Vote for Gift of Love

Don't forget to vote for Gift of Love for best choral project of the year at the following link...

http://www.worshipleader.com/index.cfm?tdc=dsp&page=surv-pa

I Promise

The following was taken from Let's Worship (Winter 2009-10), published by Lifeway Worship.

• I promise not to take myself so seriously, remembering that God made the hippo and the hammerhead shark.
• I will remember that Jesus took naps even during high gale warnings.
• I will choose to let myself off the hook when critical remarks fly my direction. If I wanted to judge my life on the opinions of others, I chose the wrong Savior.
• I will spend more time loving my spouse than trying to upgrade, tweak, or make over my spouse.
• I will remember that this life is not predictable. It is best lived in a state of dangerous wonder rather than linear monotony.
• I will NOT try to figure it all out today, and I really don't expect you to do so either.

The Structure of Worship

The following was taken from an article written by Dr. Dean Register, pastor of Crosspoint Church in Hattiesburg, MS, a new church that meets in the ballroom of a building located on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Register previously pastored 14 years in a six thousand member church in Louisiana.

Worship can take on a life to itself unless measures are put into place that enable the structure to be Word centered, Christ exalting, and relationally authentic. The apostle Paul's counsel to Timothy succinctly reflects our commitment to a ministry of the Word: "Until I come, devote yourselves to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching (1 Timothy 4:13, NIV).

We deliberately structured our worship so that optimum focus could be directed on God's Word rather than on congregational preferences. One of my frustrations in leading a megachurch was that the music tended to be structured for "production." Of course, that tendency can affect a church of any size, but in "church maximus" the expectation of performance dominates. When music is geared to satisfy the worshipers rather than satisfy the Savior, a line of integrity has been crossed, and idolatry has crept into the church. The ultimate issue is not what happens in worship that pleases me but what happens in worship that pleases God!

I'm not suggesting that relevance is insignificant. I'm affirming that relevance is a pointless pursuit unless we subordinate it to the all-surpassing glory of Christ. Relevance occupies an essential place in the structure of our new fellowship, but it always yields the spotlight to the Word of God. With eyes wide open to Scripture, we design a structure that is Word-centered rather than music driven.

Worship with the Westmeade Students

Wide Awake: The Life Giving Power of Worship

The following article was written by Casey Corum, Chief Creative Officer of Vineyard Music USA.

"The glory of God is man; fully alive" - St. Irenaeus of Lyons

At first reading, this often-quoted phrase can be interpreted in a number of ways. Let's explore this from a couple of different angles.

The glory of God is man - fully alive. In other words, it can be put forward that there is a measure to which God is glorified when we are fully being ourselves. God is glorified as we express our God-given gifts, talents, quirks and personalities. In other words, we are us being truly "us." I'm reminded of the quote from the 1981 movie, Chariots of Fire, when the character playing runner Eric Liddell expresses this thought:

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

I think this quote gets at the heart of this idea - that God can be glorified when we express how He has made us. It is a powerful idea, indeed.

Another angle we can observe this quote from might be better understood if we turn St. Irenaeus' quote around on itself this way:

"Man fully alive, is man glorifying God."

I also love this interpretation because I believe it digs into the heart of our higher purpose and calling as the children of God. This is to say that our highest and most noble purpose, the place where we truly find that for which we are made, is to be found in that place of worship, glorifying God with all we are. This is the place we find His life in exchange for our own.

We can sense some of the deep joy to be found in this place of worship expressed in the words of Paul found in Romans 11:33,

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!"

Kids Praise

GREAT JOB ON "THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS!" THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SCHEDULE...
Wednesday, December 16
No Kids Praise

Wednesday, December 23
No Kids Praise

Wednesday, December 30
No Kids Praise

Wednesday, January 6
6:30pm
Kids Praise resumes in Choir Room