Fairhaven Shorts 12-24-2023

The Universal Language Of Songs In Worship

I mean, where else do you sing with people on a regular basis? Anywhere? No, I don't think so. And then there's that peak of our communion liturgy. I like singing the communion liturgy occasionally, but usually we recite it. After remembering all that God has done to create, to redeem his people, I'll offer those familiar words.

And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join there in ending hymn. And then all of our voices lift up together. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The song. It's the song they sing around the throne of God.

The liturgy tells us all the saints of God sing forever. And we're united with all the saints, with all the heavenly forces, and proclaiming who God is and our love for God. The song. And so today, this last Sunday in Advent, with Christmas lying just on the other side of the sunset.

The Influence Of Bluegrass In Ohio

And what they would do is they developed this kind of vibrant bluegrass subculture in the area that led to some strange things. Like Denison was a just a small like liberal arts college, but for whatever reason they had a bluegrass major. There was a huge bluegrass population around there and then whenever they had bluegrass concerts, it would fill up the whole chapel there. And what they would do, this is something that I discovered my first year there, is every Wednesday a bunch of the older people from town would come into the student union and they would play for the first three hours of the morning 9 to 12.

They would just play bluegrass music and none of them had sheet music or anything like that. Someone would call something out and they would just play it. I don't play any instruments. I have wanted to play the banjo for many many years, not to the point of actually trying, but you know I've thought about it.

Me and Dave have thought about making a nice banjo band to have up here to lead worship someday. But I would go listen to all the old people from West Virginia play their bluegrass music.