Worship Confessional 11.30.08

Christmas music has begun! Kind of. I don't go crazy in the set lists with Christmas tunes until the Sunday before Christmas, but I sprinkle them up to that point in December. Sorry about the audio sync on the video. I think I know the problem. Should be better next time.

Set List w/Itunes links:
O Come Let Us Adore Him
Beautiful Scene - mine
Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin
Emmanuel



This is also a contribution to Sunday Setlists.

Wal-Mart, no less

There was a man trampled and killed by a bunch of freaks at Wal-Mart, no less. I personally don't get excited about the idea of going to Wal-Mart, but it's necessary sometimes. The Durbins are Target people, so I can't imagine wanting to get into Wal-Mart so bad that I would push against the doors and trample over human beings so I could shop in this store and save a few bucks on a Blu-Ray DVD player, but that's exactly what happened in New York.



Wal-Mart greeters are probably going to have to start packing a weapon, especially during the holidays.

New Song - "Offering to You"

Here's one of my new ones we did at church last week. Let me know what you think.

Book Review - CHURCHED

Churched by Matthew Paul Turner

I grew up in an Independent, Fundamental, Bible-Believing, KJV only, Baptist Church. Say that title while yelling with a southern accent, and you will hear the sounds of my childhood. I've had many, many conversations with others that have grown up in the same kind of churches, and most of the time, you hear a lot of the same things: legalism, condemnation, judging, etc. Those are most certainly the negatives, but there were also positives. I came to know my Savior, and I learned, early on, the magnitude of evangelism. The only problem, is that it never went too far beyond that. Exclusivity seemed to be the dominant factor. You honestly didn't feel too welcome or comfortable, unless you fell in line and became one of us. I do thank God for my parents raising me in church. That's huge, but I have chosen a different path in church selection for myself and my family.
Long before I heard about this book, God had birthed in me a burden for a new type of people to minister to: the "churched." Churches have definitely identified the mission of reaching unchurched, but what about those who have had bad experiences within the church, and have walked away with no intention to return? So, when I found out about this book, I couldn't wait to read it. I definitely was not disappointed.
The book Churched reads like a fiction book, except that it's unfortunately true. The accounts of this poor guy's upbringing in the aforementioned type of baptist church was definitely hilarious, sad, and relatable. There's everything from burning barbie dolls in childrens church to burning secular CD's in the youth group. One of my favorite descriptions was of the annual boxing match between Satan and the pastor of the church. I experienced something similar at a VBS growing up.
Do I recommend this book to everyone? I'd have to say no. If you grew up in this kind of church and have no real big complaints about it, you probably will be offended and turned off, because it pulls no punches, and is laced with sarcasm.
I would not call this a "Christian self-help book". It's more of a very humorous and entertaining memoir of a boy caught in the middle of what he calls, "a holy mess." I laughed out loud several times, because I could actually see what he was talking about. I had been in most of these situations, and some I had completely forgotten about. I too remember getting saved every time they would show the frightening end times films from the 70's. If you remotely relate to what I've said, I would highly recommend this book. Not only is it a spot-on trip to the past, but Matthew Paul Turner is a very gifted writer, which makes this a book you just can't put down.

Here's a picture from his blog of him and his sister back in the "churched" days:

Verifications Definitions - "desslys"

Word verification codes are so unappreciated. Day and night, they work to keep out those pesky spammers from our blogs and various other sites. So, I say these codes are words too. They must have meaning, so I'm leaving it up to you to define these collection of letters. Let's make them words.

This time's Verification Definition is:What would "desslys" mean?

The Turkey Song

Stupid? yes.
Pointless? yes.

But, a pop-culture memory from my high school days, no less.

What's your Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Thanksgiving, for us, is staying at one of our parents house. I usually end up sleeping on a couch, which is not a problem. I can sleep on anything, anywhere. Before we eat the big dinner, we sleep in and watch the parade. After dinner, we chill for a while, and either watch a movie at home, or go to the theater. The girls usually go attack the chaos of the Friday sales while I sleep in and go hang out with friends or family. I don't do the shopping thing, especially amongst a billion people scrambling for a printer marked down $20. Not my deal. Anyways, that's our Thanksgiving.

What's your Thanksgiving look like?

Word Wednesday .::21

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron.

To participate, do your own post on your blog about your Word for the week, and link it to the bottom of my post every week by using the application provided below. Always leave me a comment, so I know you dropped by, and link back to my post from yours. Thanks for participating.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Ezekiel 16:22 ESV

"And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood."

Prostitute/whore/whoring seems to be the dominant theme of chapter 16. This is a Word through Ezekiel from God to Jerusalem, and it's pretty strong. As Christians, we definitely don't want to lose the wonder of the cross, and how God has saved us. For me, it's also about the remembrance of God's current grace in my life. Not if I mess up, but when I mess up, He keeps forgiving. The Psalms talk about worshiping the Lord with remembrance of His holiness. My Pastor said, this past week, that thinking people are thankful people. When we think and remember, we will be thankful for what God has done and what He is doing.

What's your Word?

Worship Confessional 11.23.08

Greetings. "Our God Saves" caught today and we introduced one of my new songs, "Offering to You".

Set List w/Itunes links:
Forever - Chris Tomlin
Our God Saves - Paul Baloche
Hosanna - Hillsong
Offering to You - mine (mp3 link)



This is also a contribution to Sunday Setlist.

Technology

I just set up my twitter to be updated by text message from my phone. I set it to where I can only update it, but I don't receive any updates, because that would mean paying for unlimited texting. It's one of those technology things that amazes you the first day or week that you've got it. Case in point, this morning I started to update my twitter from my cell phone as I was sitting right in front of my computer. I stopped myself from such a moronic act and prayed for deliverance. I think I'm healed now, but inside I'm still a little giddy about my mobile twitter.

Have you ever gotten a little too excited about technology before?

Idea

It's all about the idea. You can have great graphics, big actors, and a huge budget, but if there's no idea, you have nothing. Microsoft tried, but I think this little, simple, yet great idea trumped their latest marketing attempt. What do you think?

Word Wednesday .::20

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron.

To participate, do your own post on your blog about your Word for the week, and link it to the bottom of my post every week by using the application provided below. Always leave me a comment, so I know you dropped by, and link back to my post from yours. Thanks for participating.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Ezekiel 1 ESV

Click here to read the whole chapter. You won't be disappointed.

Whenever I encourage people to read the Bible from cover to cover, I always tell them to make it past Ezekiel. If you make it past Ezekiel, you know you're in the home stretch. I started reading Ezekiel last Friday, and I still haven't been able to shake the first chapter. What an amazing passage on the glory of the Lord. There's so much imagery and description of the living creatures, but it's not about the living creatures, it's about the glory of the Lord. We can do a lot of amazing things and create a lot of imagery in service to God, but it's not about the imagery or the service, and it's definitely not about us. It's always, always about the glory of the Lord, and it's cemented at the end of the chapter with Ezekiel stating, "Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking."

What's your Word?

Gift Scrooge

I'm a gift scrooge this year. I've never been the type to ask for a whole lot. I'm a pretty content person. Generally, I'm not that high-maintenance. This last year, God has really been speaking to me a lot about His kingdom. I feel like He's taking me on a journey towards selflessness more than ever. it's scary, but exciting, and freeing. Now, I'm not by any means an example of being selfless or generous. I just feel like on my way to becoming. God has really started with my heart and mind and soul on the whole issue. God is reviving the age-old mindset of taking care of the needy, and not becoming greedy, and I'm excited to be a part of that, and also to be in a church that's on a similar journey. So, this year, I've hit a dilemma. My family and friends have been asking me what I want for Christmas, and I actually feel kind of guilty giving them an answer. Just being an American, puts me in the "rich" category in the big picture. So, I kind of feel like a gift scrooge. I guess I really need to focus on being as much or more a giver than a receiver this Christmas. I think would be a great thing to all people give more than they receive this year. I think there's Bible verse about that.

Movie Monday IV

This is a post that you can participate in on every Monday. I'm a big fan of the cinema, so I decided to break up the Monday blues by talking about movies.

I just saw the new Bond flick on Friday night. It was good. I think I like Casino Royale better. I do like the Daniel Craig "Bond". In the spirit of 007, who do you think is the best James Bond? ...your name is not an option. Sorry.


I think I would have to go with Pierce Brosnan, because he was the Bond of my generation.

your turn...

Worship Confessional 11.16.08

We taught a new song to our crowd, "Our God Saves", and it caught quick. I'm excited to see this one take off.

Here was the set list with Itunes links:

Not to Us - Chris Tomlin
Our God Saves - Paul Baloche
The Least I Can Do - Mark Roach
Shine - Matt Redman



Also a contribution to Sunday Setlist.

Cool or Stupid?

I was driving home from work the other day, and looked up and saw a guy standing up on his motorcycle in 5 o'clock traffic, so I captured it on my camera phone like a good blogger. He did some other tricks after that as well.



Do you think this guy was being cool or stupid?

Rock the vote:

	cool
	stupid
	both
pollcode.com free polls

Dramatic Lemur

Word Wednesday .::19

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron.

To participate, do your own post on your blog about your Word for the week, and link it to the bottom of my post every week by using the application provided below. Always leave me a comment, so I know you dropped by, and link back to my post from yours. Thanks for participating.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Lamentations 3:22-25 ESV

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.

It takes faith to believe that God is faithful. Have you ever thought of that? To be still and know that God is who He says He is takes faith. This passage inspired one of the most timeless songs of the church, "Great is Thy Faithfulness". "Morning by morning, new mercies I see". What a great passage of hope and comfort in the middle of Lamentations, but it takes faith. We have to wait and trust and rely on our Maker. He is always faithful to us, even when we're not always faithful to him.

What's your Word?

Songwriting::::ACCESSIBILITY

These posts on songwriting are not written from a professional point of view. These are just my thoughts as I experience new aspects of the craft. The best part of these posts will be your input.

ac·ces'si·bil'i·ty: easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, or use.

I'm the kind of person that loves change and variety. I get bored with things quickly, especially when it comes to my music. The invention of the ipod is a gift from the heavens. I can take a lot of music on a trip without lugging around the big CD carriers. When it comes to worship music, you definitely hear a lot of the same out there. There are definitely amazing songs still coming out for sure, but there is still a little blandness that seems to seep onto the radio every now and again. And with my discontentment with "more of the same", I tend to use the ipod more.

With all that being said, when it comes to writing songs for the church, what is important? Lyrical content is what brings meaning to a song. The lyrics speak the message of the song clearly. I heard Tim Hughes at a conference one time. He reminded us to write songs that make sense. Look carefully at your lyrics, and make sure they are truth. I put my songs in front of several people that I trust, and ask for an honest proof and critique. When it comes to the music, there's only so many chord progressions available. The melody line is where we can find some distinction. The melody line, for me, is the most important part of the music. This is where we can create a unique piece of art. The melody line is also a definer for the accessibility of a worship tune.

When I first started writing worship songs, I definitely wasn't thinking about accessibility. I would try my hardest to write a really cool, unique and sometimes challenging melody. The problem is that worship songs are primarily written as hymns for the local church to lift up in praise. The crowds that we lead are not ruled by trained vocalists, so naturally, we need to think about them as we write. Mark Roach said something to me that I haven't forgot. He said that he has to force himself to write a little boring sometimes. At first, it sounds like you have to limit your skill level, when writing worship tunes, but it's actually more of a challenge. To write a song that is simple and accessible, yet something that still has it's own personality and distinction is a real challenge. To me, Chris Tomlin and Paul Baloche are great examples. Writing worship songs well, is a quite a beast, because you're writing them for others to sing, not just yourself. It's also an amazing motive. Writing worship songs, when done well, can truly be a selfless art, especially if you're keeping the accessibility of your people as a top priority.

There is certainly a balance to seek, though. Primarily, we want to make our worship services as accessible as possible, but there's also something to be said about stretching our crowd and helping them grow.

How do you find that balance as a worship leader? What songs are good stretchers, yet still accessible?

Movie Monday III

This is a post that you can participate in on every Monday. I'm a big fan of the cinema, so I decided to break up the Monday blues by talking about movies.

Just for laughs, let's talk about comedies. What is your all-time 3 favorite comedies in cinema?

Here's mine:
1. Young Frankenstein
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
3. Office Space (watch the TV version, lotta language)


your turn...

Worship Confessional 11.09.08

Greetings. We had a busy day, so no time for a video. After church, our staff went on an all-afternoon fun day at a go-cart place. Fun stuff, but we were exhausted last night.
This week I led from the piano, because our pianist wasn't able to come. I rarely get on the piano anymore, because my pianist is incredibly good, so I'd rather have her play whenever she's there. I had fun leading from there, and I think it mixed up a bit, which is good.

Here was the set list with itunes links:
Holy - Brenton Brown
You are a Holy God - Vineyard
May Your Kingdom Come - mine
Shine - Matt Redman

"You are a Holy God" is one of those songs that has never left the rotation. To me, it's just an amazing song to worship with and lead. It's one of the first one's I did when I started 6.5 years ago. "May Your Kingdom Come" is one of my new songs (unrecorded) that has become a great teaching song, as we are pushing our church to compassion for the homeless and just to show love to everyone that God puts in their path. Since I didn't do a video confessional, I put some clips of our set together. Here you go:



This is also a contribution to Sunday Setlist.

Sneezing Panda

Happy 90th, Billy

What can you say about Billy Graham? Is he perfect? No, but what an amazing man of God, and what an impact he has had for the Kingdom of God. My Grandfather, who died long before I was alive, was saved one night watching a crusade on TV. I stumbled onto these videos as I was researching for this post. Its from the late 60's. It's Woody Allen interviewing Billy Graham. Even in such a conservative time of the church, he was able to relate to the culture without compromising. Definitely a great example of salt & light without condemnation during a turbulent time. Very interesting clips:





What words come to mind when you think of Billy Graham?

The Incredible Hulk

Tuesday night, I was settled in to watch the big election and to see how America voted. About 30 minutes into it, my wife asks me if I want to watch the new Incredible Hulk movie. I was like, "What?! It's election night!" She said she was bored with it, so I reluctantly put on the movie, and monitored the election from my computer on nbc.com.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this flick. Way, way better than the last one that came out. Ed Norton is one of my favorite actors, so I enjoyed him in the role. I liked that they gave some love to Lou Ferrigno, the original Hulk. My question is, what was the deal with Ironman showing up at the end? I don't if I was half asleep and missed something, but I didn't understand the tie-in there. I guess it's setting up for a sequel.

If you've got any insight into this one, let me know.

Word Wednesday .::18

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron.

To participate, do your own post on your blog about your Word for the week, and link it to the bottom of my post every week by using the application provided below. Always leave me a comment, so I know you dropped by, and link back to my post from yours. Thanks for participating.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Jeremiah 48:10 ESV

Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.

This verse is talking about those who will be carrying out God's wrath and judgment on Moab. I am not a violent person, to say the least. I still hate guns because of an incident involving a pellet gun and a bird. So, when I read this this week, I wasn't so much thinking about the violence in the verse, but about cleanliness. Next year I'm going on a trip to Africa. I'm looking forward to it, but I've also dealt with some fears, like financial support, "traveling mercies", and safety overseas. I think if I let it, those fears could easily lead me to cancel the trip, but that's not what God is calling me to do. He is calling me to get my hands dirty next year and get out of my comfort for 10 days. Sometimes, our lives can be too tidy and clean. So clean, that when God calls us to get in the dirt, we don't want to sacrifice our cleanliness. In this passage, those were called to fulfull God's will were going to have to get their swords bloody. It really wasn't an option. Like I've said before, we really can't experience miracles until we excersize our faith, and sometimes that means getting our hands dirty.

What's your Word?

President Barack Obama

Last night was an incredible night in our nations history. Like him or not, Barack Obama has lived the American dream, and done the impossible. I'm glad it's all over, as far as the elections. It was probably one of the most malicious campaigns I have seen. I was moved by his speech last night, and I am glad for our black Americans who have been persecuted for their skin color throughout history, and still fight the racism that exists. I am white as white can be. I could not come close to empathizing with my personal black friends who have told me about the prejudice that still goes on in our country. America is great, but we still need to push forward through the bigotry, no matter how minute it becomes. Some would criticize the issue of race in this election, but it is what it is. Having a black president is a progression towards all men being created equal. Should we vote for a president because of their skin color? Of course not, but this is the first time that's even been an option in the final election. This is a part of the process towards being a nation of equal opportunity.
Obviously, Obama did not win solely on the minority vote. The American majority have named their next leader. So, what about those who didn't vote for him? Can you support a president that you didn't want? I have to admit that I have failed in this from time to time. I think it's really easy to be a part of the criticism on the sidelines, but the real challenge is actually getting in the game and being positive along side those whom you vehemently disagree with. This is a challenge that takes a great deal of humility and sacrifice. You don't have to sacrifice your morals or convictions, but you do have to sacrifice yourself, and maybe a little bit of pride. As I get older, I'm getting more calm and slower to anger. There are pastors out there that totally disagree with the way I minister, but I'm finding great solace by reaching out to them, even though we don't really relate that much. It's called balance, and we don't have to compromise our beliefs to find balance. I ran across a post this morning from the president of Thomas Nelson Publishers that calls us to four commitments to Obama. Very thought provoking. Click here to read it.
I support Obama, and I will make it my commitment, to God, to honor him even if he does something wrong. One thing I heard McCain say yesterday afternoon, I disagree with. He said that if we elect him, that he will never let us down. The problem is that people will always let you down. Barack Obama will let us down, and I have let down previous presidents and God in my commandment to repect them. All we can do is all we can do, and we can all do our best. No matter who is in the Oval Office, God is on the throne. No matter who is our president, God should be our King. Obama, nor McCain is our Savior. Jesus is, and that's why we worship Him.

On a side note, I'm wondering about anti-Obama forwards that I get from time to time.
Do you think these will lessen or will they intensify?

Free Shaun Groves Song

Shaun Groves has a great blog (Shlog), but he's best known for his music. He's a great songwriter and artist, and I've seen him at a conference, and he's the real deal. He was kind enough to give away a download of his new song "Kingdom Coming". Click here to check it out on his blog, or just click the link below to download the song. It's an awesome song, and it's one I would have bought.

Book Review - SOUL CRAVINGS - not for me

Soul Cravings by Erwin McManus

I would definitely say that this book was not for me. Not because I didn't like it, but because it really wasn't written for me. This book was written for those who are searching for something more than just mere existence. Every human being has something inside of them that's longing for something more. Erwin McManus, in this book title, describes this as a "Soul Craving". At the end of the book, he says, "Even as you read this, there's a voice coming, not from your head, but from your gut, screaming that you are more than water and disposable material." The book is comprised of 3 main sections: Intimacy, Destiny, and Meaning. At the beginning of the book, he poses the question, why love? If our bodies, scientifically, should be able to function without emotion, then why do we have this need for love?
McManus draws people to Jesus by relating to where they are now, and showing them that Christianity isn't just for people who are against everything, but for those who want to contribute, dream, and create in a dark world.
I would highly recommend this to someone who is analytical, and likes to read, and also wondering about a life with God, and is still searching. As a Christian, you have to go into it realizing that this is mainly an evangelism tool, and I'm glad I read it for that reason.

Movie Monday II

This is a post that you can participate in on every Monday. I'm a big fan of the cinema, so I decided to break up the Monday blues by talking about movies.

Let's be negative. What's the worst movie you've seen lately, and maybe even ever?

Most chick flicks would fit into this category, but lately, I would have to say mine would be "Beverly Hills Chihuahua". Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it was pretty creepy. It was like Underdog but with an actual serious story line. I can handle the kiddie movies, and I have fun taking my kids to them, but this one creeped me out. Definitely, 2 hours of my life that I can't get back.

your turn...

Worship Confessional 11.02.08

Led worship with allergies today. It went much better than I thought. God really took care of my voice. We introduced "Shine", which is one of my fav's right now. Great day.

Set List with Itunes links:
Alleluia (Our Praise Is) - mine
You are so Good to Me - Third Day
Shine - Matt Redman
I Give You My Heart - Reuben Morgan



This is also a contribution to Sunday Setlist.

How was your day?

Pumpkin Carving

I missed out on most of the Halloween festivities, because I'm fighting allergies. I was able to be a part of our first pumpkin carving as a family. It was fun. Here's a little video for you: