Preparing For Worship: May 2, 2010

"Worship is the gift of participating by the power of the Spirit in the incarnate Son's communion with the Father." ~ James Torrance

This quote is a great summation of understanding the role that each member of the Trinity plays in our redemption and our worship. How amazing that Christ's redemptive work for us on the cross is done, but that even now he sits at the right hand of the Father forever proclaiming us as justified! "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous." 1 Jn 2:1

The Spirit is alive in the hearts of the redeemed and on a daily basis directs us in righteousness, convicts us of sin, illumines the truth of Scripture, and helps us know how to apply it to our lives. In the corporate worship setting, he molds our hearts together in biblical unity, and gifts us to encourage each other in the Lord. It is a privilege to be a part of the supernatural sculpting and crafting of the body of Christ by the Spirit, and I hope it's a privilege for you as well.

It's with this view of the Spirit's power and work that we'll invite his active presence and submit ourselves to his leading and purpose by singing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" which asks the Spirit to:
-tune our hearts to sing of God's grace
-teach us the melodious sonnets of the angels
-lead us safely to our heavenly home
-bind our wandering hearts to God
-seal our hearts for the courts of heaven above!

That's a pretty hefty list! I think of the lists that my wife will leave for me, and in comparison I have it EASY. As you practice this tune in preparation for Sunday, consider what the Spirit may want to do in your heart and ask him to go to town!

Then Pastor Todd will come and echo that song's sentiment as we pray for our morning that God would be honored by our time and that he'd teach us and mold us a little more into the image of his Son.

Next we'll sing the new song I posted earlier this week called "Eternal Praise" and go right into "How Great is Our God." Check out the video for Eternal Praise so you can practice it and be able to sing it with us Sunday; plus I made the video myself!

Then Pastor Todd will continue to teach from his mini-series "The Haustafel" as we steadily plow through the remainder of Ephesians. He's on part four this week and it's the section that addresses slaves and their masters. Since slavery is illegal in our day and age, many have found it helpful to apply the principles taught here to the employee/employer relationship. CLICK HERE to read the passage this week and ask Pastor Todd why the Bible never condemns slavery...

After the sermon we'll share the Lord's Supper together, remembering the sacrifice of Christ on the cross; how he offered us a new covenant in his blood! This is sort of a solemn and meditative portion of the service, but it's also very meaningful as we consider that he was put to death for the sins of each of us. During communion we'll sing "Once Again" to help us connect heart and mind as we thank Christ for the cross.

We'll close with "The Stand" recalling our new life and freedom because of the cross, and we'll commit to stand, arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all for us. Announcements and a prayer of blessing as we give our tithes and offerings and we'll call it a day! That's what's going on, so happy prep!

New Song: "Eternal Praise" by Enfield

I'm excited to teach this tune to you this week from the band Enfield with whom I have had the privilege of playing at the Resolved Conference for the past two years. The song was written by my friends Ryan Foglesong and David Zimmer specifically for the album "O For That Day" which is an entire album of songs devoted to the theme of heaven. The album has been a blessing to me and many others as it has helped cultivate in us a desire for the sinless perfection and joy that we'll experience when we either go to be with the Lord through death or he comes again in glory.

Here are the lyrics:

What joyful thoughts doth heaven bring;
where righteous ones will worship Thee?
No sadness, fear, or suffering;
but joyful cries to the King of Kings!
What sacrifice the Father made:
to crush the Son who bore our shame,
Yet raised him up that glorious day
to give us hope and a holy name!

O praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
who wrote, with blood, our eternal praise!
Let the nations of the earth proclaim:
Hallelujah!

"O praise the name of Jesus"
our song forever shall be.
Let the anthem of salvation
be the song that we shall sing.

What deepened wounds have saved our souls;
what blood that washed our sins of old!
What precious hands have ransomed men
and brought us to Himself again!
What hope is in our heavenly home,
where we will bow at our Father's throne,
And walk with Him on streets of gold
and kiss the Christ we long to hold!

Behold the city of the King: hallelujah!
His glory is the air we breath: hallelujah!

Since there were only partial clips of us playing this tune at Resolved, I recorded a simple video to help you learn the tune. Check it out!

Preparing for Worship: April 25, 2010

Another Sunday is around the corner and it's another opportunity to bring our offering of worship to the Lord with the community at Crossroads. As we do so, it's also an opportunity to reap wonderful benefits: being refreshed by the fellowship of believers, being reminded of Christ and the gospel through the songs we sing and the scriptures we study, encountering the Holy Spirit in a unique way as he works in both the heart of the individual and the heart of the congregation as a whole.

We shared a spectacular time together last weekend as we hosted The Children of the World. My wife and I chose a child to sponsor after their concert last Sunday night, and each time I walk by the fridge and see her picture I am reminded of the command of Jesus to look after widows and orphans, and how so much of the world lives in extreme poverty. I appreciate the message of World Help (the sponsoring agency of the Children of the World): Just start with one. The problem of poverty and not enough clean water is a daunting mountain, but it can only be climbed one step at a time.

I hope that events like that and our times together each weekend are causing growth in each of our lives. We must beware of complacency that would relegate the corporate gathering of the body of Christ to "just another activity." I'm praying hard today that the Spirit would stretch us and grow us because we are faithful to meet for prayer, praise, and preaching (also: pancakes next month on the 23rd...). Let's strive together to make each time we're together a profitable one through prayer and preparation...

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
-Ephesians 4:14-16

This week we're going to start with "Enough" and "For You Are The Lord" (sorry I don't have a link for that song!) that are great tunes to help us shake off the distractions and the sleepiness and put the Lord in focus. I've mentioned before that this opening portion of the service is usually referred to as the "Call to Worship" but I like to think of it more as a "Refocus" of our worship which tends to slip away from Christ and onto ourselves or other things in life. We are always worshiping something, so the ever-present task is to keep that worship directed towards the one who is worthy of all praise!

We'll take a few moments to corporately ask God's blessing on our time as we offer it for his glory. I know that sometimes this part can feel programmatic and "liturgical" (same thing, same way, same time, every time), but I really think it's the most appropriate time to do it since we've taken some time to really settle our minds in to worship. We need God's Spirit to be active within each of us during this time otherwise we're just putting on a show. It's the Spirit that does the real work through the various aspects we participate in together. This part of the service is a fundamental exercise in submitting to God's authority and the Spirit's power, so pray hard!

Then we'll get to greet each other and welcome visitors (DON'T skimp on that second part!!), but again, in the Spirit we're greeting with purpose: affirming each others' faithfulness in being there, encouraging participation and unity, and offering a loving smile or hug.

Next we'll jump into a few more songs: "In Christ Alone" and "God of This City" that will help prepare us for a time of individual and corporate prayer for the folks we wrote down on our "Strive for Five" cards. If you've still got that card somewhere at home, try and bring it with you for this time. If you don't know what "Strive for Five" is, it's a church wide exercise in prayer and witness to unbelieving family and friends. You can pick up a card where you fill in the names of five people in your life that you will commit to pray for and share Christ's love with. We'll take a minute for silent personal prayer, and then a couple more minutes to pray together as a few of our folks lead us from the front. We'll lead right into the tune "Let Your Kingdom Come" as an appropriate closer to this time.

Then Pastor Todd will come and preach God's Word through the apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and specifically to the "children" of the household in Ephesians 6:1-4. CLICK HERE to read this passage as you prepare for worship. Todd's sermon is the third part of a mini-series called "The Haustafel" which is the German word for "House Table" as the apostle Paul takes a proverbial look around the table at each household member and instructs them in their God honoring roles. CLICK HERE to listen to part 1, and CLICK HERE to listen to part 2.

We'll respond in song with the tune "You Alone" as we remember that we walk in roles not simply for effective household management, but as an offering of worship to God who ALONE is father, and good, and Savior!

SO that's what's happening on Sunday morning; looking forward to a super morning together, and allowing the Spirit to grow us so we're not just a social club, but a living, growing body that grows more and more into the fullness of Christ!

Happy prepping!

Preparing for Worship: April 16th, 2010

"...the songs we use in worship should, when taken together, join that which is deeply individual to that which is deeply shared. They should unite the "I" with the "We." If we follow the example of the Psalms, we will help individual experience of God energize the worship of the community, even as corporate worship helps individuals to experience God more profoundly."
-Dr. Mark D. Roberts

One of the cool things about the corporate worship experience is the unique blend of personal and "communal" perspective. On one hand, every believer that walks in the door has the 100% presence of the Holy Spirit within them, and as they sing praise, thanksgiving, confession, and the gospel, it can be a highly personal time as they respond in their own ways to God and to the atoning death of Christ in their place.

On the other hand, the presence of the Holy Spirit can be manifested in other ways when the group of local believers that together make up the body of Christ are gathered! I've said before that when the worship band rehearses prior to Sunday, often times we are rehearsing a set of songs, but when the body of Christ offers those songs as their communal declaration they become something much more that both honors God and builds up those who take part!

I'd encourage you to consider this balance of personal/corporate this coming Sunday. Consider how your participation in the service through singing, giving, and diligently studying not only builds you up and honors God, but also is an act of edification to those around you. I feel like Pastor Todd and I are the greatest recipients of this since we get to see all of you as you face us. It's amazing how each and every person's facial expressions, body language, and countenance can add (or take away!) to the combined energy of the service. It can be compared to a sports team getting pumped up for a match as they get together in a huddle and remind themselves what is at stake, and to do their very best.

And that's the end of Worship Class 101 for this week! :)

This weekend we're really excited to have the Children of the World with us! If you don't know these kids, you are in for a treat. They are an international children's choir with kids from all over the world. They travel around and help raise awareness for international needs and ministry opportunities. They'll be sharing a song during our service as a "teaser" for their full concert which they'll be sharing with us Sunday night at 6:00pm.

So our service this week will start with the tune "Everlasting God" as an energetic call to worship based on Isaiah 40. Notice the use of the word "We" in this tune as opposed to "I," we wait on the Lord corporately in addition to individually.

After this tune, we will worship as Pastor Todd prays and welcomes everyone, and as we say a warm "top o' the mornin' to ya!" to friends and visitors.

Next, the Children of the World will come and give us a taste of what's to come during their evening concert; it's gonna be so rad! One of the kids will also give their testimony to give us all a perspective on how life is so different (and honestly, so much harder!) in other parts of the world. This is a great opportunity to worship by giving thanks for the huMUNgous blessing it is to live in America, and to be able to work and support our families.

After this, we'll jump back into singing, with a hymn that reminds us that our God is a glorious and almighty King over ALL the nations: "Your Great Name We Praise." We'll transition right into the Delirious tune "Majesty" to highlight what a tremendous privilege we have to stand before the holy King, "empty handed, but alive in Your hands!" I hope these tunes will be a powerful reminder of the gospel, and the forgiveness we've been offered through the death of Christ.

Then Pastor Todd will come and preach part two of "The Haustafel" from the last few verses of Ephesians 5 as we continue our way through this theological treasure house!

In case you missed last week, "The Haustafel" is German for "the house-table." The term was applied to this passage of scripture by Martin Luther as he reflected on the apostle Paul's instruction to each "member of the house." He gives the picture of the apostle going around the dinner table, if you will, to each person, instructing them on their appropriate roles. Check out Pt. 1 by CLICKING HERE. You can listen and get caught up for Pt. 2. CLICK HERE to read this week's scripture passage as you prepare to receive the Spirit's illumination and application of this passage to your life.

Then we'll respond with two songs to help us process the text and the message. "I Surrender All" reminds us that we carry out our roles in family not to "have a good marriage" or "avoid conflict in the house" but because we submit to CHRIST! Then we'll sing "Jesus, Thank You" which is a vivid reminder of Christ's own submission to the will of the Father; becoming obedient unto death so that lost souls might be won to new life!

So that's what's happening this weekend; looking forward to sharing it with you in just a few days! Click on the song titles of any tunes you aren't familiar with to hear how they go. Happy prep!

Preparing for Worship: April 11th, 2010

Well Easter 2010 is in the history books, and what a great weekend it was at Crossroads! We had five services over the course of the weekend, and for our three Sunday morning services we saw over 700 people come to celebrate the resurrection of the Savior! I've heard of one man giving his life to the Lord just a day or two later after coming to visit Crossroads on Easter Sunday! I'm thankful for the sweet spirit that God's placed in the hearts of the people of our church.

This Sunday we're back to our "normal" routine of things and personally, I'm thankful! Celebrating big holidays like Easter and Christmas are AMAZING, but there's nothing like worshiping with the family I know and love each and every week. There is definitely something to be said for consistency and the body is incomplete when it's members are missing; so don't miss! :)

This Sunday we are going to start out our time with two awesome songs about God's power and majesty. The first, "Glorious and Mighty" is a celebration of God's sovereignty, and the anticipation of his glorious return for his church. "Before the Throne of God Above" is a proclamation of our right standing with the righteous Creator of the universe, and though Satan tempt us with guilt and doubt, or physical death take us, we are "one with himself [and] cannot die!!"

Then, after Todd prays for the morning and welcomes any visitors, etc. we'll get to hear from Crossroads Missionaries Peter and Heather Malakar who are visiting the US with a very cool purpose...

We'll have a few moments to say hi to those sitting around ya, and maybe meet someone new, and then we'll jump into some more songs about the greatness of God. "How Great Thou Art" reflects on God's power displayed in his handiwork across the universe, and "Mighty to Save" parallels that power with his power to rescue us, and defeat the power of sin!

Savior, he can move the mountains; my God is mighty to save!

Then Pastor Todd will come and preach from the book of Ephesians as we cross some very close to home (quite literally) terrain. Paul is talking to each member of the household, and teaching them the roles that God would have them uphold in their home. CLICK HERE to check out this important teaching from God's Word. The ideas that we have biblical roles can be offensive to some people, as it can portray an inequality in relationship, but this is not what the apostle Paul is trying to say! Come Sunday and hear the real story...

Then we'll respond to the truth of the Word with the song "The Stand." This is a new tune we did on Good Friday, and it's a powerful reminder of how God created the whole world, sent his Son to die, and sent his Spirit to live in us, so that our souls could "stand." Remember, before Christ, we were all dead in our sins, so when we are made alive in Christ, our souls can really stand for the first time, pure, cleansed, and justified before a holy God! The bridge of the song says "so I'll stand with arms high, and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all. I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to You surrendered; all I am is Yours!!"

Be sure to check out that video if you're not that familiar with the tune. It's definitely one you'll want to be singing at the top of your lungs with the Crossroads family on Sunday!

So that's what's going on this weekend. Pray for the group of our men that will be away on retreat, that God will speak to them and teach them in all wisdom and truth; and that they'll come back stronger leaders in their homes and in our church!

See you Sunday; happy prep!

"Youse Guys"

Hey everyone, my apologies for not posting a Preparing for Worship blog last Friday. IT'S NOT MY FAULT THIS TIME! The Blogger website was experiencing technical difficulties and I could not post any new material!

I think we had a great weekend together remembering Christ's death and resurrection together; and I think God was honored by the time we spent reflecting on the cross, and what it means to have new life in Christ.

I wanted to share a quote from a book I'm reading that reveals an interesting perspective on the plurality of the local church; meaning that we are not just a bunch of individuals, but together we are one collective body...

This quote is from a book called "Why Church Matters: Worship, Ministry, and Mission in Practice" by Jonathan R. Wilson. He's talking about the corporate witness of the church community to the community in which it exists:

"I begin with the importance of community not because it is the first or most important part of the commission that Jesus gave, though both may be argued. Rather I begin with community because this aspect is the most neglected and least recognized. When Jesus commissions his disciples, he commissions them as a whole, not as individuals...

This plurality of commissioning and indeed of the new Testament is obscured for us today by the limitations of contemporary English. In the English that we use today, we have no clear second person plural. "You" refers both to a singular "you" and a plural "you." Now, having grown up in the southern United States, I am quite familiar with the possibilities of "y'all." And I've also heard "youse" and "youse guys." But none of those colloquialisms will ever be sufficiently recognized to help us recover the you-plural...

This limitation is extremely unfortunate, because most of the New Testament passages that are addressed to "you" are plural in the original Greek...

[The King James Bible uses the word "ye" for the plural "you"]

Consider the following verses:

'But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added...' (Matt. 6:33)

'Go ye therefore, and teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' (Matt. 28:19)

'And ye are witnesses of these things.' (Luke 24:48)

'But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' (Acts 1:8)

These promises and commands of Jesus are given to "you plural" -the community that is the people of God...

...the very nature of the gospel requires community for witness by living out the practices and language of the gospel. Reconciliation, forgiveness, restoration, praise, thanksgiving, and so much more have their beginnings in God's gracious act in Jesus Christ. But as human beings are called into Christ, none of these actions can be contained in a relationship merely between God and the individual. In every part of the Old Testament and New Testament, the call of any individual is to and for the community."

So what do you ("youse guys") think?