“Alive Again” by Matt Maher :: Our Shared Testimony

This song is based on a passage from Augustine’s Confessions detailing part of his conversion experience.

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.” -Aurelius Augustine (Confessions, 5th cent. A.D.)

The Evolution of a Worship Leader (w/Mark Hall)

Hey worship leaders. If you are thinking about “climbing the ladder” in worship ministry and maybe “making it” as a Christian artist one day you’re thinking wrong! And you may not be wholeheartedly following Christ. As Mark Hall from Casting Crowns explains in this short video, leading the worship of a local church, and writing songs for God’s glory and his people’s joy is the highest level any worship leader can “achieve.”

So check yourself, worship leader. Do you dream of one day making it “big?” Playing for crowds of thousands? Perhaps writing the next CCM hit? Dove award?

If your focus in on your own artistic success perhaps you are not as “far along” as you think you are. Remeber, God’s ways are not our ways, and what we deem valuable God often deems an abomination.

Let’s keep the main thing the main thing and draw our sense of accomplishment from Christ.

Click here for video and Casting Crowns’ new song “The Well.” 

New Worship Song :: “Grace Alone”

“Grace Alone” is a new song written by Yours Truly. It is based on the poem “Broken” by Michelle Leuschner.

1 John 3:19-20 says:

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him [God]; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Sometimes even our own hearts condemn us and cause us to worry and doubt. But Jesus is greater than our hearts, our doubts, or fears and in the worst of times we stand in his grace alone.

You will find the lyrics below. The updated lyrics are slightly different than the video, but at least the video will give you an idea of how the song goes. All you HCBCDS folks give it a listen in preparation for Sunday. I have also included a chord chart for those of you who have asked. I hope you are blessed by “Grace Alone.”

Sola Gratia! and Soli Deo Gloria . . .

Grace Alone lyrics

Grace Alone Chord Chart

Valentine Jesus & Our Language Of Devotion :: A Response To A Confused Critic

Should we “love” Jesus, or “be in love” with Jesus? A while back it was brought to my attention that a one time brother and fellow member (former member) of a local church I used to be a part of before moving to Austin had posted something on his blog* that brought into question a bible study that I led nearly 3 years ago.

Andrew, if you are reading this please know that I have no frame of reference for how to “deal” with you since you don’t return my calls or emails, and I have heard that you are no longer the Andrew that I once knew when we had fellowship together in Christ in Shreveport, Louisiana. I will simply respond as I would to anyone who has the balls to post something of their own opinion on the internet for all to see and publicly question the veracity of another’s doctrine.

For the rest of you I will give you some brief context for the situation.

Sunday Setlist for 6/19/2011

Hello Hill Country. Here are the songs we’ll be doing this coming Sunday. Feel free to check them out ahead of time (click song title for audio). There is one new song (hint, hint . . . ). This week is all about the Majesty and Glory of the transcendent God revealed in the humble nature of the man Jesus.

Opening Song: Good Enough (F#)-Chris Gates (Apologies. No audio)

Call to Worship

May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (HCSB)

Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with Your majesty . . . When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? Psalm 8:1-4 (HCSB)

We were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 2 Peter 1:16 (HCSB)

Majesty Of Heaven (F#)-Chris Tomlin

Your Love Never Fails (A)-Jesus Culture Band

Communion: The Jesus Song (C)-Chris Gates

Offering: Much Of You (B)-Steven Curtis Chapman

Closing Song: Our God/To The Only God (A)-Chris Tomlin/Glory Revealed

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25 (ESV)

New Website

All future blog activity can be followed at the new Vintage Worship Music website.

New Worship Songs (of the 18th century) :: Mark Noll On The History Of American Hymnody

Great article here from the noted historian Mark Noll on the history of American Hymnody. Says Noll:

In New England, the progress of evangelical revival, especially as recorded in the defining accounts of Jonathan Edwards, was also a progress in song. Edwards was an early, if moderate, supporter of the reforms that from the early 1720s were replacing New England’s “Rsual” singing (psalms lined out and sung haphazardly with great local variation) with “Regular” singing (psalms and even hymns sung in harmony, sometimes with musical accompaniment). In his earliest account from May 1735 of the awakening that had begun in his Northampton, Massachusetts, parish late the previous year, Edwards reported that “no part of public worship has commonly [had] such an effect on [the people] as singing God’s praises.”

Check out the rest of this brief article at Worship Leader Magazine.

If you think that the “Worship Wars” are something new, think again. At one time in history the “old hymns” were new. They were also new and threatening to the traditions of the established church. Regarding the controversial nature of these “new” songs Noll states:

The hymnody of the evangelical revivals did, in fact, innovate in other matters also. Not surprisingly, innovation in metaphor, meter, and psychological fire encountered stiff opposition, some for scriptural reasons, some out of class resentment, and some because of what was perceived to be unacceptable style.

I’m pretty sure there’s something here for us all to learn . . .

Who Is Your Worship Leader? :: Online Worship Guide 03/07/2010

Hello Hill Country Warriors! Please check out the songs that we will be singing together this coming Sunday. I don’t think there are any new ones this week, so we should all be able to sing them loudly to the Lord. God loves to hear his people praise him with song. In fact, some of you are confused as to who the worship leader really is at our church. It’s not me! It’s not any of the other band members, and it’s not you. The Bible says when there are two or more fellow believers gathered together in Jesus’ name he is also there with them (Matt. 18:20). That is true for anytime, anywhere. We certainly believe this is true on Sunday mornings at Hill Country. That being said, in Hebrews 2:12 Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters and declares,

“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

New Song :: “Good Enough”

This is a song I wrote for the current sermon series at Hill Country Church. The series is called “You Don’t Have What It Takes,” and is designed to encourage people to not rely on themselves but on God, and to exalt the supreme worth of Christ’s righteousness. The starting sermon was called “You’re Not Good Enough,” a bold declaration from Philippians 3:2-11 that our own righteousness is not good enough to make us right with God, and that we must trust in Christ alone who by himself is righteous enough for all of us. I tried to capture the meaning of the Philippians passage and put it together with Psalm 8:1-4, and set it to music that people would be able to sing easily and remember. We will (as we always do with our “theme songs”) sing this song to close each Sunday service at Hill Country throughout this series. I hope you enjoy it, and are encouraged by it.

Does It Matter What I Play In Church :: Testing Song Selections In Light Of Ungodly Associations

There is a new post today on the Lifeway Worship Project blog, gently critiquing Ed Stetzer’s article on putting song selections through what Stetzer calls “The Association Test.” Lifeway asks the question, “How much is the worship leader responsible for others’ associations?” Great question! Should I, as a music director in a local church, be held responsible for someone connecting a certain song, or style of music with ungodly behavior? If so, to what degree? Should I avoid all “rock” music because of its historical (i.e. mig-late 20th century) association with sex, drugs, and rebellion? Is there something to be said for discriminately testing the music I play each Sunday to make sure it serves the purpose of leading others in worship and praise of Jesus, and not distracting from that purpose? Can I, as a worship pastor ensure that no one will ever make any negative associations with the music I play?