Accordions can be FUN!

If you missed this year's Living Christmas Tree you missed - as far as I know - the very first appearance of accordions in "the Tree." I may be wrong, but surely someone would have said, "Oh! Accordions? In the Tree? We've done that before..."

 

Brothers Tim and Terry brought out accordions in the middle of the program!

 

 

 

Bro. Terry helped me with getting one on.

 

I'll see if Perry can get us a video of our song for me to add to this post!

 

(As always, you can click on a picture to see a larger version of it.)

 

 

 

I mentioned one night that my son has an accordion. It was his accordion that I was using!

 (Yes, I knew about it before hand.)

 

Here's Andrew with his accordion. His father-in-law is Swiss and plays the accordion.

How cool is that?

 

And now his son, Elam has an accordion. He got one for Christmas!

 

The grandfather in me couldn't resist putting up a picture of one of my grandbabies!

 

Here's a little accordion music for you.

What could be better than "Amazing Grace" on an accordion?

 

 

 

 

Christmas Carol Theology

I love Christmas carols.

They have beautiful, singable melodies. They usually have found memories associated with them, people love to sing them...

But just as important, they have great texts (well, most of them) with fantastic theological truths and statements.

Here's one example (and we're singing it this Sunday morning)

"Hail the heav'nborn Prince of Peace
Hail the Sun of righteousness.
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild, He lays His glories by.
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth.
Born to give them second birth.

Wow! Great, wonderful truths taken straight out of scripture. (and if it wasn't 2 AM and I wasn't typing this from my phone I'd add scripture references for you to look at)

We'll begin worship this Sunday with this carol.

We'll also sing at least a verse of each of these wonderful carols:
Joy to the World ( with Sing for Joy )
What Child Is This?
Away in a Manger
and
Silent Night

How could you miss out?
I'll look for you Sunday morning.

(Now maybe I can sleep!)

A Busy Sunday

Haha! Aren't they all?

We'll begin the day with a wonderful time of worship. (You can join us at 8:30 or 9:45)

Here's what we'll be singing.

November 14, 2010


The Solid Rock
Everlasting God

Choir anthem – God of All

Recognition of Veterans

Fellowship song – Victory in Jesus

Testimony – Steve Kemmer

Who Can Satisfy?
Special music – Diane Carroccia

Message – Dr. Larry D. Robertson

Invitation song – I Surrender All

Offertory – Jesse Huang and Bro. Lyndel (violin and viola duet)

Then the fun, busy part begins.

1:00 - Children's VBS and Christmas Choir
2:00 - Christmas Handbells
3:00 - ESL class
4:30 - Christmas Angels Rehearsal
5:15 - Toy Shop Rehearsal
5:45 - Christmas Drum Line Rehearsal

Then I think I'll be tired and I'll probably go eat supper.

Contest Heads Toward the Final Days

Contest info:
We have one more Wednesday and one more Sunday for each team to rack up some extra points.
Since it is the end, we're going to double the points for this Wednesday - which means 20 for each person in attendance and 100 for new members! and we'll double them again next Sunday.

The score


sopranos altos men

Last Total 2310 2280 2210
29-Jul 200 150 130
2-Aug 440 380 400
New total 2950 2810 2740

(sorry, can't get these numbers to line up correctly on blogger)

Yes! There were 22 sopranos in attendance Sunday which - with double points - gave them 440 points!
It's still any one's game. Call your missing friends. Invite someone new to join you. Let's start the Fall singing season with a BIG choir!

Oh, speaking of the Fall schedule… August 26 is our annual Christmas Preview Party and September 18-19 is our Christmas retreat. It's not too late to sign up! Put these dates on your calendar and we'll see you then!

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

Christmas Party Pics

We had a fun time together tonight.

The food was great.

The decorations were beautiful.

The fellowship was fabulous.

We had commemorative ornaments for this year's music.

Look for us in the tree!

It's Time for Christmas!

Our Christmas Preview Party is THIS Wednesday at 6:15 in the choir room at the main campus. This is the perfect time to come back to choir or to bring a new friend with you. We'll have finger foods and soft drinks and Christmas lights and music and fun and ....

You won't want to miss it!

Merry Christmas

People sometimes wonder why a lot of music guys are a little bit crazy.





Hmmmmm, do you think it might be because today I received my first box of Christmas music?!?!?!?




Perhaps I should purchase this book...


And the company that wins the prize for getting sample Christmas music out first this year goes to Brentwood-Benson. Congratulations for helping send worship pastors further down the road to total craziness. I'm sure the boxes from LifeWay and Word Music will follow soon. Woohoo!!

Merry Christmas!

Joy to the world, the Lord has come.

Let earth receive her King!

Why December 25th? The Romans had a winter festival in honor of the unconquerable sun. The early Christians either had to get rid of the festival or redeem it. Here's what I think is really cool. The festival was on Dec. 25th - three days after the Winter Solstice which is the shortest day of the year. They at one time had thought the sun was dying but by three days after the Winter Solstice it was obvious that the sun was alive! I suppose it is way too obvious for me to point out the symbolism there. It's kind of like when the Apostle Paul went to Athens and he told the men there how he had seen an inscription "to the unknown god" and he said he was there to tell them about Him Ac 17:23 . I think that's pretty cool.

[the following paragrpah was added later] OK, Cheryl just read this post and she said I didn't put enough words in and she didn't get it. So I'll try again. The Romans were already celebrating the resurrection of the sun - how three days after they thought it was dead they celebrated the fact that the sun was not dead. So, just as Paul explained to the Athenians that the unknown god they worshipped was Jesus, the Romans were celebrating the resurrection of the Son before they knew about THE resurrection. I hope that is a clearer explanation.

Here's an article with more interesting Christmas facts http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D164506%252526M%25253D200743%2C00.html?

I pray you have a very merry and blessed Christmas! I'll be looking for you all Sunday in worship.

Luke 2

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, it happened that the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a manger--because there was no room for them at the inn.
8 In the same region, shepherds were living out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for you see, I announce to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 because today in the city of David was born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.

17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

Nativity

THANK YOU!

I want to thank the choir for my Christmas present. In case you missed it, the choir gave me a blown glass Nativity set for Christmas.

Blown Glass Nativity

Word had gotten out that I collect Nativity sets. In this post you'll not only read some interesting dictionary information about "Nativity", but you'll see some pictures of some of my Nativities. (I haven't come across the box that has my Nativity set from Nicaragua.)

A Nativity in honor of Hannah and Benjamin

I found it interesting when I looked up Nativity (at my favorite dictionary place Merriam Webster Online http://www.m-w.com/ ) that when it isn't capitalized it means "the process or circumstances of being born" and when capitalized it refers to the birth of Jesus. So I could say that my nativity was in Oklahoma City. My nativity, however, did not attract shepherds and was not announced by angels.

Heartwood Creek Nativity

Nativity by Lenox (in our bedroom)

There's another word for a Nativity set - "creche" which is originally a French word meaning a manger but now means "a representation of a Nativity scene."

Carved Wood Nativity

I found it rather funny that it can also mean "4 : a group of young animals (as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults."

A creche of penguins?

I like passages of scripture that refer to the Nativity that aren't in the Gospels. (Here's an earlier post with Colossians 1 http://hilldaleworship.blogspot.com/2007/12/mystery-of-incarnation.html )

Nativity - Taking on the form of a servant

Phillipians 2

5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,

6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God

as something to be used for His own advantage.

Or to be grasped, or to be held on to

7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave,

taking on the likeness of men.

And when He had come as a man in His external form,

8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient

to the point of death—even to death on a cross.

9 For this reason God also highly exalted Him

and gave Him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—

of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—

11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Christmastime

Sunday's anthem - Christmastime!

If you want to see our presentation of The Living Christmas Tree and you have charter cable, you can tune in Christmas night (Dec. 25) at 7:00 on channel 10 or Thursday night, Dec. 27, at 8:00, also on channel 10.

Pics from our Dress Rehearsal

"Christmastime is here... ring Christmas bells!"

And Then There Was Light

PSA for HBC on WCKV on CCC

OK, after yesterday's post, Cheryl thought maybe I had drifted into the crazy zone. You know, too much, stress, not enough sleep and he starts writing about Christmas camels. No, I'm not totally bonkers, just entertaining myself. : ) And I'm really not that stressed. Things are falling into place quite nicely for "the Tree". I hope you are getting excited!

So here is a plain old boring post to let you know that (and now start reading with just a touch of excitment in your voice) that tomorrow night at 6:45, (the excitment should be building now) camera men and producers from Clarksville's very own (I wish you could read this with the same excitement I am typing with) WCKV will be in our very own choir room to record a PSA! (Public Service Announcement) (really wild excitment should be in your voice by now) How cool is that? a PSA for HBC on WCKY on CCC!

So basically, we're going to sing a line or two of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and then say "Merry Christmas! from Hilldale Baptist Church" and then WCKV (AKA Channel 9 on CCC - Charter Communications Cable) will show it all during the month of December.

So wear something that says "Merry Christmas" and practice your merriest smile and I'll see you tomorrow!

Christmas With a Capital

I've never heard of the Go Fish Guys, but I like their singing. I'm not too sure what the pictures have to do with the song. Merry Christmas!

Hmm, I had the video here. It got lost somehow, so here's the You Tube link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

More Retreat Fun

Here are a few pics from the retreat. We were playing a game. Each team here is depicting a Christmas song. Can you guess them? Answers will be posted later.

Here's another game we played. Each person had to guess what was on his/her back. And no, we did not pick people or objects to match the person.

This isn't part of a game, I just thought it was a funny picture.