Faith Matters

Holy Music Matters

An opinion column based on a comment in the Sound Off! section of last week's Suburban Journal.

Music matters in worship. It sets a tone and a mood. It energizes or calms down. The Bible has many examples of people singing for joy and praise to God. There are many reasons to include music in worship. One reason to sing in worship is that it is a quick way to bring people together as a group. Singing together is a shared experience and even three or four verses of a hymn or song starts to form a sense of community in that place at that time with the people gathered. I’ve planned a lot of worship services as a pastor but I’ve attended more worship services than I’ve planned. Church music matters a lot to the people in the pews or in the chairs around tables. It is the following comment in the Sound Off! section of the Suburban Journals…

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Fit to Run the Race for Faith and Life

At the Mayor’s Annual Prayer Breakfast, attendees heard a down-to-earth message about God and family from O'Fallon's Mrs. America.

O'Fallon resident Andrea Robertson was the speaker at the 24th Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Thursday at the Columns Banquet and Conference Center. You might be thinking, “Who?” Robertson is Mrs. America 2010. She competed in the Mrs. World Beauty Pageant and is first runner-up. Yes, she was just one beauty queen away from wearing the Mrs. World crown. Robertson is the first to say that beauty is more than skin deep. Fifty percent of the pageant contestant's score is based on her interview, the evening gown and bathing suit scores make up the other half of the score. In sharing her experiences with the pageant judges and the interview questions, Robertson said she was asked, “What makes a woman beautiful?" Thursday, she said the first …

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PatchCast

Daily PatchCast: Artist's Photography on Display at St. Peters Venue, Ward 4 Seat in Florissant Contested for First Time in Years and More

A roundup of St. Louis news headlines for Tuesday.

Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area:

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Keeping the Faith

A Look at the Importance of Giving

The way you handle your money is a barometer that measures your commitment to yourself and others.

You've all heard the old platitude "It's better to give than to receive" many times.  And honestly, I've never heard one person deny this statement or argue its validity, but I still suspect we don't mean it all the time.  I'll confess; I like to receive.  I really like to receive. And I admit that sometimes giving – sacrificing my own resources for the sake of others – doesn't appeal either.  Often, when I buy a gift for someone, this idea runs through my head: "Hmmm, there goes XX hours of work."  What a selfish thought!  When this happens, I've got to catch myself and be reminded of a simple truth. Either you control your money–or your money controls you. Now, I'm not here to preach that money is the root of all evil; it's actually …

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Keeping the Faith

Holding True to Morals and Values

True forgiveness is a two-way street that requires much more than a 'Sorry' and 'It's okay.'

Welcome to the initial launch of a column dedicated to healthy development of the entire human race (or at least O'Fallon).  Religion and faith seem to be overlooked in our society–placed on the backburner and only brought up in times of crisis. My faith has always been the focal point of my life, the driving force behind my ambitions, aspirations and actions.  Faith is also important to the people of O'Fallon, where there are over 34 religious institutions, some of which have existed since the city's establishment in the mid-1800s and some that just moved to town.  So I'm here to examine day-to-day scenarios where oft-forgotten principles of morality can strengthen your relationships, help you grow and bring true joy to your life.  I …

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