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My 2011 Person of The Year- Dr. Bill Shiell

December 30, 2011 in Church, Motivational, Technology, Twitter with 2 Comments

One of my favorite things to do is watch church services online. <I know you are thinking weird, but I have always enjoyed church and worship>. Most ever week I not only attend my church where I am staff organist but also attending a few other churches virtually.

A new church that I picked up watching over the past year has been First Baptist Church Knoxville Tennessee. My connection to that church started as a rather simple tweet from their senior pastor, Dr. William “Bill” Shiell, that recognized my affection for gospel singer Cynthia Clawson.

He responded to a tweet of mine in early Spring 2010 that said she (Cynthia) was going to be a part of worship at his church in August of 2010. I started watching their services online and quickly became fond of his preaching and found the seasoned organist Mrs. Pickle a pure delight. She retired after playing the FBC organ for over 43 years this past August.

Bill preaches from memory. He has the scripture memorized as well. His ability to convey a message is a well-honed form of storytelling. His messages are captivating and give you something to think about and many times an action to follow during the week. One of his Advent messages encouraged me to go in a closet and verbally confess to God my wrongdoings. Try that one- it’s harder than you think. Many times we have our standard words in prayers “Lord, please forgive me where I have failed thee. ” That type of approach, through his sermon, encourage me to do more.

Bill is remarkable in that he is young (39 year old-2011) and has led an old (1843) downtown First Baptist Church in a very technological way preserving the connectivity of many generational age groups.

They stream their services on Ustream; each service is on Vimeo, and they broadcast on the local Knoxville TV station. They have had a television ministry since 1959. They have a website that is stellar and constantly being updated. They email their congregation and keep them informed via Facebook and Twitter.

His accomplishments during his pastorate at FBCKnox are astounding. Read about them on the FBCKnox page about Dr. Shiell. In 2010, he successfully led the congregation in retiring a large debt and at the same time saw an increase in overall budget giving.

Bill has encouraged me in many ways one particular is to be more focused and to work on memorizing things that you are passionate about. Bill published a book this year Delivering from Memory: The Effect of Performance on the Early Christian Audience.

Bill has put together a staff at FBCKnox that encompasses all genders and generational groups. His staff all exhibit a work together type of attitude.

I think if Bill wasn’t a preacher, he would be a darn good lawyer.

Thank you Bill Shiell for being an inspiration to me and many others –especially to those that do not sit in the physical building each week and worship with you. I’m a better person after I consume a FBCKnox service on Vimeo.

Below is a Sunday Morning Worship Service (August 29, 2010) from First Baptist Church Knoxville Tennessee where Dr. Shiell and Cynthia Clawson created a unique traditional worship experience.

Who is your person of the year?

Other blogs that share their person of the year and were an inspiration to this post:

Lord Lift me Up and Help Me Stand

September 19, 2011 in Church, Music with 0 Comments

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(Click Play above to hear this beautiful hymn played on the First Methodist Church-Henderson KY Organ)

Some days we need to be reminded to stand on Higher Ground. There are perks in knowing the town Organist. Today at Lunch I ran over to First Methodist and asked organist extraordinaire Matthew Vanover to do a improvisation of the great hymn “Higher Ground”.

I hope this music lifts you to “Higher Ground” today and that our God continues to help us stand tall and live out our faith with integrity and dignity.

The audio was recorded using a Apple iPhone 3g and edited in Audacity. Not a spectacular recording but you can feel the text of this great hymn no problem.

Let George Do It- reminiscing 1976

July 4, 2011 in Church, Henderson KY with 0 Comments

It was 35 years ago this summer (1976) when several of us kids that grew up at First Baptist Church Henderson Kentucky learned and sang the children’s musical about our country “Let George Do It“.

We did the musical all over town as a part of the 1976 bicentennial celebrations. We were in quite demand for a bunch of children singers and actors.

“Let George Do It” is a children’s unison and two-part musical featuring George Washington and King George III.

It was so appropriate that we do it in 1976 since that was the 200th birthday of the United States of American.`

One of the songs, G-E-O-R-G-E Washington, featured these words:

First in War, first in Peace, first in the hearts of his country men. Let George do it he is the man of the hour.

The songs spelled out George Washington’s name G E O R G E W A S H I N G . . when you got 2000 pounds you got a T O N! The United States was 200 years old in 1976.

It was a whimsical musical with unison children’s parts. I guess that is one reason I enjoyed so much because – I could actually sing the soprano part and get away with it.

We learned the music early in June 1976 when we went away to camp (we called it back then Junior Music Camp). This year was particular different, since we didn’t go to Cedarmore (Baptist Camp in Bagdad KY) we went to a camp that was just us First Baptist Henderson KY kids (we were a big group). It was Camp Reveal on the north side of Evansville Indiana.

We had several highly accomplished musicians and actors with us. People like Kenny Butler and Lonnie Klein came with us as chaperones. My mom Mary Elizabeth Priest and Janie Coursey came as cooks.

Merrilyn Smith was our pianist and did accompany most of the children’s choir musicals. She really had the mojo for this particular musical, since she has an incredible flair for ragtime blues music. Of course, her daughter Shelly had one of the singing parts too.

My grandmother Elizabeth Hancock as well as other seamstresses in the church (Alice Langston and Eleanor Eades) made some exquisite costumes for this musical. My mother kept mine for many years and loaded it out one time to and never saw it returned.

What do you remember about the FBC kids doing “Let George Do It” in 1976? Who were some of the kids that had leading roles?

Post Rapture Photos

May 21, 2011 in Bicycling, Church, Music with 1 Comment

Sitting at the Church Organ playing hymns from the iPad.

The Church Organ playing hymns from the iPad and poof!

Riding the bicycle and Poof!

Both pictures depict things that I really enjoy in this life. I suppose when the rapture comes, we go sans everything and that means clothes. Oh no! We are going to need some blinders in heaven.

My early years of learning my faith taught me many things. One, in particular, is that anyone who predicts the end of time will allow us to know for sure without a doubt that is NOT when it is going to happen. Nobody will know- Jesus told us.

Several of my pastor friends have Tweeting many quips about how they were preparing a message for tomorrow despite the prediction that all is going to end.

My favorite Twitter talking pastor Dr. Bill Shiell senior pastor at First Baptist Church Knoxville explains it quite well in this television interview (sorry iPhone/iPad users video is in Adobe Flash).

Some other news sites had some humorous fun with this too!

Mashable has some great pics of rapture bombs.

Seth Godin blog: A marketing lesson from the apocalypse.

Without any doubt if God decided to today to shut down the world I know in my heart where I would be, and I am quite satisfied with that.

Do you?

What is your earliest memory of the Holy Bible?

January 2, 2011 in Church with 1 Comment

That was a question our bible study leader Rev. Mary Wrye proposed to our bible study group this morning. Several related scripture verses and their challenges of memorizing scripture at a young age.

Mine was different than that. My first recollection of the Bible was my namesake Miss Mabel Nisbet McLaughlin and rather small black New Testament that sat on a marble top table. I was always told it was a special book and was always to be on top of other books.

To this day, I cannot see a bible put at the bottom of any stack of books. Some in my group said they were taught that the bible was never to be placed on the floor. I wasn’t taught that one but if the bible was put on the floor it was to be on top of other books.

Granny Mable always told me that book was special. She said if I was to ever be elected president of the United States that would be the bible that I would be sworn in on. She had great expectations of me.

Many times in Mrs. Willis Butler’s 4-6 grade Sunday School classes at my growing up church we were charged with memorizing the books of the bible. I never could do that. Later we were involved with bible drills. I couldn’t do that either. I thought they should let us use Bibles with tabbed markers for the books, but they said that was cheating.

Always during Vacation Bible School each year we would do a pledge to the bible. I remember it being something like this:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.

Thank goodness there was church music! For without church music and hymns I would not have learned any scripture at all.

Tell me about your earliest memory of the Bible?

Christ out of Christmas? Hogwash!

December 5, 2010 in Church, Living Downtown with 0 Comments

A grade school teacher whom I know was told this year that he couldn’t put up any reference of Christmas in his class room (yes, Henderson County Schools) – no Christmas party, no Christmas Tree and no manger scene. When I was told the story, I was so mad and wanted to do something about this perceived injustice.

Until . . . my pastor shared the letter below at my church today.

I hear people talking about how Christ is being taken from Christmas. After reading this, I will not be participating in those conversations- what a waste of time. I will be doing what Christmas is all about –LOVE, showing GRACE and wishing everyone I come in contact with Merry Christmas! I truly hope that during this Christmas season all my actions show the Christ Child’s presence in my life.

Thanks Pastor Tim for sharing this “letter from Jesus”*.

Dear Children

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born during this time of the year. It was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival, although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children and grandchildren of your own. I don’t care what you call the day.

If you want to celebrate My birth, just get along and love one another. Now, having said that…let Me go on… If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa’s and snowmen, and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that, there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees; you can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish…I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one about the vine, look up John 15:1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth, here is my wish list; choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know because they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home, not just during Christmas time, but all through the year. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing “George” complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year…then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past… …and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of “nit-picking” about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” ,that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day, they’d close and let their employees spend the day at church and at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary — especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts giving them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me. They will even make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions and words that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest.

Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love…and remember… I LOVE YOU!

Jesus

*According to the internets the author of this letter is anonymous.

What unique way are you sharing the LOVE and GRACE of Christmas 2010?