Lake Junalusak III

One of special events in the music and liturgical art week was the children's musical. Older elementary children practiced for four full day and performed the musical on Thursday morning service. My Christine sang with them. What a wonderful opportunity!

Lake Junaluska II

Here are more pictures from Lake Junalusak!

We had a worship service in every morning. The alter was decorated new every morning. After the service, we had our regular rehearsals. Most of us attended for the handbell choir. I sang with the chamber choir, Dawn sang with the adult choir with 300 people. Enjoy!

Let us break bread together on our knees~!

Oh~ yes! This Sunday will be our first Sunday of July, it means there will be the communion which is one of my favorite services. The chancel choir lift up a popular hymn "Let us break bread together" as our anthem. It is a simple melody but whenever I sing the song, I feel God's warmth like rising sun. Let's fall on our knees in front of the Lord's table. What an amazing blessing!

Let us break bread together on our knees. When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees. When I fall on my knees with face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.

Music and Liturgical Art week at Lake Junaluska in 2009

Oh~ yes! It was amazing again. All services, rehearsals, seminars, performances, scenaries, and even food were great and unforgetable. I wish I could share every moment with you all. I will put some pictures in here so you can at least imagine. From Sunday to Friday, the weather was gorgeous. We all did our best to participate in rehearsals, seminars, and performances from 7:00 in the morning to 9:30 at night. It was certainly tight schedule but worthy.

First night, we arrived around 6:30 and started with our first rehearsal for an hour and half. Five youth and Barb were in one of handbell teams, Dawn was in the big adult choir, and I was in the chamber choir. My Joanne was in the children's choir, Christine was in the musical group who performed the premier of Allen Pote musical on Thursday morning.

Here are some pictures of the first day!

How deep the Father's love for us!

We will lift up "How deep the Father's love for us!" as our anthem this Sunday. As we know, it will be Father's day. I would like to remember and celebrate our heavenly Father and His love through this music. 12 people will leave right after the second service to Lake Junaluska to attend "Music and liturgical Arts week". Please pray for our trip!

Here is the lyric of the text.

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure that he should give his only Son to make a wretch his treasure. How great the pain pf searing loss. The Father turns his face away as wounds which mar to Chosen One bring many sons to glory. How high, how wide, how deep the Father's love for us. Behold the Man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders. Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished; his dying breath has brought me life. I know it is finished. How pure, how strong, how deep the Father's love for us. I will not boast of anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ: His death and Resurrection. Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart:his wounds have paid my Ransom. How high, how wide, how pure, how strong, How deep the Father's love for us!

It has been an year already!

It has been an year since I opened this blog. I opened it for sharing our trip to Lake Junaluska, and will attend again this year from next Sunday. Even though there will be half of youth members, total twelve people will attend this year including my mom. Most of our members will be in the handbell choir in the morning for two and half hour rehearsal, and most of youth will be in the orchestra in the afternoon. I will be in the chamber choir again in the morning and various different seminars in the afternoon. I am excited about especially the world premiere of a children's musical by Allen Pote who was a composer of the ninth hour from our Lenten cantata. He is coming for the musical and my Christine will join the group to perform. Also, we have two adult choir members going with us; Barbara Kirschner and Dawn Pape. I am glad that both of them can come with us. Especially for Barb, she is very interested in making stools and gowns for our church and there will be many seminars for that subject. I am looking forward to learning more new music and knowledge and want to get challenged by seeing and observing people who are eager to serve the Lord with their whole hearts and talents. Please join us in prayers that we will be filled by the Holy Spirit throughout the week, safe trip, and being nearer to the Lord through the week. Especially, I have been praying that our youth can open their eyes to see and learn how to serve the Lord with their whole hearts and having more love to the Lord. I will share every moment from next Sunday night.

The Gift of Love

Summer is hard to have full members in our choir. People need to have a time off for their summer vacation. I agree. Nevertheless, we are singing for every Sunday worship service. As a director, it is very hard to choose a anthem each week with unpredictable small number of singers. Thankfully, I have always a few people can come on Sunday. ^^ I believe that our hearts are the most important matter to worship the Lord.

We are lifting up " the gift of love" as our anthem this week. It has a wonderful text and melody to think about our Christian life with love and without love.

Though I may speak with bravest fire, and have the gift to all inspire, and have not love; my words are vain, as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

Though I may give all I possess, and striving so my love profess, but not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin.

Come, Spirit come, our hearts control, our spirits long to be made whole. Let inward love guide every deed. By this we worship and are freed.