It's a draining cycle, and sometimes on Mondays I can't even imagine how I'll work up enough momentum for the next week to match the excitement and energy of the worship gathering we shared the day before.
The book of Psalms tells us that God is enthroned on, or dwells in, the praises of Israel. Other translations say that he inhabits their praise. This means that when the people of God worship, and lift their praise to the Creator, that his Spirit is manifested in their outpouring. This is truly something so supernatural and amazing, and something I'm blessed to witness through all of you each week! I get to watch a transformation that occurs between when I choose, arrange, and rehearse a group of songs, and when a choir of sanctified voices declares the majesty of God and the power of the gospel in a Sunday service!
That transformation is what drives and excites me each week as I plan our services. I want to thank each of your for your part in the process. God's Spirit is fully present in those of us who have given our lives to the Lord, but it's also present in a unique way over the whole of his people who gather each week at Crossroads, and at churches all over the valley, and across the world.
So this week, we have a great morning to look forward to!
We start off with a call to worship with "Open The Eyes of My Heart" and "Stir In Me." It's when the Lord opens the eyes of our hearts to his glory and majesty, that he then stirs in us fire and passion for that glory and majesty to be displayed both in our own lives, and in the proclamation of the gospel!
We have a few minutes to hear and see a report from our Ministry Assistant, Rachel Roleder, as she's freshly returned from six weeks teaching in India. She'll recap a little bit, and show us some pictures from her time.
One of our Elders, Darren Utley, will come up next and take care of a few items of business, including our upcoming Giving Sunday (to help cover some of the costs of moving into our North Campus), and our Elder Affirmation regarding the calling of Wayne Dell and Tom Halstead to join our Elder board.
We'll sing a few more songs: "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus" and "Forever (The Nails in Your Hands)" as we prepare for Pastor Todd's sermon from Ephesians 1:7-10. CLICK HERE to read the text and prepare your hearts as we dive into a theologically rich passage that's packed with the theme of Sovereign Grace.
We'll respond with "How Great is Our God" as we mull over the weight of God's wisdom and grace in his plan of redemption.
Should be a really cool morning, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with all of you!
PS.
Be sure to check out some of the videos I've linked to the song titles; there are some really cool arrangements!
-The video for "Open the Eyes..." is from a worship service at a Calvary Chapel in Budapest!! It's amazing to me that we're singing the same song, worshiping the same God as believers on the other side of the world!
-The video for "Stir in Me" is an awesome medley with "It Is Well" and the vibe is really mellow and dark. Very cool!
-"Nothing But The Blood" is performed by an artist I really like named Phil Wickham. He's got such a great voice.
-"Forever (Nails)" is from an album by Everybodyduck, which was a worship band that used to lead at Hume Lake during the years I attended in high school. Good memories! Also, if you use Twitter, I'd recommend following Darin Mcwatters. He was the lead singer for Everybodyduck, and he's a really funny guy. He is a good "Tweeter."
-"How Great" is a cool version of the song that's really upbeat and energetic!
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