Preparing For Worship: June 1st

Wow, Sunday June 1st, we're nearly ready to move into our new building! Speaking of that, if some of you buff, burly men want to come help us move our offices tomorrow morning (Sat. 5-31) at 9:00, we'd really appreciate it!

As we prepare for Sunday morning, we read in Ecclesiastes 6 a "part two" of sorts from last week's passage. King Solomon continues to reflect on the vanity, or pointlessness, of having "stuff." This "Myth of more," as Pastor Todd named it last week, deceives us into pursuing material possessions in this life, thinking that the objects themselves will bring us fulfillment.

It is God who alone is fulfilling, and who alone enables us to enjoy the delights of life. We must be careful to remember that everything we enjoy is a gift from God, and it must be enjoyed in light of his graciousness and goodness, and not unto themselves.

This Sunday we will join our hearts together as we corporately declare to God that we want to know him more by singing "In The Secret" as our call to worship. Then Darren Utley will share some important announcements of various things going on within our church body.

We'll have a special time of prayer and commissioning for some of our people who are going out to various places to minister this summer in a variety of ways, including Erin Axline, John Book and family, Mallory Smith, Holly Stark, and Andy Toy. Please join us as we send them off to do God's work in the places they are going!

We'll continue worshiping as we sing our new song "Everlasting God," and then "Mighty To Save" which both remind us of the calling we have to live faithful lives that are pleasing to God, that he might be glorified in us, and that the world would see that we are "singing for glory of the risen King, Jesus!"

Pastor Todd will then teach us from God's Word as we worship by humbly submitting to its authority in our lives, and seeking to apply its truth in a practical way.

We'll transition to a time of communion and remembering Christ's death on the cross, during which we'll sing "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" and then be dismissed as we sing "We Trust Your Will" declaring to God (and to ourselves) that we recognize and trust in his sovereignty in all things, and echo the apostle Paul's words to the Roman church: "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

New Song: Everlasting God

Hi everyone, we are doing a new song together this week that you may have heard recorded by Chris Tomlin.

It's called "Everlasting God" and here are the lyrics, followed by a video with the song.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever!
Our Hope, our strong Deliverer!

You are the everlasting God!
The everlasting God!
You do not faint You won't grow weary!

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles!

By Brenton Brown and Ken Riley
Copyright 2005 Thankyou Music
CCLI License 2915685

Good Christian Music: Run Kid Run

For fans of: Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Hawk Nelson

I like a little "bubble gum punk rock" every now and again, and this band really fits the bill when you want a simple, upbeat, catchy sound with a good message.

Good production from the same guy who produced Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever, and Underoath gives this album a very clean presentation, and sounds good when you blast it loud!

I thought this section of their song "Fall Into This Light" was especially good, in light of our study of Ecclesiastes:

Yeah to you my life belongs
A fleeting vapor holding on
Until the race is won
So strange and beautiful to me
Heads turn to think they were possibly meant to be
Love connects our brokeness shows
A pair needs one to lead and one to follow

Check out their Myspace HERE

Preparing For Worship: May 25th, 2008

The countdown is on until our first service in our new building!! Two more after this week! Praise God for his provision and for opening doors that only he could!

So we cherish these last few weeks of meeting in our beloved cafeteria, and we thank God for where he's brought us in the last 18 months as a church (I say that even though I haven't even been there for all 18, but you know what I mean!!)

This Sunday, Pastor Todd resumes our study in the book of Ecclesiastes, picking up in chapter 5:8-20. Be sure to prepare by reading the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning to your heart and mind, and that he would help you to apply its truth to your life.

We'll start the service with a reminder of the terms on which we come before God by singing "I Am A Friend Of God" which is true because of the atoning death of Christ on the cross!

Darren Utley will remind us of upcoming events and ministry opportunities, and we'll transition into a time to greet each other, and especially those who would be visiting this week!

We'll sing some more together as we start to focus our thoughts and minds on what God would have for us in his Word. Pastor Todd will be talking about "The Myth Of More" and, as Solomon calls it, the "vanity of wealth and honor." We'll consider the idea that true, and complete fulfillment is found in God, and he's orchestrated it that way! So we'll sing songs that remind us of that: "Beautiful One," "Enough," and "Better Is One Day."

Pastor Todd will then come and teach us from the Word, and then we'll have a chance to respond, and worship God as our ultimate goal and fulfillment by singing our new song "Be Unto Your Name" and "Draw Me Close." May the words we sing always come from an engaged heart, and active mind, and not as a vain repetition of words and tunes we've memorized!!

See you Sunday!

New Song: Be Unto Your Name

We'll be singing a new song this week called "Be Unto Your Name"

Check out a video with audio of the song HERE.

"Be Unto Your Name"
We are a moment, You are forever
Lord of the ages, God before time
We are a vapor, You are eternal
Love everlasting, reigning on high!

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!
Highest praises, honor, and glory
Be unto Your name!

We are the broken, You are the Healer
Jesus, Redeemer, mighty to save!
You are the Love Song we'll sing forever
Bowing before You, blessing Your name!

By Gary Sadler and Lynn DeShazo
Copyright 1998 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
CCLI License 2915685

Good Christian Music: Future Of Forestry

For fans of: Something Like Silas, U2, Leeland, Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World

One reason this band shares a similar sound with Something Like Silas is that this is the new project of Something Like Silas' singer/songwriter Eric Owyoung.

Strong rock/pop textures that form a nice base for Owyoung's deep, cutting vocals, give Future Of Forestry a unique sound in the midst of the mediocre majority.

Owyoung is a creative and imaginative lyricist and his themes of redemption and forgiveness are epic and bring something new to an often cliche and overdone genre of themes.

Check out their myspace for a few songs, and catch their album everywhere, including iTunes

Preparing For Worship: May 18th, 2008

Looking forward to a great Sunday with you all this weekend, and I hope these blog posts are helpful to you as you prepare yourselves to come and worship with the Crossroads family!

I'm subbing at Village Christian today, so my post will be short, but here's what's going on on Sunday.

Ken Ruggles will be preaching on "The Character of God" from the book of Job. So we'll be spending the whole morning marvelling at the greatness of God. We'll start with the song "Indescribable" and then Pastor Todd will bring us some announcements.

We'll continue singing of God's amazing character with "Immortal, Invisible," "Mighty To Save," and "How Great Is Our God."

Ken will bring us his message for the morning, and we'll follow that with a time of silent response, as I share a new song with us that is based on Job's response to the character of God called "Shall I Attempt To Speak." (the song for which this blog is named)

We'll end our service together by singing "How Great Thou Art" as we go. May God's greatness of character cause us to have a greater love, fear, and awe of who he is!