Author: mbruce

Myron Bruce is the Head of the School (President) for East Texas Christian Academy in Tyler, Texas. He has served as the Director of Development for Freed-Hardeman University, Associate Minister with the Faith Village church of Christ in Wichita Falls, Texas and Congregation Life Minister with the Waterview church of Christ in Richardson, Texas. Prior to the ministry, he served 15 years in public, charter and private education at all levels and in the states of Texas and Colorado. He and his wife, Vicki, met at Lubbock Christian College and married in August of 1989. His education includes a Bachelor Degree in K-12 Kinesiology, and a Masters in Educational Leadership at the University of Northern Colorado. They have three grown children; Logan, Emili & Dillon.
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A World Without Joy!

“Joy to the World, the Lord has come!”  WAIT!  It’s early June, what in the world are we doing talking about (not to mentioning singing about) a Christmas Carol?  Save this song for December, along with “O Little Town of Bethlehem” “Away in a Manger” or “Silent Night”.  But think about it; when was the last time you sang this song outside of the winter months?  On a beautiful Sunday morning in early June, we sang this song as we opened our worship service.  Some might do a double take and ask the question, ‘Is that appropriate; shouldn’t this song be reserved for another time and day?’

Before you answer that question read again the words from this Issac Watt’s classic:

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her king.  Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing.  Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!  Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.  No more let sin and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the cruse is found.  He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove; the glory of His righteousness and wonder of His love.”

Did you see the reference to the birth of Christ?  “…the Lord is come…”  This is why we have labeled this a Christmas song to be sung in December.  But does December have a Biblical lock on the birth of Christ?  Traditionally we see December as the time of year when Christ was born, but where is there evidence in scriptures to support this claim?  If the truth be known it was more likely to have been in the spring or early summer that Mary gave birth to Christ; but that’s another study.  We have to ask ourselves what the message is from the songs we sing, even the “Christmas songs”.  The message from this old spiritual song is obvious; we hear it resounding throughout the Psalms; “But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy…” (5:11)  “The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain; they shout for joy, yes, they sing.” (65:13) “Praise the Lord from the earth… all mountains and all hills” (Psalm 148: 7, 9)

If you desire to praise God, and if you intend to bring glory to Him through your songs, I encourage you to think about what you are singing and be sure you don’t just sing from traditional expectation.  We should sing because of the joy we have in Christ.  Praise be to God that He sent His Son…for without Him, we would be without Joy.

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Are You ‘Teachable’?

How ‘teachable’ do you think you are?  Are you open to comments, questions or even constructive criticism?  We can never be what we were intended to be if we aren’t receptive to instruction.  After 15 years in formal, public education I learned that it’s not just about how willing and eager I am to teach, but how open the student will be.  We might be able to teach, but without an audience, our words fall on deaf ears.  But are you willing to sit and listen, to learn, from the word of God?  That takes time.  It takes patience and above all (ultimately), it take obedience.

Fathers…when you come together with the Lord’s church for worship are you willing to teach your children?  Do you sing and praise God WITH your family or is it an individual activity?  Perhaps your son isn’t willing to sit and sing; because they have already learned how important that really is in watching you.  You must realize that our children will learn just as much by watching what we do as they will listening to what we say.

Jane Lesson penned the following words, and though we might not sing this hymn as often as we should, the message still rings true today.  The teacher teaches the student for one basic reason.  It’s not for the money and it’s not for the fame.  We teach because we love.  A teacher who loves his student will give time and energy to bring them to a clearer understanding of the value within the message.  Our God loves us, teaches us and guides in life.  As His child (student) do we listen to Him; do we love Him?  We do love Him (We should love Him) because;  “We love Him, because He first loved us.” I John 4:19

Savior, teach me day by day, love’s sweet lesson to obey.
Sweeter lessons cannot be, loving Him Who first loved me.

With a child’s glad heart of love at Thy bidding may I move,
Prompt to serve and follow Thee, loving Him Who first loved me.

Teach me thus Thy steps to trace, strong to follow in Thy grace,
Learning how to love from Thee, loving Him Who first loved me.

Love in loving finds employ, in obedience all her joy;
Ever new that joy will be, loving Him Who first loved me.

Thus may I rejoice to show that I feel the love I owe;
Singing, till Thy face I see, of His love Who first loved me.

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Struggles in Life? God is Faithful!

Struggles in life are not a matter of ‘if they will happen’, but when.  Undoubtedly you have had days when it seems nothing goes right and everything is going wrong.  Whether your car broke down, you’ve fought with your best friend, or your only credit card was just rejected…we all have struggles in life.  Perhaps we find that there’s more in the words as we sing, “Troublesome times are here”.  We know we’ll face trials but the question comes in how you will deal with these struggles.  What will be your attitude and how will you react when you faced with difficulties; large or small?

If you are honest with yourself there are really only a couple of choices you will make as you face any of these struggles.  You might decide you have to bear down and work harder to ‘turning things around’.  Or you might become despondent and give up all together.  But are these my only choices?  Is there any other way to face ‘trials dark on every hand’?  Consider with me another option (yes, an old hymn) as you face difficult times.

William Cow­per was a song writer in the late 1700’s.  He oft­en strug­gled with self-doubt and deep de­press­ion.  It was reported that one night, in the dregs of depression he decided he would end his life.  He determined that he would com­mit su­i­cide by drown­ing him­self.  In his despair he called for a cab (horse and buggy) and instructed the driv­er to take him to the Thames Riv­er.  How­ev­er, in the thickness of the fog the driver was pre­vent­ed from find­ing the riv­er.  (Ano­ther ver­sion of this story is told in that the driv­er, aware of Cowper’s fit’s with depression, deliberately got lost.)  Nevertheless, after driv­ing for a while, the cab­by fin­al­ly brought the carriage to a stop and let Cow­per out.  To his sur­prise, Cowper found him­self back home, on his own door­step.  From his view point, and in his darkest of hours, God had sent the fog to preserve his life.

Could this be my ‘other option,’ to just wait for God to intervene and step into my life?  Part of this is true; God will step in and intervene in our life during our struggles.  But we must never be content to ‘just drive around in a fog’ expecting God to just take us home.  He will bring us home, but only after we have given Him our lives.  God sincerely cares for us, even in our black­est mo­ments, the knowledge that He is watch­ing over us will strengthen our life in Christ; but God expects us to daily move closer to Him.  Read the words written by William Cowper following that foggy night.  Take notice of verse 3 & 5 and realize struggles come.  Praise be to God…He is faithful!

1) God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

2) Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

3) Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

4) Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

5) His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

6) Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

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Sing to Me Again!

“O Lord, I thought the day would never come; when I could lay my burden’s down and walk with you.  And this morning as I greet the rising sun, the fondest of my dreams have all come true.  The greatest friend you’ll ever find is on a lonely mountain.  The highest high you’ll ever reach is when you kneel to pray.  The brightest light you’ll ever see is when you close your eyes.   O Lord, You are my first love and at last I realize.”

Sung by a young group of 13-19 year old teens, this ‘spiritual song’ encouraged my friends and me during the early mornings of our annual summer camp.  To the best of my knowledge, Camp Blue Haven still meets during the summer months in the mountains outside of Las Vegas, New Mexico.  I doubt if this song is still a favorite at CBH, but the memories and friendships that we formed there in the late 1970’s will be treasured for the rest of my life.

What about you; do you remember songs from the earlier years of your life?  The quiet evenings as you sat around the living room and sang as a family.  Or perhaps you were blessed to have a mother who would ‘sing you to sleep’.  Some of my fondest memories are hearing my mother sing as she busied herself in the kitchen.  With the window open and the sound of her “Doris Day” voice floating out into the back yard, I can still hear, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee…How great Thou Art“.  If you don’t have memories like these it’s not too late to make them for those you love.

My wife and I made it a point to sing to our children in their early years, as they were going to sleep.  After they were tucked in, the lights were out and our prayers had been said; Vicki or I would sing to the kids.  That was almost 10 years ago (some how they learned to go to sleep without our songs), but one old hymn stills brings memories of days gone by.  Written one hundred years ago by Austin Miles, my grandmother began this early tradition that was passed on to our children.  As she rocked, I can still hear her sing, “I Come to the Garden Alone”.

Regardless the song or the number of years that have gone by, our minds race back to an earlier time when we found comfort in the words of heaven and peace and God.  Even if you’ve never had the peace that comes from a melodious past, you can always lay your burden down and walk with God.  When you do you too can say, “…the greatest friend you’ll ever find is on a lonely mountain…”

 

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It’s Not About Me…

For the last several decades our culture has turned to embrace and fulfill any and all of our personal, selfish and individual desires.  Some might attribute this movement to the 1960’s or the “Me Generation”.  Perhaps there is some truth to this, but selfish behavior isn’t limited to any specific age, gender or generation.  Christ demonstrated how we should be more concerned and willing to serve others (put ourselves last).  Unfortunately and too often this ‘Me first’ philosophy has crept its way into some of the spiritual songs.

Now maybe I’m being too hard our some of the song writers over the years, but let me ‘push your thoughts’ and ask you to think about what we are singing and the message we give in our songs of praise and encouragement.

In 1949 Ira Stanphill (author of several hymns) wrote a very upbeat and energetic song entitled, Mansion over the Hilltop.  A fun song to sing and one that we can find scriptural basis in John 14:1-3 when Christ said to his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I’m going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”  My concern with this song comes in the statement just prior to the chorus, “…but in that city where just ransomed will shine, I want a gold one that’s silver lined.” And verse two, “…I’m just a pilgrim in search of city, I want a mansion, a robe and a crown.”  Forgive me if I come across too legalistic, but my thoughts have been leading me closer to thinking about and understanding what we’re singing.

Thirty-five years later, 1984, Sylvia Rose penned a song that we sing in some of our congregations today.  A contemporary song that was written on request from her father.  Though he wasn’t dying, Sylvia’s father asked her to write a song for his funeral.  The song, “A Mansion, Robe and Crown” was the product of his request.  This is another exciting, upbeat song and one that exudes a lot of energy.  But again, look at the words; “I’m gonna trade my earthly home for a better one bright and fair…”  True as it might be, my concern comes in from the bass line in the chorus, “Lord, I want a brand new mansion, robe and a crown in glory…”.

Is there anything wrong when we ask (say) that we want something from God?  Certainly we petition our Father on a daily basis and without a doubt we’d be lost without seeking, asking for God’s grace and love.  We have sung this song in church on occasion; but I still come back to ask…are we thinking about what we’re saying?  In the three verses of this song you’ll notice “I”, “my” and “me” dominate the song.  Sing this song and you’ll find these three personal pronouns 21 times.  In a world that wants the focus and personal preference to go “MY way”, I hope to send a reminder that it’s not about me…

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Not Guilty!

No doubt you have heard that on the last day of May, 2012, John Edwards, a former presidential candidate for our United States, was found not guilty!  All accusations of the misappropriation of funds, his inappropriate moral behavior, and his numerous ill-advised decisions and the jury said; “Not Guilty.”

But notice the words that came from his own mouth during his address to the media.  With the camera’s rolling and his parents standing behind him, John Edwards stated that he did nothing illegal, but ‘an awful lot’ wrong.  Sounds like he has gotten a grasp on the stand we take in American culture.  We may be wrong in what we are doing (have done), but at least it’s not illegal.  As long as we keep things ‘legal’ it doesn’t matter what we do morally.  That explains why mix marriages are being pushed in the court room.  That explains the desire to legalize marijuana and take things once consider ‘dark’ and inappropriate to a new level of acceptability.  (NOTE: To his credit, John Edwards did admit he had ‘sinned’ and it was his full responsibility…that would be right.)

When we see our failures and recognize our sin (as Edwards admitted)…we can rest assured and know that there is hope.  Unfortunately many will continue to grasp at self-promoting ideals and selfish objectives; in short, we’ll continue to do ‘an awful lot wrong’.  But after we recognize our failures and openly admit our sin, the next step is to turn (repeat) from that sinful behavior.  So how do we connect this timely news report with the theme, Singing with the Spirit?  Can we find anything Biblical (hymn-wise) that we can apply from this report?

Frances R. Havergal was born in the early 1800’s and wrote several hymns we currently sing today.  “I Gave My Life to Thee”, “Is It for Me?”, “True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted”, “Take My Life and Let it Be” and “Lord Speak to Me” just to name a few.  In 1870 Ms. Havergal wrote the hymn, “I Bring My Sins to Thee”.  When we recognize our faults, our sins, we need to know there is a next step.  Rather than trying to justify my actions and strive to prove myself not guilty, we should consider the first two verses of this hymn.  In my opinion, the second verse is very fitting as we consider a society that looks to make excuses.

1) “I bring my sins to Thee, the sins I cannot count, that all may cleansed be in Thy once opened fount: I bring them, Savior, all to Thee; the burden is too great for me…the burden is too great for me.  2) I bring my grief to Thee, The grief I cannot tell; No word shall needed be Thou knowest all so well; I bring the sorrow laid on me, O suffering Savior all to Thee..o suffering Savior all to Thee.”

It would be easy to make up some excuse and try to explain away my wrong actions.  But if I’m honest with myself, my sins are too much for me to cover up, to bear alone or to excuse away.  My only salvation is in Jesus Christ.  The question I must ask is will I bring my sins to Him?  If we’re honest with ourselves we’ll admit it…Guilty.  But thanks be to God there is no word that is needed, He knowest all so well.

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Singing a Medley

A medley is a collection of songs that are typically in the same key signature, with special attention given to the words.  The stronger, more consistent the message the more inspirational and encouraging the medley.  When a singing group presents a medley of songs the audience, the listeners, are usually inspired by the message of the songs.  But should we (can we) sing a medley of songs during our worship services?  For years I can remember our song service when the song leader (at times that was me) would stand in front of the congregation and announce the song number.  After allowing plenty of time to ‘turn in your song book’… we sang!  After the song was over, the second song number was announced and the process continued.  Nothing wrong with this, but as I stated previously, we must be sure we sing with understanding.  So how would I, should I, lead the congregation in a medley?

Let me give you an example of an medley we have sung in our home congregation on a Sunday morning.  As services began we started with an opening prayer.  Following the prayer, we sang “What a Mighty God We Serve” followed with “O Worship the King” and ending with “Doxology”.  To assist in the flow of the medley, and to avoid interrupting the thought process, I recommend having the congregation turn to the songs BEFORE you start the medley.  If your congregation uses a projector with a screen, you can project the songs (verses) and simply have the congregation follow your lead.  With the above medley, notice how these words flow to develop the thoughts of praise…

“What a mighty God we serve!  What a mighty God we serve!  Angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him, what a mighty God we serve!”  “O worship the King all glorious above, and gratefully sing His wonderful love.  Our shield and defender the ancient of days.  Pavilion and splendor and girded with praise.”  “Praise God from Whom all blessing flow.  Praise Him all creatures here below.  Praise Him above ye heavenly host.  Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

Whether you lead a song, announce a number, and lead a song…or if your congregation is receptive and able to follow the thoughts from a medley, as children of God, we must be more diligent in giving God our best when it comes to the songs we sing.  It takes some time and you’ll need to work on what songs support the message, but with some time and determination you can bring the congregation to a closer understanding as we ‘sing with the Spirit’.  Let me encourage you to spend time singing and thinking about the message in the songs.  You will be amazed how medleys will begin to form in your mind as you sing with your heart.

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Here I raise my Ebenezer…?

Have you ever sang through a song and wondered; ‘What was it that song was saying?’  We sing but do we really know what it is we are saying?  Look at this old hymn that dates back more than 250 years.  A song where we ask God to let His goodness be like a fetter; a song where we say we’ll ‘raise our Ebenezer’.  What does that all mean?  What are you saying as you sing this old hymn.  Let’s look into this hymn from the mid 1700’s.

Robert Robinson wrote a song of praise simply entitled, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”.  His original song had 6 verses where as today we typically only sing three.  Perhaps the drawing force for me is the old English, the thoughtful poetry that isn’t necessarily easy to interpret but beautiful when we come to understand it.  Just remember ‘I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the mind also.’ (I Cor. 14:15)

Learn more about the message within this old hymn!

1. Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, (more recently we sing ‘Teach me ever to adore Thee’
Sung by flaming tongues above. (May I still Thy goodness prove,)
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, (While the hope of endless glory)
Mount of Thy redeeming love. (Fills my heart with joy and love.)

2. Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer; (This is referring to a ‘stone of help’, NOT the scrooge.)
Here by Thy great help I’ve come; (see I Samuel 7:12 for Biblical clarity…)
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

3. Jesus sought me when a stranger, (These next four lines have become the last few lines
Wandering from the fold of God; (of OUR second verse…in most hymnals)
He, to rescue me from danger, (A strong, Biblical reminder of the saving grace…)
Interposed His precious blood; (through the blood of Christ.)
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

4. O to grace how great a debtor (Follow the thought process here…)
Daily I’m constrained to be! (I’m indebted to the grace of God so much that I should…)
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, (want the goodness of God to chain my heart to Him.)
Bind my wandering heart to Thee. (The fetter is another word for ‘shackles’!)
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, (Some hymnals read, ‘Never let me wander from Thee,)
Prone to leave the God I love; (…never leave the God I love.‘)
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

5. O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothèd then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Would that we sing with the heart AND sing with the mind also.  (I Corinthians 14:15) Perhaps singing with the mind is actually understanding what it is we’re singing!  Now, next time you sing this hymn you’ll remember; ‘Here I raise my Ebenezer, here by Thy great help I come; and, ‘Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee.

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Are You Listening?

Remember those early years in your life when playing outside until dusk was a common occurrence?  Staying out and playing from early morning until late in the day was simply not a problem?  My mother would simply open the front door and yell out my name, “Myron, it’s time to come home!”  (By the way, only the fool hearty would ignore that call…)  It’s funny, but I was never so far from home that I didn’t hear my mother calling.  Unfortunately, many today not only have wander far away from home, they aren’t even listening for the call to come back home.  Let me suggest, the longer we stay out, the darker it will become.

For many, the idea of needing help indicates weakness and a lack of control.  We understand and believe in pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, but without doubt all of us need help every now and again.  So perhaps the question really is, are we willing to admit we need some help?

Notice what Paul says in Romans 1:5, 6, “…Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”  When we obey the calling of Christ, we are joined into the family of God, we come into His fellowship.  Many say, they want to follow Christ and others take the steps to be His child and yet when we fall short of His glory (when we sin), He calls us back.  If we are listening to (reading) His word we hear His voice calling us home.  It’s like the old hymn…

“When my Savior calls I will answer,
When He calls for me, I will hear.
When my Savior calls I will answer,
I’ll be somewhere listen for my name.”

Give Him your life and stay close to His will.  We often leave the safety of His embrace because we want to ‘play outside’.  But when you hear the call to come in you’d better answer it.  Folks, it’s getting dark out, listen for your Savior’s voice and come home!

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Study to Show Yourselves Approved

How much work goes into an individual’s personal study time?  Each of us know the importance of working toward a task.  It takes time, work and practice if we hope to achieve any element of success.  The student may find himself up late at night studying and preparing himself for a final exam.  At the same time, teachers and professors spend an untold amount of time not only preparing that exam, but grading it over the weekend.  A policeman who has never prepared himself to ‘serve and protect’ would fail miserably when facing a crime scene.  Any ‘professional’ knows the importance of preparation, studying.

In the Lord’s church any preacher who is worth his salt, will spend years training, days preparing and hours studying to present a lesson that will inspire and motivate the congregation of God’s people.  The uninformed might say, ‘All he does is preach a Sunday morning sermon; no big deal.’  But the minister of God’s Word knows differently.  There is a burden on his back to ‘study to show himself approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth.’ (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV)

If each of these ‘professions’ dedicate themselves to the task at hand, including the preacher of the Gospel of Christ, would it be any different for the song leader?  Perhaps the song leader could be more diligent when it comes to his ‘job’ as well.  How often do we see song leaders flipping through their song books minutes before the service starts?  More than once, in a small congregation, have I been asked, ‘can you lead the singing for us this morning?’  Never mind preparing yourself for the job; besides, all you have to do is just sing, right?  The seminar, Singing with the Spirit, identifies this topic of preparing to leading singing as well as various areas of preparing for ‘The Song Leader’s Job’.

Consider this quote from Darryl Tippens’ book, “That’s Why We Sing”, page 24.

“Elders, ministers, youth ministers have all sorts of meetings, conferences and associations, yet today few churches invest in programs that really teach everyone to sing.  Where are the regional and national meetings devoted to enhancing congregational singing?  How many Bible lectureships give special attention to teaching new hymns (or the translation of some of our older, traditional hymns)?  Where is the Christian university willing to establish a Center for A Cappella Worship?  Where do worship leaders meet to share their knowledge of hymns, their methods of  teaching new songs and old?  Who is helping to revitalize the singing in old churches, small churches?  It has been said, ‘The Christian church was born in song.’ (Ralph Martin, Worship in the Early Church)  Perhaps the church in our day will be reborn through songs as well.”

We can teach and we should learn, but we must come to realize that singing in the Lord’s church is not an obligation or burden.  We have a direct command and a beautiful opportunity to sing to the glory of God.  Let’s unite in this effort of teaching, learning and singing from our hearts, with the voice and the spirit to praise the King of Kings.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts for training, teaching and learning more ways to grow in our congregational singing.  If you’re interested, we can discuss the possibility of scheduling a seminar for 2013.