Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Behind the Praise - Sunday June 29, 2008


BLENDED WORSHIP 9:30am

"How can I keep from Singing"
Click here to listen to Chris Tomlin share about how he wrote the song:
Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman wrote this song as an adaptation of the old hymn "How can I keep from Singing" written by Robert Lowry in 1860 . The song is listed in some hymnals by the opening line "My Life Flows On". The original composition has now entered into the public domain. The song is frequently cited incorrectly as a traditional Quaker hymn.
Here is the original hymn that inspired this modern hymn:
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
Click here to listen online:
“And Can it Be”
Not many hymns begin with a question as does this one. However, it is not an expression of doubt but of wonder and awe. · How can it be that the shedding of Jesus’ blood 1900 years ago is relevant to me today? · How was it possible for the Son of God to have died for me? · Why should our Lord empty Himself of all His divine glory and become a man, in order to save “Adam’s helpless race?” There is considerable evidence that this hymn was written by Charles Wesley soon after his own conversion. Charles Wesley’s crisis experience occurred on May 20, 1738. He had been sick in body as well as in spirit. It seemed that God spoke to him through a vision. According to his Journal, this confrontation took place after reading the bible for some time. Following is his account:
“At midnight I gave myself up to Christ: assured I was safe, sleeping or waking. I had continued experience of his power to overcome all temptation; and confessed, with joy and surprise, that he was able to do exceedingly abundantly for me, above what I can ask or think.”
And can it be, that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood`?
Died he for me, who caused his pain?
For me, who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! how can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design? In vain the first-born seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!

Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel-minds inquire no more.
He left his Father’s throne above,
(So free, so infinite his grace!)
Emptied himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race: ’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;I feel the Savior in my heart.
No condemnation now I dread,
Jesus, and all in him, is mine! Alive in him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
"Close to Thee"
This hymns' lyrics were written by Fan­ny Cros­by, Songs of Grace and Glo­ry, 1874: She wrote the following on how the song came about.

"To­ward the close of a day in the year 1874 I was sit­ting in my room think­ing of the near­ness of God through Christ as the con­stant com­pan­ion of my pil­grim jour­ney, when my heart burst out with the words."
Frances Jane "Fanny" Crosby (1820-1915) was an American hymn writer and poetess, who wrote over 8,000 hymns during her life. One time a preacher sympathetically remarked, "I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you." She replied quickly, "Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?" "Why?" asked the surprised clergyman. "Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!"
Click here to listen to an arrangement of this hymn:
Click here to listen to another arrangement:
CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP 11:00am
“All to You”

This worship song was written by Lincoln Brewster. Brewster has been musically inclined since his early childhood in Homer, Alaska. At the age of one, his mother, Cheryl, noticed how well he could keep rhythm on a drum set his grandfather had given him. At the age of five, his mother introduced him to the mandolin. Quickly mastering the instrument, he began playing for cruise ship tourists alongside his mother in Homer, Alaska.
By the age of 12, Brewster had a band called Lincoln and the Missing Links, which included his mother on bass and vocals. In his late teens, he moved with his family to California where he joined the high school jazz band (playing guitar and drums) and marching band (playing snare drum).
Due to connections gained in Los Angeles, he had recording contract offers by 19. Feeling emptiness in his life, Brewster attended church services with his high school sweetheart and Christian, Laura. He recalls feeling God drawing him close after attending a drama ministry performance with Laura.
"I was afraid to lay down a lot of things in my life," Lincoln said. "One night, I laid all my cards on the table. I asked the Lord to come into my life, all by myself. It was the best night of sleep I'd ever had. I was very peaceful.
Click here to listen to the song online: http://play.rhapsody.com/lincolnbrewster/letthepraisesringthebestoflincolnbrewster/alltoyou?didAutoplayBounce=true

Click here to read more about Lincoln:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Brewster

Click here to play Lincolns’ songs on his myspace – the songs are available on his standalone player, you can also listen to “Everlasting” and “Let the Praises Ring”
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=83285546

Click here to listen to Lincoln share about his journey and how a 70 year-old woman encouraged him during a time of worship;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJPh1asdTsw

"How can I keep from Singing"

Click here to listen to Chris Tomlin share about how he wrote the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6lTZySpbpo

Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman wrote this song as an adaptation of the old hymn "How can I keep from Singing" written by Robert Lowry in 1860 . The song is listed in some hymnals by the opening line "My Life Flows On". The original composition has now entered into the public domain. The song is frequently cited incorrectly as a traditional Quaker hymn.

Here is the original hymn that inspired this modern hymn:

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?



Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GPpx9oINsI

Click here to listen online:
http://play.rhapsody.com/christomlin/seethemorning/howcanikeepfromsingingseethemorningalbumversion?didAutoplayBounce=true
"Jesus Paid it All"
The following is from Alex Nifong who wrote the additional chorus:

I have an old hymnal that I frequently play through sometimes during my private times alone with the Lord. I was playing through that song one day in Jan of 05 and I just started praying and singing out the phrase O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead. It was as simple as that. Just a prayer that came right out of my heart.

This is a new arrangement of the old hymn, based on the recording from the Passion album "Everything glorious". It adds a new line "O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead". Check out the composer of the tag on his website www.alexnifong.com/
Here’s a story about the song:The words were written by Elvina M. Hall and the music by John T. Grape on New Year’s night, 1886, some missionaries were holding open-air services in order to attract passers-by to a near-by mission, where meetings were to be held later. "All to Christ I owe" was sung, and after a gentleman had given a short address he hastened away to the mission. He soon heard footsteps close behind him and a young woman caught up with him and said: "I heard you addressing the open-air meeting just now; do you think, sir, that Jesus could save a sinner like me?"The gentleman replied that there was no doubt about that, if she was anxious to be saved. She told him that she was a servant girl, and had left her place that morning after a disagreement with her mistress. As she had been wandering about the streets in the dark, wondering where she was to spend the night, the sweet melodies of this hymn had attracted her, and she drew near and listened attentively. As the different verses were being sung, she felt that the words surely had something to do with her. Through the whole service she seemed to hear what met her oppressed soul’s need at that moment. God’s Spirit had showed her what a poor, sinful and wretched creature she was, and had led her to ask what she must do. On hearing her experience, the gentleman took her back to the mission and left her with the ladies in charge. The young, wayward woman was brought to Christ that night. A situation was secured for her in a minister’s family. There she became ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She rapidly failed and it became evident that she would not be long on earth. One day the gentleman whom she had met on New Year’s night was visiting her in the ward. After quoting a few suitable verses of Scripture, he repeated her favorite hymn, "All to Christ I owe"…and she seemed overwhelmed with the thought of coming to glory…Two hours afterward she passed away.
Click here to worship along
Click here to worship along with a younger generation led by Kristian Stanfill:
You can go here to Kristians' myspace and click on the song just to listen
WOW - here it is in Spanish
"Hungry"
This song was written by Kathryn Scott while living in Glasgow. Kathryn found her self desperate for the Lord and this song became her personal cry for revival.
Click here to listen to Kathryn share her story:
Hungry I come to You For I know You satisfy
I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry
So I wait for You So I wait for You I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me Jesus You're all This heart is living for
Broken I run to You For Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know Your touch Restores my life
Click here for Kathryns' myspace:
Here is Kathryns' bio:

Kathryn (Rainey) Scott was born into a very musical family with a passion for ministry. During her early childhood, her father Roy and singer/songwriter mom Mildred worked in a recording studio when the family wasn’t travelling across the UK with an evangelism group.
It was during those early years that Kathryn made a decision to follow Jesus. And, by age 9, she had begun writing songs with the encouragement of her mom.
At 19, she entered Elim Bible College (now Regent’s Theological College) in England, where she studied theology and met her future husband, Alan. The couple married after college and together began to seek God’s plan for their lives, believing they were called to plant a church but not sure of how to go about it. They began the journey by becoming assistant pastors at Alan’s home church, South West Glasgow Vineyard. At that time, Kathryn met award-winning artist and songwriter Brian Doerksen and began working with him to hone her own skills as a worship leader and songwriter. Soon after, she penned the songs Child of God and Hungry, which were eventually recorded by Vineyard Music.
Two years later, Alan and Kathryn departed for Northern Ireland to plant a church of their own. A year later, Causeway Coast Vineyard began meeting in a local pub when the couple could find no other available venues. Within a few years, the church grew to a congregation of over 400 adults and 100 children.
And, as the church grew, so did Kathryn’s reputation as a songwriter. She signed with Integrity Music and released her critically-acclaimed solo debut Satisfy in 2003. The CD included the popular songs At The Foot Of The Cross, Search Me, Know Me and the evergreen Hungry among others. She also continued writing with Doerksen and artist Paul Baloche, contributing songs and guest vocals to their recent Integrity CDs.
In mid-December of ‘07, Kathryn will release I Belong, a studio recording produced by Brent Milligan. The CD features co-writes with Baloche and Doerksen and with her first writing partner and coach, her mom.
Kathryn and Alan are busier than ever at Causeway and as parents to their young daughters Sophie and Emily Joy.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Behind the Praise - Sunday June 22, 2008


BLENDED WORSHIP 9:30am

“A Mighty Fortress is our God”

(German, Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott) is the best known of Martin Luther's hymns. Luther wrote the words and composed the melody sometime between 1527-1529.[ It has been translated into English at least seventy times and also into many other languages.The words are a paraphrase of Psalm 46.The most popular English version, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing," was translated by Frederick H. Hedge in 1853. Another popular English version by Thomas Carlyle begins "A safe stronghold our God is still."

Click here to read more about this great hymn:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mighty_Fortress_Is_Our_God

Click here to worship along with Steve Green:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRJHKzU_t1M

Click here to listen to an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54lZUnMucc&feature=related


"Friend of God"
Israel Houghton serves as one of the worship pastors for Lakewood Church in Houston. Here is a portion of his amazing story.
I really should have been one of those abortion statistics you read about. My mother became pregnant with me when she was 17. My mother's white and my biological father's black. Her family wasn't supportive of their relationship and gave her the choice to have a back-alley abortion or to be disowned. I'm here because of the decision she made-and because of her conversion shortly after that. So when I lead worship I'm crazy. I realize how fortunate I am to be called by God and to be protected, to be covered by him. I'm incredibly grateful.

I grew up in a fairly legalistic home. My parents loved God, and they did the very best they could with what they knew. They came from a very discipleship-oriented, fairly heavy-handed way of doing kingdom work. So I would have more easily said, "I am afraid of God" than "I am a friend of God." The view I had of God was dysfunctional, almost like he was looking for opportunities to punish me. That was more what I caught than what was taught. But the more I said "I am a friend of God," the more that old, condemning view was purged from my life. I gained a healing sense of God saying, "I want to know you."

Here is a devotional thought on the song
www.gospelflava.com/articles/songinword-friendofgod.html

Here is an interview with Israel that gives great insight into Israel’s walk with the Lord. www.cbn.com/700club/guests/interviews/israel_houghton_041205.aspx

Click here to listen to the song

"Living for Jesus"
The author of this hymn is Thomas Obadiah Chisholm. He was born in Franklin, Kentucky, on July 29, 1866. He was a schoolteacher and an editor of a weekly newspaper. He was converted at the age of 27. In 1903, Chisholm was a pastor at the Methodist church in Scottsville, Kentucky. When his health began to fail, he moved his family to Winona Lake, Indiana, and became an insurance salesman. In 1916, he moved to Vineland, New Jersey. He always loved writing, and wrote over 1,200 poems, of which 800 got published.

"Living for Jesus" was written in 1917, Mr. Lowden wrote Mr. Chisholm asking him to write a poem to a piece of music and suggested the title and the type of refrain he felt it should have. Mr. Chisholm replied saying that he did not have the slightest Idea as to the method used in writing words to music. Mr. Lowden wrote that God had led him to select Mr. Chisholm, and believed that God would somehow enable him to write the hymn. Within a couple of weeks Mr. Chisholm had the words to it finished. The re­sult has been trans­lat­ed into more than 15 lan­guag­es. Mr. Chisholm died February 29, 1960, in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. The composer of this hymn is Carl Harold Lowden. He was born October 12, 1883, in Burlington, New Jersey. At the age of 12, he sold his first song to a publishing company, where he was later employed. Mr. Lowden taught music for several years at the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania. He was also a minister of music for the Linden Baptist Church in Camden, New Jersey, for 28 years. For another 12 years, Lowden was music editor for the Evangelical and Reformed Church Board. He died February 27, 1963, at Collingswood New Jersey.


Click here for a jazz piano arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S2tC7A4CUM&feature=related

Click here to read the words and play a traditional arrangement of the song:
www.scriptureandmusic.com/Music/Text_Files/Living_For_Jesus.html

"My Jesus, I love Thee"

Sixteen year old William Featherston of Montreal, Canada wrote this simple but profound hymn in 1862, not long after he was converted to Christ. William wrote no other hymns that we know of and his brief life ended just before his twenty-seventh birthday. Here is a story about the influence of this song:

A Protestant Episcopal Bi­shop of Mi­chi­gan once re­lat­ed the fol­low­ing in­ci­dent to a large au­di­ence in one of the Rev. E. P. Ham­mond’s meet­ings in St. Lou­is. “A young, tal­ent­ed and ten­der-heart­ed ac­tress was pass­ing along the street of a large ci­ty. See­ing a pale, sick girl ly­ing up­on a couch just with­in the half-open door of a beau­ti­ful dwell­ing, she en­tered, with the thought that by her vi­va­ci­ty and plea­sant con­ver­sa­tion she might cheer the young in­va­lid. The sick girl was a de­vot­ed Christ­ian, and her words, her pa­tience, her sub­mis­sion and hea­ven-lit coun­te­nance, so dem­on­strat­ed the spir­it of her re­li­gion that the ac­tress was led to give some ear­nest thought to the claims of Christ­i­an­i­ty, and was tho­rough­ly con­vert­ed, and be­came a true fol­low­er of Christ. She told her fa­ther, the lead­er of the the­a­ter troupe, of her con­ver­sion, and of her de­sire to aban­don the stage, stat­ing that she could not live a con­sis­tent Christ­ian life and fol­low the life of an ac­tress. Her fa­ther was as­ton­ished be­yond mea­sure, and told his daugh­ter that their liv­ing would be lost to them and their bu­si­ness ru­ined, if she per­sist­ed in her re­so­lu­tion. Lov­ing her fa­ther dear­ly, she was shak­en some­what in her pur­pose, and par­tial­ly con­sent­ed to fill the pub­lished en­gage­ment to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a gen­er­al fa­vo­rite. Ev­ery prep­a­ra­tion was made for the play in which she was to ap­pear. The ev­en­ing came and the fa­ther re­joiced that he had won back his daugh­ter, and that their liv­ing was not to be lost. The hour ar­rived; a large au­di­ence had as­sem­bled. The cur­tain rose, and the young ac­tress stepped for­ward firm­ly amid the ap­plause of the mul­ti­tude. But an un­wont­ed light beamed from her beau­ti­ful face. Amid the breath­less si­lence of the au­di­ence, she re­peat­ed:


‘My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

’This was all. Through Christ she had con­quered and, leav­ing the au­di­ence in tears, she re­tired from the stage, ne­ver to ap­pear up­on it again. Through her in­flu­ence her fa­ther was con­vert­ed, and through their unit­ed evan­gel­is­tic la­bors ma­ny were led to God.”

Worship along with Avalon by clicking here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=at67q_staZ8

Worship along with Paul Baloche by clicking here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENJB2rZ-VE8

Worship along with an acoustic guitar version here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvzq0-Qe2TI


CONTEMPORARY SERVICE 11:00

"You are Good"

Nearly Disposed - Israels' Testimony
My mother became pregnant at the age of 17 in Waterloo, Iowa. You can imagine how this is shaping up. She was given the choice of a back-alley abortion or being disowned by her family. Thank God she chose the latter. Ultimately, she was disowned, abandoned by my biological father, and ended up in San Diego, California. Picture this. It was 1971 and my mother was 8 months pregnant, all alone, thousands of miles from home, and forced to enter reality unprepared. Pretty bleak. One day while walking down the street, a lady pulled up in her Volkswagen Bug, got out, and respectfully yet boldly, began to share the Gospel with her. Words of life and hope began to overtake the words of rejection and abandonment she had grown accustomed to. There on a street corner, she ended up on her knees and cried out to God-committing her life to Jesus Christ. The lady gave her a bible and that's how I got my name. My mother started reading at page one and well, you know-you have a bible, my name's on every page!
I'm often asked by skeptics or the stoic, why I'm as passionate about worshiping God as I am. The answer is simple for me. In this age of disposable relationships, I could have easily become a statistic and at best, a distant memory of a youthful mistake. Instead, a Sovereign God rescued my mother and me and gave us hope, a future, and a testimony of the providence of God. The very least I can do is enter into His gates with fresh thanksgiving, His courts with a passionate praise, and eventually bow before His throne in intimate worship. As far as leading worship goes (which is my passion and calling), I now realize that there have been demands put on me from every part of my experience since day one - culturally, emotionally, musically, and more. So things tend to sound cross-cultural, cross- denominational, and cross-generational. I like to call it, "The Sound of New Breed Worship." I tend to lead from an internal platform founded in Psalm 124:2, "If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side"....where in the world would I be? In an age of disposable relationships, maybe we should be asking ourselves that question a lot more often. I am confident that we would worship with far more conviction, intensity, and overwhelmed gratitude if we did. It is my delight to encourage you today.
Israel
Click here to learn more about Israel Houghton's ministry.

Israel leads a worship band called "New Breed" here's their website, you can listen to portions of the songs they sing including "You are Good"

Click here to learn more about Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Houghton

Click here to worship along with Israel:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAGZ8HmiWCM

Click here to see Israel singing "You are Good" in concert:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCpy1Bg255A&feature=related

"Beautiful One"

Tim wrote this song based upon Isaiah 53:


Wonderful so wonderful is your unfailing love Your cross is spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart can fully knowHow glorious, how beautiful you are
Beautiful one I love Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing
Powerful so powerful your glory fills the skies Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of your majesty awakes my heart to sing
How marvelous, how wonderful you are
You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
‘Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as you

Click here to listen to Tim Hughes share how he wrote the song

Click here to worship along with Jeremy Camp

Click here to worship along with Tim Hughes

Click here to learn more about Tim
www.timhughesmusic.com/


"Oh the Glory of it All"

This worship song by David Crowder is a play on the word glory. David said even as believers we struggle with defining glory.

At the start he was there, he was there
In the end,he’ll be there, he’ll be there
And After all our hands have wrought
He forgives Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
For the rescue of us allthat we may live for the glory of it all
for the glory of it all


Click here to listen to David share about how he wrote the song:

Click here to worship along with David at a Passion event:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg-1yM6insA&feature=related

“Agnus Dei”

Michael Whitaker Smith has become one of the most enduringly popular artists on the Christian Contemporary Music front and is also finding considerable success as a mainstream artist. He was born in Kenova, West Virginia, the son of an oil refinery worker and a caterer. He became a devout Christian at age ten and spent his teens hanging around with a solid support group of fellow believers who frequently gathered to play and make music. After high school, that support group split up, and Smith turned to alcohol, drugs and wild times. He scraped through a couple semesters of college and began honing his songwriting skills. In 1978, a songwriting company expressed interest in his songwriting, and he moved to Nashville, where he played with local bands, including Rose. He was still heavily into drugs and continued using until October 1979, when he suffered a sort of emotional mental breakdown that culminated in recommitting to Christ. The next day he auditioned for a new CCM group, Higher Ground, as a keyboardist. While touring with them, Smith cleaned up his act. In 1981, he signed to Meadowgreen Music as a staff writer, where over the next few years he provided gospel hits for such artists as Sandi Patti, Kathy Troccoli, Bill Gaither and Amy Grant. He began touring as a keyboardist with Grant in 1982 and the following year, after releasing his first album, The Michael W. Smith Project, became her opening act. His debut album garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Performance.Agnus Dei is a Latin term meaning Lamb of God, and was originally used to refer to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacrificial offering that atones for the sins of humanity in Christian theology, harkening back to ancient Jewish Temple sacrifices.

Click here to worship along with Michael W. Smith and a fantastic boy’s choir:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTWFYRA2j74&feature=related

Click here to worship along with Third Day:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbKXJ1Jm_jg


Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Behind the Praise - Sunday June 15, 2008

BLENDED SERVICE 9:30am

“God is Great”
This song was written by Marty Sampson one of the Hillsong worship leaders from Australia. When asked about the modern worship movement Marty commented recently “I think young people are getting more and more passionate about their relationships with God and His kingdom. They desire to see God moving in their lives and in the lives of those around them.” Marty Sampson (b. May 31, 1979) is a Christian songwriter and a worship leader at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Originally featuring in the Youth Alive albums of the late 1990s, he was one of original Hillsong United worship leaders and has led worship on every United album to date. He plays guitar and occasionally piano.

When it comes to penning songs, Marty is sometimes a little unorthodox in his approach. For example he explains the inspiration behind "God is Great." "The story is that me and Joel Houston, another guy in our youth group, were cruising along in his car, with a tape recorder. And we were just talking about music and singing, and we decided we needed to write a new song for the youth. We were near my house, and we were singing as loud as we could! Joel started doing this beat box, and then I just started singing, 'God is great, and His praise, fills the earth, fills the heavens!' We both turned around, looked at each other, and said, 'Whoa! That's awesome!' So I put on the tape player and recorded it, and it went from there."


Click here to worship along with Marty:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfZOUVD46TI&feature=related

Click here to learn more about Marty’s ministry:
www.myspace.com/martysampsonmusic

Click here to check out Marty:
www.martysampson.net


“Come Christians Join to Sing”
Come Christians, Join to Sing" began as a Sunday school song for children. Originally entitled, "Come, Children, Join to Sing," the hymn's name was changed when its author realized everyone loved to sing his hymn. The hymn was written in 1843 and first appeared in a Scottish hymnbook for children entitled Sacred Melodies for Sabbath Schools and families.
The words "alleluia" and "amen" are found in each stanza, drawing on rich biblical language. "Alleluia", the Latin equivalent of Hallelujah, is found in many of the Psalms and means "Praise the Lord." "Amen," of course, ends many prayers, and it simply means "truth," "assuredly," or "so be it."
Combining the praise of "Alleluia" with the jubilant assertion of "Amen" this hymn resounds with praise for Christ our King. Calling on Christians to sing praise both now and forevermore, it's a fitting hymn for children and adults alike.
Click here to worship along with Bob Kaufman in a contemporary setting of the hymn: www.youtube.com/watch?v=scIXblXpQN4

Click here to listen to an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k6bkt4nkVs

Click here for a traditional arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_AO21YwTug

“The Heart of Worship”

Matt Redman says the story behind “The Heart of Worship” in particular is a personal reminder that, “I’m just a little songwriter—and a pretty foolish one at that!”
The song dates back to the late 1990s, born from a period of apathy within Matt’s home church, Soul Survivor, in Watford, England. Despite the country’s overall contribution to the current worship revival, Redman’s congregation was struggling to find meaning in its musical outpouring at the time. “There was a dynamic missing, so the pastor did a pretty brave thing,” he recalls. “He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away.”Reminding his church family to be producers in worship, not just consumers, the pastor, Mike Pilavachi, asked, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?”Matt says the question initially led to some embarrassing silence, but eventually people broke into a cappella songs and heartfelt prayers, encountering God in a fresh way.
“Before long, we reintroduced the musicians and sound system, as we’d gained a new perspective that worship is all about Jesus, and He commands a response in the depths of our souls no matter what the circumstance and setting. ‘The Heart of Worship’ simply describes what occurred.”

When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come /
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart… /
I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus

Redman remembers writing the song quickly in his bedroom soon after the church’s journey together, with no grand intentions, by any means, for it to become an international anthem. He viewed the words simply as his personal, subjective response to what he was learning about worship.
But when Matt shared “The Heart of Worship” with Pilavachi, the pastor suggested making a few small adjustments to the lyrics so any member of the church could relate to it as well.Amazed by how God has since taken the song around the world for His purposes, the songwriter smiles in regard to his own lack of foresight. “It nearly didn’t go any further than my bedroom. But I love that…”

Click here to worship along with Matt:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgs79jgEyPw

Click here to hear Matt share about the story behind the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories.shtml

Click here to listen on Rhapsody online:
www.rhapsody.com/mattredman/theheartofworship

“I have Decided to Follow Jesus”
This songs composer is unknown. The tune is a Hindustani melody. This folk song originated among the Garo Indians, one of the hill tribes in India. The Garo tribe lives in an area that is now the state of Meghalaya, but was until 1970 the state of Assam. The northern part of Meghalaya borders on the Himalayan Mountain range. The earliest appearance of the hymn in the United States seems to have been in Choice Light and Life, a 1950 publication of the Free Methodist Church (Winona Lake, Ind.), compiled by LeRoy M. Lowell. Other publications have followed. The tune was named ASSAM in Christian Praise (Nashville, 1964), for the province of India where the Garos lived.

Click here for a guitar arrangement and a blue grass arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv6gOET62ws

Click here for a traditional arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=55eESzdyPoY&feature=related

Click here for an arrangement with Bill Gaither and the homecoming friends:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISsp2QVTQLQ&feature=related

CONTEMPORARY 11:00

“Open up the Gates”
Planetshakers is more than a band name, it’s more than just a ministry and it’s far from an isolated experience. Planetshakers is a foundation shaking movement that’s sweeping Australia off its feet and it’s about to burst the bubble of American culture. The concept is simple: combine cutting edge speakers with topical relevance and worship woven music that reflects cultural relevance under the context of a super charged conference. Consider it comparable to the Hillsongs movement, but with an explosive, youth-oriented twist.
“There’s something powerful that happens when you mesh a spoken word message with the energy and explosion of live music,” says Planetshakers’ founder and director Russell Evans in his thick accent and contagiously pleasant tone. “This generation is looking for energetic, raw passion and they’re attracted to anything they can perceive as real. Seeing the enthusiastic blend is attractive to people. That passion on stage, no matter if it’s speaking or singing, makes them hungry.”
Planetshakers have been satisfying the appetites of the once spiritually bankrupt since 1997 when its first weekend conference was staged in front of 300 students at Paradise Community Church in Adelaide, South Australia. In the years that followed, the event ballooned at rapid rates, reaching 4,000 attendees by January 2000. Come this winter, Planetshakers pulled in 20,000 faithful in three major Australian cities: Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.
“Other than God’s hand being over the ministers, I think the reason for the growth is because Planetshakers understands young people’s needs and are able to bring it beyond just a worship experience,” contends Evans after a moment of reflection on its evolution. “The goal is for people to have an encounter with God and the objective from there on out is to build local churches and ministries that young people can get plugged into. It all boils down to the fact that this is an instrument in raising up a new generation for the church.”

Click here to listen online:
www.imeem.com/people/1gedK/music/0oLABVBy/planetshakers_open_up_the_gates/

We come into this Holy placeTo bring a sacrifice of praise
Bow down before You and seek Your face
We sing of the mighty things You've done
Cry out to You"Let Your will be done"
Tell all the world You're the Holy One
Hear the shouts of praise As they're rising up to You
Come and fill this placeAs we bring glory to Your name

Chorus:
Open up the gates and let theKing of glory in
Fill this house with praises as we Lift our hands and worship You
Open up the doors and let YourGlory fill the earth
King of heaven we dance before Your throne

“Indescribable”

On June 14, 2007, Tomlin's recording of the song "Indescribable" was used as the official wake-up call for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester on Space Shuttle mission STS-117. What an incredible

This song is all about how great our God is. The artist of this song is Chris Tomlin and originally written by Laura Story. Laura Story holds the CCLI copyright of this song.

Like the twists and turns of a mountain road, Laura Story’s life has held its share of unexpected moments – some exhilarating, some terrifying, and some simply beautiful to behold. Leaning solely on her faith in the sovereignty of God, Story has learned that no matter what comes around the next bend it’s going to be an incredible view.

Once an aspiring symphony conductor, Story didn’t even know she could sing – much less write songs – until she was in her early twenties. Today, Story is not only a gifted vocalist and worship leader but also the composer of one of the most beloved worship songs of our generation – “Indescribable”. The song has topped the charts and been recorded by multiple artists.

Click here to worship along with Chris:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PTvr755V8s

Click here for a moving DVD with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTxZAl7ceU

“Remedy"
This song is by David Crowder. As you might guess from the title and the medical cross on the cover, Remedy focuses on God's constant presence as the answer to our hurts while challenging listeners to be the balm needed in the lives of others. Indeed, the Texas band's 2007club tour is part worship experience, part rallying cry to inspire change in local communities. At the same time, one could view this album as the band's personal healing in response to the tragic death of their friend and pastor Kyle Lake shortly after the release of A Collision.
Here is Davids' answer to what is worship? This is actually a really difficult question because language is such a fluid thing. A word like “worship” changes and evolves and provokes different meanings for different community sets. Over the last few decades, at least within Christian culture, the word has become synonymous with “music within a congregational context.” You say the word “worship” and a person immediately pictures in his head people singing in a room with lyrics projected on a screen. Words and the objects they signify are very difficult to separate. I’ll show you what I mean. Okay, in your head, say the word, “eight”—and try to not picture the number eight. It’s nearly impossible. So, once a word begins to signify something, it is hard to separate it from the thing it is signifying. For me, I tend to not trust moments of congregational singing as an indicator of where our true affections lie. It is a very simple thing to get caught up in the beauty of music and song erupting in a room full of people. So I rarely trust that moment. I think a better indicator of worship may be the way we interact with the world around us.
Click here to watch the David Crowder band on tour:
www.youtube.com/profile?user=davidcrowderband

Click here to learn more about The David Crowder band:
www.davidcrowderband.com/

Click here to visit Davids' myspace:
www.myspace.com/davidcrowderband

Click here to worship along with a powerful video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3UWiJCZAz8

Click here for a live performance:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGIth9d_LXE&feature=related

Here we are Here we are The broken and used Mistreated, abused
Here we are Here You are Here You are
The beautiful one Who came like a Son Here You are
So we lift up our voices We open our hands
To cling to the love That we can’t comprehend

“Surrender”
Here is the story behind the song “Surrender” by Marc James in his own words.
As with a lot of songs, "Surrender" was written at a low point in my life, It was around Christmas time and, due to my past history I was having a miserable time, feeling very lonely and a bit of a failure. I wrote the verse chords and the first two lines and thought to myself, "hmm, that sound a bit like a Brian Adams song"! A month or so later I was invited to play guitar with a worship band called "100 Hours" in Hawaii for a week. My friend Tre, the singer, gave me some money and looked me in the eye and said "I believe in you, and I think that God will provide the rest of the flight money". This blew me away. I had been feeling really worn out from my job as a schools worker, and the time away was amazing. I felt really cared for and had an amazing time of coming close to God and surrendering myself to Him, and His will for my life. I wrote the song at the end of that time in Hawaii. So it started in a very desperate place and ended in a more hopeful place. I find the song quite a challenging one to sing; to choose to serve God and lay everything down is not always easy, and I know that a lot of the time I'm not really living in that, but I know that the song has helped me to come to that place, and I know that it has helped other people come to that place as well which is a cool thing. It is also something I could not have seen happening as I sat writing at my kitchen table feeling hopeless!!

Click here to visit Marc James’ myspace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=52418918
Click here to listen online:
www.imeem.com/people/QIFUo7/music/2aPHrm2t/marc_james_surrender/

Click here to worship along with Marc James:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6arR-K_5Q1c

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IORMvbM_x8

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Behind the Praise - Sunday June 8, 2008

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY - JUNE 8, 2008 -

We'll be led in worship by our high school worship band in both services with these songs:

"My Savior, My God"

Aaron Shust wrote this song while inspired by the words of the old hymn "I am not skilled to understand" written by Dorothy Greenwell in the collection Songs of Salvation in 1873

I am not skilled to understandWhat God hath willed, what God hath planned;
I only know at His right handIs One Who is my Savior!
I take Him at His word indeed;“Christ died for sinners”—this I read;

For in my heart I find a need Of Him to be my Savior!
That He should leave His place on high And come for sinful man to die,


Click here to hear more about how Aaron wrote the song in his own words:
http://www.theheartofworship.org/stories.shtml

Click here to visit Aaron's myspace:
www.myspace.com/aaronshust

Click here to worship along with Aaron;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb2FK77vJCE

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt0WluTpFTg

"Mighty to Save"

This is another song from the Hillsong music ministry in Sydney Australia. This song is by Reuben Morgan & Ben Fielding. This song has a great re-occuring text. "OUR GOD IS MIGHT TO SAVE". This is taken from the passage in Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Click here to read more about Reuben Morgan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Morgan

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCAhKDZRlo

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y


"My Desire"

This song is by Jeremy Camp. Jeremy has a unique brand of rock and progressive pop, his music was born out of a heart that's been broken and a faith that's been tested. Yet, despite all this 24-year-old has walked through or maybe because of it he's compelled to praise the God who has proven Himself faithful through it all and has a passion for telling others about Him through music.
Camp's journey began when he left his home in Lafayette, Indiana, bound for Bible college in Southern California. He wasn't sure what God had planned for him, but he knew he wanted to be ready. As he soaked up all the biblical knowledge he could and pondered a career in ministry Jeremy filled his downtime strumming a guitar, a skill he picked up from his musically inclined father. One day, as he was playing in the dorm kitchen, the school's worship leader overheard him and encouraged him to get involved in the music ministry opportunities available on campus.
It wasn't long before Camp was leading worship at the school and all over Southern California. One of those gigs would even lead him to his future wife. He was playing for a small Bible study group in the San Diego when he noticed her. They spent the next 4 months getting to know each other. So it came as quite a shock when, after four months of dating, Melissa suggested they break up. While his personal life wasn't going exactly the way he had hoped, his ministry was thriving. And then Jeremy received a call that would change his life forever. He was summoned to the hospital to see Melissa, then 20, who had just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Despite her upbeat attitude, Jeremy left the hospital confused and upset at seeing someone he cared about in pain. Once in his car he found himself making a strange promise. "I drove away saying, 'God if You want me to marry Melissa, knowing she could die from this cancer, then I will. If she tells me she loves me, I'll marry her.' It seemed like a fairly safe bet. They had never spoken those words to each while they were dating, why would she say them now?
Five Months later the young couple married in front of a thousand well wishers. Unfortunately, their happiness was short lived. During their honeymoon, Melissa started having stomach problems and when they returned the doctor delivered the news they dreaded. She had mere months to live. On Feb. 5, 2001, Melissa went to be with the Lord.
Melissa's life and death changed Jeremy's perspective on the music he makes. "Watching Melissa go to Heaven made me realize what's important." "Music is not my life. Christ is my life. The only thing that really matters is what we do for Jesus on this Earth, and as a result of what I've been through, I express even more the goodness of God and how faithful He is." They say the best songs come from personal experience and newcomer Jeremy Camp's music certainly comes from a very personal place.

Click here to read Jeremy's blog:
http://jeremycamp.typepad.com/jeremy/

Click here to learn more about Jeremy's ministry:
www.jeremycamp.com/in_index.html

Click here to worship along with Jeremy Camp:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiQaRn0k88w

"More than Life"

This popular worship song was written by Rueben Morgan. Morgan share the following on worship:

"I think the challenge of the Church is to keep worship accessible to all people not to exclude people through style and presentation. I think that's a huge challenge for the Church and especially in our day when there is so much variety and people can be so specialised."

Morgan views his role as a solo artist to be merely an extension of the Hillsong ministry. When you talk to this humble and ever grateful man you become aware that for Morgan this isn't about building a solo career, it is about continuing his ministry as he remains a member of the Hillsong staff. He'd started with Hillsong as youth pastor where he helped to establish Hillsong United which, of course, are today one of the most widely popular youth praise bands in the international Church. Reuben helped produce four of the United albums, 'Everyday', 'Best Friend', 'King Of Majesty' and 'To The Ends Of The Earth'.

"I think what everybody needs to keep at the core is worship can't be exclusive. It can't shut people out and not include people. I think that's a challenge. It can't be elitist. It can't be exclusive."

The Aussie troubadour believes that more than any other time in our history a greater acceptance for diversity in worship styles exists. He says worship now appears to be at the core of the music being created. While concert goers still wish to be entertained they are also looking for individuals to lead them in worship. Morgan notes,

"People are really hungry and inspired for worship. As far as where it is going, God is doing what he has always been doing and that is building the Church. I think that worship will spring forth from that (as well as) teaching, healing and salvation. People have been reminded to get their eyes on God. I think at the core God is passionate about his Church. True worship comes out of revelation of God. I need God to break through to my world before I can respond back to him."

Click here to visit Reuben's myspace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=31536387

Click here to worship along with the Hillsongs ministry:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbeIEpr4kGg

"One Way"

This worship song was written by Joel Houston. Houston (born September, 1979) is the Hillsong United Creative Oversight/Producer at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. He is the son of pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston and grandson of Frank Houston. He is one of three children. He has a brother named Benjamin and a sister named Laura. As part of the Hillsong United music team, he has not only participated in the creation of the albums (being a main leader and songwriter), but has produced them as well. As part of United, he has helped lead worship conferences all over the world, visiting North America, South America, Africa and Europe.

Click here to visit Joel's myspace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=39566875

Click here to worship along with the Hillsongs ministry:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvm8UT3j4Uo