Lent!

Lent begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday.  For the next six Sunday's we will be focusing on Lent and specifically on a sermon series titled "Virtues Worth Living." As we look inward during this season we will look at those values and virtues that Jesus put above others, ones that as followers of Christ we are to internalize and live out as persons of faith.

How will we create a worship experience around each virtue that will touch the hearts and minds of those in attendance?  Please leave your ideas and comments below.

On a related note, I want to remind us that our service should create powerful and meaningful moments and experiences for worshipers.  We should approach how songs are played and led with this mindset.  We have a tendency I think to perform more than we do worship.  Sometimes songs are played so quickly they are over before they ever make a connection with anyone.  This is not to say that every song should be a slow and contemplative song.  Certainly there are many songs that need to be and are upbeat, however, I want us to focus on how we connect to worshipers and creating powerful and meaningful moments of worship for them.

For example:  The way we opened "With Kindness," slowly and with just Elizabeth's voice and the piano was probably one of the most powerful music/worship moments I have ever experienced at the Journey but then when the rest of the instruments came in the tempo shot-up so quickly folks were barely able to keep up with the words, words which carried powerful meaning but were never given the chance to stick.  

It is very, very important for the songs to sound good, relevant, and even "cool," but we also need allow God's spirit to move through the music and into the hearts of those who come to worship.  Worship music needs to be more than just going through the motions.

Thank you again for all that you put into this service, blessings on you all as we begin our Lenten Journeys.

Lent Planning

Please head over to planning center this week and begin looking at the six weeks of Lent beginning March 1.  We will be doing the "Virtues Worth Living" sermon series during this time. Remember that week six of Lent is Palm/Passion Sunday, which begins reflection the on the last week of Jesus' life.  Go ahead and add any songs you want to the plan and we can sort them out later.  If you are having technical difficulties just post your suggestions as comments or e-mail the group (just me and musicians).  

Mars Hill Music

Mars Hill church is Rob Bell's church in Michigan.  Rob Bell is pretty hip among young adults.  Their music team has a website that is pretty cool.  If you want you can explore it, they have some music resources with chord charts and some with clips.  I really liked a piece on there about "Why We Sing" and have copied it below.

http://www.musicatmars.com/

WHY WE SING

A big group of people singing together is odd. It really is. Other than a baseball game or occasional birthday party, people don't usually stand around and sing. But we do every Sunday at church. Why? For starters it is a part of our history and tradition. We come from a long line of people who sing to and about God. From King David to Martin Luther to Bono, men and women have often expressed their faith, whether in painful cries or through gushing praise, with singing. The reasons behind this aren't always clear, but the power of music is undeniable. It seems to tap into deeper and more honest places than words alone ever could. It has been said that music is the language of the soul. We believe it. 

So when we meet together as a community of faith, it seems only natural that we would try to use this language of the soul to connect with God and each other. Sometimes the songs are directed upward in celebration of the infinite love and greatness of God. And on those days we sing at the top of our lungs to thank and praise Him for who he is and what he does and also to remind each other that we serve the King of all Kings. Other times the songs are more personal and reflective, giving us an opportunity to connect intimately with our Creator. This looks different for everybody but can involve confessing sin, inviting God to heal us or asking for wisdom and direction, any expression that naturally flows out of our experience. We want our worship to be both grounded in real life and reaching outward to the eternal. 

Does music = worship? No. In spite of the fact that 99% of our "worship times" are singing, these words are not interchangeable. Music is to worship as Q-tips are to cotton swabs: one form of a bigger thing. We can sing without worshiping God, and we can worship God without singing. Ultimately, worship is an activity of the heart. Words, songs and actions are simply expressions. 

Feb Lineups

These are not set in stone so if you want to swap some things out or around just let me know.  I will work on getting Lent up by next week so if you want to suggest for those six weeks you have a chance to do that also.

Feb 8

Let It Rise

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Breathe

Just a Closer Walk

We are Marching 

"O Freedom" would be a great song to open here, but I think this was Brian's gig.  Any thoughts on giving it a shot?

Feb 15

Holy, Holy, Holy (UMH #64)

All Who Are Thirsty 

Wade In the Water

Give Us Clean Hands

I Saw the Light

Feb 22

Be Glorified

Heart of Worship

We Fall Down

Come and Find the Quiet Center

With Kindness

Some Random Thoughts on Flow

Hey team,

I have been having a great time working more with the service this past month and I finally feel like we know what is going on more than half the time.  

I have been doing some thinking about flow lately and wanted to know what you thought on some things:

-To transition from jam session/recorded music time, have Elizabeth welcome folks to the service and to stand, but with either jam session music in background or the beginnings of our opening song.  That way we flow right into worship with no musical breaks.

-If our opening set lends itself to this- seamless transitions between songs using fills or interludes or whatever to minimize the pauses between songs.  I think our current pauses are not that bad but the more we can eliminate them the better.  

-Moving from sermon time to prayer time:  When Dave preaches he always ends with a prayer.  During this time could the band be making it's way back up front?  When the prayer is finished then the prayer song can immediately start.

This could be a little different when I preach or we have a guest.  I am thinking after the sermon I can do a sort of invitation to prayer and maybe lift up some issues for folks to be reflecting on.  The band can be coming up during that invitation and the song can begin on cue.  

I also like the idea of bringing back the "prayer sandwich" where we do a couple verses before joys and concerns then close out the time with the rest of the verses.  This would help move us better into the offering/announcement time.

Well let me know what you think.  You certainly don't have to agree, but I do get the final say :)

Thanks again everyone, for all your flexibility and effort into this service.

-Rob

Lineup Rough Drafts for 2/8, 2/15, 2/22

Here are my thoughts so far. Please add your thoughts and suggestions. More info about each Sunday can be found earlier in the blog. Thanks gang.

February 8- What Gospel Are You Proclaiming?
We Are Marching (closer)

February 15- Would You Take The Plunge?
Holy, Holy, Holy (From the Hymnal)
All Who Are Thirsty

February 22- Who's Lord Are You Proclaiming?
We Fall Down
With Kindness (New Tune- posted to this blog earlier) (closer)

February 1

Below is the sermon blurb for this Sunday. It's not very helpful for music but here are my thoughts anyway. Please share yours!

Scripture is Luke 19:1-9- the story of Zacchaeus in the tree.
Sermon- "Getting the Emphasis Right"

"Jesus was a Middle Easterner. We're Westerners. The potential for a cultural miss is pretty high. On top of that, this is one of those passages we know so well it has ceased to be the Gospel for us. We'll try to get it again. Or maybe it will get us..."

When I read this scripture I think of how people must have been looking at Jesus when he invited himself over to a tax collector's house. Zacchaeus is the one who undergoes the transformation though and the crowd is left to wondering why Jesus welcomes everyone into God's Kingdom. Are we missing out on the Kingdom because we are worried about who is in and who is out?

Working lineup...
All Are Welcome
Humble Thyself
Better Is One Day
Communion
Sent Out in Jesus' Name

The Change - Steven Curtis Chapman

After yesterday's sermon a student sent me this video link. The song is a little cheesy but the video is cool. Thought I would share it with you guys just for your personal interest.

February 1- "Getting the Emphasis Right"

Luke 19:1-9
Jesus and Zacchaeus

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.

Sermon- "Getting the Emphasis Right"- Rev. Jonathan Arnpriester

I'm waiting to get some more info on the sermon. If you have an epiphany (and it's the proper season for one!) go ahead and post some musical suggestions. Please look at the next month of services and post for those too. I will try to get a month of lineups done this week. Thanks everyone for your hard work, I thought you rocked today!

Lineup For Sunday Jan 25

Here is my suggested lineup- you have till 5PM today to post any suggested changes before it goes to press!  Please also take a look at the other services for the next couple of months and leave your suggestions.  

All Creatures of Our God and King

All My Days (sorry Ray)

I Could Sing of Your Love Forever

There's a Spirit of Love

Offertory- Bands Choice

Guide My Feet

With Kindness

Well the Cardinals bailed us out of our meeting today, but they made it worth it! Let's look at the upcoming month of services and start posting suggestions for music. Anything is game and the more we get done here, the less meetings we have to have (yippee!).

I ran across a song today called "With Kindness" that could make a great closer sometime. Click on the post title to hear it. There is also a link below to the chord chart.

We are having a guest preacher for Feb 1 and I should have the service info up tomorrow.

Have a good day off tomorrow!

With Kindness
Words and music by Brian McLaren, 2007, Brian McLaren.
Publishing, Revolution of Hope Music Group SESAC 2007, all rights reserved. Registered with CCLI

Christ has no body here but ours
No hands, no feet, here on earth but ours
Ours are the eyes though which he looks
On this world

With Kindness
Ours are the hands through which he works
Ours are the feet on which he moves
Ours are the voices through which he speaks
To this world
With Kindness

Through our touch, our smile, our listening ear
Embodied in us, Jesus is living here
Let us go now
Filled with the Spirit
Into this world
With Kindness

http://www.restorationvillage.com/SFRH/resources.html

Lent/Easter Preview

Ok gang, I will start putting up detailed posts at the beginning of February, but for now here is a preview of whats up for Lent and Easter Sunday:

March 1 Virtues Worth Living: 1. The Humility to Go Low First Sunday of Lent
Mark 1: 9-15; I Peter 3: 18-22
Sermon series on critical virtues for our postmodern world. Jesus embodies a quality of humility and willingness to serve, help, care in ways that allow God’s love to be more visible. The passage in I Peter talks about Christ visiting the Spirits in Prison (Hell) to preach and release them. Jesus was willing to go anywhere. So should we.

March 8, Virtues Worth Living: 2. Generosity
Mark 8: 31-38 Jesus is the very definition of generosity in his self-giving and sacrificial ministry. What can we learn about generosity in our own life, faith, giving of ourselves that takes us to the cross.

March 15 Virtues Worth Living: 3. Telling the Hard Truth
John 2: 13-22 Jesus chases money changes out of the temple; speaks the hard truth to powerful people about corruption of religious practice. Addressing deception in our public/private lives and faith and how we can be people faithful to truth about injustice in our world.

March 22 Rob or Valerie preaching

March 29 Virtues Worth Living: 4. A Forgiving Heart
Ps. 107: 1-3, 17-22; Ephesains 2: 1-10 God’s steadfast and faithful love that forgives us and teaches us the way of repentance. Facing those hard times when someone’s words/actions seem unforgivable to us.

April 5, 2009 Palm Sunday 2009 Virtues Worth Living: Spiritual Insight ALSO Bring a Friend Sunday
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Gaining the insight to see what God is bring to our faith and world as God’s reign of love moves into our lives and sometimes right into streets and neighborhood.

April 12, 2009 Easter Sunday The Rising
Mark 16: 1-8
Understanding the resurrection of Jesus in our faith in God’s promise of eternal life for us. Jesus’ rising is our rising too.

February 22- Who's Lord Are You Proclaiming?

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Sermon- "Who's Lord Are You Proclaiming?"- Rob Preaching
The phrase "Jesus is Lord" can have different meanings to many Christians. We will look at what the phrase meant to early Christians and explore what it means to proclaim this phrase in your own life. To proclaim Jesus as Lord we make his core values our core values, we submit to his alternative vision of love and justice for the world instead of the vision that a violent and unjust world often gives us.

February 15- Would You Take the Plunge?

2 Kings 5:1-14
5Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.* 2Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’* 4So Naaman* went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5And the king of Aram said, ‘Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.’

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’* 7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?* Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’

8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’ 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ 11But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!* 12Are not Abana* and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ 14So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Sermon- "Would You Take the Plunge?"- Dave Summers Preaching
Naaman the Syrian General, ordered by Elijah to bathe in Jordan River to heal his leprosy. He is offended and skeptical but still finds God’s healing in a surprising place. God’s healing reach extends generously towards those outside the walls of our church.

February 8- What Gospel Are Your Proclaiming?

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

16If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.

19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Sermon-"What Gospel Are You Proclaiming?"- Rob Preaching

One "Gospel" but many ways to interpret and proclaim it. We will look at what the term "Gospel" means and how different Christians interpret it. How do we differentiate between proclaiming Gospel, the love and hope of Jesus Christ, and biblical literalism? How do we proclaim the Gospel of Christ in a dark and hurting world today?

How will we proclaim Christ and Christ's love through our worship service?

February 1- Coming Soon

We are still figuring out who will be preaching on Feb 1. Will be updated soon!

January 25- God Doesn't Hate You

Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ 3So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ 5And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

"God Doesn't Hate You"-Rob Preaching
The bible often times gives us conflicting accounts of God and God's love. In the story of Jonah, God turns from vengeance to compassion. Upon God's seemingly change of mind, Jonah becomes angry because God does not punish Nineveh. We will look at our own responses to situations where we believe God should act in the way we want God to. We will explore issues of God's love and justice and will discover that in the end God's love will always prevail.

How will our service instill a sense of God's love in the hearts and minds of worshipers? Start the convo below...

(if you get the chance sometime in your life, the book pictured in this post is a fantastic read. It's an easy read too. I would love to discuss it with you if you ever happen to pick up a copy.)

January 18- What Is God Calling You to Do?

John 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ 46Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ 47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ 48Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ 49Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ 50Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ 51And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you,* you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’

Sermon-"What Is God Calling You to Do?"-Rob Preaching:
Jesus asks us to follow him on a Journey, when we ask why we are simply told "Come and see." We follow Jesus with a sense of faith and adventure, not certainty. When we follow Jesus our entire lives get turned upside down as we join him on a Journey of faith.

In light of MLK day on Jan 19, we will also look at his call and how his journey of faith led him to be the leader of the civil rights movement.

How will we incorporate these themes into our worship service? Leave your comments below!

Welcome!

The Journey Band
Originally uploaded by robrynders

Welcome to the new Journey blog! I hope this will act as a tool for "organic" planning for this service. This space will primarily be used for planning for individual services but will also be used to have discussions about the service overall (hospitality, promotion, worship space, etc.).

This will only work, however, if you participate! You are encouraged to share your opinions, including disagreements! Just play nice okay? Have fun too!

To the left are some (hopefully) helpful tools and they will be updated ocassionally. Please feel free to suggest any other tools that might make this site helpful.

This is to be used along with Planningcenter.com. Hopefully these sites will complement each other and not be overwhelming or confusing.

Enjoy!

January 11-Can You Remember Your Baptism?

Ok, Planningcenter was being a butt regarding having an easy place to discuss things so I have started this blog. Relevant service information can still be found on Planningcenter, however, I will post the basics here and you can respond by leaving comments. Hope this works better!

Scripture- Mark 1:4-11

Sermon:
Remembering the baptism of Jesus and the meaning of baptism for
all of us: being claimed by God, allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us,
remembering that we were blessed and our lives matter to God.