A few weeks ago in my post "Pushing Yourself", I mentioned a song that our team is learning called "Victory In Jesus". I noted how that song required me to learn a new playing technique that I wasn't used to going into the song. Well, after some practice and experience with it, I think I have gotten close. Well, much closer than I was before.
When I played it this past Sunday, I had a moment during the second service that I've been waiting for; that moment where the song just kind of "clicked" for me. If you're a musician, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I had a similar experience about 5 years ago on stage when the guitar's fretboard just opened up to me and everything just made much more sense. This time, it wasn't so much the fretboard and the notes as it was the technique and how to get the sound I want out of that cumbersome glass slide around my finger. So, below is a 20 second clip of the band playing it on Sunday with my attempt at the song.
Enjoy!!
Justin
I listen to a lot of Christian radio, and I have been listening to it for quite a few years. I love the inspiring and empowering lyrics that so many songs bring to my walk with Christ. But recently, I have found myself thinking deeper about the lyrics that are being said amidst the catchy and uplifting music that is coming across my car speakers. Sometimes, this takes away from my listening experience, but other times, it leads to some really cool chats with my kids.
There is a song that has been played over and over again, relentlessly, for the past 9 months or so and it is driving me crazy! It has some really questionable theology in it but listeners continue to request it to be played at a very high rate. The song is by Mercy Me and is titled "Flawless". Take these lyrics for example:
“No matter the bumps. No matter the bruises. No matter the scars. Still the truth is the cross has made, the cross has made you flawless.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I allowed this to go beyond being the catchy tune that it is, I was struck upside my head by these words. The cross has made me flawless? I sort of see where the song writer is going with this, but they have this all wrong. There will come a time for everyone who calls upon Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives when they will be flawless, but now is not that time.
We are not flawless, by any standard. We are stained, and we are spotted. We are sinful human beings who are striving to become more and more Christ-like throughout our lives. Jesus came to this earth and called us to repentance. How can we repent of something if we are already flawless? He then took our sins and willingly died on the cross, not so we can walk around feeling like we are flawless, rather, He died to give us the opportunity to be saved from ourselves.
This life is full of highs and lows as well as everything in between. It is a journey that is full of brokenness, heartache and failure…we are NOT flawless. We are fallen, sinful men and will remain as such until we pass on from this life and finally meet our flawless Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face.
On to the next radio station. Thank you Lord, “But You Loved Me Anyway” by Sidewalk Prophets is playing to remind me of who I am and who I am to Him.
In case you’d like to give these a listen, here are some links for you:
"You Loved Me Anyway"
"Flawless"
Scott
Over the past couple of years I have blogged about the annual worship conference that I attend, the Experience Conference. The conference was last week and once again I thought I would share with you some things that you might find interesting. So, here we go:
1. Music people are still weird. I say this every year when I get back, but it's true. Music people are weird. We just are. Unfortunately, I think that I am getting weirder as I get older. Yikes.
2. Speaking of age, I am getting old. It used to be that when I went to this conference I was one of the younger attendees. Now, I think I am becoming one of the older ones. And to make it worse, the worship artists on stage are looking younger and younger each year as well. There was a group from Liberty University that led worship for one of our morning sessions. I'm sure they were all in their early 20's, but I swear they looked like they were all 12 years old.
3. Choirs are dying. This is hard to say, but it's true. The conference had a mass choir for the opening night worship session. They were very good and had a large number of participants (around 100). The problem is that the vast majority (90-95%) of them were older than me (41). Unfortunately, this is what you see in most churches around the country. The next generation doesn't sing (at least not in choirs). If we don't do something about this soon, worship choirs will cease to exist.
4. Hats. Last year the trendy article of clothing was skinny jeans. This year, everywhere you looked, hats. And I'll be honest with you, hats are a 1,000 times better than middle-aged men in skinny jeans:)
5. It is really good to laugh. One of my favorite parts of the conference each year is the fact that they have one comedian per worship session. It's amazing how much more people sing/worship after they've laughed a little bit.
6. David Crowder should be on Duck Dynasty. If you don't know who David Crowder is, he is a Christian music artist best known for the song "How He Loves Us". While he is an excellent singer/songwriter, he looks like a young Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty.
Well, that's it for now. I'm sure I'll share some more observations over the coming months.
Worship Big!
Brad
Next Monday is Labor Day! Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday in September of every year. Labor Day was established as a federal holiday in 1894 as a holiday to honor the American labor movement and the contributions that workers had made to the well-being of the country. While I am extremely thankful to have a job and be part of the labor force I am also thankful to be a Christian and to be part of the labor force for Christ.
Matthew 9:37 records these words that Jesus said to his disciples “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”. Life is hard and it is extremely busy. And while I do have Labor Day off as a holiday I probably will be doing work around the house, you know, trying to cram in things that need to be done. But do I labor for the Lord with the same vigor? If I am totally honest I would have to say NO! We spend a lot of time doing things around the home to keep things looking nice, mowing grass, trimming shrubs, cleaning house…… you have your own list. But does it really matter? We like to think it does but there really is no eternal significance to that work.
That is not the case for the work that we do for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 states “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” The work that we do for the Lord has the potential for eternal significance and yet we don’t take it seriously. We work it in when we can. This has to change. We must make the Lord’s work a priority. Some people like to work alone, others like to work with someone else. I actually am one of those CRAZY people who like to work but I must admit that on the hard jobs it goes a bit easier if there is a little help. You have probably all heard the saying “many hands make light work”. I could not find a verse in the Bible that this comes from however there are many examples in the Bible about helping each other. The greatest helper we could hope to have is Christ and in 1 Corinthians 3:9 it states that “For we are laborers together with God”, I don’t know about you but I believe that if God is helping us out then there is nothing that can’t be accomplished. You do remember that he is the creator of ALL!
During this upcoming Labor Day weekend let’s evaluate the work that we are doing for the Lord. If you are doing nothing, get involved, your help is needed. God has given you a gift and whether you are in the praise team, teaching Sunday School, working on the security team or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. LABOR ON!
Geoff
The Praise Team recently started learning a new-to-us song called "Victory In Jesus". It's a rendition by Travis Cottrell that is quite different than the original. (the song is below) When I first heard the song I really liked it and knew for certain that our congregation would love it. But, this song consisted of something I'm not really all that used to. That would be slide guitar.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/180196493
Being 1 of 2 rotating lead electric players at MPBC, I knew I would have to learn it, or come up with something similar at the very least. For those of you who know me, you could probably guess that slide guitar really isn't my thing. I've messed around with the technique before, but never really took an interest in it or even that style of music. However, our other lead guitarist, Robby, loves slide guitar. He's been playing that style of music and technique for 11 years and is great at it, so I definitely had him show me a few things. I've slowly been able to pick it up over the last few weeks.
Now, I'm still not great at it and I still don't really like the technique all that much. It doesn't fit my taste in music or my style. But, I say all that to say that I wanted to learn it for a couple of reasons:
First, because anything new that I learn that stretches me just makes me a better musician. Over the years that I've played guitar, I've learned many styles and genres of music just to expand my horizon, whether I liked it or not.(Musicians: you would be amazed at what you pick up when you do that.)
Secondly and most importantly in this case, I wanted to learn it because I believe that our congregation will enjoy it. For me, that's what it was about. As a praise team, we want to present songs that our congregation will enjoy. If they enjoy the song and are really into it, they will most likely be easier led into the presence of God. I could have came up with something other than a slide part for this song way easier and in less time than learning slide, but I feel that it would taken the joy away from this particular song. We want to write and present songs that our church will enjoy, songs that the people of MPBC can worship Jesus to. For me, that's what matters.
Peace,
Justin
I’ll never forget sitting behind the church keyboard back sometime in the fall of 2008 in complete and utter stage fright. I had played the piano at numerous recitals and had sung at countless events, but playing for worship was something entirely new to me. Somehow, Pastor Brad had talked me into playing this “new” song called “Amazing Grace My Chains Are Gone” and I regretted saying “yes” with a vengeance! My thoughts ran wild as the hot light shown over my head.
What if I mess up?
What if I quench the Spirit?
What if God is really moving and then I suddenly hit a bad key and ruin it all??
Playing is 10 times scarier to me than singing. Somehow the path from my brain to my vocal chords is a lot more “clear” than the path to my fingers. It’s still that way to this day. Over the years I have learned that playing music is rewarding in it’s own unique way from singing. There is something amazing and humbling about actually making the music.
However, those weren’t my thoughts at 14-years-old. So, there I sat in dread. But with shaking fingers I began to play and listening to people worship along with the music I created brought tears to my eyes. The Lord brought me through the panic and from there the path to playing in church broadened and grew. I thank Jesus for those days of being a young teenager and the encouragement of family and friends to play in front of others. I believe I matured in general because of those moments of performance. It’s like they say, “The only way to get better at performing is performing.”
In the end, we know it’s all about God and if I had messed up, He would have reminded me that I was doing my best for Him. He often reminds me of that now when I mess up… and I do so often!
I say all of this to say, if you have felt led to play an instrument or sing in worship and have been living in the shadow of stage fright or worry of messing up and have therefore you have chosen not to use your gift… I encourage you to give it to God and just try. If you mess up, join the club. See, there is something to be said for being vulnerable before men in order to bring God praise. I believe it pleases Him when we sacrifice our pride and ourselves so that His name is lifted high. It’s all about Him anyway!
Katy
So I'm currently sitting in a donation chair at the American Red Cross blood drive in our fellowship hall and I, once again, find myself floored by the awesomeness of God's creation. How amazing is it to know that blood can be taken out of our bodies, bagged, transported, stored, and then used to save another person's life?
There is truly an awe-inspiring power in our blood!
But at that very moment I found myself humbled by the crazy power that is found in His blood. I love how our Lord can bring me and my lofty thoughts about myself back down to earth. Just read these lyrics with me...
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.
There's absolutely nothing in our limited power that can even begin to touch that. We have been liberated from the burden of sin, because of His blood. We get to claim the ultimate victory over everything evil, because of His blood. Ultimately, we have the honor of praising our Savior for all eternity, because of His blood!
There is truly a wonder-working power in the blood...of the Lamb!
Scott
