Lesson: “Pursuing Authenticity”
Scripture Reading: II Corinthians 13:1-14
This week
Praise and Palate is planned for 6:00 p.m. this evening.
A time of prayer is planned for Tuesday at the building, 7:00 p.m.
Sweetheart Dinner – Saturday February 16 starting at 5:00 p.m. Cost is $20 per couple for those who are signed up.
The Caring Ministry will have a short meeting on February 17 after morning worship.
Special Events
Sweetheart Dinner – Saturday February 16 starting at 5:00 p.m. Cost is $20 per couple, please sign up outside the kitchen by February 3 if you plan to attend.
All ladies are invited to a Women’s Ministry ladies’ night, Tuesday, February 19, 6:30 p.m. Bring a fashion scarf with you. Soup and salad to be served while plans for 2019 are discussed. Prayerfully consider attending. Please contact Julie Shuster (julieshuster@yahoo.com or 414-517-5557) for details.
Southside Youth Rally – Saturday and Sunday, February 23 – 24. Help is needed for chaperones, adult housing, a Sunday noon sandwich potluck and for the youth rally in general.
The Brentwood church (6425 N 60th St.) has planned meetings of the Alzheimer’s Support Group, on selected Fridays at 6:00 p.m. Please contact Linda Stanger if you plan to attend. The next meeting is planned for April 5 – How to deal with fear.
A Financial seminar: “No Debt, No Sweat” is being held at Southside with a total of four sessions – session 1: Sunday, March 31, 9:00 – 9:45 AM Session 2: Sunday, March 31, 6:30 – 8:00 PM Session 3 and 4: Monday, April 1, 6:30 – 8:45 PM.
Information
Group leaders; please contact the church office to update your current studies on the information Board.
When planning events, don’t forget to check the calendar in the back hallway by room 9 for conflicts and enter your own events. This is for events that involve use of the building and/or for a majority of the congregation.
Southside has an email list that is used to send congregational news to those subscribed. Please join us by emailing
ssidechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
from the email account you wish to receive at and stay up to date with everything happening at Southside. This automated mail list is used for church related matters such as general announcements, prayer requests, the bulletin, and other items of interest to the congregation. Please see Laurie Giombi for details.
Mid-week Life group meetings are planned in several locations:
Ketterhagen’s home, Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m., “Believe”
Werner’s home, Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., “Vanishing Grace”
Building, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. classes for children, Acts
Santana’s home, Wednesday 7:00 p.m., “David who?”
Morrill’s home, Friday 6:30 p.m., “Faith that Works”
Young Adults, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., dinner and Bible study at 2121A W. Tripoli Ave., Milwaukee (upper duplex).
We have an attended nursery for small children during morning worship periods in room 2. We also have a training room at the rear of the auditorium where parents can stay with their little ones while worshiping.
A children’s worship is scheduled to begin near the start of the worship lesson time. Children’s Worship is intended to provide a time of worship for children age 3 thru Grade 3 and to encourage families with children. Everyone is asked to begin worship in the auditorium (adults and children). Parents should accompany their smaller children to the basement as well as children who have not attended before. Before you return upstairs, be sure to indicate to the people at the door if you would prefer us to keep your young person till you return to get them or if it is alright to let them go after the adult worship is dismissed.
Free CD’s of the Sunday morning sermons are available from Joel Ribar. Be sure to specify the date desired. MP3 copies of sermons are also available at the church web site.
The Library is open after classes and the worship period. Don’t forget to return any overdue books to the library. There is a book return box located in the entry way next to the picture board.
Why do we sing
as a part of our relationship to God and what is this intended to accomplish?
When God created man, he made them in his own image (Genesis 1:26-28). Since God is a spirit and we are not, as we live on this earth, we generally interpret this to mean we have some of the characteristics of God, just not physical characteristics. People have attempted to list what these characteristics may be, and one that is commonly listed is the ability to make music. The first mention of musical instruments is quite early (Genesis 4:21).
A number of animals make rhythm and sequences of tones that we may consider to be music, but these are generally fixed and determined by the particular breed of animal. Some animals will copy the sounds of others (mockingbird, parrot), and some animal musical calls are quite long and complex (whales), but only people are known to invent their own musical expressions.
In all parts of the world, people have found encouragement, comfort and happiness by singing. Even military groups encourage each other by singing during training and drills.
Music with singing is mentioned through much of the Bible starting with the song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-21). This was a song of celebration. The entire book of Psalms consists of songs of various themes, many written by David, and many intended for musical instrument accompaniment (Psalm 4). Others were intended to be sung while traveling (Psalm 122 – A Song of Ascents, as in traveling the ascending road to Jerusalem). Music was also commonly used in the temple (Isaiah 38:20), but their words lost sincerity as the people drifted away from God’s law (Isaiah 5:11-13; Amos 6:1-8).
When the last of the Israelites were taken to Babylon in captivity, their music greatly changed as they were being corrected for leaving God’s direction (Psalm 137). Because the temple was no longer available as a central place of worship, worship was changed to use many local synagogues, which is also frequently mentioned in the New Testament gospels (Matthew 4:23). Unlike the temple worship, we understand synagogue worship to be simply singing with emphasis on the meaning of the song’s words. Within the New Testament, the worship practices of the early church are generally similar to those used in the Jewish synagogue.
There are a number of places in the New Testament where singing is mentioned, none of which mention the use of instruments.
At the conclusion of the last supper (Matthew 26:26-30).
While Paul and Silas were in prison (Acts 16:22-26).
Instructions for Gentiles or those who are not Jewish (Romans 15:7-9).
As we go through the New Testament, we see the purpose of singing more clearly described.
To give praise to God (Romans 15:7-9).
To speak to one another in song (Ephesians 5:18-21).
To teach and give instruction (admonish) one another (Colossians 3:16-17).
To proclaim God in groups (Hebrews 2:9-12)
We also see an emphasis on singing with the mind or with a meaning or message the mind can understand (I Corinthians 14:15-16)
Part of the historical practice of Church of Christ congregations has been to emulate the practice of the early New Testament church where we understand it and where possible. Thus, we practice singing as it is described in the New Testament without adding instruments since these are not mentioned. Our songs give praise to God, speak to one another, teach, instruct or proclaim God as the song writer intended. Those who lead singing in worship (I Corinthians 14:26) have a responsibility to choose songs with a message or theme understandable to those assembled. If a song includes words or expressions that are not understood, those not understanding should ask the song leader about the meaning of the words so that all can benefit from it.
Written by Cliff Copass.