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Category Archives: Holidays

Community Thanksgiving Service

🌟✨ United in Gratitude: A Multi-Church Thanksgiving Celebration November 19 at 6:00 pm ✨🌟

As the holiday season approaches, let’s gather in a spirit of unity and thankfulness with our friends from Christ Presbyterian, King of Kings Lutheran, Ox Hill Baptist, and Pender United Methodist Churches.

Join us for an inspiring service filled with joyous music, heartfelt reflection, and an opportunity to count our blessings in the warm company of our community. This year, we’re honored to have Pastor Bruce Johnson from Pender deliver a message that promises to uplift and resonate with the spirit of Thanksgiving.

After the service, we invite you to linger a little longer and enjoy a delightful reception. It’s a time for laughter, fellowship, and creating memories with both old friends and new.

Let’s come together to express our gratitude and celebrate the abundance of life’s gifts. We can’t wait to welcome you into this circle of thankfulness!

🍂🙏 #CommunityThanksgiving #GratefulHeartsUnite #HolidayBlessings

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Posted by MaryO on November 8, 2023 in Holidays, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Thanksgiving

Tags: Community Thanksgiving Service, Pastor Bruce Johnson, Thanksgiving

Today is World Communion Sunday ~ October 1, 2023

01 Oct

World Communion Sunday offers us an opportunity to experience Holy Communion in the context of the global community of faith.

The first Sunday of October has become a time when Christians in every culture break bread and pour the cup to remember and affirm Christ as the Head of the Church.

On that day, we remember that we are part of the whole body of believers.

Christians celebrate the communion liturgy in as many ways as there are congregations. World Communion Sunday can be both a profound worship experience and a time for learning more about our wider community of faith.

Because Pastor Bruce is away, we will celebrate at Pender next Sunday.

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Posted by MaryO on October 1, 2023 in Chuck Knows Church, Get Involved!, Holidays, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Videos, World Communion Sunday

Tags: Christ, Christian, Chuck Knows Church, church, Communion, faith, Holy Communion, liturgy, One Table, Pastor Bruce, Pastor Bruce Johnson, Religion and Spirituality, video, World Communion Sunday, worship

Happy Labor Day!

04 Sep

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September celebrating the economic and social contributions of workers.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

It was first nationally recognized in 1894 to placate unionists following the Pullman Strike. With the decline in union membership, the holiday is generally viewed as a time for barbecues and the end of summer vacations – and time for the first long weekend for schools in Fairfax County.

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Posted by MaryO on September 4, 2023 in Holidays, Posts of Interest

Tags: Central Labor Union, Fairfax County Public School, Labor Day, Monday, New York, New York City, Pullman Strike, Trade union, United States

Hymn History: Tell Out My Soul/Be Still My Soul

04 Sep

The above is the melody to Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, which is commonly used for “Tell Out, My Soul” as well as “Be Still, My Soul”.

“Be Still My Soul” was the prelude at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on August 6, 2023. It was played on piano by Heidi Jacobs.

“Tell Out My Soul” by Joel Raney was sung at Pender’s 2022 Christmas Cantata by Laura Connors, soprano and Brian Stevenson, baritone

The main melody was based on Finlandia, a tone poem by Jean Sibelius.

From the publisher: This paraphrase of the Song of Mary calls for Christians to proclaim the greatness of the Lord, the greatness of his name, the greatness of his might, and the greatness of his word. For soprano and baritone solo with choir backup, this piece is equally effective with piano accompaniment or full orchestra. It originally appeared in Mary McDonald and Joel Raney’s best-selling Christmas musical, Sing Christmas.

Special thanks to the Sanctuary Choir, Liz Sellers, accompanist, Brian Stevenson, director and the Orchestra: Gwyn Jones, flute; Jeff Kahan, oboe; Alisha Coleman, clarinet; Jeanne Kim, violin; Sean Wittmer, violin; Ethan Chien, viola and Kyle Ryu-cello for all the effort in presenting Pender’s Christmas Cantata!

More from the Christmas Cantata at https://penderumc.org/music-ministry/concert-series/

The Finlandia hymn refers to a serene hymn-like section of the patriotic symphonic poem Finlandia, written in 1899 and 1900 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was later re-worked by the composer into a stand-alone piece.

Finlandia used in Be Still My Soul:

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Posted by MaryO on September 4, 2023 in Christmas, Christmas Music, Hymn History, hymns, Music, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Videos

Tags: Be Still My Soul, Brian Stevenson, Christmas, Christmas Cantata, Finlandia, Heidi Jacobs, Jean Sibelius, Joel Raney, Laura Connors, liz eunji moon, liz sellers, Mary McDonald, Pender Orchestra, pender sanctuary choir, Prelude, Tell Out My Soul, The UMC Hymnal

Have a Safe and Happy Independence Day!

04 Jul

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

A bit of audio for your listening pleasure, as played by Vladimir Horowitz…