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Name: Kara
State: South Carolina
Interests: Singing, Playing Piano, Theatre, Dance, Church Music, Conducting Children's Choirs, RUF, Family-time, Card Games, Camping
Message: message me
Member Since:
6/26/2005
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| I could have danced all night and still have begged for more! In modern Broadway musicals from about the time of Oklahoma! until now, the songs are continuations of the story and plot. Characters maintain personalities that define them. Even the action continues as the song allows the characters to meditate or solve the existing problem, express joy and gratefulness for certain acts of kindness, or (as with most romantic musicals) demonstrate their love. The storyline never pauses for the song; the song is part of the plot. Picture the musical My Fair Lady. Eliza Doolittle has just returned from an exhausting but exhilarating evening at the ball. As the maids urge her to bed, she breaks forth singing "Bed, bed, I couldn't go to bed. My head's too light to try to set it down." Then she ends the song singing "I could have danced all night!" What if she broke into the song "I want to be in America" from West Side Story? The musical might not have made it to Broadway. Eliza's character would have changed drastically and the scene would not make sense anymore. What if our worship mirrored a Broadway musical? Our singing would be a continuation of how we live our lives. Whether we sing praise, confessions, or lamentations during corporate worship or sing joyfully to the Lord during the week, our songs would reflect our characters and actions. We are to worship the Lord in everything we do (1 Cor 10:31). Do our lives "take a break" so we can sing praise to the Lord, or does our singing spring forth from our daily actions? Do our songs to God continue the praise we're already expressing; or do they cause us to "break character" in order to have a time to praise the Lord? Wouldn't it be Loverly if our songs of worship could always be a continuation of a life that glorified the Savior! | | |
| We're going through the book of James at church, and wow! God's teaching me a lot on encouraging the body of Christ through speech, keeping a tight reign on the tongue, having humility through godly wisdom, and fighting sin's temptations, knowing that we are all in this together and therefore ought to encourage each other in the battle. For "We all stumble in many ways" (James 3:2). Last night, at small group, I realized that I need to act upon what God is teaching me. We have been singing the song We Believe by James Ward at church the last few weeks (a plan for teaching the congregation a new song--sing it over and over). I sing the words "We believe our true salvation comes by grace through faith alone, but true faith results in action but our deeds we make Him known" and I believe that, but what am I doing with the word God is teaching me? Am I acting like the man who looks into the mirror and does nothing about it (1:23-24)? Am I walking away from my devotions in awe at what He's teaching me but then forgetting to apply it? "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). | | |
| May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Rom 15:5-7) What if church membership required people to look alike? Or to be left-handed? Or to have the gift of teaching? Or to love contemporary music? The church body is made of a diverse group of people, a diversity that glorifies God! God did not create us to be microcopies of each other. Our differences display God’s creativity! Christians demonstrate different ways to worship God, even within music. A preference for hymns or contemporary music is not wrong. It actually emphasizes our unique differences! With so many different ways to worship and so many different ways to be edified, we need to find a way to worship together. But I don’t like hymns… Many members of the church family have beautiful memories of how the rich text and music of hymns enhanced their knowledge of God and growth in grace. These members of the body worship and receive edification through hymns. Others in the body of the church enjoy contemporary songs because they relate to the music and words. These members find they can worship and receive edification through contemporary music. Worship in Edification Since Corporate Worship involves worshiping God (Vertically) as a family of believers (Horizontally) and not individual “God and me time,” our worship includes the edification of the body of Christ. When singing songs we do not particularly like, we can still worship God as we realize we are edifying a brother or sister in Christ. We can vertically worship God as we worship together horizontally in the edification of others. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:14-15) | | |
| Looking back on my inconsistent blogging, I realize I'd better give an update. Yes, I finished my master's program in Nashville and now only wait for my diploma and master's hood in the mail. (I decided not to walk.) I could have graduated in May, but 3 extra preparation weeks for my recital sounded better. So, I had to wait for August. I started my new job the end of June. I am the Music Director at a PCA church in SC. This fulltime position involves starting children, youth, and adult choirs, working with ensembles for the music team on Sunday mornings, assisting in the music selections for the Sunday morning services, and other odd jobs musically related in the church. I am enjoying this job tremendously! A wonderful opportunity opened for Jenna and me to get a house together. It's only 5 minutes from my job too! We have been working off and on there this past month, getting it ready. We hope to be moved in by August 1st. I am excited to live with my sister! A wonderful aspect about the house is that it is on "Old Duke Rate." It's basically a fixed-rate electricity bill made years ago in a deal by Duke Power Company. So, first electricity bill: 70 cents. No joke. | | |
| I got back from Nashville Saturday night and started into work again. It was a long week. But part of that had to do with some late night painting at my new house. Monday and Tuesday, my parents, sisters, and I went to the house after my dad and I got off work. We painted until after 11pm. We will work again this weekend. Our late-night-painting shows signs of our lack of daylight. Missed some spots. haha! Thankfully, it was just first coats of everything. It is looking really nice though! I love the colors! I can't wait to move in! It will be so much fun to have a house with my sister, and work will be so much closer! | | |
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