Called to Sing Your Praise
"Called to Sing Your Praise" is the title of a booklet on the life of Anja Miller, a local 18-year-old who died in September 2013. The booklet was compiled and written as a project of Pilgrim Christian High School's composition class, and will be available for $5.00 on Christmas Day and thereafter.
Here is the introduction to the book:
Many previous community writing projects for the composition class have involved stories about people who have died, but none have ever involved personal grief as fresh as this story about Anja. All of us heard about her death near the end of an otherwise normal day at school, and most of us felt very far from normal for a long time after that. Anja was one of us, and her death affected us deeply.
When the idea of writing this story first occurred to us, we cautiously broached the subject with Anja’s parents, LaVerne and Rebecca. Their response warmed our hearts. “We are honored and blessed to see you develop this project,” they said. Furthermore, they told us that they love to talk about Anja, and we need not worry about bothering them with our questions. They promised to cooperate in whatever way they could.
We had one lengthy personal interview with LaVerne, Rebecca, and John at school. Later, we spent some time at the family’s home, and, among other things, had the opportunity to see some of Anja’s art projects and 4-H awards, and her music studio. Looking at these objects associated with Anja prompted memories and stories that helped inform our writing.
The family loaned us other memorabilia–Anja’s 2-inch-thick 4-H Record Book, the memory book the Pilgrim Christian High School students had prepared, copies of papers she wrote for school, printed materials prepared for the funeral, and printouts of files they found on the computer. The composition class has rarely had access to such a wealth of words written by a person featured in our community writing project. This is partly a marvel of current technology, but also a testimony to Anja’s and her parents’ diligent, thorough, and orderly habits.
Our interactions with LaVerne and Rebecca accomplished other purposes, besides helping us write this book. Because they shared their journey freely, we saw how grief looks when people turn toward God in their grief instead of away from Him. We witnessed them turning to others in the church, instead of away from them. We saw forgiveness extended where others erred. We saw LaVerne and Rebecca’s family blessed in their time of crisis because of relationships they have invested in over many years of service and sacrifice. Soaking in these understandings was perhaps the most important lesson of this year’s composition class.
In choosing titles for the various sections of this story, we drew on the words of songs, all of which were sung at Anja’s funeral. The book title is from the song “When We are Called to Sing Your Praise,” which reminds us to praise even when our hearts are filled with pain. Writing this book represents such an effort, and we pray it accomplishes God’s purposes.
Called to Sing Your Praise also reminds us of what Anja does perfectly now, what she did while she lived among us, what we feel like doing about Anja as we remember her now, and what we and what all people everywhere, in all times and in all circumstances, are called to do: sing God’s praise.
Miriam Iwashige
Special thanks to the following people for their help:
Arlyn, Arthur, and Paul W. Nisly (notes from the funeral)
Heidi Mast, Kimberly Miller, and Seth Yutzy (cover)
Jewel Yoder (youth group memories)
Kathy Hanks (newspaper article)
LaVerne, Rebecca, and John Miller (much time and material)
Lyle Stutzman, Mike Atnip, and Shenandoah Music Camp (Anja’s song)
Michael Jon Nisly (proofreading)
Others who helped with proofreading and cover design
Here is the introduction to the book:
Many previous community writing projects for the composition class have involved stories about people who have died, but none have ever involved personal grief as fresh as this story about Anja. All of us heard about her death near the end of an otherwise normal day at school, and most of us felt very far from normal for a long time after that. Anja was one of us, and her death affected us deeply.
When the idea of writing this story first occurred to us, we cautiously broached the subject with Anja’s parents, LaVerne and Rebecca. Their response warmed our hearts. “We are honored and blessed to see you develop this project,” they said. Furthermore, they told us that they love to talk about Anja, and we need not worry about bothering them with our questions. They promised to cooperate in whatever way they could.
We had one lengthy personal interview with LaVerne, Rebecca, and John at school. Later, we spent some time at the family’s home, and, among other things, had the opportunity to see some of Anja’s art projects and 4-H awards, and her music studio. Looking at these objects associated with Anja prompted memories and stories that helped inform our writing.
The family loaned us other memorabilia–Anja’s 2-inch-thick 4-H Record Book, the memory book the Pilgrim Christian High School students had prepared, copies of papers she wrote for school, printed materials prepared for the funeral, and printouts of files they found on the computer. The composition class has rarely had access to such a wealth of words written by a person featured in our community writing project. This is partly a marvel of current technology, but also a testimony to Anja’s and her parents’ diligent, thorough, and orderly habits.
Our interactions with LaVerne and Rebecca accomplished other purposes, besides helping us write this book. Because they shared their journey freely, we saw how grief looks when people turn toward God in their grief instead of away from Him. We witnessed them turning to others in the church, instead of away from them. We saw forgiveness extended where others erred. We saw LaVerne and Rebecca’s family blessed in their time of crisis because of relationships they have invested in over many years of service and sacrifice. Soaking in these understandings was perhaps the most important lesson of this year’s composition class.
In choosing titles for the various sections of this story, we drew on the words of songs, all of which were sung at Anja’s funeral. The book title is from the song “When We are Called to Sing Your Praise,” which reminds us to praise even when our hearts are filled with pain. Writing this book represents such an effort, and we pray it accomplishes God’s purposes.
Called to Sing Your Praise also reminds us of what Anja does perfectly now, what she did while she lived among us, what we feel like doing about Anja as we remember her now, and what we and what all people everywhere, in all times and in all circumstances, are called to do: sing God’s praise.
Miriam Iwashige
Special thanks to the following people for their help:
Arlyn, Arthur, and Paul W. Nisly (notes from the funeral)
Heidi Mast, Kimberly Miller, and Seth Yutzy (cover)
Jewel Yoder (youth group memories)
Kathy Hanks (newspaper article)
LaVerne, Rebecca, and John Miller (much time and material)
Lyle Stutzman, Mike Atnip, and Shenandoah Music Camp (Anja’s song)
Michael Jon Nisly (proofreading)
Others who helped with proofreading and cover design
posted by Mrs. I (Miriam Iwashige) at
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