Is My Praise Acceptable To God?

Usually when someone else is leading worship at Calvary it means that I am on vacation. But this year one of my goals is to give others the opportunity to lead while I am here in the services and rehearsals so that I can take an active role in mentoring other leaders. It will also give me the opportunity to sit out in the auditorium and hear what sounds we are really producing in our services. This week I have asked Jeremy Banks to lead us in worship on Sunday. Jeremy is a passionate worshiper of Jesus Christ who desires.to lead us in an authentic time of corporate worship. I am excited to work with Jeremy and our Praise Band this week as we prepare for our gathering on Sunday.

The opening song for Sunday is Tommy Walker's That's Why We Praise Him. Over the years this song has sparked more questions from our congregation than any other. Some misinterpret  the lyrics and think that the song communicates that the only reason we would praise Christ is because of what He has done to the neglect of who He is. I understand that perspective but I do not believe that is the meaning or intent at all. We certainly praise Christ first and foremost because of who He is. Yet it is also true that we would not be able to worship Christ if He had not acted on our behalf. So we are able to praise Him because of what He has done. I hope that is helpful as we prepare to sing on Sunday. The video link is from a service with Tommy Walker in Hawaii. I hope you enjoy it.

Then we have a three song set including Kristian Stanfill's Jesus Paid It All, Hillsong United's Stronger, and Matt Redman's Nothing But The Blood. These songs carry a unified message of what Christ's life, death,  and resurrection have accomplished for us.The closing line of Jesus Paid It All sums up the collective truth in these songs: Sin had left a crimson stain He washed it white as snow. We gather to worship because of these events in the life of Christ. Our worship is only acceptable to God because of the work of Christ.

As you prepare to worship God at Calvary this week remember that all we do, every song we sing, every prayer we offer, every sacrifice of praise is only made acceptable to God because of the work of Christ. That means no matter how well or even how poorly something may go in the service, it is still acceptable because of Christ. If I play or sing with perfection, it is no more acceptable than if I am sloppy or out of tune. It isn't my sacrifice that makes it good, it is Christ's. Rejoice in that truth Calvary.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Trent

Helpful Band Videos

The following videos are posted on YouTube from Paul Baloche. If you are part of the Praise Band at Calvary, I would like for you to watch each of these that apply to you. If it says "Everyone Watch," go ahead and watch it even if it is not for your instrument. I will be posting more videos like these in the future but these will certainly help us in our pursuit of musical excellence as we lead our congregation in corporate worship. Use the comment section of the blog to discuss what points are most helpful to you.

Worship Band Workshop - Everyone Watch

Worship Band Workshop Preview - Everyone Watch

Lead Guitar

Keyboard - Everyone Watch

Bass - Everyone Watch

Drums - Everyone Watch

Acoustic Guitar

Songs For Adoption

This Sunday at Calvary we will be observing Sanctity of Human Life Day. While there are many important truths that we can emphasize on this day, our focus at Calvary will be on adoption. In choosing our songs for Sunday, I looked for songs that talk about how we have been adopted by God. There really were quite a few songs that carried this theme so it was not difficult to find music for Sunday.

We will begin the service singing The Father's Love.  This song by Sovereign Grace musician Joel Sczebel has become a favorite at Calvary over the last few years. One of my favorite things about the song is that it talks about the Trinity. The Father has sent His Son and He gives us His Spirit as a guarantee of our future. This video was captured at the Next 2011 Conference. Devon Kauflin is leading. I think you will enjoy the addition of strings to this arrangement.

Travis Cottrell and David Moffit wrote a song a number of years back called You Will Be Our God. The chorus emphasizes the relationship between God and His people. We will move from this song into How Deep The Father's Love For Us. Stuart Townend wrote this stirring anthem which will help us to understand how far God the Father is willing to go to reconcile us to Himself.

Finally we will use the Casting Crowns song Glorious Day which is a new setting to the old hymn One Day. This song not only tells us the Gospel story, but reminds that our life in Christ is not simply a "here and now" event, but that Christ is returning for us and we as chosen, adopted, redeemed, justified saints should eagerly await that glorious day.

I would encourage you to use these songs in your private worship this week and prepare to worship corporately with great zeal when we gather again on Sunday.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Trent

Completely Done

Who God is and what he has accomplished for us are the themes that are running through our songs this Sunday at Calvary.

The hymn All Hail the Power of Jesus Name has been sung by the church for over 200 years. It has been called the national anthem of the Christian church. A few years ago, Judah Groveman of Sovereign Grace wrote a new chorus to this beloved anthem and on Sunday, we will begin our service with this new arrangement called His Name Is Jesus.

Next we will sing Chris Tomlin's Our God. A song from the Passion Movement, Our God boldly declares the power and might of our God over all. This is summed up in the line and if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us and if our God is with us then what could stand against. 

We transition into singing Revelation Song. I chose this song because after the declarations of power and might, I want us to spend time in awe of the Glory of Christ. This powerful worship song set from Revelation chapter 5 is intended to stir our hearts to love and devotion to Christ.

We close the service singing Completely Done which is another Sovereign Grace song from the writing team of Jonathan Baird, Ryan Baird, and Rich Gunderlock. The video is from the Next 2010 conference with Devon and Bob Kauflin leading Completely Done. The third stanza declares a rock solid faith in God regardless of my ability to get everything right. 

I don't know what lies ahead

What if I fail again

You are my confidence

You'll keep me to the end

I'm leaving my fears behind me now

Soli Deo Gloria,

Trent

Finishing Christmas

If you missed the children's Christmas program last Sunday, you missed a tremendous blessing. I am grateful to God for the wonderful actors, singers and dancers who are part of our children's ministry. I am also grateful for Joanna Bartlett who had the vision the this program, Margie Broussard who worked with all of our singers, and our crack A/V team who pulled off a logistical nightmare without breaking a sweat. The body of Christ has such diverse gifts and it is a joy to see so many used for His glory.

This Sunday we close our Christmas celebration with Pastor Paul teaching on the Christmas story, focusing on Matthew 2:1-12 and the story of the wise men. We will be singing Arise Shine, O Come O Come Emmanuel, What Child Is This, and O Come All Ye Faithful. On this special day, we also have some very special music.Scott Moe will be singing Mary Did You Know, Becky Beukema will sing O Holy Night, and we have a Men's Ensemble singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Since the elementary school children will be joining us for the service, we will have a special time with all of them on the platform learning the story behind the Christmas Carol Away In A Manger. I would encourage you to follow the links for each song and listen to some wonderful arrangements of each song we will be using.

My family will leave for vacation following the morning service and will return on January 2. Kyle Harrington will be leading the congregation in worship on Sunday, December 30 and Steve Koets will lead the Praise Band during that service. I am grateful for these guys stepping up and leading in my absence.

This will be by last post for 2012 so I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Trent

Children's Program This Week

In the past week I have attended two school Christmas programs, sung in two Holiday Concerts, led a service of Christmas Carols, sung for our widows and widowers, and led a Sunday morning gathering at Calvary. This is the life of a musician at Christmas. There is still one more school program to go and of course the Children's Christmas Program at Calvary.

This Sunday morning we will see all of our children ages two through 6th grade present Christmas In Whoville. I have had the opportunity to sit in on many rehearsals and I can tell you that we have some very talented young people at Calvary. This is going to be a wonderful program full of music, drama and choreography that will explore the true meaning of Christmas.We will open with the congregation singing We Three Kings and close singing The First Noel. 

Since I do not have a lot of content today, I thought I would post one of my favorite arrangements for Christmas. Enjoy!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Trent

Christmas Has Come To Calvary

I love turning the calendar and finding that it is December. Privately I have been listening to Christmas music since late September but now it is socially acceptable to share that Christmas music with everyone! The next four weeks at Calvary will feature music that celebrates the incarnation of Christ. In first chapter of the Gospel of John we see this:

     And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is the true meaning of Christmas and is why we celebrate with great zeal.

On Sunday morning, we will be utilizing a more contemporary style to express our Christmas praise. We will be singing our own arrangement of Joy To The World which makes a joyful declaration of the coming of Christ. We will also sing our own arrangement of Go Tell It On The Mountain. This song is a call to take the message to Christmas to everyone. Next we will sing Casting Crown's arrangement of I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.  This is a modern setting of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem. Here is the text of the original poem by Longfellow.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I though how, as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth" I said
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

We will close the service with Travis Cottrell's Jesus Saves. This has become a favorite at Calvary over the last few years.

On Sunday night, we will gather will a full orchestra to sing Christmas Carols the way you remember them from childhood. Here is the line-up of songs for Sunday night.

     Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus
     O Little Town Of Bethlehem
     Angels From The Realms Of Glory
     Joy To The World
     Hark The Herald Angels Sing
     Angels We Have Heard On High
     Silent Night
     Good Christian Men Rejoice

There will be more great Christmas songs in the coming weeks.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Trent