Preparing For Worship: January 13, 2008

We're gonna have a little change of pace this Sunday with our worship singing.

Does anyone remember going to summer camp and sitting around a campfire while a couple guys with acoustic guitars led in singing?

Well we're gonna revisit those glory days this Sunday as Jeff Cooper ("Coop") and I strum our acoustics and lead in singing.

We'll start with our "Blues-grass" version of "Come Thou Fount" (we had a lot of fun with that last time) as a call to focus our worship on God, and to ask that his Spirit would be at work among us as the body of believers gathered together to glorify his name.

Darren Utley will let us know about some important things coming up for Crossroads, including Pastor's Coffee, Friday Fellowships, and Men's Breakfast.

If I could insert a "Worship Director Moment" here, I'd like to address the "announcements" portion of our service. Sometimes the announcements can seem like an interruption in our service of "worship" can't they? I'd like to suggest that this has to do with our understanding of worship, and not with the way we do announcements.

Here's an example:

Have you ever heard the stories of churches where the style of music has been a divisive factor in the life of the church. "I can't worship with that style" or "I just love the 'worship' (we know that most of the time they mean the music).

God's Word says in 1 Corinthians 10 that whether you eat or drink, to do it all to the glory of God, meaning WORSHIP God in every aspect of your life. Music is a great aspect, but it is not the ONLY one. In those divided churches, there is a need for grace and even "longsuffering" with each other out of a desire to serve each other as we serve the Lord.

In the same way, announcements are opportunities for us to get involved in the lives of others within the Crossroads body, and as we listen to what's going on in the coming weeks, we can be considering and asking God how he might have us be involved in those things in order that we might edify and serve each other as unto the Lord.

I'll be talking about that more later on, it's kind of a passion of mine that we expand what we think of when we think of "worship."

Anyhoo,

After worshiping through announcements, we'll continue singing, and we'll explore that theme of serving one one another, as it is also what Pastor Todd will be preaching on.

We'll sing "Be Glorified" which is a commit to submit song that asks that God be glorified in us. We'll build on that with "Change My Heart Oh God" again realizing that he is the Potter and we are the clay to be used as he wills. And right before Pastor Todd comes we'll sing "Humble King" which reminds us of the example of Christ, that we might follow his example and be each other's humble servants for the glory of God.

Pastor Todd will then preach from 1 Timothy 5:1-16, and like I've said before, a great way to prepare for our worship service is to read the passage and be familiar with it.

After the sermon, we'll respond with the song "May The Words (Psalm 19)" and "For Your Glory," both of which commit our lives to be used by God for his sovereign purpose and for his glory.

Hope that was helpful, and will give you some things to think about as you prepare to gather together with the Crossroads family, and as one body, proclaim the name of our Lord!