Worship Pastor / Composer Travis L. Boyd & wife, Cynthia, sharing faith, inspiration, & discipleship resources, plus music & more for worship ministry. * We also provide info about Worship Sounds Music, found at the links to our Publishers & Distributors ~ Choral Anthems * Solos * Orchestrations * Worship Songs * Accompaniment Trax (See blog sidebar)

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7 Ways a Worship Choir can Minister Effectively

Here are seven ways that choirs can joyfully serve as worship leaders to strengthen and bring life to the ministry of worship.

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FBC Concord Choir, Knoxville, TN

A Choir can help to support congregational singing, allowing the congregation to sing more confidently and join their voices with those who are already singing. In this way, choirs are helping to lead in worship.

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A Choir will help the congregation to know when they are supposed to sing.
When arrangements for the congregational singing are lead by a praise band, worship leader, and praise teams, sometimes people in the congregation become uncertain about when they are supposed to sing along. A well prepared choir can help to prevent confusion as they assist in leading the service. Since the choir will know when a verse or chorus is supposed to be sung as a solo and when everyone is supposed to sing, the congregation will begin to take their cue from the choir.

FBCD Sunday Night Live 2015 Choir and orch Hallelujah to the King T Rhe photo

As a part of a special Palm Sunday service, the FBC Duluth choir sings, “Hallelujah to the King”, under the direction of Travis L. Boyd.

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Choirs provide spiritual encouragement and inspiration to the church family.
When the life stories and faith journeys of the people who make up the choir are coupled with their faithful commitment to praising the Lord and leading in worship, the choir serves as a collective testimony of walking by faith. The presence and praise of an individual who is walking through a trial and yet chooses to remain faithful as a choral worship leader can be a powerful message in itself. Choir members are often some of the busiest church members, serving in mission opportunities, teaching Bible studies, working with youth, children, or preschoolers, and being vitally involved in church life. This fact allows their ministry and testimony to have personal significance for a greater percentage of the church body.

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“O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk of all His wondrous works. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” ~ Psalm 105:1 – 3

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The 280 voice Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Brooklyn, NY, under the direction of Carol Cymbala

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Church choirs can share messages of praise, reverent worship, testimony, exhortation, encouragement, comfort, thankfulness, and perseverance through the songs that they sing (both anthems and congregational worship songs).
Choral anthems often have lyrics that are full of scripture and Biblical truth, so the choir can share a message in song that is full of meaning in a way that can have even more impact than the spoken word because of the marriage of music and lyrics that amplifies the truths being shared. The choir’s ministry is one of proclamation, praise, and encouragement as they and the congregation “speak to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”.

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“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.” ~ Psalm 104:33 & 34

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As worship leaders, the choir can also help the congregation to learn new songs and worship choruses by preparing them through rehearsal before they are introduced to the congregation. The choir can help to introduce some of the new songs the first time that they are sung for the congregation, providing a strong demonstration of the melody and rhythm as the song is shared in worship. It is possible to find choral arrangements of new worship songs that are in congregationally friendly keys, which also have chord and rhythm charts and even full orchestrations available. These can be prepared as an anthem and introduced by the full worship team. As the congregation becomes more familiar with the song, they can be invited to join in singing the worship song along with the same arrangement in future services.

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A choir can help to break down generational barriers in worship.

Multi-generational Choir singing for “Sunday Night Live” at FBC, Duluth

The fact that choirs (and praise teams, rhythm sections, and orchestras) are often made up of young, median, and older adults (and sometimes students) communicates the message that the new song is a vehicle of praise and worship for the entire congregation, regardless of age. As members of the worship leadership team, choir members have invested time in preparation for worship, both musically and spiritually as they have learned the new music. Because they have rehearsed and lived with the lyrics of the songs being shared (both Anthems and congregational praise), choir members have the opportunity to internalize these messages of truth and to communicate them meaningfully, as a group that is visually representative of the church body (in age range and other factors) rather than just as professional musicians.

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“O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” ~ Psalm 95:1 – 7a

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The Mount Pleasant Christian Church Choir in Indianapolis, IN, directed by Brian Tabor, September, 2013.

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A Choir is uniquely equipped to share a message with maximum sensitivity, passion, and meaning. There is nothing else like the sound of a well-prepared choir, and the secular music industry often employs a choir to maximize the impact of a powerful ballad or to visibly and audibly celebrate with an upbeat song. Choirs are often seen in the music videos and television appearances of pop stars, on music specials, and at events where the entertainment is an extravagant production, such as an Olympic opening ceremony or even a Super Bowl halftime show. If secular entertainment still values the impact that a choir can make, those of us who love and worship the Lord should realize that choral singing can be a an effective testimony of God’s goodness that can touch the hearts of a congregation (and of others who hear them when they sing in public places).

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Ideally, the worship leading choir will commit themselves to be both spiritually and musically prepared to praise the Lord and to encourage and inspire God’s people. Because of their heart for the Lord and the investment of time in preparation, a choir can be a living, vibrant team of worship leaders, messengers of hope and praise who minister and serve to bring glory to the Lord.

In addition to the benefits of having a worship leading choir that have already been shared, there is Biblical support for choral worship ministry. Since there are many Biblical accounts of choirs, and since 55 Psalms are written to the Choir Director or Director of Music; there is certainly a Biblical precedent for choral worship. In addition, the Biblical exhortation to use our gifts to honor and bring glory to the Lord calls for opportunities for those who are a part of our congregations and who have musical gifts to serve and contribute to the ministry of worship. What these service opportunities for those with a worship ministry calling may be in an individual congregation depends upon the musical gifts that are present among members who are willing to faithfully serve in worship ministry. A smaller congregation might have a choral ensemble rather than a full choir, in addition to their praise band or accompanists. Larger churches may regularly have a full choir and perhaps an instrumental ensemble or orchestra in addition to their rhythm section, praise band, and / or accompanists. Some churches may use a choir to help serve as worship leaders, having the choir may sing a choral anthem only occasionally. Some churches also use choirs only seasonally (a special Christmas program, for example).

The First Baptist Concord Choir, Knoxville, TN, directed by Jeff Lawrence.

We encourage the ministry of choral singing in churches where it can be shared effectively to praise, encourage, inspire, lift up, exhort, challenge, and lead in worship.

Although choirs have been eliminated in some congregations, churches are beginning to re-examine the impact that a choir can have in a worship service. This fact creates a challenge and an opportunity for those who believe strongly that choral singing can be a valid, effective, and exciting part of worship ministry. Existing choirs can strengthen their ministry, and new choirs can focus on effective ministry from the beginning.

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“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ~ I Corinthians 10:31 NASB

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First Baptist Church of Duluth Adult Choir, Duluth, GA, directed by Travis L. Boyd

First Baptist Church of Duluth Adult Choir, December, 2013, directed by Travis L. Boyd, singing the upbeat final song in the Travis Cottrell Christmas worship musical, “Joy of Every Longing Heart”.

Blessings to you as you seek to strengthen the ministry of worship at your church in whatever direction the Lord leads.

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“Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to the sons of men! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His deeds in songs of joy!” ~ Psalm 107:21 & 22

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“Above, the hosts of angels sing praise; below, men form choirs in the churches and imitate them by singing the same doxology. Above, the seraphim cry out in the thrice-holy hymn; below, the human throng sends up the same cry. The inhabitants of heaven and earth are brought together in a common assembly; there is one thanksgiving, one shout of delight, one joyful chorus.” ~ St. John Chrysostom

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love like Jesus

Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help you find answers to life’s deepest questions.

Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:
http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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* MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info

What hate does… What LOVE does

For all of the victims of hate, and for those who choose to love…

What Hate does…

Hate plots and plans.
Hate does not dream.
It festers,
And it coldly schemes.

Instead of seeking to enjoy life,
Hate calculates how to destroy life.

Hate sees the options that are worst,
Inflicting pain, and causing hurt.
Hate never puts another first.

Hate explodes in rage-filled gore.
Hate thrives when reason loses.
Hate kills the promise it consumes
For anyone it chooses.

Hate is a thief of life and love,
An enemy of joy.
Hate has come to kill and steal,
It’s purpose: to destroy.

Hate ruins those who harbor it,
Hate’s fury is a cancer.
Hate eats a soul from the inside out.
Hate is not the answer.

by Cynthia A. Boyd
March, 2016

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What Love does…

Love is joyful in the giving.
Love is hopeful in the living.
Love is patient, Love is kind
Love keeps other hearts in mind.

Love can’t wait to help another.
Love lifts up a fallen brother.

Love sees the good in everyone,
Encouraging those in need.
Love goes beyond the surface
To be a friend, indeed.

Love binds up wounds,
Eases distress,
Comforts and prays,
Longs for the best.

Love rejoices in the truth.
Love understands the confusion of youth.

Love is a giver who never gives in.
Love knows that peace is the way to win.
Love conquers hatred.
Love drives out fear.
Love gathers loved ones,
Love holds them dear.

Love knows that only in dying to self
And embracing God’s salvation,
Can we truly love others as Jesus loves us
and become His new creation.

By Cynthia A. Boyd
March, 2016

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Love gives

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love like Jesus

Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:
http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Seeking and Finding

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The “Giving Verses” of Worship

When the very living of our lives has become an act of worship, recognizing God’s supremacy and worth in every decision and thought, worship is no longer an action but rather a lifestyle. It’s a 24 / 7 / 365 … every moment of every day … goal of intentionally expressing God’s glory in all that we do, think, and say.** In seeking to live out this lifestyle and this heart commitment to the One who has given us His all, we give the only gift that we can give to our Creator and Savior: the gift of a transformed life that brings Him glory and joy!

Here are The “Giving Verses” of Worship:

1. Giving God THANKSGIVING and PRAISE!

* Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, and bless His name.”

* Psalm 9:1 & 2 “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.”

2. Giving God GLORY!

* Psalm 86:12 “With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever.”

* Psalm 96:6 – 9 “Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”

3. Giving God AWE and REVERENCE, acknowledging Him as the Lord and Creator of all.

(In some verses and some translations, “the fear of the Lord”)

* Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

* Psalm 86:9 – 12 “All the nations You have made shall come and bow down before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and You do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify Your name forever.”

4. Giving God BLESSING.

* Psalm 103:22 “Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

* Psalm 28:6 & 7 “Blessed be the Lord! for He has heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts; so I am helped and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.”

5. Giving Him EXALTATION!*

From the www.thefreedictionary.com, here are the applicable definitions:

1. to raise or elevate in rank, position, dignity, etc.

2. to praise highly; glorify; extol

* Psalm 34:3 “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

*NOTE: The word ‘exaltation’ sometimes gets confused with ‘exultation’, for which the definition is “to rejoice greatly, be jubilant or triumphant (or, as in triumph. We rejoice greatly or exult in His triumph.) — same source

6. Giving Him SERVICE!
(giving of our hearts, our time, our gifts, and our lives in serving Him)

* Joshua 24:15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

7. Giving Him WORSHIP!

True worship rises up from the people of God, who are choosing to intentionally express His infinite worth! **

**(see note at end of post)

You have probably noticed by now that there is some overlap in the various types of giving to the Lord. For example, in singing praise to God, we can bless His name. In the worship category of giving, there is overlap with all other types of giving. All of these ways of giving to the Lord are worship (lifestyle worship) when we are giving with the purpose of bringing glory to God and expressing His infinite worth through giving our best to God in every area of our lives.

* Psalm 29:2 “Honor the LORD for the glory of His name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.”

* John 4:24 “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

8. We are to SING UNTO HIM!

* Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”

* Psalm 30:4 “Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.”

* Psalm 59:16 & 17 “I will sing of Thy power; yes, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.”

9. Giving Him TITHES and OFFERINGS!

* Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

* Exodus 35:29 “The children of Israel brought a voluntary offering to Jehovah, every man and woman whose heart prompted them to bring for all manner of work, which Jehovah, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.”

10. Giving Him HONOR!

* Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

* Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income.”

11. Giving Him LOVE!

The words of Jesus Himself in Mark 12:30 “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.”

* Psalm 31:23 “Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.”

* Joshua 22:5 “But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

* Psalm 116:1 “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.”

12. Giving Him OUR WHOLE HEART AND LIFE!

* Colossians 1:10 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”

* Psalm 56:13 “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.”

* Mark 8:35 “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

* Romans 12:1 – 2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

For us, giving these to God (worship, blessing, exaltation, thanksgiving, praise, glory, awe and reverence, love, honor, service, tithes and offerings, songs, and all that we are in life and in our hearts) is our gift of worship and devotion to Him.
Giving is about worship, and worship is all about giving.

“Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”‘ Psalm 96:6 – 9

GOD HAS GIVEN HIS ALL… and continues to give in every moment of time.

May we follow His example.

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**Here is a link to John Piper’s devotion where this definition of worship, paraphrased here, can be found: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/bodies-breakfast-and-the-marriage-bed

The wording of the original definition (directly quoted) in the first paragraph of this devotion is as follows:

“Worship” is the term we use to cover all the acts of the heart and mind and body that intentionally express the infinite worth of God. This is what we were created for, as God says in Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory…” That means that we were all created for the purpose of expressing the infinite worth of God’s glory. We were created to worship.”

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This post was written by C. Boyd.

For other posts on worship, view our category called “Worship with Wonder” athttps://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/worship-with-wonder/

We also have a page entitled “Lifestyle Worship” at this link: http://wwwworshipsounds.wordpress.com/lifestyle-worship

The titles of additional pages related to worship ministry (on topics such as creative worship ideas, worship planning and preparation, and avoiding burnout in ministry) can be found in the header on our home page at the bottom of the scenic photo.

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Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus. http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

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* MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info

You Know You’re a Worship Pastor When…

How do you know for sure that you really are a Worship Pastor? Here’s a sometimes humorous and sometimes serious look at twelve ways to be sure of your calling to lead God’s people in worship.

When you were called to ministry, you had no idea of the multitude of hats you would wear as a Worship Pastor. (Some of them may include: Technical Problem Trouble Shooter, Peacemaker, Calendar Coordinator, Instrument Repair Technician, Set Designer and Builder, Script Writer, Liaison to the Decorating Committee, Video Editor, Music Arranger, and others too numerous to mention, depending upon what is needed at your place of service.) The blessing that you recall while juggling your responsibilities is that you are never alone, no matter what hat you may be wearing on any given day. The Lord, your refuge, is with you… in everything that you do in His name and for the sake of the Kingdom.

Because you are up front and leading God’s people, they really notice (and comment on) what you wear. Whether you are a skinny jeans and plaid shirt wearing Worship Pastor in a contemporary church, or whether you wear a suit every Sunday leading worship in a more traditional congregation, people do notice.

When you get together with ministry colleagues who serve in the same vocational ministry calling in their own churches, you love the fellowship time; but the main thing that you want to do together is make music and worship the Lord.

You are very familiar with the initials CCLI, and somewhere in your office is a stack of browser packs from music publishers.*

* Note: CCLI is the copyright and licensing service for Christian music, which enables churches to legally project song lyrics onto screens and print them in church bulletins. Churches must report the songs used, and all of that information is compiled to pay royalties for the usage of songs to composers and publishers. The information is also compiled into lists of most frequently used songs from different genres, with links to different versions. These lists can be very helpful for worship pastors.

Your planning tools for worship include your Bible, prayer, hymn and song books, worship song charts, your anthem and orchestration library, your praise band or rhythm section calendar showing who is in town for a given Sunday, your vocal team list and calendar, your soloist list and current rotation, your worship log of recent services and the songs sung, your choir and orchestra worship personnel responses to calendar queries as to which Sundays they will be gone, responses to that week’s worship team e-mail, information about your Pastor’s sermon series and special ministry emphases, online music resources, your available tech team members list, and information about any special additions to the service such as baptisms or a baby dedication.

You can rattle off a list of every piece of equipment in your sound and tech booth and who runs each one. You also know the quirks of each of your worship related computer programs.

You are called as a Pastor to those who lead in worship and often know the true testimony behind every message in song that is shared. In this area of your ministry, you are often amazed by the strength and faith of God’s people, undergirded by the everlasting arms of the Faithful One, our Refuge, Helper, Redeemer and Lord..

Hallway encounters or greetings called out across the parking lot don’t always include a “hello”. Sometimes they are statements or questions like these: “Why can’t we sing “Oceans” every week?” or “More southern gospel!” or “Why don’t you let _____ sing a solo more often?”

You can spend hours and hours seeking music that is congregationally friendly and will lift up the Lord while engaging the hearts of your people. You can spend weeks preparing for a specific service through prayer, planning, calendar coordination, recording demos for your team, and rehearsing. You can spend months working with your groups to move them a step closer to a point of excellence in leading worship that you feel is their calling (such as challenging them to sing from memory with only a confidence monitor and no music in hand). You can spend years leading your congregation to understand worship and to go deeper in their relationship with and their worship of the Lord. And yet, on any given Sunday, the “delivery” of the worship message through God’s people and the authentic connection with the Lord during worship are dependent primarily on the commitment level, worship mindset, preparation , and passion of the volunteers who make up your worship team, leading a congregation who may or may not be wholly focused on worship during that time.

Thou shalt not age (or appear to age), but thou must be wise beyond thy years in order to balance a multitude of preferences with real ministry to the body of Christ, having the goal of providing the opportunity for true worship that ministers to all and gives them an opportunity to give unto the Lord the praise, honor, thanksgiving, and glory due His name.

With all of the hours that you spend every week living and breathing worship, planning worship, reading articles and blog posts about worship (gotcha!), planning or leading rehearsals to prepare for worship, reading and studying worship scriptures and books about worship, praying about worship, personally spending time in private worship, and preparing detailed order of worship information for your worship team, tech team, and ministry staff… sometimes it’s hard to let go of all of the ministry mentor concerns about what everyone else is doing in their worship leading or tech responsibilities … and just worship.

You can’t imagine doing anything else and are so thankful for the privilege of being entrusted with the task of leading God’s people in worship and working with all of the wonderful worship ministry team members, who have their own gifting and calling to serve. It is a joy for you to encounter both the human and the divine in the process of preparation for worship. During rehearsal, you embrace the human element of needing to practice in order to eliminate error and to interpret the music well, both musically and spiritually. You also embrace the divine as you pray with your people, love them, work together as unto the Lord, and lead them in sharing messages of profound, eternal truth, knowing that the goal is effectiveness and whole-hearted devotion in communication with the Lord and with His people rather than perfection. Even on tough days, you know that you have found God’s purpose for your life and are amazed by the blessing of walking with Him through it all.

So, keep on giving it your all, Worship Pastors and Ministers of Music and Worship.

Your calling is all about worship, and worship is all about giving.

23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. ~ Colossians 3:23 – 24

(To inspire you as you worship, work, love others, serve, and continue to lead God’s people, we have added the “giving verses” of worship to the end of this post. They can also be found as a portion of the text from our blog post entitled, “Worship… It’s all about Giving!”)

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The “Giving Verses” of Worship

1. Giving God THANKSGIVING and PRAISE!

* Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.”

* Psalm 9:1 & 2 “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.”

2. Giving God GLORY!

* Psalm 86:12 “With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever.”

3. Giving God AWE and REVERENCE, acknowledging Him as the Lord and Creator of all.

(In some verses and some translations, “the fear of the Lord”)

* Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

4. Giving God BLESSING.

* Psalm 103:22 “Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

5. Giving Him EXALTATION!*

From the www.thefreedictionary.com, here are the applicable definitions:

1. to raise or elevate in rank, position, dignity, etc.

2. to praise highly; glorify; extol

* Psalm 34:3 “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

6. Giving Him SERVICE!
(giving of our hearts, our time, our gifts, and our lives in serving Him)

Lift up His name!

7. Giving Him WORSHIP!

True worship rises up from the people of God, who are choosing to intentionally express His infinite worth! **

**(see note at end of post)

* Psalm 29:2 “Honor the LORD for the glory of His name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.”

* John 4:24 “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

8. We are to SING UNTO HIM!

* Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”

* Psalm 30:4 “Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.”

9. Giving Him TITHES and OFFERINGS!

10. Giving Him HONOR!

* Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

* Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income.”

11. Giving Him LOVE!

The words of Jesus Himself in Mark 12:30 “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.”

* Psalm 31:23 “Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.”

* Psalm 116:1 “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.”

Give Him your heart

12. Giving Him OUR WHOLE HEART AND LIFE!

* Colossians 1:10 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”

* Psalm 56:13 “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.”

* Mark 8:35 “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

For us, giving these to God (honor, blessing, exaltation, thanksgiving, praise, glory, awe and reverence, love, honor, service, tithes and offerings, songs, and all that we are in life and in our hearts) is our gift of worship and devotion to Him.
Giving is about worship, and worship is all about giving.

GOD HAS GIVEN HIS ALL… and continues to give in every moment of time.

May we follow His example.

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The wording of the original definition (directly quoted) in the first paragraph of this devotion is as follows:

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This post was written by C. Boyd.

For other posts on worship, view our category called “Worship with Wonder” at https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/worship-with-wonder/

We also have a page entitled “Lifestyle Worship” at this link: http://wwwworshipsounds.wordpress.com/lifestyle-worship

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Do you know Jesus?

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Category:

Inspiration for Worship, WORSHIP MINISTRY RESOURCES

Tagged with:

So, Why do I need a Savior?

Many people wonder

(when they allow themselves to think about it),

“Why do I need a Savior?”

This is actually a very good question.

* Asking the “why” question shows that you are a thinking person who tries to do the right things, as you understand them.

* Asking why a Savior is needed shows your openness to hear an answer.

* Asking why means that you have enough curiosity to wonder what all of the Jesus talk is really about.

Asking “why?” means you are really close to understanging why…

if you are brave enough to hear the answer.

Are you brave enough to learn the truth about why we all need a Savior?

If the answer is “YES,” there are three very short statements (4 words or less) to tell the reasons why we need a Savior.

THREE SIMPLE REASONS
FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ANSWER TO THE “WHY” QUESTION

So, why do you
(and I, and everyone else in the world)
need a Savior?

Reason #1

GOD IS HOLY.

We really already know this. Something deep inside tells us that there is a Someone who is somehow more loving, who is perfect and right. When we think about the opposite scenario, it just makes sense that if there was a God who was not holy, He would delight in constantly tormenting us and would force us to fear and respect and worship Him. We would be living in constant fear, and we would not be able to choose how we want to live our lives. We would not have any enjoyment in life if God were evil. The very fact that beauty and goodness exist at all is proof of the goodness and holiness of God. A god who was evil and all powerful would not want us to have anything good. Unfortunately, we allow the good things that do exist in life (and the evils that we choose) to substitute for knowing our holy, righteous, just, and loving God.

How we say it:

We say things that reveal what our hearts know (voicing the truth that God has placed inside each of us about His holiness) when we feel inadequate, when we mess up, when we have hurt someone, when we have done something foolish, or when we have been selfish.
And, this is what we say, “I’m not God.” or “I’m only human.”

This is how the Bible says it:

“But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by His justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by His righteous acts.” ~ Isaiah 5:16

“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” ~ Leviticus 11:44a

“I will show my greatness and my holiness. I will reveal myself to many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” ~ Ezekiel 38:23

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.” ~ Psalm 145:17

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” ~ I John 1:5

Reason #2

PEOPLE ARE NOT HOLY.

It certainly is not difficult to recognize the truth of this statement. All we have to do is to watch the evening news to see that people often deliberately choose to do terrible things. In addition, as we look into our own hearts and consider the lives of people we know (even those whom we love), it becomes obvious that our motivations are not always pure. Sometimes we are nice to someone because we want a favor. Sometimes we are impatient or hateful, even with friends and loved ones. Even people who are really trying to live a good life make mistakes, and we are all aware that our “goodness” is never 100%.

This is how we voice the truth that people are not holy:
“Well, nobody’s perfect!”

When we make the statement that “nobody’s perfect”, we are actually in agreement with what the Bible says on this subject.

Here is what the Bible says about us:

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him (Jesus) the sins of us all.” ~ Isaiah 53:6

“For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” ~ Romans 3:23

10 “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.'” ~ Romans 3, verses 10 and 11

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” ~ John 3:19

“Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.” ~ Ecclesiastes 7:20

Reason #3

WE CANNOT SAVE OURSELVES!

We have a problem that we can’t solve on our own.

There is a h u g e G A P_______________ between

God’s perfect holiness __________and__________ our sinful unholiness.

This gap prevents us from being in close relationship with God. This huge gap, or separation between us and God exists because we cannot begin to understand who He is with such a big barrier to relationship, and He cannot relate Himself to us while we are in our unholy state. When the gap (or separation) is present, it’s more than just a divide.

You see, having a Savior is not just a ticket to Heaven. Having a Savior is for this earthly life, too. Because God wants us to know Him. He wants us to know how much He loves us and how He is always working for our good. He is not a distant Creator. Rather, He is constantly sustaining life and hope, constantly giving and forgiving, and constantly working for the good of those who love Him. He wants us to begin to know Him as He is… the loving Father and Lord of all Creation.

God already knows everything about us. The Bible says that He even knows the number of hairs on our heads. He wants the barrier of unholiness to be removed from our lives so that we can know Him.

Only then will we begin to:

Understand spiritual truth,
Receive spiritual life (even right now, while the Earth is still our home),
and finally
Be given the free gift of eternal life in Heaven through God’s provision of a way for our unholiness to become pure holiness.

All of this… the truth and life that we need and the way to become holy so that we can someday live in a holy place (Heaven) without our presence making it unholy…

ALL of this can come to us only through Jesus, when we accept God’s free gift of salvation and pray to ask Jesus to become our own Savior and Lord. Jesus is already THE Savior and THE Lord, but He will not become your Savior and Lord until you see your need for Him and ask Him.

HERE’S WHAT JESUS SAID about why we need Him:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6

WE NEED LIFE!

Our separation from God means that we have no spiritual understanding because we have no spiritual life.

Here’s what the Bible says about that:

“Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against Him.” ~ Ephesians 4:18
(Notice the phrase, “the life God gives”. This refers to spiritual life (being alive in spirit) as well as to eternal life. Without spiritual life there is no spiritual understanding.)

4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” ~ Ephesian 2:4 – 6

(Note: In the second scripture above, the phrase, “dead in our transgressions” refers to the natural state of mankind… spiritual death, or the absence of spiritual life that results from being separated from God, who is the Source of life.
Notice also that verses 4 and 5 refer to the great love God has for us, even when we are in this state.

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” ~ I John 5:1

WE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH!

WE NEED DIRECTION!

WE NEED TO KNOW THE WAY.

Being separated from God also means we are on the wrong road and that He cannot “deliver us from temptation” (save us from the attractive power of sin) because we have chosen the way of sin and spiritual death over choosing God and His way. So, when we do not have a Savior, we don’t have God’s power within us to enable us to overcome the power of sin, which, as the Bible says, “may seem pleasureable for a while,” but is always ultimately destructive to lives, health, stability, and relationships.

In other words, we are heading in the wrong direction because we don’t yet know that God’s way is the right way and the best way for us. Being separated from God means that we are on that path of seeking pleasure. There is an emptiness inside us, and we are continually trying to fill it with things, experiences, pleasures, relationships, and prestige. However, all we continue to find is emptiness; because what our soul really needs is spiritual life, plus direction and power for living that come from God (through His Holy Spirit within us) after we have been spiritually re-born.

In order for spiritual rebirth to happen, we must first realize that we are on the wrong road and decide that we want to live in relationship with God through Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord

Here’s what the Bible says about that:

We are lost and on the wrong road, confused and in danger; but God does not want this to be our fate.
“When he saw the crowds, He (Jesus) had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” ~ Matthew 9:36

We can only be saved through spiritual re-birth, which is possible because Jesus was willling to die to pay the penalty for our sins. It’s as though a judge pronounces you guilty because he is a just judge, but then he steps out from behind his podium and pays the penalty for you becuase he is also a merciful judge.
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” ~ Titus 3:5

We can only be free from the power of sin during our earthly lives through God’s Holy Spirit, living within us after we are spiritually reborn.
“And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” ~ Romans 8:2

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” ~ Romans 6:14

When we are trying to find our way, all we have to do is look to Jesus. He alone can provide salvation, which is the only way of escape from the power of sin and the eventual penalty for sin.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6

Remember that in our state of being without Jesus, we are separated from God, which means that we cannot discern truth about God and about spiritual matters without help. That is why God sends His Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts about the truth of God’s plan of salvation. It is also why God’s Holy Spirit comes to live within us when we have trusted Christ for our salvation. We need divine help in our process of becoming more like Jesus.

We have looked at the ways that Jesus will make a difference in this life. As the scriptures above reveal, a person who has trusted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior has received God’s mercy and been washed and reborn through the Holy Spirit. In addition, he or she has been freed from the power of sin. This does not mean that we will have a future of complete sinless perfection on Earth. Rather, it means that when we trust God and turn to Him for strength in our everyday lives, He will help us to gain victory over temptation. No Christian does this perfectly because we are all in a process of growing in our faith and in our relationship with the Lord. However, God’s power is available to us if we will only seek HIM. It’s when we try to handle things on our own that we mess up.

Help in this earthly life is certainly one of the reasons that we need Jesus. The other reason is that without Him, we cannot enter Heaven.

HEAVEN IS A HOLY PLACE WHERE NO SIN CAN BE FOUND
… but on Earth, we are living with the consequences of our own sinfulness (both individually and collectively).

The Bible says that Heaven is unimaginable to us because we have never experienced anything like it. We would not even have the words to describe it, because it is unlike anything we have every seen or heard or known.

“But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” ~ I Corinthians 2:9

“Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” ~ Hebrews 11:6

Obviously, Heaven would not be Heaven if it were to become unholy. If there were still sorrow and pain and jealousy and hatred, along with crimes committed and people being victimized, it would certainly not be heaven. People would have to be changed in some way to make it possible for them to become holy so that they can live in relationship with God while on the earth and then live with Him forever in Heaven.

So, if people are going to overcome the sin barrier to relationship with God and eventually be there, how do they become fit for Heaven?

Here are a couple of ideas that many people have about heaven.

Idea #1: If you do more good than bad during your lifetime, you will go to Heaven.

Many, many people believe this idea, but it is false.

Remember that Heaven is a holy place. Holy means totally free of sin.

Idea #2: Heaven will be what I want it to be.

Often, people say, “This is Heaven!” when tasting something delicious or experiencing something delightful. However, anything good that we have experienced on earth will pale in comparison to what Heaven is really like. Even if God were to describe Heaven for us, we wouldn’t understand it until we get there. We have no frame of reference, nothing even approaching an equal, for comparison. Imagine trying to describe Disney World to a young child who has lived all his life in a primitive village. The only way he would really understand how amazing the place is would be to actually go there. It is the same way with Heaven. Imagine all of the best and most beautiful parts of life and of God’s creation, without any of the bad things that we experience here on Earth. It’s all of that and more… multiplied by infinity.

Did you know that God wants YOU to experience Heaven?

He does not want you to miss out on relationship with Him now, and He doesn’t want you to miss all that He has prepared in Heaven for those who love Him.

Here’s what the Bible says about that:

The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. ~ 2nd Peter 3:9

In other words, God is patient with this crazy, mixed up world and with all of the people in it, even though we are now experiencing sin and hurt and pain, because what He has to give us (everlasting life, abundant life on Earth, and living forever with Him in Heaven, fully experiencing His great love for us and the wonder that He has created) is so much greater than anything that we could imagine. It will more than make up for any temporary pain in this life. It will be infinitely beyond the best we could imagine… forever. He loves us and wants us to know and experience all of this. He is waiting to finally make everything right (He is a God of justice after all) because God loves you more than you can imagine and because He is a God of mercy. Even though He is absolutely Holy and could demand anything from us, He loves mercy (and showing mercy to everyone who will accept this free gift) much more than He loves having everything on Earth be perfectly right.

Think about it for a moment.

If God had allowed us to experience Heaven without living on Earth first or a Heaven-like experience on Earth, something would have had to be fundamentally different.

Either we would have to be created without the capacity to sin, which would have meant that we would have no free will.

God would have to render immediate judgement for every wrong that we did, making us fear Him so much that we would behave rightly to avoid punishment.

For a God who loves us and wants us to experience His love, harsh and immediate judgement was not His way. Neither was it His desire to rob mankind of choice. So, he lets us choose, delays His judgement, and yet provides us with a way to overcome evil and temptation on Earth through His power when we accept His provision of a Savior… His own Son’s death substituting for any judgement we would have faced….

All we have to do is to admit that we need Him… that we have sinned against God by choosing our own way. Then, we need to accept this free gift of salvation, believing that Jesus is God’s Son, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried and then raised from the dead, so that He could be the Savior whose death paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind and the Lord of life and giver of eternal life for all who trust Him with their hearts and souls and lives.

Here are some more verses from the Bible about how much God loves us and what He wants to do in our lives.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:10
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all–how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:34
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding (praying) for us.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Dear friend, we all need a Savior.

We need a Savior because God is Holy.
We need a Savior because we are not holy.
We need a Savior because we cannot save ourselves.

Only Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

* He will show you the way (and indeed has provided the way of salvation for you through His own death, burial, and resurrection, exchanging His life for yours as the payment for your sins).
* He will reveal the truth to you. Through the sending of God’s Holy Spirit after salvation, through relationship with Him, and through the teaching of God’s word, you will be led into all truth.
* He will provide spiritual life and eternal life for you.

Would you like to know more? Here’s a link to our page that has many resources for you. There are links to answer all of the questions that you may have. Blessings to you as you seek the truth and the answers to your questions. Every person ultimately has to decide: what will I do about Jesus?

Do You Know Jesus?

Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. The blog page found at the link above will help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.

Thank you for taking the time to read the above blog post. May God bless you with understanding and faith.

Category:

Seeking and Finding

Tagged with:

Seven things you can know about God without opening a Bible

It is the most important question ever asked:

Does God exist?

And, if there is a God, what does that mean for me?

If a person is willing to consider the possibility that there may be a God… a supreme and all-powerful being… there are 7 things that it is possible to know about this Deity without ever opening a Bible. Just thinking about the world and what we know of the universe (how things and creatures are made and how they function) can reveal these observations of fact to anyone who is open-minded enough to consider them.

First, if there is an all-powerful God, He is good.

This is a relatively easy truth to discern. An all-powerful God could do whatever He wished to do. Therefore, if God were evil, He would delight in torturing His creation. This torture would go far beyond the sorrows caused by the most common and tragic (man-made) circumstances we currently experience, such as:
* man’s inhumanity to man, including any kind of abuse
* crimes we commit against each other,
* emotional hurts that we inflict upon one another,
* substances that we create and then abuse,
* wars and conflict
* greed and injustice
* accidents

An evil and all-powerful God would delight in our suffering. He would never want us to enjoy anything. “Natural” disasters would become every day occurrences. There would be no such thing as a “100 year flood” (a flood so significant that its like occurs only about once every 100 years). The destruction would be almost constant from every type of calamity. Floods, earthquakes, and huge storms would batter all of humanity. There would be no such thing as a wood frame house that had stood in the same spot for decades. We would be shelter-less, tortured, and helpless. The beauty that we know would be non-existent. An evil God would not want us to enjoy beauty… or peace… or life… or love. An evil God would delight in constant world-wide plague and famine. All safety, order, and predictability would be gone from what we call “nature” and from our lives if God were evil.

Secondly, if there is an all-powerful God, He is infinitely creative.

Anyone who has the curiosity and opportunity to really observe and study (even informally) the hugely varied species and forms of living creatures and of plant life can find endless fascination learning about life on Earth.

Each creature’s anatomy, habitat, instincts, and life patterns can become a field of study in itself.

Every form of plant life, from cactus to kelp to trees and shrubs, to flowers, and even plants that we consider to be weeds… each variety of plant life has its own beauty and its own story of survival.

From the vastness of space to the intricacies of the smallest creature and the interwoven functions of each ecosystem, the way that everything works together to sustain life is amazingly complex and creative.

Considering mankind, everything from the tiny lines on the skin of our fingertips to the unique characteristics of our eyes, facial structure, and voice are being used for indentification purposes because we are all unique, one of a kind individuals… down to the DNA in each of our body’s cells. If we are each created rather than just accidentally formed as part of the “circle of life”, then Someone is involved in every minute and miniscule detail, even in the infinitely small, beyond microscopic level.

Thirdly, if there is an all-powerful God, He is patient far beyond human understanding.

Wow. People do a lot of messing up. All of us do. Even those who are really trying not to mess up… still mess up. If God is all powerful, He could choose to zap us when we hurt someone else or hurt ourselves or hurt His heart. He could choose to enforce His will in whatever way He wished. If He is being patient with us and choosing to let us live our lives as we wish, we often don’t appreciate that patience because of the consequences of our own mess-ups and those of other people.

We want Him to zap them and be patient with us.

We want to do our own thing, but we want the consequences of our actions to magically disappear.

It doesn’t seem to work that way, though. If there is a God, it seems that all of us have likely tried His patience and broken His laws (perhaps, even his heart) and violated His will. If it wouldn’t be right for Him to treat one person’s mess-ups differently than another person’s, that must mean that He is motivated to behave differently that we do. Sometimes we excuse one person and are hard on someone else. We don’t have the same standards for everyone, even though we’d like to think of ourselves as fair and patient. If there is a God who is all powerful, He is so patient that He must know something we don’t know. He’s not a random “zapper”, so He must be just. If He is just, then He must have an eventual plan for justice; but we aren’t experiencing His enforcement of justice right now. Instead, patience reigns, along with all of the chaos, pain, and havoc we create. There must be a reason and a plan if there is an all-powerful God… a plan that allows Him to wait patiently for now.

Fourthly, if there is an all-powerful God, He is a God of order.

Seeds grow according to their kind of plant. Animals reproduce according to their species. Nature has a balance.

Seasons come and go. The world keeps spinning. There are life cycles, days, moon phases, months, years, orbits, gestational periods, instincts, migrations, hibernation, and the pull of gravity. There is cell structure, healing, birth, life, growth, aging, and death. There are elements, compounds, and chemicals which somehow have all been formed to make what we know as air, water, and land… a habitable environment. To believe that all of the order found in our world and all of observable space is accidental order, one must have tremendous faith in nothingness… or begin to wonder ???

Fifthly, if there is an all-powerful God, He wants us to know Him.

If there really is a God, the incredible profusion of variety in life forms and in objects within the universe must reveal some things about their maker, just as a painting reveals something about the artist or a song reveals something about the composer. The colors, shapes, function, and beauty around us must reveal something as well. If there is a God who really sent His Son, He must want us to know Him through personal relationship. If the Bible is truly His word, He must want us to know even more through revealing Himself in an autobiography. If He has placed within us a conscience that reveals what is right and good, He must want us to know both His nature and His desire for how we might best live. And, if it is true that He actually lives within those who accept Him as Lord and Savior and sends His Holy Spirit to them, His desire for us to know Him must be so fervent that He is willing to completely give Himself to us.

Sixth, if there is an all-powerful God, He must know everything about us.

It just makes sense to me that an all-powerful God must also be all-knowing. As we’ve seen in our world, the use of power without wisdom is a dangerous thing. Since we’ve already thought through the fact that God must be good if He exists at all, He must have the wisdom that enables Him to be good in ways that relate to us, His creation. There must be a plan in His mind and even some sort of intervention in our world and in our lives, of which we are apparently unaware. In order to know what we need and what will be right for the future of mankind, He would have to know our hopes, our fears, our sorrows, our pain, our failures, and what will ultimately bring us joy. We all have a desire for a happy ending, but our lives often do not follow the pattern we had hoped they would. Sometimes, we see that previous disappointments wound up being good for us in some way. Maybe, if there is an all-powerful, all-knowing God, everything is connected to His good plan for us in ways that we can’t see right now. It would take an unfathomable amount of wisdom and knowledge to balance the needs of every single person and to work in their lives in unseen ways. As a parent, I find this difficult to do with our six sons and one daughter. I can’t imagine the power and knowledge it would take to try to bless and reach out to all of mankind. And yet, if there is a God who is all-powerful and good, He must know us in order to do this, just as I must know my loved ones in order to relate to them in ways that matter.

Finally, if there is an all-powerful God, He is a God of love.

All of us are constructed with such a hunger for love, the capacity to love, and the deep, inner knowledge that somewhere there must be a more pure and perfect love. We value love more highly than anything else in life; and yet, we do not always treat those we love as we should. Our priorities do not always reflect the importance of loving and giving. We want that kind of love, and yet we find ourselves incapable of giving it as perfectly as we wish it to be given to us. If there is a capacity for both giving and receiving love, together with a hunger for pure love beyond what we know, these desires and capabilities must have an origin. It makes sense that if there is an all-powerful God who is also Creator and also a good God, then He would be the origin of everything good and of the best as well. Love is the best.

In conclusion, I have to say that these are my thoughts, based upon what I have seen, felt, experienced, read, and learned. These statements seem sensible to me. If I were still looking for answers to the question of whether God exists, I think these observations would make me want to keep looking, with a hope that I might find that something (Someone) is there.

~ Cynthia A. Boyd

What do you think?

If there is truly a God, an all-powerful Supreme Being, what does everything you’ve observed and learned and experienced tell you about who He is? What do you believe? Are we a cosmic accident, on our own in the universe? Or, is there a Creator who is powerful enough to form all that exists, for whatever purpose He desires.

Do your beliefs help you answer these three crucial questions?

1. Who am I? (Beyond defining yourself by relationships, abilities and traits, or by what you do)
2. How did I get here? (What chain of events resulted in my existence?)
3. What is my purpose? (Are you just here to live, work, play, relate, suffer, grow old, and die?)

We would love to hear from you and will publish any respectfully written comment that represents a point of view, even from those who have concluded that there is no God.

* ? * ? * ? * ? * ? * ? * ? *

Are you curious?

Would you like to know
what the Bible does say
about each of the 7 observations cited above?

* Observation #1: If there is an all-powerful God, then He is good.

What the Bible says about God’s goodness:

Nahum 1:7 ~ The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows them that trust in Him.

Psalms 145:9 ~ The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 100:5 ~ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalms 107:8 ~ Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Psalms 86:5 ~ For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon You.

Psalms 34:8 ~ O, taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him.

Psalms 136:1 ~ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

* Observation #2: If there is an all-powerful God, then He is infinitely creative.

What the Bible says about the creation / creativity of God:

Isaiah 40:28 ~ Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or become tired and weary? His understanding is unsearchable.

Psalms 19:1 ~ The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalms 104:24 ~ O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom, You have made them all: the earth is full of Your riches.

Psalms 8:3 – 4 ~ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man, that You art mindful of him? And the son of man, that You abide with him?

Psalms 139:13-16 ~ For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.

Psalm 104:10-14 ~ He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth. (NIV)

Psalm 104: 24-25 ~ How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both large and small. (NIV)

Job 12:7-10 ~ Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (NIV)

Revelation 4:11 ~ You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created.” (KJV)

* Observation #3: If there is an all powerful God, He is patient far beyond our understanding.

What the Bible says about God’s patience (sometimes translated as “long-suffering”):

Psalm 86:15 ~ But you, Lord, are a compassionate God, merciful and patient, with unending gracious love and faithfulness.

Romans 15:5 ~ Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus:

2nd Peter 3:15 ~ And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him–

2nd Peter 3:9 ~ The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but He is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent.

Romans 2:3 – 4 ~ Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself— that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

* Observation #4: If there is an all-powerful God, He is a God of order.

What the Bible says about the Divine nature of God and His attribute of desiring and creating order and orderliness:

1st Corinthians 14:33 ~ For God is not a God of disorder but of peace – as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

^{Colossians 1:16 – 17 ~ 16}For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Romans 1:20 ~ For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

From Genesis, Chapter 1:

¹¹Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹²The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.

²⁰And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²²God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

²⁴And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Psalm 147:4 – 5 ~ He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.

* Observation #5: If there is an all-powerful God, He wants us to know Him.

What the Bible says about God’s desire for us to know Him and seek Him:

John 17:3 ~ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 ~ Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; {24} But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

Acts 17:27 ~ So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

Psalm 46:10 ~ Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!”

Jeremiah 29:11 – 13 ~ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6 ~ But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that comes to God must believe that He is (exists), and that He rewards those that diligently seek Him.

Psalms 70:4 ~ Let all those that seek You rejoice and be glad in You: and let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified.”

Verses about the how God has revealed Himself to mankind (and why):
Note: In addition to the revelation of who God is found in Creation, God has used the means found in the three scripture passages below to reveal Himself to mankind because of His desire for us to know Him. (He’s also used many other forms of direct revelation such as a burning bush, literal handwriting on the wall, and messages from angels.)

Verse dealing specifically with conscience and God’s law as a means used by God to reveal Himself and His truth to men:
From Romans, Chapter 2 ~
* Notes in parentheses and underlined have been added by the author of this post to explain the meaning of this scripture passage.
14 Indeed, when some people, who do not have the law (do not have Biblical law given by God as a part of their accepted beliefs), do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law (They demonstrate their acceptance of God’s laws as being “what is right”, even without necessarily having specific knowledge that these laws came from God.). 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

Verse dealing specifically with the prophets and Jesus Christ as another means God used to reveal who He is to mankind:
Hebrews 1:1 – 2 ~ In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe (Hebrews 1:1,2).

Verse dealing with the reason God has revealed Himself and His truth in the Bible:
Romans 15:4 ~ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.

* Observation #6: If there is an all-powerful God, He must know everything about us.

What the Bible says about God’s knowledge concerning mankind and each individual:

Matthew 10:29 – 31 (Jesus speaking) ~ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (without His knowledge) But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Isaiah 44:24 ~ Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

Isaiah 49:15-16 (God speaking) ~ “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? Even if that were possible, I would never forget you! See, I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands.”

Psalm 139:1 – 3 ~ O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.

Job 34:21 ~ For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

Psalms 33:13-15 ~ The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; From His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth; He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works.

Jeremiah 16:17 ~ For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes.

2 Kings 19:27 ~ But I know your sitting down, and your going out and your coming in, and your raging against Me.

1 Corinthians 4:5 ~ Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

* Observation #7: If there is an all-powerful God, He is a God of love.

What the Bible says about God’s love (and about love as an attribute of who God is):

Psalm 89:1 – 2 ~ I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that Your love stands firm forever, that You have established Your faithfulness in heaven itself.

Zephaniah 3:17 ~ The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

1 John 4:7-8 ~ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 Peter 5:6-7 ~ ⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Jeremiah 31:3 ~ The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

John 3:16 – 17 ~ For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

Romans 5:8 ~ But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Galatians 2:20 ~ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Ephesians 2:4-5 ~ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses (sins), made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.

1 John 4:9-11 ~ In this the love of God was made manifest (clearly shown) among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. This is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

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Seeking and Finding

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“Come and See” Christmas Reader’s Theatre Script

“Come and See” is a poem that I wrote during the 2013 Christmas season as my heart was touched once more by God’s gift of love and Christ’s humble and miraculous birth. It was originally posted on January 1st, 2014, along with a devotion I had prepared about the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth.

(See a link to the original blog post, also called, “Come and See,” in which the poem was first published at the end of this article.)

Below, you will find the poem by the same title, prepared as a Reader’s Theatre script for 2 readers.

Come and See
A Reader’s Theatre Script for 2 readers

based upon the poem written by
Cynthia Boyd

Reader 1:

Come, lowly shepherds! Now, arise!
Heavenly angels fill the starlit skies,
For in Bethlehem, the promised Child is born.
Come, and see God’s only begotten Son.

Reader 2:

And He will care for His flock like a shepherd,
He will give His life for the sheep.
His tender mercies will comfort the fallen,
And He will bind the wounds of the weak.

Reader 1:

Come, wise men searching for a King.
Follow the star; your treasures bring.

Reader 2:

For in Bethlehem the King of Kings is born
Come, and see this blessed, Holy One.

Reader 1:

And He will rise, triumphant and Holy.
He will reign in the Heavens above.
He will fill the hearts of His people
And conquer hatred with His pure love.

Reader 2:

Come, pilgrim seeking Heaven’s joy.
Behold “God with us” in this boy.
For the Prince of Peace has come to grace this Earth.
Come, and see Salvation’s humble birth.

Reader 2:

And He will calm the storm of temptation
He will heal the sickness of sin.
He will break the chains of the pris’ner
And give new life to us within.

Reader 1:

Come, wand’rer chasing empty lies.
Behold the Truth! Lift up your eyes!

Reader 2:

For the Light of the World is here to set you free.
Come, and see the Lamb of Calvary.

Reader 1:

And He will shine as Star of the Morning.
He will take your hand in the night.
He will slay the dragon of darkness
And fill the shadows with His light.

Reader 2:

Come, seeker looking for the Way.
Let Christ be born in you today.
For the Lord of All has come to take your place.
Come, and see your Redeemer’s face.

Reader 1:

And He will guard your heart and your tomorrows.
He will wash away every stain.

Reader 2:

He will redeem each one of your sorrows.
And bring you joy even through pain.

Reader 1:

For He is Lord, Messiah, and Savior.

Reader 2:

He is Emmanuel, King of Kings.

Reader 1:

He is the Alpha and the Omega.

Reader 2:

He is the one of whom angels sing.

Both:

Come, and see.

~ Original poem by Cynthia A. Boyd
Copyright December 2013

Original Post Link

The original blog post in which the poem, “Come and See” was published also features a brief Bible Study / devotional from Luke, Chapter 2. It deals with the shepherds and the four actions or reactions they displayed on the night of Jesus’ birth.

Here’s the post link:

Come and See

Permission Requests Info:

LIVE PERFORMANCE:
This Reader’s Theater Script may be copied for use during a worship service or Christmas program without obtaining specific permission (make enough copies for your readers and directors). We’d love to hear how you used it if you’d like to share later on, but that’s not a requirement.

Note: If a video of your presentation including “Come and See” is posted anywhere online, please add a link to this post (as the source for the poem) in your video information. this will enable others to find the poem as well.

PRINT PUBLICATION OR WEBSITE PUBLICATION:
“Come and See” may not be published in any print form or on any website without the author’s permission. Please comment on this post to request permission. Comments must be approved, so no other reader’s will see your request. We will see your request as a comment awaiting approval and be able to reply to you privately.

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this post. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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* CHRISTMAS JOY and INSPIRATION, * READER'S THEATER SCRIPTS - Drama Ministry

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* Celebrating & Sharing * Top 10 Reasons for Celebrating a Birthday

Birthdays are for celebrating!

Here are our top ten reasons for celebrating a birthday:

Beginning the next year of possibility and promise with a party!

Another year of being here!
* 365 sunrises and sunsets *

We love surprises, especially when they are presented in colorful wrappings.

Birthdays are a good time to remember the blessings of the past year
and of life in general.

Being with friends and family is the best gift of all.

Making an effort to have special times is part of the joy of life!

Celebrating a birthday communicates a message of thankfulness

for life

and joy

and hope

and time invested in each other.

CAKE!
Something yummy for your tummy!

The rituals and celebrations of life are like treasures for the heart.

And…. the number one reason we celebrate birthdays is…

Uniqueness

We recognize the infinite value of each unique person
and what they bring into the world

and into our hearts

And that is something to celebrate!

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Our Worship Sounds Music blog is celebrating a birthday today!

We’ve been here for 3 years now, and in that time we have learned so much.

We’ve published 106 posts and 17 pages.

We’ve shared our hearts and God’s love.

We’ve heard from you as you have shared your thoughts or a word of encouragement.

We’ve been blessed to have blog visitors from 183 countries.

You have re-shared our posts and helped them reach more people than we ever could have on our own.

Our posts have also been shared on ChurchMag, The Worship Community, Cued In, and Worship Links, plus several other websites and blogs.

We have found expression for our faith and our love for the Lord.

And finally, unbelievably, we’ve had very close to 100,000 page and post views in only 3 years. Right now, the number stands at 99,000 +, and we don’t know when we’ll reach that milestone. The wonderful truth is that it really doesn’t matter whether that happens today or a few days from now. The important thing is that our purpose remains the same. We are here to bring glory to God and to encourage and inspire the body of Christ. We will continue to do our best to share inspiration, encouragement, hope, faith, and worship with anyone who is seeking the Lord. We are very aware that all of the numbers only have meaning because they represent the opportunity to minister to people like you. We pray for you, and we are thankful for your prayers as well.

We are so thankful to God and to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His love and His life in us. He is our Sustainer and the Joy of our hearts. We thank Him for this ministry and for everything that He has done with it, far beyond anything that we could have thought or asked.

We are also thankful for YOU and for your life and ministry. Thank you so much for spending some of your valuable time with us and for sharing our posts and pages with others. God Bless YOU!

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* FAMILY LIFE, * MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info, WRITING UPWARD - blogging to transform

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30 Thankful Verses

It’s time to re-post our 30 Thankful Verses as a devotional resource for November. Have a wonderful month of thanksgiving!

Worship Sounds Music

Thankful hearts, rejoice!

Here are thirty verses about giving thanks to God. There is one verse for each day of the month, with some brief devotional thoughts to inspire you.

DAY ONE

“The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; His love endures forever.” Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud.” II Chronicles 5:13

Jesus prayed that we (God’s people) would be one. When we come together as one to praise and thank Him, God’s presence is made known to us as he inhabits (literally, dwells within) the praise of His people. Today, let us thank God, as the trumpeters and singers did, for His great love that endures forever.

DAY TWO

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* MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info

Every day, I will praise You

Every day I will praise You, Lord.

David, the Psalmist, makes this commitment in Psalm 145… daily praise, and even forever praise. (verse 2)

Even though David was well aware that some days are tougher than steel and colder than ice. Even though he knew that pain is real and piercing and that loss is inevitable and wrenching, and that there are moments when it’s all you can do just to breathe, David chose to say, “Yes!” to praise.

WHY?
Why choose to praise when there are days that we want to shout, with every fiber of our being, “No! Oh, please, no… Lord, no.” ???

Read on, and look for David’s reasons (and for your reasons, too) in Psalm 145. Then, let us think about this together.

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
²Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

³Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
⁴One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
⁵They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.^[b]
⁶They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
⁷They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
¹⁰All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
¹¹They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
¹²so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.^[c]
¹⁴The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

 Let every creature praise his holy name

 for ever and ever.
So, what are the reasons that David gives for his daily praise?
1.  The Lord is great.

He is great… far beyond our understanding.   (So, when we don’t understand… He is still great.)
“His greatness no one can fathom.” (3b)
2.  The Lord is worthy of praise.

A fact is a fact… no matter how we are feeling.  He is worthy.  Period.
“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise” (3a)
3.  The Lord has done incredible, mighty, awesome, wonderful things.

His creation and His recreation of our hearts and lives give us a glimpse, but we cannot begin to fathom all that the Lord has done.
4 One generation commends Your works to another;

 they tell of Your mighty acts.
…and I will meditate on Your wonderful works.[ 5 b ]
6 They tell of the power of Your awesome works—

 and I will proclaim Your great deeds.
4.  The Lord is majestic in His splendor.

 We cannot even imagine the majesty of the Lord.
Take all of the most beautiful, awesome, and wondrous things and places you have ever seen…

take the vastness of space…

take the intricate and amazing work in a creature as tiny as an ant…

take the most majestic, sparkling, costly royal splendor that mankind has ever been able to produce (with the minds that He created)…
All of that, together, is a part of His creative and majestic creation (which is also a revelation of who He is).
But all of it together,

from the microscopic to the humongous beyond belief,

and from the wonder of all living things to the beauty of every kind of ecosystem…
reveals only a fraction of His majesty.
5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

 and I will meditate on Your wonderful works.
5.  The Lord is powerful.

If His works are powerful, how much moreso is He!  He made them.  They are just His creation, but He is the source of their power.
6 They tell of the power of Your awesome works—
6.  The Lord is abundantly good.

Everything good comes from His hand.  He made everything and pronouced it “good” because His original Creation, before mankind brought sin, reflected the goodness of its Creator.  He is good in every way that it is possible to be good.  His goodness is cause for celebration!  His is not a false goodness.  It is not pretense.  It is righteous goodness.  He does not show preference.  He is good to ALL.
7 They celebrate Your abundant goodness

 and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
9 The Lord is good to all;

 He has compassion on all He has made.
7.  The Lord is righteous.

     He is not merely good… He is holy and righteous.  He will ultimately make everything right.  His goodness goes beyond what we know as goodness, because it is righteous.  It is totally pure… in love… in motivation.  There is no darkness in Him at all.  His righteousness produces joy.  
7b and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways

 and faithful in all he does.
8.  The character of the Lord is tender toward us.
    a.  He is gracious

Full of grace, flowing continually out of His abundantly gracious character (who He is), God gives His grace without expecting us to earn or deserve it.  He gives His grace because He is gracious.
     b.  He is compassionate.

His compassion goes far beyond just caring about us.  His compassion motivated Him to give Himself completely in the person of Christ.  Compassion is caring that is deep enough to motivate a profound expression of love.
     c.  He is slow to anger.

The Lord is patient with us… much moreso than we are with one another, and even with our own loved ones.  Although He is deeply grieved by our every hurt and loss (compassionate), He remains patient with mankind, desiring to give us continued opportunity to turn to Him for salvation.
    d.  He is rich in love.

The love of the Lord is vast and immeasureable.  If the earth is His footstool and everything belongs to Him as Creator, He is certainly rich… but it is the limitless stores of his wealth of love that He longs for us to know.
How far would His love go?

From Heaven… to earth… to the cross… to death… and even to hell,

all to gain the victory for us over sin, hell, and death.
His love took our most hideous weakness and ugliness and enveloped it in the strength and everlasting power of His pure holiness, removing the stinking graveclothes of our sin and clothing us with His own righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

 slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The Lord is good to all;

 He has compassion on all He has made.
9.  His Kingdom is glorious and everlasting.

In order to have a Kingdom, one must be a King.  But His is not just any Kingdom, and He is not just any King.  He is the King of Kings, and His Kingdom is everlasting.  He can never be de-throned because He is the Lord of all, even of those who do not acknowledge Him.
10 All your works praise You, Lord;

  Your faithful people extol You.

 11 They tell of the glory of Your kingdom

  and speak of Your might,

 12 so that all people may know of Your mighty acts

  and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

  and Your dominion endures through all generations.
10.  The Lord is trustworthy and faithful.

        He is good, so we can trust Him.  He is a keeper of promises.  He does not give up or quit.  He is faithful to keep His word, to remain unchanging, to finish all of the good works that He has begun, and to someday make everything right.
The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises

 and faithful in all He does.[ 13 c ] 
17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways

  and faithful in all He does.
11. The Lord is our Sustainer and the Giver of all good things.

Without the sustaining presence of the Lord in all of Creation, the needs of every living thing would not be met.
15 The eyes of all look to You,

  and You give them their food at the proper time.

 16 You open your hand

  and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
12.  The Lord is our helper and our Savior.

He helps us get up when we fall and even holds us as we are falling.  He lifts up those who are bowed beneath a heavy load and brings joy to hearts that have been humbled or broken.  He is near.  He is with us.  He hears us when we call on Him in truth.  He fulfills our desires.  He hears our cries.  He saves us.  He watches over us.  He will someday remove us from the very presence of evil.  He is our loving and caring Shepherd.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall

 and lifts up all who are bowed down.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him,

  to all who call on Him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;

  He hears their cry and saves them.

 20 The Lord watches over all who love Him,

  but all the wicked He will destroy.
  The Lord is close by, waiting for us to understand that we need Him and come into agreement with the truth about who He is and who we are. Then, when we see our need for Him and cry out, He knows that knowing Him, having His forgiveness, and living in fellowship with Him have become Him the desires of our heart. He hears our cry, and He saves us (when we have asked Him to come into our lives as Savior and Lord).
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David’s conclustion, in light of who God is,

is that he must commit himself to daily and eternal praise.
David begins the Psalm with this commitment and ends the Psalm with a restatement of his personal commitment to daily and eternal praise.
This is the final verse of Psalm 145:
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

  Let every creature praise his holy name

  for ever and ever.
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The notes on Bible Gateway about Psalm 145 tell us this interesting bit of information.  “This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.”  
This fact tells me that David was also communicating the fact that the Lord is the Alpha and Omega, worthy of praise from the beginning of time and throughout eternity, meeting all of our needs and sharing His love with all of mankind, keeping His promises and fulfilling His Kingdom with both awesome power and gracious, loving tenderness.


May every day become a day of praise.
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This post was written by Cynthia Boyd, with the inspiration of Psalm 145.

The NIV Scripture text was copied from Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+145
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The Victor’s Crown

Olive is a spiritual encourager who sees through ‘Jesus eyes’. She knows the deep things of the soul and recognizes the work of God in the lives of others. When she invests the time in you to share a message of encouragement, it means something; because Olive sees and feels and loves beyond the surface… to the deepest longings of the redeemed heart. She knows that we all want to make a difference, to matter, and to exchange the totality of all that we have been given in this temporal life for something of eternal significance… in the the lives and hearts of others, in the very heart of God, and for His Kingdom.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.”
I Thessalonians 5:11

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

When Olive is sharing a message of encouragement, she looks into your face and your eyes. The topic might be something she has seen or the Lord has revealed to her concerning your parenting, ministry, or life. Even so, the message that I’ve received from her every time is the same. She is telling you, “I see… and He sees… Jesus in you. I want you to know… and He wants you to know… that what you do in Him matters… that it makes a difference for the Kingdom… that God is using what you are giving back to Him to do more than you know or could imagine. I want you to know… and He wants you to know… that there is eternity in these moments… eternity in surrender and obedience… eternity in every little sacrifice… eternity in His Spirit leaking out through you.”

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“When he (Barnabas) arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,
he was glad and encouraged them (Christians at Antioch) all
to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.”
Acts 11:23

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

As Olive is encouraging, she also sees how you receive the message in the very depths of your heart. Her Jesus eyes have looked beyond my blurry eyed ‘thank yous’ to the vulnerability and doubt inside. She knows, without my ever saying so, that I never think it is enough or that I am enough. She knows that I am hard on myself, because my eyes somehow give me away. She continues encouraging, seeking to get the message across through the fog created by the fear of being less… the fear of insignificance…. to the very core of my being. Olive pours the oil of encouragement over and into all the fractures of imperfection that I fear will be my legacy, and somehow God’s Spirit anoints the beautiful brokenness… the weakness that can only be perfected in His strength… with the message He is giving through Olive: “I see… He sees… and it all matters.”

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
You encourage them, and You listen to their cry.”
Psalm 10:17

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

Last night, the Lord used Olive to encourage me once again, but this time I want to share it…

because this message is for you, too!

“He sees… and it all matters!”

You see, during last Sunday’s worship service at our church, our worship ministry team shared the message of the song, “Victor’s Crown” (written by Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, and Kari Jobe). This was far more than just singing a song during church. Our Adult Choir, Orchestra, Praise Team, Rhythm Section, and Tech Team all worked together to share the message that Jesus has overcome the world through the testimony of the song, with His glory as the cry of our hearts. In addition, there was a visual representation of this message of Christ’s majesty, supremacy, sovereignty, and glory. Our student dance team, young ladies who are learning to use dance, movement, and sign language in worship and praise for God’s glory, had prepared to share the message through meaningful choreographed movement. Finally, at the end of the song, an oversized crown representing the majesty and glory of the King of Kings was carried to the front of the Worship Center and placed upon a pedestal as the words, “You wear the Victor’s crown… Jesus, you have overcome the world!” were being sung. The media on our screens had also been designed to convey the message of the song, and countless hours had been invested by everyone who had been involved in the rehearsal and preparation (not only for this message but for all of the worship service as a whole, that Sunday… and every Sunday). Our shared motivation was and is to glorify the Lord and to encourage God’s people as He speaks to each heart through the messages that are spoken, sung, danced, projected, and displayed in every manner possible.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory
and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
I Chronicles 29:11

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

During the preparation for sharing the song, “Victor’s Crown”, I had the privilege of making something special… the oversized crown representing the glory and sovereignty of our King of Kings, Jesus. It was a joy for me to take some hours from each day over a couple of weeks and use that time to make His “Victor’s Crown”. I am not an artist or a seamstress, but I had made a Presentation Crown once before, at our former church. It’s a major project that also involves a lot of thought and prayer. Everything about the crown had meaning for me, like the red jewels representing the blood of Christ, visible from every angle and from the top of the crown to the bottom.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Jude 1:25

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

When I made a Presentation Crown several years ago, there was a longer period of time to complete the project, so I was able to put the supplies away after every work session. No one had seen the crown in progress at that church. This time, however, there was more time pressure. It was necessary to keep my project table set up and do some of the work when others were around, once even singing during part of a choir rehearsal as I worked. Olive was one of the people who had observed the process.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.”
I Corinthians 10:31

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

So, what Olive came to tell me before choir rehearsal (on the Wednesday night after “Victor’s Crown” was shared during worship) was that it all mattered. She shared the fact that she had spoken to others who had been profoundly moved as God’s Spirit spoke to their hearts through the message that they heard and witnessed and deeply felt. This time, however, Olive was determined to impress upon me that, “all of those hours and days and weeks (spent making the crown)… for a five minute song,” had made a Kingdom difference to her and to others, repeating those words about the time frame more than once. The fact that she recognized the investment of time in creating as compared to the brevity of the time for that investment to have made an impact seemed to concern Olive; because she wanted me to know again… “I see… He sees… and it all matters.”

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“But we do see Jesus,
who was made lower than the angels for a little while,
now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death,
so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
Hebrews 2:9

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

I thanked Olive and assured her that the amount of time invested in making the crown for the brief presentation didn’t bother me at all, because I’m used to that. Although the crown was seen for only a few measures of music near the end of “Victor’s Crown”, and then throughout the hymn that followed {“Crown Him (Lord of All)”), I know how God can use words, music, media, and any other kind of expression to touch hearts, often in just a moment. So many times, my own heart has been touched, my faith strenghthened, my hope restored, and my soul inspired by what has been shared by others and by our worship ministry team. I know that God can purify and amplify our imperfect efforts with His own righteousness. I remember many really incredible spiritual moments from years and even decades ago. The eternal significance of anything we do is only a result of His sanctifying presence working through us. He is the One who makes it matter.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“All this is for your benefit,
so that the grace that is reaching more and more people
may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”
II Corinthians 4:15

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

Even as Olive was speaking to me, I couldn’t help thinking that as choir practice began in a few moments, time would be given by everyone present (including Olive) which would be longer than the time spent eventually sharing the music we would be learning. In worship ministry, it’s all about preparation and time invested in order to bring glory to God… and how He is transforming our lives from the inside out through that process. All of the worship team members invest lots of time into every brief worship service, but none of us count that time as lost. It also occured to me that this is how my husband (and all Worship Ministers) spends his work time… in preparation and helping others to prepare. Investing countless hours into preparation for one worship service is nothing new when it is your calling, ministry, and life’s work.

And you, in the service you are doing in Christ’s name and in seeking to live your life for His glory… are also investing time in ways that don’t always allow you to see an immediate result. This kind of investment in lives and in service is so much more than a time clock of minutes served. It’s all about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the foundational love and mercy of our God, which give us the purpose and the motivation for every minute… every hour… every lifetime.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one
who speaks the very words of God.
If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 4:11

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

So, for worship ministry team members… and for every Christian…

for every parent, every neighbor and friend,

everyone who is striving

to make an eternal difference in this life,

the work of the Kingdom is all about the investment

of minutes and hours,

days, weeks, and months,

years and decades,

and lifetimes…

in prayer, preparation, relationships, and work,

investing in people, in serving the Lord,

in surrender and in obedience,

and using all that we have been given

through the mercies and love of God in Christ

with the help of His Holy Spirit

to bring Him glory.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work
and the love which you showed for His sake in serving the saints,
as you still do.”
~Hebrews 6:10

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

What a blessing it is to be part of God’s Kingdom ministry in this life…

for all the moments, big and small, during which God is at work in the lives of His people…

moments of service and help,

moments of love demonstrated,

moments of grace manifested,

moments of holy reverence,

moments of joyful praise,

moments of hope realized,

moments of profound meaning,

moments of mercy,

moments of sweet fellowship,

and of encouragement given…

and received.

And, when blessings are hard to see, in the moments when the answers to prayer have not come as we had wanted, when obedience simply means waiting on the Lord and seeking Him with a broken heart… when God is still at work in ways that we have not yet been able to understand, we are blessed by His sustaining love and presence. Still, every moment matters. Not a single moment of grief will be wasted. He will redeem it all… every teardrop.

So, whether you are spending you time wiping little noses, reading Bible stories, and keeping up with school for your children, working in or outside of your home, helping others through volunteering, or doing all of those things…

❤ He sees your heart and your work for others. ❤

No matter how you serve through your church, whether you are teaching, singing, or greeting visitors…

❤ He sees how you love His bride, the church. ❤

When you are studying in Seminary to prepare for a life calling or caring for a loved one who is ill,

❤ He sees your ministry. ❤

When a large part of your energy goes to the temporal, mundane tasks that never stay done
or you wonder if your efforts, both large and small, are in vain,

❤ He sees your faithfulness. ❤

When you struggle with the pain and grief of this life and cry out to Him in the rawness of your need,

❤ He sees your stubborn faith and your hope in Him. ❤

When you mess up… and you know it.

❤He sees your brokenness and answers with His mercy. ❤

Whatever your age or station in life…

when you are living to bring glory to the Lord, working and loving and serving as to the Lord,

❤ He sees you, and it all matters! ❤

In this life, we are simply giving back what we have been given, Because Christ sacrificed and gave His all, investing His life in us, we can now invest our lives in His Kingdom. It’s so amazing that God allows us to particpate in His work and ministry, with the help of His Holy Spirit, in ways that will have meaning even in eternity, always for His glory.

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

And, beyond all that…

you and I can look forward to

eternity in the presence of God

at the feet of Jesus.

In the company of the saints, we will be

free from sin and sorrow;

free from pain and death;

and living in a place beyond anything we could ever imagine.

There, we will fully know even as we are known,

and we will experience in full measure

the vast, immeasureable, eternal,

pure, holy, and victorious

love of God

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤

Know this, child of God:

In every moment of time,

for now, and for eternity…

He does see.

And, yes, it all matters.

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* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory
and the exact representation of His being,
sustaining all things by His powerful word.
After He had provided purification for sins,
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Hebrews 1:3

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

VICTORS CROWN (official video)
Written by: Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, Kari Jobe

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *

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❤ Thank you, Olive, for being an encourager, for your love for the Lord, ❤
and for your desire to worship and serve Him.

You’ve helped me to think of God’s work in our lives in new ways.

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DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.

http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

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Loving Mercy…

Children are often competitive in almost everything, and sometimes they love to “report” things their siblings have done. For example, at a family meal, when everyone is glad to be together and thankful for God’s provision, we pause to give thanks; but as soon as “Amen” has been spoken, the “prayer police” can make their presence known.

“He had his eyes open the whole time!’, one will announce.

Another “official officer of offense” makes his case by adding, “Well, he didn’t even bow his head!”

In our home, we had to ban the “prayer police” from making their reports. We are trying to make our home a place where we are all on the team and have each other’s best interests at heart… even when we disagree.

As our boys grow in their faith and in maturity, our prayer for them is that they learn to focus on what is truly important.
The importance of a prayer posture of any kind is far less meaningful and significant than having a thankful heart. Certainly, the focus and condition of our hearts matter most to God. Any external posture or demonstration of reverence or piety is meaningless to Him without our true devotion and genuine gratitude.

While we can see the truth about what is really important easily when dealing with our children’s spiritual understanding, what about our own?

Are there areas of life, worship, and Christian growth

where we, who know the Lord,

who have been redeemed and given new life,

often focus on form and function

and on the symptoms of sin sickness and spiritual death

rather than on the heart attitudes

and awakened hearts and lives

and true love for the Lord

that are most important?

The answer is… YES!

We, too, deal with a tendency to become…

the prayer police,
the sin spotters,
the style seekers,
the soapbox spouters,
the commitment captains,
and the pet peeve pronoucers.

Often, our tendency is to notice the behavior rather than the heart need of others.
This focus on style rather than the substance or on the external behavior rather than the motives of the heart can be revealed by what I’ll call “Hollywood Action Movie Syndrome”. In the extreme scenarios often found in the plot lines of movies like superhero flicks, the bad guys are depicted as heartless machines whose sole purpose seems to be mayhem and pain. Movie goers are relieved and even happy to see these bad guys “get what’s coming to them” as the hero stops the madness by destroying the bad guy.

Even in our own lives, we can be quick to label others as irredeemable “bad guys” with statements that get a lot of “likes” on social media. For example, I’ve seen posts made by sweet Christian people saying that they are “sick” of the behavior of a celebrity or politician who seems to be seeking attention by being self-destructive or by choosing to do things that many people would consider shocking. In other words,
our first reaction is often disgust and even extreme dislike rather than broken hearts over the spiritual need that is being manifested as bad behavior.

The Biblical perspective…

Perhaps we need to consider God’s attitude toward us… and toward our bad behavior, as revealed through scripture.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.” ~ Ephesians 2:4 &5

“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” ~ Psalm 145:8

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” ~ Psalm 100:5
(note: in some translations, lovingkindness is everlasting and faithfulness endures)

“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call on you.” ~ Psalms 86:5

“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” ~ Psalms 145:9

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” ~ Titus 3:5

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” ~ 1 Peter 1:3

What, then, should be our response to people and situations that we feel are less than they should be?

“Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” ~ Luke 6:36

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

~ Micah 6:8 NKJV

The Creator God of the universe,

who is holy and good and yet who is so often talked about with disrepect, as people whom He loves and was intimately involved in creating blatantly choose to go against their God-given conscience and intentionally do what is wrong,

❤ LOVES ❤

MERCY.

He loves showing mercy to me and you; and He wants us to love mercy, too.

He loves justice and goodness and holiness, but He loves mercy even more…because of His great love for all of the people that He has created in His image.

For a while, He is delaying His judgement and the fully realized reign of His holiness over creation…. because He loves mercy. He is no less holy and no less just even as He is allowing the free will of man to sometimes cause pain. He is always holy, always just, and yet, always merciful.

God wants to show mercy to us, whom He loves. He wants us to experience and know His mercy and to choose mercy for others. His mercies are new every morning because He chooses mercy over righteous anger. If He did not choose mercy, all of mankind would have been consumed by the intensity of His wrath against sin, against wrong, and against our rebel hearts, which cause us to hurt others and even to hurt ourselves. The pain of life in a fallen world would be eliminated by God’s final judgement NOW if it were not for mercy, chosen in every moment as the sun rises on another part of the world around the clock. It is a very good thing for all of us that God loves mercy and that human beings are not our final judge and jury.

Have you ever noticed that it can sometimes be difficult to read certain Psalms? I cringe as the Psalmist asks God to judge those who are his “enemies” or who are simply referred to as “the wicked”. And yet, because God is the righteous judge and is no respector of persons, He is the only one who can judge with perfect fairness. He says, “Vengeance is mine,” not just because He will someday make everything right but also because we would never be able to be as impartial, fair, and just as He will be. He wants us to choose to trust Him here and now, although we are fully aware that there is still injustice in this world, but that at some point He will make everything right. And yet, God delays the final judgement… because He loves mercy.

Even in the lives of people we read about in the Bible, we can see a struggle to learn to love God’s mercy for others.

In Psalm 73, the Psalmist Asaph speaks of being confused by the prosperity of the wicked. He talks about how they almost seem free from care and begins to wonder whether his own efforts to live for the Lord, walk with Him, serve Him, and do what is right are all in vain. However, he does come to his senses in these verses:

¹⁵If I had spoken out like that, (questioning whether loving and serving God is worth it)
I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
¹⁷till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

Asaph realized once again the goodness of God and that fact that His mercy will not delay judgement indefinitely. At that point, he began to actually view the wicked with compassion, and his perspective completely changed. He realized that he, himself, is rich in what all of the money amassed by the wicked could never purchase… salvation and relationship with the Lord. Asaph also realized how senseless his earlier comparisons have been and what he has possessed all along.

When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
²²I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.
Like Asaph, how can we do anything but rejoice in the fact that God is choosing mercy even for those who have wronged us, just as He chose mercy for you and for me?  He is a merciful and loving God.
So, in light of God’s mercy, what are we to do?  As we seek to focus on what is really important and to lay aside our tendencies to get caught up in what we observe, what frame of mind should replace our tendency towards judgement of others?  Here’s one answer, from Romans 12:1-2.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

When we read the phrase, “in view of God’s mercy” in the scripture above, we need to think about what that really means.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,
…even though the world is filled with injustice…
…even though people prey upon and use other people…
…even though good people will sometimes be victimized…
…even though people we love may be hurt…
…even though the thoughtlessness of others breaks our hearts
…even though the evil of this world distresses and disgusts us
I urge you… in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, 
…to offer your hurts…
…to offer your confusion…
…to offer your right to take revenge…
…to offer your all… even when life doesn’t make sense…
…. a sacrifice… holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.
(In choosing to make this sacrifice of surrendering our all, we are also choosing to trust Him with everything.  Why?  Because we know that He is good and merciful and just.)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

What is God’s good pleasing, and perfect will for us?  It’s found in Micah 6:8.  We are called to “Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”
☆ Do what is right.
☆ Be merciful to those who do wrong (and love the fact that God stands ready to be mercy-full to everyone at all times).
☆ And, walk humbly with our God (which we can only do when we remember that we, too, are recipients of His mercy).
Sometimes, we want to pick and choose the people who we feel “deserve” God’s mercy, although we really know better.  We know that truly, none of us deserve mercy.  It is freely given because of God’s amazing grace.  It is not earned.  We are incapable of earning His mercy.
So, when we feel the tendency to judge someone else without calling upon God’s mercy on their behalf and praying for their salvation…  when our expectations are disappointed…  when we have been hurt…  when we or someone we love has been victimized…  when we feel powerless over injustice…  when innocence is abused…
Let us always remember the final destiny of those who reject God, and let us desire His mercy even for these.
Because God loves mercy.  
God loves people, sinful people, and He longs to be merciful to them when they turn to Him in need of forgiveness and salvation. 
Let us fight the tendency in our lives to focus on the unimportant, and let us be transformed through the renewal of our minds.  Let us keep moving forward in this journey toward Christlikeness, and let us choose mercy.  Let us choose God’s mercy and grace toward others rather than becoming mired in our own opinions, which would only result in continual disappointment and stall our growth as Christians.
To that end, these are the things that I want to focus on in order to avoid becoming more caught up in what I believe is right than in the mercies of God.

* I want to avoid assumptions, realizing that we often don’t know the challenges that others are facing.

* I want to have the mind of Christ, looking beyond the sad and shocking and even disgusting behavior to the person in need of a Savior.

* I want to employ grace with fellow believers, realizing that we are all in the process of becoming more like Christ and that it is a long journey for all of us.

* I want to learn to love mercy. When it comes to my own behavior, I am required to behave justly and “do” justice. However, when it comes to the behavior of others, the requirement changes. In regard to others, I am required to love mercy, recognizing my own need for mercy and the fact that I was undeserving of the mercy that I have personally been shown by God, based upon my own actions in choosing my way over His.

*** Most of all, I want to remember these things: ***

* Judging any human being as “more unworthy” of God’s mercy because of what they are doing or saying, what they wear, listen to, or read, their current beliefs, what they eat, or substances they use, is just simply wrong.

* Relationship with God, love for the Lord, and thankfulness are more important than any posture of prayer, any show of piety, and even more significant than a person’s current level of knowledge or maturity as a Christian. God gives us the opportunity to grow in Christ, and we should extend that grace to others as well.

* Connecting others with a message and an experience of grace and salvation is more important than our human ideas of behavioral perfection.

* Style (in music, clothing, or anything else) is less important than the heart of worship and the hearts of people.

* Opinions (and even deeply held convictions) will not reach hearts like the love of Christ.

* Only God can work in the hearts of others to draw them to a place of deeper spiritual relationship and commitment. Conviction of the heart over one’s wrong-doing or lack of love is the Holy Spirit’s job, not mine.
(I’m too busy dealing with my own spiritual mess.)

* Finally (and most importantly), what bothers me about this world needs to be turned upside down…

… so that I become

more and more bothered

by my own lack of concern

for the eternal destiny of others

than by the stinking graveclothes of sin and spiritual death

that have often prevented me

from seeing the person

rather than the actions

and words and attitudes

of a lost soul that needs Jesus

or a fellow traveller,

who, like me,

has encountered some bumps in the road

on the path to Christlikeness.

The Prayer of a Forgiven Heart

Lord, may my first thought be love.
May my second thought be a prayer.
May my actions demonstrate grace and humility.
May my heart be broken by the brokenness in this world…
and in my own life.
May my opinions matter less than my desire to bring You glory.
May my life be given to serving others and lifting up Your name.
May my heart be given to You.
May my mind be transformed by Your Spirit.
May my time and talents and resources be committed to Your plan for my life.
And may I always be mindful that You are the Giver of all good things,
the Lover of my soul,
the Joy of my heart,
the Fountain of mercy and grace,
and the Source of pure and sacrificial love.

In Jesus’ holy and powerful name,

Amen

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This post, including “The Prayer of a Forgiven Heart” was written by Cynthia A. Boyd.

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* HELPFUL POSTS for Every Christian (Discipleship, Worship, & Inspiration)

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Worship Ministry Team Top 12 Tasks

An Essential “To Do” List

For All Worship Team Members

What is needed for effective ministry from each member of the Worship Ministry Team?

Whether you serve in a Worship Band or Rhythm Section, Praise Team, Choir, Orchestra, or as an Accompanist, the essentials are the same:

In order to glorify the Lord, lead God’s people in worship, and allow the Lord to use your gifts to speak to the hearts of others through His Spirit, you need to apply prayer, passion, preparation, flexibility, clarity, commitment, faithfulness, and authenticity!

Here are 12 ways to become most effective

as a member of a worship ministry team.

1. Pray for your Worship Pastor and for all of your ministerial staff. Pray for their families. Pray for the congregation at your church (church family) to worship the Lord and serve Him with all of their hearts. Pray for your own testimony and spiritual walk. Pray for other worship ministry team members and for the worship ministry as a whole. Pray through the order of worship, and pray during the worship service. Be real (authentic) with the other members of your worship ministry team. If you are struggling in some area, ask for prayer.

Your passion for the Lord and for serving Him through worship ministry is the thing that makes you a worship team member. Others sit in the congregation every week who could be an asset in worship ministry, and yet the lack of passion for serving in this way prevents them from making that commitment to the calling. If your passion has begun to wane, ask the Lord to revive it within you so that you may contribute week by week, worshipping with passion in spirit and in truth.

KEY TRUTH ABOUT FAITHFULNESS:

Your presence,

more than anything other than your prayers,

allows your worship ministry to effectively reach up to glorify the Lord

and reach out to encourage and inspire others.

Especially for Chor and Orchestra members:
Be aware that many churches are eliminating choirs and orchestras. If you want your church to still have these groups as a regular part of worship ministry leadership a year from now, 5 years from now… 10 years from now, make it your priority to be there!
If you say that you love singing in the choir or playing in the orchestra, love having these groups as a contributing part of worship ministry, and love the sound and the impact they can make, you need to be one who will be there faithfully. When the choir and/or orchestra suffers from low attendance week after week, the level of excellence suffers. The director has difficulty choosing what to sing or play, not knowing who may be there. The overall sound is less than it could be without you and others there. After weeks and weeks of low attendance and less than stellar sound due to the low numbers, how much support can we expect from church members and leaders for the continuation of choir and orchestra ? In other words, if you want to have a choir and orchestra , you MUST be committed to it.

3. Be spiritually prepared. Do all that you can do to walk closely with the Lord. Abide in Him. Spend time in private worship. Learn all that you can about Him and about what true worship really is. Listen to worship music often. Love the Lord and find joy in His presence.

4. Be musically prepared. Attend every rehearsal that it is possible for you to attend, and be on time if at all possible. It is great to have everyone in place with music ready and instruments and voices warmed up if possible (sing with the radio on the way there!). If that is not possible due to your work schedule or some other factor, please do the very best you can to arrive ASAP.

* Even if the choir or orchestra is going to be sharing music that you know well, your presence and participation can help others to learn the music. Having the full group present helps with things like balance, interpretation, and choral tone, as well as with division of parts, marking any changes in the music, and unifying vowel structure.

* If your director sends out an e-mail with links to the music you will be singing, spend 15 minutes listening to the demos a couple of times during the week.

* With new technology have come new tools for worship ministry. We can listen to demos on our computer and do so almost anywhere with wireless technology. We can look up sample pages to a choral anthem and even be able to see the music as we listen to a demo. We can hear several different versions of the same worship song at ccli.com or other sites. Many worship teams have their own website, facebook page, or blog to keep everyone informed. Sometimes e-mails are sent to worship team members with listening links. There are worship conferences, worship blogs, and “how to play” videos online. All of this means that we have more resources available than ever (and fewer excuses for being unprepared).

* For choir members: If you know there’s a part that you’re not getting during rehearsal, speak up and ask the director for help. Often, as your section (Altos, Sopranos, Basses, or Tenors) sings through a passage a couple of times, the re-inforcement of hearing your part played will help everyone.

If you have a piano and can play a tricky part yourself, take your music home to spend some time working on those hard to hear parts.

* For orchestra, praise band, or praise team members: If there is anything that you struggle with in rehearsal and are not confident about, spend some time working on your own before Sunday.

Speak up if something sounds “off” in rehearsal, even though it appears everyone is playing (or singing) what is written. Sometimes you may help to find a mistake in the music.

* For All Worship Ministry Team Members:

Remember that what we are doing is very important and sometimes very difficult. Patience is required in order to work up an entire “worship set” of music for congregational worship each week, often with very limited rehearsal time. We must all be as diligent as possible and patient with each other and with ourselves. We are confronted with our own humanity when preparing music; and there is no better time to thank God for His patience and grace with us, even as we choose to employ patience and grace with others (and with situations that are out of our control). You may be doing all that you can do and wish that others took their opportunity to serve as seriously. However, we always need to remember that we never know what others are facing and the challenges that may keep them from being as faithful or as prepared as they would like to be. We just need to pray for one another and employ a lot of grace, continue to be faithful, and encourage others as much as possible.

5. Remember that every Sunday’s worship is important. The special programs can be a wonderful time of worship, but every Sunday needs to be just as important.

The Lord is the same year-round,

and

He deserves our best every week!

Give Him your best (in terms of commitment, passion, faithfulness, and effort). Make it a priority to be there, be prepared, pray through the service as you worship, and do your best to bring glory to the Lord in every service of congregational worship that you are able to attend. Pay attention when your director goes through the order of worship for next Sunday’s service during rehearsal. You can help with leading in worship most effectively when you are able to share with clarity because you know what is going on.

Never forget that God is the one who created music,

gave you musical gifts, saved you,

and gave you some incredible and eternally glorious

reasons to make musical praise!

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.” ~ Psalm 9:1 & 2

Never take the opportunity

to use your voice or instrument

(and your faithfulness and availability)

to glorify the Lord within the congregation

for granted!

“Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.” ~ Psalm 107:31 & 32

6. Support the worship ministry through your own giving. You can give financially as well as giving of your time for rehearsals, personal prayer time, and worship times. You can give and redeem your time in worship ministry when help is needed in preparation for a special program, ministry opportunity, or mission trip. You can give time to working with worship ministry groups for children and youth, investing in the lives of these future worshippers and worship leaders.

7. Be well groomed. Here, I am not talking about the cost or name brands of your clothing. Just make sure that your appearance is well-groomed and not distracting. (Well-fitting clothing and well-groomed hair are a must.) Your own worship ministry may have additional requirements for appearance that are more specific.

8. Invite others to come to know the Lord, to come to church, and to attend services and special programs. Encourage the faithfulness of others through your own faithfulness (which is a silent witness) and through verbal encouragement, letting them know that you are glad to see them and that their presence is important.

9. Invite others to participate in approriate areas of worship ministry when you know that they have the special gifts to contribute both spiritually and musically. Take some time to talk with them about the blessings of serving in worship ministry and how much it means to you. When new members come, welcome them! Don’t be stuck in a rut as far as who you have to sit beside. Make sure the new member feels comfortable.

10. Don’t fossilize! Be flexible and open to change when it is needed.

* If a change in schedule (such as letting the choir leave the loft to sit with families after the musical worship portion or your service is over) allows more people to participate, be open to that change. This would include changes in rehearsal schedule. If you have an unavoidable conflict, let your Worship Leader, Director, or Music and Worship Minister / Pastor know as soon as possible. When you know that you will be out of town, please let them know your schedule. Advance notice of absences allows for better planning.

* When new music is introduced, be open to it. You will likely grow to love it! Even if a song is not your favorite, worship the Lord as you sing and/or play it! Be open to new styles and new musical techniques as well. It’s always a good thing to keep learning and growing as a musician and as a member of the worship leadership team.

* Be open to wearing robes or not wearing robes (depending upon what works best for all of the considerations at your church). You may be asked to wear a certain color. Please help your group to follow worship ministry leadership in this area by cooperating fully.

* Be willing to sit or stand anywhere that you are asked to be, in both the worship center and in the rehearsal room (unless you need to be seated for physical reasons).

* Be willing to let go of traditions and procedural routines that may no longer be effective.

11. Communicate visually as well as musically. Remember that only part of your worship team’s presentation of any song or participation in worship is the sound component of ministry. The other component that can be observed is visual.

* In order for the messages that you are proclaiming to be as effective as possible, choir members, praise team members, and others who sing need to communicate through their facial expression and posture as well. Even those who play instruments need to support the message of what is being shared through appropriate facial expression and/or posture. People want to know that you are authentic in your beliefs and that you are passionate about your beliefs and your relationship with the Lord… passionate about Him! Your face should reflect the message that you are singing or playing (especially for non-wind players). Your posture should not look stiff and formal.

* If your Director or Worship Pastor wants you to memorize a song in order to communicate it most effectively, do it! (Hint: being there at every rehearsal and listening to demos or working on your own a little bit helps!)

* If you are holding a music folder or looking at music on a stand, hold it high enough (or adjust your stand) so that you can see your director just over the top of the music. Get your head and your eyes up as much as possible. No one wants to look at the tops of everyone’s heads or at a platform full of worship ministry personnel whose eyes appear to be closed because they are looking down all of the time.

NOTE: Our choir sings from memory as often as possible so that we can communicate visually and musically with more effectiveness, and we have recently begun utilizing an on-stage monitor with lyrics. Although we have used screens at the back of the worship center for the lyrics to congregational music and anthems for many years, we can include information on the on-stage monitor that it not meant for the entire congregation to see. We utilize a different color of print for cues to the choir that precede a section of lyrics. These on-screen cues are often very brief and include: “Men” when only the tenor and bass are singing (could also use “TB”); “Women”; “Unison”; “4-part”, “2-part”, “2X”, “3X” or “4x” to show the number of repeats; and even cues for dynamics. Notes that are held for a long time can be indicated by using a line after the word (Example: “love___”)

Lift up His name!

12. Participate and worship in the entirety of the congregational worship experience. Remember that you are not there just to “perform” a “special” piece of music. You are there to worship! You are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and and worshipper of Almighty God! Every song, scripture reading, testimony, and message is important! Seek to bring glory to God in all of it. Come to worship ready to give to the Lord the praise and thanksgiving of your heart, the honor and glory He deserves, the obedience and open-ness that are a sweet offering to Him, and the entirety of who you are. Seek His face and reflect His joy.

“Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men.”
~ Colossians 3:23 (Weymouth New Testament)

SUGGESTED READING FOR WORSHIP MINISTRY TEAM MEMBERS

1. Our Worship Scripture page is a very comprehensive worship resource, with scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments in Biblical order. Our bold key words before the beginning of each scripture make it easy to search and find particular passages. This is an excellent resource for worship scriptures. Also, try the key word or topical search features at Bible Hub or Bible Gateway.

Here’s the link to “Lift Your Voice”, our worship scripture page: https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

1. “The missing piece…What Every Christian Should Know About Worship”
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-missing-piece-what-every-christian-should-know-about-worship/

2. “31 Days of Praise (Scripture Devotions)
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/31-days-of-praise/
This post has been recommended on Worship Links @ http://www.worshiplinks.us/2013/09/devotions-praise/

3. “Walking in Worship”
Note: This article has also been published in the online magazine, “ChurchMag” with its original title
@ http://churchm.ag/walking-in-worship/
and on churchleaders.com , using the title, “What Worship REALLY Means” @

http://www.churchleaders.com/worship/worship-articles/163955-cynthia-boyd-worship-really-means.html

* found on this blog @ https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/walking-in-worship/

OUR OTHER POSTS ABOUT WORSHIP: (Our pages, like the one on Lifestyle Worship, have titles that are always visible on the blog header. Our posts are categorized, and all of the posts on worship can be found in our category called “Worship…with Wonder!” (and the sub-categories in that topic). Here are links to 7 of our most widely read posts about worship.

Music is a gift…Worship the Giver!
This article was also published by TheWorshipCommunity.com @ http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/music-is-a-gift-worship-the-giver/

Worship: Definitions and Quotations

Worship…it’s all about Giving!

Worship in the New Testament

Understanding Worship

Worship is Joy!

Worship Planning and Preparation

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* CHORAL MUSIC & PRAISE, * MELODIOUS MINISTRY, * WORSHIP...with WONDER!, About Choral Worship Ministry, WORSHIP MINISTRY RESOURCES

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“He is Jesus!” ~ Reader’s Theater Script

This Reader’s Theater script may be presented in a local church without cost or further permission. See our usage permission information at the end of this post for full details.

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HE IS JESUS!

DIRECTOR’S NOTE: This Reader’s Theater Script calls for 3 readers. Two of the readers should be male, and one should be female. A media presentation could be added for greater impact, with appropriate slides to aid in telling the story. This script could be used at any time of year, but it would be especially effective on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday.

Female Reader: Prophets foretold His birth centuries before it occurred.
An angel appeared to His mother to announce the miracle of his conception.

Male Reader: His Father chose as His mother an unknown maiden with a heart inclined to God and ready to surrender herself to God’s will.

Female Reader: He left His heavenly home to come into a world that seemed to have no room for Him.

Male Reader: He was born in Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy of His royal birth.

Female Reader: And yet, He was born in the humblest of circumstances in order to identify fully with humankind and because He had no intention of becoming an earthly King.

Male Reader: His birth was celebrated by angels and accompanied by a phenomenal Heavenly star in order to proclaim His deity.

Female Reader: Modest working men were the first to hear of His coming, demonstrating that no wealth is necessary to know Him.

Male Reader: Wise men of wealth and position travelled from far away to bring gifts to Him and worship the One whose birth could be seen in the Heavens, showing that He was and is the King of Kings.

Female Reader: He astonished the well-educated scholars in the temple at a young age, demonstrating that He is the Word made flesh.

Male Reader: He healed sickness, demonstrating His compassion and His power over human frailty.
He raised the dead, demonstrating His power over death and the coming end of sorrow.

Female Reader: He multiplied the provisions of men, taking care of earthly need and demonstrating that God can take what we offer and do more with it that we could imagine.
He walked on water and calmed the storm, demonstrating His supremacy over all created things and what we call the “laws of nature.”

Male Reader: He taught with authority because He was the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Female Reader: He taught profound truth through the simplicity of parables so that all people and even children could understand.

Male Reader: He wept at the sorrow of death and at the tragic cost of rejecting God’s plan, demonstrating His incarnation.

Female Reader: He is Emmanuel, God with us,… even in grief, in sorrow, in rejection, and in loss.

Male Reader: He demonstrated humility in washing the feet of His own disciples.

Female Reader: He foretold His own death and resurrection and the denial of one of His closest followers.

Male Reader: He chose God’s will for Himself and submitted to a mockery of a trial so that He could take our guilt.

Female Reader: He was beaten, despised, humiliated and condemned so that we could be redeemed.

Male Reader: He carried much more than a heavy wooden cross on His back.
He carried the weight of the sin of all mankind.

Female Reader: The hands that blessed and healed were nailed to a cross.

Male Reader: The beautiful feet that had carried the message of God’s love and mercy were pierced so that He could carry our sin to the mercy seat.

Female Reader: The heart that beat with more love than you or I could fathom was stilled as He gave up His life so that we could have life everlasting.

Male Reader: He commited His spirit to God and spoke the words of victory that echo through eternity: “It is finished!”

** (Drama Director’s Note: Here, a flash of light followed by momentary darkness would be very dramatic and appropriate. At the very least, there should be a slight pause before the reading resumes.)

Prophetic Voice: “He was in the beginning with God, and with Him everything that was created was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Male and Female Readers: He is life, and He came to give life. And yet, …He endured death, …and darkness, …and Hell.

Prophetic Voice: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Male Reader: He did not stay in the tomb. He was no longer there, for He had risen, just as He said.

Female Reader: He appeared to Mary, to his disciples, and to other followers. He was not bound by death or by the walls of a tomb.

Male and Female Readers: He is alive!

Male Reader: After spending some time with them, He told His followers that He must leave so that the Holy Spirit could come and inhabit the hearts of all believers.

Female Reader: He told them what he would be doing while they were apart.
He is preparing a place in Heaven, reigning as Sovereign Lord at the right hand of God the Father, and praying for believers.

Male Reader: He gave them their mission:

Prophetic Voice: “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.”

Male Reader: He is with us. He is praying for us. He is preparing a place for us.

Female Reader: He is still changing lives, touching hearts, and healing hurts.

Male and Female Readers: He is the Savior of the world.

Male Reader: He is the Redeemer whose love for mankind could not be crucified.

Female Reader: He is the Lord of All.

Male Reader: He is the beginning and the end.

Female Reader: He is the Bridegroom, whose love for His bride, the Church, is the most pure and sacrificial of all loves.

Male Reader: He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Female Reader: He is the Living Water, bringing unquenchable life.

Male Reader: He is the King of Glory and the hope of mankind.

Female Reader: He is the joy of man’s desiring.

Male and Female Readers: He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Prophetic Voice joins Male and Female Readers: He is Jesus!

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This post originated in the heart of God before the foundation of the World.
The words were put together by Cynthia A. Boyd to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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“He is Jesus!”, copyright 2012 by Cynthia A. Boyd, all rights reserved.
* Sharing in a publication or on a website: To share this post, only the URL (see below) may be copied or posted unless permission is obtained. Permission may be requested through a comment on this post. The comment will not be seen by anyone but our blog editor, and we will correspond with you by e-mail. http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/he-is-jesus/
* Reader’s Theater presentation: Permission is granted for printing copies for 3 readers and a drama coach in order to present this as a reader’s theater presentation in a local church. However, permission must be obtained for audio or video recording if this is used as a reading.
We’ve done the preparation work for you! (See link below)
Note: A non – Reader’s Theater version of this post, written as prose, can be found at:

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How to Help Keep Church Choirs from Becoming Extinct

An Effective Ministry

FBC, Snellville Church Choir, Christmas 2009

Church Choirs can minister very effectively in any worship setting if they are properly prepared to contribute to the ministry of worship. A group of Christian singers with a desire to bring glory to the Lord through the ministry of worship can be a blessing to the entire church family. Here are seven ways that choirs can joyfully serve as worship leaders to strengthen and bring life to the ministry of worship.

* 1 *
A Choir can help to support congregational singing, allowing the congregation to sing more confidently and join their voices with those who are already singing, which helps to lead God’s people in worship.

* 2 *
A Choir will help the congregation to know when they are supposed to sing.
When arrangements for the congregational singing are lead by a praise band, worship leader, and praise teams, sometimes people in the congregation become uncertain about when they are supposed to sing along. A well prepared choir helps to prevent confusion as they assist in leading the service. Since the choir will know when a verse or chorus is supposed to be sung as a solo and when everyone is supposed to sing, the congregation will begin to take their cue from the choir.

* 3 *
Choirs provide spiritual encouragement and inspiration to the church family.
Since the life stories and faith journeys of the people who make up the choir are coupled with their faithful commitment to praising the Lord and leading in worship, the choir serves as a collective testimony of walking by faith. The presence and praise of a choir member who is walking through a trial, remaining faithful as a choral worship leader, can be a powerful message in itself. Since choir members are often some of the busiest church members, serving in many ways and vitally involved in church life, their ministry and testimony has personal significance for a large percentage of the church body.

The 280 voice Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Brooklyn, NY, under the direction of Carol Cymbala, recorded 2 CDs in 2013, “Redeemed” and “Love Lead the Way”.

* 4 *
Church choirs can share messages of praise, reverent worship, testimony, exhortation, encouragement, comfort, thankfulness, and perseverance through the songs (both anthems and congregational worship songs) that they sing.

Since choral anthems often have lyrics that are full of scripture and of Biblical truth, the choir can share a message in song that is full of meaning with even more impact than the spoken word because of the marriage of music and lyrics that amplifies the truths being shared.

The choir’s ministry is one of proclamation, praise, and encouragement as they and the congregation “speak to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”.

“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.” ~ Psalm 104:33 & 34

* 5 *
As worship leaders, the choir can also help the church to learn new songs and worship choruses. It is possible to find choral arrangements of new worship songs that are in congregationally friendly keys, which also have chord and rhythm charts and even full orchestrations available. These can be prepared as an anthem and introduced by the full worship team (choir, praise band and / or orchestra, praise team). Later, as the congregation becomes more familiar with the song, they can be invited to join in singing the worship song with the same arrangement.

* 6 *
A choir can help to break down generational barriers in worship.
The fact that choirs (and praise teams, rhythm sections, and orchestras) are often made up of young, median, and older adults (and sometimes students) communicates the message that a new song is a vehicle of praise and worship for the entire congregation, regardless of age. As members of the worship leadership team, choir members have invested time in preparation for worship, both musically and spiritually as they have learned the new music. Because they have rehearsed and lived with the lyrics of the songs being shared (both Anthems and congregational praise), choir members have the opportunity to internalize these messages of truth and to communicate them meaningfully, as a group that is visually representative of the church body (in age range and other factors) rather than just as professional musicians.

KEY GOAL: Ideally, the worshipping choir will be both spiritually and musically prepared to praise the Lord and to encourage and inspire God’s people. Because of this investment of time in preparation and their heart for the Lord, a choir can be a living, vibrant team of worship leaders, messengers of hope and praise.

The Mount Pleasant Christian Church Choir in Indianapolis, IN, directed by Brian Tabor, September, 2013.

* 7 *
There is nothing else like the sound of a well-prepared choir.

Even the secular music industry often employs a choir to maximize the impact of a powerful ballad or to visibly and audibly celebrate with an upbeat song. Choirs are often seen in the music videos and television appearances of pop stars, on music specials, and at events where the entertainment is an extravagant production, such as an Olympic opening ceremony or even a Super Bowl halftime show. If secular entertainment still values the impact that a choir can make, those of us who love and worship the Lord should realize that choral singing can be a an effective testimony of God’s goodness that can touch the hearts of a congregation (and of others who hear them when they sing in public places).

In addition to the seven supportive and edifying functions of a choir within worship ministry, remember that there are Biblical accounts of choral worship.

A. Since there are many Biblical mentions of choirs, and since 55 Psalms are written to the Choir Director or Director of Music; there is certainly a Biblical precedent for choral worship.

The First Baptist Concord Choir, Knoxville, TN, directed by Jeff Lawrence.

B. In addition, the Biblical exhortation to use our gifts to honor and bring glory to the Lord calls for opportunities for those who are a part of our congregations and who have musical gifts to serve and contribute to the ministry of worship.
What these service opportunities may be in an individual congregation depends upon the musical gifts that are present among members who are willing to faithfully serve in worship ministry. A smaller congregation might have a choral ensemble rather than a full choir, in addition to their praise band or accompanists. Larger churches may have a full choir and perhaps an instrumental ensemble or orchestra in addition to their rhythm section, praise band, and / or accompanists. Some churches may use a choir to help serve as worship leaders, but the choir may sing a choral anthem only occasionally. Some churches also use choirs only seasonally (for a special Christmas program, for example).

Every congregation is different, and no one can prescribe what your church should be doing in musical worship from the outside. Your ministerial leadership is more in tune with the musical and spiritual gifts of your congregation and to the music that speaks to the hearts of your congregation as well as to the visitors and seekers that your church can reach. This intention of this article is to encourage the ministry of choral singing in those places where it can be shared effectively to praise, encourage, inspire, lift up, exhort, challenge, and worship.

“Above, the hosts of angels sing praise; below, men form choirs in the churches and imitate them by singing the same doxology. Above, the seraphim cry out in the thrice-holy hymn; below, the human throng sends up the same cry. The inhabitants of heaven and earth are brought together in a common assembly; there is one thanksgiving, one shout of delight, one joyful chorus.” ~ St. John Chrysostom

First Baptist Church of Duluth Adult Choir, December, 2013, Duluth, GA, directed by Travis L. Boyd, singing the upbeat final song in the Travis Cottrell Christmas worship musical, “Joy of Every Longing Heart”. Note: Many choir, orchestra, & praise band members are out of the frame in this photo, taken by a member of the congregation.)

KEY TRUTH:

Church choirs can still minister, serve, and bring glory to the Lord when they have effective leadership and the commitment, support, and prayers necessary to do so.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
~I Corinthians 10:31 NASB

Although choirs have been eliminated in some congregations, existing choirs can strengthen their ministry. New choirs can focus on effective ministry from the beginning. Below, you will find some suggestions for helping to keep church choirs alive and serving in the 21st century.

For Members of the Congregation

If you are a member of the congregation in a church that has a choir, here’s how you can support and encourage their ministry:

1. Pray for your church choir and for individual members thst you know. Pray for unity of spirit and faithfulness to the commitment of singing in choir.
* Pray for God to use them as they seek to minister and lead in worship, and pray that God will speak to their hearts as they prepare spiritually and musically.
* Pray for them as they stand to sing and for the congregation as the choir is singing.

2. Worship and praise the Lord as you are listening and praying! If your church’s worship ministry has a facebook page, “like” the page so that you will know better how to pray for your church’s overall worship ministry as well as for the choir.

3. Listen expectantly when the choir shares a message, whether that is a Choral Anthem or a worship chorus that is being introduced by the choir. Remember that everything your church does in ministry is constantly being evaluated for effectiveness. Therefore, one of the best ways to support a choral ministry in your church is to allow the choir to minister to you and to praise the Lord in your heart right along with them.

4. Encourage! If a message shared by the choir was particularly meaningful or worshipful to you, let that be known. Speak an “amen!”, share a word of encouragement, or send a note or e-mail to the choir, Worship Minister, and / or Pastor expressing how the Lord has used that ministry in your own heart and life. Choir members are not seeking personal compliments and would rather hear about the spiritual impact of their ministry than about the beauty of the music. They love the beauty of the music as well, but they mainly want to know that what they are doing makes a difference for the Kingdom!

5. Be faithful in your own attendance in congregational worship. Not only are you being faithful to the Lord when you worship along with His people, your presence is also an encouragement to others. In addition, your presence allows for everything that is done in worship to be done more effectively as you are praying throughout the service that the Lord would be glorified and personally worshipping Him.

6. Attend any special presentations that your Choir and Worship Ministry have prepared, and invite others to come as well.

At most churches, there are special musical worship opportunities such as Christmas and Easter programs and worship musicals only a few times a year (usually 2 – 4 times annually for the Adult Choir). These events are wonderful opportunities to invite your neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers. Invite the clerk who checks out your groceries. Invite others at every opportunity. Your worship ministry team members have been preparing to share messages of hope and faith and praise to the Lord for several weeks leading up to any special worship event, so please do attend these events expecting a glorious time of worship, pray for those involved, and bring others with you. Put these special events on your personal calendar as soon as they are announced, and make them a priority. If you want your church to have worship events such as these and to continue to have a worship choir, your presence must testify that this is important and meaningful to you.

7. Support the worship ministry at your church through your giving. There are expenditures that are necessary for a vibrant and effective worship ministry. Sound and lighting equipment, media equipment, sets and seasonal decorations, music for worship ministry participants, musical instruments, piano tuning, CCLI (the service that allows your church to legally put song lyrics on screens), and salaries for paid personnel such as your Worship Pastor and accompanists, are all a part of the financial cost of worship ministry support. Your faithfulness allows all of the ministries of your church, including worship ministry, to function and to minister within the congregation and to reach out to your community and beyond.

8. Let grace abound! Don’t expect musical and technical perfection. Give your worship ministry team the grace of realizing that they are human and that they are participating in this ministry as volunteers rather than as professional musicians and technicians. Music and productions that you hear on the radio or see on TV and in the movies are very highly produced and involve much expertise, equipment, and time that is not available for local church ministry. Many times, the sounds that you hear on radio or TV cannot be produced at the same level of perfection in live performance, even by the pros. One recorded song may be a result of dozens of “takes” and hours of recording and re-recording. In addition, remember that every worship song, hymn, or choral anthem may not be your personal taste; but it is still your joy to worship the Lord through all that is spoken and sung. Pray for others. Look around you. What may not be your favorite worship expression may be ministering to the hearts of others. Pray for those around you throughout the worship service.

* IMPORTANT NOTE: For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine, ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) .

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
~ Colossians 3:17

The Adult Worship Choir anchors the worship ministries of Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Brandon, FL, directed by Dr. Doug Crawley.

For Pastors and Ministerial Staff

Here’s how you can help to support the ministry of the Worship Choir at your church.

1. Pray for and encourage the worship team members and Worship Pastor at your church. Pray for your congregation and for yourself as worshippers.

2. Live a life of worship, seeking to intentionally give God glory in all that you do.

* NOTE For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine, ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) .

3. Whatever your responsibilities and concerns may be during a worship service, make an intentional effort to let them go (as much as is possible) and personally worship the Lord.

4. Attend special worship ministry programs, and invite others to do so as well. Speak with enthusiasm when sharing announcements about upcoming Worship Ministry events.

5. When doing calendar planning, recognize that each ministry decision impacts every ministry. Remember that above all, every Christian is (or should be) a worshipper, and do what you can to strenthen all of the ministries of your church, including worship ministry.

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
~ I Peter 4:11

For Choir Members & Worship Team Members

What is needed? Prayer, passion, preparation, flexibility, clarity, commitment, faithfulness, and authenticity!

1. Pray for your Worship Pastor and for all of your ministerial staff. Pray for their families. Pray for the congregation to worship the Lord and serve Him with all of their hearts. Pray for your own testimony and spiritual walk. Pray for other worship ministry team members and for the worship ministry as a whole. Pray through the order of worship, and pray during the worship service.

2. Be faithful in attendance at rehearsals and in every congregational worship service. Unless your are too sick to go or out of town, be there. We all understand that seasons of life occur, such as when you are caring for a loved one who is ill. However, if there’s nothing keeping you from being there, please be faithful! Your passion for the Lord and for serving Him through worship ministry is the thing that makes you a choir member. Others sit in the congregation every week who could be an asset in worship ministry, and yet the lack of passion for serving in this way prevents them from making that commitment. If your passion has begun to wane, ask the Lord to revive it within you so that you may contribute week by week, worshipping with passion in spirit and in truth.

KEY: Your presence, more than anything other than your prayers, allows your worship ministry to effectively reach up to glorify the Lord and reach out to encourage and inspire others.

If you want your church to still have a choir a year from now, 5 years from now… 10 years from now, make it your priority to be there!
If you say that you love singing in the choir, love having a choir, and love the sound and the impact of choral music, you need to be one who will be there faithfully. When the choir suffers from low attendance week after week, the level of excellence suffers. The director has difficulty choosing what to sing, not knowing who may be there. The choral sound is less than it could be without you and others there. After weeks and weeks of low attendance and less than stellar sound due to the low numbers, how much support can we expect from church members and leaders for the continuation of choir? In other words, if you want to have a choir, you have to be committed to it.

4. Be musically prepared. Attend every rehearsal that it is possible for you to attend.

* Even if the choir is going to be singing music that you know well, your presence and participation can help others to learn the music. Having the full choir present helps with things like balance, interpretation, and choral tone, as well as with division of parts, marking any changes in the music, and unifying vowel structure.

* If your director sends out an e-mail with links to the music you will be singing, spend 15 minutes listening to the demos a couple of times during the week.

* If you know there’s a part that you’re not getting during rehearsal, speak up and ask the director for help. Often, as your section (Altos, Sopranos, Basses, or Tenors) sings through a passage a couple of times, the re-inforcement of hearing your part played will help everyone.

* If you have a piano and can play a tricky part yourself, take your music home to spend some time working on those hard to hear parts.

5. Remember that every Sunday’s worship is important. The special programs can be a wonderful time of worship, but every Sunday needs to be just as important. The Lord is the same year-round, and He deserves our best every week (in terms of commitment, passion, faithfulness, and effort). Make it a priority to be there, be prepared, pray through the service as you worship, and do your best to bring glory to the Lord in every service of congregational worship that you are able to attend. Pay attention when your director goes through the order of worship for next Sunday’s service during choir rehearsal. You can help with leading in worship most effectively when you are able to share with clarity because you know what is going on.

Never forget that God is the one who created music, gave you a voice, saved you, and gave you something incredible and eternally glorious to sing about!

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.” ~ Psalm 9:1 & 2

Never take the opportunity to use your voice to glorify Him within the congregation for granted!

9. Invite others to sing in the choir or to participate in some other area of worship ministry when you know that they have the special gifts to contribute both spiritually and musically. Take some time to talk with them about the blessings of serving in worship ministry and how much it means to you. When new members come, welcome them! Don’t be stuck in a rut as far as who you have to sit beside. Make sure the new member feels comfortable.

10. Don’t fossilize! Be flexible and open to change when it is needed.

* If a change in schedule (or letting the choir leave the loft to sit with families after the musical worship portion or your service is over) allows more people to participate, be open to that change.

* When new music is introduced, be open to it. You will likely grow to love it! Even if a song is not your favorite, worship the Lord as you sing it!

* Be open to wearing robes or not wearing robes (depending upon what works best for all of the considerations at your church).

* Be willing to sit or stand anywhere that you are asked to be, in both the loft and in the rehearsal room (unless you need to be seated for physical reasons).

* Be willing to let go of traditions and procedural routines that may no longer be effective.

11. Communicate visually as well as musically. Remember that only part of the choir’s presentation of any song or participation in worship is the sound component of choral ministry. The other component that can be observed is visual.

* In order for the messages that you are proclaiming to be as effective as possible, choir members need to communicate through their facial expression and posture as well. People want to know that you are authentic in your beliefs and that you are passionate about your beliefs and your relationship with the Lord… passionate about Him! Your face should reflect the message that you are singing. Your posture should not look stiff and formal.

* If your director or Worship Pastor wants you to memorize a song in order to communicate it most effectively, do it! (Hint: being there at every rehearsal and listening to demos or working on your own a little bit helps!)

* If you are holding a music folder, hold it high enough that you can see your director just over the top of the music. Get your head and your eyes up as much as possible. No one wants to look at the tops of everyone’s heads or at a choir whose eyes appear to be closed because they are looking down all of the time.

NOTE: Our choir sings from memory as often as possible, and we have recently begun utilizing an on-stage monitor with lyrics. Although we have used screens at the back of the worship center for the lyrics to congregational music and anthems for many years, we can include information on the on-stage monitor that is not meant for the entire congregation to see. We utilize a different color of print for cues to the choir that precede a section of lyrics. These on-screen cues are often very brief and include: “Men” when only the tenor and bass are singing (could also use “TB”); “Women”; “Unison”; “4-part”, “2-part”, “2X”, “3X” or “4x” to show the number of repeats; and even cues for dynamics. Notes that are sustained can be indicated by using a line after the word (Example: “love___”)

“Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men.”
~ Colossians 3:23 (Weymouth New Testament)

University Presbyterian Church Choir, Seattle, WA, directed by Dr. David Gardner

For Choir Directors, Ministers of Music & Worship,

and Worship Pastors

What is needed for you? The same priorities for worship as your worship team: Prayer, passion, preparation, flexibility, clarity, and authenticity!

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your steadfast love is great above the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth.” ~ Psalm 108:1 – 5

1. Pray for your fellow ministerial staff members, the congregation, and all of your worship ministry team members.
Pray that people will understand the importance of worship as a way of life (Romans 12:1 – 2, I Corinthians 10:31 ). Pray for personal passion for ministry and worship. Pray for holiness and obedience, both personally and collectively.

2. Make personal worship a top priority.
Seek to lead as a fellow worshipper. Let your passion for the Lord and for worshipping Him be clearly evident. Every word, every song, and every moment should be focused on the eternal: worshipping God, praising and thanking Him, and testifying of His goodness, grace, mercy, love, and faithfulness.

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.” ~ Psalm 113:1 – 4

3. Function as a Pastor whose primary responsibility is worship ministry.
People are more important than notes and rhythms. Minister accordingly.

4. Function as an equipper.
Teach and equip your worship ministry team. Teach them about worship and discipleship. Teach them about music and techniques. Teach them about effectiveness as worship leaders (spiritually, musically, visually). Teach your choir that true worship is giving (giving praise, honor, glory, blessing, our hearts, and all that we are). Build excitement about the ministry potential of choral worship.

* IMPORTANT NOTE: For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) . http://www.worshiplinks.us/2013/09/devotions-praise/

5. Be a good steward of your time.
Plan and prepare effectively, praying for guidance as you do so. You can make the most of your limited rehearsal time and allow team members to be well prepared for congregational worship when you have:
a. Made sure that the order of worship is clearly understood by all participants in worship ministry, providing each person with a copy containing all of the information needed.
b. Prepared a weekly newsletter, poster, or white board with the order of your rehearsal so that music will be ready and you can make the most effective use of the choir’s rehearsal time.
c. Made sure that all music is available to your choir and that they have sharpened pencils to mark anything necessary in their music.
d. Made sure that your accompanists have all needed music in time to play through and prepare themselves for rehearsal.
e. Made sure that your tech team has all needed lyrics and any media or videos that you intend to use, as well as orders of worship with any special notes they may need.
f. Made sure that your ministerial staff has copies of the order of worship (not just the bulletin, but your expanded version for worship ministry that specifies such things as the number of verses or repeats for a given songs, which staff member is doing the welcome, etc.).

6. Encourage your choir and other worship ministry participants.
Make rehearsals as fun and joyful as possible. Try to keep the mood light and yet focused on preparation for worship as well as on worshipping even as your rehearse. Let your choir and accompanists, praise teams, praise band, and tech team know that they are loved and valued by you and by the Lord. Use the rehearsal time very wisely so that your choir members and other worship ministry personnel do not feel that their time is being wasted (this communicates value as well). Share any positive comments or notes you’ve been given about the choir with the group.

7. Expand your Choir’s vision of their role in worship ministry.
Help them to see that they are there to do more than just produce an anthem each week. Teach them that they can serve as worship leaders for congregational worship.

8. Keep a realistic timeline in mind.
When you are preparing for rehearsals, don’t try to cram too much music into one session. Confusion and poor preparation will be the result. Do allow several weeks of rehearsal on any new music that requires some time to “settle in”. Plan an adequate number of music rehearsals and tech rehearsals when preparing for any special program. Our choir often has Sunday afternoon rehearsals in addition to our Wednesday night rehearsals to help us prepare in the weeks leading up to a Christmas, Easter, or worship musical. We usually rehearse about an hour, beginning at 5:00 p.m. That’s the time which seems to work best for our group, but your group may have a different preference depending on factors like other schedule considerations and how far away they live from your church.

9. Provide and encourage training opportunities for your choir and all worship ministry personnel.
Make sure that your tech team has adequate knowledge, and provide periodic training for them (bring in a specialist to teach and work with them for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon). After all, your choir could share an anthem beautifully, but it’s the tech team who will make sure it can be heard. Take worship ministry team members to conferences and concerts when possible. Encourage your worship ministry team to listen to contemporary Christian radio (at least occasionally). If you want to inspire multi-generational worship and a greater open-ness to new music, do what you can to introduce new music that can unite the generations in worshipping the Lord.

10. Use media to enhance the worship experience.
If your church has screens, make sure that the lyrics of your anthems are on screens as the choir is singing. Use scenic or spiritually meaningful background photos for the text, and make sure that the text is in a color, size, and font that shows clearly all the way to the back of your worship center. After all, you have carefully chosen this music because of the message that it conveys. Whether your anthem has a message of praise or testimony, encouragement, affirmation, or exhortation, the words are important. Let’s be honest. Sometimes the most beautiful choral settings can make the text difficult to understand.Seeing the lyrics visually on screens employs the sense of sight to imprint the message your choir is sharing on the minds of your congregation more vividly. Your congregation is more likely to take away from the service something that has meaning to their walk as a Christian when every means has been utilized to enhance the worship experience, simply but effectively communicating visually as well as aurally. If you have the capability to make videos of lyrics that can employ photos as background for lyrics and perhaps snippets of video (something like a few seconds of video of a running stream when singing a message about living water), do that. However, keep in mind that it can be very difficult to stay with a video tempo-wise without a click track for the director and in-ear monitors for him or her and for key personnel such as accompanists or praise band (rhythm section) members. If your church does not have media capability, make sure that your anthem choice reflects this fact and that lyrics are as clearly understandable as possible. Use low tech but effective visual means to communicate what your choir is singing visually when possible (perhaps a banner proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” could be displayed when you are singing about the Lordship of Christ). Employ some talented people in your congregation to form a banner ministry and create visual representation of the names of God / Jesus that can be used for regular as well as special services to visually re-enforce the messages being sung and shared.

11. Choose music carefully.

Here are two of the most important considerations when choosing music.
a. Keep the capability and number of your singers in mind.
b. Know your congregation.
The choir certainly seeks to glorify God in their ministry, but it is also important to encourage God’s people through music that is carefully chosen to reflect the make up of your congregation. In most churches, it works well to chose anthems which reflect a variety of styles. For example, you might choose a ballad style or more reflective anthem for one service and a more upbeat and celebratory anthem for the next. You might occasionally include an anthem that has a more southern gospel type style. Don’t neglest newer, more contemporary choral arrangements. You may be stretching your choir’s preferences when you introduce choral arrangements of contemporary worship songs, but this is one of the very things that will allow your choir to be more relevant to the hearts of all generations within your congregation. Remember that when God inspires new songs for His people and His church, they are often a revelation of truth or a truth stated in a new way. New songs are God speaking to hearts just as the new songs of 50 years ago did.

c. Pray for wisdom, and procede with care in every decision about music choice.

d. Make sure that the music has a clear message and is not too difficult.
In making the difficuly decision, consider more than just the capabilities and confident vocal ranges of your Choir. Consider the difficulty of the accompaniment and the tech capabilities for making your choir heard.

e. Avoid “big ending syndrome”.
Some Choral Anthems would not be as effective without a big ending. Just make sure that every single anthem does not end that way. Look for some anthems that fit your choir and have a great message with a more reflective ending. Have you heard the one about the little boy who asked his Mom, “Why does every song the choir sings end like this…?” (He demonstrates, with mouth open wide, tongue hanging out,…”AHHHH”)

f. Support any special emphases at your church with your music selection when possible.
(For example, a special emphasis on prayer would be a great time to sing an anthem that is a prayer set to music or an anthem that talks about God’s faithfulness in hearing our prayers.)

g. Be open to newer music yourself, recognizing it as a sign that God is still at work in the hearts of His people, young and old. Remember that both your choir and your congregation represent a variety of musical tastes. Continually stretch your own musical tastes and those of your choir and congregation by including new music in your repertoire that may be more contemporary in nature but has a message that will speak to the hearts of everyone who is there as a true worshipper. Worship should unite the generations. If your focus is on giving glory to God, using the best of more traditional music in various genres and the best of what is new as well, your choir will be more likely to grow, to include younger singers, and to minister more broadly to your congregation as they bring glory to God through their worship and praise. There is a lot of wonderful, God-honoring and exalting music out there in a wide variety of musical styles. If your choir sings wholeheartedly, no matter how many years (or months) ago God inspired the writing of their music, worship wins! God is honored when His people place worshipping Him and consideration for others above their own preferences.

Note: For further reading on the subject of new songs, see our post entitled, Singing a New Song

Here, we’ll offer a few suggestions of more contemporary choral settings that will be enjoyed and be very meaningful and worshipful, even for more traditional choirs and congregations.

1. “Blessings” Try Heather Sorenson’s arrangement of Laura Story’s song, “Blessings”, published by Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard. http://www.jwpepper.com/10292259.item

2. “Who Can Satisfy?” Our choir and our congregation both love a fantastic arrangement of Dennis Jernigan’s “Who Can Satisfy” by Gary Rhodes (Lifeway). The arrangement has a really strong choral setting of the chorus, “There is a fountain / Who is the King / Victorious warrior, and Lord of everything / My Rock, my Shelter / My very own… / Blessed redeemer, who reigns upon the throne”. The brief a cappella section during one of the repeats of the chorus is incredibly powerful (when sung well, of course). Our congregation loves it so much that they are now singing along on the chorus when Travis turns around to direct them. Here’s a link to the anthem: http://www.lifeway.com/Product/who-can-satisfy-satb-anthem-min-10-P001220705

There is not a listening link with the anthem info, so here is a Youtube video of the song being shared during a worship service, performed by Riverview Baptist Church Worship Choir, Bixby Oklahoma. ~ January 30, 2011. (Note: This is not our choir but just a video we were able to find with the same arrangement we use. There is also an arrangement of this song by Russell Mauldin for Word.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3brh8Bjcvc

3. “We Have Met to Worship” by Travis L. Boyd from Worship Sounds Music
This is a contemporary, guitar and piano driven, setting of the traditional hymn, “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”, arranged for worship choir, praise band, and congregation with the addition of Travis’ chorus, “For He’s Worthy”. There’s also a full orchestration. Our congregation (all ages) loves it and took to it right away. You’ll find it on our Worship Sounds Music website’s “Solos / Worship Songs” page (info copied from the website is below).

Serving as a bridge between traditional hymns and modern worship songs, this arrangement features the hymn “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship,” combined with a new, contemporary chorus.

* Worship Pak, $15.00
(includes PDFs for the Choral parts, piano accompaniment, rhythm section parts, and a string reduction for keyboard, with permission to make an unlimited number of copies, as needed for your groups)

* Full orchestration, $25.00
(Bundled PDFs include Conductor’s score and reproducible parts for strings, winds, & percussion).

* Accompaniment Trax, $10.00 (MP3 download)

NOTE: At Worship Sounds Music, all of our music is downloadable, and there are never any additional “per copy” fees.
The cost for the PDF master copy (and your printing costs) are all that you will pay for as many copies as you need to make. Our goal is to be an affordable resource for worship choirs, soloists, and congregational worship, helping others to bring glory to God through their worship ministry.

Our demos can’t capture the live worship experience with the full choir, praise team, and musicians. Just imagine the choir singing these parts along with you (as worship leader) and the entire congregation.

Here’s the link to the “Worship Songs” tab on our website where you’ll find the purchasing link for “We Have Met to Worship”:
http://www.worshipsounds.com/Vocal_Solos.html#ws

SOMETHING ELSE FOR CHOIR DIRECTORS AND MINISTERS OF WORSHIP TO CONSIDER:

Georgia Minister of Music Greg Burrell (FBC, Barnesville) makes a good point about music selection and about extending the reach of choral worship ministry with this comment and the follow-up conversation from Facebook:

“Wow… comprehensive article! People LOVE a good choir, period! But what I’m learning is that we can’t relegate the choir to the “traditional” service, or it will become extinct.
We have to make a choir work in the service where the younger people are, or it will age itself into oblivion.
If Bruce Springsteen performs with choirs, certainly we can make it work, too.”

Travis L Boyd Very true, Greg. There are a lot of great choral arrangements of contemporary worship songs.

Greg Burrell And everyone loves black gospel. And once a month [in a more contemporary service, whatever frequency works in your situation], a truly powerful traditional anthem can reach people who never thought they liked that sort of thing… IF it is really done well! Anything a choir cannot do well, they shouldn’t be doing in worship. I’m speaking of adult choirs here; I don’t think anyone expects youth choirs to always be wonderful. (Editor’s note: Hopefully, most congregations will extend a lot of grace to student choirs who are just learning how to contribute as worship leaders and to sing in a choir, giving the youth an opportunity to grow through the experience.)

Note: To further clarify the point about the necessity of only sharing with the congregation that which can be performed with excellence… whatever the genre may be, Greg offers this example (paraphrased here):
“If the director loves “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place” and wants to show his congregation “what real music is”, then takes that song [choral anthem] into the worship service and it is only mediocre, he has only hurt his cause, not helped it. However, if he has time in [choir] rehearsal to play with “How Lovely…” and give his choir the great experience of getting to know the song, the investment of time can be valid, even if the song never makes it to the service.”

(Thank you for the feedback and for your permission to add it to the article, Greg.)

12. EXTENDING YOUR WORSHIP MINISTRY INTO THE COMMUNITY

FINALLY, take your choral worship ministry (and other worship ministry groups) outside the walls of the church and into the community and beyond as frequently as possible. Contact the facility and find out who to speak with about your group. Possible locations for ministry include: your State Capitol (optain permission through your Representative), nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehab and long term care facilities (some do regular worship services, and some allow groups to come at other times), juvenile detention facilities, local arts festivals, a shelter or non-profit, a mall or shopping center (with permission – make sure that they will turn off their Muzak), a community or county-wide national day of prayer or patriotic observance, resorts or public entertainment venues (permission must be obtained, and some only permit outside concerts). Make sure that your music is appropriate for the setting. Performance is less important than ministry (by far!). Your choir might sing an anthem or two at the nursing home and then join residents in singing some favorite hymn tunes.

1. Make sure that the group which will be ministering off-site is well-prepared (confident that they know the music). aware of what to wear and what to bring, and aware of any rules for visitors to the location.

2. Make a pre-trip to the site so that you can see any logistical or space challenges and then prepare accordingly (bring needed equipment, sing without risers in a room with a low ceiling, etc.). Make sure that your group is physically able to meet the logistical challenges (bring a cart to help transport equipment, scout the equipment loading entrance and a drop off point for your group). Make sure there are adequate restroom facilities and that the trip to and from the venue is well-planned, allowing necessary stops for a meal or break at sensible times.

3. Build some time into your ministry schedule for relating to the people who have listened to your group. Help with a non-musical ministry task when possible.

4. Get creative and think of ways to minister in your own community and beyond. Make this a matter of prayer for everyone on your worship team.

“And serve them with all your soul in love, as unto our Lord and not as unto men.”
~ Ephesians 6:7 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

An important note about doing choral anthems with select singers on mics:
A comment was posted on a facebook link to this post which went something like this, “Don’t have the choir’s sound covered up by a few elite singers on individual mics!”
For so many of us who are choral purists, this is a really tough pill to swallow. However, we do need to keep in mind that a lot of Directors and Worship Ministers are doing what they have to do in order to allow their choirs to survive. Given the mandate, “contemporize or die”, most of us would choose a praise team on mics in front of the choir rather than the alternative of choral extinction. Hopefully, there are many situations out there where this mandate has not yet been spoken. For directors, my advice would be to choose to contemporize (at a pace and to an extent and frequency that suits your situation, tech capabilities, and musicians) and earnestly seek to speak to the hearts of all generations on your own… before the mandate comes down (perhaps avoiding the mandate altogether). In addition, my Minister of Worship hubby mentioned that sometimes the reason for having a few singers on mics is to addresss balance issues, especially when there is an orchestra in addition to accompanists and rhythm section.

The Trinity Worship Choir from Trinity Church (Assembly of God), Cedar Hill, TX, Minister of Worship Jeff Sparkman

GENERAL NEEDS:

1. Make sure that there is a time and a place for worship ministry rehearsal and preparation. Your worship ministry team will be as flexible as possible, but they do need some consideration.

2. Make sure that there is an adequate budget for worship ministry. There are ways to manage a worship ministry as frugally as possible, but the basic needs should be met.

3. Make sure that there is child care for rehearsals. If you want to encourage participation in worship ministry, this is a key priority.

4. Listen and act (as soon as possible!) when your Worship Pastor or Choir Director says that some equipment is seriously outdated and in need of replacement.

The Prestonwood Baptist Church Worship Choir, Plano, TX, directed by Worship Pastor Todd Bell

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” ~ Colossians 1:10

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
~ Romans 12:1 – 2

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This post was written by Cynthia Boyd, with a great deal of input from Travis L. Boyd

NOTE: This post is a work in progress. Travis has contibuted to the content, but there is more work to be done. Specifically, I am going to have him refine the section on what Worship Pastors / Choir Directors can do and perhaps provide some additional guidance regarding practical matters such as song and anthem selection. In addition, we are open to the thoughts and ideas of others on this topic. Please let us know if there’s anything we failed to address in this article.

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Worship Links has posted a link and recommendation for this blog post, “How to Keep Church Choirs from Becoming Extinct”, with brief commentary.

http://www.worshiplinks.us/2014/02/saving-choir/

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Worship Pastor and Composer Travis L. Boyd

OUR MUSIC

Here’s a link to our listening page for music by Travis L. Boyd of Worship Sounds Music.
You’ll hear publisher’s studio demos (from Lorenz, Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard, and Church Street), custom recordings, and our own demos for music that is offered only on WorshipSounds.com

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/listen-to-my-music/

Click this image to go to the General Usage Anthems page of our Worship Sounds Music website.

Here’s a link to our Worship Sounds Music website, where you will find downloadable Choral Anthems, Anthem Orchestrations, Vocal Solos, Worship Paks for our Congregational Worship Music, and Accompaniment Trax for both Anthems and Solos. All of our music is designed to be practical for worship ministry, Biblically sound, musically memorable, lyrically meaningful, and very affordable.

http://www.worshipsounds.com

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* ADDENDUM *

Help for teaching and learning about Worship
For Worship Pastors, Pastors, and Ministerial Staff
Worship Team Members, and Church Members

KEY QUESTION:

* What should every Minister or Worship Team member (and every Christian) know and understand about worship? *

Here is an excerpt from our post called “Understanding Worship”:

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“So many people seem to think that worship is a 25 minute time of singing just before the preaching begins in a congregational worship service. Others have actually been told that the purpose of congregational worship is to “prepare the hearts of the people to receive the message from God’s word” (preaching).

However, in reality, worship is worship! It is not preparation for anything… except Heaven!

While it is certainly true that God can use any part of a worship service to speak to hearts and to draw people to Himself, and while it’s also true that He can continue to speak through the remainder of the service, that is the work of God’s spirit. He will use whatever and whomever He chooses to use. If we are lifting up Jesus in worship, the Lord will do the drawing of people unto Himself. Remember that we are to give God glory through the way that we live all of our lives, so times of corporate worship should certainly not be the only times that God can use our witness and our surrender for His glory and for our good. However, we are not worshipping God because of what He will do. We are worshipping Him for who He is. His deeds are an expression of His being, but it is who He is that matters most.

Worship is our response to recognizing God’s ultimate worth.

The goal of worship is to give God glory!

We do not worship God in order to prepare for something else or to obtain His favor. He gives His love and His favor freely because that is who He is. He is a loving and giving God… constantly giving life, mercy, love, grace, and our very breath through His sustaining power.

Yes, when we sing praises to God wholeheartedly, that is worship. We are reverently giving to God our praise, our thanks, our prayers, our lives, and our songs.

The preaching of God’s word is worship, too, when it brings God glory!
We worship through the proclamation of the word.

Unfortunately, many people have very wrong ideas about what worship is and how the concept of worship should fit into the everyday life of every Christian.

The primary focus for every Christian should be to relate to our holy God and worship Him, and yet we are woefully under-educated about how to do the very thing for which we were created and for which the church meets together every week. What day should we worship? Every day… not just on Sunday.

In a corporate worship service and in the way that we live our daily lives, our focus should be on worshipping God and giving Him glory. We choose to live our lives in thankfulness and in the awareness of God’s supremacy over everything, constantly seeking to give our best effort in every moment of our lives so that we may bring glory to Him. He is always giving, and we join Him in giving when we live our lives in an attitude of worship. Even as we give, He continues to give His spirit through us so that we can do all things through Christ. He blesses us with assurance and peace in His presence. He never stops giving.

However, when we view God only through the lens of our own lives, what we want Him to do for us, and the blessings we seek, then our focus becomes all about us.

We become more concerned about what we get out of worship and not concerned at all about what we give!

The Bible tells us repeatedly to give God honor, glory, blessing, praise, worship, exaltation, joyful singing, thanksgiving, reverence, awe, and all that we are. Just as He is constantly giving, we seek to give.

THIS IS THE KEY:

Worship (our response to our holy, almighty, and supreme God) is about giving!

It is not about us, or about our preferences, or about what we get out of the experience (although true worship does give back abundant blessings when we give Him the glory due His name!).

Worship is about seeing God for who He is…
the Creator of everything that is,
the Sustainer of Life,
the Holy and Righteous One,
the God of grace and glory,
the Merciful Father who sacrificed His one and only Son out of love for us!

Our response, then, becomes an effort to GIVE all that we are to Him, seeking to bring Him glory in all of life.

“Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”‘ Psalm 96:6 – 9

That is worship… worship as a lifestyle or way of life, seeking to bring God glory through giving Him all that we are… even our hurts and scars.

That’s what Jesus did and how He lived. He lived to bring glory to God through giving every moment as a sacrificial offering to His father, choosing obedience and God’s will over His own.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which You gave me to do ;
and now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory which I had with You before the world was made.”” ~ John 17:1 – 5

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(The teaching on worship above is from “Understanding Worship” on the Worship Sounds Music blog)

If you disagree with the teaching that the act and the heart attitude of worship is one of seeking to glorify God as a result of recognizing who He is, giving Him all that we are, please read some of our other articles such as “A Lifestyle of Worship”. It’s relatively short and is a static page. You will find the title above the header photo (mountain scene) on our blog. The title is a clickable link to the page. In addition, read “Worship… It’s all about Giving!” and “The Missing Piece… ” (see info and links below).

Would you like to read some of our other articles on Choral Worship and on worship in general?

Here are some links for you:

1. “The missing piece…What Every Christian Should Know About Worship”
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-missing-piece-what-every-christian-should-know-about-worship/