Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter Lorem Ipsum

Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter November 2016

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Part 12 – What’s The Difference? One may ask this question about many things, often we think or ask “now what difference does THAT make?” Why was that choice made regarding?---you name it. Many choices that concern us are made for us about which we can do very little; (for instance the color of the house next door, or who got elected, or why was that driver so reckless and inconsiderate?) Some folks seem to think in questions, they aren’t really expecting an answer but in conversation we hear compound sentences in the form of questions! We’ve all made choices and then wondered why or became regretful! What’s the difference between a church choir and a community choir or a school choir, or a professional choir? They all sing don’t they? What difference does it make if I go to choir rehearsal or on Sunday morning or not at all? Questions whether verbalized or not often race through our minds with little resolution; problem is, this random thinking leaves us uncertain or confused. We do crave answers and they make us better informed and confident. As a boy, I remember a plaque in our home, which read “CHRIST IS THE ANSWER”; I read that and wondered, “what was the question?” Philosophers and artists have tried to deal with the largest question, “WHY?” Some have answered “WHY NOT?” Of course, most of us would say the Scriptures have the answers to those imposing questions and the principles taught in the Bible give us all the basic answers, which must be accepted by a radical faith, placed in the God Who inspired them. Back to my first question, “what’s the difference in a Church choir?” The word “church” as has been long taught is not literally a building; it is the people of God within a certain locale who have joined into a body for worship, edification and outreach. A primary distinction of a ‘church’ choir is that it is a part of that community given over to singing the praise of God with His Truth in our hearts and voices, with all the benefits expressing that truth can bring to that congregation. It implants that truth into our minds and hearts with musical devices of

Essential Re-choirments – Gordon Borror

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melody, harmony, rhythm, tone in such a way that it sticks, and can be expressed and remembered when alone or with many others. Of course, it also enriches the atmosphere of beauty, which is close to the heart of God. (Witness the breath-taking beauty of God’s creation!) It relates to the frequent references in Scripture, which admonish God’s people to “SING TO THE LORD” and “teach one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs”—it both expresses our faith and teaches us basic doctrines/responses to HIS Truth. The Church choir’s primary distinctive is the MINISTRY it has within the body of Christ; it is not a ‘concert’ choir, it is not for entertainment, it is not for cultural refinement or recreational activity, it’s primary task isn’t to be EXCELLENT (as desirable as that may be) it’s task is to be about the Glory of God, edification of the saints, implantation of truth in hearts and minds, and to inspire actions of service and mission. The enjoyment factors of fellowship and music making are serendipitous benefits we can all enjoy. (This places no respectability on mediocrity or ‘bad’ performance practice/musicianship.) In a word, the Church Choir is first and foremost a spiritual body committed to spiritual ministry through music; it is not primarily a musical entity. When you think of ‘Church Choir’ I pray you’ll keep these distinctives in mind every time you contemplate the responsibility of being a SERVANT-SINGER in the choir of the MOST HIGH GOD OF CREATION AND REDEMPTION! This is a high-commitment organization for all concerned; no matter how capable the director may be, s/he is worthless without a faithful following of committed singers who “get it”. What’s the difference? I pray it’s clear for all of us!

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Living Out Our Faith by Sergi Sosedkin

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-10

We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. — Ephesians 2:10

Oxana from the Ukraine confided about her struggles with boredom and lack of motivation in her daily walk with God. This young woman firmly professed her trust in Jesus Christ, but somehow she wasn’t excited about her faith. “I know that I’m already saved. What do I do next?” she asked us bluntly.

In our response we directed her to Ephesians 2:10, which describes believers as “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” We are unique and special creations in God’s eyes. Please note that doing good works does not earn us our salvation. We are saved totally by God’s grace. Rather, doing good is an exciting way to live out our faith and express our gratitude to God for his gift of grace and deliverance.

We challenged Oxana: “What can you do as God’s handiwork to show how thankful you are to the Lord for his salvation?” Later we learned that she got involved with work in a local orphanage.

The same challenge goes to you today. What good works do you see prepared for you by God? Maybe you can volunteer at your local church or food pantry. Maybe you can help an elderly neighbor. There are many people out there who are hungry for God’s love and our care.

Guest Devotional

Foundations Of Faith

All Creatures of our God and King

Words to this hymn were written by St. Francis of Assisi about 1225, shortly before his death. It was not published for almost 400 years. In 1919, William Draper translated the text to English and Ralph Vaughan Williams set it to music in 1906. St Francis was never ordained to the Catholic priesthood, and is one of the most venerated religious figures in history. On February 24, 1209, according to Jordan of Giano), Francis heard a sermon that changed his life forever. The sermon was about Matthew 10:9, in which Christ tells his followers they should go forth and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was upon them, that they should take no money with them, nor even a walking stick or shoes for the road. Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty. On April 16, 1210, the Pope officially recognized the Franciscan Order, after having a dream about St Francis the night before. A little known fact is that St Francis setup the first known Nativity scene. It included real animals and element of the traditional images used in paintings.

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Prayer

Father, we praise you for making us your precious handiwork! Show us how to live out our faith by our actions as well as our words. Amen!

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Main Adult Choir Website: http://tinyurl.com/guqjtrw

Adventures in Great Singing

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Singing Lesson 2 Let’s look at one of the most basic aspects of singing: connecting the tone. After you’ve worked on this technique for several days, go on to the next lesson where we’ll continue working on this skill.

Remember: Singing and speaking are very similar. In speaking, your voice is divided into short bursts of tone. In other words, it is percussive. When you sing, the tone needs to be more sustained much like a violin player.

Just a word of background: Our American culture is not helpful in regard to singing. Most of the ‘pop divas’ don’t use their voices very well. Hence, your concept of good singing might be flawed. But, with work you can become confident with your singing voice. Also, you may not be able to sing very high—that is, you have a limited range of singing. In comparing singing to athletics, it’s a little like trying to run without ever stretching or strengthening your muscles. It’s hard to do. But, if you use the proper singing techniques, over time your muscles and ligaments will stretch and your range will increase.

CONNECTING THE TONE

We will use the hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy" as your training hymn. Get it from https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/346849/HolyHolyHoly.mp3. As you sing with the hymn, don’t sing words. Instead, sing along on a single vowel such as "oh" or "ah". (Listen) Try to sing each line, not emphasizing each word. But "even out" the words and connect them with your tone. Also, do not allow the tone to have any spaces between the words. You should be trying to make a continuous tone, breaking only when you take a breath.

After singing through the hymn two or three times in this manner, turn the hymn "off". Sing through the hymn (a cappella) one line at a time using "oh" or "ah". Repeat each line two or three times. Be very "picky" and make sure that you are singing:

1. With quite a bit of volume (don’t yell, but sing strongly.)

2. Connecting each note with your tone allowing no breaks except for your breath.

3. Standing up straight as you sing. (If you can’t stand, then sit straight. This will be very important in future coaching.)

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After you have sung each line (or phase) several times, go back to the hymn and sing it through (still not using the words) at the faster tempo (speed). You should notice a difference. If you don’t, try it until you do. But, don’t expect success instantly. It will come, but only through careful, consistent practicing—and don’t forget to keep in mind the suggestions from the first Singing Lesson.

As will be the case in future sessions, don’t be afraid to practice using more than one hymn during your practice time. The more you practice, the faster you will progress. You will be rewarded for your work.

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Sue Doherty

Sue sings an angelic 1st Soprano. She started singing in 5th grade choir and joined church choir in 8th grade. Sue also sang in high school choir and in the Oregon State Choralaires (where she met you-know-who). She’s been here at Village the same time as Mike (see Mike’s column). Her favorite hymn is “Amazing Grace”, and enjoys John Rutter’s “God Be In My Head”. Her favorite verse is the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. Much like Mike, Sue’s hobbies are singing, reading, fitness, traveling, and visiting family & friends.

Mike Doherty

Just one look and you know Mike sings a hearty 2nd Bass. Since he started singing solos at 8 years old, through high school, and choir at Oregon State, Mike has always been immersed in music. Mike has been at Village for 8 years (same as Sue, go figure). His favorite hymn is “How Great Thou Art”. He has a couple favorite Bible verses: Proverbs 3:5-6, and Psalms 118:24. For fun, Mike likes to write articles for newspapers and magazines. He is currently working on a book, so Mike is quite the accomplished writer! He rounds out his activities with other singing, fitness, traveling, and visiting family & friends.

Choir Member Spotlight

November 1 - Sue Doherty, 12 – Brian Roberts, 13 – Mary Roberts, 15 – Gordon Borror, 15 - Marylou Bost, 15 - Elton Bost, 21 – Lois Faris, 23 – Paul Poelstra

Documents

Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter Lorem Ipsum