Isaiah 48:16
Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

Mark 1:17
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

For: The Essentials Green Online Worship Values Course with Dan Wilt

I really enjoyed the media content for week one of Essentials Green, especially Brian Doerksen’s video on intimacy.  We, our church, our just now in a series on Holy Living and specifically focusing on God’s Pattern for Relationships.  This Sunday the topic is marriage.  Brian emphasized that intimacy is about relationship and vulnerability in relationship, and illustrated intimacy in worship using marriage as an example.  I also liked how he portrayed intimacy as an adventure.  It really is.  When we think of adventures, we think of danger, risks, and exciting journeys.  Real intimacy, making your self vulnerable, opening up your real self to someone else, includes all those elements.

Joyce Harback or Calgary recommends Make Love, Make War: NOW is the time to worship by Brian Doerksen  

Name of publisher: David C Cook

Genre: Non-fiction, devotional, how-to

About the book:
A collection of stories behind some of the greatest worship choruses ever written out of the author’s walk with God and study of God’s word. Additional how-to and other helps are given at the end of each chapter for songwriters. This book shares an intimate look into how great music is born out of knowing God, being still before Him and learning to walk with Him through the crisis and the mundane.

How did you find out about the book?

I was asked to write a profile on Brian Doerksen for Maranatha News and my editor arranged for me to receive a preview copy of his book. The article about Brian and the book is scheduled to appear in December. www.maranathanews.com

What did you like about it?  

It has become one of my most treasured reading experiences. True stories of Doerksen’s life experience are woven into thought provoking challenges to our current Christian status-quo. It is genuine, transparent, inspirational and God-focused. Reading this book draws me closer to God and ignites my desire to know Him for who He is.

Who do you think would most benefit from reading this book?

Songwriters. Worship leaders. Writers. Artists. Pastors.

Where can others find it?

Christian retailers or online (Amazon, Christianbook.com)

Any other comments?

Brian Doerksen at age 44 is a multi-award-winning Canadian singer/songwriter/author/pastor. More than 85 of his original songs are listed with CCLI and sung around the world. He lives in Abbotsford BC with his wife and six children, two of whom have special needs. His hope is “that when people remember what they saw and heard of God in my life and my songs they’ll see that he became greater and I became less.” (quote from http://www.prairie.edu/servant/InnerviewBrianDoerksen.pdf, accessed November 12, 2009).

Thanks for the recommendation, Joyce! Music has an ability to move us in ways that nothing else can. This book sounds like a great way to learn about the man behind the music.

**

Where Fitness & Family Meet Faith

Books to light your path to harmonized living

http://www.kimberleypayne.com

It’s been a while since I have posted a worship song on here. I am always on the lookout for little known Christian musicians. Brian Doerksen is definitely one that you should listen to. He has just released a new album and his music is available from his website.

This song is called “Holy God”. The lyrics are below the video. Enjoy, and worship God.

Lyrics:

Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God, You are

Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God

Creating, commanding
Transcendent, Adonai
Defending love, destroying sin
The warrior divine

Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God

Forgiving, redeeming
From every tribe and tongue
Arising first the nail scarred Lamb
Salvation’s champion

Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God

Romancing, pursuing
Reclaiming to restore
Releasing hearts, transforming lives
The lion’s mighty roar

Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God, You are Lord
Holy, holy, holy God
Holy, holy, holy God

Holy, holy, holy

Romancing, pursuing
Reclaiming to restore
Releasing hearts, transforming lives
The lion’s mighty roar

Holy, holy, holy God, yes You are
Holy, holy, holy God, yes You are Lord
Holy, holy, yes You are holy God
Holy, yes, You are holy, holy God

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy

- Adam Smith

This Sunday we will use the following songs to corporately express our worship to God and prepare our hearts and minds to hear from Him:

Lifter of My Head written by Quentin Lozano and found on Freddy Rodriguez’ album Light In The Darkness.

I Really Love You by Norman Hutchins on his album Where I Long to Be.

Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing) by Brian Doerksen and Brenton Brown. Found on the album Live Vineyard Worship: Winds of Worship-Come Now Is the Time.

If Not For Your Grace by Aaron Lindsey and Israel Houghton. Found on the Israel & New Breed album A Deeper Level.

Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King written by Robert Robinson adapted by Thomas Miller. The song is found on the Gateway Worship album Living For You.

All songs are available for individual download on itunes, Amazon.com or on CD at most Christian music retailers.

En del av ljuset från evangeliet om härligheten hos Kristus (en bibelvers på engelska som inte blir lika bra på svenska men som fastnat på min hjärna – the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, 2 Kor 4:4) är att vi ser att tillvaron har ett syfte och en mening eftersom det finns en Skapare bakom allt.

Just nu har jag Holy God-cd:n med Brian Doerksen i bilen och skruvar då naturligtvis upp ljudet på titelspåret rejält för att höra trummandet riktigt högt!, men här är en annan av Brians allra bästa låtar. Klippet/videon ovan finns i högupplöst – så den går även att visa på storbildsskärm i kyrkan, antar jag.

Det blev många oj, nämen, ahh… till de här bilderna!

PS. För övrigt har Dallas Morning News lagt ut “Del 2″ av berättelsen – som jag har skrivit om 31/8; denna gång är det i skriftlig form - om familjen Laux och deras son Thomas med Trisomi 13: http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/photography/2009/thomas/ DS

I lied yesterday.   I said you could expect this book review later this week, when in fact, I couldn’t stop reading.  I never finish a book in a single day.  If anything, the book ended suddenly; I kept looking for a postscript or afterword or epilogue.

Make Love, Make War: Now is the Time to Worship (David C. Cook, 2009)  is a wonderfully crafted outpouring from the heart of Canadian singer-songwriter Brian Doerksen, who has authored or co-authored — he seems to do much of his writing in tandem with others — some of our best known worship songs such as:

• Refiner’s Fire
• Your Love is Amazing
• Today (As for Me and My House)
• It’s Time for the Reign of God
• Faithful One
• Everlasting
• Creation Calls
• Light The Fire Again
• You Shine
• and 84 other CCLI-listed songs

Some of these songs, and some I didn’t know, become the chapter titles for this book and are used as a springboard for discussion about what it means to live a life of worship to God, and also the worship songwriting process itself.   On many chapters, I found the songs playing as on a loop in my head, providing a background soundtrack to reading the book.   (Maybe someday that technology will exist as you begin a new chapter, the appropriate song will play…)

Furthermore, although I’ve missed hearing Brian live, getting to know his voice and spoken mannerisms from the Today live worship DVD resulted in almost hearing him speak the words right off the page.    I questioned getting the DVD, since I already had the CD, but it has proved to be one of my all time favorite visual worship experiences.   The book Make Love, Make War is the next natural progression, deeper into the heart of Brian’s love for his heavenly father, though if you currently own neither, don’t let that dissuade you from the book..

The book is part worship textbook, part autobiographical.   It is in places humorous and at other places deeply serious.    It is partly intended for worship music personnel at local churches — especially with its technical and practical tips for musicians at the end of each chapter — and also intended for the average person who seeks after God.

In many of our churches, the worship component involves half or more of the total time spent “at church.”   Towards the end, Doerksen suggests:

“…we send people away to Bible school and seminary for years to learn the Scriptures and how to preach.  And upon their return they preach sermons, which people often promptly forget.   But there are very few theological schools designed to help modern artists and worship songwriters learn the Scriptures and biblical theology; we just tell them to write a song we can sing in church.  Maybe it’s the songwriters who should study the most — because the lyrics of the songs are what really stick with us.”

In an excellent analogy — again towards the end of the book — he compares worship leaders to the Best Man at a wedding, leading the introduction of Bride (the church) and Groom (the Father), and then quickly getting out of the way.

Elsewhere he despairs over pastors who encourage worship leaders to include something “lively” or “up tempo,” when the heart of the Psalms is often woeful lament.   His admiration for principal Psalmist King David — he just calls him Dave — is repeated throughout the book.   He admits that sometimes, following after his role model, his song themes and lyrical choices have been met with criticism.    This does not deter him; he feels he is living out the particular worship role for which God has chosen him.

Lord willing, Brian Doerksen will keep giving the church new musical worship material; but I also hope this isn’t the last time we see his name on a book.   He has much to teach us about our relationship with the Father.

Le vidéo clip présenté dimanche le 19 juillet 2009 pour faire suite à la série de réflexions de Denise sur le thème de l’environnement et l’église.

Join me in this worship of Jesus. After more than 6 months of not playing, I sat down to play the piano, and this is the song that pulled at my heart. Light the Fire by Brian Doerksen.

The hymn “It is Well with My Soul” becomes closest to heart for one undergoing grief. Written by a Presbyterian laywer Horatio G. Spafford (1828-1888) and composed by Philip P. Bliss (1838-1876), this deeply touching gospel song has long been loved.

The scripture reference is Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Text Author and Hymn-Writer Horatio G. Spafford

Spafford was born on October 20, 1828 in North Troy, New York. He was a successful lawyer in Chicago who maintained a keen interest in Christian activities, deeply spiritual and devoted to the scriptures.

Chicago Fire and a Son’s LossSometime in 1871, a fire in Chicago heavily devastated the city, and months before that , Spafford had invested hugely in real estate by the shore of Lake Michigan. The disaster greatly wiped out his holdings. Before the fire, Spafford also experienced the loss of his son.

A Calm and Worst Life Storm

Two years after the fire, Horatio Spafford planned a trip to Europe for him and his family. He wanted a rest for his wife and four daughters, and also to assist Moody and Sankey in one of their evangelistic campaigns in Great Britain. He was not meant to travel with his family. The day in November they were due to depart, Spafford had a last minute business transaction and had to stay behind in Chicago. Nevertheless, he still sent his wife and four daughters to travel as scheduled on the S.S. Ville du Havre, expecting to follow in a few days. On November 22, the ship laden with his wife and daughters was struck by the Lockhearn, an English vessel, and sank in few minutes.

Wife “Saved Alone”

After the survivors were finally landed somewhere at Cardiff, Wales, Spafford’s wife cabled her husband with two simple words, “Saved alone.” Shortly after, Spafford left by ship on his way where his beloved four daughters had drowned, and pen at hand, wrote this most poignant text so significantly descriptive of his own personal grief – “When sorrows like sea billows roll...” The hymn “It is Well with My Soul” was born.

It is Well with My Soul

It is noteworthy that Horatio Spafford did not dwell on the theme of life’s sorrows and trials, instead, focused in the third stanza on the redemptive work of Christ, and in the fourth verse, anticipates His glorious second coming. (Refer below for CyberHymnal’s link)

Composer Philip Bliss

Philip P. Bliss, the hymn composer, was a prolific writer of gospel songs. He was so impressed with the experience and expression of Spafford’s text that he shortly wrote the music for it, first published in one of the praise hymn book, Sankey-Bliss Hymnals, Gospel Hymns No. 2. Shortly after writing ‘It is Well With My Soul,’ Bliss died in a tragic train accident.

On reflection, it is divinely amazing that one could experience such personal tragedies and sorrows as did Horatio Spafford, yet, able to say with such convincing clarity, “It is well with my soul.” It is an enormous challenge to embrace the significance of this hymn.

First Stanza of the Hymn

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

It is Well With My Soul by Brian Doerksen,

Why do I seem to struggle so much with actually living here( It is well with my soul)?  In the midst of the storm, or even in the aftermath of a storm – it seems so hard to just live contently or with my soul at peace.  I long to be in the place the the author of this hymn was in.  I think it  concept of resting really resonates in me on many levels.  It is probably why Isaiah 40 is such a part of my life – I just really struggle with waiting – finding true peace in my soul.

Combined Worship Service! (We took two services and put them into one to promote fellowship in the body!)

Leaders -

• Jonathan Eckberg and Larry Vossel: Acoustic Guitars
• Aaron McDaniel and Joe Szoke: Electric Guitars
• Bethany Muck, Elmo Johnson, Twila Fieker, and Judy Trelow: Vocals
• Ben Fieker, Steph Szoke, and Dan Fieker: Bass
• Tim McDaniel: Drums
• Chris Woods and Bethany Muck: Keys

The Set:

• 10:00 – Prelude: Come, Now is the Time – Brian Doerksen (Combined Service Team, Key of D)
• 10:05 – Welcome, Announcements and prayer for service
• 10:10 – Lord I Lift Your Name on High – Donnie McClurkin (Combined Service Team, Key of G)
• 10:15 – As the Deer – Martin Nystrom (Combined Service Team, Key of C)
• 10:20 – Meet’n Creep
• 10:21 – smallGROUP promo
• 10:26 – Recognition for Service: Steve Cryder
• 10:30 – Special Music: Choir (2 Numbers unknown)
• 10:38 – Recognition for Graduates of 2009 (junior high, high school, and college)
• 10:40 – Offering
• 10:41 – Special Music: Elmo Johnson
• 10:45 – Scripture Reading: Anna Wilson – Matt 5:1-12
• 10:46 – O’ Father you are Sovereign – Margret Clarkson (2nd Service Worship Team)// <![CDATA[//
• 10:50 – Let us Exalt – Unknown (2nd Service Worship Team)
• 10:55 – Message – “When Salt Loses Its Saltiness” Mark 9:33-50
• 11:25 – Speak O’ Lord – Keith and Kristyn Getty (1st Service Worship Team, Key of Bb)
• 11:30 – How Great Thou Art – George Beverly Shea (1st Service Worship Team, Key of G)
• 11:35 – Dismiss

NOTES:  If you look at this set-list, you have to be thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot in one service!”.  You’re telling me. I thought the same thing!  Although it looks like a massive set, I know that we laid it all on the table this morning.  We came for a purpose, “to worship the King of kings” and it showed!  Jesus was praised!  It was intense!  I loved it.

It was amazing to watch all the people come together with different styles of music, gifts, and talents to worship God. The place was packed, the people were excited, and the Lord was glorified. Big things are happening at HCC for sure.  If you were gone this morning, you missed out big time.

I can’t wait for next week!  We are getting out of the building and going outside for a good-ol-fashion outdoor service at Silver Lake!  Billy Sunday would be so proud.

How was your Sunday?

-jordan

*This rundown post is a part of “Sunday Setlists”. You can visit all the other “Sunday Setlist” recaps at FredMcKinnon.com

[That was fun to say wasn’t it! Feel free to say if again a few times before reading on...]

So I was preparing for a meeting recently and – quite honestly – was a little nervous…OK, afraid (but in a macho way, dude!).  Maybe you’ve been there… maybe not with a meeting; but hey, everyone get’s nervous! Not that I wasn’t or wouldn’t be prepared – I had and was taking the steps to get ready – that was not the issue.

The issue was a fear or nervousness about who I was meeting with – the person and their title is not really relevant, though it was a representative from the US Government (who, BTW are always “here to help”…just kidding, I have many friends in the government!  If you’re reading this and you are with the Government – you ROCK!). Anyway…the key here was the fact that I was getting worked up over this and letting it impact my morning. I don’t want to make light of this, preparation is key for anything and nervousness is good in some forms, but misplaced fear can be stifling.

I am a huge fan of the Our Daily Bread resource and the reading that particular day was based on Hebrews 13:5-16 (which was the scripture passage). The verse I keyed on was verse 5: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” – really a quote from Psalm 118:6.

WHAT AN AWESOME PASSAGE ABOUT AN AWESOME GOD!!!

It brought to mind a song by Brian Doerksen that really ministered to me in a HUGE way a few years ago. I was interviewing for a job (a six month, 15+ session process!) and was constantly nervous and fearful each time I met with, at times, up to 5 people in one fail swoop. I made it a practice of (of course) praying with my wife before each meeting but also listening to this song on my way to the meeting (even humming it in my head during and between appointments) – just to remind and reassure myself of Who my confidence and assurance were based in.

There are many things that we are fearful, nervous, or cautious about – some things are good, prudent, and perfectly correct in that they are for our safety and security (Hey, I’m not crazy!). But how many times have we let: “False Fear Foster Frail Followers of our Forever-Faithful Heavenly Father?”  How many times has Satan stifled our courage for Christ with fear that is truly false?  How many times have we cowered (whether inwardly or even outwardly) with fear unnecessarily?  I by no means have mastered this – probably never will this side of heaven – but thank God that His promises are TRUE!

By the way, a healthy fear of our awesome, powerful, and loving God is certainly a good and right thing…and a good subject for another post!

Be  encouraged and know that:

Correct Courage Cultivates a Capable Cohort for our
Continually-Constant and Risen Christ!

[OK - I'm just having too much fun!]

x

You Shine
Brian Doerksen

Why should I fear man, when You made the heavens?
Why should I be afraid, when You put the stars in place?
Why should I lose heart, when I know how great you are?
Why should I give up, when Your plans are full of love?

In this world we will have trouble,
But You have overcome the world!
You Shine, brighter than the brightest star!
Your Love, purer than the purest heart!
You Shine, filling us with courage and strength
To follow You!

x

PS: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -Jesus (John 16:33)

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)
  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5)

Romans 1 tells us that creation proves there is a God. To deny otherwise is foolishness!