May is all about Music!  Rev. Manuel celebrates the myriad of musical milestones this month in Music Notes.

How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"  (Psalm 147:1)

 It is indeed good to sing praises to our God. And this month we get to sing from our new hymnals! The Celebrating Grace Hymnal is due to be delivered by the end of April. 

• On Saturday, May 1, we will throw a hymnal party at 10:00 a.m., open to anyone who wants to come and help out. During this time we will remove the old hymnals from the pews, sort them by donor (so that those who wish to have "their" hymnals back may take them), prepare the new hymnals and place them in the pews. Refreshments will be served.
• On Sunday, May 2, we will commemorate the 107th anniversary of our church, singing from our new hymnals for the first time.
• The dedication service for the new hymnals will be on Sunday, May 23, during the morning worship service. Following the service we will enjoy a church dinner together in the fellowship hall. But that's not all! At 1:00 our Youth Choir will present an end-of-season concert in the sanctuary. What a day of celebration and music!

 Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!

 To God be the glory,

 Ralph

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 The text of "Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart" was written by Edward Plumptre for the Peterborough (England) Choral Festival of 1865; it originally had 11 stanzas. One of the scriptures that inspired the hymn is Philippians 4:4, exhorting us to "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice." This exuberant hymn shows Christians rejoicing at every stage of their lives, always giving thanks and singing. The music was composed for this text in 1883 by Arthur Messiter, organist-choirmaster at New York's Trinity Episcopal Church. He named the tune Marion after his mother.

 Rejoice, ye pure in heart, rejoice, give thanks and sing

Beneath the standard of your God, the cross of Christ your King.

 Rejoice, rejoice,

Rejoice, give thanks and sing.

 Bright youth and snow-crowned age, strong men and maidens fair,

Raise high your free, exulting song, God's wondrous praise declare.

 Yes, on through life's long path, still singing as ye go;

From youth to age, by night and day, in gladness and in woe.

 At last the march shall end; the weary ones shall rest;

The pilgrims find their heavenly home, Jerusalem the blest.