Mennonite Flash Mob

When it just doesn't fit anywhere else.
Hats Off
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Hats Off »

A group of us old people were together at one of Appleman's uncles' home recently; someone wanted to sing out of the book "Radio Favourites" and I guess just to balance things out, we also sang from the "Church and Sunday School Hymnal." Well, I had this rather mischievous thought "hey this group is going to sing a German hymn as well." Before i got that far, one of the women announced "song number 11 at the very back of the book." When I thanked her for the selection, she said the very thing that I had thought. Well you should have heard us sing "Wo ist Jesus mein Verlangen". We certainly made a joyful noise even though not every one present completely understood what we were singing.
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Sunbeam
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Sunbeam »

appleman2006 wrote:I will say this. A lot of the Youtube selections I have observed of conservative Mennonites singing in a subway station or some other street scene leave me feeling a bit cold. I mean the singing is all right. The message of the songs are great but the faces.....? frankly they often look like their best friend just died or maybe like they just drank a whole glass of lemon juice. I know our German backgrounds are given to a certain sense of stoic expression and sobriety but come on folks. Where is the joy of the Lord anyway?
We really need to learn to put a bit of smile and feeling into our song. Something I think Oasis needs to work on as well BTW.
I absolutely agree with this!!!!
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Sunbeam
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Sunbeam »

appleman2006 wrote:
Sunbeam wrote:
justme wrote: i'm amazed.
this is not the sunbeam i thot i knew
Is this a ridiculous thought, maybe?
Maybe I am just getting old and crotchety.... :?
No it is a fair critique and one that I am sure the choir will take into consideration. However I do think that there is more than one way to witness and to share the love of Christ. While one person might be drawn to Christ by a strong rendition of "the old rugged cross" another might be drawn to think about God simply due to the fact that while shopping he saw a bunch of people who by the very way they approached life showed that they were quite different from the average person out there and that these same people were able to express joy in a very talented way.

Just a thought. Or perhaps I am simply showing my immaturity.
You make valid points.
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justme
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by justme »

Sunbeam wrote:
justme wrote:
Sunbeam wrote:The song definitely is catchy and lilting. My daughter has been going about singing it for days to prove it.
They could have sung "Grandfather's Clock" or "Driving Nellie Home", and that would have been okay! I am not suggesting that every song has to be spiritually inspiring to be an okay song! I heard too that this was one of their favorite songs to sing, and maybe they just wanted to sing it one more time and liked having people listen!!

I am not at all suggesting that their intentions were evil...I have no way of knowing what their thought processes were at all, but they could not have chosen that song with the intention of being a spiritual inspiration to the audience, that is all I am saying.

Well, maybe I am saying more than that. It does seem to me that, with the attention a flash mob gets, especially when you consider the on-line reach, that this was perhaps a bit of a lost opportunity to share at least a piece of the gospel message.

Not saying it was wrong. Not saying it was a sin. Not saying it wasn't a happy tune. Not saying they shouldn't have enjoyed singing it a bunch...
i'm amazed.
this is not the sunbeam i thot i knew
Is this a ridiculous thought, maybe?
Maybe I am just getting old and crotchety.... :?
i see the way that the statement was made as being sneaky and underhanded. sort of like saying, "just kidding," or "bless her heart," after a mean statement. it allows a person to say something and then deny the true intent. it allows a person to place ideas in someone's head, and then deny ever saying it.
"not saying it was wrong, not saying it was a sin."

that sneakiness coming from sunbeam is what amazed me.
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Sunbeam
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Sunbeam »

I don't think I was meaning to be mean or sneaky...?
I was just saying what I thought.
Of course, maybe what I thought was mean and sneaky...
Last edited by Sunbeam on Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Joy
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Joy »

appleman2006 wrote:I will say this. A lot of the Youtube selections I have observed of conservative Mennonites singing in a subway station or some other street scene leave me feeling a bit cold. I mean the singing is all right. The message of the songs are great but the faces.....? frankly they often look like their best friend just died or maybe like they just drank a whole glass of lemon juice. I know our German backgrounds are given to a certain sense of stoic expression and sobriety but come on folks. Where is the joy of the Lord anyway?
We really need to learn to put a bit of smile and feeling into our song. Something I think Oasis needs to work on as well BTW.
There is a lady at a senior citizens' center that keeps coming up after our monthly program to say basically the same thing, although not about Mennonites. But I must confess that sometimes I am grinning because I messed up, and I am the one holding the mic. Seeing one's self on video singing does wonders for improvement motivation. :oops: :D

People need smiles!
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GaryK
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by GaryK »

justme wrote:
Sunbeam wrote:
justme wrote: i'm amazed.
this is not the sunbeam i thot i knew
Is this a ridiculous thought, maybe?
Maybe I am just getting old and crotchety.... :?
i see the way that the statement was made as being sneaky and underhanded. sort of like saying, "just kidding," or "bless her heart," after a mean statement. it allows a person to say something and then deny the true intent. it allows a person to place ideas in someone's head, and then deny ever saying it.
"not saying it was wrong, not saying it was a sin."

that sneakiness coming from sunbeam is what amazed me.
Personally, I thought it was classic Sunbeam. Perhaps I thought that because I agreed with her observations. :)
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Bootstrap
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Bootstrap »

Their website has links to 36 videos. They really do sound amazing.
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appleman2006
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by appleman2006 »

Seriously. while I have perhaps come across as defensive of Oasis and their approach I do appreciate those of you that have shared perspectives that might be different from my own.
I do happen to have the benefit of a somewhat inside perspective as to where they are coming from but I also know they are interested in how they come across to others both in presentation and motive. So any comments you might have even if you only want to share them on a personal basis to me are helpful.
My only goal for pushing back is that part Of Oasis's mission is also to provide an outlet and an appreciation of the arts among our people. It is not their only purpose but it is one of them and since I understand and appreciate that, it puts this whole flash mob thing in a slightly different perspective at least for me.
But again I do appreciate any feedback any of you have even if it is simply by pm.

Thanks.
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Sunbeam
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Re: Mennonite Flash Mob

Post by Sunbeam »

Whether or not my heart condemns me, I need to take responsibility for any correspondence that might legitimately be construed as "underhanded" or "sneaky". I asked a second opinion from a random person on my Messenger list (truly random, because I hit "send" accidentally to a person other than my intended critiquer. :mrgreen: ) But she graciously rose to the out-of-the-blue challenge, read the whole exchange and this was her response (she contributed to MD on very scarce occasions years ago so she had at least that much context) :

"I just now went and read the 5th page and the "mean and sneaky" post. I could maybe construe that from your critique if I didn't know you... and if I hadn't read lots of your thoughts on other subjects. But the person in question has surely heard enough of your thoughts and opinions in the past that she surely should not have interpreted it thus. I never would have, anyways.
And I'm not saying that you sounded mean or sneaky at all! Just that it could be construed that way if it was from a person that consistently said mean and snarky things.
Which you don't. That I know "

So that made me feel a bit better. But I still want to apologize to those of you who may have been hurt or felt condemned by my words. That was not at all in my intent. I would attempt to reword what I said if I felt I had a good grasp of where I was unkind, but I don't really. I do know I spout off too quickly sometimes without due consideration.
And I want justme to know that I value her input. I am not suggesting here that she was somehow out of order. She responded to what she saw me saying, I am sure.

I fully trust that any of you involved with Oasis are firmly grounded enough to keep your eyes on Jesus and the path He has mapped for you.
God bless us all.
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