Behind the Praise - Sunday September 20, 2009

BLENDED WORSHIP 9:30AM

“Immortal Invisible, God only Wise”

Based on I Timothy 1:17, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever", "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" reminds us of the awe and reverence that we need to have as we worship our God. Even as we cannot see the sun, we see merely the light reflected by the hot gases surrounding the sun, so God’s glory is hid from our eyes. Even the angels cover their faces in God’s presence (Isaiah 6:2) because they cannot look on God’s full glory.
"Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" draws from other Scriptural references as well. "The Ancient of Days" from stanza one is from Daniel 7:9. "Thy justice like mountains" from stanza two is from Psalm 36:6. Originally written with six stanzas, stanza four referenced II Corinthians 3:15-16. The original stanzas four and five were combined to make the contemporary fourth stanza.
Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;But of all thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart -Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.
All laud we would render; O help us to see 'Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee, And so let thy glory, almighty, impart,Through Christ in his story, thy Christ to the heart.
"Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" was first published in Hymns of Christ and Christian Life, (1876). The text was altered by the author and published in W. Garrett Horder’s Congregational Hymns. (1884)

Click here for a finger picking guitar arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Tmq_B2eIg

Click here for a tower bell arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jodz3Muw8i8&feature=related

Click here for a newer arrangement by Daniel Rodriguez:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiV3ODJA9Ik

"Blessed Be Your Name"

This powerful worship song by Matt Redman has a phrase that is based on Job 13:15. The Message translates it like this
"So hold your tongue while I have my say, then I'll take whatever I have coming to me.Why do I go out on a limb like this and take my life in my hands?Because even if he killed me, I'd keep on hoping. I'd defend my innocence to the very end. Just wait, this is going to work out for the best—my salvation!"

Click here to hear the story behind the song by Matt Redman.
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-257-BlessedBeYourName-Redman.mp3

Click here to hear the song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6xo5KogzaI

Click here to worship along with Tree63
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZH9T9XNVU&mode=related&search=

"It is Well"

Click here to watch the Gaither video version with David Phelps
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPFVijGcLtI

Click here for more background information:
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_With_My_Soul

To listen to the song click here:
www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm


CONTEMPORARY 11:00AM

"Open up the Gates"

This worship song is by the group Planetshakers: Living by the core Planetshakers mandate "to empower a generation to win a generation", the Planetshakers Band are passionate and anointed. United by the vision set by Senior Pastors Russell & Sam Evans, they travel internationally, bringing God's breakthrough anointing to conferences and churches worldwide. Dedicated to the cause of Christ, it is their desire to see this planet impacted by the power God. Team members include worship leaders Henry Seeley, Sam Evans, Rudy Nikkerud and Matt Garner, drummer Mike Webber, guitarist and keyboard player Jonathon Hunt.

Click here to learn more about the Planetshakers:
www.planetshakers.com/

Click here for an arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L-2BElFeAY&feature=related

We come into this Holy place To 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 place As we bring glory to your name

Open up the gates and let the King of glory in Fill this house
with praises as we Lift our hands and worship you
Open up the doors and let your Glory fill the earth
King of heaven we dance before your throne
King of heaven come and Take your place
Dwell among us as we Seek your face

"God of Wonders"

This song by Steve Hindalong has become a classic. Here is a description of how the song came about: When Marc played the chord progression and melody, it felt really big. I kind of got a chill-I got goose bumps on my arms. I just thought, 'This song needs to be big, with really vast language.' So 'God of wonders beyond our galaxy' was as big as I could think." Having attended an Episcopal church for the last few years, Hindalong has been introduced to a new inspiration for his songwriting. "The liturgy, the old words, is kind of new to me. I flipped through The Book of Common Prayer, and I remember 'Lord of all creation, water, earth and sky.' That became the first line of the song." Lord of all creation Of water, earth and sky The heavens are your tabernacle Glory to the Lord on high God of wonders beyond our galaxy You are holy, holy The universe declares Your majesty You are holy, holy Lord of heaven and earth Lord of heaven and earth But it isn't the vastness of the song that seems to really impact people, relates Hindalong. "People have sent me emails about the song and referred to the second verse. I think the real power of the song is there, when all of the sudden it gets intimate. It says 'When I stumble in the darkness, I will call Your name by night.' This God that is the God of not only our earth, but of all the worlds, that is so big-but when I'm afraid, when I'm alone, when I sin, when I'm in trouble, He comes close enough that I can call His name. It's the truth that's powerful, not the song. It is that particular truth that is so moving."

Click here to worship along with Third Day & Caedmans' call
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CBNE25rtnE

Click here for another version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZL0cjcLBYY

“Nothing but the Blood"

Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would write these words, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:25) The emphasis of this verse is on the shed blood that satisfies or propitiates our sin debt. Another way of saying the same thing is, "What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." More than likely it was this verse or one like it, dealing with the subject of blood, which caused Pastor Robert Lowry to write a hymn.
Born in Philadelphia, on March 12, 1826, young Robert accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 17 and later graduated from Bucknell University with high scholastic honors. In the 73 years of his life here on earth, he pastored churches in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City and Brooklyn. Along with his preaching, Dr. Lowry also had the gift of music in the writing of hymns. When asked about his method for writing songs, he would answer by saying:
I have no set method. Sometimes, the music comes and the words follow…. I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home or on the street, I jot it down…. My brain is sort of a spinning machine, for there is music running through it all the time. The tunes of nearly all the hymns I have written have been completed on paper, before I tried them on the organ. Frequently, the words of the hymn and the music have been written at the same time.

He supplied the music for such familiar hymns as We’re Marching to Zion, Savior, Thy Dying Love, Where Is my Wandering Boy Tonight, I Need Thee Every Hour and Fanny Crosby’s song, All the Way my Savior Leads Me. The words and music would come together in 1864 to produce
We Gather at the River. Then, in the Easter season of 1874, Christ Arose would flow from his pen and his heart. Finally, in 1876, Pastor Lowry would give us the answer to our sin debt in his song, Nothing but the Blood. Down through the ages, man has tried to work off his sin debt ingood works and religion—only to fail. The Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22) Robert Lowry understood this very well:

Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Click here to sing along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDHamIhF7o

Click here for an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvNNFPBkEsw

THIRD SERVICE 6PM

"Here is our King"

This worship song was written by David Crowder in response the Tsunami on December 24, 2004. David and his wife were watching the images of devastation preparing to attend the Passion meeting in Nashville later that month. David was having trouble processing the level of devestation. He remembered telling his wife that 9-11 made more sense, as we are used to humanity doing something to each other. Historically we've done unkind things to each to each other and all we have to do is turn on the news. David knew how to process that devestation, but to be able to see such devestation unfold before his eyes was a new process for him. He struggeld with how to look at that and still say "God is Good". This song was David's response to God in the face of such a tragedy.

From wherever spring arrives to heal the ground
From wherever searching comes the look itself
A trace of what we’re looking for So be quiet now and wait
The ocean is growing the tide is coming in
Here it is Here is our king, here is our love
here is our God who’s come to bring us back to him
He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus

Click here to worship along with David Crowder:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Fl_nqGJc0

Click here to listen to David share about how the song came about:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aea5Mq4sSUA

"Everlasting God"

Brenton Brown wrote this song after both he and his wife had being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Brown described their illness in the following excerpt from Christianity today. Brown: It's called fibromyalgia, a form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. What defines it are the symptoms, the most obvious ones [being] fatigue. You feel jet-lagged most of the time. There are other symptoms like nausea, muscle pain, muscle aches. There's no known cure. Basically it was just like waking up one day and finding out that I had someone else's body. Very strange. I wasn't thinking as clearly. And over the last three years we've basically had to relearn how to live life with our new bodies. It's been a challenge. Chronic Fatigue is a little bit like having mono[nucleosis]. You feel very fatigued, very drained. And no matter how much you sleep, you're still going to feel tired. You can never shake off that tired feeling. I just kept going for six months. And then my pastor, the board of our church and the group of doctors that I was seeing all decided, "This is not working. You're not going to be able to force your way through this." Brenton Brown, born in South Africa, is a Christian songwriter and worship leader. He left South Africa for Oxford, England in his early twenties on a Rhodes Scholarship. While studying politics, philosophy and theology he joined the Vineyard music (UK), serving as worship pastor at the Oxford Vineyard, UK, and eventually as coordinator of the Vineyard (UK) Worship Development Team. His songs, Lord Reign in me, All who are thirsty, Humble King, Hallelujah [Your love is amazing] and Holy were recorded on the popular Vineyard UK projects during this time. He has since left the UK and now lives in Malibu, California with his wife, Jude. Brenton is an artist on the worship label Survivor and in 2006 released his first solo album, Everlasting God with Survivor in the UK and rest of the world, and with Sparrow in the United States and Canada.

Check out Brenton’s ministry here:
www.myspace.com/brentonbrownmusic

Click here to listen to him share about how the song came about
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YePOcs88kqw

Click here to listen to Lincoln Brewsters' arrangement
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2nz6PG8KM&mode=related&search=

Click here to listen to Brenton Brown & Paul Baloche
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bLWwnVBuF8

"Matchless"

Shust grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied music theory at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia, where he studied Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach. He also became influenced by U2 and Bob Marley. He began performing at churches and coffeehouses while at college. Shust began leading worship at Perimeter Church, Duluth, Georgia in 2000 and recorded his album, Anything Worth Saying in 2004 with producer Dan Hannon who delivered the album along with a stack of others along to Brash Music for consideration. Brash Music signed Shust shortly thereafter.

Son of a Man, Great I am, King of heaven, son of god, you hold the measure of my days Holy Lamb, spotless Lamb, You are worthy, I am not Before Your throne I stand amazed Every tongue confess and every knee will bow To Jesus Christ the Lord forever, hear our praises now Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless Your name means more than I could know You're so far above me, the way that you love me goes further than any love could go Wonderful Counselor, Root of David, morning star you are the way, the truth, the life lion of the tribe of judah, Mighty god is who you are the only perfect sacrifice

In your name you took the blind man and you gave him back his sight In your name you took the dead man and you brought him back to life In your name you took this prisoner and you opened up the doors And I will sing before your throne forever more

Click here to learn more about Aaron: www.aaronshust.com/index.html

Click here to worship along with Aaron Shust: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW9NJiSXHmE

"True Love"

This powerful song about the love of God was written by Phil Wickham. Phil Wickham’s music has been called every flowery adjective in the thesaurus and some that may have even been made up. And while they are often accurate descriptors they are at the same time distracting. When hearing these buzz words it’s too easy to lump an artist into a meaningless equation consisting of two musical references, a vague genre title and a classic predecessor. Welcome to missing the point. The point is that Wickham is at his core a humble and sincere artist who writes songs and worships God using the medium of music. It is with that brush that he paints images of a loving and creative God across the canvases of listeners’ hearts and minds.

Click here to learn more about Phil Wickham: http://philwickham.com/blog/

Click here to visit Phils' myspace: www.myspace.com/philwickham

Click here to listen to the song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gU-ejQxEXk