Music for April 3

The next three weeks - as we lead up to Easter - we will be singing songs about the cross.

April 3, 2011




How Great Thou Art
Everlasting God

Choir anthem – Nothing but the Blood Would Do

Fellowship song – Are You Washed in the Blood

Calvary Covers It All
Jesus Messiah

Special Music – Don McElroy

Message – Dr. Larry D. Robertson

Invitation song – I Give You Me

Offertory – Gena Tate

Music for March 27

I love Spring! The trees this week are soooo incredibly gorgeous! So I changed whatever songs I had planned for the second set of songs and put in Great Is Thy Faithfulness and For the Beauty of the Earth. I really like this arrangement of "For the Beauty" and the slides that go with it are beautiful!

I’ll Fly Away

Days of Elijah

Choir - Power of the Cross
Fellowship song – At the Cross

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
For the Beauty of the Earth

Special Music – Angie Thomas

FREE! - My Chains Are Gone

Our advertising poster for

Passion Play 2011

Real Men

Last night we had "Man Church" at Hilldale. Knowing it was coming up, I did some thinking about what a real man is.

Society has many ideas that I won't bother to list here.

They say men identify themselves by what they do. I build houses. I sing in the choir. I drive a truck. I do this _____

I happen to think a man is defined by who he IS not just by what he does, but for this particular post I'll go with what a real man does. I suppose though that who he is will be seen by what he does, so maybe it's OK...

This is certainly not an exhaustive list - just things off the top of my head.

A Real Man takes care of himself physically.

Most men don't like to go to the doctor. "I'm not sick!"

To be honest, the things they do to you aren't exactly comfortable things a lot of the time. But a real man will go to the doctor because he knows he needs to be around to care for his wife and children and grandchildren. So...

A real man goes to the doctor.

A real man has a colonoscopy (so his wife doesn't have to watch him die an unnecessary slow painful death. I've seen this way too many times over the years.)

A real man lets his doctor do a prostate exam. (I know ladies read this too. Sorry. But prostate cancer is one of the leading killers of men and to be honest... - well never mind. You guys can just talk to me about it privately if you need to. hahaha.)
A real man exercises so his heart is healthy.
A real man keeps his weight in check so he will live longer and healthier.
(Do I need to keep going?)

A Real Man takes care of his family.

He hugs his kids and kisses his wife (in front of the kids so they see that a real man loves his wife.)
He says "I love you."
He doesn't take cheap shots at his wife or kids - he's not a bully.
He provides for his family's material needs but doesn't become a workaholic because he knows they need him at home too.
He doesn't just watch sports. If his wife wants to see a "chick flick" he watches it with her.
He supports his son when he wants to play in the band instead of going out for the football team.

Last but certainly not least.
A Real Man takes care of himself spiritually.

He reads his Bible every day.
He let's God's Spirit work in his life to make him more like Christ.
He leads his family in going to worship and Bible study and in service.
He is a follower of Jesus.

I'm thankful that I know a lot of men like this! I certainly haven't arrived and the guys I know who are "real men" haven't either, but we're striving to honor God, our families and ourselves as we work on doing what is right.

Happy Birthday George Frideric Handel

Sunday - March 13

It's time change Sunday!!

Don't forget to move your clocks AHEAD one hour when you go to bed. I actually don't have a clock in my bedroom. I don't wear a watch either, so I have to rely on AT&T updating the time on my cell phone.

If you remember to set your clocks ahead and you end up in worship on time you'll get to sing
Come, Now Is the Time to Worship
Crown Him with Many Crowns

Then you'll hear the choir sing a new song "Lord God Almighty"

Then you get to sing some more as we sing
Blessed Assurance

and since Bro. Larry is going to talk about the importance of "The Word" we are going to sing
Thy Word
Ancient Words

Mardi Gras and Lent explained for Baptists

One of my Dad's favorite sayings was "I gave that up for Lent." I had no idea what Lent was as I was growing up. In fact, I thought he was saying "lint" meaning he gave it up nothing - just a little lint from the clothes drier. Even thinking that, I just knew any time Dad didn't want to do something he would say, "I gave that up for Lent."

As Baptists, we don't "do" Lent. (Although I know of some Baptist friends of mine who do.) Lent seems to be too "Catholic" for us Baptists. (The Lutherans and Methodists and others also observe Lent.) But we do know about the day before Lent even if we don't celebrate it - Mardi Gras. 

Dad was sort of right about Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter. During Lent you are asked to give something up - usually meat and wine or something you really like. (My friends always gave up dessert for Lent.) So then, when you are missing that something that you gave up you are to turn that longing into a prayer or longing for God. Lent is supposed to be a time of reflection on Christ and on His sacrifice of Himself for us. It is a time for extra devotion and turning our thoughts to Him.

Unfortunately, as in many things in life, what began as a good thing turned into a legalistic event that lost it's meaning. Knowing that they would be giving up meat and wine for 40 days, people turned the day before - and now I think the week before - into a wild time of all the sensual pleasures of life. The drunken revelry seen in New Orleans is how the god of this age turned what was once a spiritual event into a godless mess. In Latin America it is called Carnival. The parades of Rio are as bad as the parades in New Orleans.

So what's a Baptist to do. I suppose you don't really have to do anything about Mardi Gras and Lent. But here are a few ideas. :-)

1. Don't go out drinking and partying tonight so you have something to give up or confess tomorrow!
2. Use the 40 days before Easter to devote yourself to Bible study and prayer - reflecting on God's incredible love and Jesus' sacrifice.
3. Pray for the lost in the world who go through motions but have no heart knowledge of Jesus.
4. Use Mardi Gras and Lent as a time to share your faith and your PERSONAL relationship with Jesus.
5. Really give up something you like if that will help you focus on scripture and prayer and living a holy life. (If you do this, you CAN NOT complain about it. It totally loses any meaning it may have had if you do.) The following is a possibility. I haven't decided if I am going to give up chocolate for Lent. Since many of my breakfast foods include chocolate I'm thinking not.

Sunday's Music - March 6

Glorious Is Thy Name/Glorious Mighty God

Choir - Hear the Call of the Kingdom with Traci singing solo

Fellowship song - Hallelujah, Your Love Is Amazing

My Savior's Love
My Hope

Special Music (a surprise - a soldier back from Afghanistan!)