Praise the Risen Lord!

As you can guess, the Holy week and Easter are the most exciting week of the year in churches: of course, at Floris! Have you had a chance to see “Holy week and Easter” announcement? What a week we will have! I am very excited about sharing this with you all.

From Palm Sunday (April 1^st), we enter the Holy week that last week of Lent. I could tell you that you don’t want to miss the opportunities to walk through the journey on the Holy week because it leads you to celebrate true Easter. It gives indescribable joy on Easter morning that I could promise. We will start praising Jesus by children’s praising “Hosanna!” on the Palm Sunday. As you all know, there will be Lenten Cantata called “The Lenten Sketches” on Good Friday night service. The Floris Orchestra and choir will lift up deeply worshipful cantata. This cantata will lead us to have a portrait of God’s grace that showed on the Holy week thoroughly with meditative words and beautiful music. We have been working hard and praying deeply not only may the Lord be glorified through the worship service but also may we have experience of His presence to transform us throughout the service. Please invite your friends and neighbors who especially need to meet our Savior, Jesus. You never know how God will work through your invitations to others. He works miraculously through our actions. 

On Easter morning, we will start from “Sunrise” service at 6:15, and Hallelujah chorus will be lifted up throughout all morning services at 8:00, 9:15, and 11:00. There will be a fanfare of brass that will lead us to the Easter hymn “Christ, the Lord is risen today”. Also a special Easter anthem “Risen today” will be sung by the Easter choir.

Now, you can guess how we praise and worship Him! We will use all our talents and breath to proclaim “He is Risen, indeed!” Are you ready? I am surely ready.

May the Spirit of the Lord be upon you and your family through this incredible experience of Praise and worship on the Holy week and Easter!

Here is lyric of Palm Sunday anthem.  Enjoy!

Behold, The King of Zion Comes

Behold, the King of Zion comes, the promise is fulfilled.

The visions seen by prophet eyes, to all is now in truth, revealed, to all is now revealed.

From age to age the people prayed and searched the Eastern sky. Rejoice! Rejoice! The time has come. Redemption draweth nigh. Redemption draweth nigh.

Hosanna, hosanna! Hosanna to the King! O blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Lift up your heads, ye ancient doors. Fling open wide, ye gates. Open ye gates neath chapels made of palms and praise. Your King rides humbly on to reign.

Behold, the King of Zion comes. The promise is fulfilled.

Panis Angelicus

Have you had a chance to look at the gorgeous cherry blossoms in our church parking lot? Looking at the trees makes me smile and be happy. I hope you all have a chance to smile.

We are already at the fifth Sunday in Lent this Sunday. The following Sunday, April 1, will be Palm Sunday. Then, yes, there will be Easter!  I can tell you the time has been flying !

The Chamber Choir will lift up an anthem, “Panis Angelicus” at the 11:00 AM service this Sunday. This well-known song has been loved by many people throughout the world. In fact, I used to sing this in Korean quite often when I was in a student choir. We will praise Christ who came to us as our sacrament.  Also, The Call to Harmony men’s quartet group, will share, “Savior, Like a Shepherd” as an offertory. What a blessing that we have many musical groups and people to praise and worship in our church. I pray that we all have an experience of God’s presence through the musical worship services on Sundays.

Here is one more invitation to our Lenten Cantata that will be at the Good Friday evening service April 6 at 7:30 PM in the sanctuary. As I have shared with you before, the orchestra and Cantata Choir will lift up the beautiful portrait of grace through this cantata that tells of the last week of Christ’s life on earth. Please invite your friends and neighbors to the worship service. If they are not familiar with churches, please try to introduce them to the church through the Cantata performance. I believe that God will use the music to reveal His amazing grace and indescribable love to His people, especially to those who have been lost. If we don’t invite people, they will miss the opportunity to restore a relationship with their Savior. It will be a great gift to others.  I am very excited about it! I can’t wait to see how God will work through it.

Here is a translation of the lyrics for “Panis Angelicus.” May the love of Christ embrace each of us in an immeasurable way.

Bread of the angel host sent down from God above;

Body of Christ our Lord in token of His love:

O Gift most wonderful! Christ as our sacrament: Humble, lowly, all share His sacred feasts.

Songs of Prayers

Since the spring time forward, I have noticed two things clearly: beautiful blooming flowers, and really early chirping birds. How beautiful the blooming flowers are! Some of them are incredibly beautiful that I have to touch to make sure they are real flowers not fake ones. Have you had that experience? And how early the birds have started chirping! They are truly diligent! I have to response to both flowers and birds sometimes saying “ok, ok, Good morning~ to you all~!” They all give their responses with their beautiful smiles or endless chirping. I know that I am kind of strange in this way. However, I am amazed always how artistic our Creator is through the natures!

Have you had an experience looking at a tree praying? I have. As you noticed, most of trees stretch their branches toward the sky. Some of them are just too gorgeous to describe. Whenever I see those trees, I could hear that they are praying and praising to the Creator.

This Sunday, we will have a great experience to praise and pray through our music at worship services.  The Sonrise singers will lift up “Open our eyes” as an offertory at 8 o’clock service, and the Sanctuary choir will lift up a prayerful song “ Let me hide myself in Thee” as an anthem at 11:00. Also, the student choir will sing two beautiful prayers in songs called “Prayer litany” with a beautiful oboe played by our member, Nikki Buermeyer, and “A Prayer for Humility”; the students have been diligently working hard and I am very excited to share with you all on this Sunday. At last, the Floris Strings will play “the Lord’s Prayer” at 11:00 as our prelude. What a blessing to have all those talents to be lifted to the Lord, and glorify Him!

If you would like to be a part of the blessings, please visit our new wonderful website and let me know! We currently need some more string players in our Floris Strings, as well as other choir members.

I pray that May the Lord answer our prayers throughout those musical prayers and worship on this Sunday!

Enjoy lyrics of some songs will be lifted up on Sunday at 11:00 o’ clock service.

Let me Hide Myself in Thee

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace; foul; I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.

A Prayer for Humility

Mighty God and gentle Lamb, Lord of all creation, how we long to know you, how we strive to serve you, help us now to love you even more.

Refrain: Give us humble hearts to praise you and listening ears to hear your voice, willing hands to serve you, thankful spirits to rejoice.

Lord of all, we adore you, and we bring this prayer before you: Create in us humble hearts.

When our thoughts turn proud, remind us of the grace you freely give. When we lose our way, Lord, find us, draw us close to you again.

Prayer Litany

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, day by day.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love, and where there is despair, may I sow hope, hope.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, day by day.

Where there is darkness, let me sow light, and where there is sadness, I sow joy, joy.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, day by day.

And Lord, of thee three things I pray, day by day; To see the more clearly, love thee more clearly, and follow thee more nearly day by day.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, day by day. Let me sow love, hope, light, Joy!

The Lord's Prayer

Even though we learned The Lord’s Prayer when we were little, it is amazing to see how much more meaningful the prayer is when we have learned about it. When Jesus gave his disciples this prayer, I think He must have wanted to give them everything so they could pray fully. We recite this prayer together every Sunday, but it has gotten more of my careful attention because of our Lenten series. I hope you all feel the same way. 

There will be several opportunities to hear The Lord’s Prayer, in various forms, during this Sunday’s worship services. At the 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM services, Mark Cooke will play The Lord’s Prayer on his trumpet. In addition, the Sanctuary Choir will sing, “The Lord’s Prayer” right after we say The Lord’s Prayer in unison at 11:00 o’clock service.   Our youngest member of the Sanctuary Choir, Linda Scott, will praise, “Precious Jesus” as an offertory.  Linda graduated from George Mason University last December with a major in music education. She has been with us for several years and it is a true pleasure to have her in the choir.

God has given special power to music. Music can help us to focus on Him and feel His presence mysteriously.  I would like to strongly recommend that you try using the power of music with your prayers. When you are praying at home, try to sing your favorite hymns to begin. Or, sing The Lord’s Prayer instead of reciting it. I pray that we can have an experience of God’s presence through music everywhere and at any time. I am sure it will give you power and strength.

One more note, if you want to proclaim, “Christ is risen! Halleluiah!,” please join our Easter choir. Two rehearsals are on March 28 and April 4 from 7:30-9:00 PM. I believe you will find a special joy through this participation.

Here are the words to the offertory, “Precious Jesus” by Jay Althouse.

All that I am and all that I can be, all that I know and all that I can see: These are the things my Jesus gave to me, Jesus, my Lord and friend.

Once I was alone and day seemed dark as night. Once I was blind, but I’ve been given sight.

Jesus, my redeemer, led me to the light, Jesus, my lord and friend.

Precious Jesus, blessed Jesus, You’re my life, my joy, my friend.

Precious Jesus, blessed Jesus, Your love is a love without end.

Now, like a shepherd, He guides me on my way. Now I will follow, I cannot go astray.

Jesus, keep me near You; this I humbly pray. Jesus, my Lord and friend.  

What Wondrous Love is this

One of my favorite hymns is, “What Wondrous Love Is This.” I also know this hymn as number 292 in The Methodist Hymnal.  Not only does it give deep thoughts about our God’s love through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, but it also gives me strong hope and faith in the last verse. I love the boldness of that line, “And when from death I am free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on…When from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on.” What a strong testimony! The Sanctuary Choir will lift up a song based on this hymn during communion at the 11:00 AM service this Sunday.  Also, there will be a guest musician, Zenas Kim, for an offertory at the service. She is a professional trombone player who studied in Europe and just came back to the States.  At our 8:00 AM service, the Sonrise Singers will lift up a heartfelt song, “Surely the Presence of the Lord” during the offering time.  I pray that we all feel God’s wondrous love this Lent, especially during our worship. May the Love of the Lord be with you all.

Here are the lyrics to, “What Wondrous Love Is This.” Let’s praise Him together!

1.       What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul; what wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

2.       When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down; when I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown, Christ laid aside His crown for my soul!

3.       To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing; to God and to the Lamb I will sing! To God and to the Lamb, who is the great “I AM.” While millions join the theme, I will sing!

4.       When from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on!

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, and through eternity I’ll sing on!

Jesus At Your Name

Yes, Lent has started. When I sat and watched you all coming down to the front to get ashes, my heart was filled with indescribable warmth and excitement. I can’t describe it well enough, but I could feel deep joy and expectation from the Lord. Even though Lent is the most solemn and reflective time, I am very excited for the journey that takes us deeper to taste and see how the Lord is good.

This year’s Lenten series is on the Lord’s Prayer. I have prayed and chosen music to be prayerful along with the series. You will hear, “The Lord’s Prayer” in various forms and languages during Lent in our worship services.  For this first Sunday of Lent, our men’s quartet group, “Call to Harmony” will lift up “The Lord’s Prayer” as an offertory at the 11:00 AM service, and the Sanctuary Choir will lift up, “Jesus, at Your Name” as an anthem at 11:00 AM. Through Jesus’ name we restore our relationship with Abba, our Heavenly Father, and the anthem proclaims the promise given by Jesus.

At the 8:00 AM service, I will share a song as an offertory based on Micah 6:6-8:  “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

In addition, before I share the lyrics for this week’s  anthem, I would like to remind you all that the Lenten Cantata Choir’s Sunday rehearsal starts this Sunday right after the 11:00 AM service in the music room on the second floor. If you haven’t been able to join our Wednesday night rehearsal, this is a great chance to join. Please come without hesitation!

Here are the lyrics to this week’s anthem. I pray that we all experience of power of Jesus’ name, especially this Lent.

Jesus, at Your Name

1.       Over all the heaven’s bliss Jesus chose birth like this, laid aside a royal crown, the Son of mercy traveled down. No feather bed on which to lie, instead this Christ born to die.

Refrain: Jesus at Your name every knee will bow, Jesus at Your name every tongue confess, Jesus at Your name every voice proclaim that You are Lord of all! O Jesus, at Your name.

2.       Pilate set Barabbas free, but You, they hung for all to see. A cross, a spear, a thorny crown became Your emblems of renown. Faithful to Your final breath, obedient even unto death.

Let this mind be now in you that though Christ owned the earth, He laid aside His very life to embrace this humble birth!

All hail the power of Jesus’ name!

Praise the Lord

This Sunday is the last Sunday before Lent starts.  Long ago, churches limited using “Alleluia” or “Gloria” during the Lenten  season to be more solemn. I respect this idea, so you may not be able to hear or sing joyful songs during Lent in our worship services. However, there are many other beautiful hymns and songs to praise God during our special time of Lent.

Our Sonrise Singers will sing, “Jesus, Name Above All Names” as an offertory at the 8:00 AM service. The Sonrsie singers meet every other Sunday at 2:00 PM in the music room for rehearsals and need new members,  particularly  tenors and basses. They sing every other Sunday at the 8:00 AM service. Please join us if you are interested in singing with us.

The Sanctuary Choir will lift up, “Praise the Lord” by Handel. It proclaims that God is the only name that worthy of praise. You will hear Baroque articulations in Handel’s style.

As the offertory at the 11:00 AM service, our student singers will share a beautiful song, “You Raise Me up.” The student singers meet every Sunday at 4:00 PM, and we do learn how to sing and breathe properly and rehearse beautiful songs for an hour. All young people from 6^th grade through 12^th grade are welcome to join us

This year Lent starts on February 22 (Ash Wednesday),and there will be an Ash Wednesday service at 7:30 PM in the sanctuary. We will lift up our hearts prayerfully with songs from Taizé, and the Sanctuary Choir will sing, “Lenten Meditation” as an anthem on Wednesday night. I pray that our Lent is filled with sincere prayers and the reflection of God’s grace.  Let us come together on our knees.

I would like to share two lyrics today—the lyrics to this week anthem at 11:00, and the lyrics to, “Lenten Meditation” on Ash Wednesday. These two songs lead us into totally different areas of worship, but I pray that the Lord will be glorified and that His love is revealed to us within our worship.

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord. Let songs of joy break forth.

Sing alleluia. Praise His name forevermore.

Shout, sing and dance. Come dance and celebrate.

Rejoice; let all within us praise His name. 

Lenten Meditation

1.       Jesus Christ, my Savior lived for me and died.

Source of my salvation, yet was crucified. 

Peace that knows no measure: This by faith I see.

Love that knows no ending: Jesus died for me.

2.       Hear me now, Lord Jesus: I will never stray.

I will never wander. Hear me, as I pray.

Free me now from darkness. Cleanse me now from sin.

Pardon my transgressions. Make me pure within. 

Refrain: Lord, we renew our commitment these forty nights and days.

And Lord, by your grace help us change our sinful ways. Amen.