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May 2, 2021
CORONA VIRUS ISSUE 46
FAMILY NEWS OF
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S
This is the church bulletin for the congregation of the Church of Christ that meets in Dowagiac, Michigan, on M 51 just south of the city. Ordinarily we meet on Sunday morning for Bible study and worship and also on Sunday evening and Wednesday night for a Bible study. Since the pandemic forced us into not having meetings at our building we have been meeting via Zoom on our smartphones, tablets, and computers. After almost two months of worship under the trees we have moved into the building with our Zoom meetings for those who are not able to meet in person. Everyone is welcome to participate in this worship service at 11:00 on Sunday morning. If you want to participate with Zoom, contact Karl Marcussen at marcusen@michiana.org to get the information to join us. |
DUE to the COVID-19 pandemic
and government mandates we
will not have some
of Bible classes until further notice.
FAMILY NEWS
OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S
MAY 2, 2021
This bulletin is distributed in a variety of different ways. It is distributed during our worship services at the church building; it is made available on the web at our dowagiaccoc.org website; and it is sent by e-mail/messaging in connection with our Zoom broadcast invitations. However you receive it, we hope it will be informative and encouraging. We are not a denomination, but a local effort to encourage people to follow what the church was like in the first century. We have no man-made creed and only follow the Bible. We do not have religious titles and do not solicit donations. Come and learn more by visiting with us, e-mailing us, or calling us.
SO PROUD of our congregation on Tuesday as we served 92 families in the Dowagiac area with food from “Feeding America.” We had a huge turnout from our congregation. The truck arrived early and we had a very smooth operation. Our thanks to everyone who came and especially to Richard Hoyt and Patty Gibson who did the leg work to make it all work. We had good support from the community as well. What a great way to glorify God!
JIM HARASEWICZ was visited on Wednesday by Richard Hoyt, Karl Marcussen, Bill Gibson, and Larry Brewer who drove together to Indianapolis to see him. Larry takes care of mowing our grass and is a close friend of Jim. They all talked for about an hour and sang and prayed. Jim was happy to see them and very appreciative of the visit. He tires easily and is on morphine for pain. Please continue to pray for him.
COVID continues to plague many associated with our congregation. See the prayer list for updates on specific cases. Michigan is leading the country in cases of this virus; so, we need to continue doing the things we can do to minimize the risk, such as wearing masks, social distancing and getting vaccinated.
TODAY'S LESSON
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John Clayton |
INTRODUCTION — “WHERE IS YOUR PIANO?”
We are musical, but worship is special.
I. BEING IN GOD'S IMAGE ALLOWS MUSIC.
A. Animals do not create music.
1. Birds “sing” to mark territory, to warn.
2. Whales ”sing” to navigate & communicate.
3. All animals use sound to find mates.
4. We anthropomorphize — make animals human.
Example: Koko — art and music B. The Old Testament and the use of music — See THE BACK PAGE below.
C. Music in the Old Testament
1. Psalms were poems sung. See 12, 20, 38.
2. Song of Solomon — 1st of 5 scrolls — Feasts, etc.
3. 1 Samuel 2:1-10 — Hannah's Psalm — sung today.
4. In the temple individuals sang — never played.
D. Music was a part of the life of Jesus.
1. Matthew 9:23 — Music played in times of grief
2. Psalms quoted frequently — Luke 1:46, 48; 2:29
II. THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES US WHAT TO DO.
A. Private actions differ from corporate worship.
B. 1 Corinthians 14:26 — All things are to edify the church.
C. Ephesians 5:19 — “Speaking to one another” — Colossians 3:16
1. Sing — “Ode” — Revelation 5:9; 14:3; 15:3
2. Psalms — Song of praise — Acts 1:20; 13:33
3. Hymns - “humneo” Song of praise — Ephesians & Colossians
4. Spiritual songs — “pneumatikos” — Psalms or ode.
5. James 5:13 — When in good spirits sing psalms.
John referred to this song during the lesson: “ Sing On.”)
IV. WHAT CAN A CHRISTIAN DO TO SERVE GOD?
A. In personal walk — anything you wish.
B. In worship there are four things:
1. 1 Corinthians 14:26 — To edify
2. Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16 — Tell a story, message — “Ode”
3. “Humneo” — Praise God (not for God's benefit)
C. In worship music is not to be a spectator activity.
D. All we do as a congregation involves all of us.
E. Some things are private — between you and God.
The song after the lesson: “ I Will Sing of My Redeemer.”)
THE BACK PAGE
THE USE OF AND HISTORY OF MUSIC
In our lesson this morning we have talked about the fact that music is strictly a human enterprise. There are many things we as humans do that animals do not do. We can express ourselves in art, we can worship God, and we can practice the “agape” form of love.
The Old Testament tells us a great deal about the evolution of music. In Genesis 4:21 we are told of a man named Jubal who is called the father of all who handle string instruments and wind instruments (like the flute). In Exodus 15:20-21 we see Miriam who was the sister of Aaron leading women in singing about the victory over the Pharaoh. In 2 Chronicles 20:27-28 Jehoshaphat leads a celebration as the Israelites come to Jerusalem with wind instruments, string instruments, and trumpets.
In the time of Solomon we are told that professional musicians had come into existence. Ecclesiastes 2:8 finds Solomon saying, “I acquired men and women singers.” In 1 Samuel 16:15-23 we see Saul securing David to play the harp to help him with his psychological problems. Later David built a choir and an orchestra in 1 Chronicles 15:16-29 as he prepared to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the city of David. In 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 we are given a psalm David delivered to thank the Lord.
Music can also be used in a destructive way. In Isaiah 15-18 reference is made to Tyre which would “sing as a Harlot.” In today's world we see music being used in destructive ways and to promote immorality, and that use is not new.
What we see is music being used to praise God, to thank God and to provide a basis for everyone to participate. The Psalms were memorized and organized in different ways so everyone chanted them. Psalm 119, for example, is an acrostic. Worship was involvement, not a method of entertainment. We need to do the same.
— John Clayton
Our sign by the street!
Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com.
Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.
www.dowagiaccoc.org
05/11/2021
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