Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (Isaiah 41:10) -- When you think of February the first thing you think of is . . . music, of course! 

Our choirs and musical ensembles are back in full swing after our winter break.  Our Adult and Youth choirs are working on exciting new music and our children's choirs begin their rehearsals again on Wednesday, February 17.  There is room for you in one of these choirs.  We would love to have you!

Rehearsal times:  Adult choir, Wednesdays from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m.

Youth choir, Sundays from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

Young Musicians (children grades 2-5), Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

Music Makers (children age 4 through grade 1), Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:15 ]

You may have noticed the sound of chimes wafting from our church steeple following the morning services.  We would like to thank John Henry for his hard work in devising a means to connect our organ to the external speaker found in the "bell" of the steeple.  It is wonderful to have this means of "audio outreach" available once more!

To God be the glory,

Ralph

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We do not know the names of the persons who wrote the words and composed the tune for "How Firm a Foundation."  The words first appeared in a hymnal published in London in 1787, while the tune we use for this hymn came from a shape-note book published in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1832.  The hymn reminds us of the rock-solid confidence we can have in God, as evidenced in the promises he has left us in Scripture.  After the introductory first stanza, each succeeding stanza is a quote adapted from a specific Bible verse.  (Compare stanza 2, below, with the verse at the beginning of this article.)

This was the favorite hymn of Theodore Roosevelt, and Andrew Jackson requested that it be sung at his bedside shortly before he died.  By his own request, the hymn was sung at the funeral of Robert E. Lee "as an expression of his full trust in the ways of the Heavenly Father."

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said,

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."

(Source: Songs of Glory, by William J. Reynolds)