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.

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