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Choir Notes

Posted October 16, 2023 By admin

Youth Handbell Retreat
The youth handbell choir worked hard each Monday through the summer learning new handbell techniques, music reading skills and practicing new music. To celebrate all their hard work, we took a trip to Union Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC for a handbell retreat.
We loaded up a 15 passenger van with all our gear on Saturday August 26th and headed north. Once at Union we met up with the members of Union’s youth handbell choir for a weekend of bell ringing, games and swimming. After some team building activities the two choirs got busy working on music and music skills. We rehearsed an anthem to play as a joint choir the next day in worship.
While not working on music the kids had a great time playing four square, ping pong and board games. Union church provided a great supper after which we went swimming at a church member’s house.
One more rehearsal and then we had vespers in the Union prayer chap el. After blowing up air mattresses and unrolling sleeping bags we had a late night movie and tried to get a bit of sleep in the fellowship hall.
Sunday morning we had an early morning rehearsal after breakfast and attended the joint summer Sunday school. The joint choir played the anthem All Creatures of our God and King arranged by Linda Lamb during worship as well as random ringing during the hymns.

After lunch together we headed to Albemarle, NC to see the Raleigh Ringers concert. Everyone was amazed by the number and size of the bells being rung. Bryleigh won one of the door prizes, a fleece blanket and each of the kids got a pair of tye-dyed Raleigh Ringer handbell gloves. After the concert the audience was invited on stage to meet the members of the Raleigh Ringers. We got to ring huge and tiny handbells. Emma received one on one instruction in the four in hand technique. We then loaded up the van and headed back home. It was an incredible trip. Friendships were formed and new skills were learned.
Christmas Cantata
Christmas cantatas have been an important part of the history of St. Jacob’s and we are bringing back the Christmas cantata this year to be presented Sunday, December 17th during the worship service. We need lots of assistance to put together this gift to God. We need volunteers to sing with the choir. This is a short term commitment to learn the cantata music. Please consider giving this gift of time and talent. We also need readers. I will be reaching out in the coming weeks to ask for your help. Please prayerfully consider how you can help make this service of praise a success. We will begin rehearsal in October.

Filed in Choir Notes, Other Happenings, Worship and Music, Worship Service, Youth and Family Ministries

Choir Notes

Posted August 23, 2023 By admin

Musical Mondays
It’s hard to believe, but our musical Mondays are about to come to an end. Our youth handbell choir has worked hard this summer, building their music reading and bell playing skills.
We are celebrating our hard work with a trip to see the Raleigh Ringers in Albemarle, NC on August 27. We will leave the morning of August 26 and travel to Union Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. We will have a handbell clinic with the youth handbell choir at Union on the Saturday, staying overnight at the church, and playing in worship on Sunday morning. After lunch Sunday we will head to Albemarle for a Raleigh Ringers concert. This is such an amazing opportunity for our youth ringers.

Thank you to everyone who provided meals this summer for Musical Mondays. Your help is so appreciated.

Chancel Choir
Chancel choir rehearsals will begin Wednesday August 30. Please check upcoming bulletins for more information. It is never too late to join the choir. Please come add your voice to ours as we sing praises to God. No prior experience needed!

Filed in Choir Notes, Fellowship, Other Happenings

Choir Notes

Posted May 8, 2023 By admin

Musical Mondays- Handbell Day camp
The youth handbell choir will be working hard this summer and having lots of fun during Musical Mondays. We will work on music for the church year, build skills as ringers and learn new techniques. We will end with a concert for the congregation.

Musical Mondays will take place from 9:45 to 12:30 throughout the summer. Any youth who have completed 4th grade and would like to join the handbell choir for the upcoming year are invited to attend. Please email Angela Nuottila at stjacobsnalcmusic@gmail.com if your child or grandchild is interested in joining our choir.
I am looking for volunteers to provide lunch each week for the youth, currently five kids. If you would be willing to sign up to provide lunch, please call the church office and give Jean your contact information (I will be away the first two Sundays in May). I will get in touch with you when I return.

Filed in Choir Notes, Other Happenings, Worship and Music

Choir Notes

Posted March 7, 2023 By admin

Youth handbells have been busy at work this past month preparing for Palm Sunday and learning to care for the handbells. After working hard to polish the bells, the youth enjoyed a homemade pizza party making their own pizzas and dessert pizzas. If you have any silver or brass that needs polishing, we have a group of trained polishers. We are excited to have Emma back with us, and we are busy working on music for Holy Week and beyond.
In Christ,
Angela

Filed in Choir Notes, Lutheran Church Youth, Other Happenings

Choir Notes

Posted February 3, 2023 By admin

The Hymn Of The Month
In January we began singing a hymn of the month during Holy Communion. In the hymn for January, O Love How Deep, we have each week recounted the story of the Gospel in song. We have sung that in Jesus’s deep love for us he chose to come to earth, take on our frail body and give his life as a sacrifice for us. Our natural response to this amazing gift of love is our adoration of Jesus which we will sing in February with the hymn Thee We Adore, O Savior.

In January we sang:
O Love how deep, how broad how high,
He wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world himself he came.
And now in February we praise Christ:
Thee we adore, O Savior, God most true,
Our hearts to thee in true devotion bow
In humble awe we hail thy presence now.
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death,
For us he gave his dying breath.
And now in February we beseech Christ:
Fountain of goodness, Jesus, Lord and God
Cleanse us, O Christ with thy most cleansing blood.
Increase our faith and love that we might know
The hope and peace from which thy presence flow.
For us he rose from death again;
For us he went on high to reign;
And now in February we long for Christ:
Jesus by faith we see thee here below
Send us, we pray thee what we thirst for so
Someday to gaze upon thy face in light.

As Pastor David said in his sermon on January 22nd, there are so many ways to fish for men. All we need to do is share the story of what Jesus Christ has done for us and for humanity
We practice telling this story each week in the songs that we sing. I encourage you to read through both hymns and reflect on the beautiful message in each. Hopefully as we sing the gospel story it will help the words flow from our lips as we go out into the world.
In Christ,
Angela

Filed in Bible Study, Choir Notes, Other Happenings

Choir Notes

Posted January 3, 2023 By admin

What was that hymn?
I’m sure there have been weeks when you left church wondering where on earth did that hymn come from, and some weeks we sing everyone’s favorites. There is a pattern to the hymns that we sing each week. I would love to pick my favorite hymns each week, but the hymns are chosen based not only on the season of the church year but the lessons for the day. Our opening hymn prepares us for worship. It invokes God, the Holy Spirit, to dwell with us as we gather and hear God’s word. It often addresses our need to enter into worship with open hearts and confessing our need for our savior.

The hymn of the day, which we sing just after the sermon, is chosen by the pastor to support the message for the day. All of the lessons and the psalm tie together to support the theme of the day. The prayer of the day just before the children’s  sermon usually gives an idea of how the lessons all tie together. The hymn of the day does the same. We also sing hymns during communion.

As I stated in a previous article, the church body joins as one when it raises its voice in song with all the saints on earth and with the heavenly hosts gathered around the throne of God. As one we come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. Although many think of communion as a very personal experience, just as its name suggests, it is a communal act. We gather as the first Christians did, and as Jesus and his disciples in the upper room, and we confess our sins and are fed with the body and blood of Christ. We join our voices in song at communion to join with each other for the feast. These hymns are almost always about Jesus our savior.

Finally, the closing hymn is a hymn of praise. We have been forgiven of our sins, God’s word has been opened for us just as Jesus did for his disciples on the road to Emmaus, and we have received the body and blood of Christ. We leave the church praising God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and profess our commitment to go into the world and share his good news.

The hymns we sing each Sunday are chosen very carefully to reflect all the elements I have listed above. I often find it helps to read the hymns without singing to truly get the full message of the words. I encourage you to pay attention to the words we are singing. What is it that we are saying through our music. We are not simply enhancing our worship with music. We are speaking to God as we lift our voices in song. If you are not familiar with a particular hymn and are having difficulty singing it, read it to yourself as the congregation sings. What are the words saying to
you and to God?

Through the centuries we have been blessed with a rich abundance of hymns. There are many like Amazing Grace, that we can sing by heart, but there are also many hymns we are less familiar with that can enrich our worship and our under-
standing of the Word.

Starting this month we will have a hymn of the month to help us learn some of these less familiar hymns. This hymn will be sung at communion and we will sing this same hymn each week for a month. Please sing along with us and learn the music that God has blessed us with.
In Christ,
Angela

 

Filed in Choir Notes, Other Happenings, Worship and Music, Worship Service

Choir Notes

Posted December 12, 2022 By admin

Still, Still, Still,

Thy heart with joy I’d fill.

I’d sing thee a song and watch by thy manger,

Guard thee from harm and keep thee from danger.

Still, Still, Still,

thy heart with joy I’d fill.

As I am rushing around making sure everything is “perfect” for our family Thanksgiving celebration, this carol is running through my head. It is one that our choir will sing on Christmas Eve. I can just imagine the mother Mary singing this lullaby to her precious baby Jesus in the still of the night. The peacefulness and love she must have felt as she quieted her baby and sang him to sleep is a beautiful image.

But as I sing this carol I realize nothing in life feels still at the moment. There are so many bulletins to help prepare and proofread, a newsletter article to write, music to choose for bells and children and choir besides the fact that my house is a wreck. I am hardly prepared to welcome my family for Thanksgiving let alone the Christ child. But reflecting on the other meaning of still, not just peacefulness and calm but continuing, I realize that Christ still chooses to come to me in my chaos even though I am not deserving. He is still willing to come to me with forgiveness and grace and everlasting life. And suddenly all the chaos doesn’t seem to really matter anymore.

 

During this Advent season I recognize my need to be still and spend time with Jesus in my bible read[1]ing and in prayer. To meet him on “my road to Emmaus” on Sunday mornings as he opens the scriptures for me and feeds me with his precious body and blood that Mary once sang over. And in response I sing praise and thanksgiving that Jesus still comes to me.

Still, Still, Still,

Within thy holy will.

To thee, great God, my voice I’d raise,

With awe and wonder sing thy praise.

Still, Still, Still,

Within thy holy will.

We would love to welcome you to the choir for the Christmas Eve service. If you can’t commit full time to the choir but would like to add your voice of praise on Christmas Eve, we will be rehearsing on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 after the Advent mid-week service.

Filed in Choir Notes, Other Happenings, Worship and Music

Choir Notes

Posted October 31, 2022 By admin

Our St. Jacob’s choirs continue to gather and grow. Our youth members in grades 4 and up have been rehearsing handbells each Sunday and have enjoyed playing during our Sunday services.

Our Children’s Choir, (grades K-3) have been busy learning new songs. As they continue to gain confidence they too will share their gift of music with the congregation during worship.

And finally, our adult Chancel Choir continues to rehearse on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 and always has room for more.

I would like to encourage members of our church family of all ages to consider how you might participate in the music ministry of St. Jacob’s. Even if you are only able to share your musical talent from time to time, there are many opportunities for special music.

Anyone who might be interested in learning Hand Bells is strongly encouraged to contact me so we might explore this opportunity.

Please come and join us.

Filed in Choir Notes, Fellowship, Lutheran Church Youth, Worship and Music, Worship Service

Choir Notes

Posted October 5, 2022 By admin

The days are cooling, everything pumpkin spice is on the menu and that means all our choirs are back in practice. This year there are a few changes to our St. Jacob’s choirs. Our youth in grades 4 and above are rehearsing hand bells each Sunday afternoon at 4 pm. We have started a new choir for our youngest St. Jacobs family members. Children in kindergarten through 3rd grade are meeting at 3 pm on Sunday afternoons for Children’s Choir. There are even changes for our adult choir. The Wednesday evening service will be held at 6:30 each Wednesday starting the first of October which allows our adult choir to practice from 7-8 pm starting immediately following the service. Please come and join us.

I’ve seen Christmas merchandise being put on the shelves in stores, so it is not too soon to be thinking about our Christmas music. If you would be willing to participate in special Christmas music for the season, please let me know. I would love to have a small hand bell group, and this would be a great time for you to participate in choir on a limited basis. Come learn the music for Christmas with us.

Filed in Choir Notes, Other Happenings, Worship and Music, Worship Service

Choir Notes

Posted September 5, 2022 By admin

Psalm 98:4-6
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

There is no doubt that God loves our music. Throughout scripture we are told to offer songs to God. In 1Chronicles, we are told that after David’s armies had subdued Israel’s enemies, the people were able to settle and David assigned duties to the Levites, the clan chosen to be priests and care for all things related to worship. In 1Chronicles 23, David chooses 4000 men to be in charge of the music used in worship. David knew that our offering of music was pleasing to God.

In the book of Revelation, John is given a glimpse into heaven where he sees the heavenly host gathered around the Lamb of God singing. Verse 4 tells us that each of the elders holding a harp fell down before the Lamb and they sang a new song. Then angels numbering thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand encircled the throne and sang. And finally John heard every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth and on the sea singing. There is no doubt that God loves our music. The music of our worship service is an offering to God. Just as we bring our gifts of money, and offer prayers and praise to God each Sunday, we also give an offering of music to God. Some of the songs of our worship are old familiar hymns that we love. Some of the hymns are newer and we may not be as familiar with them. But all of the hymns are an offering of music to our God and we join those elders, and angels and all the host of heaven and earth singing new songs and much loved songs to our Lord. On Sundays, sing out with gusto. If you can’t carry a tune, sing out with gusto, God will hear the beauty of your voice in offering to Him. If you aren’t familiar with the song, sing out with gusto. God will accept your offering with pleasure. If you are afraid to sing, sing out with gusto and join your voice to all those voices in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea. God will hear your offering and there is no doubt that God loves our music.

Filed in Choir Notes, Fellowship, Other Happenings, Worship and Music, Worship Service
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