This week and beyond~!

I would like to share two things through our blog this week—the music that will be in this Sunday’s worship services and two wonderful opportunities coming soon.
Do you know how many adult choirs we have at Floris? We have three! Sonrise Singers sing regularly at the 8:00 AM service. The Sanctuary Choir most often sings at the 11:00 AM service and the Chamber Choir sings at 11:00 AM a couple of times a month. This Sunday, the Chamber Choir will lift up an anthem, “Father, Forgive” at the 11:00 AM service. The song was published recently as one of the songs in a suite called, “Prayers at the Cross” for Holy Week. It is a beautifully written piece for a choir with a violin solo and it is based on the scripture Luke 23:33-34.
During the weeks of “Forgiveness Sundays”  I have thought about Jesus a lot. I believe that Jesus is the one who truly understands how we feel when we have struggles with issues of forgiveness.  I have chosen the anthem, “Father, Forgive” with a prayerful heart that the Lord may bless us and bring us closer to the heart of Jesus. I love the middle of the song, when we sing, “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison”(Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.)  It leads my heart to humbly kneel and remember  Jesus on the Cross when he prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” “Kyrie eleison” was sung in old churches at the beginning of each Mass.
I pray that we all lift up our hearts together during our worship services.  The Floris Strings will play, “Allegro” by Corelli for an offertory at 11:00 AM. And at 8:00 AM, I will sing, “Lord, Be Merciful” during the offering.
So, now what are the two upcoming opportunities?  The first one is for our Lenten cantata choir. The choirs and orchestras perform cantatas twice a year; one near Christmas, the other during Lent. We will perform, “The Lenten Sketches” by Joseph Martin as our Lenten cantata on April 6-- Good Friday evening. As we did last year, I would like to invite all who are interested in singing with the choir or playing with the orchestra to join us. The choir will start rehearsing this Wednesday night (Feb.1) from 8:15-9:00 PM. There will also be Sunday rehearsals right after the 11:00 AM service starting on Feb. 26 for those who can’t make the Wednesday night rehearsals.  Please, join us!  It will be your wonderful Lenten gift to the Lord!
The other opportunity is to sing on Easter Sunday for all three morning services with the choir. Many people asked me how they can sing the “Hallelujah” chorus on Easter morning after last Easter. So, here is a chance for you to come and join us! Yes, we will sing “Hallelujah” again with one more anthem. Two Wednesday night rehearsals are mandatory: March 28and April 4 from 7:30-9:00 PM. I can promise how joyful it will be. Looking forward to having you all join us!
Here are the lyrics to the anthem, “Father, Forgive”.  May the Lord be with you all.
“O Father, forgive our sins. We are helpless. We have lost our way.
O Father, forgive our sins. In Your mercy save us! Hear our cry!
On a cross of grief and pain, Jesus suffered for our shame. Such amazing love He showed.
What a debt to Him we owe.
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. (Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord have mercy.)
O, Father, forgive our sins. In Your mercy save us! Hear our cry!”

The Artist, and Creator!

Do you like to observe the nature around you? I do. I love watching sky, and trees any time of a day. I love sunny days with pure blue sky like this morning, or with fuggy funny clouds. I also love watching people;I know it sounds a little bit strange but I love to watching people. One of reasons that I love watching them is that all of them remind me who the Creator is. I often am amazed how beautiful all the creations, but forget realizing that God made all.
I felt a strong presence of the Holy Spirit on last Sunday worship services. I was not "watching" people around me but "feeling" people's hearts somehow, and it led me to pray for them deeply during worship services. "Forgiveness" is such a hard but common subject to think deeply and bring sometimes heavy hearts. As I shared last week, I have chosen music more thoughtfully. So that not only glorifying God but also the music can be used for God's working tool.
The Sonrise singer will lift up "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" with "What a friend we have in Jesus" as the offertory at 8:00 and the Sanctuary choir will lift up "The Artist" by Joseph Martin as our anthem at 11:00 o' clock service. Also, for a special musical offering, Christine Cox will be singing " If you search with all your heart"during offertory.We pray that May the Love of God presence with us and we all feel restored by it.
Here is the lyric of "The Artist".
Artist, Creator, I give to You my heart.
Mold me and make me into Your work of art. Turn me and shape me into a vessel true.
Lord, make me holy, Lord, make me holy, Lord, make me holy as I give myself to You.
Lord, paint Your beauty on the canvas of my soul. With hands of love You touch and make me whole.
Create the Masterpiece that only You can do.
Lord, make me holy, Lord make me holy as I give myself to You.

Prayerfully, Yoon

My Wordless Prayer

This Sunday is our second Sunday in "Forgiveness" sermon series. It is such a hard subject to many people. While I was choosing anthems and music for the worship service in this series, I have given more thoughts and prayers. I pray that our music can be used by the Holy Spirit who opens hearts and touches us gently to feel God's presence. I think that forgiveness can't be made by only our own will. Even though we do forgive, complete forgiveness is always in God's presence.
The Sanctuary choir will lift their prayerful song up to the Lord at 11:00 o clock service. It is called "My wordless prayer". It is one of my favorite ones and beautiful. I pray that May God uses the music and accept our worship and praise as a fragrant offering. Also, Ward will share a beautiful song "A Heart that forgives" as an offertory.
Here is the lyrics of the anthem. May the Lord hear our prayers!
My Wordless Prayer
My words lie still and lifeless as dust upon the sand, I can no longer voice one request or one demand, 
My cup of tears is empty, I can  no longer cry, My lips have fallen silent, my prayer is but a sigh. 
Spirit,  come and rest Your ear upon my heart, O come and hear my wordless prayer, 
My silent plea and take them far away from me. Take them from this heart of mine to the Father;s heart divine. Speak in tones unknown to man that God may hear and understand. 
My voice is weak from calling to You both night and day. How long will You be silent? 
Why do You turn away?
Spirit,come and rest Your ear upon my heart, O come and hear my wordless prayer, 
My silent plea and take them far away from me. Take them from this hear of mine to the Father;s heart divine. Speak in tones unknown to man that God may hear and understand. 

Come~ join us!

I had a chance to invite and introduce our music ministry at a small group fair on last Sunday at our church. Even though only a few people stopped by, we got a few new members in various groups, and I am excited about them!
Do you know how many groups in our music ministry? I am amazed sometimes to hear people say "I did not know that you work everyday at the church." We have a number of musical groups in traditional music ministry! Please visit the church home page.
In this Spring, I would like to invite people to sing at two events; Lenten cantata, and Easter Sunday morning. The Lenten cantata will be lifted up on Good Friday, April 6th at 7:30PM as our Good Friday service. We need many instrumental players as well as choir members. It has been blessed to have those singers and players who joined us occasionally. It will be a great experience moment for not only to yourselves, but also us.
For Easter Choir, we will sing "Hallelujah" from Handel's Messiah as our tradition, and one more anthem for Easter morning. It will be very special to lift up our hearts with beautiful music to proclaim the risen Christ!

I am so excited even to think about coming year!
I pray that May the Lord bless us, enlarge our ministry, anoint His Holy Spirit, keep us away from evil, and be glorified through us wholly throughout the new year!
Come and join us to worship Him!

What shall I render?

The sanctuary choir has started their regular rehearsal on last night and we went over five new beautiful songs to prepare sundays in the future. We will lift up our hearts with this week anthem "What shall I render?" at 11:00 o' clock service. I chose this song intentionally for the first Sunday that the choir sings in 2012. It is written, based on Psalm 116:12-19 which is posted on the right side as today's words.
At 8:00 o'clock service, the sonrise singers will lift up their hearts with a song " I love you Lord!". We pray that we love our Lord, Jesus more throughout the new year!
Also, the children's choir will sing at 9:15 and 11:00 o'clock service. It is very delightful to see and hear the children's praising God. They proclaim boldly and beautifully with their full hearts.
Here is a lyric of "What shall I render?" I pray that we dedicate our hearts to our Lord, Jesus through this week worship services as a symbol of our love toward Jesus.
What shall I render?
What shall I render to my God for all the good things the Lord has done for me?
I will lift up the voice of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all God's people.
What shall I render to my God for all the good things the Lord has done for me?
I will offer my song of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
O, Lord, I am your servant, I am your servant, the child of your handmade.
You have loosed my bonds and set me free, I am your servant, I am your servant.
What shall I render to my God for all the good things the Lord has done for me?
I will offer my song of thanksgiving and I will call on the name, call on the name of the Lord.
In the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!

Start Engine!

It is already Jan. 3rd 2012! I haven't gotten used to write "2012" yet in my writing. How about you?
We had a meeting to go over Christmas eve services and felt like it was very long time ago, in fact, it was just a week ago. I can't believe it.
We have started our regular rehearsal from tonight with Laudate Ringer's rehearsal. Tomorrow evening, there will be chimers, celebration choir and little praisers, and the sanctuary choir as regular rehearsal schedule. Please check on Floris Web site if you are new! We welcome all new members!
Thursday, Jubilate ringers, and Sunday afternoon there will be Floris Strings at 1:00, Chamber choir at 2:00, and Student choir at 4:00.
I am so excited to explore new music with each groups and praise Him with New songs in our worship services.

Personally, I have made a new motto for 2012. "Be fruitful, and be in shape in Him!" I will share why I got that motto in my personal blog later in this week.
I stayed home with my family after Christmas for a week, and had rested and thought about many things by looking back 2011. I am truly blessed.
Even though I have many mistakes, faults, and weakness, God has blessed me to be a part of His ministry. I could not go on to anything without Him as you all know. That is a reason that I go to kneel each morning.
Let' s have a fruitful year 2012! Please keep supporting music ministries with your faithful prayers!