April 20 2009
Sunday Set List: “Take a breath, but wake up”
Tagged Under : Brian Johnson, Delirious, Jenn Johnson, John Mark McMillan, Phil Wickham, Sunday Set List, Taylor Sorensen, worship
Coming off a big Easter and all the work that went into it, I basically took a week off from working on new arrangements and loops. Well, that’s almost true, we did do a new arrangement of Phil Wickham’s “Messiah” but we just put that together in practice before service. So for the most part the set was filled with familiar stuff which I think was necessary for the congregation after a Easter full of new songs and big productions.
I’m still bummed out about how late people are to the service. Literally there was a handful of people at the beginning and then it filled up by the time worship was over. It really doesn’t sit well with me and it’s not an attitude we ever want to settle for in our church. I know almost every church has the same problem, but I think God made me especially irritable to that kind of laziness. Or maybe it’s my sin issue, probably a combo of both. Here’s the source of my frustration and Life Connection people I hope you are reading this cause I love ya, but let’s get our act together.
Corporate worship in the body of Christ is extremely important, it’s something to be valued, cherished, sacrificed for and given to for the benefit of the entire body, not ourselves, and ultimately for the glory of Christ. What each one of us does, each of our attitudes of worship impacts the entire body. I’m not trying to elevate corporate worship to an idolatrous place and minimize an entire life of worship in spirit and truth, but I’m also trying to make sure we don’t minimize the importance of corporate worship. Folks, sacrifice and give to the body, if it pains you to make it to service on time, that’s good! Set the alarm earlier and give of yourself for the benefit of this body and for the glory of Christ. I said it last week I’ll say it again. This irreverent spirit is us bowing at the foot of comfort instead of the foot of the cross. Pray on it, let’s get humble, sacrifice and get there on time.
- Rain Down – Delirious (loop not yet available)
- Dress Us Up – John Mark McMillan
- Gloria 34 - Taylor Sorensen (loop available)
- Where You Go I’ll Go – Brian and Jenn Johnson (loop available)
- Messiah – Phil Wickham
This post is part of Fred McKinnon’s Set List Sundays.
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I with you on this one. It is a major area of weekness within us. The other area of weeknees this week was me stinking up the place with my preaching but that is another thing… YOU HAD A GREAT music set. So whoever missed part of it was crazy! Bless you man and thanks for the partnership in the ministry.
I’m thinking I’m just going to e-mail a link to all our members in our church to this post- and let you convict them.
I agree 100%.
Love Phil Wickham’s Messiah! Great song
I’m with you too on this. I was really frustrated yesterday looking out at the handful of folks who had actually showed up on time for the corporate worship time. It seemed even as the congregation filtered in there was a general lack of passion and response during worship which is always tough to break through.
As we were singing the part in John Mark’s song “the love of God is stronger than the power of death” I thought, why aren’t more people using that as a battle cry! We had just finished praying that morning for a little girl in our church that is having very serious health issues and has been in and out of the hospital and we are fighting for her. Why are we not declaring that over her as a unified body of Christ knowing that He is more powerful than anything else!
Now, of course I can’t see people’s hearts and I don’t presume to think that no one was engaged in worship or that people weren’t expressing their heart’s to Jesus so please don’t read this like that. The Lord was convicting me at that same time and illuminating in my spirit that what we are saying aren’t just words to a song. As we worship there is power in connecting to what we are actually saying and focusing all of our attention on Jesus during those times. If we just tune out and are singing along but aren’t directing all of our focus and affections on Jesus then we aren’t worshiping we are just singing.
The bigger bummer to my own eyes was that the handful of folk in the sanctuary ready to begin were newer faces; some of which I hadn’t seen before.
I agree as well with what has been said- the music is not merely for the purpose of the saint’s entertainment; it’s not for the appeasement of self or our own comfort. The words cannot be mere words, void of belief and the loyal heart- songs sang in unity should be refreshing and inspire awe as we sing and cry aloud truths about our lord, Christ Jesus, along with declaring his sovereignty, his kingship, the strength of his love, his enduring and pursuing spirit and the new hope/life we have in him.
I’m completely honored to be serving with you two (Kendra, Kyle)- in my own post-conviction i’ve began to pray for our house and it’s perception on worship- not because I feel that everybody has a horrible understanding or view on worship, but because my own perception on worship stunk horribly prior to a collection of recent convictions, and I know that a bad view on this pivotal subject comes down to more than just a poor display before the Lord on a Sunday Morn… The set was wonderful to play yesterday Kyle. ‘Where you go I’ll go’ was gnarly- as was the arrangement for Messiah. ( And yes I said Gnarly…)
I feel your frustration about late-comers. We have had the same problem.
I love your comment “This irreverent spirit is us bowing at the foot of comfort instead of the foot of the cross”.
I may be quoting you on that one.