Fee Fee Baptist Church

Tag: Choir

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 16

    Looking for Baby Jesus

    As you know in our Christmas presentation of the Nativity we always want a live baby for the part of baby Jesus. We like to have a tiny baby about 3 months or a little younger. We would not necessarily need the same baby for each performance. The presentation dates are Friday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, December 17 at 3:00 p.m., and again on Sunday, December 18, at 3:00 p.m. Please let me know if you might know of a baby who would be in an age range to represent baby Jesus. Please contact tara@feefeebc.org.

    Seeking and Praying for Laborers: In This Case – SINGERS

    Please come forward and join us in singing. We always need singers committed to the main choir. However, there may be some who want to “test the waters” and do a short stint to see what it’s all about. Choose a four-week window to participate and sing in worship when you feel comfortable. We welcome you on your terms. Just show up on any Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the choir room. Still others may wish to participate in special events such as the Christmas choir.  Please consider being a “laborer” in the harvest.  Singing will give you an opportunity to share His love.

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 6

    Multigenerational Choir

    Let’s have a multigenerational choir here at Fee Fee. Recently, churches have begun looking for opportunities for children, youth, adults and seniors to minister together.

    Think about the value of blending multiple timbres into one homogeneous sound. This is a perfect picture of the body of Christ. An intergenerational music ministry allows everyone the opportunity to participate – no matter the individual skill level. It reflects the age diversity already present. It involves the youngest and oldest pooling their voices together.

    Young people bring excitement and a contagious enthusiasm. Older members contribute a wealth of knowledge. Therefore, they can benefit from each other. Unity in purpose and musical unity are key. It’s a win – win situation!

    The choir must work together to overcome personal music preferences and traditions to be effective worship leaders.

    Here is a scripture that applies so well to the workings of an intergenerational choir:

    Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians church urged them (us) “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the Lord of peace,” (Ephesians 41:3 ESV).

    We can learn more than music from a choir experience.

    Hannah’s Song (Mother’s Prayer)

    As we have been reading in 1 Samuel, I was really taken by Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving. In coming across this rendition of Hannah’s song, I thought its beauty along with the dramatization was worth sharing: https://bit.ly/3ifg3bS

  • Music Musings – Vol. 61, No. 15

    Choir Returning to 8:30 a.m. Worship

    Our choir will begin rehearsing on August 2 and will return to lead in worship on September 5. It has been about 18 months since our choir has been “on duty,” and I know everyone will be happy to see them returning to our choir loft to sing beautiful songs of praise and inspiration.

    New Hymn by Matt Papa and Matt Boswell

    Almost Home is a new hymn composed by Irish hymnist Matt Papa collaborating with Matt Boswell from Texas.

    Scriptural basis for the hymn is from Hebrews 11:16:

    “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

    The Christian life is a journey toward a place we know in our hearts as home, yet we have never seen or experienced.

    “This song reminds us that we are almost there. Almost to our reward! Don’t drop a single anchor, the opening lines urge us, because this world is not our home. And so, we press on through the doubts and darkness, looking forward to that day when He shall wipe away every tear. On that day, the weak and the strong will rejoice together in our faithful God, the one who brings us home,” – Matt Papa.

    This hymn is set to release on September 10, 2021. You can easily find and hear by keying in – Almost Home by Matt Papa and Matt Boswell.

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 20

    Hymn Sing – A Throwback!

    Did you ever attend a hymn sing? Up in North Central Missouri where I am from, our Linn County Baptist Association held a hymn sing in one of the Linn County Baptist churches each month. These “sings” usually featured hymns built around special themes and were well attended by people who just loved singing hymns. I was pretty young, but still remember these events as very joyous occasions and since my mother who served as Associational Music Director planned each event, it was never disputed that I would be in attendance often participating in the special music numbers. So much for reminiscing!

    I haven’t been to a hymn sing in years, but when our Friendship Choir did some “hymn caroling” during Impact Week the old classic hymns were so well received that it seemed others might enjoy and receive a blessing from a hymn sing event.

    So, come join us on October 11 at 3:00 p.m. in our courtyard for a good ole Hymn Sing! Please bring your own lawn chairs and your voice to sing praises. The Friendship Choir will be leading us in hymns, and we would love to have you join in on the singing! Can’t wait to see you there!

    Why Do We Sing?

    A good friend shared this article with me, and I thought you would enjoy.

    “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,”  Ephesians 5:18-19.

    Why do people sing? The nineteenth century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow may have said it best: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Even when our spoken words cannot be understood, music can bridge a gap where our words often fail. Joy, sorrow, fear, exaltation, praise, energy – every facet of life can be reflected in music. And when our spoken words that edify and communicate to the heart, all the better.

    Why do we sing songs in church? The Early Church did so because of the Jewish culture of singing the Psalms in worship. But why did Israel sing? Because they were human and needed to pour out their hearts to God in praise, confession, petition, and love. We also sing in corporate worship because Paul instructed us to praise God with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” (Ephesians 5:19). Corporate worship, especially with music, focuses our attention on the Savior we serve.

    Do you invest your whole heart in corporate worship in church? Worship is our “sacrifice of praise” to the Lord, (Hebrews 13:15)?

    “My ready tongue makes haste to sing the glories of my heavenly King.” – Charles Wesley

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 04

    Friendship Choir is Back

    We need YOU in our Friendship Choir! Ministering mainly to residents in nursing homes and retirement centers, our traveling choir seeks to share joy and encouragement through songs of inspiration wherever we go. Please consider joining us in this ministry. Rehearsal is on Monday evenings from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.

    Palm Sunday Choir

    Our Sunday choir is once again doing an extended program of music during our 8:30 a.m. worship on Palm Sunday, April 5. The music in this mini-musical consists of powerful worship songs to celebrate the journey of Christ. We are practicing this music on Monday evenings from 6:30-7:00 p.m.  Please join us in this special presentation that leads up to culmination of Resurrection Sunday.

    The Daily Song of the Levitical Choir

    Recently I have become intrigued by the intense training, duties, and ministry of the Levitical musicians. It may be of interest to many of you to know about the daily song of the Levitical Choir. Although the Levites sang upon many occasions in the Holy Temple, one of their most important and basic musical tasks was the daily song. Each day the Levite choir stood on the platform and sang a special song for that particular day. All these songs with their instrumental arrangements were performed while the morning and evening wine libations were poured out on the altar by the officiating priests. Each day during the wine libation, the overseer of the choir stood above one of the horns of the altar and signaled to the Levites with a kerchief in his hand to begin their song. At three points in their song, they would pause, when the priests would sound the silver trumpets and all the people in the court would lay prostrate before the Presence of God. On each day of the week, the songs, a different Psalm daily, represented the events of the six days of creation. Obviously, the choir was a busy one – singing daily!

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 02

    The Levitical Musicians

    If you have ever been curious about Biblical musicians you may find the following information interesting as I did.

    Some fascinating facts surrounding the Levitical Musicians and music of the Temple:

    • There would never be fewer than 12 Levites standing on the Platform to intone songs over an offering. More could be added without limit. The song or chant would be uttered vocally and there would be musicians alongside playing instruments. Some of the instruments used were: 2-6 lyres, 2-12 flutes, 9+ harps, and up to 120 trumpets (WHOA!), and only 1 set of cymbals to keep balance in check – a request from the sound guy!
    • On all festival and New Moon days priests would blow trumpets made of silver as other metals were unfit. Flute pipes were made of a reed because of its sweet sound. A song would always end with the pleasant sound of a lone flute.
    • A Levite did not enter the court to minister until he had been trained for five years.  The entry age would be 25-30.
    • A Levite could be removed from chanting or singing if his voice was impaired due to old age.
    • The Levites were forbidden to perform the service assigned to another Levite with a different assignment.  For instance, a singer must not assist a gate keeper and vice versa. In fact if a Levite assisted in a duty not assigned to him, he incurred the death penalty by Divine judgement. Sounds a little HARSH to me!
    Share the blessing of your musical gift

    It has been such a joy in recent Sundays to have some of our young people bringing musical offerings to our worship. Joey Stuart, J.J. Fisher, Ted Rosen, Christian Baugher, and Natalie Baugher have all come forward to play instruments.

    Please let Ronna or Tara know if you would be willing to use your musical abilities in our worship. I’m sure we have many folks of all ages that could serve in this way; you just need to be identified.

    We could also use more singers in our 8:30 a.m. choir. It is a wonderful group of singers and we would gladly accept others to serve in this capacity. It is a multi-generational choir, so we are not limited by age. Rehearsal is on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Come sit in with us. We would be delighted to welcome you.