Last Night's Choir

We had a great time in choir last night. We had prizes, sang some great songs and then everyone surprised me with birthday balloons, cake and cards!

How fun!

There's usually someone who sort of slips up and lets me know something is up, but this time I was surprised. Thanks!



And what could be more fun than eating birthday cake with a bunch of folks who are too afraid to leave because of the tornado sirens going off? Hahaha!



Here is the score so far.

Oh, first off. If you weren't here you don't know that Bro. Tim has decided he wants to be in on the contest. He can't get points for being in choir, but he can get points for inviting people. He had two new choir members there last night, so he already has 100 points!
The altos did REALLY well last night, so everyone else has some catching up to do!

So here is the score:

Sopranos - 450
Altos - 610
Men - 390
Tim - 100

I Sing, You Sing, We All Sing for Ice Cream - and Choir

Our Summer choir contest has begun!

Each Wednesday night during the Summer we'll have prizes and fun and more for everyone!
I'll have some of my great prizes.
I'll have a few Ice Cream prizes (like last week's $5 gift cards from TCBY!)
And each week Cheryl is giving away a prize because she says my prizes (except for the ice cream ones) are lame! So she is pretending she is a famous talk show host and giving away her favorite things. Last week it was a beautiful coffee mug from Allewine Pottery in Gatlinburg!

In addition to all the fun prizes, there is a contest between the sections.
Each team gets 10 points for each member present on Sunday morning (you get to count points for singing in both services) and 10 points for being in rehearsal on Wednesday night.
You get 50 bonus points for bringing someone new to choir.

Here is the score so far. It's early in the contest, so it is still any one's game.

Sopranos - 290
Altos - 310
Men - 240

Besides all of that
yes, there's more!!
We have a wonderful time singing and we are learning some great new music and choir is the perfect pick-me-up for the middle of your week.

I'll be looking for you all tonight!

Singing with Understanding - Sunday, June 7

I think we worship better and sing better when there is understanding of why we are singing what we are singing.

It reminds me of when the Apostle Paul wrote this to the Corinthians.
"What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding. "1 Corinthians 14 :15 (HCSB)

Read This Chapter

Here is what we will be singing Sunday morning.

Holy, Holy, Holy – CH 3 (D) V1, V3
Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord – PW2 # 57 (D) C,V,C,V
Holy, Holy, Holy – V4
Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord – C, E

I love putting these two songs together. The third verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy" says, "Though the eyes of sinful man Thy glory may not see." Which to me is the perfect lead in for us to sing "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord." Then, as a response to that request - and as we join all of creation in singing "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea."

Prayer – Bro. Lyndel Littleton

Choir Anthem – Prepare Ye the Way

Welcome – Dr. Larry D. Robertson
Welcome song – Friend of God

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Another Lesson

My last post is titled "Lesson - Don't Irritate Your Children's Pastor."

Here's another lesson wah-hahaha! Don't Irritate Your Worship Pastor either - especially if he has a blog. LOL

We are using our Vacation Bible School offering to help missionaries in Columbia (the country not the city in TN) buy chickens and build coops so they can help their people with food and income. We had some cute chickens on the powerpoint presentation today. Here I am posing with a big chicken. I have a sneaking feeling that this picture will end up on tomorrow's powerpoint.

Lesson - Don't Irritate Your Children's Pastor

Hellllllllllp!

Sometimes it's difficult being the little guy. The bad guys can overpower you. I'm sure I didn't do anything to provoke this. LOL

Sunday is Pentecost

Baptists have a tendency to kind of ignore Pentecost. I guess we're a little nervous - afraid someone will "get in the Spirit" and start dancing and singing and speaking in tongues.
We reallllly need to get over that.

Here are just a few things Scripture teaches us about the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is an equal part of the Trinity. As Jesus was telling His followers that He wouldn't be around anymore He made a promise.

John 14: 16. (HCSB) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn't see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. 18. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
26. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit-the Father will send Him in My name-will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

The Holy Spirit is given to us when we become followers of Jesus.

Ephesians 1:13 (HCSB) Read This Chapter
In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation--in Him when you believed--were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit produces "fruit" in our lives. (I mentioned this in yesterday's post.)

Galatians 5 (HCSB) Read This Chapter
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

There's much more. Go to your favorite Bible study web site and do a search. I usually go to http://www.crosswalk.com/

Here's Sunday's order of worship. Notice the songs about the Holy Spirit.

May 31, 2009 AM

Revive Us Again
Days of Elijah

Prayer – Bro. Lyndel Littleton

Choir Anthem – Cover Me
Duet – Traci and Mark

Welcome – Bro. Lyndel Littleton

Welcome song – How Can I Keep from Singing
Children’s sermon – Bro. Tim Munoz

Holy Spirit, Rain Down
Sweet, Sweet Spirit
Breathe on Me

Special music – Jackie Newman

It Happened Again

I was at lunch today and saw one of my choir members who has been dealing with cancer (She's doing well by the way) and when I turned from talking to her and her husband there were a couple of young ladies who had been watching us. They looked a little embarrassed but then spoke up. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Joel Osteen?"

Hahaha.

Last week when Cheryl and I were in Gatlinburg we walked into one of the art shops and the lady there was reading one of Joel Osteen's books. She looked up and gasped. "Oh! Has anyone ever told you that you look like Joel Osteen?" I laughed and told her "yes" and that I too was a pastor. I gave her one of my business cards and she is using it as a book mark for her book.

A month or so ago it was the hostess at Red Lobster asking the same question.

Here's something I wrote over a year ago.
I've been accused a few times - or flattered - of looking like Joel Osteen. There's a lady at the meat and three in Joelton who asks me to pray for her every time I go in there because she thinks I'm him.


Here's a note Bro. Tony got a few weeks ago from one of his friends who was here for our DiscipleNow weekend.




"Lyndel Littleton Joel Osteen

coincidence? i think not. i believe your music minister is joel osteen in disguise!

i hope you get as much of a kick out of this as i did.

kurt"

Actually, I'm very thankful that I look like Joel Osteen and not some serial killer. Even more importantly than resembling Bro. Osteen I hope that when people see me they see a resemblance - a reflection - of Jesus. I want to live my life where they see His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23 )

Now... who do you look like? Will someone flatter you by saying "Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Jesus?" I hope they can.

The followers of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch Ac 11:26 - Show Context because they acted like Christ. My prayer is that you and I will live up to that name - Christian - this week.