Well, I made it to about 3:40 before I totally lost it. I call that progress.
"You are everything you've promised....Alleluia"
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
I know these guys aren't women. I know that. And I know that this feature is called "Wow-ful Women Wednesdays". Doesn't matter. Let these lyrics sink in. I know I need to. This ought to be my heart's cry everyday, but particularly after the teaching I received at our church's recent Ladies' Retreat.
Enjoy. Downhere, with "Let me Rediscover You".
Enjoy. Downhere, with "Let me Rediscover You".
Thursday, June 9, 2011
How I Got Over Myself
Some days are like this, yes? You wake up determined to feel sorry for yourself and all the hard things you need to do. You see the “to-do list” and even as you are scratching one item off, three more get added. The workload of a stay at home, homeschooling mom is daunting. Add to that the burden of those who work from home as well and you have a potential recipe for a pity party. Here is how I have determined to teach my brain (and my heart and my soul) to reconsider this day and the tasks it holds in a way that will leave me rejoicing, rather than pulling the covers over my head in surrender.
Please read the rest of my latest Heart of the Matter Online Article http://heartofthematteronline.com/2011/06/how-i-got-over-myself/
Please read the rest of my latest Heart of the Matter Online Article http://heartofthematteronline.com/2011/06/how-i-got-over-myself/
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wow-ful Women Wednesday
This has been well-circulated lately, and I have posted Carrie Underwood before, but this video certainly bears repeating here on me wee blog. Everytime I hear her sing I think, "now, *that* must be her full voice. She couldn't possibly sing with that strength any higher"....and then she does. And then she key changes. And she sings just as strongly still. Ridiculously talented.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Christmas Countdown
There are soome Christmas songs that everyone covers because they are just that good. This is one of them. But there is something about this version, sung by the lyricist himself, that makes it my favourite version of it. Ever. Mark Lowry sings his song slower than most. And he sings it like he's really speaking to Mary, and really just as awed as she must have been to find out just who her son truly was.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
This Sunday I have the joy of leading the music at our church again. It is such a humbling thing to do. There is nothing better than being surrounded by my musician friends using their gifts to worship the Lord and hearing the Body of Christ singing their worship to the Lord too. If you will allow me a (possibly cheesy) word picture, let me try to explain what it is like to be surrounded by worshippers. When I was a young girl I had a friend who had a large weeping willow tree on her yard. We would push through the hanging tendrils and hide in the sanctum sanctorum of the mighty tree. We were completely enveloped in the shelter of the tree, set apart from the rest of the world. And that is how it feels when I get the privilege of being enveloped on all sides by instruments and voices, all of us singing with one heart, set apart for our great God and King. There's nothing like it.
This Sunday, as I said, we have the joy of doing it all again. This time we have a really pared down band. Piano. Bass. Acoustic Guitar. Three voices. I'm looking forward to filling the church with some good harmonies and simple melodies. Every once in a while I have a moment of worry that the sound will be too thin or the voices too sparse to adequately convey to the Lord our GREAT thanks to him. But I think that fear is unfounded. He knows our hearts. And no "bigness" of sound ever could be enough to adequately praise him anyway.
I've said here before that whenever I sing the Hymn "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" I always assume the hymn writer meant that he wished he had 1000 tongues of his own as if that might give him greater ability to sing his great redeemer's praise. Maybe that's not what he meant, but it sure is in my mind's eye.
So this weekend we will praise God in our big smallness. And I can't wait. And if I needed any confirmation that a small team can make a joyful sound there is this video (which granted, has nothing to do with the God-theme of this post, but does have the same band make up.) :-)
This Sunday, as I said, we have the joy of doing it all again. This time we have a really pared down band. Piano. Bass. Acoustic Guitar. Three voices. I'm looking forward to filling the church with some good harmonies and simple melodies. Every once in a while I have a moment of worry that the sound will be too thin or the voices too sparse to adequately convey to the Lord our GREAT thanks to him. But I think that fear is unfounded. He knows our hearts. And no "bigness" of sound ever could be enough to adequately praise him anyway.
I've said here before that whenever I sing the Hymn "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" I always assume the hymn writer meant that he wished he had 1000 tongues of his own as if that might give him greater ability to sing his great redeemer's praise. Maybe that's not what he meant, but it sure is in my mind's eye.
So this weekend we will praise God in our big smallness. And I can't wait. And if I needed any confirmation that a small team can make a joyful sound there is this video (which granted, has nothing to do with the God-theme of this post, but does have the same band make up.) :-)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Impressing God
How long have I sat thinking about this post? How long have I had a weight on my heart about this post? *sigh*
My first stirrings and musings on this matter came some 6 years ago when I read "An Unstoppable Force" by Erwin McManus. The whole book kind of got under my skin. And if I'm being honest, I felt sort of annoyed by the premise and presumption in the book. I don't own a copy of the book, so forgive me as I paraphrase, as best as I can, a recurring theme in his writing that got my goat. He would talk about how praying for our children to be safe was a poor thing to pray for. That our goal for ourselves and our children and our churches should be to live dangerous lives for Christ. God wasn't calling us to lives of safety, but to lives of danger, and risk, and doing big things for God.
Now, I agree that the Word promises that we will have trial. We will have tribulations. There is no denying that saints throughout history, and even to today, are suffering for the dangerous righteousness they are living out. And there is no denying that Christ himself did not choose an easy life of safety during his time on earth.
I agree that we need to live lives that are full of action. James says, "Faith without works is dead" and "Be not merely hearers of the word but doers also". We need to act. Jesus acted. I get that. I know the Parable of the Talents. I know how displeased the Manager was with the worker who merely buried his talents, folding his hands and twiddling his thumbs in safety and ease. And I know how pleased he was with the workers who used and developed and risked the talents for a greater reward. I know these truths.
And don't get me wrong: I know myself well enough to know that at heart I am lazy and selfish, and prone to justify my laziness and selfishness under the guise of "being cautious" or "being reasonable". I am also prone to worry, and so the easy thing for me would be to bubble wrap my children and say it was "just being a good steward of the gifts God has given to me".
And also don't get me wrong: The last thing I want is for the church to be a bunch of complacent, comfortable, casserole-loving, isolated, irrelevant, nice guys.
So I struggle with this. I don't want to live a meaningless life of ease and inactivity. I don't want to displease God by wasting the days he has given to me. And yet I look at the life he has given me and wonder how a mom of 7 is supposed to "go and do some big thing to impress God"? I mean, after all, I'm *just* a stay at home mom.
And then I see a video like this...
...and I don't disagree. I think he's right. On many, many levels, he is absolutely right.
But...
Will someone say that being a mom *is* doing a big thing for God?
Will someone please say that choosing to quit your job, live on one income, and stay home and homeschool is living a scary, crazy, unsafe life for some of us?
Will someone please say that being a mom or a dad who works all day, shining the light of Christ to his or her co-workers, and then coming home and making supper, reading stories, praying with the kids, and selflessly spending even more weary hours shining the light at home, and ushering your children into the kingdom of Christ through faith *is* doing a 'big thing for God'?
Will someone please say that working joyfully day in and day out on the factory assembly line,
and honouring your parents,
and loving the saints,
and serving in the local church,
and tithing,
and living your whole life--every second of every day--as a living sacrifice of worship to Christ is just as much a "big thing for God" as anything else you can dream up?
For some wholehearted Christ-seekers, the call will, in fact, be to pick up and spread the gospel to the far-reaching, life-threatening corners of the globe, and to them I say, "Thank you for going, and thank you for making those sacrifices, and thank you for being faithful. May the Lord bless you for your courage and faithful obedience." Truly.
But for the rest of us wholehearted Christ-seekers, who, for the time at least, are being called to stay home and just shine for Christ here, let me say to you, "Thank you for staying, and thank you for making these sacrifices, and thank you for being faithful. May the Lord bless you for your courage and faithful obedience, too."
We need to remember, *I* need to remember, that God is self-sufficient. He doesn't need me or you to dream up something wonderful to do. He doesn't need our service, he doesn't need our "staying" or our "going". However, He does invite us. And when and where and how he invites us better stir our hearts to specific obedience, no matter how different our invitation looks from that of the person next to us.
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more." (Luke 16:10, Luke 12:48)
Lord, you have entrusted me with much here. Let me be faithful in this before I venture off to do anything else. Help me to hear your voice, and your call on my life so I can obey the things you've called me to do, and not try to respond to someone else's call. Help me to remain content in this big thing you've called me to instead of longingly looking for some other way to "impress" you. Thank you for this call, and for this mission. I pray that you will find me to be a faithful servant. And I do pray that you will embolden your church to do the things that please you, starting with the small acts of obedience and faithfulness right in front of our faces.
My first stirrings and musings on this matter came some 6 years ago when I read "An Unstoppable Force" by Erwin McManus. The whole book kind of got under my skin. And if I'm being honest, I felt sort of annoyed by the premise and presumption in the book. I don't own a copy of the book, so forgive me as I paraphrase, as best as I can, a recurring theme in his writing that got my goat. He would talk about how praying for our children to be safe was a poor thing to pray for. That our goal for ourselves and our children and our churches should be to live dangerous lives for Christ. God wasn't calling us to lives of safety, but to lives of danger, and risk, and doing big things for God.
Now, I agree that the Word promises that we will have trial. We will have tribulations. There is no denying that saints throughout history, and even to today, are suffering for the dangerous righteousness they are living out. And there is no denying that Christ himself did not choose an easy life of safety during his time on earth.
I agree that we need to live lives that are full of action. James says, "Faith without works is dead" and "Be not merely hearers of the word but doers also". We need to act. Jesus acted. I get that. I know the Parable of the Talents. I know how displeased the Manager was with the worker who merely buried his talents, folding his hands and twiddling his thumbs in safety and ease. And I know how pleased he was with the workers who used and developed and risked the talents for a greater reward. I know these truths.
And don't get me wrong: I know myself well enough to know that at heart I am lazy and selfish, and prone to justify my laziness and selfishness under the guise of "being cautious" or "being reasonable". I am also prone to worry, and so the easy thing for me would be to bubble wrap my children and say it was "just being a good steward of the gifts God has given to me".
And also don't get me wrong: The last thing I want is for the church to be a bunch of complacent, comfortable, casserole-loving, isolated, irrelevant, nice guys.
So I struggle with this. I don't want to live a meaningless life of ease and inactivity. I don't want to displease God by wasting the days he has given to me. And yet I look at the life he has given me and wonder how a mom of 7 is supposed to "go and do some big thing to impress God"? I mean, after all, I'm *just* a stay at home mom.
And then I see a video like this...
...and I don't disagree. I think he's right. On many, many levels, he is absolutely right.
But...
Will someone say that being a mom *is* doing a big thing for God?
Will someone please say that choosing to quit your job, live on one income, and stay home and homeschool is living a scary, crazy, unsafe life for some of us?
Will someone please say that being a mom or a dad who works all day, shining the light of Christ to his or her co-workers, and then coming home and making supper, reading stories, praying with the kids, and selflessly spending even more weary hours shining the light at home, and ushering your children into the kingdom of Christ through faith *is* doing a 'big thing for God'?
Will someone please say that working joyfully day in and day out on the factory assembly line,
and honouring your parents,
and loving the saints,
and serving in the local church,
and tithing,
and living your whole life--every second of every day--as a living sacrifice of worship to Christ is just as much a "big thing for God" as anything else you can dream up?
For some wholehearted Christ-seekers, the call will, in fact, be to pick up and spread the gospel to the far-reaching, life-threatening corners of the globe, and to them I say, "Thank you for going, and thank you for making those sacrifices, and thank you for being faithful. May the Lord bless you for your courage and faithful obedience." Truly.
But for the rest of us wholehearted Christ-seekers, who, for the time at least, are being called to stay home and just shine for Christ here, let me say to you, "Thank you for staying, and thank you for making these sacrifices, and thank you for being faithful. May the Lord bless you for your courage and faithful obedience, too."
We need to remember, *I* need to remember, that God is self-sufficient. He doesn't need me or you to dream up something wonderful to do. He doesn't need our service, he doesn't need our "staying" or our "going". However, He does invite us. And when and where and how he invites us better stir our hearts to specific obedience, no matter how different our invitation looks from that of the person next to us.
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more." (Luke 16:10, Luke 12:48)
Lord, you have entrusted me with much here. Let me be faithful in this before I venture off to do anything else. Help me to hear your voice, and your call on my life so I can obey the things you've called me to do, and not try to respond to someone else's call. Help me to remain content in this big thing you've called me to instead of longingly looking for some other way to "impress" you. Thank you for this call, and for this mission. I pray that you will find me to be a faithful servant. And I do pray that you will embolden your church to do the things that please you, starting with the small acts of obedience and faithfulness right in front of our faces.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Heard At My House
This is just mini, but really cute to me.
Our oldest did a ribbon/flag dance at our homeschool co-op to "Indescribable". Great song. My youngest girl (3) has been trying to do it at home. And she just now was playing with the ribbon and singing the song:
"Mommy, I was doing the song, 'All-containable, All-complainable'. You know that one?"
Ya. I know *something* like that one. :-)
Our oldest did a ribbon/flag dance at our homeschool co-op to "Indescribable". Great song. My youngest girl (3) has been trying to do it at home. And she just now was playing with the ribbon and singing the song:
"Mommy, I was doing the song, 'All-containable, All-complainable'. You know that one?"
Ya. I know *something* like that one. :-)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wow-ful Women Wednesday
No words. Except this is my heart's cry today. This is the soaring, proclaiming, exalting, uplifting, God-glorifying message I want my life to display. Yes, I will praise the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
Every so often, I regret calling this feature Wow-ful Women Wednesdays. It kind of puts the emphasis on the wrong thing some weeks. Okay, so you could watch this video today and notice the brilliant voice and stage presence of this lady, and you would be right and justified in doing so. But this is really another week when you should just listen to the words and let them permeate your very being. Isn't this the Word you need today?
It is Jesus, our God of the Ages who is our life, our healer, our righteousness, our hope, our everything! Any thing good or "wow-ful" in Darlene Zschech, or in you, or in me, or in any other person I've ever highlighted here is only a gift from this God of Ages.
It is Jesus, our God of the Ages who is our life, our healer, our righteousness, our hope, our everything! Any thing good or "wow-ful" in Darlene Zschech, or in you, or in me, or in any other person I've ever highlighted here is only a gift from this God of Ages.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
Two things to say, really briefly, about this week's video.
First: The lady in this video is one of my top ten female singers of all time. Just so you know. I really heart Christy Nockels.
Second: I LOVE what starts to happen at 2:30. The most stunning, powerful thing I've seen on stage quite possibly ever (yes, I realize that was a massive, sweeping statement, and likely a real hyperbole. Still, it is breathtaking to me). I can't help but imagine what it would be like to worship inside that. It always makes me feel like "hiding in the shadow of his wings" or being "hidden in the cleft of the rock". Such an invisible, non-distracting, protected place. LOVE it.
Praise the Lord! He is Glorious!
First: The lady in this video is one of my top ten female singers of all time. Just so you know. I really heart Christy Nockels.
Second: I LOVE what starts to happen at 2:30. The most stunning, powerful thing I've seen on stage quite possibly ever (yes, I realize that was a massive, sweeping statement, and likely a real hyperbole. Still, it is breathtaking to me). I can't help but imagine what it would be like to worship inside that. It always makes me feel like "hiding in the shadow of his wings" or being "hidden in the cleft of the rock". Such an invisible, non-distracting, protected place. LOVE it.
Praise the Lord! He is Glorious!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
True Love
What a song of rejoicing! What a song of hope!
I am blessed and moved by this song each time I hear it. Especially this paired down version with the Body of Christ joining in with one voice to celebrate the one, True Love that Christ poured out for us.
Phil Wickham (an artist you should really go listen to a whole lot of) singing True Love.
Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us
The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father's Broken Heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Search your heart you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only Son just to save us
The Earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt The Fathers broken heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Now, Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Oh, He is alive
He rose again
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Come close listen to the story
I am blessed and moved by this song each time I hear it. Especially this paired down version with the Body of Christ joining in with one voice to celebrate the one, True Love that Christ poured out for us.
Phil Wickham (an artist you should really go listen to a whole lot of) singing True Love.
Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us
The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father's Broken Heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Search your heart you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only Son just to save us
The Earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt The Fathers broken heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Now, Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Oh, He is alive
He rose again
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died
Come close listen to the story
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
Happy Dominion Day! Let's celebrate some Wow-ful Canadian Women today shall we?
Let's start off patriotic and emotional and overwhelmed with happy happy. Gotta love a Gold Medal Olympic Moment.
And this Wow-ful woman is highlighting her wow-ful man. Do you remember this from CBC TV commercials? Seriously, instantly takes me back to my days in Selkirk, Manitoba.
But on a more "Dominion" note, I will end here. This is my prayer for our cities, and our nation. Happy Canada Day! (I know they aren't Canadian, but Commonwealth counts, right?)
Let's start off patriotic and emotional and overwhelmed with happy happy. Gotta love a Gold Medal Olympic Moment.
And this Wow-ful woman is highlighting her wow-ful man. Do you remember this from CBC TV commercials? Seriously, instantly takes me back to my days in Selkirk, Manitoba.
But on a more "Dominion" note, I will end here. This is my prayer for our cities, and our nation. Happy Canada Day! (I know they aren't Canadian, but Commonwealth counts, right?)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays (kind of...)
I have been diligently reading Unceasing Worship by Harold Best for our Worship Arts family at church. We are all reading this book to get us on the same page or at least asking the same questions.
This morning I was challenged by the call to see witnessing as life. I should back up. The premise of the book, a la Romans 12, is that all of life is an act of worship to someone or something. Now the author is saying that all of life is also a witness to which ever god you worship.
Aha. So I can no longer claim that I do not have the gift of evangelism.
Am I living my life in such a way that all of my being, thoughts, actions, expenditures of time and money, attitudes, and desires testify to Christ? Can the watching world know, just by looking, that I serve a different Master? A good and loving Master? An all-powerful, entirely worthy, sovereign Master?
My selection today comes with a paranthesis. There are two incredibly wow-ful women in this ensemble, but they are not highlighted so well. Still, in light of what I am working through this week, no other song seemed to fit quite so well.
Here is Testify to Love by Avalon. All of earthly creation points to Christ. Do I?
All the colors of the rainbow
All of voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
That reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation lives to testify
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
From the mountains to the valleys
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the Hope in every heart will speak what love has done
Colors of the rainbow
Voices of the wind
Heaven reaches out where love begins
Word of every story
Star in every sky
All creation testify
Mountains to the valleys
Rivers to the sea
Heaven reaches out to offer peace
Simple act of mercy
Kingdom come
Every heart will speak what love has done
This morning I was challenged by the call to see witnessing as life. I should back up. The premise of the book, a la Romans 12, is that all of life is an act of worship to someone or something. Now the author is saying that all of life is also a witness to which ever god you worship.
Aha. So I can no longer claim that I do not have the gift of evangelism.
Am I living my life in such a way that all of my being, thoughts, actions, expenditures of time and money, attitudes, and desires testify to Christ? Can the watching world know, just by looking, that I serve a different Master? A good and loving Master? An all-powerful, entirely worthy, sovereign Master?
My selection today comes with a paranthesis. There are two incredibly wow-ful women in this ensemble, but they are not highlighted so well. Still, in light of what I am working through this week, no other song seemed to fit quite so well.
Here is Testify to Love by Avalon. All of earthly creation points to Christ. Do I?
All the colors of the rainbow
All of voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
That reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation lives to testify
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
From the mountains to the valleys
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the Hope in every heart will speak what love has done
Colors of the rainbow
Voices of the wind
Heaven reaches out where love begins
Word of every story
Star in every sky
All creation testify
Mountains to the valleys
Rivers to the sea
Heaven reaches out to offer peace
Simple act of mercy
Kingdom come
Every heart will speak what love has done
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wow-ful Women Wednesday
For Kate. And for me, as I am reminded of the process the Lord is taking me through. I am not who I was. I can be who He is making me. Each moment He is making me a new creature. I will not be like this forever. In a blink He can make me His wholly, completely, entirely. I will be found in Him.
Brooke Fraser singing Shadowfeet
Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
toward home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing, less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when I began.
And I have sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
when the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
There's distraction buzzing in my head
saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
but I've heard rumours of true reality
whispers of a well-lit way
You make all things new
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
Brooke Fraser singing Shadowfeet
Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
toward home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing, less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when I began.
And I have sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
when the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
There's distraction buzzing in my head
saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
but I've heard rumours of true reality
whispers of a well-lit way
You make all things new
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
I've decided to go out on a limb here and post something a little heavier this week. We've been pretty calm and delicate here lately and I felt like showing a whole different kind of Wow today. Really hope I don't lose half my readership over this: having only 2 readers would be sad.
Without further ado, here is Natalie Grant singing "I Will Not Be Moved". It is loud and rocky. The lyrics are brilliant. She is very wow-ful, as is her back up singer. If I had one complaint about this video, it is that the camera work is a little too ADHD for my liking, but this is about vocals, not cinematography so I can overlook it if you can.
I even have a jacket similar to hers that I intend to wear some Sunday. I will not, however, be wearing the fingerless gloves. I'm just not there yet. (she says, stating the obvious).
I have been the wayward child
I have acted out
I have questioned Sovereignty
And had my share of doubt
And though sometimes my prayers feel like
They're bouncing off the sky
The hand I hold won't let me go
And is the reason why...
[Chorus:]
I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved
Bitterness has plagued my heart
Many times before
My life has been like broken glass
And I have kept the score
Of all my shattered dreams and though it seemed
That I was far too gone
My brokenness helped me to see
It's grace I'm standing on
[Chorus]
And the chaos in my life
Has been a badge I've worn
Though I have been torn
I will not be moved
Without further ado, here is Natalie Grant singing "I Will Not Be Moved". It is loud and rocky. The lyrics are brilliant. She is very wow-ful, as is her back up singer. If I had one complaint about this video, it is that the camera work is a little too ADHD for my liking, but this is about vocals, not cinematography so I can overlook it if you can.
I even have a jacket similar to hers that I intend to wear some Sunday. I will not, however, be wearing the fingerless gloves. I'm just not there yet. (she says, stating the obvious).
I have been the wayward child
I have acted out
I have questioned Sovereignty
And had my share of doubt
And though sometimes my prayers feel like
They're bouncing off the sky
The hand I hold won't let me go
And is the reason why...
[Chorus:]
I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved
Bitterness has plagued my heart
Many times before
My life has been like broken glass
And I have kept the score
Of all my shattered dreams and though it seemed
That I was far too gone
My brokenness helped me to see
It's grace I'm standing on
[Chorus]
And the chaos in my life
Has been a badge I've worn
Though I have been torn
I will not be moved
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Fuel For Thought
As I'm thinking about what we do on Sunday mornings:
"Really, there is no beautiful style, no beautiful design, and no beautiful color: there is just one beauty, that of the truth that is revealed."
Attributed to Auguste Rodin (1840 - 1917)
"Really, there is no beautiful style, no beautiful design, and no beautiful color: there is just one beauty, that of the truth that is revealed."
Attributed to Auguste Rodin (1840 - 1917)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
It's All About me
Oh I know, you are reading the title of this post and thinking "how self-centered", but you wait and see. I'm right about this one (kind of).
How many times have you heard someone say (or maybe said yourself) "the corporate worship in such-and-such church is so unfilling / dead / unheartfelt / dry."?...and because of that 'corporate experience' your personal experience suffers. Or, to the opposite, have you ever felt the joy and sincerity in a body of believers and had your personal experience improve because of it?
Well, it isn't about the building, the number of people in the building, the kind of songs they did, the amount of sunshine on that given Sunday, or any number of other variables like that. It is all about me (and you and the guy beside you and the other how many individuals in the room).
We all need to understand that the 'quality' of corporate worship (I use that word 'quality with much reservation, because it sounds more shallow than I intend it) depends on the genuineness and sincerity of the individuals. The corporate experience is the sum of the personal worship experiences (now that is some pretty basic math right?)
So if worship really is about a heart connection between me and the Lord that can happen any where, any time, then the Sunday morning Corporate experience for me should just be an extension of what I've been doing all week. If it is 'good' or 'fulfilling' than I would expect it is because my heart is connected to the Lord regardless of what is going on around me. If it is 'bad' or 'disappointing' then chances are I've been far from the Lord all week and am now too easily distracted by what is going on around me.
Can the corporate influence or enhance the personal? Certainly. The body is there for the edification of all its parts. However, my walk with the Lord starts with just Him and me. My walk will end someday with just Him and me. I would expect that on Sunday mornings my worship needs to be primarily about Him and me (with all those around me doing the same which adds up to a REAALY Great thing.)
If you want to talk more about worship visit www.wonderfulpages.com to follow the conversation they are sponsoring about worship. (their posts may make a bit more sense!)
How many times have you heard someone say (or maybe said yourself) "the corporate worship in such-and-such church is so unfilling / dead / unheartfelt / dry."?...and because of that 'corporate experience' your personal experience suffers. Or, to the opposite, have you ever felt the joy and sincerity in a body of believers and had your personal experience improve because of it?
Well, it isn't about the building, the number of people in the building, the kind of songs they did, the amount of sunshine on that given Sunday, or any number of other variables like that. It is all about me (and you and the guy beside you and the other how many individuals in the room).
We all need to understand that the 'quality' of corporate worship (I use that word 'quality with much reservation, because it sounds more shallow than I intend it) depends on the genuineness and sincerity of the individuals. The corporate experience is the sum of the personal worship experiences (now that is some pretty basic math right?)
So if worship really is about a heart connection between me and the Lord that can happen any where, any time, then the Sunday morning Corporate experience for me should just be an extension of what I've been doing all week. If it is 'good' or 'fulfilling' than I would expect it is because my heart is connected to the Lord regardless of what is going on around me. If it is 'bad' or 'disappointing' then chances are I've been far from the Lord all week and am now too easily distracted by what is going on around me.
Can the corporate influence or enhance the personal? Certainly. The body is there for the edification of all its parts. However, my walk with the Lord starts with just Him and me. My walk will end someday with just Him and me. I would expect that on Sunday mornings my worship needs to be primarily about Him and me (with all those around me doing the same which adds up to a REAALY Great thing.)
If you want to talk more about worship visit www.wonderfulpages.com to follow the conversation they are sponsoring about worship. (their posts may make a bit more sense!)
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