Monday, August 25, 2008

Behind the Praise - Sunday August 31, 2008


Blended Worship 9:30 am

“Be Glorified”

This worship song was written by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio in 1999. Chris received his first guitar from his father, Connie, at the age of eleven after contracting a case of mono. Then, Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study medicine, but he stated that he felt God's calling to something else and did not pursue that career.In the mid-1990's Tomlin spent time leading worship at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various camps around the state of Texas.Following college, at Texas A&M University Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin agreed, and he has played a key role ever since. His first nationally released solo project, entitled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, which saw the emergence of songs "Forever" (his most famous song other than "How Great Is Our God"), "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", all of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs.
According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the United States as of August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written with other songwriters: "How Great Is Our God" (#1), "Forever" (#5), "Holy Is the Lord" (#7), "We Fall Down" (#12),and "Indescribable" (#22).On why his album which includes this song was entitled “Arriving”, Chris said.
“I feel as though we’re like this landing strip in the desert for our great, incredible God to arrive on; a way for Him to come into people’s lives,” Tomlin says of the album’s metaphorical moniker inspired in part by Isaiah 40.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin#Biography

Click here to visit Chris’ website:
http://www.christomlin.com/

Click here to visit Chris’ myspace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3SM73aB5Sc


“Be Thou My Vision”

The text (Rop tú mo baile) is often attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 8th century; in any case, this text had been a part of Irish monastic tradition for centuries before the hymn itself was written. It was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary E. Byrne in “Eriú," Journal of the School of Irish Learning, in 1905. The English text was first versified by Eleanor H. Hull in 1912, and this version of the lyrics is the most common. However, slight variations of these lyrics are sometimes seen. The first verse of Hull's version follows:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Thus, the English translation of the hymn itself is fairly recent and the Elizabethan vocabulary and structure is somewhat an anachronism. Be Thou My Vision has become the quintessential Irish hymn in English-speaking churches and is often sung around St. Patrick's Day. Despite its traditional nature and the seemingly archaic quality of the text, Be Thou My Vision has become a popular song performed by Contemporary Christian musicians, such as Rebecca St. James and Ginny Owens.
Click here to read about the origin of the hymn:

Click here to listen to Rebecca St. James version

Click here to hear Fernado Ortego's version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfhsOQyZqtg&mode=related&search=


“Open the Eyes of My Heart”

Dove Award winner Paul Baloche believes the best worship songs spring from the act of worship itself. Case in point: "Open the Eyes of My Heart," birthed during prayer time at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, where he has served as worship pastor for more than 15 years.
Several years earlier Baloche heard a pastor pray, "Open the eyes of our hearts so that we can understand Your Word." The phrase stuck, inspiring Baloche to search the Scriptures—primarily Ephesians 1:18 and stories of biblical heroes who had seen the Lord in His glory.
Then one morning Baloche was lightly strumming his guitar as men and women came to the altar during a revival at his church. "The music had gone on for hours, and I had played everything I knew," he remembers. Aloud, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, we ask You to come and touch our hearts." At that moment "the phrase popped into my mind: 'Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord. We want to see You.'
"It felt right—a sincere prayer," he says. "I sang the phrase a few times and people started singing with me. I don't recall how the rest came about. I was just remembering when Isaiah saw the Lord, and thought, Lord, to see You high and lifted up. It's shining so bright, Lord. Shining in the light of Your glory."
Later that week, Baloche polished the idea into a simple prayer song. "I'd much rather stumble upon a song idea in the midst of worship or in the midst of prayer," he says, "because it rings more true than sitting in a room trying to come up with clever lyrics."
Baloche receives numerous e-mails from Christians sharing the impact the song has had in their lives. His voice cracks as he tells the story of a family that had gathered around the deathbed of a loved one who had asked them to sing "Open the Eyes of My Heart" together as his last prayer.
The song has been recorded many times and in many languages. According to Baloche, some of the most exciting moments on his recent world tour occurred in Sweden and Germany when he sang the song and the audience sang it back to him in their native language.
"It was beautiful," he says. "I feel extremely grateful to be part of a song that helps people connect with God."

Click here to listen to the song:

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


“Open My Eyes that I may See”

This hymn was written by Clara H. Scott daughter of Abel Scott and Sarah Fiske. Scott at­tend­ed, in 1856, the first Mu­sic In­sti­tute held in Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois by C. M. Ca­dy. She went on to teach mu­sic at the La­dies Sem­in­a­ry, Ly­ons, Io­wa (1859). She mar­ried Hen­ry Clay Scott in 1861. In 1882, she pub­lished the Roy­al An­them Book, the first vol­ume of an­thems pub­lished by a wo­man.
Scott met and was great­ly en­cour­aged by Ho­ra­tio Palm­er, who helped pub­lish ma­ny of her songs. She is­sued three col­lect­ions be­fore her un­time­ly death.
Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Click here for a piano arrangement:

Click here to read more about the hymn and listen:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5d4FH4TPc

CONTEMPORARY 11:00 am

“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.”
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
Chorus: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

“Unchanging”

Chris Tomlin wrote this song about how our Lord never changes. Our response to His faithfulness and sovereignty is worship.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin#Biography

Click here to visit Chris’ website:
http://www.christomlin.com/

Click here to visit Chris’ myspace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin

Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLhB99vnkp8

Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrGbVmfOw1A

Here are the lyrics:

Great is Your faithfulness Great is Your faithfulness
You never changeYou never fail, O God True are Your promises
True are Your promises You never changeYou never fail, O God
So we raise up holy hands
To praise the Holy One
Who was and is and is to come
Wide is Your love and grace
Wide is Your love and grace
You never change You never fail, O God
You were, You areYou will always be


“Consuming Fire”

Tim Hughes (born July 23, 1978) is a Christian worship leader and songwriter with Survivor Records, who is currently Director of Worship at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in central London and heads up Worship Central, a new worship training resource. The son of an Anglican vicar, he grew up in Birmingham, later moving to High Wycombe as a teenager as his father was appointed vicar of St Andrew's Church, Hatters Lane. In 1997, aged only 19, Hughes was asked by Mike Pilavachi to lead worship at the Soul Survivor festivals. He also studied History at Sheffield University, graduating in 2000.
Prior to his current post, Hughes worked at Soul Survivor Watford Church, where he was Worship Pastor (the current Worship Pastor is Ben Cantelon). He moved to Holy Trinity Brompton in 2005 and, with Associate Director of Worship Al Gordon, has set up the Worship Central project. He is married to Rachel and in October they had Phoebe whom Mike Pilavachi is the godfather of.

Click here to visit Tim Hughes myspace:
www.myspace.com/timhughesmusic

Click here to worship along with Tim Hughes:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-yRfVWBWM0

“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


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