My sister-in-law, Katie, is a member of the choir at my church, Jubilee Christian Center. Our choir recently competed in, and won, the regional competition for the Verizon Wireless How Sweet the Sound competition, a competition that serves to find the best church choir in America.

In recognition of the Jubilee choir’s win, the entire choir, all 100+ members, were flown to Atlanta Georgia to compete in the national finale. So tonight I took my family to church to watch the finale. And boy was it awesome.

Verizon Wireless is a class act. I have to say this ahead of everything because the came to our church, set up a satellite and broadcast the entire event on a very large screen television that they brought. They also brought coffee, juice, tea, water and a host of appetizers and deserts. They also brought the staff to prepare these treats so that those watching the finale could be about the business of watching the finale rather than serving food and drinks. Way to go Verizon. I am impressed.

Now on to the goods. We got to church just in time to see our church perform first. I thought at first that this was a good thing but the more I think about it the more I realize that a church that performs toward the end of a two and half hour long competition has a much better chance of being remembered than does the church that started the whole thing off.

I thought because our church did not win. The top two churches actually performed in the last three routines. And while I thought both of these church choirs were good, I did not think the runner up had the vocals, the management or the sounds that our choir did. I had our choir squarely in the top four. The runner up was my number five. In the end though it didn’t matter what my list looked like. It was all on the judges. And they cast their votes.

Overall our choir kicked some serious butt. To see that many people of that many varying backgrounds on stage, singing together, with an African American choir director and a Philippine choir leader was amazing. Just the diversity alone was something to behold. Not to mention they sang their butts off. And they did this at the end of the week of Thunder in the Bay. That is truly a testament to their resolve to perform and perform well.

So to my choir I have to tell you congratulations for doing so well and for representing Jubilee Christian Center the way you did. It was awesome. And next year you will knock them out of the park.