Who needs a Minister of Music?? I remember the "good old days" of having church in the Church of God. When I was growing up, my Dad pastored the Roswell Church of God. It was a great church for families. While my PK friends told me of problems in their churches, ours was a friendly, family oriented church. My Sunday would start going to church early with my Dad to make sure the heat was turned on in the sanctuary and the Sunday School rooms. I would go to Sunday School and watch those flannelgraph figures come to life. After Sunday School, the kids would head for the choir and we would sing our songs. "I'm in the Lord's Army.....I'm in the Lord's Army....I may never march in the infantry.......etc." Remember those? Then, we would "march" down to our seats and get ready for the "old" folks to sing.
Everybody come to the choir!!!!!
We had a GREAT choir at Roswell. I have been told that we were one of the first churches around that had drums, guitars, a bass fiddle, and the traditional piano and organ. My Dad would pull out his tambourine when the Spirit would move....which seemed to be every service!!
It would go something like this:
Brother Jones, come lead one and Brother Bryson, you be ready. Brother Jones would ask if there were any requests. "Sing that number 92" someone would yell from the audience. OK...turn to page 92 and let's sing.....on the first....."I was once was lost in sin.........."
Do you remember Homecomings? Dinner on the grounds? After we ate, we would sing all day. One year, my Dad booked the Speer Family. Dad Speer led our choir in "Heaven's Jubilee." It occurred to me many years later that I had actually witnessed the writer of "Heaven's Jubilee" lead our choir in this great song. You have to understand, "Heaven's Jubilee" is in the mother of all Hymnals, the Church Hymnal....the Redback and I witnessed it. All that means now is that I'm very old, but I like to tell the story.
We had some great music. People from other churches would come to hear our choir on Sunday nights. "Those Church of God people can SANG!!" You got that right and we loved it too. We also loved "special" singing." That's when people would sing a solo, duet or even a quartet. In some cases, it would be as good as any professional out there. Sometimes, funny things would happen like the girl that said "worship me as I sing....." or "somebody testify while I tune up my git-tar."
Those were some great days. I wonder if there are still churches like that?
6 comments:
Our society, our neighborhoods, and our nation would be FAR BETTER if our churches were still like the one you described.
I have LOVED the SPEER FAMILY all my life. One of my dreams was to sing with them someday...and of course, God in His wisdom, didn't allow that to happen.
You mentioned "Brother Bryson". Was that Clyde Bryson?
Yes...Bro Clyde Bryson.
Oh how I remember those kind of services. My dad was the pastor. We would pray before the service began, then about midway in the choir singing someone would take prayer request and we prayed again. Then just before the pastor (my dad) would preach we prayed again and then of course we would end with prayer. It's noteworthy to mention that when we prayed we would gather around the alter, on our knees and pray until we "prayed through". I miss those days services.
Every Sunday morning in my little small town Georgia COG.
Great post, Eddie. Thanks for the memories. If I could find a church like that in the Cincinnati area I would be there next Sunday.
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