Only one thing in this world worse than Barney.
Christmas Barney in September.
Thank you grandparents.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
What's On My IPOD?
Some may not care, but thought I’d share. These are the songs, artists, or albums that are in high rotation on my Ipod.
Robbie Seay Band – Give Yourself Away – by far the best recording from these guys. I’ve listened to the whole CD, but now I’m just stuck on #3 called A New Day. Maybe cause it makes me think of my wife, but wow…what a good tune. My pastor read the lyrics to Beautiful, Scandalous Night in our service 2 weeks ago…powerful stuff.
Jeff Johnson – Glorious Day – The title track on this CD is great. There are some other good tunes on there as well, especially if you’re a Rascal Flatts fan. :)
Billy and Cindy Foote – If I Say I Love You – Just a single track available on Itunes. I heard it at a conference they did a while back here in Sugar Land. The song just grows on you. Not a lot of worship songs hammer down on obedience like this one does.
Matthew and Lizi – The Meaning of it All - Great project from a buddy of mine down here in Houston. He and his wife Lizy make a great team. The title track on this one is really nice…if you like Watermark, I think you’ll like Matt and Lizy.
Spur 58 – Sleepwalkers – These guys are great. This is another album where I get stuck on a particular song…I really dig Ready to Love. I just loop it sometimes when I’m exercising. Great jogging song.
Robbie Seay Band – Give Yourself Away – by far the best recording from these guys. I’ve listened to the whole CD, but now I’m just stuck on #3 called A New Day. Maybe cause it makes me think of my wife, but wow…what a good tune. My pastor read the lyrics to Beautiful, Scandalous Night in our service 2 weeks ago…powerful stuff.
Jeff Johnson – Glorious Day – The title track on this CD is great. There are some other good tunes on there as well, especially if you’re a Rascal Flatts fan. :)
Billy and Cindy Foote – If I Say I Love You – Just a single track available on Itunes. I heard it at a conference they did a while back here in Sugar Land. The song just grows on you. Not a lot of worship songs hammer down on obedience like this one does.
Matthew and Lizi – The Meaning of it All - Great project from a buddy of mine down here in Houston. He and his wife Lizy make a great team. The title track on this one is really nice…if you like Watermark, I think you’ll like Matt and Lizy.
Spur 58 – Sleepwalkers – These guys are great. This is another album where I get stuck on a particular song…I really dig Ready to Love. I just loop it sometimes when I’m exercising. Great jogging song.
Bon Jovi – Lost Highway – Laugh if you must, but it’s like a corridor to the past. My favorite 80’s band with all new tunes.
Kellly Clarkson – My December – The girl can sing…she’s pretty angry on this album, but the song Sober is incredible.
Sandra McCracken – The Builder and the Architect – If you like Caedmon’s, she most likely wrote one of your favorite songs. Great rootsy type album, especially like I Boast No More and Rock of Ages.
Marc Brousard – Home – Friend of mine got me hooked on this guy. The title track and Lonely Night in Georgia are the highlights of this album.
Half Past Forever – Take a Chance on Something Beautiful – I’m a big Chris Sligh fan. He has some great tunes on this one. My favorites are Know, Cry Tonight, In a Moment, and Tunnel Vision.
Guess that’s all for now…let me know if you have some new tunes I should add to my playlist!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I Found an Old Post
So, I was sorting through my blogs, realizing I had never posted this one. So I thought I would. The only thing not true here is that I did not go to San Antonio a couple weeks ago. :)
The title of the post was to be "The Church is Smaller Than We Think"
Two weeks ago I ventured off to San Antonio for a little personal retreat. I try to go a couple times a year to meet with another worship pastor there that I really admire. While I’m there, I try to spend a great deal of time in silence while I listen for what God has to say. The next couple posts will be from an overflow of things God spoke to me during that time.
One area that I spent a great deal of time exploring was the topic of conversion. It started in my staff meeting the day before as we discussed a book called The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Though at times this book has seemed pretty dry to me, the chapter on true Biblical conversion really rocked my world.
The main thought: We all know there is some contingency of people in our churches that are not converts. However, we are becoming increasingly numb to the fact that there are many more people in our congregations who think that they are converts, but are not. Therefore raising the total number of unregenerate people in our midst!
Why does this rock my world? Because when the worship team leaves the stage on any given Sunday that the crowd participation is sub par, the common phrase used to describe that situation is this: “Man, what was up with them today…they were dead!” Oh how true that statement is…within in our crowd on any given Sunday, is a great number of DEAD people…no pulse, no breath…merely corpses!
So why are we surprised at a lack of response from our people? Can we expect anything more out of a lifeless being? We cannot cause them to come to life…and creating puppets that clap when we tell them too is fruitless. We have to open our mouths and let the gospel go forth! We have to pray diligently! But the actual act of breathing life into dead people…only Christ can do that!
So, I’m not going to be depressed because everyone didn’t raise their hands when we sang the song Unchanging and it tells us to “raise up holy hands.” I’m going to open my mouth, let the gospel go forth, pray for God to do what only He can, then sit back and wait on God.
The title of the post was to be "The Church is Smaller Than We Think"
Two weeks ago I ventured off to San Antonio for a little personal retreat. I try to go a couple times a year to meet with another worship pastor there that I really admire. While I’m there, I try to spend a great deal of time in silence while I listen for what God has to say. The next couple posts will be from an overflow of things God spoke to me during that time.
One area that I spent a great deal of time exploring was the topic of conversion. It started in my staff meeting the day before as we discussed a book called The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Though at times this book has seemed pretty dry to me, the chapter on true Biblical conversion really rocked my world.
The main thought: We all know there is some contingency of people in our churches that are not converts. However, we are becoming increasingly numb to the fact that there are many more people in our congregations who think that they are converts, but are not. Therefore raising the total number of unregenerate people in our midst!
Why does this rock my world? Because when the worship team leaves the stage on any given Sunday that the crowd participation is sub par, the common phrase used to describe that situation is this: “Man, what was up with them today…they were dead!” Oh how true that statement is…within in our crowd on any given Sunday, is a great number of DEAD people…no pulse, no breath…merely corpses!
So why are we surprised at a lack of response from our people? Can we expect anything more out of a lifeless being? We cannot cause them to come to life…and creating puppets that clap when we tell them too is fruitless. We have to open our mouths and let the gospel go forth! We have to pray diligently! But the actual act of breathing life into dead people…only Christ can do that!
So, I’m not going to be depressed because everyone didn’t raise their hands when we sang the song Unchanging and it tells us to “raise up holy hands.” I’m going to open my mouth, let the gospel go forth, pray for God to do what only He can, then sit back and wait on God.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Thunder
I love what the Message says in John 1:23…in more conservative versions you hear John the Baptist say “I am the voice of one calling in the desert…make straight the way of the Lord.” Then you have the glorious Message version: “I’m thunder in the desert: ‘Make the road straight for God!’" I love that…THUNDER. Clear. Concise. No ambiguity.
It makes me think of our roles as worship leaders in the church…are we thunder in the desert? Or are we merely a voice, drowned out by all the other voices of our culture? Our people walk in each week and a battle is raging for their worship. A thunderous approach may be the very avenue needed to break open the haze of mediocre worship that their lives are prone to be characterized by. You can’t mistake thunder…especially a loud clap of thunder. There are times when thunder hits that it actually shakes my entire house, causes my dog to bark, and moves my kids to tears.
As worship leaders, do we come each Sunday wanting to thunder about the greatness of King Jesus or are we more concerned about “being heard?” There’s a difference. Our lives should thunder about the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That’s what we shout about…that’s what we sing about…When we stand on Sundays to lead people, it will be clear who we serve, and our proclamation can be a voice or a thunder. I want to live a life that thunders about the one whose sandals I’m not worthy to untie.
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