After lots of discussion and prayer, Naunie and I informed Midway Church that we would not be persuing their Worship Pastor position. It basically came down to not feeling that sense of peace and "right-ness" about the job. Timing, location, and the family at FBC Aledo were also heavy influences on our decision. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts - we'll take them if you continue to lift them up as Naunie continues at Carter Jr. High and I begin as the Choir Director at Bowie High School.
God Is Able!
Jermaine
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
As promised, here are a few pictures of the Kenaniah "reunion" in Chicago. The black & white is from a long ago time called 1994, which is why most of us have more hair. If you're interested in a bit more information, you can head over to Kevin's website and read up on the reunion and on Kenaniah.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Worship Music
A couple of nights ago, it was raining very hard - hard enough to wake me. And the cat seemed to be high on something because it was running around crazynuts in the apartment at 5:00 am. At any rate, the combination woke me up, and while I was awake, I had an interesting thought. When will "praise and worship" go out of style?
Hymns were the standard in worship for more than a few years. They are a timeless music that we still turn to today, as long as we jazz things up a bit with guitars and skip out on the organ, the key change, and the final verse being sung at a tempo not unlike a funeral march. But when you look at "praise and worship," there's an interesting phenomenon: it's already old. Dependant of the progressiveness (is that a word?) of your church, the songs that you sang 10 years ago that were cutting edge are no longer good enough to sing. The content hasn't changed. There's a good chance that the songs are biblically sound - or at least as sound as the current crop of songs that you are singing. So what's different? The music. Possibly how the words are layed out.
Remember the term 7-11 music? Songs with 7 words sung eleven times? The current group of worship leaders/writers I think have become more aware of this stigma, and are making an conscious effort to keep from writing such songs. But even still - our music today is dated. If we are basing our music in church on what goes on in the public music arena, then we may be writing ourselves out of the possiblity of creating "classic" tunes or songs that will be sung hundreds - or even thirty - years from now. Should our music be "of the moment" at the expense of the prospect of timelessness like the "old" stuff?
I'm not saying that we should only sing hymns - look at my set list for this week - but I worry that congregations will not be able to remember the great songs of their youth if the songs that are being sung are only sung for two years and then rotated out. Surely, there is a balance between culturally relevant music and the ability to create timeless songs.
Hymns were the standard in worship for more than a few years. They are a timeless music that we still turn to today, as long as we jazz things up a bit with guitars and skip out on the organ, the key change, and the final verse being sung at a tempo not unlike a funeral march. But when you look at "praise and worship," there's an interesting phenomenon: it's already old. Dependant of the progressiveness (is that a word?) of your church, the songs that you sang 10 years ago that were cutting edge are no longer good enough to sing. The content hasn't changed. There's a good chance that the songs are biblically sound - or at least as sound as the current crop of songs that you are singing. So what's different? The music. Possibly how the words are layed out.
Remember the term 7-11 music? Songs with 7 words sung eleven times? The current group of worship leaders/writers I think have become more aware of this stigma, and are making an conscious effort to keep from writing such songs. But even still - our music today is dated. If we are basing our music in church on what goes on in the public music arena, then we may be writing ourselves out of the possiblity of creating "classic" tunes or songs that will be sung hundreds - or even thirty - years from now. Should our music be "of the moment" at the expense of the prospect of timelessness like the "old" stuff?
I'm not saying that we should only sing hymns - look at my set list for this week - but I worry that congregations will not be able to remember the great songs of their youth if the songs that are being sung are only sung for two years and then rotated out. Surely, there is a balance between culturally relevant music and the ability to create timeless songs.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Thought I'd update everyone as to what's going on in my job life. As I mentioned, I am set to serve as the Bowie High School Choral Director for the coming year. I'm excited about this opportunity, and have spent some time this week in my new classroom doing the whole "visualization" thing, as well as some cleaning and organizing. There's a huge amount of knowledge that I'm realizing I will have to bone up on in the next month to be successful, so I'm starting now. My last high school was a school of 250 or so. Bowie is 3000. There's a bit of a learning curve there! Uniform rentals, Booster Clubs, UIL rules, oh...and music. So I've got a bit of work to do!
In addition to Bowie, most of you are aware that God has laid it on my heart to serve in music ministry full time in a church. There is a church in Aubrey, TX that has spoken to me about an open position. This came at about the same time as Bowie, so God has blessed Naunie and I with a sudden abundance of opportunity, but choices had to be made in defference to what we know currently. We will be visiting with this church tomorrow (Friday), so I would appreciate prayers for discernment and clarity of understanding of His will in our lives as Naunie and I meet with the pastor and current worship pastor of the church. There are many, many doors that need to open fully for a clear understanding of where God wants us right now.
Naunie is hard at work on her two online classes for the summer. After two weeks, I have decided that online is maybe not the best way to take master's classes...she has about 500 pages worth of reading and posting with classmates online. Quite a task, I think. Naunie's been reading or at her computer pretty much nonstop this week, clocking in 10 hour days. on summer break. I know she's exhausted, so please pray for her strength and perseverance as she has another three or four weeks to go!
Life is moving, as you can see. We simply hang on and let God take us on our ride!
God Is Able,
Jermaine
In addition to Bowie, most of you are aware that God has laid it on my heart to serve in music ministry full time in a church. There is a church in Aubrey, TX that has spoken to me about an open position. This came at about the same time as Bowie, so God has blessed Naunie and I with a sudden abundance of opportunity, but choices had to be made in defference to what we know currently. We will be visiting with this church tomorrow (Friday), so I would appreciate prayers for discernment and clarity of understanding of His will in our lives as Naunie and I meet with the pastor and current worship pastor of the church. There are many, many doors that need to open fully for a clear understanding of where God wants us right now.
Naunie is hard at work on her two online classes for the summer. After two weeks, I have decided that online is maybe not the best way to take master's classes...she has about 500 pages worth of reading and posting with classmates online. Quite a task, I think. Naunie's been reading or at her computer pretty much nonstop this week, clocking in 10 hour days. on summer break. I know she's exhausted, so please pray for her strength and perseverance as she has another three or four weeks to go!
Life is moving, as you can see. We simply hang on and let God take us on our ride!
God Is Able,
Jermaine
Monday, June 18, 2007
Reading Update
Oh, in light of my recent job decisions, I am continuing on the education reading track. Currently, since I liked his second book, I've gone back to the well and am reading THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS by Rafe Esquith. Following that, I will be reading FIRES IN THE BATHROOM: ADVICE FOR TEACHERS FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS by Kathleen Cushman. Somewhere in all of this, I will be finding some books on choral music that aren't utterly sleep-inducing (ie: not textbooks!!!). I want to be the best teacher that I can be, but I didn't care for some of the books the first time I read them - I don't think I want to go back and purposefully torture myself again!
Jobstuffs
Well, I made it back from Chicago with all of my limbs and a car still in one piece, so that counts as a good trip! While I was in Chicago, I got a phone call from Arlington ISD, asking for a second interview for a high school choir position. As of Friday, I am the Choir Director for Bowie High School in Arlington! I'm excited about this new stage in my life, and I'm looking forward to (re)learning all about choral music and getting my conducting and listening chops back in line!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Chi-town
I didn't think anyone that reads this has contact with the surprise that was planned, but I didn't really mention much just in case. So, here ya go.
I'm in Chicago without my wonderful wife (trips without Naunie = not fun) to meet up with some friends from college. We were meeting together to do a surprise gig as our former group, Kenaniah, for the parents of one of the members. Harry and Barbara Brocksieck have just retired from the Salvation Army after 51 years of service. The one thing that they had mentioned to Kevin (their son) was that they would love to have Kenaniah sing at the ceremony, but there was no way that they could get us all there. So Kevin emailed all of us, and long story short, we were able to surprise the Brocksiecks at their retirement ceremony. It was great!
Their motto - or maybe vision statement? - for all of their years has been "God Is Able." It was apparent that they have seen God's mighty hand in many areas of their life and ministry. I am so grateful that we were able to share in their wonderful ceremony and support not only Harry and Barbara, but Kevin as well. It has been too long since we've been together, and I can only hope that we are able to gather again before another ten years passes.
Having said that...I would like to go home now and see my wife! Naunie has started her classes for the summer (she had class Friday, which precipitated her not coming to Chicago with me), and this week she is in an in-service for reading or some such educator type stuff. Tuesday, Naunie is interviewing for an instructional facilitator position at her school - please pray for her tomorrow!!!
That's all for now, so until later, remember:
God Is Able
I'm in Chicago without my wonderful wife (trips without Naunie = not fun) to meet up with some friends from college. We were meeting together to do a surprise gig as our former group, Kenaniah, for the parents of one of the members. Harry and Barbara Brocksieck have just retired from the Salvation Army after 51 years of service. The one thing that they had mentioned to Kevin (their son) was that they would love to have Kenaniah sing at the ceremony, but there was no way that they could get us all there. So Kevin emailed all of us, and long story short, we were able to surprise the Brocksiecks at their retirement ceremony. It was great!
Their motto - or maybe vision statement? - for all of their years has been "God Is Able." It was apparent that they have seen God's mighty hand in many areas of their life and ministry. I am so grateful that we were able to share in their wonderful ceremony and support not only Harry and Barbara, but Kevin as well. It has been too long since we've been together, and I can only hope that we are able to gather again before another ten years passes.
Having said that...I would like to go home now and see my wife! Naunie has started her classes for the summer (she had class Friday, which precipitated her not coming to Chicago with me), and this week she is in an in-service for reading or some such educator type stuff. Tuesday, Naunie is interviewing for an instructional facilitator position at her school - please pray for her tomorrow!!!
That's all for now, so until later, remember:
God Is Able
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Naunie
One year ago today, the most beautiful and gracious woman that I have ever known said that she would live for the rest of her life with me as my bride. God has blessed me beyond measure this past year in our marriage, and I thank Him for the gift of Naunie today.
(oh, this morning she said that she'd hang around another year, so that was good too.) :)
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!
(oh, this morning she said that she'd hang around another year, so that was good too.) :)
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!
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