Thank you to each person who continues to step-up and fill the places of need in the HCN music ministry. Ken Stegall practiced with the choir on Wednesday evening. Tammy Tarter directed the choir on Sunday morning and led congregational singing in first service. Dorinda Biggs and Tiffany Mathias led congregational singing in second service. Jeremy Michael, Dorinda Biggs, and Dalton Winfree led congregation singing in third service. Wilson County School Break takes multiple members of our band out-of-town this week including two keyboardists, several guitarists, and a percussionist. Michael Waller is recruiting replacements. If you are interested and capable of helping, call the church office at 847-3335. The same goes for people who are willing to assist with leading congregational singing.
I avoid trying to describe what takes place in worship each week, lest I rob the dynamic of what God is doing or harm the spontaneity of those participating. However, as in last week, I feel led to try to describe things I witnessed last Sunday. I came to church on Sunday feeling relatively overwhelmed with all that needed to be done. I knew that Sam was in the hospital on a chemo drip and Rondy Smith had spent the early morning in the ER at Summit with a virus. Anna and I were responsible for the after-third-service meal for the college students so I had been up early cooking. God always provides for me and he did again. I came to third service with the conviction that it may need to be discontinued considering Sam’s diagnosis and all that the service requires of so many people. Donny Jackson, who normally leads singing in Sam’s absence was out-of-town, so Jeremy Michael started vocals, soon joined by Dorinda Biggs. By the second song, the band was good and the vocals were good when out-of-the-blue, a senior high student jumped up on the stage and grabbed a mic and joined in the leading. It was Dalton Winfree. Dalton is a guitarist but I had never seen him try to sing. He was nervous but he followed through with what he came to do. By the last song, most of us were singing with all we had (or had left), and I felt very moved. It was time for prayer, so I asked if there were three members of the congregation who sensed that God wanted them to lead in prayer and there were four quickly gathered on the stage. There were two senior high students, one young woman, and one mature woman. Each prayed with anointing. When it was time to preach, I recognized a special power from the Holy Spirit. At the close of the service, the young woman who prayed came straight to me and told me that just as I was asking for volunteers to pray, God was telling her that she needed to say something, do something for him. She told me how powerful she thought it was that the Holy Spirit would coordinate such things. I am not sure what God plans to do with the 11:30 AM service but I am sure that it is meeting the needs of a particular group of people in a significantly spiritual way. I tell this story to testify to the power and work of God.
Thank you to Janie Mullins, Beth Rice, and Barbara Parrish who made banana puddings for the college lunch. Thanks to Jill Satterlee for staying after second service and helping Anna to set-up the meal for service. Thanks to Ken and Robin Jewett who collected the chicken from the Publix Deli and ran the dishwasher after lunch.
Congratulations to the Mt. Juliet High School Band of Gold which took first place in every category at band competitions held at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Saturday, October 2, 2010. HCN members are Dalton Stephens and Ben Mabry.
Congratulations to Savannah Collins who was chosen seventh grade attendant for the 2010 Homecoming Court of Mt. Juliet Middle School. Savannah is the granddaughter of Darrell and Norma Moody.
Stay focused. God is doing more than we can imagine.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Howard
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