Worship Confessional, May 23, 2010

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

Another Sunday... and I sit here looking back and looking forward.   I've said in recent post how the Month of May has seemed like an endless promotion for this or that (missions here, VBS, Camps, graduates, moms, babies dedicated, shoes collected, dinners, testimonies, business meetings, departures, etc).  Maybe it's just the musician in me, but for me worship (the act of the, the engagement in and the appreciation of the function of) has taken a back seat this month to all of the business of church.

We have continually shortened our worship portion in order to accomodate all of these special events this month.  Sitting there this morning the thought came to me that it's going to take a while to get back into the groove of worship (meaning really engaging in worship ) in the coming months and that won't be easy with people beginning to leave for vacations.  I guess for summer it will be a sensitivity how to get people back in the mindset of participating in worship.

I understand that when the church gathers that information must be communicated about group life, but hear me when I say that at some point "everyone's announcement that is urgent and necessary" becomes more dialogue to ourselves about ourselves and not about God.  Worship is for and to God.  I'm afraid that we've lost that meaning.

Bless The Lord (Laura Story)--I've been wanting to sing this song for a while.  We opened by reading Psalm 103 and I hope that people will remember that little chorus this week "Bless the Lord O My soul--all that's in me bless his name"

Indescribable (Laura Story)--Another Laura Story song.  My bass player said "Hey, it's a Laura Story Sunday" :)   We love this song.

Welcome/Announcements

Recognition of our Interim Teaching Pastor--Ed Ethridge.  This was Ed's last day with us as he heads back to the Metroplex to be interim at another church closer to home.

Missions Moment--Australia --Sarah Carpenter, member of our praise team is leaving in July for Hillsong Leadership College in Sydney.  Sarah shared not only about Hillsong but about the spiritual condition of Australia.  We also prayed for one of our students leaving for Kenya this week.

Recognition of Senior Class---Prayer time for these graduates.

Offering

Immortal Invisible (Laura Story)  -Cut due to time

From The Inside Out (Joel Houston)

Morning Message-- What To Say On A New Day-Ed Ethridge

Here and Now (Paul Baloche/Benton Brown)

Next Sunday we begin our summer series BECOMING A HEALTHY CHURCH.

Laura Story--Immortal Invisible

Another Laura Story song that I find myself singing over and over again is "Immortal Invisible" which is another fresh expression of an old hymn (IMMORTAL INVISIBLE GOD ONLY WISE) In fact the bridge contains bits of the melody from the old hymn.

I love taking the old hymns and giving them a fresh coat of paint and introducing them to the next generation. We're not changing them--we're updating them.

What hymns would you like to see the next generation know and love?

Laura Story--Bless The Lord

I'm captivated with this song by Laura Story. A retelling of Psalm 103, Laura gives a fresh expression of a most important text in our faith.

We're going to be learning this song soon as I believe that it not only teaches praise but teaches us truth of scripture. That's what it's all about.