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Singing at Bethlehem

Hymns and songs

Lutherans love singing hymns and songs to praise God and encourage one another. They treasure what Christians have sung over the centuries, as well as new hymns and songs that point to God and what he does for us.

By singing these hymns we proclaim God’s word and his goodness with our own voices.

Choir

The choir is an integral part of the 9am worship service. It is directed by Jillian McGregor, and practices are held on Wednesday evenings. The choir plays a special role in supporting the congregation’s worship liturgy, particularly by marking the highlights of the Church year’s major festivals.

A special annual event which attracts many visitors is Lessons and Carols which takes place during Advent. Each year the choir focusses on singing carols originating in a particular part of the world. In recent years the focus for the year has included carols originating in England, America, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Warrren Bourne, former choir director, wrote:
'After every Sunday morning practice before the service, the choir offers this ancient prayer before moving into the church:

Bless, O Lord, us thy servants who minister in thy temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Johann Sebastian Bach once wrote Colossians 3:17 in a book of keyboard music he was preparing for his eldest son,

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

It was also Bach’s custom to begin most of his music manuscripts with the phrase ‘In the name of Jesus.’ Sometimes, more directly, ‘Jesus, help.’ Bach always signed the end of his compositions with the initials S-D-G from the Latin ‘Soli Deo Gloria,’ which translates ‘To God alone be the glory.’

So too we offer our music and our skills as musicians in the church to God and his community that sustains us. May what we sing and play always be true to that service.'