Archive for November, 2009

A Responsive Reading for a Thanksgiving Worship Service

November 17, 2009 at 7:00 am · Filed under Composite, Multi-Part Reading, Thanksgiving ·Tagged

Pastor:              Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – PHILIPPIANS 4:6

All:                   I will GIVE THANKS to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. – PSALM 17:7
 
 

 

Lay Leader:       We are also thankful today because God is our strength and shield.

 

All:                   The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.   My heart leaps for joy and I will GIVE THANKS TO HIM in song. – PSALM 28:7
Pastor:              Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful. – COLOSSIANS 3:15
 

 

Lay Leader:       Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. – COLOSSIANS 3:16

Pastor:              And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – COLOSSIANS 3:17

Lay Leader:       Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

 

All:                   Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. – HEBREWS 13:15-16
 
 

 

Pastor:              All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.  They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! – REVELATION 7:11-12a

Lay Leader:       Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.   Amen!” – REVELATION 7:12b

All: THANKS BE TO GOD!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 CORINTHIANS 15:57

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

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From Father to Son

November 13, 2009 at 7:00 am · Filed under Hymns ·Tagged ,

My son has announced his engagement to his girlfriend of four years.  I don’t know if my son and his fiancé are looking for song recommendations for their ceremony, but if you know me, you know that I have at least one.  I recommend “Love Is the Gracious Gift” which is hymn number 505 in our hymnal Christian Worship.  As is usual with most of our hymns, the lyrics will take your breath away, and musically, it’s also a masterpiece.  Many of you from my generation will know this tune as “Morning Has Broken”; made famous by Cat Stevens.

The tune has Gaelic roots and is played to a quirky 9/8 time.  I’m a bit critical on time signatures and as I teach young guitarists, I always stress counting out the proper time as they play.  For example, to strum ¾ time, you count: 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc. with the emphasis on the first note (think waltz time I tell them!).  A lot of contemporary songs are played in 6/8 time.  I usually describe this as double ¾ time, counted 1-2-3-4-5-6, 1-2-3-4-5-6 with the emphasis on the first and fourth beats.  But 9/8 time?  I believe that this is actually called a triple compound meter.  It’s to be counted 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 with the emphasis on the first, forth and seventh beats.  It sounds complicated but in this case, it is easy to play.   It has a lilting folk dance-type quality to it.  “Ode to Joy” is also played in this time signature.

Here is the wedding verse from the hymn (as you read, sing it to “Morning has Broken”):

Love in a marriage, love freely given;

Love of a husband, love of a wife;

Made to continue, blossom, and flourish;

Grow ever deeper throughout this life.

                                 – Donald E. Smith

It’s also a song that lends itself well to a guitar/keyboard accompaniment; in fact the hymnal version has guitar chords.

Congratulations Chris & Lauren and May the Lord bless your union.

-         Dad

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Who is seeking who here?

November 10, 2009 at 7:00 am · Filed under Commentary, Scripture

The People seek:

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. – 1 Chronicles 16:10 & Psalm 105:3

 

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. – 1 Chronicles 16:11

 

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah – Psalm 24:6

 

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. – Psalm 27:4

 

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. – Psalm 27:8

 

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The LORD be exalted!” – Psalm 40:16

 

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. – Psalm 63:1

 

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. – Psalm 105:4

 

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. – Psalm 119:10

 

God Seeks:

 

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” – Luke 19:10

 

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. – John 4:23

 

Does God want us to seek him?:

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. – Psalm 9:10

 

The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. – Psalm 14:2 & Psalm 53:2

 

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. – Proverbs 8:17

 

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; – Lamentations 3:25

 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. – Hebrews 11:6

 

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. – Psalm 119:2

 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7

 

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:8

 

Indeed we should be seeking God; and yes, he seeks us as well; as a matter of fact – He seeks us from birth, while we are being formed in the womb.

 

God found me…

I once was lost, but not am found, was blind but now I see. – John Newton

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

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Heard any good 7/11 songs lately?

November 5, 2009 at 7:00 am · Filed under Music, Worship Music ·Tagged

I have.  Some Pastors use this term to define a song that has a lot of repetition, i.e. 7 words repeated 11 times.  This is usually used in a derogatory sense but as you will see, repetition is an important part of our faith and our worship.  Let’s investigate!

How about Psalm 130, written by Israel’s sacred song writer himself, the one after God’s own heart, King David; and inspired by God.  This is actually a 4/26 song because the words “His love endures forever” are repeated 26 times throughout the Psalm (song).

Or, how about Rev 4:8, those angels sure know how to sing a good 7/11 song.  Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  I guess we would call this a 16/infinity song (or spoken word as the case may be).

I have been a member of a WELS church for 25 years and I rarely miss a worship service.  Therefore, in 25 years I have recited the Lord’s Prayer at least 25 x 52 = 1,300 times.  I have recited the Nicene Creed 650 times and the Apostles creed 650 times as well.  I have sung about the gospel and have heard it preached and expressed in enough different and creative ways to save all the people in China.  I know the Sanctus, Agnus Dei, the Nunc Dimittis and the Benediction by heart as a result of similar repetitions.  These are all good things.  Other examples of repetition used throughout Liturgical worship would be statements like “Amen, Amen, Amen” ,   “The Lord be with you – and also with you”  and “Praise Be to You O Lord”. 

Repetition, particularly in a simple song can be powerful in that people will take it home with them after worship and might find themselves singing it during the week.  Consider adding one of these gems to your worship services.  “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” by Rick Founds is a good example.

Finally, I realize that 7/11 stores might only exist in the North East.  The graphic is an image of a slurpee drink from a 7/11 store in case you were wondering.

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A Musician’s prayer

November 3, 2009 at 7:00 am · Filed under Prayer

Father, 

Thank you for the wonderful gift of music with its incredible array of sounds, colors, moods and emotions.

 

Thank you for minor and major keys, rhythms, melodies and harmonies, and for the bountiful collection of chords.

 

Thank you for ballads and anthems, for multi-versed hymns, for Psalms and for spiritual songs.

 

Thank you for inspiring song writers of old; hymn writers, and modern contemporary writers.

 

Music would be nothing without you.

 

Thank you for allowing me to participate in leading your people in praise and worship. 

 

Thank you for my brain so that my musical abilities can be enhanced by my imagination, creativity, knowledge of musical notation and musical theory.

 

Thank you for my eyes so that I can read my music and so that I might one day see you face-to-face.

 

Thank you for the dexterity in my hands & fingers so that I can play my instrument.  Thank you for the sensitivity in my finger tips that you have perfectly balanced with the calluses that I need to play my instrument proficiently.

 

Thank you for my ears so that I can hear what I am playing, for tuning my instrument, and so that I might one day hear the chorus of angels that are praising you in heaven.

 

Thank you for my feet & toes so I can play my instrument and tap out a rhythm.

 

Thank you for my voice so that I can sing praises to you.

 

Thank you for my heart so that I can feel your presence as I play my instrument and sing.

 

Thank you for my soul that makes me different than anything else in your creation.

 

I would be nothing without you.

 

I am forever grateful to the gifts you have bestowed on me.

 

Help me to stay focused on you.

 

Open up my mind so that the Holy Spirit might guide my singing and my instrumental abilities.

 

May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

 

I pray this in my Lord and savior’s sweet name Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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