Looking Ahead to November 18, 2007 -- 25th Sunday After Pentecost

This Sunday will be our "Favourite Hymns" Service

The Scripture Passages this week are:

• From the Jewish Scriptures: Exodus 15:19-21
• Psalm 96 (VU p.816)
• From the Letters of the Early Church: Colossians 3:12-17

THere are lots of hymns this week. Look for the list in the expanded post.

The Meditation is called Sing to the Lord, Sing out New Song.

Early Thoughts:Why do we sing? Why do we sing what we sing?

If you ask many people what their favourite part of church services are they are likely to say "the music". People are far morelikely to remember a hymn they really like (or really dislike) than a favourite sermon (despite what ministers might like to believe).

We sing in church because people are inherently musical, all cultures have music. We sing in church because Scripture encourages, nay commands, us to sing. WE sing our joys and we sing our laments. WE sing our way through the faith story -- in fact more people learn the Christmas story through carols than through reading the Scriptural text. WE sing to remind us of God active in our lives, to remind us of God's hopes for the world, to remind us of our obligation to respond to God's call. For many of us music is simply part of our faith life.

Where the question gets clouded is when we ask what do we sing. Do we only sing the old favourites or preference the new songs? How do we choose what is "singable"? Well we sing both old an new (remembering that every old favourite was once a new piece. We look at the words and at the music. Sometimes we let go of an old favourite because the words don't have meaning for us anymore. Sometimes we can change the words a little bit and still sing it. Sometimes new words can be sung to familiar tunes. And of course wometimes we need to stretch ourselves a bit and learn music that is different.

This Sunday we will sing some old favourites and listen to some new ones. We will also think about what it means to hear the call to sing, sing a song.

ANd now here is what we will sing:

• 315 Holy Holy Holy
• MV #2 Uyai Mose (a new favourite, sung 4x a cappella)
• 365 Jesus Loves Me
• This Little Light of Mine (see insert)
• 380 She Flies On (chorus at beginning, after verses 2, 4, & 5)
• Old Rugged Cross (see insert)
• In the Garden (see insert)
• 703 In the Bulb There Is a Flower
• There Is Power in the Blood (see insert)
• 670 Precious Lord, Take My Hand
• 675 Will Your Anchor Hold

And we will listen to these new favourites from More Voices

• #8 And On This Path
• #3 River
• #223 Sizohamba Naye

--Gord