It was a innocent enough comment. Our “10 before” countdown video which warns people the service is about to start, to take your seats and get out of the cafe, was largely ignored. So as I welcomed everyone I noticed most were still milling about and said, jokingly, that they were rebellious. Blatantly ignoring the instruction to come into the sanctuary and that biblically their rebellion was as witchcraft. Well apparently that awoke a war in the heavens on a scale of which I would find out later at the most inconvenient time in the middle of our worship set.

In the middle of the set satan sent his XLR demons to strike down a critical cable running from the loop direct box to the snake. All of a sudden in the middle of singing, and playing an important loop, the XLR cable rebelled and worshiped satan instead of working as created and facilitating the praise of Jesus. That cable not only carries the Ableton loop signal it also carries the piano signal to the mains. So while I heard everything wonderfully in my headset the congregation thought I was playing air-piano and was probably wondering…”boy they sure are doing a lot of a cappella today.”

Luckily my pastor walked up on stage and drove out the XLR demon by stepping on the cable which allowed us to complete the last 2 songs as intended. As you can imagine I was in no mood to write this recap last night and I didn’t get much sleep in either. I can’t stand disasters like this. I feel like replacing every single cable on stage now. Anyway here was the set.

1. You Love Me Forever – Merchant Band (loop used, not yet available)
2. Dress Us Up – John Mark McMillan
3. Come Thou Fount – own arrangement
   
4. My Soul Sings – Delirious (listen to loop)
5. Be Lifted High (tag of From the Inside Out) – Hillsong United

This post is part of Fred McKinnon’s Set List Sundays.

sim·i·le
A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in “How like the winter hath my absence been” or “So are you to my thoughts as food to life” (Shakespeare).

A powerful tool of writing and one not much used in modern worship is simile. Metaphor is more commonly uses in modern worship songwriting and we’ll discuss that later, but for now I want to focus on simile. Psalms is full of simile which is no surprise since much of it was originally written as music. Simile helps us associate an abstract idea or theological view with a concrete illustration which helps us define and explain the abstract. Quite simply, an effective simile helps us understand a big idea by comparing it to an idea we all are very familiar with. Simile can also be purely poetic where the object being compared doesn’t require further explanation but the writer chooses to for lyrical clarity, imagery, style and/or conformity. Ideally both should be accomplished.

Let’s summarize things a simile should accomplish and then we’ll look at some examples.

1. Bring clarity to a big idea or theological view through comparison of a concrete idea or object
2. Poetically describe a topic so a congregation can sing the same truth through different lenses
3. Provide a fresh view of an old idea or truth that helps the congregation sing in spirit and truth
4. Support song topic

Things a simile should not accomplish:

1. Create confusion through inaccurate, inappropriate, incomplete comparison
2. Create multiple avenues of interpretation due to an overly vague, or abstract comparison. We should be singing the same truth not reaching different conclusions because you chose a really vague and inaccurate way to describe something.
3. Use so many fresh views that nobody is quite sure what is being described anymore. Similes should support the song topic, not distract from it.

Let’s look at an intriguing example in Psalms 39:11.

You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth(beauty) like a moth– each man is but a breath(vanity). Selah

This is great usage because it paints such a vivid picture of how the wicked’s beauty and wealth are consumed. A moth eats bit by bit, leaving holes as it eats. David is a little preoccupied with his enemies not being crushed and dealt with as he’d like. So David talks a lot about this topic and this line does a lot to describe how God is working through David and helps describe an abstract idea of God consuming wealth with a concrete idea of how a moth consumes.

It was really challenging finding modern examples of good simile but I found some great ones after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

“Here’s my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for thy courts
above”

God’s amazing expression of love was shown through His Son Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. His death and resurrection was a guarantee that those who would believe will have everlasting life. What could possibly be enough from us to pay back such a act of love? When all that we’ve done has been covered in His blood, the countless times of rejecting His ways to pursue our
own they too have been forgiven. So, because of this, we give to Him our lives (heart), an expression from us that is just basically responding to what he has done.

Romans 12:1 says it’s our reasonable service to Him.

Ephesians 1:12-14 Because the Jews were God’s chosen people I kind of get the impression that their view of God’s grace was a bit different than the Gentiles. It’s just like the analogy of a rich kid and a poor kid. Just because the kid was born to a rich family he may not go through life struggling. The poor kid struggles and gets through life, and when he gets to a higher status quo he tends to be a bit more thankful for what he’s gone through. It’s the same way I view the Jews and Gentiles because they were
born a Jew maybe them giving their heart to God was something they didn’t think needed to be done because after all they were born a Jew and Jews are God’s chosen people. But Gentiles, who at first needed to abide by Jewish
laws in being circumcised before they could be accepted,had to deal with the struggles of being a Gentile in the Jewish community. But no matter Jew or Gentile it was with one Spirit that sealed both to be saved.

“seal it for thy courts above”

When a debt has been paid in full I always ask for “proof” that says I’ve paid my debt in full. Without that “proof” I have no
guarantee that I’ve paid in full. God’s “proof” was giving us His Holy Spirit as the guarantee that we belong to Him and we will be in His presence forever when Jesus comes to redeem us. And it’s for His pleasure that we are saved and spend eternity with Him.

I think of this huge court case and the only proof that will mean either life or death is the evidence that proves the truth. We were given a promise of the Holy Spirit(“proof”) and with that came the eternal seal(“evidence”) that will show who we belong to. In the presence of all witnesses we strive to hear the words” Well done thy good and faithful
servant.”

Because of all you have done for me Jesus I say “here’s my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”

“Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the One I love”

From the first time I really listened to the lyrics of Come Thou Fount, I found myself drawn to this line. I love the raw honesty and vulnerability it shows. It recognizes the weakness within and the foolishness of a “Peter-like” mentality when he promised to follow Jesus even to the death. Let me explain this a little clearer:

Galations 5:16-17 says:

16 “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.”

What this passage is saying is that without choosing to live according to the Spirit, we are setting ourselves up to give in to our old cravings. I have to recognize that I am not above sin. As much as I know that I am never going to leave my God, or deny Christ… I am just as prone to wander as anyone else in my own human efforts. I have to choose to live according to the Spirit and His desires. In a single moment of weakness, with one wrong decision, I am prone to wander. The crazy thing is that I am so excited at this truth. I love that I have to depend on Him everyday. There is a constant battle within me and that is not a sign of inadequacy or failure. The battle gives me a constant opportunity to prove my love by my obedience. Every time we choose to crucify our sinful deeds, we prove our love.

I am prone to wander. But I am now fully aware of the battle within myself and I know that I have to keep myself in fellowship with the Holy Spirit in order to keep myself above reproach.

“Thank you Lord that You have given Your Spirit as a means to put to death my sinful cravings. That You allow the battle of flesh v. spirit to take place in order to give opportunity for the Spirit to have daily victory. I know that I am weak and prone to stray, but in my weakness, You show Yourself strong and faithful and victorious. All for Your glory, Jesus. “

“Let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee”

Perhaps the best illustration of a wandering heart is an adulteress relationship. It is flawless in its depiction of God’s people roaming in and out of covenant with the bridegroom (Christ). This phrase displays the idea of being bound to the heart of Christ because of a deep understanding of His Goodness. This line is a perfect thesis statement for Hosea chapter three. He uses the prophet Hosea to depict His goodness towards his people by having Him marry a prostitute. Then woman wanders in and out of covenant with Hosea and yet he still draws her back time and time again. The word goodness seems such an understatement. I find myself searching for a better word then “goodness”. But is this very word, “goodness”, that is used in verse five that will turn the hearts of His people back to Him. We need to constantly reflect on the goodness of God, and allow it to act as the anchor to His heart. I long for a heart that is at rest. It is impossible to be at rest with when your heart is wandering. “Let your goodness act as fetters in binding my heart to Yours.”

This morning’s blog hour of power brought to you by Mark…

“O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be”

This is a powerful line speaking on how we are compelled every day to be in Gods debt because of his grace. In Eph 2:8-9 it says:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

We are never to forget that everyday we need Gods unmerited favor in our lives, but it is also important for us to not only rely on the grace of God but move ahead into obedience through faith and act out what the Lord is telling us. Gods grace enslaves those that understand the power of it, but the freedom of that grace enables us to pursue the will of God for our lives and others. Constrained means imprisoned of confined forcefully. Romans 6:18-22

“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” … “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Before we know the grace of God that sets us free, we are enslaved or constrained by our sin, but being imprisoned by grace allows us the freedom to; one bear fruit, and two, gain everlasting life.

Part 6 in this series is brought to us by Kendra…

“He to rescue me from danger, bought me with His precious blood”

This hymn is rich with meaning and so doctrinally sound but poetic at the same time, I will do my best to expound upon this line. The first part, “He to rescue me from danger” I think speaks of rescuing us from eternal separation from God – hell. What could possibly be more dangerous that that? It also made me think about how terrible hell must be for God to give such an incredible sacrifice just to spare us from that penalty. There is also the “danger” of living this life outside of a relationship with God and the only way we can have relationship with the Father is through the Son and through His blood.

In the next line “bought me with His precious blood” the word “bought” stood out to me and I wanted to dig a little deeper to see what that really means. Here is how the dictionary defines it:

bought – to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, redeem; ransom.

There it is, we have been bought and if there was any question as to whether we are our own it is answered right there. If He bought us with His blood then we are His, He acquired the rights to our lives, He took possession of us by of the sacrifice He gave on our behalf. Read the rest of this entry »

This post marks the first in a team blogging assignment. Each member of my band was assigned a line from Come Thou Fount to finish out the exposition. Here we have Ronni’s take, it’s a great one so enjoy. -Kyle

“Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God”

I think this is an interesting line of the song because it brings many thoughts to mind. First of all, we have never been or will we ever be a stranger to Jesus from His point of view, although from our point of view until we have a personal revelation of who He is and the magnitude of His sacrifice He is definitely a stranger to us. When contemplating this fact I am taken to Psalms 139:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.”

The whole chapter is emphasizing how the Lord knows each one of us intimately because He formed us in our mother’s womb. Again, this would suggest we have never been strangers to Jesus. That is why I love the use of “sought” meaning Jesus pursued us when we did not know him, even though he knew us. In a weird way it makes me think of a stalker. Someone who watches from afar but not too far that he doesn’t see all of the fine details of your life and not until He shows up and does something crazy do you ever notice He was there. That’s kind of like God. He has always been their observing our lives and not until we desperately need him do we notice he has been pursuing us all along. Upon this revelation Isaiah 55 comes to mind:

“Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters… Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”

Jesus has been calling out to each one of us, long before we quieted down our lives long enough to hear. But upon hearing Him, He quenches our deepest sorrows and greatest longings that our souls may LIVE!! This line of the song simply reminds me that Jesus has always been there and will always be, no matter how far we wander from His protection, His fold and when we realize that and return to Him he will spread wide His arms and run to us, upholding and embracing us. True life does not start until you know Jesus personally and He not only knows you but you know Him in return and He will seek us as long as necessary for that to come to pass.

Therefore, Hagar referred to the Lord, who had spoken to her, as “the God who sees me” for she said, “I HAVE SEEN THE ONE WHO SEES ME!” (Genesis 16:13)