Happy New Year, Worshipteers!

Hope everybody got what they wanted from Santa, that your menorah stayed lit, that your Kwanzaa was full of Umoja and Imani and . . . wait a second. I'll start over.

ahem

Now that 2008 is history, it seems as good a time as any to notice that the current year is 2009 and that it offers us twelve whole months of singy goodness. To wit, you can find below the current schedule for the Worship Team. It is, of course, subject to change as the year rolls on, but I think it's relatively "locked" for at least the first several months.


January 11; 25

February 8; 22

March 15; 29

April 12 (Easter); 26

May 17; 31

June 14; 28

July 12; 26

August 9; 23

September 13; 27

October 11; 25

November 8; 15 (Chicago Celebration – we'll sing at the event only); 22

December 6; 13; 20 (X-mas service)


Sharp-eyed readers may notice that the first date mentioned is January 11, which is THIS Sunday. That means that tonight, January 7, we begin rehearsing. In the building. At last. We start immediately after devotional. Bring your voices and smiling faces. Drive safely. Mind the snow and ice. And always remember,

Your Uncle Duff loves you.

It's a Wonderful Worship - Sunday, December 21

Here is the order of worship, as it stands at the moment.

Welcome and Announcements (as little as possible)
Song- Angels We Have Heard on High
(1002 in the songbook)
Song- Away in a Manger (1017)
Prayer
(there will be a skit or video here, but it doesn't need to be listed on the program)
Song- The First Noel (999)
Song- To Us a Child of Hope is Born
(1006)
Scripture Reading
Song- What Child is This (998)
Song- Joy to the World (vs.1-3) (1018)
Sermon - His Blessings Flow
Communion
Song- Hark the Herald Angels Sing (1001)
Song- O Holy Night (vs 1 &3) (1028)
A Christmas Gift for Everyone (hearts)
Song- (We'll sing the 4th verse of Joy to the World (1018). During the end of the kids passing out the chocolate hearts)
Prayer


Don't forget that Sunday School is at 9:00 am and Service is at 10:00 am.

Sound check is at 8:30 am.


I wish I could be with you, but I'll be at my Mommy's house by then. I hope you all have a great day Sunday, and I wish all of you the merriest of Christmases. I'll see you next year.


Your Uncle Duff loves you.

Holiday Worship, this week

Greeting, worshipteers.

I trust everyone had a good Sunday. It felt so . . . right to be back in the pews and singing together. It was especially nice for me because it was the first service I've attended in a while. The Worship Team is back and I feel good.

Here are the particulars for this week:

Wednesday Night Rehearsal: Carol Dunne's house, 7:00-8:00 pm.

Sunday Morning: Sound check at 8:30 am.

I know the Sunday schedule threw a couple of people, so I thought I would just remind y'all:

Sunday School is at 9:00 am.
Worship is at 10:00 am.

I will be out of town Sunday, on my annual holiday pilgrimage. I leave you to the tender mercies of Chris Shields. I know you will all rock.


See you Wednesday.
Your Uncle Duff loves you.

Sunday Morning

It was so much fun to see so many of us Wednesday at Carol Dunne's house. It's been a long time since we've all been in a room together. Just wanted to run down the Sunday morning plan one more time:


Sound Check: 8:30 am.

Your song leaders for the day will be Mark Barone and Duff Harris.

Order of Worship will be:

Joy to the World (verse 2 only)---Mark
--Welcome
--Announcements
--Intro new deacons
--Scripture reading (Psalm 100:1-5)
--Prayer
The Steadfast Love of the Lord---Mark
Great is thy Faithfulness (Verse 1 & 2)---Mark
Ancient words---Duff
--Communion
--Offering
A New anointing---Duff
--Sermon-"Our Savior reigns"
--Introduction of Babies
To us a Child of Hope is born--Duff

Chicago Celebration: Oct. 26, 2008

Just wanted to show guys you some shots the inimitable Lee Harrington took of us at our last to-do. It was a great night and I've thanked some of you for all you did to make it work, but I haven't thanked all of you yet. Nor have I, nor can I, possibly thank you all enough. You guys rocked so hard. It was a wonderful event and set the stage for more great things to come at Chicago Celebration in the future.

Welcome Worshipteers!

Hello, liebchen.


Your Uncle Duff is finally sifting through his attic and basement and putting all of his grand schemes and plans in place. Well, not so much 'grand' as 'practical' and 'desperately needed.' It seems juggling deacon-ing (not a real word, just a Duff word) and worshipteering (Duff word, again), along with my gigging life, my work life, and . . . what was that other thing . . . oh, yes, raising children -- well, let's just say I'm not quite the juggler I thought I was. So, I've had many of these ideas for a little while now, but I'm just getting around to putting them into play. Thank you for bearing with me and not running for the exits. Yet. Okay, now that that explanation/mea culpa/bunch of nonsense is out of the way, onto the facts.


The facts:

The facts are that this is our new online home and the place for updates, calendars, meeting times and whatnot. I'm sure I won't be able to resist the opportunity to post other things as well, but the main thing is that this is the online spot to check in on our doings. Are we meeting this week? Where? When? Who's bringing the cheese tray? That sort of thing. The plan is for this to be updated every Sunday night/Monday morning. Your own cuddly Uncle Duff and your own cuddly Chris Shields will be the site admins.

Hope that explains it all. And I hope we all find this tool useful. I love all of you guys and I'm very proud of what we've done this year. I'm excited about what's to come. Hope you are, too.


Stay safe, boys and girls.
Your Uncle Duff loves you.