November 12, 2023

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THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S

We welcome you to our worship services this morning. We hope that you will be encouraged and uplifted by our time together. We have no creed or set of rules to force on you. We simply rely on the Bible to tell us what to do and try to copy what we read the church in the first century did. We meet here every Sunday, but we also have Zoom available for those who are interested. Just ask and we will include you in our Zoom services. Call Karl Marcussen at 574-514-1400 for information.

FAMILY NEWS

AREA WIDE SINGING TODAY! WE WILL NOT HAVE CLASS TONIGHT!

TODAY — BACKPACK BUDDIES MEETING WEDNESDAY: We have a meeting of all those interested in the “Backpack Buddies” program at 5:00 this Wednesday. This is a program to give backpacks loaded with personal hygiene ideas and treats to the kids whose parents are incapacitated by illness, car accidents, fires, incarceration, or other trauma. The director of the program will be here along with Della Bundle who coordinates this work with us. If you are interested and cannot attend the meeting please let John Clayton know (269-687-9426 or jncdge@aol.com)

FOOD PANTRY REPORT: We had 33 families come to our food pantry this past Monday, meaning that 94 people were served food. We have a problem with our Food Bank brought on by government cutbacks on our suppliers. We spent roughly $1,200.00 on the food we passed out this past Monday. For a small congregation this amount of money being spent cannot continue over the long haul. All food distribution centers are having the same problem. Many of those we serve come to us from surrounding communities, and that puts more pressure on us. We need to think and pray about this.

TODAY'S LESSON

THE POWER OF MUSIC AND SONG
John Clayton

INTRODUCTION: This is a salvation issue.

Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Heb. 2:12

I. GOD HAS BUILT THIS ABILITY INTO HUMANS.

A. Animals can make sounds for survival and mating — but this is not the definition of singing.

1. Music: “An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.”

2. Singing: “The use of the human voice to provide a succession of notes to produce a desired effect.”

B. Music has proven effects on humans — 1 Samuel 16:14-16 and can express joy, love, grief, patriotism, hate, pain, and entertainment, etc.

II. IN ANCIENT ISRAEL MUSIC WAS EMPLOYED.

A. Use was instructional and mechanical in nature.
B. Genesis 4:21 — Harp and flute invented by Jubal.
C. Daniel 3:5-15 — Numerous instruments used
D. Ecclesiastes 2:8 — Professionals were hired by Solomon
E. Nehemiah 11:22-23; 12:27-28 — Supported music

2 Chronicles 5:12-13 — 120 trumpets used

III. CHRISTIANITY — A NEW CONCEPT OF WORSHIP

A. Worship was personal and individualized.

1. Matt. 9:23 — Jesus rejects showmanship.
2. Mark 14:26 — After Passover meal they sang.

B. 1 Corinthians 14:15 — Individual singing with spirit, understanding; quality of music is not an issue.

C. Different kinds of singing are part of worship.

1. Psalms — songs like those of the psalmist
2. Hymns — songs of praise

3. Spiritual Songs — the expression of spiritual emotions coming from the heart, not just from the lips.

a. Being tone deaf is not an issue.
b. Four-part harmony was to allow participation.

D. Recreational singing is a tool of unity and joy.

This afternoon will be all of these.

THE BACK PAGE

ENJOY A CHANGE FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER

I enjoy preparing class lessons and teaching. For 41 years I taught five classes a day five days a week and never got tired of it. I had a kid that I had as a freshman in earth science and then had him again in chemistry. He signed up for my physics class and enrolled in our advanced placement science class. When he came in the first day to that last class he looked at me and smiled and said “nothing personal, but isn’t three years of listening to you enough?”

I suspect that may be true of you as well if you are a regular in attending our classes and worship hours. The good news is that you are about to get a break. On Thursday Cindy and I plan to leave to visit my kids and grandkids in Texas. We are planning to return on the 28th or 29th.

The purpose of our trip is to allow all of my family to get together. Cindy has not seen my two daughters for many years, and thanks to the Thanksgiving holidays four of my five grandkids will be home — the one exception is the girl graduating from law school at the University of South Carolina in December.

I will also be meeting with the Thompson family while I am in Dallas. Some of you will remember Dennis Thompson who worked with us in our ministry until he died in a freak accident while undergoing minor surgery. I will be meeting with Glenda, his wife, and some of their family. We have used the CDs Dennis made for a number of activities. Dennis sang all four parts of the familiar gospel hymns and has made tract recordings that are great.

Richard Hoyt is taking care of arranging the three classes and one sermon I try to do each week, so you will enjoy a new voice and new lessons. You may like it so much that we will see a new era in the teaching and preaching of the congregation here. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday. With Love, John C.

Our sign by the street!

Being thankful is not in a day, but it is a lifestyle!

Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com.

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.