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March 2025 Mills’ Musings – Rediscovering Rhythms
I’m teaching a music appreciation course at CVCC this semester. In the opening unit, I covered major elements of music including melody, harmony, and rhythm.
When we think about a piece of music, the melody is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Melody is defined as “a succession of single pitches, perceived by the mind as a unit.” When you look at the bulletin on Sunday morning and see “Amazing Grace” listed as the opening hymn, you probably hear the melody in your mind.
Harmony is the result of three or more pitches sounding at the same time instead of one after another. The way chords are constructed and how they follow each other fall under the heading of harmony. By the end of the course, I expect my students to listen to the harmony of a musical example and identify the musical era in which it was written.
Then there’s rhythm, from a Greek word that means “flow.” Music takes place in time. When we hear a melody or a chord, each pitch lasts for a specific number of seconds or fractions of a second. Rhythm helps us perceive the order inherent in music.
But rhythm isn’t confined to music. One author writes:
The ancients discerned in rhythm the creative principle of the universe, manifested alike in the regular movement of planets, the cycle of seasons and tides, of night and day, desire and appeasement, life and death. … This universe was art, and its controlling principle was rhythm. The symmetrical proportions of architecture, the balanced groupings of painting and sculpture, the patterns of the dance, the regular meters of poetry – each in its own sphere represents man’s deep-seated need for rhythmical arrangement.
Christians long have felt those needs, and the Church has responded in a variety of ways. One is through its music. For the first millennium of Christian history, almost all Christian music was written in triple meter. That is, each beat was divided into three equal parts, an intentional expression of the doctrine of the Trinity.
Another way the Church acknowledges the value of rhythm in our lives is through our observation of the Christian year. We start with the season of Advent, a time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’s coming. We move through the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. Then, this month, we enter the season of Lent, a time of self-examination as we prepare to celebrate Jesus resurrection. After the season of Easter comes Ordinary Time, which leads back to Advent and the repetition of the rhythm of our life as the people of God.
This year, as I was teaching about melody, harmony, and rhythm, I came across the following quote: “In our global digital age, many Christians are rediscovering the importance of community, the value of rhythms and routines amid chaotic circumstances, and the need for deeper commitment to spiritual formation.”
For many of us the past year or two has seemed especially chaotic. As together we continue our journey through this still fairly new civic year, may we also share the joy and peace that can result as we rediscover the value of rhythms and routines amid chaotic circumstances.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, March 2, 2025
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, MARCH 3, 7PM
The Women’s Bible Study will meet on Monday, March 3 at the church at 7:00 p.m. We will be picking up where we left off at our last meeting: pg 206, “The Friendships of Paul” in The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. Come prepared to share what you got out of the reading and any questions you might have. Please bring a friend, and enter through the library doors so that the Young Life Group can have our front parking lot.
COMMUNITY LENTEN SERVICES BEGIN NEXT WED., MARCH 5
The Community Lenten Services begin next week, on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Each ~30 minute service is at noon at a different church in Madison Heights, with a different pastor preaching each week. This week’s service will be at Amelon UMC, with Rev. George Harris (from Madison Heights Christian Church) preaching. We look forward to celebrating Lent with you and our fellow brothers and sisters in the area.
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
Read more...
News & Announcements for Sunday, February 23, 2025
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 10AM
The Women’s Book Club will meet on Thursday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. The book that we are reading this month is America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Regarding refreshments, we are asking everyone to bring a little something to share. We look forward to seeing you next Thursday, whether you’ve read the book or not!
COMMUNITY LENTEN SERVICES BEGIN NEXT WED., MARCH 5
The Community Lenten Services begin next week, on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Each ~30 minute service is at noon at a different church in Madison Heights, with a different pastor preaching each week. This week’s service will be at Amelon UMC, with Rev. George Harris (from Madison Heights Christian Church) preaching. We look forward to celebrating Lent with you and our fellow brothers and sisters in the area.
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
Read more...
News & Announcements for Sunday, February 16, 2025
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – THIS MORNING, 11AM
We will have a brief congregational meeting prior to the worship service for the sole purpose of electing Sharon Bryant as Ruling Elder for the Class of 2027.
ANNUAL MEETING & POTLUCK – SUNDAY, FEB. 16, NOON
Come on Sunday, February 16 for the tastiest Annual Meeting you’ve ever attended! Following the worship service, we’ll enjoy a potluck lunch together and hear updates from the Session. We’ll learn what God has done over the past year and what we’re anticipating joining Him in doing in the year to come. We will also vote to approve the Pastor’s Terms of Call for 2025. Please bring a main dish and a side or dessert to share!
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – NEXT THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 10AM
The Women’s Book Club will meet on Thursday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. The book that we are reading this month is America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Regarding refreshments, we are asking everyone to bring a little something to share. We look forward to seeing you next Thursday, whether you’ve read the book or not!
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app.
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
Read more...
News & Announcements for Sunday, February 9, 2025
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
ANNUAL MEETING & POTLUCK – SUNDAY, FEB. 16, NOON
Come on Sunday, February 16 for the tastiest Annual Meeting you’ve ever attended! Following the worship service, we’ll enjoy a potluck lunch together and hear updates from the Session. We’ll learn what God has done over the past year and what we’re anticipating joining Him in doing in the year to come. We will also vote to approve Sharon Bryant as elder and the Pastor’s Terms of Call for 2025. Please bring a main dish and a side or dessert to share!
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
Read more...
