Archive for July, 2009

i’ve been pondering this passage…

{ July 31, 2009 @ 6:05 pm } · { Jesus stuff, blogging, tunes }
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Colossians 3:16-17 NASB

SingingCoShotFull

16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

i love this passage.  i pray that Christ’s Word dwells richly within me.  the thing i love about this translation is it goes on to say that we teach and admonish one another WITH psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  some translations stop that thought and then talk about singing.  i love the NASB because it is an equivalent translated from the Greek.  the Word of Christ is to CONTINUALLY AND ALWAYS dwell in us, and that teaching can be done with song.

so sing with thankfulness and do all you do in the name of the Lord Jesus.

i know i lead rockband worship…

{ July 30, 2009 @ 3:21 pm } · { Jesus stuff, tunes }
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but i love hymns. 

olney-hymns

not gospel songs which alot of people think are hymns and they are not, but truly deep 16th-18th century hymns.  they have amazing theology and are deep with the richness and love of God.  i especially love taking hymns and making the arrangements modern.

i was looking in the hymnal yesterday for a key to a hymn we are doing in a few weeks and found the words (no music) to a hymn by Samuel Wesley.  The notes at the bottom of the page mention that this hymn is one of the few relics found after the fire which destroyed Epworth rectory on the night of Feb 9, 1709 when his son, young John Wesley, was rescued as a “brand plucked out of the burning.”  i’m going to try and write some original music for this.

Behold the Savior of Mankind

Behold the Savior of mankind

Nailed to the shameful tree

How vast the love that Him inclined

To bleed and die for thee!

 

Hark how He groans! While nature shakes,

And earth’s strong pillars bend!

The temple’s veil in sunder breaks,

The solid marbles rend.

 

‘Tis done! The precious ransom’s paid!

“Receive my soul!” He cries;

See where He bows His sacred head!

He bows His head and dies!

 

But soon He’ll break death’s envious chain

And in full glory shine.

O Lamb of God, was ever pain,

Was ever love like thine?

i love confessions and benedictions.

{ July 29, 2009 @ 4:07 pm } · { Jesus stuff }
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i first read and heard this confession when i was at ecclesia in Houston one evening.  they have communion at every service and Chris Seay typically calls it the Eucharist.  i love this confession, and hope to use it in one of our communion services.

wine and bread

CELEBRANT:   You have made us to be free,

 PEOPLE:  But we crave the cheap comforts of our chains. 

 You have made us to serve others,

But we have eyes only for ourselves.

 You have made us to love,

But we are inflamed with lust.

 You provide, that we may be generous,

But we greedily hoard as if your well will run dry.

 You forgive time and again,

But we hold fast to the sins of others.

 You offer light for our path,

But we insist on making our own way. 

 Silence

 CELEBRANT:  You are the God who saves.

 PEOPLE:  Lord, save us from ourselves.  In your great mercy,  restore and heal us, and grant us your peace.

Sunday Setlist.

{ July 28, 2009 @ 8:12 pm } · { Jesus stuff, tunes }
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What we played on Sunday. this post is part of Sunday Setlists over at Fred McKinnon’s blog!

sunday-setlists

We had 3 band members out on Sunday so we had Chris Caraway come out of the booth and play keys and brought in Justin Jinkins otherwise known as Jinx to play lead electric.

Let God Arise-Tomlin (opener)

Announcements/Children’s Time/Welcome

All Over the World-Redman

Healer-Guglielmucci (we’ve been singing this for a few weeks. the bridge is such an amazing cry)

All Because of Jesus-Fee (we introduced this as the offering.  The first time we’ve played with a loop since i’ve been here.  had some issues hearing it, but thought it went well)

Sermon-Touched and Changed

All Creatures of Our God and King-Crowder arr. (invitation and contemplation)

in spite of sound issues, it was a good service. 

hope your’s was good too.

so those of you who know me well…

{ July 28, 2009 @ 2:52 pm } · { Jesus stuff, blogging, books, life }
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know that i read alot.  i’ll read three to five books at a time.  with the move and the new job, i’m not reading as much, but soon i’ll be back in my rhythm.  i love all books.  i read fiction, biographies, how-to books.  you name it, i’ll read it, unless it’s instructions or an operation manual. 

books

i really like books that kick me in the gut.  Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus.  Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell & Don Golden.  etc…

i’ve been reading The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani and i have to say, he really kicks hard.

i struggle quite often with myself and the things that i possess.  i mean i like my iphone and my Macbook.  i’m thankful for my home, cars, clothes.  i then remember the people in the earth that live in abject poverty and feel great sadness that they have nothing.  then i roll back over to, well i went to college, and i’ve worked hard for these things.  then i think wow, these are just things and i don’t deserve any of this.  you hopefully get my meaning.

i have tried on many occasions not to be a “consumer”, but i keep falling back into over consumption.  i look too much like everyone else. 

Jethani talks consumerism as it relates to Christians, if i take my “lack of purchasing control” to the  Christian bookstore, i feel a little better about myself than if i buy it at WalMart. 

“If being a Christian is not marked by a life of increasing righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, love, or justice, what remains to differentiate a follower of Christ from other people?  Perhaps that is the point.  If being a Christian involves no internal transformation, then an external transformation will have to suffice….Approaching Christianity as a brand explains why the majority of people who identify themselves as Christians live no differently than other Americans yet spend enormous amounts of money on Christian products.  Rather than adopting a biblical worldview, they have simply added a Jesus fish onto the bumper of their consumer identities.  And like the products they purchase, the branded Christian’s identity will always be more about image than substance.”

well i guess it’s time to go throw out all of my Tommy Hellfighter & got Jesus shirts. (if you really know me, you know that i don’t have any of those shirts)

after two weeks at camp…

{ July 23, 2009 @ 3:55 pm } · { Jesus stuff, life, tunes }
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it’s hard to get back into the swing of things.  i’m getting back into my rhythm (for those of you who know me, i even despise the word routine). 

i’ve been pondering this thought…

do i really love people?  i mean, do i.  i say i do, but do my actions and my heart convey that actual feeling?  do i only love those who agree with me or who run in my circle?  what does love look like and do i do those things?  sometimes my heart seems so hard towards some and others are just an inconvenience.  it takes work and it’s difficult to love people.  am i willing to put in that work and brave those difficulties?  tough thoughts for me.  i WANT to desperately, but often i fall very short.

Lord, help me to love people as you love them.  help me to see them thr0ugh your eyes.

so…this is magic…

{ July 21, 2009 @ 2:03 pm } · { Jesus stuff, blogging, life }
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Crowder.  nothing more need be said. (did that make sense?)

i’m in Hasty, AR

{ July 13, 2009 @ 6:26 pm } · { Jesus stuff, life }
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i actually have phone service and can get some internet, so i’ll be updating the blog this week as i get a chance.

btw, the OZARKS are beautiful.  i’ll try to post some pics.

6a00c2251d9ece8fdb00e398ae17190001-500pi

one of the best covers of a song ever….

{ July 11, 2009 @ 7:16 pm } · { life, tunes }
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you gotta love the All American Rejects. i know i do.

leave a comment with your favorite cover songs.  i’ll try to find performances of them.

YES!!!!

i’ve tweeted about cover songs…

{ July 10, 2009 @ 5:36 am } · { tunes }
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a few times, i even asked people their favorite on facebook.  so i thought i would post cool covers on here for a bit.  Ryan Adams doing Wonderwall is already up and now one of my other favorites.

now if only Wilco would do some covers….

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