Posts Tagged ‘singing’
worship music thoughts
Posted on: January 25, 2011
sometimes i’ll be singing with the worship team and i’ll think “do i really mean what i’m singing?” and i never know what to do in that situation. do i carry on “leading” the worshippers, or do i stop right then to think more on that thought. don’t get me wrong, i don’t just sing on the worship team cos i like singing…that’s part of it yes, but i sing on the worship team because i love singing and i want to worship God through that. so my being on the worship team is in itself worship, but if i’m not sure i really mean the words i’m singing is it still a pleasant fragrance kinda worship?
now there are songs that i sing even though i know that at the present moment they are not fully true of me, like maybe saying “jesus, you’re all i want, you’re my everything”…as much as i want and long for that to be absolute truth, my life is a grand dispiction of how it’s not. so when i sing those songs, it’s more my heart saying “jesus, i want these words to be true, help me make these words true”, instead of “this is the truth”. so in a sense, i sing them as a prayer…if that makes sense. so in that sense i don’t have a problem with singing them. but there are some songs where i’m really like “i’m not sure i agree with the theology in that song” – can’t think of a specific example right now. and those songs i have a problem singing.
and then there are times when i’m not singing with the worship team and i’m in the congregation and i wonder if my soul is responding to the song because it’s the holy spirit moving me through a certain song or if i’m moved by the fact that it’s a good, well written song and the worship team are doing a great job with it and i’m just really enjoying the song. and when such thoughts creep up i usually stop singing and just pray instead. so that one is not as major a thing.
i wonder if anybody else ever has these thoughts…
2010 in review
Posted on: December 15, 2010
- In: my life | thoughts
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ok, end of 2010 just totally snuck up on me. and while this time of year is supposed to be all restful and merryful and great, it just feels too busy and hectic and stressful to me.
so in order to remedy that, i have decided to look back on 2010 and count my blessing.
1. friends – thanks for putting up with me. divas – thanks for not giving up on me…y’all have helped shape who i am today, and i am grateful.
2. my job/colleagues – with the recession and people losing jobs left and right and people coming and going, i must say it was a bit of a scary year. i wasn’t really sure where i would be at the end of this year, but God proved faithful and i’m still here. and my amazing colleagues have been…well, amazing, this year. having seen them walk through health problems and come out stronger on the other side, it’s been inspirational and a reminder of what a beautiful thing family is. so grateful to be working where i work, with the people i get to work with.
3. vision k – i have so much enjoyed another year of meeting with another group of amazing grade 10′s. this year’s group was so different from last years, which made things a bit weird at first, but once i got to know them i really fell in love with this group. while last years group was super outgoing with each one of them rearing to be the leader of the group, this year was full of people who were too shy to take the lead and too insecure to burst out in a broken-english-rant, but they were so cool on a one to one basis. and awesomely, i get to work with the same group next year (happiness). yep, i’m moving to the grade 11 group next year. should be amazing – building on already established relationships.
4. enGAGE – love you guys…so thankful for each and everyone of you who have been a part of my life this year. thank you for the coffees and the hang outs and the chats and the love and acceptance and so much more. thank you to every single one for being part of this community and just being there. wouldn’t have made it through this year without y’all.
5. worship team peeps – technically you fall under enGAGE, but kinda had a special thought to share for y’all. thank you for pushing me. thank you for making me sing louder even when i don’t want to. thank you for all the encouragement. thank you for helping me battle my insecurities and helping me use my passions for Christ. thank you for all the laughs. thank you for just being an awesome group of people.
6. live music – ok so Versus The Wolf…so much love for this band, check them out. And Irvine – stealing more of my heart with every show. And Gravity Wins Again – who went into hiding for most of this year but are back again. And John Ellis – LE-GEN-DA-RY! And my new-found love for afrikaans bands. and so many other cool bands/gigs i went to this year. I don’t think I went to see any international bands this year, just local ones (oh wait, there was feeder, but i didn’t go to see them. i went to a music festival they just happened to be playing at). so it has been yet another very fulfilling musical year. i love watching live music, it makes my heart happy. and i hope there will be more show watching next year.
7. blogging – i enjoy blogging. i enjoy putting my thoughts out there for random strangers to critique. i especially love when random strangers become a community and help me in discovering who i am and helping me in this life-journey. thank you readers. thanks to the commentors – for the words of encouragement and the challenging ones too. and the lurkers. oh, and lurkers, please comment in 2011. thanks you also to anyone who has ever appeared on my reads of the week list…and to those who haven’t. the blogs i read play a major role in the thoughts in my head, so thank you for helping me think through things and learn more about myself and life.
8. God – it has been a rough ride this year. lots of bumps in our relationship…seriously. but through it all you carried me. i am thankful beyond what words can explain.
wishes for 2011
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1. more growth with God – let him use me more.
2. this has probably been the worst year for me healthwise. my body really took a beating. not sure why, but i hope 2011 will be different. i hope i will enjoy health more.
Nothing but the blood – Matt Redman
Holy – Brenton Brown
I could sing of your love forever – Martin Smith
How great is your faithfulness – Jonas Myrin/Matt Redman
Glory – Reuben Morgan
Lord I give you my heart – Reuben Morgan
Lord of lords – Brooke Frasier
Kev (leading), Ron, Arnie Stevie, Me.
Tonight there was no preach, we watched a couple of video’s from the Lausanne Conference and Brett also read a couple of passages from the book “As easy as drinking water” – head a bit of the author’s testimony on at a Lausanne Worship evening on Thursday night – powerful stuff!
This post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
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Evening service
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Holy – Brenton Brown
Wholly yours – David Crowder* Band
Jesus, we enthrone you – Paul Kyle
Empty me – John Comer and Gene Way
I could sing of your love forever – Martin Smith
Here I am to worship – Tim Hughes
Kev led today.
So, all those people who had gone missing the last couple of weeks were back this week so we had a full’ish crowd…was really cool.The preach was on witnessing passionately…more of a discussion really.
We talked about what gets in the way of people witnessing (fear of offending, fear that you don’t know enough, giving up when not seeing results – which led to a discussion on some sow, some water, some harvest), whether witnessing should be an intention thing (door-to-door evangelism) or natural thing (comes naturally through relationships and friendships – which led to a discussion on “share the gospel always, and when necessary use words”), and then last take-it-home-with-you-and-wrestle-with-it question: do you disciple Christians or do you disciple people towards Christianity (the great commission)?
My thoughts – both. You disciple people towards Christianity by telling them about Jesus and baptizing them into His name. You disciple Christians by teaching them to obey everything he has talk us…i could be wrong.
Worship Setlist – August 8th, 2010
Posted on: August 8, 2010
This post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
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Evening service
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Our God is an awesome God – Rich Mullens
Our God reigns – Delirious?
For who you are – Marty Sampson
Glory – Rueben Morgan
I could sing of your love forever – Martin Smith
Hallelujah (Your love is amazing) – Brenton Brown
Take my life – Frances Havergal, Louis Hérold, Chris Tomlin
Awesome God (Your voice is) – Vicky Beeching
Ronel led worship. Small group today. When the service started we had about 6 people in the congregation and at the end we had about 10 – but it was a good service nonetheless.
Chris the pastor gave the preach today on Jesus the Way – all about how, as important as it is to think about what Jesus would do (WWJD), it is also important to think about how he would do it (HWJDI). He used the story of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin and the crew going to the North Pole and related that to how sometimes we see heaven as the end point but we don’t think about the journey there and how Jesus is the way and he has shown us the way to go. And he also touched on discernment and testing the spirits: we need to know that the way we are following is actually God’s cos sometimes we can follow a way that “seems” good, but it’s not God’s will and stuff.
Worship Setlist – August 1st, 2010
Posted on: August 1, 2010
This post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
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Evening Service
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Holy is the Lord – Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio
Blessed be your name – Matt and Beth Redman
You are – Mark Roach
Revelation song – Jennie Lee Riddle
How great is our God – Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash
God of wonders – Marc Byrd and Steve Hindalong
Kev led worship. I thought it went well. And it was cool to sing with the worship team after the break we had over the varsity holidays.
The preach was not a preach, but a discussion really. We talked about church, The Church, Christianity and Christ following. This discussion was preempted by Anne Rice’s facebook statuses and all the things written about John Ellis on the internet lately.
Really enjoyed the discussion. I’ve also been thinking on the same things lately so it was good to hear from other people on the subject.
Worship Setlist – May 30th, 2010
Posted on: May 30, 2010
This post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
Evening
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Lord I lift your name on high – Rick Founds
All consuming fire – Misty Edwards
Indescribable – Chris Tomlin
Lord of lords – Brooke Frasier
Mighty to save – Ben Fielding, Reuban Morgan
Be my everything – Tim Hughes
Ron led worship tonight and i thought it went really well.
This weekend (starting Friday evening) we had a relationship course – Relationships Under Construction – with Brett Nixon-James. I wasn’t really looking forward to it honestly cos, well, I’m not in a relationship so no construction necessary thank you…but it turned out to be pretty good. Really enjoyed it.
Worship Setlist – May 23rd, 2010
Posted on: May 23, 2010
i got home at around 1am this morning after my friend Ronel’s birthday party thinking “well, at least I don’t have to go to morning service tomorrow so i can just sleep in”…then at 1:30 am i get an sms/text msg from Ronel asking if i could help out with leading worship for children’s church and i said i would. but i figured it would be fine cos it’s probably just going to be some little kiddies songs so we don’t need to practice or whatever. so i got to church 5 minutes before the service starts and the following conversation ensued:
Ron(el): “yay, so happy to see you…i’m so glad you’re here”
Tsholo: “oh…uhm…ok”
Ron: “crisis…uhm, the person who was supposed to lead worship this morning just called to say she can’t do it cos she’s sick…and all the other leaders are sick and the band didn’t show…some kinda miscommunication”
Tsholo: “oh…uhm…ok”
Ron: “so i showed up to do music for children’s church and Chris just asked me to sing…but i have a cold and my voice is gone…and terry is going to play keyboards and sing but she doesn’t know one of the songs”
Tsholo: “oh…uhm…ok”
Ron: “so will you lead that one song?”
Tsholo: “oh! uhm! oh!”
Ron: “we really don’t have another choice”
Tsholo: “uhm…ok”
so that’s how i got roped into singing this morning 5 minutes before the service started. we just did 3 songs though so not too bad.
Lord I lift your name on high (Rick Founds)
How great is our God (Chris Tomlin)
Be lifted up (Paul Oakley)
Then afterwards we went and did worship for the children’s church.
For the evening service we had open mic night – basically celebrating the gifts and talents God has given us. There was poetry, singing, photography displays, magic tricks, and all sorts of awesomeness. I sang…eek…a solo. When I sing in worship it’s different cos people are focusing on God and not me…tonight all eyes were on me and it was the most nerve-wrecking thing in the world and my voice just shook the whole way through…so scary…but at least I did it. Yayness.
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This post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
Worship Setlist – May 9th, 2010
Posted on: May 9, 2010
Firstly, happy mother’s day to all the mother’s around the world. Hope you have all had/are having a blessed one.
Secondly, this post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
Morning:
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Blessed be the name of the Lord (Matt and Beth Redman)
The stand (Joel Houston)
How great is our God (Chris Tomlin)
I can only imagine (MercyMe)
Was visiting my mom this weekend and so went to her church. Was really cool. Enjoyed it. The preach was on spiritual warfare and the need to be ready for battle at every moment.
Evening:
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Trading my sorrows (Darrel Evans)
Endlessly (John Egan)
Glory (Reuben Morgan)
Wholly yours (David Crowder*Band)
Today (Brian Doerksen)
Nothing but the blood (Matt Redman)
Kev led tonight. Really digging the whole accoustic vibes…2 accoustic guitars, 1 djembe, 2 vocalists.
Before the service started Brett had us fill out a questionnaire which included stuff from “is eating McDonald’s a sin”, “is eating only junk food a sin”, “is listening to bootleg music a sin” to heavy stuff like “is abortion a sin”, “what if it was a choice between the mother with 60% chance of survival and a baby with 10% chance of survival”…
The preach was entitled “The crit of of the hippo”…aka Hypocrisy. It was on judging others and then going out and doing the same things…well not the same things but like saying smoking is a sin, but eating only fast food is ok. They are both bad for you, they are both a waste of money, etc, and yet we tend to look at one as a sin and the other as ok. So basically the preach was on the removing of the plank in your eye before you point out the splinter in your brother’s eye.
Worship Setlist – May 2nd, 2010
Posted on: May 2, 2010
This post is part of a weekly worship blog carnival, so do stop by the worship community for more setlists and sermon recaps from around the world…
Morning
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This weekend I went to Camp Worship. Starts Friday and ends Sunday with 4 worship sessions. So cool seeing a bunch of people go crazy for Christ. One new song I learned is “Holding nothing back” by the Jesus Culture crew…it probably isn’t new, but it was my first time hearing it, and I really dig it.
Evening
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It is you (Newsboys)
How great is our God (Brad Klynsmith)
Eagle’s wings (Reuben Morgan)
Oh, Come all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles/John Wade) – just the chorus
Dula le rona (Paul Mpete)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus (Helen H. Lemmel) – just the chorus
O praise him (David Crowder*Band)
Kev and Arnie did most of the leading, with me leading on Dula le rona. Was an awesome worship session for me personally, and there was good feedback from the congregation as well. Was more nervous this week though, i think it had something to do with my super raw throat from a whole weekend of singing so was afraid of how i would sound. oh well.
At the end of last week’s session we wrote our struggles on a little piece of paper…all anonymous like, and they were read out from the front before we prayed for each other. A lot of the papers mentioned fear so that was the topic for today’s preach.
There was a lot said on it, but two things that stood out for me were: 1. God can…but even if he doesn’t… Like Rack, Shack, and Benny before they were thrown into the furnace, I want to believe that he will come through for me, but even if he doesn’t, i’ll still stand for he is still God. 2. Faith is how we overcome fear, and faith is not the opposite/absence of doubt, faith is born out of doubt. Faith says I will stand despite the doubt.
