One of my blessings is being able to put together the bulletin for my country church. My husband and I have been attending the same beautiful little church ever since we got married. Actually, he was attending there for several years before we married after his family moved to a farm just down the road from the church. I made a profession of faith and joined the church about a year later. While I had felt close to the Lord since I was very young, I was such a shy child that I had never had the courage to walk the aisle to become a member of a church. Not even when my sister did during a Bible School service.
But I did get my courage up and made that walk and stand for Christ. Now my church family cannot believe I was ever that timid little girl and young woman because the Lord took nearly all that shyness away from me. For several years, I even led the singing at my church even though I am not a great singer. I was the one person in the church willing to step to the front and sing out. I can mostly carry a tune. So, it wasn’t too bad. The kindness and supportive encouragement of my church family has been amazing through the years.
And now I get to do our bulletins. The suggestion to start having bulletins for our services was made by one of our members, Patricia. She is a woman with ideas, and she said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a bulletin the way other churches do?”
Yes, of course it would, we all agreed. Then since I had a computer.and loved putting words together, they pointed to me to get it going. We ordered some bulletin covers and I began typing out the order of service, various activities, devotional thoughts and Scripture. For years, I hunted places to print the bulletins, until I realized buying ink for my own printer was better than using gas to hunt a copy shop.
Through the years, the pastors we’ve had have been glad to let me keep typing that bulletin. One chose to pick out the songs and give me the numbers each week. The pastor we had for over thirty-five years liked me picking the songs, and we both were often astounded at how I was led somehow to hymns that matched his messages. Our current pastor feels the same.
That’s why we had Christmas in July during our song service today. Our bulletin cover showed a hummingbird with the wording “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I wanted to make the bulletin center around joy. Naturally the first song to come to mind was “Joy to the World.”
When I recalled our former pastor once saying this song was not written for Christmas, I did some research to find out more. “Joy to the World” was not written to be a song in spite of the fact that its author, Isaac Watts was one of the greatest hymn writer in church history. He wrote “Joy the World” in 1719 as a poem about the Second Coming of Christ based on Psalm 98:4-9.
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together. Before the Lord; for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.” (KJV)
Not until a century later, in 1836, did a music teacher and hymn composer named Lowell Mason write music for Isaac Watts’s words. Perhaps Mason wanted to take advantage of the joy of the Christmas when he published “Joy to the World” during the Christmas season. That, plus the joyful words, is how the song became a beloved Christmas carol that had those singing it celebrating the birth of Jesus.
I love singing “Joy to the World” at Christmas. It’s one of the carols that I could play well enough to put on the bulletin when I played piano for our church for a few years. The Lord has sent us a couple of much more talented pianists since then. Now I can put any carol on the bulletin for us to sing at Christmas. Even so, one of those is always “Joy to the World.” Maybe twice before December is over.
But today, with joy the theme in our bulletin, we had Christmas in July. Plus, I got to share the history of what at one time was the most published Christmas carol in the United States and no doubt one of the most sung every Christmas by churches like ours, by choirs, by people walking about caroling, and by those who were embracing the joy of Christ’s birth everywhere. Just thinking about singing the first words of the first stanza “Joy to the world” can lift a person’s spirits. The first coming or the second coming – reasons for joy.
I wrote about the origin of “Joy to the World” a couple of years ago at Christmas time. Christmas in July seemed a good time to repeat of some of the song’s history. Here’s the link to that post where I posted the words of the song.
As for the butterflies – they are right at home in July. They flutter past me when I’m walking in the fields. If anything speaks of joy and the wonder of nature, it is butterflies.
Have you ever attended a little country church?
Here’s a picture of my country church. As always, thanks for reading.
But wait, I need to announce the winner of her choice of one of my books from our blog book party. Greta is my winner and has chosen my book, When the Meadow Blooms. Thank you all for coming to my book party here. It was fun. I’ll share more of the Q&A’s later and you can be sure we’ll have some more book giveaways coming up soon. You all asked fabulous questions. Much appreciated.
Comments 14
Iam a musician and I never knew that! Very interesting! I see you are a women of many other talents too
! I directed church choirs for over 30 years and play piano. Oh I just finished your newest book! I enjoyed it thoroughly!
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I always enjoy hearing the history of the beginnings that led to a song, Lynne.
I’m not a talent in the singing and playing piano world, but at my little church, you just have to be willing when nobody better is available. 🙂 We have a great pianist now who actually plays at various venues, but he loves our church. So, he blesses us each Sunday with his beautiful music. I’m sure you did the same for your church in all those years you shared your talents with your church family.
So glad you enjoyed going down the river with my characters in my book, In the Shadow of the River. Thank you for reading it.
Thank you Ann for sharing the story of Joy to the World, I had never heard this before, and I love learning new things, always. Your church is beautiful, I did attend a small country Church when I was a teenager, it even had a pot belly stove in it.
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I think our church used to have a stove like that too, Phyllis, but that was before my time there. I did know the man who said it was his job to go build the fire early on Sunday mornings before services. I’m guessing you have some good memories about that country church. At least, I hope so.
We have many of these little country churches in our area where we live, in Martin County, North Carolina. I think that people in these small churches are very friendly and welcoming. I have visited some of these for weddings, funerals, or other celebrations.
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We try to be friendly and welcoming at our church, Connie, but I think sometimes some people can get overwhelmed if they get too much attention. Some just want to disappear into the worship.
We have many small country churches in our county, but some of them are struggling to attract younger members. Most of our members are senior adults.
I have at least for a brief time before I moved 14 1/2 years ago. I loved it and still miss it!
Ann butterflies are my absolute thing (at least until my grandson came along) and they give me (both butterflies and grandson) such joy!
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Butterflies and grandkids give me joy too, Pamela. I’m always glad to see either or both.
I think I would miss our church family if I changed churches.
My church likes to sing Joy to the world to the tune of Amazing Grace during the Christmas season. Combining those two songs is AMAZING!
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I’m going to try to remember that and see if our pastor will give it a try at Christmas this year, Ola. It does sound amazing. Our former pastor who passed on to heaven used to do something different with Amazing Grace but it wasn’t to Joy to the World. Seems like it somehow mixed with “He Keeps Me Singing,” but I’m not sure about that. I’ll have to see if my husband remembers.
Ann, I was 23 years old when I came to the Lord. On my birthday, actually. It’s really been a journey, one that I’m so glad I haven’t had to navigate by myself. My sweet friends and wonderful pastors bouy me along. You are an encouragement as well.
As you have mentioned your butterfly bushes, I would like the names of them. I want to plant several. Which seem to attract the most?
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Loretta, I’m glad you’ve had encouragers to help you along the way. Any age is a good time to come to the Lord and what a great birthday present for you.
I don’t have a name for my butterfly bushes. One I bought at a greenhouse and I think it was just labeled a “butterfly bush,” but the workers would certainly know what you meant if you asked for that. The other one came from my sister’s yard. She just dug up a piece and gave it to me. They do have some that are a pinker color.
God’s little country church that has been your’s and your husband’s place of worship all these years reminds me of my grandparent’s church in Manson, IN, that I had the privilege of visiting as a child. I was always amazed at the beauty and peacefulness of this little church and the faithfulness of its members.
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There’s something very family oriented about a little church, Karen. Some little churches get growing spurts. Ours seems not to be one of those although when I first started attending there years ago, there were many more members. We have a really nice larger church in the area and they have a great attendance with more programs for families now.