Tuesday, December 19, 2006
::::update on Grace::::
I'm into this Sister Act thingy these days!! so cool!! Wendy Markkena whom acted as a choir nun in that show, initially kept singing so so softly.. Till Whoopi came to reveal the true strong voice in her, that is to OPEN HER MOUTH! There she goes, singing with her strong "bao fa li" vocal! This is like a reminder to me. Though DaJie said she finally can hear me the Sunday before last, but nothing should stop anywhere. I will and must continue to improve! I can be transformed like Wendy, if only I open my mouth wider; raise up my cheekbone and drop my jaw lower!! There not only will I sing louder, but also be able to pitch higher notes!!
Last Sunday's service was great. The choir packed the entire platform on stage, haha..till I was closer to the crowd. Nowadays the video crew had a whole new season of "Close-Up". All individual faces will be screened!! Not only do we have to be watchful, but also to exercise the Spirit of Excellence. muahaha.. That Sunday we sang "O Come All Ye Faithful" in a celebrative manner. All of a sudden the choir decided to clap along with the supposingly-soft-carol, also in a very mathematical manner. They swayed 45degrees to the left then 45degrees to the right, and again. I was in panic, I didn't know how to clap the way they did. So my eyes kept rolling to the back of my head to see how all of them did. Argh!! Then as I imitated the claps, I looked so unnatural!! oh my..till the pastors below were like giving me the "huh-huh" look. oh dear...
Anyway, as I've said, there are always things we can never learn enuf. It's always a lesson every week. That day I served at the altar min again. This time I was bold enuf to walk around and give tissues. However, I let down my guard. I wasn't alert to His agenda. I boldy walked towards this lady who was crying bitterly to hand her a tissue in her palm, however was stopped by Ellen, because the pastor was leading her and many people (who have raised their hands) into an intense prayer. Never let your guard down when you're serving. Always be prayfully prepared.
I've downloaded many Christmas song lyrics from the internet. Hoping that I can memorise as much as possible; especially the old hymns and the complicated lyrics that aren't usually sang. This is bcoz our senior pastor always love old hymns and the very complicated lyrics of the common songs. Haha...that's typical of him. hehe..
Let's be bold like Wendy in Sister Act. The main reason why she can't sing loud enuf in the beginning was because she lack of this item, "confidence". Till lately when she really tried singing, and found herself, there she has revealed her talent.
There she is, the one with blonde hair on the left. She looked fragile, but till she reveal her confidence in her singing, no longer she is.
Be confident of who you are in Christ!!
posted at [4:02 PM]
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Monday, December 11, 2006
Evaluation #03
Haha, this is the 3rd evaluation i'm doing upon last Sunday's serving. Apparently, there can never be enough to learn, neither can there be anyone who is able to finish learning.
Services these weeks commence off with the new pre-service prayers, where it emphasizes alot more on the needs of the congregation, and also pray for the service itself. During those prayers, it'll be very long. All of us set in the mood. We entered into prayer and worship intensively. When the entire prayer session was over, most of us were still into worship, even when the Worship Leader was about to move into songs of Praise. It was until the songs of Praise started, that made my flaws reveal. I was still in my worship mode, while the rest had entered into Praising Him. Everyone was moving along with the music, clapping with the rhythm, and ME... my hands were still lifted up, worshippin Him in that Praise song. Oh dear, can u imagine seeing the group of choir moving and clapping, with one girl in the 1st ROW!! still worshippin Him intensively. dratz... It's because we're in the first row, that we didn't have any centre person to guide us, and we didn't initiate the lead, we ended up becoming STATIONARY. oh man... remember it is always left-right then left-right again.
What Lydia said was really really true. We gotta be very alert to Spirit and the WL. We shouldn't be in our own world, singing along the songs, anticipating the songs, etc. We are suppose to take lead, lead the congregation. Even for worship songs, we can OPEN OUR EYES TO SING! Sing it the way we're singing a love song to Jesus. This is one area I've gotta work on.
Singing with her eyes OPEN!
Singing with eyes CLOSED! in her OWN WORLD!
There's just so much to learn. Nez most important issue: we should not let ourselves be distracted by what's going on among the congregation, or let our eyes stray to the situation at the ushers, the sound booth, the RGB, and the CAMERAS!! This is something I may have to seek guidance from.. Where shd we really look when we're on stage?? Look to Jesus! But we shd not look at the ceiling the whole time on stage, because we're to lead the people as well. So where should we look??
Grace, there's really alot to learn. Step by step. I'm sure you'll succeed as you progress.
posted at [3:12 PM]
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Monday, December 04, 2006
4th Dec 2006
The days passed so fast, it's closer to Christmas now! There will be lots to prepare, and also lots to look forward to! This is not just it, there's also WatchNight!! wow!
Dress codes itself for watchnight can make me confused, hahaa. So many new codes for Christmas, WatchNight, New Year, etc! And the moving on to Paya Lebar is gonna be a Really Busy season! But it'll be so so cOol! All the way girl! New cell agenda for the nez year. New services, new time slots, new schedules, more ppl joining the team as District singers, increase in members in various Ministries, etc...these are just the very few I've listed. Indeed it's gonna be an exciting time. Where will the singers be posted? to PL or Adam? still unknown. Like Pastor Pete said, Dylan who stays beside Adam will be posted to PL. haha! as Pastor Pete believes that it's always a journey before we meet the Lord, where we take time to speak to God and for Him to prepare us along the journey..muahaha.. Anyway, it's gonna be an exciting 2007. C'mon!
Yesterday, I've served again. Each time I serve, there's sth to learn. Homework. You can put it that way. I've learnt sth abt "setting the mood". Even during the time we set our feets on stage, though the congregation hasn't fully arrived & the pre-service prayer pastor isn't there yet, we gotta set in the mood; instead of chatting among ourselves on the steps. Yup. It made me realised that the ppl are watching us as examples, and also as assurance. We are to welcome His presence into the service, express our worship in tangible forms that touches lives, evoke His presence, set in the mood into the service.
Pastor Gary also mentioned sth abt the leading of the Holy Spirit. As the host Pastor is up at the pulpit to lead the church in the middle of the worship, we are able to know what the Holy Spirit's agenda by hearing what he/she speaks-this will lead them to the nez song to be sang. However, sometimes the Pastors maybe lead from an original agenda to another immediately, so the musicians gotta be alert, as well as the Worship Leader. All these are to flow in the Spirit. Wow!
All these may sound very dynamic. It's all about learning, and learning. As we serve, we learn, we grow, we mature!!
No U-Turn, No Waiting! All the Way....
posted at [3:35 PM]
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