It's Daylight Savings Time Weekend

When you go to bed Saturday night set your clock BACK one hour. For instance, Cheryl and I will crash about 9:00 since Hannah and Benjamin are spending part of the weekend with us, so we'll set our clock back to 8:00. How wonderful is that?!

Here's a cute video from Crosswalk.com
http://www.salememail.net/czhqftbtp_vpfkgzmmmmg.html

Sunday's Music - Nov. 2

Wow! November. There are five Sundays this November. The last one is the first Sunday of Advent. Yes, you read that correctly. Four weeks from Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.

It was kind of fun freaking out everyone last year by introducing and Advent Wreath. Bro. Tim and I have had them at churches in the past and both thought it would be a nice addition to our worship here. I'll post a funny advent story later. I've distracted myself from the purpose of this post - Sunday's music.

I picked the first two songs because of Tuesday being election day.
O God, Our Help in Ages Past (this is the one with the nice new chorus added to the old hymn)
You Are God Alone (see a video of this song here http://hilldaleworship.blogspot.com/2008/09/you-are-god-alone.html )

for the welcome we are singing Rock of Ages (not grandma's version, the one by Rita Baloche)



For the Beauty of the Earth (again, not the old hymn, but a gorgeous song I first heard at Willow Creek) We have a beautiful Autumn slide show to go with this one.
Who Can Satisfy?

This Mind in You

Bro. Larry preached from Philippians 2 yesterday. He was preaching about holiness - and did a fine job, I might add.

I like to use some of these same verses to talk about worship in today's churches.
Philippians 2:

1.
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
2.
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

What does that have to do with worship?
Too easy. I don't like that song it's too...
fast
slow
old
new
loud
soft
boring
crazy

That song just doesn't do anything for me.
I just can't worship when we sing that song.

If we follow Paul's admonition to look out for the interests of others and not just for ourselves and focus on being united with Christ and fellowshipping with His Spirit then we'll say things like.

I sing this old song because it is our Sr. adults' favorite and I care about their worship.
I sing this loud upbeat song because the younger people at church really like it.
I focus on Jesus and not on the style of music so that our church is united with Christ.
I like all of our music because it all helps me focus on Jesus.

Preach your own sermon to yourself from here...

Here's another great post (if I say so myself) on worship.
http://hilldaleworship.blogspot.com/2008/03/family-television.html

I had a picture. I can't get it to upload. Sorry.

Sunday's Music - Oct. 26

I've jazzed up the old hymn "Jesus Saves" and I wrote out parts for Wind and Fire and we'll sing it Sunday morning. I think you'll really enjoy this upbeat 4/4 arrangement.

We'll start off with one verse of All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
and then go into Jesus Saves
followed by that great praise and worship song that the choir has sung a couple of times Hear Our Praises.

I don't remember what we're singing for the "welcome" song, but the next set has two of my favorite songs
Great Is Thy Faithfulness probably one of the greatest hymns ever written and
Made Me Glad

Christmas Is Rolling Along

I was a little panicked about Christmas when I realized that there were only 7 Wednesdays (with one of those the Wednesday before Thanksgiving - so it doesn't really count) before "the Tree."

And as of today - not counting the one before Thanksgiving - there are only 5 Wednesday rehearsals before then. Ooooooo!



However...

after last night's rehearsal I feel reeallllly good about The Living Christmas Tree - Journey to the Manger.

First, our Wind and Fire group sounded pretty good on several of the songs (still struggling a bit with the key of 'B') but it's all very doable.

And second, the choir sounded awesome! I"m really excited not only about Christmas, but the songs we're singing for church in the next couple of weeks. They really sounded great!



Keep on listening to your rehearsal CDs. Be faithful to rehearsals. Pray for God's blessing. We'll see some great things in the days ahead - at Christmas time and Sunday by Sunday. It's such a joy to work with all of you!



See you Sunday!



Oh, And welcome new members:

Charles and Dan -bass

Tina - soprano

Counting Sheep

I listened to "Journey to the Manger" this year's "Living Christmas Tree" music all the way home from the office last night. I recommend this to everyone, of course, but it may have caused me a bit of a problem. I woke up in the middle of the night and in my head started singing Christmas music. I love Christmas music during the day, but at 2:30 AM - not so much.

The usual bit of advice for people having difficulty sleeping is to count sheep, so I started counting. (I'm not sure why or how that is really supposed to work.) Well, ends up, all the sheep I was counting starting dancing "We gotta go and tell it on the mountain, Jesus is born! Sing the glory; shout the story, Jesus is born!"

They had a great dance going and I was dancing with them...

This video is of Shaun the Dancing Sheep. You can buy him on Amazon.

Perhaps I should try to sing "Silent Night" and at least have a slow dance to fall asleep to...

SEVEN!!!

Ooooooooooooooooooooo! I hate it when I do some actual looking at the calendar to decide Christmas rehearsals and realize that there are only 7 Wednesdays before “The Tree”!!!! SEVEN!!!!
Oh, it makes my head hurt.

This means that it is VERRRRRRRY important for you all to be in rehearsal this Wednesday night. We will rehearse from 6:25-8:00. We will get a song or two ready for a Sunday morning and then we will sing A LOT of Christmas. The music is not too difficult and vey singable this year, so we have plenty of time, we just need to be as faithful to rehearsals as possible since there are only 7 Wednesdays before “The Tree” (and that includes the Wednesday before Thanksgiving).

I’ll be looking for ALL of you THIS Wednesday night.

Merry Christmas!!!!