley for so many years.

As Billy Joel sang of “Allentown”3, you might also sing for Bethlehem, still vibrant but peaceful again after all these years.

“Well, we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem, they’re killing time
Filling out forms, standing in line”4

Now you’re singing, right? So, take a moment – stop & listen: Billy Joel – Allentown (Official Video)

Bethlehem is in Pennsylvania just about 45 miles west of Philadelphia, 72 miles south of New York City, 197 miles northeast of Washington DC, and 149 miles northeast of Baltimore – easy to find and only a couple hours’ drive – just right for a daytrip. There is also a small museum at the site where you can learn lots more about Bethlehem Steel and enjoy a guided walking tour along the catwalk.

Sources for Information:

  1. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – Wikipedia
  2. Bethlehem Steel – Wikipedia
  3. Allentown, Pennsylvania – Wikipedia
  4. Billy Joel – Allentown Lyrics | Genius Lyrics