Lorem Ipsum. Essential Re-choirments Gordon Borror

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1 Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter March 2016 Lorem Ipsum Essential Re-choirments Gordon Borror Part 6 THE BEAUTY OF CONTRASTS GOD, the master of beauty/contrasts God s marvelous creativity is marked by contrasts that blend into a huge variety of pictures of His surpassing attributes. Included in the infinite list of God s examples of life at its intended best are a multitude of contrasts that could be seen as contradictions, yet He blends them together with such artistry that they are actually proof of the magnitude of His greatness which is past finding out by our limited mortal minds. Many examples in His creation point to His use of contrast: darkness and light, colors and shapes of contrasting flowers in the same garden, a rhinoceros and the petite bird perched on his back, a beautiful golden Guernsey and a zebra! A more complete list could fill an encyclopedia! He loves contrast! So do creative people who are made in His image! By its very nature, music employs giant contrasts in every genre; not all jazz is the same and within every piece one will find contrast, although if you do not know jazz well, you may not notice these subtleties. Not every opera is the same, but to the uninitiated it all sounds the same (a bunch of crazy singers screaming their lungs out to the accompaniment of an equally-out-of-control orchestra); yet the nuances of emotion and dynamics are highly sophisticated and thrilling to an opera buff. Within the language of music itself, there are comparatively few basic contrasts: high/low, loud/soft, fast/slow, agitated/calm, straight forward/deceptively subtle; avant-garde harmonies/familiar easy chords, etc. The extent to which contrasts can be used by the composer/performer depends partly on the intended audience and their collective ability to process what they are hearing or performing. Of course, in a culture with a very short attention span and very definite ideas about what I like or don t like and the empowerment to do what I want when I want to there isn t a lot of patience to expand appreciation to include new sounds. Apparently If we don t stick with the basics (what is familiar) we won t be heard anyway. As performers/consumers who sing to a captive audience in a worship service, we are involved with all these factors as we prepare and present music in the

2 2 ; Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter March 2016 worship context. Since God is all-creative and all-knowing it s always best to SING FOR GOD as the primary audience, (He sees us as His children doing their best to please HIM and provide a vehicle of worship for other children of His,) but alas there are people who are invited into our collective presence who have and voice opinions which cannot avoid effecting our efforts and choices. Our task is to use the arts and all the contrasts available to create and prepare music that is worthy of the God we represent with an eye and ear to the vast and contrasting resources available. Since God is the Original Creator of all these factors and we are His children, we must seek His wisdom constantly as these choices are made it is more a spiritual issue than a musical one; how can we do better at accepting contrasting expressions we may not choose as our favorites and perform them to the glory of God and the edification of His people? Within the contrasting dynamics of both music and culture how does the Church accomplish its mission to accurately re-present our God Whose list of contrasts is as infinite as He is? The choir (and the CHURCH) lives in the tension these contrasts create may God help us to embrace the contrasts rather than resist them, risking the destruction of the very ministry to which we are called! This factor needs a prominent position on our prayer lists since the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. James 3:17. What a standard God sets for our aspirations!! Prayer Forget greatness; seek littleness. Trust more; strut less. Make lots of requests, and accept all the gifts. Come to God the way a child comes to Daddy. - Max Lucado 2

3 ; Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter March 2016 Singing During the Season of Lent During this Season of Lent, we encourage you to sing hymns that take you to the cross. For there is nothing like the cross in all of human history. It's a place where misery reigned and where torments triumphed. Why such an instrument of cruelty had to be the means of death for our Savior, we'll never understand. From a human standpoint, it seems impossible that one would actually choose this method of death. Foundations Of Faith When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Isaac Watts wrote "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" in preparation for a communion service in Originally, the hymn was named "Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ," following the practice of the day to summarize a hymn's theme in the title. "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" is considered one of the finest hymns ever written. Charles Wesley reportedly said he would give up all his other hymns to have written this one. It's the first known hymn to be written in the first person, introducing a personal religious experience rather than limiting itself to doctrine. In Watts' day such hymns were termed "hymns of human composure" and they stirred up great controversy. At the time, congregational singing But the fact is undeniable: Christ came to die on a cross. And now that ugly, horrible tree is the means for a life of power and strength. For the horror of the cross opened the way to Jesus' glorious victory over sin and death. Once and for all, Christ conquered sin and death on the cross. During this holy time, nothing engages the mind and emotions more than song. God gave humankind the ability to sing to unite our minds and our hearts in praise and prayer. Jesus' stunning sacrifice requires a response. And that is exactly what " When I Survey the Wondrous Cross " provides. Right now, go to the hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and sing it. Let the beauty of the choir and instruments support your song. The hymn will lift your spirits and be a catalyst to share the message of the cross in a myriad of ways--from joining a mission project to perhaps inviting a neighbor for coffee. The Season of Lent: let its message be the theme of your song today and forever--for truly, JESUS IS VICTOR! was predominately ponderous repetitions of the Psalms. However, Watts had grown to dislike this because it restricted the Christian from being able to explicitly celebrate in song all those aspects of the gospel that are fulfilled and illuminated in the New Testament. This hymn gave Christians of Watts' day a way to express a deeply personal gratitude to their Savior. 3

4 ; Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter March 2016 John Wesley had much to say about singing in a service. Considering he authored so many of our hymns, we might do well to listen to his advice. In an era where we can often not hear out own voice and the voices of those next to us, these directions can easily seem archaic. However, imagined in an unplugged, acoustic context, they readily spring to contemporary life! Directions for Congregational Singing Singing in Worship 1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find a blessing. 2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan. 3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound. 4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before, nor stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first. 5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim to pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing; and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven. From John Wesley's Select Hymns (1761) Though brief, Wesley s principles provide important theological criteria for worship through singing. Addressing the importance of upholding a musical standard, Wesley relates the efficiency of theological teaching through the act of singing. Singing has both an individual and corporate dimension. Wesley states that all are to sing. As corporate worship, singing must be done with an eye towards God and his church and not merely inwardly. For Wesley, singing is a harmonious act of worship in tune, tempo, and sound, but also in spiritual unity for love of God and one another. Main Adult Choir Website: 4

5 ; March 2016 Village Baptist Church Choir Newsletter Choir Member Spotlight Joe Adams Paul Poelstra As a new choir member in the tenor section, this Joe s first time singing in any choir. His mother is a collegiate trained musician who early on taught Joe and his brother to sing Trust and Obey while they were doing yard work. He and his family started attending Village in July of Since Joe s mom taught her kids many hymns, he has several favorites: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Crown Him With Many Crowns and How Great Thou Art. One of Joe s favorite verses is Isaiah 40:31. As Paul says, Most of the time I sing Tenor (that is when I can figure out the tenor line). I spend the rest of the time singing my own part or fishing. J He started singing in his high school years in a duet with his dad at church, singing "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne". For 3 years he sang in the Biola college quartet. Joanne and Paul came to Portland in His favorite hymn is Great is Thy Faithfulness. Of the verses that speak of God s forgiveness, kindness, and compassion, Paul s favorite is Psalm 103. March 13 - Ester Kim, 15 - Kay Kim, 22 - Max Brown, 23 Joyce Auenson, 28 - Roxy Linville 5