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?

Preparing for Worship: March 28th, 2010

What a crazy couple of weeks coming up here at Crossroads! I'm so excited for all the really cool stuff going on!

Tomorrow night we have "Crossroads LIVE" featuring comedian Carlos Oscar! Two shows at 6:00pm and 7:45pm with the proceeds going to our Haiti fund to continue helping with relief efforts over there. If you didn't buy tickets shame on you! Maybe if you're really quiet you can sneak in the back for one of the shows. I have some buddies coming to help me open both shows with some rockin music to get the energy up. You don't want to miss it!

Then next week we celebrate the resurrection of our savior from the dead! A friend shared a quote from Phillip Yancey regarding the risen Jesus:

"In many respects I find an unresurrected Jesus easier to accept. Easter makes him dangerous. Because of Easter I have to listen to his extravagant claims and can no longer pick and choose from his sayings. Moreover, Easter means he must be loose out there somewhere."

Wow! Convicting words to be sure! We're going to be having a total of FIVE services this Easter: two services around the big cross on Good Friday, and three services on Easter Sunday! I'm looking forward to some really great times reflecting on Christ's death and resurrection; especially as we sing some really great worship tunes that wrap these truths into song.

Good Friday services are at 6:00pm and 7:30pm, and then our Easter services are at 8:00am, 9:30am, and 11:00am. Heck, you should just come to all five!

So this Sunday we want to gather again, as a group of ruined sinners who've been bought and cleaned by the blood of Christ. The gathered church is one of the most unique groups on the planet, and we need each and every part of the "body" to be there to worship as fully as we can!

Here's what you can do to prepare:

We're going to start with the new song we learned last week: "Let Your Kingdom Come," so make sure you've listened to it a few times, and are familiar with the words and the tune. Then we'll sing "The Father's Love" as a celebration of the truth that we have been brought into the glorious household of God, and we are now a part of his kingdom come here on earth. I think most of you know it by now, but click on the song title and let it's truth excite your heart to come and sing it with fellow heirs with Christ!

Then we have a few minutes to welcome visitors and greet each other, and we'll also get to see a cool recap video from our Mexico team that got back last week from building a house for a needy family down there. Use this time to get excited for what the Lord might call YOU to in a short term missions trip or something similar. Also use this time as an opportunity to give thanks for the IMMENSE blessings we have living in the United States, and in Valencia. We are a rich, rich, filthy rich people, and how often we find ourselves greedily wanting more!

Then we'll sing "Crown Him With Many Crowns," an old hymn of coronation honoring Jesus as the name above all names, and recounting his life, death, and resurrection for our salvation. Let it remind you of the Lord you serve, who is truly the King of all Kings, and as such, deserves our full adoration and praise!

We'll continue the theme of Christ as King by singing the song "You Are My King." Think through the unbelievable truth that the King of the universe became a humble man, and died a horrific death on a cross for our sins, and has sent his Spirit to reside in each and every one of us that has put our trust in Christ.

Then Pastor Todd will preach from God's Word; from the apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesian church; continuing his series called "Sovereign Grace." His passage this week is Ephesians 5:18-21, and it's all about living a Spirit-filled life. It's the second half of his mini-series called "The Wise Walk" so don't miss it! Read the passage by CLICKING HERE so you know the terrain, and ask the Spirit to teach you, and direct you to how you can glorify God by living out these commands.

Then we'll finish up with a song that is all about living in the Spirit: "Breathe." This song compares the Spirit to the air we breathe and the daily bread that sustains us; basically saying that he is absolutely essential to our life as Christians! Think about how you can live a life that is even more surrendered to his leading and convicting every day. Let this song motivate your heart to gospel-centered emotions that will remind you of this desire.

That's what's going on, and I hope those tips are helpful in your preparation to gather and worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Happy Prep!

New Downloads Section...

on the Crossroads website!

I had a couple of random things floating around that I thought I should put somewhere that's easy to get to, so I set up a page to download various recordings and things I do every now and again.

There's only two items there now, but I'll let you know when I add more.

1) The arrangement I did of "The Lord's Prayer"

2) "Confession Song"

Check out the page if you're interested...

Go to www.lifeatcrossroads.org

Click on "Worship"

Scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "Click here for other downloads"

Enjoy!

Or just CLICK HERE.

Preparing for Worship: March 21, 2010

Exciting news today blog readers! I've uploaded and released a 4-song collection of worship songs that are all focused on the resurrection of Jesus! It's a project I've been working on for the last five months or so, and I'm excited to offer it as a free download over on the Crossroads website! I'm asking that anyone who downloads it just consider making a small donation which will go to our missions fund, and specifically, will help fund our upcoming missions trip to India.

CLICK HERE to go to the download page.

I'm excited for this Sunday! We get to share baptisms together! This is always a cool time when Christ followers obediently follow Christ's example and command. We baptize them as an outward symbol of what the Spirit has done in their hearts: that they have been buried with Christ, and are raised with him to newness of life. They have died to their sin, and are raised up in the righteousness of Christ!

We're starting off with two tunes that remind us of the immutable (unchanging) God we serve; that he's the same God who parted the Red Sea; the same God who caused the sun to stand still in the sky; the same God who raised Christ from the dead! "Unchanging" and "The Solid Rock" are a stronghold in times of uncertainty and doubt, and they're a joy to belt out together at the tops of our lungs!

Then we'll have a time of baptisms, and I think we have seven people scheduled to get baptized this week, so we'll probably divide them over the two services, but either way, you'll get to share in at least three baptisms whichever service you come to! This is a great opportunity to encourage those who get baptized, 'cause it's usually a pretty significant time for them, and to share with them that the body of Christ loves them, cares about them, and shares this joy with them is a wonderful way to worship!

Then we'll sing our new song (I always try to post them on the blog BEFORE we sing them, like HERE) "Let Your Kingdom Come," followed by "May The Words (Psalm 19)" as we head toward our time in the word. These songs both deal with the state of our hearts as we live life in the light of Christ. We want our thoughts, words, and actions to always be pleasing to God, and that means we must value the things he values. This is how we follow the command Paul gives in our passage this week to "understand the will of God." We die to ourselves, submit our will and desires to him, and pursue righteousness (the things God declares as right).

Pastor Todd will come and preach to us from Ephesians 5:15-18, part one of a two-part mini-series he's calling "The Wise Walk." CLICK HERE to read this week's passage, and prepare your heart to be receptive to the Spirit as he helps you apply these commands to your life.

Then we'll respond with "From the Inside Out" which is an honest cry to God that we really CAN'T always walk wisely without his Spirit's work in our lives! He is the one who convicts us of sin so we might quickly confess and be restored; he prompts us to do those good works that God has prepared for us that we might walk in them; he gives us the words to say when we share our faith, or when we need to encourage or confront another believer. Our life in Christ is a LIFE LIVED in the Spirit.

How much of your life is lived in the Spirit? How often do you find yourself acting in ways you know aren't pleasing to God? Living in the Spirit is characterized by submission, humility, and love for others. He will fill in the details, but we need to be willing vessels!

So that's what's going on this Sunday. See you there; and happy prep!

New Song: Let Your Kingdom Come

Hey everyone,

I'm sorry I didn't post a Preparing For Worship blog last Friday! I've been waging a war with Spring in my sinuses, and last Friday the lack of airflow was cutting off the oxygen to my brain, so I took a sick day and started a strict regimen of Advil Allergy Sinus.

SO yeah, this week, Pastor Todd will be preaching from Ephesians 5:15-18 where the apostle Paul talks about how to walk with wisdom in the light of life. He says to "understand what the will of the Lord is..." and I kept thinking about the line in The Lord's Prayer where Jesus prays "Thy will be done."

Knowing what the will of the Lord is for your life is a spiritual wisdom that comes with prayer and submission. We can't know God's will if we are so determined to fulfill our own!

This song is called "Let Your Kingdom Come" and it is about God's will for man to be saved from sin through faith in Jesus. There is plenty we may never know about God's perfect will, but we know that he has called us to be vessels to share the good news of the gospel with the lost, and this song reflects that!

It's by Bob Kauflin from Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Check out the lyrics and then sing along with the video underneath!

Let Your Kingdom Come

Your glorious cause O God

Engages our hearts

May Jesus Christ be known

Wherever we are

We ask not for ourselves

But for Your renown

The cross has saved us so we pray

Your kingdom come!

Let Your kingdom come

Let Your will be done

So that everyone might know Your name!

Let Your song be heard

Everywhere on earth

'Till Your sovereign work on earth is done!

Let Your kingdom come!

Give us Your strength O God

And courage to speak

Perform Your wondrous deeds

Through those who are weak

Lord use us as You want

Whatever the test

By grace we'll preach Your gospel

'Till our dying breath