Fee Fee Baptist Church

Tag: Traditional Worship

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 18

    Christmas 2020 at Fee Fee – Thoughts and Considerations

    It is that time of year when we start thinking about celebrating Christmas here at Fee Fee! It is safe to say our celebration will look quite different this year, but we still want to give our best shot to create a joyous and meaningful event to honor the birth of our great Savior.

    A survey was recently sent to our 2019 Christmas choir to find out participation interest for this year. Here are the results of that survey:

    • 14 would participate in a virtual choir
    • 13 would sing in a small ensemble (8 or less safely distanced)
    • 15 would sing in a larger ensemble (8-12 safely distanced)
    • All others would not be comfortable participating this year

    At this time, I am asking for a response from our extended church family if you would be willing to sing in a small/large ensemble OR virtual choir setting. You may send information to tara@feefeebc.org to indicate which group you would be interested.

    We would also like to hear from those of you who would contribute in other ways. We always need technicians, ushers, greeters, decorators, costumers, etc. Please let us know in what capacity you could volunteer your talents. You may come up with an avenue of service that would be completely new to our production! As always, thank you for considering and I look forward to hearing from you.

    The Joy of Music

    “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments, harps and cymbals,” (1 Chronicles 16:16).

    Music is a vital part of our lives. Music blesses us through hard times and good times. If we were to try and explain music to an alien from another world we would probably fail miserably. Music is not meant to be explained, but rather experienced. There are times when music can express what we feel when words fail us. Music is poetry put to rhythm. It is a rhyme put to a steady beat. This gift from God is a power that moves and stirs the soul. Music can be therapeutic, lifting us when we are down. Through music we lift our voices to God in praise and worship. Those who suffer affliction are wounded souls. Music can be a perfect salve for the sorrowful soul. Lift your soul with music. Let it carry your praises and appreciation to God even in times of uncertainty.

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 17

    Eternal Father, Strong to Save

    Recently I came across a website that lists a hymn of the day. The hymn for today is Eternal Father, Strong to Save. This is a hymn written by William Whiting in 1860. Inspiration for this hymn came from Psalm 107 which describes the dangers of the sea. This hymn is commonly associated with Naval Armed Services and is often referred to as the “Navy Hymn.” Here are the lyrics of the hymn:

    1. Eternal Father, strong to save,

    Whose arm does bind the restless wave;

    Who bids the mighty ocean deep

    Its own appointed limits keep;

    O hear us when we cry to Thee,

    For those in peril on the sea.

     

    1. O Savior, whose almighty word

    The winds and waves submissive heard

    Who walked upon the foaming deep,

    And calm amid the rage did sleep;

    O hear us when we cry to Thee

    For those in peril on the sea.

     

    1. O Holy Spirit, who did brood

    Upon the waters dark and rude,

    And bid their angry tumult cease,

    And give for wild confusion peace;

    O hear us when we cry to Thee

    For those in peril on the sea.

     

    1. O Trinity of love and pow’r,

    Your children shield in danger’s hour;

    From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

    Protect them where-so-e’er they go;

    Thus, evermore shall rise to Thee

    Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

    The writer, William Whiting, grew up near the shores of England. At the age of thirty-five he had felt his life was saved by God when a fierce storm nearly destroyed the ship on which he was traveling. This event instilled a faith in God’s control over the rage of the sea. Whiting wrote the hymn to “anchor his faith” and is commonly believed to have been inspired by Psalm 107 which describes the power and danger of the seas in great detail:

    “Some went out to the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, His wonderful deeds in the deep. For He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away,” Psalm 107: 23-26.

    This hymn was popularized by the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy, and has been adopted by many branches of the armed services in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has been sung at the funerals of many of our presidents and dignitaries – most recently John McCain and George H.W. Bush. For a stunning YouTube rendition of this hymn, search for “Naval Academy Glee Club Tribute to Pearl Harbor.”

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 15

    Concerts – Need Helpers

    For our upcoming concerts on July 26 (The Lesters) and again on August 9 (Timothy and Hosanna Noble), we will need some volunteers to assist with “ticket taking” and ushering. We will need ticket takers at the main door of the Worship Center and also the Welcome Center. Ushers will be needed to ensure social distancing is observed and to point out the boxes that will be used to collect the love offerings. Doors for attendees will open at 5:45 p.m. for each concert so arrive by no later than 5:30 p.m. to be at your post.

    If you could be available for either or both of these events, please let Tara know. Send message to tara@feefeebc.org. Thank you for considering helping out for these concerts.

    The Songs We Sing

    “Then Deborah and Barack the son of Abinoam sang on that day…,” Joshua 5:1 NASB.

    Music is everywhere in our world today. It is at our fingertips on our various devices. It is hard to comprehend how powerful songs were for people who lived in earlier times. I really don’t know much about the Mongol armies in the 12th century A.D., but I have read that the officers composed their orders in rhyme and used fixed melodies in their delivery. As we read the “Song of Deborah” in Judges 5, we can picture this song being repeated throughout

    Israel as a reminder of God’s miraculous deliverance and all He had done for them.

    Songs can take on a similar role for us as we speak to each other “in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord,” (Ephesians 5:19). Songs provide a language that reminds us of Biblical principles and truths. They help us to remember God’s work in our own lives. They can lift our spirits and help prevent us from being saturated by the sin and corruption in the world.

    Fill your lives with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach you, remind you, and inspire you.

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 05

    The Place of Music in Worship

    The people of God sing. The role of music in worship is Biblical. After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord (Exodus 15). Singing was part of Israel’s formal worship in both tabernacle and temple (1 Chronicles 6:31-32, 16:42). The Psalms bear rich testimony that in joy and sorrow, in praise and lament, the faithful raise their voices to God in song. Hymn singing was practiced by Jesus and His disciples (Matthew 26:30). The Apostle Paul instructed the Colossians to sing “…psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.”

    A Hymn of Confidence and Faith

    Our choir will soon be worshipping with a modern hymn, By Faith, paired with the old hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, written in 1923 by Thomas Chisolm. By Faith was written in 2009 by Keith and Kristen Getty and Stuart Townend. Inspired by Hebrews 11, the message of this song shows how believers today are traveling the same journey of faith as those who’ve walked before us. In writing modern hymns, the Getty’s consider a musical vocabulary that might link generations rather than separating them.

    It Can’t Be Said Too Many Times

    We can always use more singers in our Friendship Choir. This ministry will afford you the opportunity to brighten days and share the love of Christ with a most appreciative audience. We are currently planning a trip in April to visit the Baptist Home in Ironton.  We also seek to schedule visits to facilities that house our members. You will find this time-honored statement true: “it is in giving that we receive.”  You are sure to be blessed.

     

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 01

    The Fine Art of Whistling

    Professional Whistling: It’s really a thing. Molly Lewis, considered to be the world’s best whistler, was asked what she did to prepare for competition. Her reply was, “Always stay hydrated and NEVER forget your Chapstick.”

    The salary for professional whistlers: average annual salary $77,292; if you are a virtuoso – $155,628. You may have watched the New York Philharmonic on New Year’s Eve and noticed a professional whistler on one of the Sondheim pieces. I wonder what her salary was.

    Whistling as a Language: Did you know there is a Turkish village where whistling is a means for communication? They communicate numbers and words using a language referred to as “bird language” with the other villagers delivering the news of the day.

    In some worship settings (not Fee Fee), people have been heard whistling during worship. I recently read an article which cited scripture reference to the Holy Spirit whistling.

    Zechariah 10:8 – 9 says, “I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them: And they shall increase as they once increased. I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return.”

    And in Isaiah 5:26 it shows us this phenomenon in all its glory, “He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the end of the earth; surely they will come with speed, swiftly.” Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to whistle and call for the harvest through us!

     

    One Day

    This is an old hymn written by Dr. John Wilbur Chapman, a noted evangelist in the late 19th century.

    In the hymn, One Day, Dr. Chapman chose 4 key events in the life of Christ to highlight.

    • Verse 1 – Jesus’ birth
    • Verses 2 and 3 – Christ on the cross and His burial
    • Verse 4 – The resurrection
    • Verse 5 – The triumphant return of Christ

    The group Casting Crowns rebirthed this song in 2009 and called it Glorious Day. The hymn, One Day, had been a favorite of Mark Hall from this group. He loved it as a child and chose to write his version to share the entire Gospel message just as the original hymn. Glorious Day ranked at the top Billboard spot of Hot Christian Songs for a total of nine weeks in 2011.

    We sang the original hymn, One Day, in 8:30 a.m. worship on January 12. What do you think? How do the two versions compare in their style and continued message?

  • Music Musings – Vol. 59, No. 26

    Year-end is a powerful time of celebrating and gathering, a time for reflection, and a time for looking forward. This year at Fee Fee we review our accomplishments with a deep sense of gratitude to so many who have contributed to the mission and ministry of music in our church.

    This year more than ever, we have been able to schedule worship music to make a greater impact on our worship services based on scripture. Advanced planning has increased the excellence of our gifts.

    Our choir prepared a special music presentation, Closer to the Cross, for Palm Sunday.  This piece celebrating the Journey of Christ paved the way for a triumphant Easter Sunday.

    Our Summer Concert series is presented each year as a gift to our community.  It is increasingly well attended, drawing in more than 800 people over the five weeks in July. In 2019, we featured familiar favorites: The Lesters, The Harris Trio, The Assurance Quartet, Timothy Noble, and Erica Lyles. As always, each concert attracts different audiences with varied musical tastes.

    The Friendship Choir attracts members who have a heart for sharing the love of music and the rich message of God’s love, especially with those who are unable to get out. One of the highlights of our season was our trip to the Baptist Home in Ironton. It was delightful to visit with old Fee Fee friends and share our music program.

    Last, but certainly not least was our traditional Singing Tree program. This year our Tree Singers were a multigenerational group ranging in ages from 11 years to Octogenarians. Our music was a little different this year bringing in a unique Celtic style called, Have You Heard. We always love the involvement of children in the Children’s Nativity.  All the characters are represented along with various animals and even an angel and a star! This year more than 1,300 people were in attendance over the three performance times.

    This was just some idea of the activities our music department took part in this past year. Maybe you could find a way to join us in 2020. You would be warmly welcomed!