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.

There shall be shower of blessing

I take a walk with my dog, Angie, at least once a day. When I walked this morning, a hymn was from my heart. "There shall be shower of blessing~!" of course in Korean. As Korean version of the hymn has a different meaning of text. The first verse starts with "Like dried weary field, my soul is dried and weary. I am longing for the Holy Spirit to overflow and wet my soul." The refrain is also different: Like rain after the drought in the land, please pour your Holy Spirit to our soul, and give the new life!" I like the Korean version of the hymn. Whenever I hear or see raining out side, I remember the hymn and sing. So, I sang on the way home from the walk and at our sanctuary after I read the bible. I was praying that May the Lord pour His Spirit to all of us and fill the Spirit in this place so, we can get overflowed by His Spirit! Ah, How much I am thirsty for His Spirit! I have been praying that all people can feel their thirst for the Lord, and long for it with their hearts.

Come Holy Spirit

This week is the Pentecost Sunday. As I have been reading Acts from the New testament, I could feel how powerful and real the Holy Spirit is. I believe that the Holy Spirit still is powerful and real. I do desire to have that experience like early churches. I have been praying that we all get to have an experience of the Holy Spirit filling us during our services. As I shared with the choir last night, we, ourselves, have fear or are afraid of having real experience of the Holy Spirit. Amazingly, the Holy Spirit never forces people to accept Him, so it does not happen when people are afraid of. Let's open our hearts and mind to accept the Holy Spirit.

Here is the text of our anthem, "come, Holy Spirit."

1. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, He came in mighty fulness then; His witness thru believers won the lost, And multitudes were born again. The early Christians scattered o'er the world, they preached the gospel fearlessly; those some were martyred and to lions hurled, they marched along in victory!

Refrain:

Come Holy Spirit, dark is the hour. We need Your filling, Your love and Your mighty power; Move now among us, stir us we pray, come Holy Spirit, revive the church today!

2. Then in an age when darkness gripped the earth, "The just shall live by faith" was learned the Holy Spirit gave the Church new birth as reformation fires burned. In later years the great revivals came, when saints would seek the Lord and pray; O once a again we need that Holy flame to meet the challenge of today!

We are the church

This Sunday will be our heritage Sunday. We will have a moment to think back our heritage and history of our church. The chancel choir will lift up "We are the church" as our anthem for this Sunday. I have prayed that we are one as church to serve the Lord and show the world God's love through our church!

Here is the text.

We can feel God's love around us in this warm, familiar place, where our friends in Christ surround us, joined as one within His grace. Let this fellowship which unites us be a gift for all to share. As we go forth, let us show the world God's love is everywhere.

Refrain: We are the church, we are God's people, and His word we faithfully proclaim. We will join our hearts and hands as one to see His work is done, and we will serve together in His name!

Let us join with one another, for we each have heard His call. Let us stand and work together as we reach beyond these walls. For we know the Lord will sustain us. He will be our constant guide as we go forth into all the world, our voices raised on high.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me

The chancel choir will lift up "Gracious Spirit dwell with me" as our anthem, and the youth handbell will play two songs for musical offering.

The anthem is simple but very flowing and beautiful! I have prayed that we all get filled with the Holy Spirit!!

Here is the text.

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me, I would gracious be; Help me now thy grace to see, I would be like thee; And, with words that help and heal, thy life would mine reveal; And, with actions bold and meek, For Christ, my Savior, speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me, I would truthful be; Help me now thy truth to see, I would be like thee; And, with wisdom kind and clear, thy life in mine appear;And, with actions brotherly, Speak Christ's sincerity.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me, I would holy be; Show thy mercy tenderly, Make me more like thee; Separate from sin, I would And cherish all things good, And whatever I can be give him who gave me thee.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me, I would mighty be; Help me now thy power to see, I would be like thee; Gainst all weapons hell can wield, be thou my strength and shield; Let thy word my weapon be, Lord, Thine the victory.

There is no age limit to praise the Lord!

From an infant to the elders, there is no age limit to praise the Lord.
The chancel choir is visiting the Magnolia Manor on Thursday 7th to share our favorite songs with residence at the Manor. Also, the Magnolia chorus will have their first performance with five songs. It is amazing to see the old ladies, from 80 to 98 years old, and gentle men's ability. I honestly did not expect much when I started to have the chorus but they are truly blessing. I wish I could be that alert, active, and positive at that age.
This Sunday is Mother's day! Our children and youth choir will sing a special song at the second service. I have been blessed to have my mother and families but most of all, to have extended mothers. I have countless friends who are considered as my extended moms. I am just so thankful to have them in my life.
I have prayed that this Sunday is filled with love, joy, and peace abundantly.

Let us Talents and tongues employ~!

This is our communion Sunday. The chancel choir will lift up "Let us talents and tongues employ" as our anthem and the children's chimer will play "Brightly Sound the chimes" as a musical offering. Let's praise the Lord with joyful heart!

Let us Talents and Tongues Employ

Let us Talents and tongues employ, reaching out with a shout of Joy: bread is broken, the wine is poured,Christ is spoken and seen and heard.

Refrain:

Jesus lived again earth can breathe again pass the word around: loaves abound!

Christ is able to make us one. at the table he sets the tone. Teaching people to live to bless, love in word and in deed express. Jesus lived again earth can breathe again, pass the word around: loaves abound!

Jesus calls us in, sends us out bearing fruit in a world of doubt, gives us love to tell, beard to share: God Immanuel everywhere!