church

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Pursuing Unity in the Spirit of grace

unity tree“Unity is unique because it relies on the Holy Spirit. While uniformity is built upon the preference of the individual, unity is built on the foundation of Christ. The same Lord that dwells in my soul is the same Lord that dwells in your soul, and the Spirit of God will literally agree with itself inside two believers when we put aside personal preferences and insignificant differences.

The church can and should be a motley group of believers working together for the gospel, but this kind of unity is counterintuitive to sinners. It requires love, patience and self-control – all character qualities we don’t naturally have.

If you and I ever want to experience true unity with one another, we need to take advantage of the abundant grace in Christ so that we can give that same grace to our brothers and sisters. And because of the Cross, that grace is made available to you every morning.”

Paul David Tripp

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Not the first generation to be addicted to bass

If you have ever wondered about the love of pipe organs in church music, and the intense love for ‘good old hymns’ which have been played on this grand instrument, the following research may help explain these strong connections:

Church organ Does organ music ‘instil religious feelings’?

According to an experiment people who experience a sense of spirituality in church may be reacting to the extreme bass sound produced by some organ pipes.

Many churches and cathedrals have organ pipes that are so long they emit infrasound which at a frequency lower than 20 Hertz is largely inaudible to the human ear. In a controlled experiment in which infrasound was pumped into a concert hall, UK scientists found they could instil strange feelings in the audience at will. These included an extreme sense of sorrow, coldness, anxiety and even shivers down the spine.

To test the impact of extreme bass notes from an organ pipe on an audience, researchers constructed a seven-metre-long “infrasonic cannon” which they placed at the back of the Purcell Room, a concert hall in South London. They then invited 750 people to report their feelings after listening to pieces of contemporary music intermittently laced with sound from the “cannon”.

The results showed that odd sensations in the audience increased by an average of 22% when the extreme bass was present. Some of the experiences were described as, ‘shivering on my wrist’, ‘an odd feeling in my stomach’, ‘increased heart rate’, ‘feeling very anxious’, and ‘a sudden memory loss’. This was an experiment done under controlled conditions and it shows infrasound does have an impact, and that has implications in a religious context and some of the unusual experiences people may be having in certain churches.”

Sarah Angliss, an engineer and composer in charge of the project, added: “Organ players have been adding infrasound to the mix for 500 years so maybe we’re not the first generation to be ‘addicted to bass’.”

The article “Organ music ‘instils religious feelings‘” was first reported by the BBC in 2003.

http://www.musicademy.com/2014/05/first-generation-addicted-bass/

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‘Christ in us’ rescues our relationships (James 3:16)

Screen Shot 2020-04-22 at 10.39.59 amYes, the title is a bit of a mouthful. I was also considering: “The wisdom that saves us from our destructive tendencies in human relationships.” Admittedly that is a tad too long, but this is the very essence of James 3:16. “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Continuing the Three Sixteen series we see here in James how our relationships suffer apart from Christ. Our fallen nature pits us against one another as natural enemies. We hold each other with suspicion, trying to ensure someone else is not better than us, or better off than us, with better stuff, or people, in their life).

You see this attitude play out clearly when two toddlers meet and cautiously approach each other for the first time. Can I really trust you? As adults we try to veil our suspicion, and often do it quite well, but the bent of envy and selfish ambition runs deep in our hearts. We can trace this way back to the vulnerability Adam and Eve felt once they recognized their nakedness. There was a need to cover up, to be on the defensive against the ambitions of others. Our relationships suffer as a result. Yet this is the wisdom of the world we live in.

James shows us another way, the way of wisdom from above. Let’s read the verse in context below:
“But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:14-18 NIV)

These are such challenging things to actually live out, but when the peace of Christ comes to rule in our hearts we can have true peace with each other. We can rejoice with those who rejoice and express genuine love and care for others. This is what makes the Christian community so unique, so attractive to the world. Sure, we are not perfect, but if Christ is in us he cannot but shine through our relationships, which (to some extent) lack envy and selfish ambition. In Christ we can know some measure of sincere love, due to the measure of humility in our brothers and sisters, who are also being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Let’s work to heed the warning of James’ 3:16 and yet also rejoice! The indwelling Saviour has sweetened our human existence beyond measure. Praise be to Him!

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How worship murders our self-righteousness

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This is a post I have been meaning to share from Zac Hicks blog. It is a brilliant argument for persevering in the ‘gathered worship’ of God, even if we have issues with other people or with things not suiting our personal taste . . . Or even when it hurts! Of course ‘Worship’ is much greater than merely the Sunday gathering – it is a whole of life response of thankfulness for Christ’s saving work in us. But if you ever thought gathering together for corporate worship was not all that necessary, think again. God has some special work to do in us there.

“Many of us struggle to see gathered, corporate worship as helpful to our spiritual growth and vitality. And even if we find it helpful, we might lift an eyebrow at anyone who might say that it is instrumental or (dare say it) necessary. The irony for those of us who take lightly the weekly gathering of the people of God is that the spirit which rises up within us that says “I don’t really need this that much” is the very same spirit that worship intendeds to kill. If worship had a Twitter profile, its brief description would have to include “Murderer.” Worship was built by God to be a blood-thirsty attack dog with a keen appetite for something very specific in us. My favorite worship theologian, Jean-Jacques von Allmen, explains:

To declare that [worship] is optional, that it is not necessary to the continuation of God’s work of salvation, is to despise the source of grace. … By worship, if not by worship exclusively, the Church keeps open the wound which the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit have inflicted on the self-righteousness of the world, and in this way too the process of salvation is continued.*

God designed worship to slay our self-righteousness.

We human beings are “bruised by the Fall” (Philip Bliss) in such a way that we are hell-bent self-justification machines. We know no other pattern than to hide our weaknesses and manufacture pseudo-strengths. Our instinct, when accused of wrongdoing, is to deny and defend. Our default, when we do the right thing (no matter how much we say it’s “for the glory of God”) is to pat our spiritual selves on the back and believe that God is more happy with us because of what we’ve done. When the Holy Spirit applied the work of Christ to us, God the Father delivered the mortal wound to the beast of our self-righteousness. But the beast, while bleeding out this side of eternity, is still snarling, clawing, lashing, biting, and lunging. It is this disgusting creature that Paul is talking about in the latter half Romans 7, when he finally cries out, “Wretched man that I am!” This tormenter of souls rises weekly, daily, hourly within us.

But we’re not without hope. God has equipped a warrior to unsheath his gospel-sword every week to deliver another thrust into the thick flesh of our self-righteousness. That warrior is worship.

What von Allmen meant was that worship, rightly done, takes us on a needed weekly journey where we are reminded that we must come to the end of ourselves before we can fully see, appreciate, appropriate, and drink in the gospel. The beginning of worship should cast such a vision of God that we are blinded by His glory and leveled by His perfection. Worship gives us a picture of God’s holiness that is so high and so “other” that we are jarred out of any sense of being able to attain it. During the week, our amnesia begins to set in, and our eyes go blurry, such that the mountain of God’s glory starts looking like a gently-sloped hill. “I can climb that,” we think. (“I can avoid these pet sins for a few days.” “I can please God by being faithful in my devotions and Bible reading.” “I can be a good mom and not lose my temper.” “I can avoid those channels and sites.”) We think, “God must love me more this week, because I’ve been pretty good.”

And worship grabs us by the collar, slaps us in the face, and says, “Wake up, man!” It yells, “You’re far worse than you ever imagined, because, look, look at God!” And, once again, the scales fall off our eyes and the placid, green, hills-are-alive peak you thought you were looking at is really a hulking Himalayan cliff. And there it is: the moment of impossibility, where God’s gracious sword enters the beast yet again. Worship is God’s gracious murderer.

But God is in the business of killing precisely so He can make alive again. However, instead of reviving our self-righteousness, He gives us an alien organism–His very Self, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. This is the moment in worship where, after we have seen God’s glory and confessed our sin, God delivers the word, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The gospel is good news, indeed.

Worship should be that epic…every week.”

*Jean-Jacques von Allmen, Worship: Its Theology and Practice (New York: Oxford, 1965), 115-116.

Check out this post for some more discussion about church and worship.
Blessings,
Ros

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My Congregation Barely Sings; How Can I Help?

This article from 9Marks singing congreghas so many great points about helping your congregation sing better together, especially #7 and #16. I think I’m ready to start up a church choir again next year!

My Congregation Barely Sings; How Can I Help?

 

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They will know us By Our Love

HEART CLOTHESLINEThis week I read a wonderful post entitled “Got Love?” from In My Father’s House. It was about the importance of love for others, a way to know if we actually know God, that we belong to Him, that we are his children. Here is a sample:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.
  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned,
but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Cor.13:1-3)

Are you a “Spirit-filled person? Going to a vibrant Spirit-filled church? The sick are getting healed, demons cast out? That’s great. Do you have prophecies, glory clouds, visions of the Third Heaven? Awesome. Do you think having and defending correct doctrine is important? Cool. Are you all about social justice? Feeding the poor? Making the world “a better place?” That’s wonderful. Are you willing to die for your faith? Admirable.

But Without God’s love,  spiritual power can blow people up. Without God’s love, all our biblical knowledge and defending the “truth” becomes the source of combative spiritual pride and carnal divisiveness. Without God’s love, social justice turns into nothing more than self-righteous works to make us feel significant, or worse, ease our guilt. Without God’s love, our martyrdom is nothing more than religious zeal. Without God’s unfailing love, we will fail.

How do we measure spiritual maturity?

What if spiritual maturity was not measured by our Bible knowledge, our training, our spiritual gifts, our willingness to serve, our zeal, our charisma, but was totally based on our ability to receive God’s love and give it away?

What if it was based on how well we’ve been able to enlarge our heart (open the “faucet” of our heart) to receive more of this unending ocean of God’s love living inside of us right now? Do you understand that if we don’t know how to open our heart to receive His unconditional love, and give it away unconditionally, we can’t be trusted? . . . ”

It’s certainly a challenging post and worth reading all of it: http://melwild.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/got-love/
It reminded me of the challenge of a song we use at church, BY OUR LOVE by Christy Nockels.
You can listen and read through the lyrics below. I trust you will find it helpful. Here is the chorus:

The time is now, Come Church arise
Love with His hands, See with His eyes
Bind it around you, Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love.

BY OUR LOVE

Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there’s much to be done
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love

Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us
We will come reaching, with a song of healing
And they will know us by our love!

The time is now, Come Church arise
Love with His hands, See with His eyes
Bind it around you, Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love.

Children, You are hope for justice
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we’re gone
And they will know you by your love!

Song Number 5489329 Author Christy Nockels Copyright 2009 worshiptogether.com Songs

You can look up sheet music here: http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1052518

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A great way to search for songs

sg-ministries-bannerI’ve recently discovered a great search tool for Sovereign Grace songs at their website. Though I’ve been using Sovereign Grace for many years (as a source of good biblical, singable songs for church) I had not noticed the menu that allows you to search for songs by theme, tempo, key, genre and keyword. It’s especially useful if your church sings many of their songs. But even if you don’t it’s very easy to follow links to the songs, listen to samples and download the music for free. Sometimes even the suggestion of song titles can help point you in the direction of songs you do know (with similar titles).

Here is a link to the search page:
http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/Songs

Make sure you scroll down when you get to the page. The top half is all about style, but the bottom section has an immense number of themes you can select in your search. I found it best to tick just one or two boxes at a time. (If you choose too many you will get results ‘zero’.)

Here is my shortlist of the most congregation-friendly Sovereign Grace songs:

1. Jesus Thankyou (Pat Sczebel)
2. O Great God (Bob Kauflin)
3. Let Your Kingdom Come (Bob Kauflin)
4. I will Glory in My Redeemer (Steve & Vikki Cook)
5. The Glories of Calvary (Steve & Vikki Cook)
6. O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus ((Bob Kauflin arrangement)
7. Unashamed (Mark Altrogge)
8. Show us Christ (Bob Kauflin & Doug Plank)
9. Through the Precious Blood (Mark Altrogge)
10. Hope has come (Stephen Altrogge)
11. How high and how wide (Mark Altrogge)

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Our Church Song list for 2014

spotify ARPC 2014It’s always really helpful when you can get hold of lists of songs other churches are singing – so I’m reciprocating the favour (perhaps in advance). Here is our church songlist for 2014. If you follow the Spotify link, or click the picture, you should be able to find all the songs on our to do list at Acacia Ridge Presbyterian. Below I have included a few key points about each song and some of the stand-out lyrics:

All I have is Christ (Jordan Kauflin, Sovereign Grace – key C).
This is top of the list because we never got to it last year! The song is full of great truth about our redemption in Christ.  The song moves us to know that Christ (who saved us from our “hell-bound race”) is indeed now our only boast. He is all that we can count on in this world! Hallelujah! The song works well with many instruments or just one. Here is verse 3:
Now Lord I would be Yours alone And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me
O Father use my ransomed life in any way You choose
And let my song forever be ‘My only boast is You!’

It is Well (Todd Fields – Music at North Point)
Some hymn revamps don’t work well, but this one does! The verse melody is exactly the same, and the chorus is new. The monotone melody has been replaced by one that is far more uplifting, and some additional lyrics have the same effect. It creates an effective crescendo. Here is the chorus:
It is well it is well, Through the storm I am held
It is well it is well with my soul
It is well it is well, God has won, Christ prevailed
It is well it is well with my soul

Made Alive (Citizens)
Last year my family came back from a week-long youth camp singing this song. I have already written a post about it here. The great thing is that when you sing this you commit to memory so much scriptural truth (particularly Romans 3:20-12 and Ephesians 2:8-9).
Here is verse 1 and the chorus:
I once was dead in sin, Alone and hopeless,
A child of wrath I walked condemned in darkness,
But your mercy brought new life And in your love and kindness,
Raised me up with Christ and made me righteous.
Chorus:
You have bought me back with the riches of,
Your amazing grace and relentless love.
I’m made alive forever, with you, life forever
By your grace I’m saved, By your grace I’m saved.

Overflowed (Trevor Hodge)
We have been singing this one for a few months already and it has really caught on. It is a lively song with a pretty simple melody (some syncopation, and also some very straight rhythms). But I think the best feature is the carefully crafted chorus, which effectively sums up the glory of forgiveness and grace:
In Christ Your love has overflowed
The debts we owed have been all wiped away
And now the riches of Your grace
Have raised us up to live in Him always
And bring You praise

Praise to the Lord the Almighty (Hymn – Christy Nockels arrangement)
As I have been looking for Psalms to sing, this hymn fits the bill, drawing on Psalm 103.  I’ll use this arrangement as the chord structures are a little simpler and it has a gentler feel, but the melody is the same. There are a few extra Praise Him’s and Hallelujahs (for a chorus of sorts), which could be omitted. Verse 1:
Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of creation
O my soul praise Him for He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration

The Perfect Wisdom of our God (Getty music – key A)
This song is a gentle prayer, for understanding of God’s wisdom and ways in Creation and in the workings of his sovereign hand in our lives. Here is verse 3:
Oh grant me wisdom from above, To pray for peace and cling to love,
And teach me humbly to receive the sun and rain of Your sovereignty.
Each strand of sorrow has a place within this tapestry of grace;
So through the trials I choose to say: “Your perfect will in your perfect way.”
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/keith-and-kristyn-getty/perfect-wisdom-of-our-god-lyrics/#ekHjSB39hg9BPA1q.99

Grace has now appeared (Rob Smith EMU music – key C)
Grace has indeed appeared – in the person of Jesus Christ! This song is quite syncopated, but predictably so, making it singable. It has a catchy opening riff, and a lively tempo. More information here.
My favourite lines of this song come in verse 3:
He has come to dwell within us, Bringing us from death to life,
Giving us the hope of glory, Making us like Christ, Shining forth his light.

Oh the Deep Deep Love (Bob Kauflin – key E)
Some of you may know this hymn by Samuel Trevor Francis, but you should definitely try the beautiful melody and tempo of this tune. I think it suits the lyrics far better than other tunes used in the past. Sheet music here
VERSE 1
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of Your love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Your glorious rest above

The Glories of Calvary (Steve and Vicki Cook, Sovereign Grace – key F)
This has been one of my favourite, lively, grace focused songs for many years, but I just haven’t got a round to it. I can’t even chose just a small excerpt of the lyrics, so here is verse 1 and chorus. Sheet music here
VERSE 1
Lord, You’re calling me to come and behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace that came to me at such a cost
Where Your boundless love Conquered my boundless sin
And mercy’s arms were opened wide
CHORUS
My heart is filled with a thousand songs Proclaiming the glories of Calvary
With every breath, Lord how I long to sing of Jesus who died for me
Lord, take me deeper into the glories of Calvary

Unashamed (Mark Altrogge – key G)
This is a older Sovereign Grace song, but it is catchy with a fast tempo. It brings a timeless challenge to be unashamed of Jesus as Lord, since he was not ashamed to bear our disgrace and sin, for our eternal good. Sheet music here
Chorus:
Let me be unashamed, Jesus, to speak Your name
For You were the one who came, The Savior of the world
Let me be unashamed, Jesus, to speak Your name
Let me be bold to claim You as my Lord

The Father’s Embrace/Psalm 27  (Stuart Townend – key A)
This song reaffirms who God is, a God we can trust as he calls us into relationship with him. I have included this one because I’ve enjoyed it personally for about a decade – also because the lyrics are so close to the original Psalm 27 (and as you know I’ve been searching for singable Psalms).  Verse 1:
You are my Anchor, My Light and my Salvation
You are my Refuge, My heart will not fear
Though my foes surround me on every hand
They will stumble and fall while in grace I stand
In my day of trouble You hide me and set me above

Christ is risen Indeed (Keith and Kirstyn Getty – key A)
This song is about the disciples, and we are now his disciples. I especially like verse 3:
Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting.
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/keith-and-kristyn-getty/christ-is-risen-he-is-risen-indeed-lyrics/#ClvIvl347Eg4xdvw.99

You can see last year’s list here:
https://sevennotesofgrace.com/2013/02/06/praise-the-lord-new-song-list-ready-for-2013/

Blessings, Ros

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Should Non-Christians Play Worship Music in a Church Service?

This is an interesting post from a student pastor who has joined our church this year. He has quite recently started blogging and his posts abide by a unique self-imposed rule, that each one be 299 words or less….with no boring bits. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have, and maybe join in the conversation.

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Five Ways to Improve Congregational Singing

Five Ways to Improve Congregational Singing.

Here are some great tips from Keith Getty for you to consider if you are involved in Music ministry at your church. It will help review the effectiveness of what you are doing, as you remember who it is you are serving, and the goals of what you do. Blessings!
(Click the title above to read the full article at the Gospel Coalition)

You may also enjoy:

How effective is your music ministry?
cats recorder