Union Chapel Indy Minister of Music and Friends present "A Morning of Encouragement & Worship!" Through music, Scripture, prayer, and song experience joy, hope, and encouragement. We will walk through the P-R-A-Y model that we learned last Fall. This will be an exciting morning of prayer and worship. Let us be encouraged! Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzsL2-WYxKA

Andy (he/him/his) and his husband, Travis (he/him/his), relocated to Indianapolis from San Diego in March of 2023. Andy has been using his gifts and talents in churches of many denominations and traditions since he was fifteen years of age. Andy is a well-known and acclaimed choral conductor and church musician. He has conducted the Voices of Our City Choir, a choir for those experiencing homelessness in San Diego, to the Semi-Finals on America's Got Talent. His choir from Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ in San Diego was invited to sing at Carnegie Hall, and he was the Guest Artistic Director for the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus bringing the chorus back to the stage after Covid. Andy has also performed as vocalist at Carnegie Hall, on the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt for the Navy's celebration of Pride, and on stages across America and parts of Europe. He has performed in choir's, operas, musicals, and as a soloist for many different groups and events. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5p2ycC-Czc

Ben Franklin is often credited with saying, "...in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes." We might add to that list - change. All living things change whether we like it or not. And movement through change can be anxiety-producing and painful. That time between what was, and what is yet to be, is full of questions, uncertainties, and fear. But it can also be a time of great discovery and rich opportunity. To cross the threshold between the old and new can be scary, but it's made easier with friends who care and will walk with you. This week in Music in the Key of Faith, we welcome singers from the local Indianapolis Chapter of Threshold Choirs, an organization that brings music to the bedside of the ill and dying. With their music and story we will discover more of what it means to face transitions and change in life with friends who care and will join us at the threshold to a new season... Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQc5vGVWpaE

This week, we welcome the Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan Holmes and Michael Read to share their stories of music and faith as we continue "Music in the Key of Faith." Very few of our lives have followed a nice, neat path taking us to the very places we've always wanted to be. More often our lives are a series of plot twists, scene changes, and unexpected events. But it's in the unpredictable journey that we experience joy, meet amazing people, and discover we are being made into something new and beautiful. As make our way through life, we continue to be alert to God's ongoing work in us and in the world, trusting that God will do such amazing things in our lives, that we won't be able to "round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" (Romans 5:5 MSG) ... Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ8h0GyUXLo

Joy expresses itself in countless ways... deep belly laughs, squeals of glee, hugs and high fives, broad smiles, and even jumping up and down. When we experience joy it's just impossible to keep it to ourselves. Joy always makes itself known! The joy we know in the God who is love, who pours limitless blessing and grace into our lives, who is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6), is no different. This deep joy pours out in our worship, our living, our relationships, and our loving. Sometimes it is in words of praise, sometimes in dancing, sometimes in generosity, and often times in music and singing. However you do it, "make a joyful noise to the Lord," in celebration of God's goodness and grace! As we continue the series "Music in the Key of Faith," we welcome The Storeytellers Jazz Band... worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLMWJOEBTbU

The Divine reveals itself in countless ways. Some find God in nature, some in Scripture, some through silence, and some through music, just name a few. It has been said about music specifically, that, "God gave us music that we might pray without words." Music has been a part of the sacred experience across nearly every spiritual tradition for as long as humanity has kept any kind of record. There are those across the centuries, and still today, who give generously of themselves and their gifts to help us all experience and connect with God through music. This week the Rev. Mary Dicken brings her harp to share her music and story in worship, and to guide us into an experience with the Holy. Many thanks to Pastor Mary for her presence and ministry! worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B5o_D_B1ys

It’s been said that going to “church,” i.e. attending a worship gathering, doesn’t make one a Christian anymore than hanging out in the produce department at the grocery makes one a cabbage. But gathering with other Jesus followers in the regular practice of corporate worship is an important part of the larger life of a follower. In the context of living a life of love, worship gives believers the opportunity to publicly praise God and be equipped and energized for a faithful life beyond the weekly gathering. One element of that gathering is often music of some kind. Whether ‘traditional’ or ‘contemporary,’ instrumental or vocal, many voices or one, music lifts our praise to God and opens our hearts to God’s movement. Music in the key of faith moves us into God’s holy presence, and it’s there that real worship happens. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK13OBO_WNs

Music has been a part of the human experience for as long as humans have existed. Research suggests that music developed right alongside spoken language. It seems our spirits are made to sing. Music has also always been a part of any and every faith tradition. It is natural for humans to express their most holy and sacred thoughts and experiences through song, in all its many forms. On Sunday, September 4, we will celebrate the faith we sing, as we hear the stories of some of our favorite hymns and worship songs, and lift our voices (or sit and listen) in song. Share your favorite hymn or praise song on our Facebook page, facebook.com/UnionChapelIndy. And invite a friend to join you for this uplifting worship experience grounded in the songs of our faith. In-person and online, 10:30 a.m. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u45eAaKgMMU