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Worship Blog



April 21, 2013

Another great message this morning in our Culture Shift series:  TALK.

Thinking about how we communicate with one another and what that communicates to the world. We didn't use this song, but it's a great follow-up listen:

Josh Wilson ~ Forest Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B65oVglNr4



Easter Sunday:

He is Risen Indeed!

Wonderful celebrations this weekend and particularly this morning as we joined Christians around the world proclaiming Jesus risen from the dead. Voices rang out in triumphant - even a little raucous - song...
Jesus Christ is rsien today! Hallelujah!
The empty grave is singing out: He is alive! He is alive! We are free!

Rev. James commented that the disciples and Mary did not expect Jesus to be alive. There is a joyful shout of "Surprise!" for them as they encounter Him - risen! 

"And He has given US new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3)

God wants to shout "surprise!" into our lives, too, as He brings new life and new hope. Here's to new beginnings, new hope, new life in each of us.

SURPRISE!

And here's the link to the Philip Yancey article from Christianity Today that Rev. James quoted for those who would like to read the whole thing:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/april/national-tragedy-and-empty-tomb.html?paging=off


Feb. 3:

God works all things together for our good.

This week's music to check out and keep your soul singing all week long:
  • Come to the Light (Kevin Prosch)
  • There's No-one like our God (Vicky Beeching / Steve Michinson)
  • Surrender (Marc James)
  • Choose (Christy Nockels)
  • Better is One Day (Matt Redman
​For More of Christy Nockels music, check out www.christynockels.com

January 27:

The little boy standing in the window of his burning house hears his dad call "Jump! I'll catch you!" 
"But Daddy, I can't see you!" the boy calls back.
"It's okay. I can see you" his Father replies...

This morning's special music: "They just believe" by Josh Wilson. Check him out at:

www.joshwilsonmusic.com

Other worship songs from this morning to keep you thinking and worshipping through the week:
  • King of Glory (Chris Tomlin)
  • Hosanna (Christy Nockels)
  • Come to Jesus (Chris Rice)
  • I will not be shaken (Vineyard)

Living Sacrifices:

This week's post comes not from a moment in Sunday's worship service, but rather from a prompt from the Apostle Paul who urges us "in view of God's mercy to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual ACT OF WORSHIP". One of the Unbinding readings last week said this: "let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." Let's pray for the release of children caught in slavery and trafficking around the world and speak our love for them. Let's also act it out. Check out this link and sign the petition calling our government to act and end child slavery:

http://voices.worldvision.ca/help_wanted

Remind me who I am:
I am a fan of the TV series "Mad Men" where the lead character, now a successful creative director in a Madison Avenue ad agency, has stolen the identity of someone else. Early in the series, a co-worker finds out his secret, and threatens to reveal that he is really just a nobody. If I remember correctly, he is the child of a prostitute and lived in a very violent home. He quite loathes who he "really" is. Our past may or may not have been quite so difficult, but there may be things about ourselves that we don't really want to be reminded about. How good it is then, to be reminded of who our loving God says we are. This morning we sang Jason Gray's "Remind Me Who I Am". Have a listen and watch the wonderful video that goes along with and be reminded of who you are ~ beloved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSIVjjY8Ou8

Holy moments:

Yesterday we shared communion around "dinner tables" during worship. We were down in the gym, children were at table with their families. Rev. John made his usual statement about children partaking in communion being "at the discretion of the parent". There is a photo on our facebook page of several parents offering the body and blood of Christ to their kids and explaining the sacrificial love of Jesus. Turns out one of the children asked after they had received communion if they could have more bread (I think it was one of the yummy croissants!). She received a reply in the affirmative, and then immediately broke the croissant in two and shared it with a new little friend she'd made that morning. What a beautiful and simple picture: "I want more bread"...more of Jesus, please! and then to a friend "would you like some, too? It's delicious! I'll share."... He's made such a difference in my life, He'll do the same for you.

Struck me that that is what Unbinding Your Heart is all about. Let's have "some more of Jesus", and then let's figure out how to share Him.

No time to maintain regrets ...

Hi.  My name is Nancy, and I often have the privilege of leading worship on a Sunday morning.  I work with a fabulous group of musicians who love God deeply, and it's been our great joy for many years now to share our love for God and our love for music with the people of St. Andrew's.

God often uses music to stir my heart, and sometimes the story behind the writing of a song drives the truth of that song deeper in my heart.  For a few months now, I have been enjoying a tune called "How He Loves" by John Mark MacMillan.  During our women's retreat in the winter, I was struck by how hung up we often get on the mistakes we've made in our lives, and we miss out on the life and joy that God offers us freely.  I had a sense that many of the women gathered were "hung up" as well.  And then we came to the line in the song that declares "I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves..."

Have a listen to the story behind this song, and ask yourself if there are regrets you need to release so you can enjoy how God loves you.

http://vimeo.com/10868953