Mavis Moon
I live in San Jose, California, and attend San Jose Christian Reformed Church. I work as the IT Director of Pivot Interiors, a Herman Miller office furniture company.
I grew up in the Air Force, where my dad was a chaplain, so I lived in several places during my childhood, including Michigan, Alaska, Washington, Texas, Florida and Arizona. I went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I met my husband Randy.
We have lived in San Jose for over 30 years now. I have 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren who are, of course, the cutest things ever.
Posted in: Tablets in Church?
8 years! Let's hope it doesn't take that long! Maybe your husband should consider being the driving force - he could go for it and show everyone what it does and why it's a good thing, nothing to frown about. And if the technology helps him because of his visual impairment, all the better it seems to me.
I hadn't thought of using it for children's messages, but that is a really good idea.
Thanks for sharing, Jane.
Posted in: Tablets in Church?
Thanks, Brad! Your response reminded me to pass this info about Onsong on to my praise team. I meant to do it when Allen mentioned it but had forgotten. It's great to learn about different apps and technologies that are helping us lead worship or do other "churchly" activities.
Posted in: God, He's Huge!
Thank you, Denise! Amen to that.
Posted in: God, He's Huge!
That is a great verse, too. "Fill the whole universe" -- that's pretty big! Thank you, Kirk.
Posted in: Tablets in Church?
I'll have to check out the gadgets and apps, Allen. They sound cool! My pastor would like your comment about Apple making "life even better." He's a true Apple guy. :) Thanks for the input!
Posted in: Tablets in Church?
Hi Smitty! Sounds like you get really good use from your Kindle. I still prefer the iPad for some of the other apps it's got that the Kindle doesn't, plus I can still use the Kindle app on it. But the Kindle is a better price and it's adding features all the time.
I love using Kindle for highlighting, as you mentioned. When I read a book for a book club, it's so nice to be able to quickly find my highlighted areas for discussion.
I also love books, though, and even converted a bedroom in my house to a library. I love the feel of books, the smell of books, the look of them, the whole deal. So I feel too guilty to do all my reading on my device. As a compromise, right now I typically read non-fiction in Kindle, and fiction in "real books." It salves my conscience anyway! :)
Posted in: Tablets in Church?
We had a guest praise band last week that had all their music and songs on tablets, too. Seems like a great way to go. I love the story of the sound controller being accused of gaming in church. I can totally see how that could happen!
Posted in: Sacred Space at Home
Thanks, Angela, Michelle, and Bev! Great input.
Bev, writing a prayer journal is definitely another good method for being more intentional about your prayer life. I actually heard a story from a friend who, when going through her elderly mother's things after her mother's death, discovered a bunch of "Daily Bread" devotional booklets where her mother had written prayer notes in the margins. My friend said there were penciled in names of the family and her mother's friends and so on, showing she had prayed for them by name for years and years. How sweet that is, isn't it?
And Michelle, good point about privacy. I had not really thought of that factor. I'm curious, too, about your space. If you're willing, would you describe what you have in your space and what your practice is for using it?
Bev, I love that image of the girls running to their "secret garden." The book, The Secret Garden, was (and is) such a favorite of mine, that image really resonates with me, too. I like the connection you make to the different verses and Scriptural references to gardens.
Thanks, and keep the comments coming!
Posted in: Twice (a Month) - the New Normal?
This actually kind of cheers me up. I get a little down looking around on Sunday mornings and seeing big gaps between people. But it's true that even our dedicated members (myself included) are often traveling or busy and not making it every Sunday.
Posted in: Why Don't We Sing In Worship?
As you said, we try to balance our song choices between familiar and new, while keeping all our songs Biblical, liturgical, etc.
As you noted, there's sometimes a tendency to point fingers at contemporary worship style singing but I would question that. We definitely got resistance as we introduced a praise band and new songs, but slowly we learned to acknowledge when a song was new and to try to help the congregation learn it by playing/singing it through first, and so on.
I don't think that amplified singing has to necessarily mean the congregation won't sing. Even if it feels like a concert to some of us, look at all the singing and dancing along that concert-goers do! I think the leaders, no matter what the style, can work on intentional ways to encourage congregational participation in the singing.
I have noticed the men-not-singing phenomenon myself, even with my own sons. For my sons it seems like it took a certain maturity level. I think it also helped that my husband and the rest of the men in our families set the example by always singing. Maybe we can be more intentional in our churches about that, too.
Posted in: Why Don't We Sing In Worship?
Did you know our own new hymnal, "Lift up Your Hearts," provides materials to project both music and words? Take a look at this web page with examples. We're planning a hymnfest in the fall to introduce this new hymnal at our church. I'm looking forward to exploring the new songs and resources such as this. (I know it sounds like a shameless plug, but I'm not on the editorial staff or anything. Just a participating worship team member. :))
Posted in: Seeking God's Hand or Face?
Good thoughts. "Thy will be done" is a powerful little statement!