Lessons and Carols~!

Let's praise Jesus and hear miracle story about Him at the Lessons and carols!!
You don't want to miss it!

a Advent song

Advent has started last week. It is very important to have a period time preparing our hearts before Christmas. We think that Christmas comes back every single year but I would like to have a new Christmas in every year. I have asked myself how many times I have had "real Christmas" in my life. I could count a few but now many. It is also the busiest time of a year always. It makes harder to focus on our heart toward Jesus.
The chancel choir will lift up this beautiful advent song "waiting for a king" as anthem this week. And the adult handbell will praise " in the bleak winter" as an offertory. Both has beautiful text. I pray that we have a desire to have our Lord, Jesus in our heart and give ourselves as offering to Him. The last verse of "in the bleak winter" is my favorite. This week is also our consecration Sunday. I hope everyone bring their hearts to the Lord. He doesn't need anything because He already has everything. but, He wants our hearts. Don't you think?
Here are two songs' text.

Waiting for the King
Waiting for a king; when will he come? Waiting for a king; God's holy one.
Will the world be ready?Is his advent near?
Waiting for a king. When will he appear?
Waiting for a king; when will he come?
Waiting for a king; God's only Son.Will the world receive him? will he stand alone?
Waiting for a king to come and take his throne.
In the fullness of time the Prince of Peace will come,
The promised Messiah, God's chosen One.
For those who are righteous, hope will be restored.
Their eyes will be opened, eyes will be opened, eyes will be opened, they will know the Lord.
Waiting for a king, ruling in might. Waiting for a king to shine in our night.
Will the world be ready when he comes to stay?
Waiting for a king. will this be the day?

In the bleak winter
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

A Song of Thanksgiving

I would like to share one of my favorite songs for the Thanksgiving. The choir will not have a chance to share with you this year but I would love to share about the song. It is originally from Swedish hymn. The poem was written by August L. Storm who served in the Salvation Army for whole his life. August suffered a back injury that crippled him for life and yet he continued to serve his Salvation Army duties until his death. This poem was written among those suffering years but he did not stop thanks to the Lord with whole his hearts. Here is the poem for you all. I pray that we all can lift the poem to the Lord at the Thanksgiving.
Thanks to God for my Redeemer, thanks for all that you provide.
Thanks for times now but a memory, thanks for Jesus by my side.
Thanks for pleasant balmy springtime, thanks for dark and dreary fall.
Thanks for tears by now forgotten, thanks for peace within my soul.
Thanks for prayers that you have answered, thanks for what you have denied.
Thanks for storms that we have weathered, thanks for all you have supplied.
Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure, thanks for comfort in despair.
Thanks for grace that none can measure, thanks for love beyond compare.
Thanks for roses by the wayside, thanks for thorns their stems contain.
Thanks for homes and thanks for fireside, thanks for hope, that sweet refrain.
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, thanks for heaven’s peaceful shore.
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow, thanks go God forever more.

Thanksgiving Sunday!

This Sunday is our Thanksgiving Sunday! We will lift our heart with " Rejoice, Give thanks and Sing!" to the Lord. The youth ensemble will join the chancel choir to make the song more beautiful . Please encourage and give your support to the youth ensemble!!
Let's count blessings and give thanks to the Lord!!
Also, there will be a community Thanksgiving service at St. Anne. Anyone is interested in singing with the choir, please come at 5:50 on Sunday afternoon.
You are more than welcome!!

Precious Lord, take my hand!

We are running toward the busiest season of a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Especially, our church has an annual Barbecue next weekend. For the event, people spent most of their free time in the church to prepare it such as cutting woods, cleaning the grills, making the barbecue sauce, and so on. It is an enormous effort to make it happen.

I have chosen "Precious Lord, take my hand" as our anthem of this week. Physically, or emotionally, we all sometimes get tired and feel that we even couldn't move a one more step. Some people might feel that way in the Sunday morning. Let's call our Precious Lord, and ask Him to take our hands. From Psalms 37: 24,"though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." We all stumble in some point but we will not fall because the Lord holds with His hand. What a comforting message! I have prayed that we all confess that we stumble and need His hand. Here is the text.

Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand I"m tired, I"m weak, I"m lone Through the storm, through the night Lead me on to the light Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.

This week and beyond.

I am sorry that I haven't been writing lately anything. I did not have much time staying with the computer. One of my home computers has been out of function for several days. All made me not to update much. I went to Indiana to attend one of my teachers memorial service the first part of November. Now, my husband is in Indiana to prepare for his final project and it means I have to take care of my girls 24 hour a day by myself. It makes me also busier than usual.

However, the choirs have been doing as normal. All the rehearsals are held as usual. However, next week, there will be no rehearsal for the youth handbell, and children's choir on Wed. night next week due to the barbecue. But the chancel choir will still meet on Wed. night.
There will be a community Thanksgiving service at St. Anne on Sunday 23rd at 7:00. Anyone is interested in singing with people as a choir, please come at 5:50!! We will rehearse a song for the special anthem.

The youth handbell did a wonderful job last Sunday at both services! The youth ensemble will meet on Sunday at 4:30 and play with the chancel choir on 23rd with " Rejoice, Sing and Thanksgiving" at both service.

Dec. 14th will be the Lessons and carols!! Please mark that day afternoon from 4:00-6:00!

The children's choir will sing on this Sunday with "Hymn of Promise". Please wear white top and dark bottom and be there tomorrow rehearsal as well as 8:30 on Sunday.

The adult handbell will have a rehearsal as normal and play the first Sunday on Dec. with O come o come Emmanuel.

Let's have a wonderful week!

Feed Me Lord.

I don't know why... but I have found an interesting matter related to death. People are born somewhere in the world every day and also they die every day somewhere. However, I have felt that there are some favorite period of time to be born and passed away. Don't you agree? during this week, I heard several people passed away. In fact, I went to play piano for some one's memorial service this morning and will be out of town to attend my dear teacher's memorial service in Indiana. I don't know why... but it seems that God calls people home in certain time.

This week is All Saints and communion sunday. The chancel choir will lift " Feed me Lord" up to the Lord as the anthem of this week. The main melody is from Dvorak's New world symphony and arranger combined with Amazing grace. Karen Kotz will play solo flute with the choir. I pray that you all feel God's indescribable peace through this service especially this music. Jason, my husband, will lead music at the services.

Here is the text.

Feed me, Lord, feed me Lord, give me peace restored.
Cleanse my soul, make me whole, Lamb of God adored.
Feed me Lord, feed me Lord, from above, come to me. The living bread now sets me free with God's eternal love.
Amazing Grace come down to me, a gift from God above. Feed me Lord, feed me with God's eternal love. Amazing grace removes my pain; the cup I long to share.

Feed me, Lord. feed me. I live within Your care.
O Lord Your Spirit shall remain. feed me Lord, feed me Lord. Lamb of God adored.