What a wonderful meeting Monday night.  Lots of things happening and we had our first visit from Laurie Winckel to work with us vocally.  I have to say that most of you looked pretty funny fluttering your lips and making the Nyah, Nyah! bratty sound.  I, of course, tried to keep a sense of decorum about me through it all.  I even caught Steve Lyons and John Bibee trying out the new vocalizing before our Tuesday night prayer time.  Miracles never cease.  

 

Laurie has graciously offered to bring us CD's with some of the vocal exercises on them so we can use them to work at home.  If you would like one of the CD's, please email me back and we will get a count of how many she should bring.  Thanks so much, Laurie.  We really appreciate it.  

We didn't assign much homework.  We think you have a good bit to think on already so keep at it.  Here's a little bit.

 

1.  If you have a piano, you might practice the major scale concept if you don't know it well.  Pick any note on the keyboard, preferably one of the black ones to start, and then find the major scale, Remember, the interval between two keys is typically a half step, so between a white key and a black key is a half step, between E and F and B and C, no black key so that is a half step.  Two half step intervals is a whole step.  So, pick a starting key and find the major scale using the intervals Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half.  It works from any starting point without knowing the names of the keys.  We should train our ears to recognize a major scale and a minor scale.  We'll pick up the latter soon.

 

2.  We are focusing on Psalm 123.  Here is a link to Bible Gateway, the Message version:   

We began our journey understanding where we were, living in a land of lies and accusers and looking to God for deliverance.  We acknowledged that we have a tendency to look to the wrong places for help.  In their time, everyone thought that high places were places where gods lived.  They acknowledged that even from the hills, there was no help. Only the one true God could bring deliverance.  It is a good thing to know.  A good thing to sing.  The next Psalm is a rejoicing at being in Jerusalem, the place of home, the place of worship, the place of dwelling.  Their hearts leaped for joy anticipating being there.  This week, in 123, we are cultivating hearts of service to God, slaves or handmaidens looking to their masters is the image of us looking toward our God.  It is a good prayer / song to pray and sing this week as we meditate on our journey.  

 

3. Lastly, what is God revealing to you recently.  Are you having dreams?  We are particularly is God saying something to you about music, worship and / or intercessory prayer?  It would be good to write these things down in a journal, share them with praying friends and let us join you in prayer over them.  If you have been writing songs along the way, we are trying to find a time for you to share them.  As you know, our evenings become pretty full, but we are working on it.  One thing we may do is set up a recording area so you can at least get a rough recording of your song.  We are working toward that.  

 

Blessings to you all this week.  Last night was Deb and my night to lead intercessory prayer at Hope and it was a wonderful time.  Perhaps over the next few weeks, some of you might join us and be part of the team??  We'll see.