Set List
Announcements
Prayer
I Stand Amazed In The Presence
Welcome/Turn Greet
Children’s Time
Offertory Prayer
Offertory Music
YOUR GREAT NAME
-Jesus Saves
-Rise Up
-Lord Almighty (with No One Higher, I’ll Stand)
-Your Great Name
-Because He Lives
-O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus
-Always
-O The Blood
-Oh What A Day
-What A Day That Will Be (Hymn)
-Your Great Name (responsive reading)
-It Is Finished.

Prayer

It was a great morning of worship. How was your Sunday?

This blog post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on The Worship Community Blog.

Sunday Set List
O Lord To You–Sadler
Scripture Reading- Psalm 34: 1-6
Hosanna (Baloche)
Praise Him, Praise Him, (Hymn)
Welcome To Worship
Children’s Time–Learning To Praise
Praise To The Lord The Almighty (Lifeway Worship)

Fast Tube by Casper
Lord Almighty (Stanfill)
No One Higher (Fee)
The Stand (Houston)
Morning Message–His Praise (Conclusion of our Isaiah 61 series)
I Am Thine O Lord (Hymn Charts arr.)
Offertory Prayer
O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus (Kauflin)

Tried something different this morning… Choir processed in from the back on HOSANNA! (Except we got our signals mixed and some kept moving down the isle instead of stopping to sing! Oh well–need to practice that before hand)

What a powerful message from Pastor Marcus about praise. “The roar of the church is praise” was the standout quote for the week. The enemy would have us think that the roar of the church is condemnation or critique of today’s world. I can’t stop thinking about this.

How was your Sunday?

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on the The Worship Community Blog

Set Lists
Jesus Saves (Camp) This is the opener to YOUR GREAT NAME which will be our Easter worship experience.
Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee (Lifeway)
You’re Worthy of My Praise (Ruis)
Welcome
Children’s Time
This Is My Father’s World (Lifeway)
Scripture Reading (Psalm 121—read responsively)
Always (Stanfill)
Choir–In Times Like These/Cornerstone
Morning Message–Isaiah 61:8-9 HIS PROMISE
Surrender (James)

This post is part of Sunday SetLists over on The Worship Community blog.

Cities are cultural centers.

Andy Crouch in his book CULTURE MAKING makes the case that culture began in the Garden (with Adam and Eve) and will end with THE NEW JERUSALEM (a city). His exposition from Genesis to Revelation about the meaning of culture is exhilirating and encouraging and at the same time disheartening and realistic.

You see, we shouldn’t be surprised that culture will come with the cities because the promise of Isaiah 61:4 (CEV) “Then they will rebuild cities that have been in ruins for many generations”.

God will restore cities as cultural centers and as a gathering place for those who seek to know and express the moment.

Just a few years ago I can remember being at an evangelism conference and hearing the speaker say “Get to the cities. Move there. Plant you life there and become part of the culture of living out the gospel. That’s where God is moving next”.

That went over like a led balloon in a room full of people who were accustomed to services and religious life that centered around a building and a pre-programmed spiritual life that saw great rewards in the past, but for all who wanted to admit had died a slow and agnozing death.

The cry from the prophet at that meeting was for people to cast their eyes to the cities where masses of people were gathering. Many of these have never heard the good news of Jesus and it was going to take a new type of witness to reach the nations.

I left that meeting both encouraged and discouraged. Encouraged because I heard someone speaking something that I had been feeling for years; that God was moving in places of influence and that we could have a part in it; discouraged because I saw that it didn’t move the church to passion of reaching people at all costs.

To impact the culture of the cities we’re going to have to engage the culture with our lives. I know that narrows me down to a specified breed of believers who think that we can impact culture with our lives; the transformation gospel people we’ve been called, but I believe it with my whole heart.

The Christ in us will make an impact for the cities that all of the evangelical meetings and revivals and gatherings used to do. We’re going to have to embrace this reality. We must live out the gospel in front of people in order to validate our witness. People are no longer buying our previous programs or traditions.

I know some of you will disagree with this and I’m expecting to hear from you. But Crouch is plowing familiar territory for me when he says “Cities will once again be the cultural forces in the New Kingdom”. Crouch is talking about the NEW KINGDOM that comes when this world is destroyed and the new world is revealed.

But why wait, let’s get to the cities where the influences of arts, music, politics, business and more can be impacted for the gospel.

What say you? Cities—are they the cu

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on The Worship Community Blog.

You see, I have over 6 hours of time on the road each week, so I thought to myself that this would be a great way to spend the time.

What I’ve found is a deep, deep pool of thought and theology as to the meaning of culture and how culture is shaped and formed. At times I’ve found myself immersed in deep deep thought, pushing the rewind button so I can hear it again. Some of it you just have to chew on for a while.

Crouch is an eloquent writer and I’m struck by his majestical use of the English language to describe the depth and meaning of culture.

He’s a master at using letters and words that start with the same consonant or vowel. He’s especially good at the words that start with the letter “C”.

So, I thought I’d devote a series of blogs dedicated to culture and use Crouch’s “C” words as the germ of the discussion of Culture.

Today–Cultural Worlds

To begin, Crouch says that Culture isn’t just singular in it’s form. At it’s best culture is the amalgamation of the shared experiences of any one people at one time. As part of this cultural world, we leave behind cultural artifacts and creations that express or as Crouch likes to say “makes something of our world.”

We live in a cultural world. Surrounded by experiences and expressions of our world today, we are all making something of the world that we live in.

However, today I was struck by a saying in the latter part of the book that says. ”

“Culture finds it’s true potential when God blesses it with His presence and offers in a transformed form as a gift back to humanity… Culture is at its worst when human beings become cultural strategists,attempting to provide for themselves apart from God….when it happens for good the one who gets the credit is The Creator”

Wow—see what I mean? He frames the discussion of culture squarely in the field of all of this (the earth, our experience, our existence) were made for one reason–to honor the Creator.

Are you part of the cultural world? Are you leaving behind artifacts that point to the creator and the reason for your being? Can you truly say that your life is making something of the world as you know it now?

These are heavy questions, and they are questions that rest on my shoulder as I reach the half-way (hopefully) point of my life. What have I given or created that can be seen as something that points to the One who created it all? What artifacts will I leave behind?

In the coming weeks, I hope to explore, with the help of Mr. Crouch’s “C” words the things that I see are part of our culture and the impact that they have today and tomorrow.

I encourage you to dialogue with me about this and ask you to journey with me as we see the importance of culture. God made it and we should celebrate and be part of his creation. It brings him glory when it’s filled with his presence.

Announcements
New Doxology (Miller/Gateway)
Everlasting God (Brown)
Welcome/Greeting
Children’s Time—The Priests
I Stand Amazed In The Presence (Hymn)
Choral Worship–Holy, Holy, Holy,-We Fall Down
Morning Message–Isaiah 61 (His Priests)
You Are My King (Foote)
Offertory Prayer
Music
Prayer

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on The Worship Community Blog.

Today was our fourth week in the book of Isaiah–Chapter 61. We are studying the 9 Prayers for the church out of this powerful section of scripture. Today was HIS PLAN. Pastor Marcus did a great job of explaining the plan God has for his church. The plan is sure and will come to pass; the only X factor is how we will participate in it.

SetLists

LORD ALMIGHTY (Stanfill) This song is in our upcoming Easter Worship Experience “YOUR GREAT NAME”. We used it for a call to worship and asked the congregation to join in.
Welcome/Greet
WE HAVE HEARD THE JOYFUL SOUND (Crosby) Did this timeless hymn in a 4/4 meter. So many good things in the lyrics and the rhythm set us up for LORD I LIFT YOUR NAME
LORD I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH (Founds)
Children’s Time–Kay, our children’s minister, talked about the plans God has for his church. Her visual was the blue prints that were made for the new Sanctuary of OBC. We left that up as a visual for the Pastor’s sermon.
BRETHREN, WE HAVE MET TO WORSHIP (Lifeway Hymns). This is usually an opener song for us, but today because of it’s slower meter, we placed it here. Some different chords in this arrangement merit a look at it.
Scripture- Zephaniah 3:17
MIGHTY TO SAVE (Hillsong)
THE STAND (HOUSTON)- This song is also in our musical and we’re moving it in rotation for the congregation to learn it for April 1.
CHOIR–OUR GOD SAVES (Baloche)
Morning Message–Pastor Marcus
IF YOU SAY GO (Thiel) This is the third week for this song as our response. Every week it seems to fit; especially the statement “the plans that you have laid are good and true.” I think we’re learning this one.
Offertory/Prayer
Music–Be Still My Soul (Finlandia)–Ann Apple, our organist did a great job on this soul which really gave us a time of reflection before we went out.
Prayer/Dismiss.

How was your Sunday?

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on The Worship Community. It’s where worship leaders share their Sunday experiences.

I won’t be traveling there this year.  There’s been some changes in my life.  I”m no longer full time ministry with the ability to spend a week in training for creativity and the arts.   I’m kinda sad that I won’t be there this year.  I won’t lie–I’m downright depressed about it.

These last four years at this conference have been for me the lifeblood of getting to do ministry another year.  It seems every year I limped into the conference dry and weary from the battles of the previous year.  I spent the first few days just soaking and then asking the Lord to lead me around one more time.

I’ve grown close to these folks called creatives and we continue to chat via social media and such; but its not the same.  In fact, probably most of my depression has come from the lack of daily interaction with these community members and that instant connection once we are together.  That won’t be happening this year.

This won’t keep me from watching the postings and tweets that will come out of this conference in the next week. In fact, I’ll be living vicariously through the people who are attending and experiencing this.   That may be satisfactory for now; but it doesn’t beat being there and going through it all together.

Maybe one day I’ll return.  Until then, RECREATORS I’m with you in spirit.  Lead on as I watch from afar and learn from you.  You are my tribe and your freedom to walk in creativity as the creator grants you is inspiring to me.

It’s just amazing to see God put the things of worship together. I’m 85 miles away and except for an occasional phone call or text, there is no significant and detailed planning about our worship. But God alwasy does something amazing.

Today, He tied together the opening Psalm given by a layman giving the announcement, the children’s time, the video/Creative moment, the Message and the closing song. None of this was coordinated! I got excited every time I saw the finger prints of God and his little clues that He is leaving.

He is stirring the hearts of people in and around Oakwood. I don’t know what’s coming.. but it’s something BIG!

Set List

Announcements
Opening Set— COME THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING ( LIFEWAY WORSHIP)–this is a great arrangement from their collection 20 Contemporary Hymns. Opens in the key of C–moves to D
COME NOW IS THE TIME TO WORSHIP
Welcome/Greeting
Children’s Time
Guided Moment… We used the story of Ben Breedlove, the Austin Texas teen who recorded a video 1 week before his death only using 4X6 index cards to tell his story of experiencing the peace of God’s presence as he related the times he had died and came back to life. We came out of this moment with everyone having a 3X5 card in their worship guide. I asked them to take a moment and to write something down on this card that would be “their story”. After a few moments of meditation…we sang
BLESSED ASSURANCE (Lifeway Worship) Another great arrangement. In 6/8 and has a great accoustic sound.
Scripture
Choral Worship–NO MORE NIGHT
Morning Message—Isaiah 61: 1-3 ( HIS PURPOSE)
IF YOU SAY GO (Thiel) This was an older song I thought of last week but couldn’t find the chart. When the pastor today used Heb 12: (let us fix our eyes) I knew this was the song that the Spirit had chosen for us to sing. The lyric says we will fix our eyes on you… Cool!
Offertory prayer/music
Dismiss

A great day!

How was you Sunday?

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on The Worship Community blog.