Category — .Worship

Wow – what a great morning of worship!  It was one of those days (for me) that you just can’t help but praise God.  I like those days.

Admittedly I wasn’t feeling it when I got to church this morning.  I had overslept (accidentaly turned the alarm OFF instead of snoozing) and was running late.  I was preparing for an extra long day with the Back to School Rally coming up after church, and I was having a really hard time waking up.  But by the time we were on the chorus of the second song I was ready to dance!

God is good!

Anywho, here’s the list:

• Salvation Day (Beeching)
• Happy Day (Jesus Culture-style)
• We Will Worship You (Whittaker)
• Here Is Love (Cook/Rees)
• kids message
• I Am Free (Egan)
• announcements
• message
• Reign In Us (Starfield)
• communion

I mean, how can you NOT be happy with Salvation Day and Happy Day back to back?  Seriously?

It was a great time of worship, and Pastor Chris followed it up with a great message on how to love your enemies a la David.

After church we headed over to President’s Elementary School for the Back to School Rally, and gave away around 500 or so backpacks filled with school supplies.  Lots of local churches and businesses joined forces to fill them and give them away – along with lots of other fun goodies at the rally.  The hot dog line at our church booth was mighty long.  I think they cooked & handed out around 400 hot dogs this afternoon!

It turned out to be a fabulous day… and now I’m tired.  It’s a good tired though, a very good tired. 

How was your weekend?

As I read Hebrews 12:14 this morning, I at first zeroed in on the whole “peace with everyone” part because it is the topic for the week – loving your enemies.

Then the second part of the verse caught my eye:

Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

Pursue consecration and holiness.  Sanctification.  Separation.  Holy lives.  Clean lives.  Different translations use different words, but they all point to the same thing – living a life that is set apart and pleasing to God.  Living a life that in as much as you can is without sin.

This, I think, is a key to the christian walk.

We are called to be in this world, but not of this world.  We are called to be set apart, to look different in the way that we act and react in this world.

This leads to a lot of discussion about those gray areas of life.  Things like watching movies and drinking alcohol, listening to secular music and wearing pants vs. dresses.  Areas that have divided the Church and sullied the Bride of Christ in the eyes of the world.

I’m not going to address those areas, simply because I don’t have God’s answers to them.  I believe that God will convict each person in those areas as He sees fit, and it’s not my place to force my brothers and sisters to what God has convicted me of.

It goes back to that whole “strive to live in peace” part of the verse.  Don’t create conflict where there doesn’t need to be any.

But what does it look like to be set apart?  To pursue holiness?

Personally I understand it to live my life in such a way that I am pursuing God above all else.  That I am sensitive to the promptings of The Spirit in my life, and I am seeking to live a life that gives glory and honor to the Almighty God… and not to me.

and it is hard.

But if we do not seek God, if we don’t pursue a life that is set apart to Him, Hebrews 12:14 tells us that we will never see Him.  It doesn’t matter what translation you look it up in, the bible is pretty clear on that point.

To see God, we must pursue Him.

And that means that our lives are to be lived with an eternal perspective.  That we continuously place God on the throne of our hearts (even though we want to be there ourselves) and seek to serve Him in all things.

ALL things.

Come to think of it, isn’t that what worship is?  Every breath we take, every thing we do is done to give God the glory.  Is done in worship of Him.

We are set apart for Him.  We were created for Him.  We need to worship Him… with all that we are.

It’s a beautifully cloudy day today in Western Washington -we even got rain overnight last night.  After the temps in the upper 90′s last weekend it is a most welcome change!

It’s been a couple of busy weeks for us around here – with the church campout 2 weeks ago and Jim filling in for Pastor Chris last weekend, but I am hopeful that as we wind down to the end of Summer that things can calm down a tad but… maybe.

Ah well, onto the list:

• Salvation Day [E] (Vicky Beeching, Jonny MacIntosh, and Sarah MacIntosh)
• Hosanna (Praise is Rising [F] (Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown)
• You Never Let Go [F] (Matt Redman, Beth Redman)
• Indescribable [Bm] (Laura Story)
• kids story about Abigail
• Everyday [Ab] (Joel Houston)

This was our second week leading Salvation Day, but the first week that Pastor Chris has played it.  It worked out pretty well, but we get to work on it again for next week.  Everything else fell under the heading of “extremely well known” and it was great to see people really entering in and not having to think about how the melody goes or what the words are.

I will be glad when Summer is over though – it’s been crazy with the swinging door we have had through the Summer months with people being gone of vacation.  Although I myself have missed a week or two as well, so I can’t get on anyone too hard!

How was your service this weekend?

Wow – I hadn’t realized how long it has been since I posted a setlist!  Life has been just a tad busy I guess.  Sorry about that!

This week’s topic was centered around worry in our home groups, and the passage we were focusing on was 1Samuel 13:1-14.  It highlights a time when Saul decided to take matters into his own hands instead of waiting on Samuel, or, rather, waiting on God.

Worry and impatience.  Anxiety.

There are so many times in the Bible where this comes up and causes problems for people!

With that in mind, our setlist focused on giving our anxieties to God and keeping a heavenly focus.

• Forever [F]
• Today is the Day [F]
• Rain It Down [A]
• We Will Worship You [D]
• kids storytime
• Beautiful One [E]
• announcements
• message – Staying Small in Your Own Eyes
• Trading My Sorrows [G]

It was a really great sermon, and hopefully we got a good recording of it.  I will post it this week if so.

I really liked leading Rain it Down and We Will Worship You back to back – the first focuses on crying out to God in the midst of the storms instead of trying to run away from them, and the second calls for is to cry out when we get too comfortable, to content.  These songs remind us that we need God in both the good times and the bad – not just the bad.  It is so easy to forget about God when everything is going well… but we can’t!  Our focus needs to be fixed on Him daily.  Our desire needs to be to have a relationship with Him daily.  We need to seek His face… daily.

And that is often so hard to do!

When things aren’t going our way, it is easy to cry out to God.  It is easy to admit that we don’t have it all together.  It is easy to admit that we need Him, because we (obviously) can’t do it on our own.  We need to translate that same need to when things are going our way too.  We still need Him, and we still can’t do it all on our own.  We just so often don’t recognize our need.

We need to continually focus on Him.

As we are focusing on worry this week, we are going through a series of verses.  One of them is 1 Peter 5:7, which says “⁷casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”

But that is merely the end of a sentence.  When it is just part of a sentence, there is always more to the story.

This verse is the second half of the sentence began in verse 6 ” ⁶Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time…”

So what is this saying to us?

Well, the passage surrounding these verses speaks out to leadership mostly, but there is always something there for everyone if we just look deep enough.  Chapter 5 starts out with an exhortation to the elders of the church to shepherd the flock that has been placed within their care.  To lead them voluntarily according to the will of God.  To love them and care for them rather than to do it for personal gain or to make yourself appear as better than them.

It calls the younger men to be subject to their elders, and for all to have humility towards one another.  To be sober and on the lookout for our adversary who is seeking to destroy us.  To stand strong and resist the enemy – even in the midst of persecution.

That’s where this passage really shines out to us.  That’s where the rubber hits the road, as it were.

If we will humble ourselves before God, seeking His face and calling out to Him, He will be faithful!  Verse 10 promises us that God will perfect us, confirm, strengthen and establish us, for we have been called to His eternal glory in Christ.

Humility, however, isn’t exactly my strong suit.  And I suspect it isn’t yours either.

Humility doesn’t come easily to humanity.  We don’t like to step aside and let someone else get the praise.  We don’t like to take the blame and let someone else walk away clean and unscathed.  We don’t like to look bad.  We don’t like to be an unsung hero hiding out in the shadows.  And we like to receive the praise and accolades for doing well!

But God calls us to practice humility.  To put others before ourselves.  To bear one another’s burdens.  To seek restoration when we have been wronged instead of holding a grudge.  To value those around us – even when it’s hard.  To do the right thing even when no one else will see.  To point the focus away from ourselves and towards Him.

Ouch.

I have to admit – I’m not the most humble person.  I have my moments when I really want that attention.  Moments when I want people to know that I did the right thing, that I was wronged and they need to feel sorry for me.  Moments when I want people to think that I have special knowledge or insight that they need to hear and recognize.   That I did something good, or that I excel at something and deserve praise for it.  Times when I am full of pride.

And on the flip side, there are times that I don’t want people to notice me.  I don’t want to receive a compliment for doing something well because I don’t think I’m good enough to deserve it.

Wait a minute… did I just say that we can be too humble?

Not in so many words.  It’s actually that we can be too prideful – or, rather, un-prideful.  There is the side of pride that most people recognize, the side that says “Hey!  Look at me!  Aren’t I great!  I deserve to stand on that pedestal or in that spotlight!” but there is also the side of pride that says “Why would you look at me?  I’m not worth anything.  I’m useless.  I can’t do anything right.  I have no value.  I’m nothing.”  That, my friends, is also throwing pride in God’s face.  That is saying that His creation doesn’t have any value.  That He screwed up.

And that is NOT humility.  Most definitely not!

For me, there are times that I’d rather no one said anything about my “performance” or talent.  I don’t do what I do to get kudos or recognition, and the day that I start seeking after that pedestal is the day I need to quit!  However… I have come to understand that there are people that need to share that they were blessed by something that I was a part of creating, and I need to learn to receive it and redirect it rather than blow it off.

God has given me a gift and called me to use it.  Why then, should I “poo-poo” it when someone comments on it?  The more correct response is to accept that compliment, and redirect it back to God.  After all, that’s where it belongs anyway.  To push it away or to feel weird about getting it is just as bad as gobbling it up.  Both are pride, and neither are humility.  The correct response is to receive it with grace and humility and to redirect it to God.

And it is a very difficult thing for me to do.

How about you?  Is there an area that God has gifted you?  Is it hard for you to receive a compliment in that area with grace and humility?  How do you deal with it?

Father’s Day is such a great holiday!  It’s a chance to honor our earthly fathers and our heavenly Father that gave us life.  For those blessed enough to have a Daddy, it is a chance to take the time to thank them for teaching us and showing us a glimpse of our Father in heaven.  For those of us whose Dad’s are no longer with us, it is a chance to remember them.

Today we had a BBQ after church to honor the men in our families – and we were blessed that two of our guys were willing to man the grills to help feed everyone.  The ladies brought some tasty side dishes, and we had a housefull of people!

In our house today we are trying to have a lazy day.  The fact that it’s raining outside helps – Eric can’t go outside and do yard work!  After having a busy weekend filled with late nights, it’s kind of nice to just relax.  Eric is sitting on the couch playing scales on te guitar, A is trying to find someone to play games with her & M is playing games on the computer.  It’s quiet, which is a very good thing.

However it is days like today that remind me how much I miss my dad.  He was killed 8 years ago, and while I am thankful for a(nother) day set aside to remember him, it does make me sad that I can’t call him & wish him a Happy Father’s Day. So for those of you that have your dad’s, don’t take them for granted.  Take the five minutes to call them and let them know you care.  You never know when it may be your last chance.

But back to the point of this post… the setlist!

• Sing, Sing, Sing [A]
• You’re Worthy Of My Praise [E]
• Reign In Us [F]
• Agnus Dei [C]
• kids storytime
• Best Friend [C]
• announcements
• Message – “Red Bull may give you wings, but God gives you springs!”
• Unashamed [D]
• communion
• Amazing Grace (acapella)
  

We learned a new song today.  Quite literally.  Jennifer R found “Best Friend” Wednesday morning, we got the chart together Friday around noon, and we (as a band) put it together this morning around 9:15.  It’s a great song though, so we will be doing it again soon – just in a slightly higher key!  Sorry, but I’m still not a tenor, and no amount of making me sing at the bottom of my range will change that! 

Other than that and “Unashamed”, the songs were pretty well-known.  We taught Unashamed last week (as special music), and led it during communion today, so I’m hopeful that people are picking it up.

How was your worship service this weekend?

As always, this post is part of the Sunday Setlist blog carnival over at TheWorshipCommunity.com – check it out to see what songs were sung at churches all over the world.  This week is the 100th consecutive week, whic is just kinda cool.

Wow – yesterday was such a beautiful day here in Washington – in the 70′s, bright, clear, sunny skies and just relaxing.  Today?  Well, its not raining… yet.  There is a nice breeze and it’s in the mid-60′s, but cloudy.  Overall it’s not bad though!

Today’s sermon was on Samson… on how God gives each of us gifts and on how he failed to use them to Gods glory.  Pastor Chris preached on Fatal Flaws.  In that vein, we approached our worship set through the lens of grace.

• We Will Worship You [D] (Whittaker/Ingram)
• Everlasting God [Ab] (Brown/Riley)
• Your Grace Is Enough [F] (Maher)
• Sweetly Broken [F] (Riddle)
• kids story on using our gifts to glorify God
• Everything To God [A] (Anderson)
• Message – Fatal Flaws
• Unashamed [D] (Neufeld/Neufeld/McKelvey)

We led Unashamed as special music, as we haven’t ever sung it @ FRF before, but I did see a few people singing along (which was great!)  It is my hope that everyone was able to really listen to the words and recognize once again the amazing gift that we have been given.

Hopefully we got a good recording of the sermon this week!  If so, I’ll get it linked when it’s uploaded.  If not, then it will be like the past few weeks, unfortunately.

How was your service this morning?

To see what songs were sung at churches all over the world, take a look at TheWorshipCommunity.com!

I was reading this article over at WorshipTheRock.com and it got me thinking…

Do we as a church have any of those songs?  I know that I personally have some songs that speak to me over and over and over, and I know that they will continue to speak to me in the future… that they will minister to me again and again when I need to have my spirits lifted.

But what about your church?  Are there any songs that fit that definition for your church body?

I know that for a while the song “Trading My Sorrows” fit that definition, but I’m not sure that it still does.

I’m asking for your input.  Are there songs that continually feed your spirit?  Are there songs that you feel would fit that description for your church body?

Please share…