Getting Ready

Preparations for The Passion Play are under way!

The set arrived today...

And costumes are assigned...

Do you know your music???!!!

Rehearsals and Goats

In case you missed the e-mail from today, March 30.

two quick things…

1. Wednesday's rehearsal will start at 6:00. This may rush you a little,
but it will keep us from staying as late. Yeah.

2. Some of you had told me about goats you know - or at least someone who
has goats. I didn't write these things down because I thought I had all of
the goats I need. But I could actually use about two more goats, so remind
me of the goats you know.

See you Wednesday!

Hahahaha! Then I got a reply to my e-mail that said,

"Do you really want me to name all of the old goats I know?" Hahahaha!

Nope.

Music for March 29, 2009

Hear Our Praises
You Are God Alone (this video is Phillips Craig and Dean's version. It's gorgeous but in the wrong key for congregations to sing)
How Great Thou Art

Prayer – Bro Lyndel Littleton

Choir – I Will Rise
Solo – Brenda Radford

Welcome – Bro. Lyndel Littleton

Welcome song – Victory Song

Children’s sermon – Bro. Tim Muñoz

All Creatures of Our God and King
God of Wonders
For the Beauty of the Earth

Special Music – Angie & Allison Thomas

Message – Bro. Paul Scott

Invitation – Change My Heart, O God

Announcements & Benediction – Bro. Tony Lewis

An Artist Is Born - Johnny

The Family Art Project was last Saturday. I'll be posting pictures of it - a few at a time - over the next week. David Brockman came to take pictures. He - as always - did a great job and I have a bunch to share with you.

I want to begin by telling you about Johnny.

Isn't he cute?

Here's a note from his mother (who painted with him).

We had a great time today. Johnny is so excited about his painting. We had to stop at Sam's on the way back to Kentucky, and Johhny got to talking to a lady in line behind us, and he asked her if she wanted to come see his painting he did. She said yes, and followed us out to the truck. He explained everything to her. She said she would like a really little one of his farm paintings, so this evening, he is painting a little picture to send to her. My in-laws also want a little one for their new sunroom. I think you may have created a little painting monster.

I asked her if she cared if I shared her story about him and she replied.

Please do share the story. He sure has been. His Sunday School teacher came up to me after church and asked if Johnny painted something. He was telling everyone. And this morning he woke up and was describing the painting to all his stuffed animals ( the painting is hanging in his room)

Cover Me

Choir number from March 22. Great song!

Family Art

I'll be putting up some posts about "The Family Art Project" soon. We had a great time and made some beautiful paintings. David came and took photos, so when he has a chance to get them to me then I will share some of them here. These are pictures I took before we got started.You'll be so sad that you didn't join us.

Travis Cottrell - In Christ Alone

It didn't work when I tried to put this post on my last post. So here it is.

Happy Vernal Equinox and Sunday's Music

The Vernal or Spring Equinox arrived today at 6:44am Central Time. Ooooo. I LOVE Spring! Spring is soooo beautiful on Bear Hollow. You can enjoy Spring on Bear Hollow for only... Oh, that's a post for a different blog.

The first day of Spring is two days before my lovely wife's birthday. So since Sunday is Cheryl's birthday we're singing one of her favorite songs by singing it one of the favorite ways she like to sing it. Travis Cottrell does a beautiful arrangement of "In Christ Alone" with the chorus of "The Solid Rock" between verses 3 and 4. Here's a youtube vid of it. Practice between now and Sunday so you'll sing your best. Worship deserves your best singing - because God deserves your best.

Here's the entire worship schedule for March 22.
Oh, by the way. Just because Cheryl gets to pick some of the music on her birthday doesn't mean you get to. grin.

March 22, 2009 AM

Glorious Is Thy Name/Glorious Mighty God
Everlasting God

Prayer – Bro. Lyndel Littleton

Choir – Cover Me
Duet – Mark and Traci

Welcome – Dr. Larry D. Robertson
Welcome song – I Will Call upon the Lord

Children’s message – Bro. Tim Munoz

In Christ Alone/The Solid Rock
My Hope

Special Music – Ramona Ambrose

Message – Dr. Larry D. Robertson

Invitation song – Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Offertory – Michelle Dickerson

Announcements & Benediction – Bro. Tony Lewis

Time to Advertise

The Passion Play is just a few weeks away. It's time for you to print up a poster and hang it in your cubicle or wherever you boss will allow - lunch room, front door, car window (just make sure you can still see out). You should be able to click on the picture to get a large version of it and then hit "print" on the ol' computer keyboard.

Help! I've Lost My Rehearsal Schedule

Never fear! Calendar man is here!

But don't worry... even if you can't get in touch with calendar man you can either scroll down on this blog to the "Make a Scene" Make a Scene post or you can go to http://www.hilldale.org/ and look under "Resources" for "Passion Play Rehearsal."

Either way, you'll be all up-to-date and in-the-know and you won't miss a rehearsal! How great is that?

See you tonight (if you are in group B) or tomorrow (everyone in choir).

A Really Big Bell

I posted - a few posts ago - about the handbell festival our handbell choir went to here in Middle Tennessee. http://hilldaleworship.blogspot.com/2009/03/handbell-festival.html

Two weeks before that Cheryl and I went to East Tennessee for their handbell festival. Hannah and Benjamin went with us. http://papalyndel.blogspot.com/2009/02/handbells.html

I wanted you all to see this bell! The handbell choir from FBC, Sevierville has 6 octaves of bells! (or is it 7 octaves? I'm thinking 7. I should look it up. Yep - if you have bells down to C2 you have 7 octaves.)

The bell in this picture is a C2 which means it is 3 octaves below middle C! Wow! It is made out of aluminum instead of brass because the bells are too heavy when they are that big and made of brass. (Notice the adorable grandchildren.)

Music for Sunday, March 15

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Blessed Be Your Name



Choir anthem - My Father's House

Blessed Assurance
Who Can Satisfy?

Special Music - Dan Dickerson

Old MacLyndel Had a Farm

EIEIO

And on this farm he had a horse (trough). EIEIO

Then we'll baptize here,

and baptize there,

dunk 'em here, dunk 'em there,

every body's wet now.

Old MacLyndel had a farm. EIEIO

And on this farm he had some goats. EIEIO

With a baa, baa here

'cause the sheep's too big (and smelly)

Sell 'em here, run 'em out

What're they doing here in My Father's house?

Old MacLyndel had a farm. EIEIO

And on this farm he had a donkey. EIEIO

With a Jackson's back

'cause Brenda's gone

Here he comes down the aisle

Hope he doesn't kick now

Old MacLyndel had a farm. EIEIO!!!

Woohoo! Everything is getting in place for the Passion Play.

This post is dedicated to the trainers at LifeWay who told my lovely wife that blogs should EIEIO.

Make a Scene

I don't think I've ever REALLY "made a scene." You know, like in a restaurant when the service is less than wonderful or the food is burnt.
I wouldn't call what happened a few weeks ago a "scene", but I did embarrass our waiter a few Sundays ago. We went to Logans (YUMM) for Sunday lunch with some friends. Our waiter said, "You look familiar." (Actually he was about the third person that day to say that - hooray for being on TV every week - and he said that he had been to Hilldale before.)

Anyway... he was a big strong guy, so later when he brought us our sweet tea I asked him if he had ever done any acting. He hadn't, but wanted to know why I asked. I told him I needed a few more soldiers for the Passion Play. He seemed half-way interested, or at least flattered that I'd asked, but knew he would have to work those evenings.

So technically I didn't make a "scene", but some of those with me (including my lovely wife) were thinking they might come without me next time. I figured it didn't hurt to ask.

All of that to say, "I need YOU to make a scene." Or at least a scene rehearsal or two. Here's the schedule. (I had the scedule here, but it wouldn't enlarge. Notice that if you click it - up there at the top of this post - it will enlarge where you can read it.)

The yellow part is an explanation of the scenes. The Groups (A,B,C,&D) are choir members put together for ease of staging. You'll need to check your e-mail to see which group you are in. Those nights will not be long practices, but they are important because we will walk each group through the Passion Play so you know where to stand and what to do in each scene. I know you'll make every effort to be there. Thanks.

Notice the Sunday night rehearsals immediately following the evening worship service. The youth choir will join us for a short rehearsal each of those nights so we can mix them in with the adult choir and go through a scene.

It's going to be a great Passion Play this year. Thanks for being a part of it. If you are one of our readers from across the country or around the world, fly on over and see us - April 9-11.

Handbell Festival

Our handbell choir went to the Middle Tennessee Handbell Festival this weekend. We had a great time and worked on some beautiful songs.

There were 15 choirs. Here's what it sounds like.

Here's a video where I'm standing between Mrs. Nancy and Mrs. Reigh Ann.

Wow! Look at the fancy mallet work.

Afterwards, on Saturday, we ate at Macaroni Grill. YUMMM!

Family Art Project Update

We have room for four more families in our Family Art Project. The only reason for this is because I ordered material from my favorite art supplier http://www.dickblick.com/ and everything came in three days! Very impressive. (If you are interested in ordering art supplies or art books go to my art blog and click on the ads there http://www.bearhollowcreations.blogspot.com/ )

Our Children's Pastor, Tim Muñoz, is so excited about this project that he talked me into letting him advertise it one more Sunday. So I'll order again Monday, but THAT WILL BE IT. If you want to join us it will be on a first come, first served, basis.




Here's a picture of one of the canvases. I put a hymnal (the red book there) there in front of it so you could tell how BIG these are. It's going to be sooooo awesome working on these paintings - as families - and then seeing the finished results.

Hannah

Hannah is doing better. Thank you for your prayers. I don't want to put a lot of personal information here since people from all over the world read our Hilldale Worship Blog, so I'll leave it at that. You can find more information on Facebook on my profile page.

Lord, You're Holy

Here's the choir number from last Sunday, March 1. It was nice to see Louise again. I'm glad she could come up and sing with us.

Hoops and Choir

It sounds like there is going to be close to 3,197 people at the big Hoops Hoop-de-doo this Wednesday night. Sounds like tons of fun. However, since there will be 3,197 people there Bro. Paul said it would be just fine - in fact he encouraged me - to go ahead and have choir rehearsal this Wednesday night. He's hoping that 3,127 people won't be as crowded! Ha!

So..... if you don't have a child in upward basketball or aren't a coach, I'll be looking for you in the sanctuary at the main campus this Wednesday night. We'll start about 6:15.

THERE WILL BE CHILDCARE for you at the main campus.