4 -Thomasville Times - Tuesday, September 14,2010 FOCUS Participation brings greatest church experience MUSICALLY SPEAKING JOSEF WALKER Guest Columnist Congregational hymn slngmg provides a wonderful opportunity for participation In the worship experience. The Protestant Worship Service is comprised of two major components “Praise” and “Prayer.” These two different, yet related, parts of the worship service are led by the ministry of word and sacrament and the ministry of music and the arts. In the more liturgi cal services of worship, ■ a congregation can participate in responsive readings, the “Gloria,” “Sanctus,” and ’’Kyrie,” as well as hymns. In the less liturgical service, just about the only op portunity that you have to participate is in hymn singing, except for that part when you begrudg ingly reach your wallet for the offertory Have we lost sight of the fact that we are aU in church for corporate worship and that we all contrib ute to the worship expe rience? Have some of us become just spectators? Is the congregational singing at your church sometimes less than inspiring; perhaps even lack luster? There was a time when I thought that parishioners just might not know the hymns we were singing. A dear friend and former choir member shared with a possible reason for this less-than-enthusiastic singing. Virtually every denomination has its own prescribed hymnal. Unfortunately, some peo ple bring another hym nal with them. Theirs is called “Hymns of the Lukewarm Church”. Herewith is a listing of some of these hymns: 1. “A comfy Mattress Is Our God” 2. “Joyful, Joyful, We Kinda Like Thee” 3. “Above Average is thy Faithfulness” 4. “Lord, Keep Us Loosely Your Town. Your Times. Subscribe today! 888-3511 Connected to Your Word” 5. “AU HaU the Influence of Jesus’ Name” 6. “My Hope is BuUt on Noth ing Much” 7. “Amazing Grace, How Interesting the Sound” 8. “My Faith Looks Around for Thee” 9. “Be Thou My Hobby” 10. “O God, Our Enabler in Ages Past” 11. “Blest Be the Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style” 12 “O for a Couple of Tongues to Sing” 13. “He’s Quite a Bit to Me” 14. “Oh, How I Like Jesus” 15. “I Lay My Inappropriate Behav ior on Jesus” 16. “PUlow of Ages, Fluffed for Me” 17. “I Surrender Some” 18. “Praise God from Whom AU Affirmations Flow” 19. “I’m Fairly Certain That My Re deemer Lives” 20. “Self- Esteem to the World! The Lord is Come” 21. “Sit Up, Sit Up, for Jesus” 22. “Special, Special, Special” 23. “Spirit of the Living God, FaU Somewhere Near Me” 24. “Stick Nearby, It’s Getting Dark Outside” 25. “Take My Life and Let Me Be: 26. “There is Scattered Cloudiness in My Soul Today” 27. “There ShaU be Sprin kles of Blessings” 28. “What an Acquaintance We Have in Jesus” 29. “When Peace, Like a Trickle ...” 30. “When the Saints Go Sneaking In” 31. “Where He Leads Me, I WUl Consider FoUow- ing” 32. “God of Taste, and God of Stories” Its little wonder that some people leave church thinking they haven’t gotten much out of the service. Everyone knows the more you invest in anything the more you can expect to get out of it. There are so few opportunities for the congregation to do anything more than just to be a spectator. 'When you have the opportunity to participate through hymn singing (using the appropriate hymnal) and you attempt to sing the hymns of faith, you’U be surprised how affirming the experience can be for you. It can truly put a song in your heart. Guest Columnist Josef Walker is Choirmaster/ Organist of Heidelberg United Church of Christ and serves on the Execu tive Board of the Ameri can Guild of Organists. FIStTBAY! ITS TIME TO STOCK YOUR POND! DeliveiyWillBf!: FRIDAY, OCT. 1 Thomasville 10:30-11:15 @ Hill’s Farm & Garden High Point 11:45-12:30 @ Soviero’s Tri-County Garden Center FALL SPECIAL! I BluegHI $40.00/100 ^ Catfish $40.00/100 FISHWAGON J„To Place an Onler CallV iroll!freel-800-643Tm\ lwiliw.fishwai!on.comt-^& Whitman Speed S Rutomotive Your Complete Auto Repair, fabrication and Tire Shop 997 Jacob Street Thomasville NC 27360 336.313.5237 Home Sweet Home ■Habitat for Humanity o Thomasville Sunday heic a dedication ceremony foi it's latest completed home at 1023 Georgia Me. Pic tured is new homeownei Barbara Peake at her new home. , COURTESY PHOTC Block Party Residents of Emily Court off of Washboard Road in Thomas ville held a 'Block Party' Sunday afternoon to enjoy in a cook- out, live music and some neighborly fellowship. TIMES PHOTO/ZACH KEPLEY OMW Lexington Memorial Hospital Foundation ^ awSa™ * along with Honorary Chairmen RICHARD CHILDRESS and BOB TIMBERLAKE Pi-esent TICKET PRICE: SPOBTSMEN’S; SATUBDAT Saturday, October 30,2010 $100 Lexington Historic Southern Railway freight Depot l:00p,m. Arctic Cat AT\-4 Wleeler l:40p.ra. 1:05 p.m. SKKKlCjsh 1:45 p.ni. l:10p,m, TC Bone Collector Mudeloader Rifle l:55p.m, hlSp.ni. $10(X) Bass Pro Shop Gift Certificate 2:00 p.m. ! :2() p.m. Wilmington Stainlss Steel Grill Cajie Fear Series 2:05 p.m. 1:25 p.m. Remington 700VTR .308 Rifle 2:15 p.m, 1:30 p.m. $1000 (jsh 2:20 p.m. 1:35 p.m. Tracker 12’Boat-15 bp Motor & Trailer 2:25 p.ra. Beretta AL39112 Ga. Sftotgun Slow Bass Pro Shop Gift Certificate Sun Tracker 20’ Pontoon I^rt)’ Baigc with 40 hp Motor & Trailer Savage .17 HMR Rifle'+ BSA Scope $1000 Qsh Browning Citori 20 Ga. over h under shotgun $10ffl)(jish ■ 2010 Chewolet Silverado Truck 4x4 You Do Not Have to Be Present to Win ~ Early Bird Draws at 12:00 Noon - Dramngs Begin at 1:00 p.m. You must be age 18+to piKckse a ticket-Ticket Price: $100 Phone 336-238-4559 for information ~ Eveiit doors open at 11:00 a,m. - Food, beverages, entertainment Purchase your tickets by September 15th and be eligible for the Early Bird Drawings: Kawasaki Mule, Two Drawings for $1000 Cash, Two Drawings for $1000 Bass Pro Shop Gift Certifleates. Early Bird winning tickets placed back in the drum and are eligible for main drawings All proceeds benefit the expansion of |%sical therapy servitM at Lexin^on Memorial Hospital Tickets can be purchased at the following Lexington locations: Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce office. Uptown Lexington, Inc., Bob Timberlake Gallery, Childress Vineyards, Parrott Insurance, NewBridge Bank (main office in Lexington), Bank of North Carolina, BB&T, Team Rental, Heritage Custom Window Fashions, Lexington Barbecue, Carolane Propane, Lanier Hardware, Lexington Tourism, and the Lexington YMCA. - OR CLIP and MAIL THE REQUEST FORM BELOW - Make checks payable to: SPORTSMEN’S SATURDAY Please Print Clearly RO.Box 1817 Lexington, NC 27293-1817 Name Mailing Address City Phone Email Address .State -Zip. _ Number of Tickets Requested Do you plan to attend O Yes D No