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)

Posts tagged ‘God’

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.

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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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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

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 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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Category:

Seeking and Finding

Tagged with:

Songs of the Cross

“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.'”

— Billy Graham

Below you will find 5 songs with messages about the cross. The music players take a moment to load. If you wait a moment to click “play” until the music players are completely loaded, they will work.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

“This is how God’s love was revealed among us: 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 atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

I John 4:9 – 10

“He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”

I Peter 2:24

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”

I Peter 3:18

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

John 3:16 – 17

* INFORMATION ABOUT THE MUSIC *

Song 1: “Jesus, My Redeemer” was written by Travis L. Boyd and published as an SATB Choral Anthem by Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard.
(more complete information, including purchasing links, can be found at this link: https://soundcloud.com/#travis-l-boyd/jesus-my-redeemer )

Song 2: “More Than a Cross” was written by Travis L. Boyd and published by Lifeway.
(more complete information, including purchasing info, can be found at this link: https://soundcloud.com/#travis-l-boyd/more-than-a-cross )

Song 3: “He Took Up A Cross” was written by Travis L. Boyd and recorded by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, then under the direction of Dr. Bill Green, on their CD entitled, “The Lord is My Light”. (The SATB Choral Anthem for “He Took Up a Cross” is available on the Adult Choir page of our Worship Sounds Music website at http://www.worshipsounds.com )

Song 4: “For the Sins of All” was written by Travis L. Boyd and is available as a Vocal Solo and as an SATB Choral Anthem on our Worship Sounds Music website at http://www.worshipsounds.com )

Song 5: “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” was written by Travis L. Boyd and published as an SATB Choral Anthem with Full Orchestration available by the Lorenz Corporation.
(More information, including purchasing links, is available at this link: https://soundcloud.com/#travis-l-boyd/amazing-grace-eternal-life )

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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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Category:

* CHORAL MUSIC & PRAISE, * MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info, * PRAISE PROMPTS - That's Why We Praise Him!, * WORSHIP...with WONDER!, Choral Music from Worship Sounds, Easter / Palm Sunday Music

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New Testament Worship Scriptures

From the rising of the sun until it’s setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE RESOURCE

This page contains scripture verses that tell us to lift our voices in song to the Lord as well as verses that speak of praising, exalting, blessing, worshipping, magnifying, thanking, honoring, and glorifying the Lord.
Verses are placed in Biblical order so that this page can be a useful resource for those who want to use worship scriptures in their personal worship, as well as for those who lead God’s people in worshipping Him. More verses will be added as time permits.

For your convenience, we also have a Page on this blog called “Lift Your Voice (Worship Scriptures)”, which has worship scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments. The title of the page is always visible in our blog header and is a clickable link. This blog post contains the New Testament worship scriptures from that page, allowing you to view the NT verses without scrolling through those from the Old Testament. In addition, we also have a post that is Old Testament worship scriptures only. Having the worship scriptures in 3 separate locations on our blog also increases the likelihood that searchers will be able to find these helpful resources.

(Key West photo by Herschel Avra, 2010)

Note: To view a different translation of any verse, begin typing the verse into your search engine, and the Online Parallel Bible, http://www.biblecc.com , will come up as one of the choices. You will immediately go to the page for the verse you have typed and be able to see several translations at once. You can then close the window and come right back to this resource page if desired. (Bible CC is also a great resource when you know a verse or portion of a verse but not the reference.)

New feature: With our most recent update to this worship scripture resource, we added a new feature. The Bible book and chapter are still listed before each verse, and we have now added key words in front of each scripture to help you find worship scriptures with the kind of message you are seeking more easily.

SCRIPTURE VERSES THAT REFER TO PRAISING, EXALTING, WORSHIPPING, BLESSING, MAGNIFYING, AND GLORIFYING THE LORD, AS WELL AS VERSES THAT REFER TO LIFTING OUR VOICES OR SINGING TO THE LORD:

NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP SCRIPTURES

Matthew 2 worship “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1 & 2

Matthew 5 glorify “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify (give glory to) your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Luke 4 worship “And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”‘ Luke 4:7

John 4 worship in Spirit and in truth (Jesus speaking) “The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23 & 24

John 8 the Father glorifies the Son (Jesus speaking) “Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, the One whom you say is your God.”” John 8:54

John 12 glorify (Jesus speaking) “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for Mine.”” John 12:28 – 30

John 13 glorify, glorified (Jesus speaking) “When He had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified and in Him God is glorified; if God is glorified in Him , God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him at once.”” John 13:31 & 32

John 17 glorify (Jesus speaking) “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

Acts 16 praying, singing hymns “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened.” Acts 16:25 & 26

Romans 12 living sacrifice, spiritual worship ““I appeal to you therfore, brethren, by the mercies of God , to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

Romans 15 live in harmony, glorify “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5

Ephesians 5 singing and making melody to the Lord, always giving thanks “…but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” Galatians 5:18b – 20

Colossians 3 sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, thankfulness, giving thanks “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Colossians 3:16 & 17

I Timothy honor, glory “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:17 (NKJV)

Hebrews 12 offer acceptable worship, with reverence and awe “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship,with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28

James 5 pray, sing praise “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.” James 5:13

Revelation 7 fell on their faces, worshipped God, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, might “After this I looked, and behold, a great multititude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, ” Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 7:9 – 12

Revelation 14 give Him glory, worship Him “Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gosepel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.” Revelation 14:6 &7

Revelation 15 sing, glorify, worship “And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and wonderful are Thy deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Thy ways, O King of the ages! Who shall not fear and glorify Thy name, O Lord? For Thou alone art Holy. All nations shall come and worship Thee, for Thy judgements have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3 & 4

Revelation 19 rejoice, exult, give Him the glory “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of many thunderpeals, crying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure’ — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Revelation 19:6 – 8

Revelation 22 Worship God! “I, John, am he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Revelation 22:8 & 9

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The scriptures in this post were compiled by Cynthia A. Boyd for our page entitled “Lift Your Voice (Worship Scriptures)”, which contains worship scriptures for both the New and Old Testaments. We decided to publish the scriptures in separate Old and New Testament posts to make it easier to view the New Testament worship scriptures without having to scroll through the Old Testament scriptures first and to make it easier to find this resource on search engines. It is our hope that having 3 separate entries (2 posts and one page) appearing in web searches will result in allowing more people to find and utilize this resource.

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For additional inspiration for your private worship and your public witness, see our page called “Lifestyle Worship” http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lifestyle-worship/

Note: You may feel free to print off a copy of this resource page as a reference for your personal worship and for worship planning. It would be helpful to note dates when specific scriptures were used in worship on your copy of this page.

If you wish to share this blog page with a friend or with your worship team members, please do not print off additional copies. Permission is to make one copy for personal use only, or to update a previous personal copy. Instead of a page copy, please provide your friends with the URL for this page: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

Since additional worship scriptures will be posted as time permits, we will place the date of the most recent update here so that you can compare your copy. Most recent update: October 18th, 2012

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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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Old Testament Worship Scriptures

From the rising of the sun until it’s setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE RESOURCE

This post contains scripture verses that tell us to lift our voices in song to the Lord as well as verses that speak of praising, exalting, blessing, worshipping, magnifying, thanking, and glorifying the Lord. Verses are placed in Biblical order so that this post can be a useful resource for those who want to use the Psalms and other worship scriptures in their personal worship, as well as for those who lead God’s people in worshipping Him. More verses will be added as time permits.
(Key West photo by Herschel Avra, 2010)

New feature: With our most recent update to this worship scripture resource, we added a new feature. The Bible book and chapter are still listed before each verse, and we have now added key words in bold in front of each scripture to help you find worship scriptures with the kind of message you are seeking more easily.

SCRIPTURE VERSES THAT REFER TO PRAISING, EXALTING, WORSHIPPING, BLESSING, MAGNIFYING, AND GLORIFYING THE LORD, AS WELL AS VERSES THAT REFER TO LIFTING OUR VOICES OR SINGING TO THE LORD:

OLD TESTAMENT WORSHIP SCRIPTURES

Exodus 15 sing, praise, exalt “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown in to the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
Exodus 15:1 & 2

Judges 5 sing, make melody “Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Judges 5:3

I Chronicles 16 thanksgiving, sung “Then on that day, David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brethren.” I Chronicles 16:7*
* Note: Immediately following this verse, the passage in I Chronicles 16:8 – 36 contains words from 3 Psalms. Verses 8 – 22 contain the words of Psalm 105:1 – 15. Verses 23 – 33 contain the words of Psalm 96:1 – 13. Verses 34 – 36 contain the words of Psalm 106, verses 1, and 47 – 48.

I Chronicles 29 blessed, bowed, worshipped “Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and did obedience to the king.” I Chronicles 29:20

II Chronicles 20 bowed, fell, worshipped, stood to praise, sing, praise, give thanks “Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God Of Israel, with a very loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise Him in holy array, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord sent an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” II Chronicles 20:18 – 22

II Chronicles 29 song to the Lord, worshipped, singers sang, trumpeters sounded, sang praises, bowed down “The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. When the burnt offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped. And Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshipped.” II Chronicles 29:26 – 30

Nehemiah 12 celebrated with gladness, thanksgiving, singing, instruments “And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.” Nehemiah 12:27

Nehemiah 12 chief (director) of singers, songs of praise and thanksgiving “For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.” Nehemiah 12:46

Psalm 5 woship in reverence and awe “But I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house, I will worship toward Your holy temple in reverence, and awe of You.” Psalm 5:7

Psalm 5 rejoice, sing, exult “But let all who take refuge in Thee rejoice, let them ever sing for joy; and defend them, that those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.” Psalm 5:11

Psalm 7 give thanks, sing praises “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalm 7:17

Psalm 9 give thanks, exult, sing praise testify (tell) “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

Psalm 16 bless the Lord “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:7 & 8

Psalm 18 I love You, O Lord, worthy to be praised “I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shild, and the horn of my salvation, my stronglhold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and so shall I be saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1 – 3

Psalm 28 hearts trusts and exults, song of thanks “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.” Psalm 28:6 & 7

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

Psalm 32 be glad, rejoice, shout for joy “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11

Psalm 33 rejoice, praise the Lord, make melody, sing a new song “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully on the strings with loud shouts.” Psalm 33:1 – 3

Psalm 47 sing praises, with a Psalm “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a Psalm.” Psalm 47:6 & 7

Psalm 48 praise, meditation (thought) “We have thought of Thy steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. As Thy name, O God, so Thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 48:9 & 10

Psalm 50 thanks, honor (in some translations, “glorifies“) “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23

Psalm 51 praise “O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.” Psalm 51:15

Psalm 59 sing aloud “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.” Psalm 59:16 & 17

Psalm 63 sing for joy “You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.” Psalm 63:7

Psalm 66 make a joyful noise, sing, give glorious praise “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!” Psalm 66:1

Psalm 67 praise, be glad, sing for joy “Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for Thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee!” Psalm 67:3 – 5

Psalm 68 be joyful, exult, be jubilant, sing praises, lift up a song “Let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; His name is the Lord, exult before Him.” Psalm 68:3 & 4

Psalm 68 sing praises “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord.” Psalm 68:32

Psalm 69 praise with a song, magnify with thanksgiving “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

Psalm 71 praise, sing, rejoice “I will praise Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God. Unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which Thou has redeemed.” Psalm 71:22 & 23

Psalm 72 bless the Lord, bless His name, glorify “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever; may His glory fill tehe whole earth! Amen and Amen!” Psalm 72:18 & 19

Psalm 75 give thanks, call on His name, recount His deeds “We give thanks to Thee, O God: we give thanks; we call on Thy name and recount Thy wondrous deeds.”
Psalm 75:1

Psalm 81 sing aloud, make a joyful noise “Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.” Psalm 81:1

Psalm 84 sing for joy “How lovely is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Psalm 84:1 & 2

Psalm 84 singing His praise “Blessed are those who dwell in Thy house, ever singing Thy praise! Selah Psalm 84:4

Psalm 86 bow down, glorify Your name, give thanks “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.” Psalm 86:9 – 12

Psalm 86 praise, glorify “I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify Thy name forevermore.” Psalm 86:12

Psalm 89 sing, make known “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make know Thy faithfulness in all generations.” Psalm 89:1

Psalm 89 praise “The heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.” Psalm 89:5

Psalm 92 give thanks, sing praises, demonstrate His kindness and faithfulness “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High; To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.” Psalm 92:1 & 2

Psalm 95 sing, make a joyful noise, come before Him with thanksgiving and Psalms “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

Psalm 96 sing, bless His name, show His salvation, declare His glory and wonders, greatly to be praised “O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised.” Psalm 96:1 – 4a

Psalm 96 give glory and strength, give glory due His name, bring an offering, come, worship in the beauty of holiness “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

Psalm 97 rejoice, give thanks, remember “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.” Psalm 97:12

Psalm 98 sing a new song “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he has done marvelous things; His right hand and His Holy arm have gotten the victory.” Psalm 98:1

Psalm 98 make a joyful noise, loud noise, rejoice, sing praise, with instruments and psalm “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the voice of a psalm.” Psalm 98:4 & 5

Psalm 99 exalt, woship “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is Holy.” Psalm 99:5

Psalm 99 exalt, worship “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy hill; for the Lord our God is Holy.” Psalm 99:9

Psalm 100 make a joyful noise, serve with gladness, come with singing, enter with thanksgiving and praise, be thankful, bless His name “Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come fefore His presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

Psalm 101 sing of mercy and judgment, sing to Thee “I will sing of mercy and judgement; unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing.” Psalm 101:1

Psalm 102 that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord, declare His name, worship “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn* may praise the Lord:
That He looked down from His Holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
To hear the groans of the prisoners,
To set free those who were doomed to die:
That men may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
And in Jerusalem, His praise,
When peoples and kingdoms gather together
To worship the Lord. ”
Psalm 102:18 – 22

*(or, yet to be created)

Psalm 104 sing as long as I live, sing praise, meditation on Him, be glad in the Lord “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

Psalm 105 give thanks, call upon His name, make Him known, sing unto Him, sing Psalms, glory in His name, rejoice, speak of Him “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

Psalm 106 praise, give thanks “Praise ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?” Psalm 106:1 & 2

Psalm 106 blessed, Amen, praise “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!” Psalm 106:48

Psalm 107 thanksgiving, songs of joy “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

Psalm 107 praise, exalt “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

Psalm 108 sing, make melody, give thanks, sing praises, be exalted, glory “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

Psalm 109 give great thanks, praise Him “With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng.” Psalm 109:30

Psalm 111 praise, give thanks “Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” Psalm 111:1

Psalm 111 reverential awe (fear of the Lord), praise “The reverential awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Psalm 111:10

Psalm 112 praise, delight “Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments!” Psalm 112:1

Psalm 113 praise, bless “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

Psalm 115 give glory to His name “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory, for the sake of Thy steadfast love and Thy faithfulness!” Psalm 115:1

Psalm 115 bless, praise “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 115: 15 & 16

Psalm 117 praise, extol “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 117:1 & 2 (all verses)

Psalm 118 songs of victory, exalt His strength “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” Psalm 118:14 – 16

Psalm 135 praise, sing “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to His name, for He is gracious!” Psalm 135:3

Psalm 145 praise His greatness, greatly to be praised “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

Psalm 146 praise as long as I have being “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.” Psalm 146:1 & 2

Psalm 147 praise, sing praises “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our god; for He is gracious, and a song of praise is comely.” Psalm 147:1

Psalm 147 sing with thanksgiving, make melody with instruments “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the lyre.” Psalm 147:7

Psalm 147 praise, sing a new song “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful!” Psalm 149:1

Psalm 150 praise, praise His greatness, praise with instruments and dance, let everything that has breath praise the Lord “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe! Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:1 – 6 (all verses)

Isaiah 12give thanks, proclaim, sing “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Isaiah 12:4-5

Isaiah 24 lift up voices, sing for joy, glory, praise “They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord: in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. Isaiah 24:14 – 16a

Isaiah 25 exalt, praise “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and true.” Isaiah 25:1

Isaiah 27 sing “In that day: ‘A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day.'”
Isaiah 27:2 & 3

Isaiah 27 worship “And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” Isaiah 27:13

Isaiah 35 singing, joy, gladness “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10

Isaiah 42 sing a new song, praise, lift up, sing for joy, shout, give glory, declare praise “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and it’s cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:10 – 12

Jeremiah 31 sing aloud, raise shouts, proclaim, give praise, be radiant “For thus says the Lord: ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “The Lord has saved His people, the remnant of Israel.”…They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord…'” Isaiah 31:7, 12a

Daniel 4 praise, extol “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all His works are right and His ways are just; and those who walk in pride He is able to abase.” Daniel 4:37

Zephaniah 3 sing aloud, rejoice, exult, HE will rejoice, renew, & sing over you “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, He has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
‘Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands go weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in His love: He will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival.'” Zephaniah 3:14 -18a

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“Ministry Moments” Reader’s Theater Script

People should think of us as servants of Christ and managers who are entrusted with God’s mysteries.
I Corinthians 4:1

(Permission is granted to use this script free of charge for worship services. Permission is required for broadcast or publication. See further information at the end of this post.)

“Ministry Moments”

Reader’s Theater Script

Requiring five expressive readers
and sufficient rehearsal time
to present the message with excellence

Written by Cynthia A. Boyd
WorshipSounds Music Blog @ http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com

The reading should involve readers who are able to express the truths found in this script meaningfully and with appropriate facial expression and eye contact. The five readers can stand in a line or in an inverted V, with reader one at the front and center. Special lighting and media may be used if desired (taking into account the need to view the script if it is not fully memorized).

READER ONE: God is always at work, reaching out to the hearts of people and helping believers to grow in Him.

READER TWO: Often, we are not fully aware of how He is at work within us.

READER THREE: The moments when we become aware of His ministry are a blessing.

READER FOUR: because ministry moments reveal the loving and tender heart of out God.

READER FIVE: Ministry moments take place when God speaks to human hearts and does His work within us…

ALL: He invites you to be a part of them!

READER ONE: The Almighty God,

READER TWO: The Maker of Heaven and Earth,

READER THREE: The First and the Last,

READER FOUR: The King of all ages,

READER FIVE: The Savior of Mankind, who has chosen to demonstrate His love and mercy by the giving of Himself,

READER ONE: The One True God, who has chosen to be with us and within us,

READER THREE: The Father of mercy and God of all comfort

ALL: Invites you…. Yes, you!….

READER TWO: To know Him,

READER FOUR: to walk in relationship with Him,

READER FIVE: to experience the reality of Faith in Him,

ALL: to join Him in the work of His Kingdom,

READER TWO: to catch glimpses of His glory,

READER THREE: and to worship Him in the beauty of His Holiness. here and now in this earthly life and for all of eternity.

READER ONE: And in this lifetime, He promises abundance. In His covenant with us, He promises to adopt us as His Sons and Daughters of Redemption. He blesses our lives with the nearness of His presence and the gifts of His spirit.

READER TWO: Our abundance is found in love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, patience, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control…the fruits of His Spirit at work in our lives.

READER THREE: This is evidence of His tender care for those He calls His own. He reveals His handiwork and His presence in our lives through moments of recognition that come from somewhere deep inside the redeemed and ransomed heart.

READER FOUR: These are ministry moments…moments when something real and beautiful is taking place in the hearts and lives of people.

READER FIVE: True ministry moments are something that only God can do. Ministry moments can flow from God’s spirit to our hearts within any experience.

READER ONE: There are moments of openness to God’s spirit and the the message of redemption and grace when life can begin anew.

READER TWO: There are sometimes moments when there is no sound. There is only a holy hush, and nothing else seems appropriate.

READER THREE: There are times of jubilant joyfulness when the heart says “Thank you, Lord!”

READER FOUR: There are moments of revelation when a new understanding of truth has been gained.

READER FIVE: There are moments of praise when the truth of God’s majesty and the presence of God’s glory are so apparent and transcendant that it is as though we are transported right to the gates of Heaven.

ALL: There are moments of oneness with the Spirit of God that communicate His love for us far beyond what mere words could convey.

READER ONE: And yet, it is not these moments we seek. Our relationship with God and our desire to worship and praise Him are not longings for an experience or a moment. We are longing for Him. It is only in relationship with Him that God allows us to experience times when His spirit is at work in our hearts and lives in ways that we recognize and yet would have difficulty putting into words.

READER TWO: These moments when the Spirit of God is so clearly ministering to His people are reminders that ministry is never ours. True ministry can only take place when God is allowed to do His work in our hearts and lives to the extent that we become vessels of His grace, poured out through the ministry of His Holy Spirit.

READER THREE: Whether He chooses to do this in times of silence and waiting upon Him, or within a time of prayer,

READER FOUR: within a personal or corporate worship time, or as we gaze upon the splendor of His creation,

READER FIVE: at times when our hearts overflow with thankfulness, or through the message of a song, and even in the depths of a valley of sorrow,

ALL: God will speak and is speaking.

READER ONE: We just need to be ready to listen. Only then can we experience moments of true ministry that are not the result of our plans, our talents or our creativity.

READER TWO: Oh, no, these moments of true ministry flow only from His Spirit.

READER THREE: He can take the offerings of our worship and our praise, our preparation, our heartfelt longing to praise Him,

READER FOUR: the recognition of our need for him, and even our brokenness,

READER FIVE: and He can indwell the praises of His people.

READER FOUR: He lives in our praise.

READER THREE: He moves and works in our hearts within the context of our praise.

READER TWO: This kind of ministry, with all of its life-changing moments, is all His.

READER ONE: Allowing God’s ministry to take place within us and then flow out to touch the lives of others is our highest goal. He ministers to us and then through us as we become active participants in His ministry. Then, other hearts and lives can come to know Him and experience His personal ministry for themselves.

ALL: “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.”

Note: This scripture, Psalm 100:5, can appear on your screens with the reference at the time that it is spoken by the readers. The scripture can remain for a few seconds, as the readers exit the platform area.

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This Reader’s Theater script can be copied and used for worship free of charge. However, if the service is to be broadcasted, permission for use is required. Permission for printing this script in any online or standard print publication is also required. However, a reference can be made to this post, listing the post URL, free of charge in any publication. E-mail Travis@worshipsounds.com for further information. See the post which contains only the script for the Reader’s Theater to print the script without the original post, and save paper.
It is found at:

Note: A suggested song to sing following this Reader’s Theater presentation would be “A Prayer for the Saints”, which is a modern hymn that expresses the longings and prayers of God’s people to know Him and to grow in their faith and in their walk with the Lord. This modern hymn is available on our website in two formats.
* There is an SATB Choral arrangement available for $15.00 (Master Copy PDF, from which you are allowed to make an unlimited number of copies for your choir and accompanists).
* There is also a Worship Pack available for $10.00, which includes the PDFs for a Vocal Solo with piano accompaniment, a reproducible lead sheet for rhythm section, and a reproducible hymn sheet in bulletin or hymnal insert size. (all of which come with permission granted to make copies as needed…for your church only).

“A Prayer for the Saiuts” is available on our website’s Adult Choir music page @ http://www.worshipsounds.com
Look for this thumbnail photo on our Adult Choir music page:

Click photo to go directly to the Adult Choir music page of our website, where “A Prayer for the Saints” can be found.

Here is a link to a Youtube video of the Choral anthem, “A Prayer for the Saints” : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ostIootKU&feature=BFa&list=PLMJind8w21aQ26cyw7AKYC2xHGis9ZEG9

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This Reader’s Theater Script is adapted from our original page, Ministry Moments at http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/ministry-moments
@copyright WorshipSounds Music Blog, Cynthia A. Boyd

For further inspiration in your private worship and public witness, read our blog page entitled “Lifestyle Worship.”
http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lifestyle-worship/
For a useful worship scripture resource, see our blog page entitled “Lift Your Voice!”
http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

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Worthy of Praise!

No one else can bring MY praise but ME !

– quoted from a worship song
published by Prism Music

WHAT IS PRAISE?

Here’s a definition:

1. To commend; to applaud; to express approbation of personal worth or actions.

2. To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works.

3. To express gratitude for personal favors.

4. To give honor; to commend and display the excellence of

THE NATURE OF PRAISE

Praise, according to the Scriptures, is an act of our will that flows out of an awe and reverence for our Creator. Praise is an expression of the truth about who God is and what He has done. Praise expresses truth about Jesus, our wonderful Savior. We are essentially coming into agreement with the truth when we praise the Lord. Praise gives glory to God and opens us up to a deeper union with Him. It turns our attention off of our problems and on the nature and character of God Himself. As we focus our minds on God and proclaim His goodness, we reflect His glory back to Him. The results can fill you with peace and contentment ( Isaiah 26:3) and transform your outlook on life. Our God is worthy of praise, and statements of praise are found throughout Scripture.

WHO SHOULD PRAISE THE LORD?

Angels. “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.” Ps 103:20

The saints. “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.” Ps 30:4

The Nations. “O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people.” Ps 117:1

The Children. “And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them,” Yea; have ye never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise’?”” Mt 21:16

People of every station in life, young and old. “Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above Earth and Heaven. Ps 148:11 – 13

All of Creation. “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD!” Ps 150:6

NO one is without excuse. Praising the Lord is a command. It is our purpose. God created us with the capacity to recognize His majesty and supremacy, to respond to His love and mercy, and to praise Him for all that He is and for all that He has done.

REASONS TO PRAISE

Very simply, we praise God because He is worthy of our praise (1 Chron. 16:25; Rev. 5:11-14). He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our Creator, Provider, Healer, Redeemer, Judge, Defender and much more.

Another foundational reason to praise God is simple obedience. The Bible says God is a “jealous” God who demands and desires our praise. “You shall have no other gods before Me,” says the first commandment (Deut. 6:7). As the psalmist said, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).

As we praise God, we will discover incredible benefits for our lives. That’s because human beings were created by God to praise Him (Isa. 43:7, Matt. 21:16). Due to man’s original sin, however, this relationship was disrupted. Praising God helps restore us to that right relationship, for God actually dwells in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). As we draw near to the Father in praise, He draws near to us (James 4:8).

Praise is also our ultimate destiny. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns again to earth, all creation — including prideful mankind — will recognize His glory and praise Him. (Phil. 2:9-11)

HOW ARE WE TO PRAISE THE LORD?

WITH UNDERSTANDING “For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.” Ps 47:7

WITH THE SOUL “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Ps 103:1

WITH THE WHOLE HEART “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all Thy marvellous works.” Ps 9:1

WITH THE LIPS “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.” Ps 63:3

WITH THE MOUTH “O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.” Ps 51:15

WITH JOY “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips.” Ps 63:5

WITH GLADNESS “Moreover, Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.” 2 Chron 29:30

WITH THANKFULNESS “Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.” Ps 147:7

CONTINUALLY “By Thee have I been held up from the womb: Thou art He that took me out of my mother’s body: my praise shall be continually of thee.” Ps 71:6

TO THE END OF LIFE “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” Ps 104:33

MORE AND MORE “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more.” Ps 71:14

Our God plans and does all things well! Praise the Lord!

WHAT ARE SOME SPECIFIC ACTS AND ATTRIBUTES FOR WHICH WE CAN PRAISE THE LORD?

Praise Him for Who He is!

1. For His comfort…Isaiah 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:3

2. For His compassion…Psalm 28-6; 2, Corinthians 1:3

3. For His enduring faithfulness…Psalm 117:1-2

“O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1

4. For His enduring love…Psalm 106:1

5. Because He is eternal…Nehemiah 9:5

6. Because of God’s excellency…Ps 148:13
“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.”

7. Because of God’s Glory…Ps 138:5
“Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.”

8. Because of God’s goodness…Ps 107:8,15,21, & 31
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

9. Because of God’s greatness…Ps 145:3
“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

10. Because He is holy…Psalm 99:3,
“Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Ex 15:11

11. Because He is in control…Ezra 7:27

12. Because of God’s loving-kindness and truth…Ps 138:2
“I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.”

13. Because of God’s mercy…2Ch 20:21
“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, that they should praise the beauty of His holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, ‘Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever’.”

14. Because He is powerful and mighty…Psalm 21:13
“Be Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength: so will we sing and praise Thy power.”

15. Because of His righteousness…Psalm 48:10

16. Because He is sovereign..Psalm 47:7; 66:4

17. Because of His splendor and majesty…Psalm 104:1

“They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.” Isa 24:14

18. Because of His wisdom…Daniel 2:20

“Daniel answered and said, ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His.'”

19. Because He is trustworthy…Psalm 56:4

20. Because He is worthy of praise…2 Samuel 22:4; 1 Chronicles 16:25; Psalm 48:1

Praise Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do!

1. For bearing our burdens…Psalm 68:19

2. For forgiving our sins…Hosea 14:2; Ephesians 1:7

3. For giving us salvation…Psalm 96:2; 1 Peter 1:3-6
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.” Luke 1:68 & 69

4. For giving us his strength…Psalm 59:17;68-35

5. For His creation…

6. For His guidance…Psalm 16:7

7. For hearing our prayers…Psalm 66:20

8. Because He keeps his promises…1 Kings 8:15, 56

9. Because He made us…

For His marvelous deeds…Psalms 9:1 and 72:18

10. Because He is preparing a glorious future for us…Isaiah 61:11; 62:7-9; Revelation, chapters 21-22

11. For his spritual blessings…Ephesians 1:3-6

12. Because of God’s wonderful works: Ps 150:2 Psalms 107:8, 15, 21

Our God never tires as we do, and He never gives up as we are tempted to do. He loves us with an everlasting love, and His mersies are new every morning! What a wonderful God we have!

“Praise Him for His mighty acts: Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.” Ps 150:2

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NOTE: This post was compiled and edited, with the addition of a minimal amount of original content, from these three sources:

http://rosebudquilting.blogspot.com/2011/03/25-reasons-for-praising-god-hebrews.html

http://www.momof9splace.com/praise1.html
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http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/cbnteachingsheets/keys-praise.aspx

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Do you know Jesus?

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Our birthday is one week away!

Let’s celebrate all that God has donw!

On November 3rd, we will celebrate the one year birthday for our Boydbrain Music/Worship Sounds Life and Worship blog. It has been a year full of learning and growing for us. As we have prayed and studied, worshiped and worked to create the posts and pages on our blog, we have learned a lot about God’s love for us, re-discovered the privelege of worship in some new ways, and gained a new appreciation for the history behind some of the hymns and hymn writers whose testimony of faith has been a blessing to discover and whose work has become a part of our testimony as well. In addition, we’ve been able to write about our appreciation and love for some special choral groups and some very special people. We’ve shared personal stories about our family and about the circumstances surrounding the writing of many of Travis’ songs.

We’ve shared our passion for the Lord and for ministry through worship. We’ve shared practical information and links to some great resources. We’ve shared the news about recent additions to our music website and changes to our company, which now has a new name. Some of our favorite posts and pages are not about us at all. There are some about the grace of God, the love of God, our victorious Savior, the Name above all names, and even a page with the most exhaustive list of worship scriptures we have seen on the web. There are two posts about Jesus. One is our evangelistic post, “Do You Know Jesus?”, with some great links to websites that would answer any question a seeker might have. The other is “His Name is Jesus”, which could be used as a reading in a worship service. We also have posts specifically for worship leaders about subjects such as worship planning and preparation, creative ideas for worship, and planning a worship ministry appreciation sunday.

In summary, we’ve had a great first year with a lot of personal opportunities for incredible moments of worship. In contemplation of many of our writings, there were so many moments when truths about God’s word, about who He is, about His marvelous grace, about our wonderful Savior…and the great, great love of God…would just pour fresh revelation into our hearts through His Spirit. Writing is thinking, and in the writing of our blog articles, we’ve done a lot of thinking and meditating. We always want our purpose to be redemptive and to bring glory to God. So, for our birthday, send up a prayer that we will honor God through the ministry of this blog and write as we are inspired by His incredible eternal love story.

We love all of our blog visitors and pray for you! We’ve had visitors from 140 countries so far and are closing in on 16,000 ‘hits’. The top 3 search terms that lead people to our blog have always been and continue to be “God”, “Worship”, and “Worship God”. From the point where we started a year ago, knowing absolutely nothing about blogging, it has been an amazing year.

Thank you to all of you who have spent some of your valuable time reading our posts and pages!

Our desire is to be a source of inspiration and encouragement for everyone who visits our blog.

We’ve had almost 3,000 viewers of our home page who also scrolled down through our archives of previous posts, and all of our 57 posts and 17 pages have been viewed by people around the world that we will never meet this side of Heaven. That is amazing to us. All glory goes to our awesome God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving us life, salvation, and a testimony to share. Here are 14 Top Posts and Pages from our first year, with the number of views through today:

Lifestyle Worship		1,377
Ideas for Choir Appreciation Sunday/ Music Ministry Sunday		1,120
Just for you!		1,020
Lift your voice! (worship scriptures)		736
Creative Worship Ideas		669
Worship Planning and Preparation		601
Song Story…”Much More Than a Song”		450
Joyfully Sing!		391
The Name Above all Names		385
Understanding Worship		287
Choir Appreciation Sunday		271
Top Ten Music Ministry Thankfulness List		254
Disappointment…and Grace		230
Victorious Savior! 229

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Have you seen our Christmas Anthems yet?

Look for this thumbnail photo on our shopping cart page.

This 6/8 anthem is perfect for the Christmas Season. It is especially effective as a service opener or a joyful finale. MODERATELY DIFFICULT SATB

(PDF Master Copy, $8.00, with permission to make an unlimited number of copies for your Choir)
See and Hear the Anthem Purchase Anthem $8.00 (unlimited copies)

Look for this identifying thumbnail photo on our Shopping Cart web page.

A bluesy, rockin’ celebration of Christ’s birth, your choir will find this one easy to learn and fun to sing! MODERATELY DIFFICULT SATB

(PDF Master Copy, $10.00, with permission to make an unlimited number of copies for your Choir)
See and Hear the Anthem Purchase Anthem $10.00 (unlimited copies)

Look for this identifying thumbnail photo on our Shopping Cart web page.

This anthem features an optional flute descant. It explores the incredible gift given to us through the birth of Christ. MODERATELY DIFFICULT SATB

(PDF Master Copy, $8.00, with permission to make an unlimited number of copies for your Choir)

YOU’LL FIND ALL THREE CHRISTMAS ANTHEMS ON OUR ADULT CHOIR WEBSITE PAGE!
Purchase all 3 for the incredibly low price of $26.00 plus your printing costs!
There’s no shipping fee and no per copy fee. We send you the instructtion for downloading your PDF Master copies by e-mail.
It’s the easy, fast, and affordable way to have great new music for Christmas!

The story of Christmas is re-told with joy for your Choir and Congregation!

Blessings to you from WorshipSounds Music!

Here’s the link to our website: http://www.worshipsounds.com

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To Infinity!………………… and far, Far, FAR beyond!

One of the things that I love about music is that it is always moving. It is not a stationary art form. One note ceases and the next begins. One phrase is followed by another. Underlying chords are changing. The melody pushes forward, embracing the mood of the piece and the message of the lyrics. A moment of dissonance gives way to a glorious major chord. There is dynamic contrast to provide the shading and shadow, as if an artist’s brush were painting a visual representation of the tune. Meter changes or modulations to a new key intrigue us with a surprise twist on the theme. The intensity of melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, and interpretation move ahead to a glorious big ending or a more quiet and contemplative finish. When the movement of notes and patterns comes to a close, the music stops. A final note can only be sustained for so long, and yet the expression of love or joy or hope or longing that was contained in the music seems to linger, as though it is suspended in the air that surrounds us. The experience of making the music or of sharing in it through listening has awakened something within us, and we often remember a certain song or concert or performance.

Talented artists and sculptors can also create a sense of movement visually. In looking at a finished painting, we glimpse the clouds that are sailing across the sky, a breeze rustling the leaves of trees and foliage, an almost solemn expression betraying the smile that is a just a moment away, barely perceptible ripples in the surface of a tranquil pond, or a mother’s gentle, rocking motion as she soothes her child. The work of a sculptor is often a three dimensional study of a moment in time. A horse’s flank reveals muscle in motion, and marble clothing drapes the sculpted human form in fluid movement.

It goes without saying that there is movement in dance. Whether the dance is the refined and intricately choreographed poetry in motion that reveals the work of a true ballet master or a jubilant, impromptu celebration of good news, it is also the expression of our deepest longings. We desire to witness the power of human emotion and the experience of living as it is visually portrayed through movement. The beauty of love, the excitement of a dream come true, or the tragedy of loss are particularly touching when portrayed through the movements that we call dance.

If the arts reveal the soul of mankind, then it becomes obvious that movement is very important to us. What is so appealing about movement?

“I’m goin’ somewhere, and I’m takin’ Teddy with me!”

Movement is life. Movement is a constant for us. Even when we are lying completely still, our hearts are at work, beating in life-sustaining motion. Movement is healing for us. By working and exercising, doing things, and having fun, we strive to make our own lives better and to enrich the lives of those we love in some way. As human beings, we are always yearning for something more, for something better than what we know. Our longing to make things more convenient, more efficient, more comfortable, or more beautiful allows us to use our God-given intelligence and creativity to solve problems. Inventions and innovation result from our desire to somehow continue moving forward in our lives. Most of us are life-long learners, always seeking to know more and to use that knowledge in some positive way. Even though we acknowledge the truth with the phrase, “Nothing’s perfect”, we still long for more and keep striving. Our lives are a journey of discovery. As soon as we recognize a need for change or improvement, we begin to seek a solution and discover ways to make things better. Other than the obvious reasons for personal, relational, and environmental improvement, I believe that there is something else at work deep within each of us.

God’s word has something to say about our longing for something more than what we experience in our day to day lives. Here, from the New Living Translation, is Ecclesiastes 3:11.

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

Somehow, our hearts know that we were made for more than a brief span of time in a beautiful and majestic and yet imperfect world. As we look at the symmetry and amazing creativity of God’s creation, we know that perfect beauty and harmony can exist. The astounding complexity of the tiniest creature and the fragile and ferocious balance of nature testify to the supernatural intelligence of our infinitely caring Creator. He has placed a longing for more within our hearts. It is a longing that can only be filled within the context of relationship with Him and ultimately in reaching our eternal dwelling place with Him in Heaven.

“Your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch.” 1 Samuel 25:29 (New Living Translation).

All of our movements, our work, our striving, our creative expression, and our efforts toward life management and self-improvement can never be enough to erase the longing for more. God has set eternity within our hearts. The universal longings of the human heart and soul can all be fully met only in Him.

The longing to love and be loved, fully and perfectly.
The longing to live in an environmnet of perfect serenity and peace.
The longing to live forever.
The longing to live in a place where there is no heartache and no pain.
The longing to have a dwelling place that is uniquely designed to meet all of our needs perfectly.
The longing to know and understand things that seem difficult and beyond understanding.
The longing to find delight and joy in living that goes beyond our wildest dreams.

We cannot find true and perfect fulfillment of all of these longings in this earthly life, but for those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, who love God, and who have surrendered their own desires and longings for something better, there is a promise of the life to come. It is a promise that we cannot fully grasp because we don’t know all of the facts. It is impossible for us to completely understand the fulfillment of God’s promise, because we have no basis for comparison. His answer to the longings of our hearts and souls goes beyond anything we have ever experienced. Our eyes have never seen anything like it. Our ears have never heard anything like it. Our minds have never thought of anything so wondrous, even in our most extravagant dreams.

I Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.”

I can’t wait to see, to hear, to experience, and to know! As I am now, I am unfit for Heaven. My mind is too easily distracted from things of eternal importance to the mundane tasks of every day and even the earthly interests that draw me away. I would not be able to fully enjoy Heaven without a change. Although the process of change began many years ago when I said “Yes!” to Jesus, there is much change that still needs to take place in my life and heart. I cannot live in a Holy place as I am now. My presence would render it unholy. However, I will not stay in my current state. God’s promises assure me that He will continue to refine my soul and my life while I am here on earth, moving me forward in my journey toward Christlikeness. In Phillipians 2:13, I find His promise for the here and now.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

This is God at work. I am not alone in this journey. God himself continues His creative work as He creates a clean heart and a right spirit within me. I cannot achieve holiness on my own, but when I have Christ within me, I have the hope of glory.

God also promises to finish His work within me. His work did not cease when the Earth was formed and filled with life. He is still at work, and He never leaves a job unfinished. When he begins a work, He will complete it! Phillippians 1:6 shares the confidence we have in His promise:

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

And on that day, what will Heaven be like? What will eternity with God be like? Although we can learn what the Bible reveals about heaven, there is much that we will not know until we arrive. We do know that we have never seen anything like what we will see. We have never heard anything like what we will hear. And, we could never imagine anything so incredible if we dreamed and thought about Heaven every day for the rest of our lives. It will be that different, that wonderful, and that extraordinary. There are no words in our language that could adequately describe what we will experience, because it will be so far, far beyond anything we’ve ever known. Yes, we will have eternity. We will have forever. We will have an infinite amount of time, a never-ending life. But, we will have so much more than just time! The idea of living on is certainly appealing to us, but the time itself is only a part of the gift of God’s mercy that will alllow us to experience what He has prepared for us.

Think of someone who loves you. Do you remember a time when someone did something just for you? Perhaps you think of someone who planned a special surprise for you, or hosted a party for you and tried to include all of your favorite things, someone who prepared a special meal for you, spent time with you when you needed companionship most, or planned an outing with obvious care that revealed a concern for you in every detail. Perhaps someone invested their time and made a special gift just for you or helped to plan and prepare for your wedding shower or baby shower. Perhaps a buddy invited you to play golf at your favorite course, followed by barbecue at the place your wife doesn’t care for but that you love. Maybe a friend at work went out of the way to help you with a project or to keep things going when you were home sick. Someone has done something nice for you, keeping in mind what you need most or enjoy most or love most. Now, remember the last portion of I Corinthians 2:9: “…neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.” Think about that for a moment. This is what Jesus said about God’s desire to bless us and to “give good gifts” in Matthew 7:11:

“If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

In this passage, Jesus was talking about prayer. His point was that we should not be afraid to ask God for anything, knowing that He is good and that He wants to demonstrate His love and caring to His children. Even though I have not written about prayer in this post; and even though we have been considering the unknown of what God has prepared in Heaven for those who love him rather than His desire to bless us while on earth, the Bible tells us that our God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever! If His desire was and is and always will be to bless us and demonstrate His love for us in this earthly life and in the life to come, we cannot begin to fathom what that means for eternity. He is preparing a place for us. With thought, and care, and love, and every resource at His disposal, the God of Creation and of all Eternity, the Savior of Mankind, is preparing a place for us. Sometimes in this earthly life, we get carried away with our expectations for an event or a surprise, and then the actual event or gift is a bit of a let-down in comparison to our over-active imagination. In Heaven, it would be impossible to be disappointed with what God will have prepared for us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He has been creating and preparing and longing for the day when we will finally know Him even as we are known. We cannot begin to imagine the wonder, the beauty, the joy, the love, the peace, the comfort, the surprise, the caring, and the paradise that awaits us.

Welcome….

Infinity (or, eternity) is good. Inifinity is beyond good. It is impossible for us to even imagine infinite time. Then, when we add God’s love and care and preparation for us beyond all imagining… it is mind boggling to even consider. What will it be like to experience something that is infinitely better than the best we have ever known? What will it be like to take the best gifts we know…life and love…and see them manifested in the Divine and Holy? When we are told that God’s best for us is more than we can imagine, we must remember that with God, everything is infinitely more and infinitely beyond. Only in Heaven will we finally begin to understand infinitely lavish Love in the person of God Himself. Here is His confession of Love:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

God is Love

It is as though a bridegroom has secretly built an extravagant and wonderful home for his bride. After their wedding, she sees it for the first time. It is wonderful beyond her wildest dreams. In every detail, she sees the love that the bridegroom has poured into this lavish and unexpected gift. The thoughtfulness and caring, the knowledge of what she would love, and the obvious truth that no effort or expense has been spared overwhelm the bride with the goodness of the heart of her beloved.

Dear ones, you who love the Lord, we are the beloved ones ! Infinitely more than we have loved, we have been loved. We are God’s beloved. We are the bride of Christ. He has given everything for us! He has invested himself in the gift of His creation, sustaining it in ways that we cannot begin to fathom. He has provided us with a Savior, personally coming to earth in the form of a human child who was also fully divine. He has given Himself in caring for us, loving us, comforting us, drawing us to Himself, and helping us to mature in Christ, answering the prayers we prayed in his infinite wisdom and even the prayers that we didn’t know how to pray. And finally, He has given Himself to us fully in His preparation for eternity and in His Presence with us for all of eternity. Your “mansion” will be your smallest gift, not your largest. That’s just one that we happen to know about. What about the surprises that are beyond our imagination? I can’t even write about what He has prepared, because it is infinitely more than my mind can understand and infinitely beyond what my words could ever convey. This is the one thing that I do know: His Presence and our full knowledge of the depth of His love will be our most treasured gifts for all of eternity.

So, meanwhile, here we are in our human bodies with our love of life and movement and fun and joy and song and people. We are using our earthly eyes to try to see as we read or write these words. We are using our finite minds to understand as we try to grasp the meaning of all of this. We are living, loving, crying, giving, hurting, sharing, wondering, knowing, and striving. At various times we are joyful, sad, elated, depressed, celebrating, devastated, confused, happy, bitter, or hopeful. We are experiencing this world with all of it’s ups and downs. And yet, somehow, we know there is more. We try various ways to move toward what we think may be better. Those of us who know the Lord have the answer; but we don’t always walk in it, and we don’t share it with others as we should. What if we knew all that God is preparing for those who love Him even while we were still living the earthly life? Then, would we be more eager to share the best news that mankind has ever been given? I ask myself this question: Why isn’t His promise enough? Why do I have to know what is inside all of the gifts of eternity if I know the Giver? If I know that He is infinitely more and that His love is infinitely beyond, why would I even hesitate to share such incredible news? Why would anyone?

My little boy, Logan, loves Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story movies. The favorite Buzz phrase for every fan is “To infinity…and beyond!” The first time that we heard it, many of us adults may have had an inward chuckle, thinking of the redundancy of this phrase. How would Buzz know that he’s saying the same thing twice? He’s just a toy. We smile, and we enjoy our young ones as they imagine something beyond what their little minds have experienced thus far and sum up all of that unknown stuff that is out there somewhere using their hero’s ‘buzz word’ (pun intended). “To infinity and beyond!” shout the little voices, ready to go wherever that is and do whatever there is to do there. We smile and think about the fact that he or she doesn’t even know what the word infinity means. Our minds expand on that fact. How could you keep going on forever and then go on beyond forever to a place that is beyond the beyond? We chuckle again. Animated movies…plastic toys…big imaginations! They’ll learn soon enough what is real, we think.

Today, I’m ready to challenge those notions. There is a Love without limits. There is a Life without end. There is a reality that goes beyond what we know to be “real”. Who could love beyond infinity? Who transcends space and time? Who is and was and always will be? Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He who gives Himself infinitely and always has more to give. He who knows me intimately and loves me anyway. He who will give us an infinity of time and life….and so much more! He who gives infinity and far, far beyond…

Romans 8:35 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36. Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

37. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39. nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” *

God loves you, my friend! To infinity, and far, far beyond….

*(from the New American Standard Bible)

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This post was written by C. A. Boyd

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You may have experienced the loss of a loved one. We hope that these thoughts and scriptures about Heaven will be helpful to you. Here are some additional scriptures of comfort.

Years ago, Travis and I went to a Christian concert, and one of the artists was talking about a friend who had what the Doctors called “terminal cancer.” This man had a joyful attitude because he believed that the two possible scenarios for his future were to either (a) be miraculously healed or (b) be with the Lord. He held onto the Lord and held on to hope!

Every person has a unique time to be born and a time to die. For those left behind on earth, there is deep sorrow and mourning. Grief is a process that all must someday endure. It means that we have loved deeply. But, remember the words of the previous post. Even beyond the depth of our love, God’s love is deeper still… infinitely deeper. He loves you, and He loves your loved ones. Below, you will find some scriptures to bring comfort even in the pain of loss.

TRUST GOD TO HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES WRITTEN ON HIS HEART!

Here are some scripture verses that offer comfort and hope.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18
Jesus said, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” – John 16:22
I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. – Jeremiah 31:13
…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. – Psalm 30:5
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. – Psalm 147:3
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you,” says the Lord. – Isaiah 66:13
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” – Genesis 28:15
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. – Isaiah 42:16
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. – Psalm 10:14
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. – 1 Peter 5:10
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. – Isaiah 58:11
For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. – Psalm 72:12
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. – 1 John 5:14
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. – Psalm 116:5-6
For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. – Isaiah 49:13
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16
In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. – Psalm 31:22
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. – Psalm 18:6, 16
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. – Psalm 18:2
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. – Psalm 22:24
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief…But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” – Psalm 31:9, 14
A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; – Psalm 34:19
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. – Psalm 22:4-5
For your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:8
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, – Psalm 10:17
For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver…we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. – Psalm 66:10, 12
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. – Psalm 145:17-19
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. – Isaiah 54:10
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. – Psalm 62:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. – Psalm 91:1
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – I Peter 5:7
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. – Isaiah 40:11
You understand, O LORD; remember me and care for me. – Jeremiah 15:15

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. – Psalm 126:5-6
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
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. – Psalm 55:22
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. – Psalm 119:50
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. – Isaiah 58:9
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. – Psalm 18:19
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. – Psalm 17:8

We do not want you to be uninformed about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. – I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. – Psalm 46:10
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. – Psalm 51:12
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. – Psalm 73:23-24
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:21-23
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me. – Psalm 57:1-2
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. – Psalm 91:2
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:16-19
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. – Psalm 59:16
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. – Psalm 91:4
The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. – Nahum 1:7
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. – Psalm 27:13-14
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. – Proverbs 18:10
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:1-4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. – Psalm 34:4-5
May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. – Psalm 119:76-77
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:2-4
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. – Psalm 63:1-3
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:19
Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. – Psalm 69:16-17
…because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:5-6
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. – Psalm 73:28

Scripture verses copied and edited from http;//www.joeagoglia.com/resources/scriptures.asp

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For those who love and mourn through valleys of deepest sorrow…love and prayers to you.

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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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We have another post about how much God loves you. It is: You Are Greatly Loved!

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Category:

* MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info

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* NEW * on our website: “Let the Trumpet Sound!” SATB Choral

“Let the Trumpet Sound”
is a choral anthem with a classical sound and a trumpet obbligato throughout.
This majestic, joyful, and celebratory anthem works well as the opening song for a worship service or concert (or for general use). It has been sung in an SSAA arrangement by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, under the direction of Dr. Bill Green.

Click the photo above to go directly to our WorshipSounds Music website!

As always, our PDF Master Copy of the anthem is available in either full page or octavo format. With our easy and quick e-mail delivery of your download instructions and the convenience of PayPal, you could begin working on the “Let the Trumpet Sound” at your next choir rehearsal.

* The PDF Master Copy is available for $15.00.
* Permission is given with purchase to make as many copies as needed (for your choir and accompanists only).
* THERE IS NO ‘per copy’ FEE!
* $15.00 IS ALL THAT YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL THE COPIES YOU NEED!
If a copy becomes lost or damaged, print another at no extra cost, even if it has been years since your purchase!

* No waiting for your anthem to arrive by mail!

* You will be sent instructions for downloading your Master Copy shortly after your order has been placed.
* You can print your copies as soon as your download is complete.
(Wait a few minutes after your order to allow for Paypal processing. Then, check for your e-mail with download instructions.)

If you have any difficulty, contact us immediately at Travis’ web mail address: Travis@worshipsounds.com (same webmail address that is on our website’s home page).

Click photo to go directly to the Video Demo for this anthem, with a link to the Adult Choir website page below in the Video info.

Look for this identifying thumbnail photo on our Adult Choir website page, where the anthems are listed in alphabetical order (with the exception of our Christmas anthems, which are found at the bottom of the page.) http://www.worshipsounds.com

The trumpet obbligato is free but must be ordered separately on our WorshipSounds Music website’s Shopping Cart page. You’ll find the obbligato adjacent to the “Let the Trumpet Sound” Anthem PDFs, with the same identifying thumbnail photo.

With WorshipSounds Music, you can purchase any NEW CHORAL ANTHEM and have all of the copies you need (for your choir and accompanists) for as little as $8.oo to $15.00 plus your printing costs, depending upon which anthem you choose (U.S. currency, Paypal converts).

Our goal at WorshipSounds Music is to make it possible for Choral Directors to purchase anthems for choir and ensembles, anthem orchestrations, and music for soloists that will allow the musicicans in your Church or Christian School to sing and play for God’s glory, sharing a message that will draw hearts to Him. We believe that Choral Music is an important part of Worship Ministry and that messages can be shared through the ministry of a choir that will not have the same impact if shared in any other way.

We are a friend to Worship Ministry in general, to Choral Music in particular, and to music budgets!

We also offer many choral anthems that are fully orchestrated, with orchestrations costing $25.00 or $30.00. All of our orchestration include all parts for strings, winds, and percussion, a full score, and a string reduction for keyboard. They are written to be practical for church musicians and to sound wonderful no matter what your group’s instrumentation may be. Great care is taken during the arranging process to make certain that the instrumental parts complement the message of the anthem without “covering up” the choir.

CHECK OUT our WorshipSounds website today!

http://www.worshipsounds.com

You will find excellent choral music that is meaningful and memorable, that has a Biblically sound message of praise and hope, and that is a joy to sing!

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This post was written by C. Boyd

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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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* CHORAL MUSIC & PRAISE, * MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info

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New Orchestration on our Website!

Click the photo above to go directly to our WorshipSounds Music website!

Travis has added a new orchestration to the WorshipSounds Music website! The Director of a large choral group which is singing Travis’ modern hymn and choral arrangement of “A Prayer for the Saints” in TTBB voicing requested a full orchestration for his group. The new orchestration for “A Prayer for the Saints” was added to our website this morning. Like all of Travis’ orchestrations, it is written to be practical for church orchestras as far as difficulty level and to work well with Church Orchestras with varying instrumentation. Travis is always very careful to make sure that the instrumental parts complement the choral arrangement well without covering up the choir. He has had more than one Director remark about the fact that his Orchestrations are very well written in that they enhance the choral parts without overwhelming them.

The Sons of Jubal in concert at First Baptist Church of Lilburn, Georgia, under the direction of Dr. Jon Duncan

“A Prayer for the Saints” is a through composed modern hymn that voices a prayer of longing to draw near to the Lord. It essentially puts into words the desires of the heart for every Christian who wants to walk more closely with the Lord and live in a way that glorifies Him. The TTBB anthem arrangement was selected by Sons of Jubal Director, Dr. Jon Duncan, as the theme song for this year’s annual Sons of Jubal retreat in January, 2012. “A Prayer for the Saints” is also in the current repertoire of The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, directed by Dr. Randy Lind. On our website, we currently have available the anthem arrangment of this hymn in SATB and TTBB Voicings, the full Orchestration, and a Worship Pak, which includes hymnal or bulletin size reproducible hymn sheets, a Vocal Solo/congregational arrangment with piano accompaniment, and lead sheets for rhythm section.

Here is the link to our Adult Choir music page where “A Prayer for the Saints” can be found: http://www.worshipsounds.com/Adult_Choirs.php

Link to Video Demo

Look for this identifying thumbnail photo on the website. It will help you locate the song more quickly on the Adult Choir page. Additionally, each of the items associated with this anthem on our shopping cart page have the same identifying photo.

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* MAKE NOTE OF THIS! * Worship Sounds Music Info, Choral Music from Worship Sounds

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Lifting Up His Name!

Psalm 107:8

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalm 7:17

What does is really mean to praise the name of the Lord? In order to praise Him in Spirit and in truth, we must have some knowledge about Who He is. In other words, we must know the truth about God to some extent in order to be able to offer genuine praise that flows from a heart of gratittude. In the scripture verse above, the Psalmist acknowledges the righteousness of God, His Lordship, and the fact that He is the Most High God, Lord over all. The thankful heart of the Psalmist results from knowing that God is good. He is righteous. He is the Most High. As a result of this knowledge and relationship, the Psalmist feels that he has an obligation to respond appropriately to God’s goodness and supremacy. The Psalmist gives thanks to the Lord and sings praise to His Name based upon revealed truth and what that truth means to him.

Similarly, a child reaches a point when he has grown up enough to recognize the sacrifices his parents are making and have made on him behalf, resulting in his desire to thank his parents and to be good to them in turn. We are part of our biological or adopted family, the children of our earthly parents. We carry their name and their hopes and dreams, as well as their investment into our lives, for the remainder of our years. With maturity comes the acknowledgement that everything about the way the we live impacts all of those around us. We praise our parents and others who have had an impact on our lives not just for what they have done on our behalf but for who they are and the fact that they truly love us and have our best interests at heart. Our lives bear the fruit and the image of their sacrifice.

In thinking about our lives in relationship to God, the fact that He desires relationship with us is amazing! The fact that He is good and acts on our behalf is fantastic! The fact that He would give Himself for us is miraculously magnificent! What should be our response ot such an awesome, loving, and merciful God? Consider the worship quote below.

Worship quote:

“Worship is discovering and declaring the magnificence of God, not just by our image-bearing and not just in sacramental acts, but the way we breathe every breath, take in every sight, hear every sound, and move as image-bearers through every day.”

( The quote above is from http://marshill.com/2011/04/17/what-worship-is )

The term “image bearers” in the worship quote above is a reminder to me of the true meaning of one of the Ten Commandments. When preparing to teach a Sunday School lesson several years ago, I learned that the definition of the word that has been translated as “take” in the commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” is “to bear or to carry.” This expanded my understanding of what God was telling us to do and not to do in a way that is more profound than the very true teaching that we must have reverence for God’s name and only use His name in a way that is honorable. In addition, we are the carriers of His name. We take, or bear, or carry, the name of God with us wherever we are as Christians. So, the commandment is telling us to be very aware of our witness and testimony, making sure that we do not bring shame or reproach to the name of God through our actions, words, or attitudes. To do so would be to carry His name in vain because of the fact that all of our efforts for the Kingdom would not bear fruit as they should in the lives of others. If we have compromised our testimony to such a great extent that our efforts are in vain, this is a very serious situation; but I believe that it does not have to be a permanent one. God’s forgiveness and mercy are always there for us. Every day is a new beginning. God’s infinite investment of love and mercy in our lives is worthy of our best image-bearing (carrying His name in such a way that our lives bring Him glory). Today, with God’s help, may we carrry His name and the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in such a way that His glory is seen, not only in our best efforts, but even in our imperfection that has been surrendered to Him. That is worship, dear friends.

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– This post was written by C. Boyd

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The worship scriptures used in this post can be found on our Worship Scripture Page called “Lift Your Voice” at http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

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The worship quote used in this posts can be found in our post called “Worship: Definitions and Quotations” at this link: WORSHIP: Definitions and Quotations

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading this devotional 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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* HELPFUL POSTS for Every Christian (Discipleship, Worship, & Inspiration), * PRAISE PROMPTS - That's Why We Praise Him!, * WORSHIP...with WONDER!, Inspiration for Worship, Truths and Teachings about Worship

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Disappointment…and Grace

All of us experience disappointments in life. These can be relatively minor circumstances (that sometimes come in bunches), disappointments that turn out to be merely a misunderstanding, devastating choices or circumstances that lead to major life upheavals, or even heart-breaking betrayals of trust. I believe that every disappointment has the potential to change us in some way. If we can learn to respond with grace to the disappointments that come our way, they can lead to growth and perhaps to eventual reconciliation where there is a need for that. Many times, situations have consequences that reach far into the future, but that just makes it even more important to respond in a way that prevents bitterness from taking root and leaves an open door for God’s grace to bring good out of the pain of disappointment.

There are several types of disappointment that we need to consider. First, there is what I’ll call a Circumstantial Disappointment. Secondly, there are Relational Disappointments. Third, we will deal with Regretful Disappointments. Finally, we can sometimes feel disappointment with God when the answers to prayer are long in coming or seem not to be coming at all. We’ll call that Spiritual Disappointment. There are some general truths for dealing with all kinds of disappointment and some specific considerations for different types of disappointment.

Some people feel that the best way to avoid disappointment is by choosing not to expect too much. I remember not long ago hearing some dialogue in which an individual took issue with the phrase, “Don’t get your hopes up.” I don’t recall the source of the dialogue in question, but it may have been in a movie. The response to being told, “Don’t get your hopes up!” went something like this: “Why not? Why wouldn’t I want my hopes to be up? That’s a very good place for hopes to be.” There’s a lot of truth in that. It’s certainly much better to be hopeful than hopeless. Yes, we will sometimes be disappointed; but it’s still worthwhile to live hopefully.

Hope can bond the hearts of people and give individuals something to look forward to. Hope can give us a reason to keep working and trying and overcoming. Most importantly, hope can become a testimony of faith and trust, speaking to the world around us with a message that the life of Christ within brings us “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow…blessings all mine with ten thousand beside.” (lyrics from the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”)

KEY #1: The first key to dealing with disappointment is to hold on to hope.

Our hopefulness is an indication the we are holding to our trust in God. Even as we are trying to hold on, this truth holds us securely: God is good, and He loves us. When we know in the very depths of our souls that God is good and has our best interests on His heart, we can trust that whatever circumstance comes our way, God will use it to bring about good in our lives and in His Kingdom. So, the first and most important key to dealing with disappointment is a choice. We must choose to live hopefully. We must choose to reject the negative thoughts that enter our mind when we have been disappointed. Thoughts like “No one really cares about me” and “nothing ever works out in my life” are counter productive and depressing. To counter these kinds of thoughts, you may have to sit down and make some lists. Make a list of everyone who has been kind to you and demonstrated caring. Make a list of the blessings in your life. Make a list of the times when things have worked out well for you, and include times when something that seemed negative at first eventually turned into a positive. If you are dealing with a disappoinment that involves relationship, list the good qualities of the other person(s) or positive things about the relationship(s). Seeing these truths written in black and white can do a lot to help you choose hope.

Precious promises for you!

KEY #2: Secondly, it is essential for us as Christians to look to scripture for help when we are dealing with disappointment.

* Study the ways that Biblical characters such as Joseph dealt with disappointment and even betrayal.

* Read the Psalms. Here, you will find a desperate longing for God, and sometimes the broken-hearted pleas for God’s deliverance from trials. No matter what the circumstance, the writers of the Psalms turned to God as their source of help and hope.

* Another helpful thing to do is to fill your mind with the promises of God. If you don’t have a little book of God’s promises from scripture, buy one and keep it on your nightstand.

Remember who God is! He is mighty in power! The very same God who re-wrote the story of our lives through the sacrificial life and death and the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ is still changing lives, healing broken hearts, and mending fractured relationships today! The circumstances of today are NOT the end of the story…. because He who created Heaven and Earth lives in you.

Or, go to websites such as these:

God’s promises arranged by topic: http://www.smilegodlovesyou.org/promises.html
Daily scripture promise blog: http://www.365promises.com/
God’s promises in every book of the Bible: http://bible.org/article/selected-promises-god-each-book-bible
John Piper’s sermon on the promises of God: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/all-the-promises-of-god-are-yes-in-christ

New International Version (©1984)
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
II Corinthians 1:20

Romans, Chapter 5, NIV
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we^c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

(Scripture references above are copied from the Online Parallel Bible) http://bible.cc/

SPECIFIC TYPES OF DISAPPOINTMENT

Circumstantial disappointment

All of us face times in life when circumstances change in a way that we did not expect or that seems less desirable than what we had hoped. These kind of circumstantial disappointments may involve something that didn’t happen as you had hoped. Or, they may involve something that happened which seems contrary to everything you had hoped. Sometimes these disappointments lead to eventually letting go of one dream for your life and grabbing hold of God’s promises and His new dream for you. Circumstances will happen to disappoint us all, and each time we must choose to look at the positives in the situation. The reactions we have to the disappointment of our hopes can range from mild irritation (having to re-arrange your schedule because a flight was cancelled, for example) to feeling absolutely devastated (the sale of your home fell through, or you were laid off, or you didn’t get admitted to the University of your choice). No matter how strong our reaction may be, each disappointment results in the following choices:

1. Choosing to continue to dwell on what has been lost even though nothing can be done about it OR eventually choosing to let it go and move on.

2. Choosing to give up on a hope or dream OR seeking God’s direction about whether to allow Him to give you a new dream or to persevere in seeking this hope but perhaps through another avenue.

3. Choosing to become bitter about what has been denied OR allowing God to use disappointment to refine our character.

4. Choosing to become stuck in the past and our unfulfilled hope OR moving forward with trust and faith in God, knowing that He will work all things (even this disappointment) for our good.

5. Feeling hopeless OR allowing God to restore our hope as time passes and the mental and spiritual adjustment is made not only to the reality that the disappointment has occurred, but to the possiblities of the future!

There is a grieving process with any disappointment, and it is necessary. After all, it takes time to re-adjust your thinking to a new reality. However, we must always be seeking God as the Source of our comfort, our transformation to the likeness of Christ, and ultimately, our hope. God wants us to be honest with Him in prayer. He knows we are devastated and disappointed, but He wants us to talk to Him about it. His Spirit can only minister peace in a situation that has been turned over to Him. A new dream can only be given when we choose to allow Him to turn our disappointment into possibilities that we’d never imagined. Give yourself the grace of seeing each day as a new beginning, full of possibilities and promise as you release the disappointments of the past and surrender each moment to the Lord. The reality of your disappointment can become a stepping stone to newness in your life and even to a reality more joyful or profound than anything you could have dreamed. Hold on to your relationship with God through the grieving and adjustment period, and hold on to hope!

Relational Disappointment

Relational disappointment can be the most devastating type of disappointment. Someone has let us down or even intentionally hurt us…often in a BIG way. Broken hearts result from relational disappointment. Here, we are not only dealing with our feelings about what has happened. We are also dealing with the ongoing relationship. When we have been badly hurt, anger is often our response. However, the expression of anger can cause even more relational difficulty. It’s good to keep in mind some considerations of the other person and the relationship you have to them. As you work through the process of dealing with the disappointment and hurt that you feel, you can choose to show grace by valuing the person and the relationship more than your right to be angry and hurt. Although the grieving and adjustment process for relational disappointment is the same as for any other type, the feelings and the potential relational consequences involved require careful consideration of a few additional factors.

First, remember that you, too, have at times disappointed someone. None of us can perfectly meet the needs of another person. We will all make mistakes, forget something important, or fail to handle a situation appropriately from time to time. We all will have times when we need to apologize for disappointing someone else (as well as times when we need to forgive someone for disappointing us).

Secondly, we need to realize that what seems a big failure or disappointment may have been out of someone’s control or may have resulted from a miscommunication of some type. Here, I will give an example of something that occurred at one of the churches where Travis had served. There was a person who was a part-time employee in Music Ministry at the church, and this individual had been serving for a number of years. Travis was new at the church and was still learning how things were done. Procedures and policies very widely from church to church, and that fact would be brought home in this situation. At the church Travis had left prior to coming to this new church, the Personnel Committee had always taken care of farewells and thank yous to those who were leaving a paid position in the church. However, when this person was no longer employed by the church, nothing was done by that committee. By the time that Travis realized that things were handled differently at the new church, the former employee was already very upset and feeling unappreciated. Though he tried to correct the mistake he’d made by assuming procedures were similar, the attempts were rejected by the former employee. Travis would have liked to have had the opportunity to show appreciation properly; but because of a misunderstanding and the resulting disappointment, that never happened as it should have.

Many times, relational disappointments do result from some sort of misunderstanding. When there seems to have been a mess up or a large oversight that affects you, try not to automatically assume the worst and get all upset without knowing the facts. There may be reasons why things happened as they did of which you are unaware. Sometimes, knowing what happened can help and can even save a relationship. Therefore, we all need to give each other the grace of refusing to jump to conclusions. If you can talk to the person or persons who were involved in whatever led to your disappointment and tell them, “I really felt… (disappointed, betrayed, unappreciated…fill in the blank) because….” (Keep it short and mention only one or two main factors, without detail. Hopefully, this can come across without condemnation or anger.) Then, ask for clarification, “I didn’t want to assume anything without giving you the opportunity to explain, so can you tell me what happened?” Give the person some time to think and consider a response. Just sit and wait without saying anything further. It could be that there are real reasons for the way things happened that you never knew about. The problem could even have resulted from something that you did or said that the other person did not know how to handle. The truth could immediately make you feel better. If so, you may have prevented permanent damage to a relationship by seeking understanding. Or, the truthful answer could hurt at first. It may be that the truth is a mirror, reflecting an area in your own life where some change needs to take place or just an outright failure or oversight by the other party. Either way, these kinds of hurtful truths can be stepping stones to growth and to better understanding eventually if we keep the door of relationship open and work to have better understanding and resolve problems. Regardless of the steps that need to be taken, forgiveness is always appropriate. Even if something happened that was totally wrong, forgiveness will ultimately set you free from bitterness and from living in the past. Ask God to give you an open heart to any changes that you need to make and grace for the other person, just as you have been shown grace and mercy.

When you think that you have someone figured out and that you are disappointed in who they are, remember that there may be many things that you do not know about this person or about their life. Some of your asumptions may be totally wrong. Give others the grace of forgiveness and a second chance. You may be making yourself totally miserable by harboring negative feelings that are not even based upon fact. Pray for this person, and allow God to work in them and in you. You may be surprised at what He will do!

If a relationship proves to be totally unhealthy, seek counsel about what to do. No one has to stay in an abusive situation. You cannot change another person. Change can only come when the other person desires to change, and a lot of changes require God’s help.

Regretful disappointment

Sometimes, our lives can become filled with regret if we dwell on past mistakes or on what we wish we had done in a situation. These things are truly beyond our control. They are in the past. What matters is how we live NOW and what we do to make things better NOW. Give yourself the grace of letting go. Learn from past mistakes, fix what you can, and then remember Paul’s testimony and advice:

“It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it, hoping somehow to embrace it just as I have been embraced by the Messiah Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have embraced it yet. But this one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I keep pursuing the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in the Messiah Jesus.” – Phillippians 3;12 – 14 (International Standard Version)

The Serenity Prayer can also be helpful.

Spiritual disappointment

Spiritual disappointment can be extremely difficult. As Christians, we know that God is good and that He is able to do anything and to meet our needs. We feel that we should be content to trust His wisdom about the when and the how. We often don’t feel that we can even talk to other Christians about our disappointment. This kind of scenario can lead to feeling totally alone, as though one is abandoned by God but can’t talk about it because to do so would only lead to rejection from other believers who may want to comfort you but who actually fear the pain and loss you have experienced and want you to repeat phrases like “God is so good!’ or “His timing is perfect” for your good and for their comfort. The Book of Job is about just such a struggle. It’s a battle for Job between what he knows he should feel and what other believers are telling him to feel versus how he actually does feel. At the beginning of the time of trial for Job, God expresses confidence in the faith of Job. And yet, even for a mature believer, there is a process of sorting through thoughts, grieving loss, and finding that your faith still holds true. Job wants to know why. He knows that he has done nothing wrong to provoke God’s judgement in the form of the calamity that has come upon his household, and yet He acknowledges that God is sovereign over all. God Himself speaks with Job, and the truths that come out of this conversation are that God does not have to reveal His reasons to us and yet, He wants us to come to Him with our questions. There is no way that we could fully understand the interactions of every human heart and every circumstance as God does. We don’t have the infinite understanding to fathom God’s reasoning, but God gives us the mercy and grace to allow us to question Him, to ask why, and to express our pain, our deep grief, our disappointment, and even our anger. After we have asked out questions and cried out our pain, peace comes only when we finally choose to trust. It is a process, and that process is part of the healing and growth. So, the ultimate message about spiritual disappointment is that it will come to everyone, that we must take it to Him, and that He will teach and comfort us through the pain.

KEY #3: Turning to God in our disappointment and being honest with Him in prayer is the third key for dealing with disappointment.

In earlier paragraphs, I had stated that the other two keys are choosing to live hopefully, based upon your knowledge of God’s goodness and your desire to have a positive outlook, and then turning to scripture for help in coping with disappointment. So, my friends, choose hope! Seek answers in God’s word, and turn to Him with all of your questions and hurts as you work through the process of moving forward in your life after you have been disappointed. These three keys to coming through a disappointment and moving forward without bitterness are not a ‘quick fix’. There is no easy answer and no quick solution. Allow yourself the grace of processing all that has happened and thinking through what this means for the future.

God wants to bring possibility and promise out of this situation for you. He wants to heal your heart and give you new hope. He wants to communicate His love for you and renew your confidence in His goodness. Blessings to you in the journey!

* A SONG FOR YOU * Here’s a link to a song that may be helpful to you: http://soundcloud.com/travis-l-boyd/god-is-faithful-satb-choral

* HERE’S A BONUS *

Check out this excellent teaching about disappointment by TV host, author, and speaker Michelle McKinney Hammond on the 700 Club’s “Voices of Hope” series (segment #2) about facing life issues. Here’s the link to the series. (You will have to select and click on the Segment #2 link to see the video with the teaching about disappointment.): http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/voiceofhope/

Interestingly, in the 700 club interview that allows her to explain her teaching on disappointment, Ms. Hammond also speaks of the need for demonstrating grace when facing disappointment, saying, “Don’t expect divinity from humanity. Have grace for<em> people, </em>and place your expectations <em>on God</em>.” Additionally, she also speaks of trusting God through the disappointment (as in our blog article), but she does state some of her teaching in some unique ways that will be helpful to anyone who is seeking additional insights to learn the lessons of disappointment while holding on to faith, preserving relationships, and dealing with pain. Listen near the end of the interview for your assignment, when Ms. Hammond speaks of God’s plan in the disappointment and our corresponding job as the steward of the experience.

Here is a link to information about her book called How to Get Past Disappointment; (Note: I have not read the book, but I am recommending it based upon hearing the teaching in the above link, which is a portion of what is contained in the book. – C. A. Boyd) Book info: http://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Past-Disappointment-Finding/dp/0736937862

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This post was written by C. A. Boyd

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Do you know Jesus?

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

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Generational and Cultural Relevance in Worship Ministry

The message of the gospel always matters.

It is always relevant to every life, every heart, every age, every culture, and every generation.

Sharing the truth of God’s love, as demonstrated through the sacrificial life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ matters more than anything else in the world.

However, it’s not easy to find a way to communicate the life-changing and eternal message of saving grace in a world where there are is so much divisiveness. It can be difficult to overcome generational and cultual attitudes to the extent that what really matters (the gospel message of salvation and new life in Christ) is clearly shared and understood. In our homes, in our churches, and wherever we go, Christians need to demonstrate the love of God and apply His grace in responding to situations where a lack of generational or cultural understanding seems to be a barrier to communication. In doing so, we need to remember that everyone wants to feel that they matter and that their opinions and beliefs are relevant. The reality is that adults are sometimes dismissed by teenagers and children as irrelevant to contemporary culture and to the lives of the younger generation. In the same way, adults can sometimes dismiss younger people as lacking enough maturity to be relevant to serious discussions and decision making. If God’s people, the church, are going to make a difference through sharing the eternal truth of salvation in Christ, we have to be willing to take a fresh look at everything we do. In light of the pre-conceived ideas and differing backgrounds on both sides of every generational and cultural issue, is it possible to find a way to unite the generations in powerful, life-changing worship? Can the adults to whom church leadership has been entrusted become open enough to make any necessary changes on the path to reaching the hearts and minds of younger generations?

Webster defines the word relevant as: “bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; to the purpose; pertinent.” In other words, when we are living and relating, worshiping and sharing in such a way that our ministry becomes relevant for reaching up to God and out to others, what we do matters!

People always matter! We have intrinsic value because we are created by God in His image and redeemed by God through Jesus Christ, which means that our lives have eternal and infinite value. The value of our lives or the message that we share is never the question. However, true relevance that allows God to speak to the hearts of others through us without the barriers of cultural and relational obsolescence brings eternal value to our ministry. In other words, God can use lives and ministries and talents and hearts that are surrendered to Him to bring about real spiritual fruit in our hearts and lives and in the lives of others. When we are surrendered to God’s Kingdom purposes, He makes us more aware of changes that we can make to effectively minister to all of the people who make up our congregation.

The message of the gospel is always relevant. God’s love and mercy always matters. The problem of perceived irrelevance has never been about the message itself. When it comes to our relevance in sharing spiritual truth, what we do relationally and the message that we project to those around us (through our lives, our words, our posture, our attitudes, our musical preparation and choices, and even the expressions on our faces) impacts their willingness to hear the message of the gospel. When we learn to care more deeply about how God can use our lives and our willingness to seek His purpose than we do about what is comfortable and easy for us, God can indwell our hunger to bring Him glory in such a way that His Spirit brings not only relevance but Divine power to the ministry that we have been given. This process will take some thought on our parts. We never intend to get comfortable and begin to resist change, and we often don’t even recognize those tendencies in ourselves. It will take awareness of where we are and a passion for becoming all that God made us to be to prompt the uncomfortable process of change (where change is necessary) and allow us to become more open to considering the types of changes that will make our ministry more effective with people of all ages.

As the chief worship leaders in our church, it is incumbent upon anyone who is a part of worship ministry to be as “relevant” to those we serve as we can be. If we are going to really allow the Lord to use us to have an impact upon the lives of others, we must be open to new forms of expression and to refining the overall worship experience so that people are drawn to the message of the gospel rather than bored by the absence of passion and a seeming lack of commitment to excellence in what they observe and hear. In my experiences working with teenagers through the years, I have discovered that I have to “earn” the right to be heard by them. The same is true of virtually any age group. We want to know that whoever is leading us is relevant to the lives we live and is sharing a message with eternal relevance. Most pertinent to this discussion of relevance, we want to know that these eternal truths mean so much to those who are sharing them that there is evidence of a heart of passion in the sharing process.

The kind of relevance we need as worship and ministry leaders involves bringing clarity, purpose, prerparation, and passion to all of our efforts in leading worship.

1. CLARITY
We need clarity because God is not the author of confusion. Everyone on the worship team should have clarity in their thoughts and attitudes about worship and should understand that the purpose of worship is to bring glory to our God. Every worshiper should be able to follow the music that you are sharing without confusion so that they can focus on the Lord and worship Him.

2. PURPOSE
The purpose of everything that is done in the worship service (not just singing!) must also ultimately be to bring glory to God. If a worship service is planned carefully, one message in song or in testimony or prayer can lead right into the next almost as a progression of thought as we worship the Lord.

3. PREPARATION
This involves spiritual preparation for all ministry staff and worship minisry personnel. A lot of prayer time should be invested before we ever reach pre-service rehearsals, ministerial pre-service prayer times, and, expecially, before the worship service itself begins. As the planning takes place, all of the details should be a matter of prayer as well. Worship ministry personnel should spend some time in prayer during rehearsals as well.

When it comes to the actual carrying out of the plan for worhip during the service, all of the leadership team should be well prepared so that the service can flow from one thing to the next and not interrupt the focus on our eternal God. Every worship team member should know what has been planned to happen next. What Travis calls an “expanded update” for the musicians and ministerial staff can be helpful. Our church does publish an order of service in the bulletin. However, the order given to those who are involved in ministry contains more information. For example, for the staff, it might list who will be welcoming guests and who will lead a prayer. For musicians, it might tell who is “in” on the first verse, where others come in, how many repeats of a certain song, etc. However, this planning does not prevent sensitivity to God’s spirit. Sometimes things change during a worship service; but if your original planning was clear, it is easier for everyone to go with the flow of God’s spirit.

4. PASSION
Finally, we must have passion in order to be relevant as worship leaders. Our passion for the Lord is expressed not just through musical excellence and preparation but in a transparent desire to bring glory to God. We are all individuals, so this focus on bringing glory to God will be expressed in many different ways. However, our passion should be far more than skin deep. True passion is not for the sake of appearance. True passion for the Lord must permeate our hearts and should impact our thinking, our prayer lives, our expressions of worship, and the way that we live and relate as people. We are worshipers and seekers of God first and worship leaders second, in answer to His call on our lives. The deep desire and passion of our hearts should be to bring glory to God, fulfilling our calling to lead worshipers and seekers of God in a relevant manner that God can use to draw others to Himself and to inspire believers to seek a closer walk with Him through a more profound understanding of worship.

When we are willing to do whatever it takes in order for the Lord to indwell our worship and use it to impact the lives of others, the spiritual foundation of understanding that the goal of worship is to bring glory to God is primary. However, without consideration of some practical things that should also enter our awareness, we risk leaving our congregation behind and neglecting the simple relational things that could help to communicate with them more effectively. We essentially have a dual role as worship leaders of relating to and worshiping the Lord while also relating to and leading God’s people. This can be a difficult balance, but we can do all things through Christ. The practical elements of relating to our congregation and thereby becoming relevant to them as worship leaders are not difficult but do require some initial thought and then continued awareness.

First of all, we must realize that there has always been and always will be a “gap” between musicians and non-musicians. Regardless of whether we are formally trained or simply have learned by years of participation, we will always view our role as a worship ministry leader differently from the way it will be viewed by those who have never participated in music organizations or in worship ministry. Procedures that we take for granted as normal can seem strange, irrelevant, and even boring and archaic to non-musicians. We have our own unique language (musical terminology), as well as our own set of expectations when we evaluate what we are doing (our own musical standards). We must not get so caught up in the use of musical skills and expressions that we leave God’s people behind. Every song for congregational worship should be singable and in a practical key, for example. We just need to put some thought into relating musically to people who are not formally trained musicians.

The Apostle Paul always tried to become relevant to those whom he was trying to reach and serve. (I Cor. 9:19-23) Paul observed the culture around him in order to reference things that the people knew and build upon their knowledge with spiritual truth in his preaching and in his conversations. Jesus was effective in ministering to people of all walks of life because they felt he was relevant. He used stories that related to daily life in order to explain spiritual truth, and he demonstrated continual compassion for the hardships and difficulties and losses of life. He also saw the hearts of the people with whom he came in contact and was able to speak to their deepest needs. When Jesus communicated with people, I believe that He gave them His full attention and was fully engaged in communicating spiritual truth. He could draw a crowd due to more than just His healing power. People wanted to hear what He had to say. The truths that Jesus spoke and taught were eternal, and He must have used all that He was to communicate them clearly and with passion. We, too, can use all that we are to communicate spiritual truth and to focus on genuine worship. We can relate to the daily lives of people so that they know we care about the joys and sorrows in their lives. We can relate to people by speaking to their needs and clearly demonstrating genuine compassion and agape love for them. When led to do so, we can use appropriate cultural references and even current events to share God’s truth in a relevant manner. We can follow the example of Jesus to become more aware of the manner in which we relate to God’s people so that no only our worship leadership but also our lives make a difference and are relevant in ministry.

When it comes to worship ministry, the need for relevance is evident even in the Psalms. The musicians who wrote them referenced events central to the history of Israel when talking about how God had protected and preserved the nation in every circumstance they faced. There was a continual focus on remembering all that God had been to them (Savior, Lord, Refuge..) and all that He had done. Throughout the centuries since the Psalms were written and since Jesus walked the Earth, there have been all kinds of situations surrounding and impacting the ministry of the local church. Churches have utilized all kinds of worship leadership and musical expression of various types; and cultural surroundings have been a key factor in influencing changes. It would be unrealistic for us to fail to recognize the fact that worship ministry has always been in the process of change. It is Biblical and valid to sing to the Lord a new song, inspired by the way that He is working in our lives. Christians in our congregations as well as those who have been called to the task of worship ministry leadership have done just that throughout the centuries of church history, singing the new songs of their own generation. In recognizing that change is a constant process, we must also recognize the resistance to change in our own lives. It is a challenge for any of us to accept change. Change can be painful. Change can take us out of our comfort zone. Change can be threatening. However, if we are to be relevant in worship ministry leadership, we must continually ask ourselves what contemporary elements of worship and new songs could be useful and meaningful in worship ministry. We must also be aware of traditional worship practices and songs which might serve as a barrier between the worship ministry and many people in the congregation, and thus might have a negative impact on our relevance in the church today.

For example, choral praise is an element of worship ministry that has always been dear to my heart. The Lord continues to give new songs for church choir ministry through those he has gifted with the ability to compose, so I don’t believe that He is finished with the use of choirs in worship ministry for His glory. In order to be relevant in contemporary worship however, choirs will have to relinquish the role of a performing group and exchange it for the dual role of personal worshipers and leaders in worship ministry. (The word “contemporary” here is not being used to describe a musical style but rather in the context of an overall worship ministry that is relevant today, no matter the style of the song that is being sung.) Though there are some excellent examples of choral praise as a part of a vital contemporary worship ministry (such as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir), there are several reasons that many churches are no longer including traditional choral praise as part of their ongong worhsip ministry. The following facts are true of many church choirs and represent the type of disconnect that prevents some elements of worship ministry from being relevant to the hearts and lives of people of all ages in our congregations.

Choirs hold music folders when they sing, pulling heads down and limiting eye contact with the congregation. This also creates a physical barrier between the choir and the congregation. In viewing photos of choirs, one discovers that singers who are looking down at music appear to have their eyes closed. When music must be used, choir member need to raise the music up so that their heads do not have to look down to see the music, and they can actually look over the folder as they are singing.
Choirs often “file in” in single file into the choir loft like some formal processional.
Choirs are usually physically placed as far away from the congregation as can be, due to the design of most church buildings.
Traditional seated choral risers do not allow for effective miking of the choir. As a result, sound is often covered by instruments (and it’s not always their fault!), which means that the message that is supposed to be conveyed is not coming through.
Our emphasis is on the “performance” of an “anthem” instead of on leading our congregation in singing God’s praises. (Would we be as committed if we weren’t singing an anthem every Sunday?)
Our body language is often stiff and formal. We are concentrating on a posture that produces the maximum choral sound.
Our facial expressions are often lacking due to our desire to concentrate on singing the music correctly. (This very disconnect with the congregation, by the way, means we are not singing correctly even if vocal and choral technique is exemplary!) It is true that God looks upon our hearts, and genuine worship is always the most important thing. However, we must remember that the congregation is not blessed with x-ray vision to see inside our hearts. They must rely instead on their senses in order to receive a message that is being spoken, sung, dramatized, danced, or played during a worship service. As worship leaders, we should in turn use all of our senses and all of our being to communicate so that the message goes forth with the emphasis of all that we are capable of doing in order to express it.

What a difference! This choir is aware that part of communicating the message effectively is eye contact and facial expression. They are visually engaged in worship when they sing.

While you may or may not agree with all of the statements above, I think we can all agree on the fact that in order for overall worship leadership to really effective in making an impact in our churches and in the Kingdom of God, all people who are involved in worship leadership must do everything possible to relate to our congregations. In other words, we must be aware of the need to be relevant.

The same kinds of visual and audible disconnect that can limit the effectiveness of choral praise also exist in other areas of worship ministry. The entire worship ministry team must have an attitude of humility and desire to continue to learn and grow in order for God give us the direction we need so desperately. Everyone who is on the platform in a worship leadership role must be aware that there is a need to be as involved in the message of the music visually as one must be in focus and mental awareness on the technical aspects of music. The message must speak to our own hearts first and then be communicated through our facial expression, eye contact, posture, and attitude. It ‘s never just the music that speaks to the heart. It is God’s spirit working through the music that makes an eternal difference in the lives of people. If a seeming lack of interest distracts from the message, people may be so bored that they are not open to the truths that are being communicated, thus inhibiting the work of God’s Spirit.

In a time when opinions about what a true worship ministry should be vary widely, we must continually seek God’s wisdom. A recognition that all music itself and all musical gifts come from God and that the highest expression of music is ultimately to give all glory to God must permeate our hearts and inform all that we do, including planning and preparation for worship. We must all be aware of the visual picture we present when elevated on a platform in front of God’s people. What kind of message is being given by our posture and our facial expressions? How obviously involved are we in the elements of the worship service that do not require our musical gifts? Are we listening? Praying? Hearing from God? Are we seeking to give Him glory? Are we doing all that we can do to prepare for worship leadership so that our eyes don’t have to be downcast onto the music when we are singing praises to God? For musicians, when we are not playing as part of the worship team on a particular song, are we still involved in worshiping God? When we sing or speak of joy or grace, does our face portray the beauty of these gifts? When we tell of the sacrifice and agony of our Lord, is the passion we feel for Him evident on our faces? In everything that we do, we must endeavor to avoid the distractions of complacency, seeming boredom, lack of passion, and poor preparation. These things focus attention on the question of whether we really believe what we are singing rather than opening hearts to the truth. Rather, we must first be genuine worshipers and then seek to convey the truth of God’s love through full awareness of our role as a part of a worship leadership team. Only then can our vulnerability before God and before our fellow worshippers allow us to connect to His life and theirs in a manner than brings relevance to worship ministry as a true reflection of relationship rather than as an artificial performance.

God is real, and our message of His love and salvation is eternally relevant. Lord God, help us to worship You as we seek to lead effectively and to encourage others to worship You as well.

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This post was written by Travis L. Boyd and adapted by Cynthia Boyd

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Here is a particularly well composed response by an experienced Worship Minister to a question about how a choir should function as worship leaders. This discussion took place on the forum in the “Music in Worship” Community on Choralnet.org , and you may view the discussion in it’s entirety by becoming a Choralnet user and a member of the “Music in Worship” community.

“There are some simple universal truths about the choir’s role as worship leaders that I believe apply in any situation. The first is obvious but so often overlooked and disregarded that it has spawned thousands of conference presentations, books and articles over the last forty years; the choir’s primary role is to lead the people in worship. Whether the “liturgy” (“work of the people”) is formal or informal, screens or no screens, Catholic or Reformed, Denominational on Non-Denom, hidden in a choir loft or visible front and center it is the same. Just the fact that you recognize this and want to learn more about it says a lot about your heart, integrity, and training.

First you should have a well defined theology or Credo of the Ministry of Music because everything you do should flow out of that. Mine is not unique and I share it here so that you might think about developing your own: Glorify, Proclaim, Minister; Glorify God, Proclaim God’s word through song, Minister to and through those who serve. Think of Glorify as a straight line of praise from the singer upward to God; Proclaim could be seen as a line in the shape of an L—proclaiming the Word to God’s people (horizontal line outward) which brings glory to God as His word is revealed (vertical line upward); Minister to and through those who serve (an inverted T)—I think you get the idea. We do all of these things throughout worship at different times and sometimes different styles of music. But to do any of them since the Old Testament the choir has been set apart to perform these roles. Therefore the choir is in a position of servant leadership. Next:

Modeling-what the choir does and how they do it sets the example for the congregation in the “what” and “how” in a worship service. And of course that modeling begins with the director. Every group reflects their leader. Our choir is in front of the congregation. When I want the congregation to stand the choir stands first, when the offering plate is passed in the congregation it is passed in the choir (if we are not singing) even though many singers give their offering on-line or in the mail. The choir leads the congregation in confession, responsive readings, and of course singing. Because our liturgy is informal and varies week to week that means we take time in rehearsal to run those things, and “talk” through the order of worship, rather than leaving it to chance. That models to the choir the importance of those things. This of course includes the hymns (an essential and extended topic around the choir’s leadership responsibilities).

Authenticity-we often think of this in relation to our own feelings but the choir is charged with the role of leadership which may require one to set their own personal feelings aside. What I mean is this: one must be authentic to their role, the mood and the message of the music they are making. I always strive to motivate genuine, personal expression from the personal faith of the singer. But let’s face it, sometimes we may not feel so joyful on Sunday morning, or mournful on Good Friday. One principle that seems to represent the greatest level of leadership is a willingness to sacrifice and sometimes that means sacrificing your own personal mood or feelings in order to communicate. This not acting or “faking it”. This is about understanding one’s role, their job, and sacrificial leadership.

What flows out of authenticity is expression and that, I think, is a tougher nut to crack. How do you “free” people up to be expressive? (For me, this pertains to choirs “seen and unseen”.) Try to motivate first from personal experience and faith and teach to the idea of their role of leadership, responsibility to authenticity, selfless singing, and embodiment of the music. They really have to understand and believe in their role and the business of authenticity to their role (above). Address the business of what do you do when your feelings don’t align with the music (answer: sacrifice self for the role of being faithful to the text); share how you feel sometimes. Maybe you need to “prime the pump”–one of my mentors, Howard Swan, was first a psychologist. He used to say “act enthusiastic and pretty soon you’ll be enthusiastic”. Whose spirit hasn’t been transformed by the expressive power of music? It’s not magic, it’s a gift from God!

Practically speaking they have to lift their folders up so mouths point up and out in order to be heard and faces to be seen; you may need to look into devices or activities that drama instructors use to teach expression.

Our church has been streaming our services for some time now. The choir has really responded to seeing (and hearing) themselves. Even though I’ve been at this church 23 years they have a new appreciation for my musical and expressive corrections because they have seen and heard themselves. Video the choir in worship and show it to them in rehearsal. Is their countenance aligned with the music? Then take the same piece of music and practice embodying the character of the music.

I hope this epistle has been of some value to you. And if you like, I’d be happy to continue this discussion with other ideas and experiences independently. You can contact me through ChoralNet or simply go to www.Belpres.org then navigate through the drop downs: About Us/Church Staff/Worship and Music (on left hand side of page).”

Blessings on your ministry

Scott Dean

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* CHORAL MUSIC & PRAISE, * MELODIOUS MINISTRY, * WORSHIP...with WONDER!

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Song story for “Jesus, My Redeemer”

“Jesus, My Redeemer” is an SATB choral anthem written by Travis L. Boyd and published by Shawnee Press (Hal Leonard). It will always be one of my favorites of all of the choral anthems that Travis has written. I can take credit only for loving the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” from which the tune for this anthem was taken. I love both the original hymn tune and the traditional lyrics, but the “Jesus, My Redeemer” lyrics and Travis’ accompaniment and choral arrangement are so meaningful and beautiful to me that I am more than willing to expand my love for the old hymn and include this new version. Some readers may not be acquainted with the original hymn, so this song story will include some information about “Be Thou My Vision” as well as the tale of how it inspired Travis to write “Jesus, My Redeemer.”

Here’s the story of “Be Thou My Vision,” as written by Sarah McCabe on suite101.com (see the article URL at the end of this post):

“”Be Thou My Vision” is a Christian hymn written by an Irish poet, and put to the tune of an old Irish folk song. It has deep roots in the history of Ireland. St. Patrick played a major role in its inspiration, as did a pagan king and a forbidden fire. In 433 AD St. Patrick came to the Hill of Slane in County Meath. It was the night before Easter, as well as the beginning of the Spring Equinox. High King Leoghaire (pronounced “Leary”) mac Neill had issued a decree that no fires were to be lit until the lighting of the blaze atop nearby Tara Hill that would usher in the Spring Equinox. The first fire, however, was not that of King Leoghaire. Rather, it was a flame lit by St. Patrick to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Instead of executing him, King Leoghaire was so impressed by St. Patrick’s courage that he allowed him to continue with his missionary work throughout Ireland.

Considered Ireland’s chief poet during his time, Dallan Forgaill, who was killed by pirates in 598, was known as a studious and scholarly man. It was said that he spent so much time reading, writing, and studying that he became blind. Inspired by the events on the Hill of Slane about 100 years earlier, Dallan Forgaill wrote the original words to “Be Thou My Vision” in old Irish, as a poem entitled ” Rop tu mo baile.” The poem was not translated into English until 1905 when Mary E. Byrne (1880-1931) wrote a literal translation of the words in English prose. The words were made into verse and published by Eleanor H. Hull (1860-1935) in her 1913 work entitled Poem Book of the Gael.

The tune to “Be Thou My Vision” is called SLANE, an old Irish folk melody, named for the Hill of Slane. Though centuries old, the melody was first published by Patrick W. Joyce (1827-1914) in his 1909 collection, Old Irish Folk Music and Songs, under the title “By the Banks of the Bann.” The melody was first coupled with Hull’s versified words to “Be Thou My Vision” in 1919 by Leopold Dix (1861-1935) in the Irish Church Hymnal.

Inspired by an event that helped change the spiritual climate of Ireland, penned by a renowned Irish poet, and paired with the tune of an old Irish folk song, “Be Thou My Vision” stands as a link between Ireland and its Christian heritage. It is a tribute to a significant event in Ireland’s history and a reminder of the sovereignty, strength, and joy of Jesus.”

THE STORY OF “JESUS, MY REDEEMER”

“Jesus, my Redeemer, You died in my place… brought me salvation through Your matchless grace.”

Travis began to look at the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision” with the initial goal of doing a choral arrangement of the hymn with the well-known lyrics. However, as he began to work with the hymn, he was inspired to write a new text with a different type of lyrical content. The original lyrics are a prayer asking for the continued nearness of God’s presence to the heart of the believer and for the clarity of vision that comes with knowing Him through His word and through revelation. The new lyrics for “Jesus, My Redeemer” are a text of testimony. The believer thanks God for sending Jesus, for His power to save, and for his certain return and the eventual home in Heaven. Both sets of lyrics have something very important to say, and both texts end with a final verse that talks about Heaven.

Travis’ SATB choral anthem, “Jesus, My Redeemer” was published by Shawnee Press (now with Hal Leonard) and is available through Hal Leonard at this link: http://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=35011508&lid=0&keywords=Travisboyd&subsiteid=1&

“Jesus, My Redeemer” is available from J. W. Pepper, where the entire publisher’s studio demo recording of “Jesus, My Redeemer” can be heard at this link: http://www.jwpepper.com/8036907.item

It is also available from Sheet Music Plus at http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Jesus-My-Redeemer/3734672

The publisher’s description of this anthem reads:
“Traditional Irish hymn, Be Thou My Vision; flowing accompaniment; easily learned – This anthem utilizes an original text set to the familiar Irish air commonly known as Be Thou My Vision. The accompaniment features a flowing motif, which recurs throughout the piece and is sure to appeal to your pianist. Jesus, My Redeemer contains wonderful harmonies that emphasize a rich text, thanking and praising the Savior for our redemption and grace. ”

“Forever we’ll sing…Amen!”

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Here’s the audio for the Publisher’s Studio Demo from our Sound Cloud recording of “Jesus, My Redeemer.” (see lyrics below!)

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* A TESTIMONY OF GRACE AND SALVATION *
The lyrics of “Jesus, My Redeemer”, as written for the Slane hymn tune by Travis L. Boyd

Jesus, my Redeemer, My Savior and friend,
Author and giver of life without end,
Alpha, Omega, the Great I Am, Lion of Judah,
God’s meekly, lowly Lamb.

Jesus, my Redeemer, You died in my place,
Brought me salvation through your matchless grace
Your sacrifice came at such a great cost…
Bloodshed and agony on Calvary’s cross.

Such power to save!

Jesus, my Redeemer, Such power to save!
On the third day, You arose from the grave,
Sealing my pardon and setting me free,
Building a mansion in Heaven for me.

Jesus, my Redeemer, Returning some day!
All Your creation will bow down and say,
“You are Messiah! Our Savior! Our King!
Lord God Almighty, forever we’ll sing!” Amen!

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* A PRAYER OF FAITH *
The lyrics to “Be Thou My Vision” as written by Irish poet Dallan Forgaill,
translated in 1905 by Mary E. Byrne, and converted from English prose to verse by Eleanor H. Hull:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd (with the exception of the excerpt from the article mentioned below).

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Here’s a link to the article “Be Thou My Vision: The History of a Christian Hymn”
(which was edited by the author of this post and included in the article as informational background):

http://suite101.com/article/be-thou-my-vision-a249138

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Youtube video of “Be Thou My Vision” (with lyrics), by Robin Mark from “The Mandate”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zstKjGb6uAE&feature=related

There are many other videos of “Be Thou My Vision” on Youtube by such artists as 4Him, Selah, Allison Kraus, Eden’s Bridge, the Irish Tenors, and the Azuza Pacific University Men’s Chorale.

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The Old Irish poem from which the lyrics of the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision”, were translated:

Rop tú mo baile, a Choimdiu cride: ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime.
Rop tú mo scrútain i l-ló ‘s i n-aidche; rop tú ad-chëar im chotlud caidche.
Rop tú mo labra, rop tú mo thuicsiu; rop tussu dam-sa, rob misse duit-siu.
Rop tussu m’athair, rob mé do mac-su; rop tussu lem-sa, rob misse lat-su.
Rop tú mo chathscíath, rop tú mo chlaideb; rop tussu m’ordan, rop tussu m’airer.
Rop tú mo dítiu, rop tú mo daingen; rop tú nom-thocba i n-áentaid n-aingel.
Rop tú cech maithius dom churp, dom anmain; rop tú mo flaithius i n-nim ‘s i talmain.
Rop tussu t’ áenur sainserc mo chride; ní rop nech aile acht Airdrí nime.
Co talla forum, ré n-dul it láma, mo chuit, mo chotlud, ar méit do gráda.
Rop tussu t’ áenur m’ urrann úais amra: ní chuinngim daíne ná maíne marba.
Rop amlaid dínsiur cech sel, cech sáegul, mar marb oc brénad, ar t’ fégad t’ áenur.
Do serc im anmain, do grád im chride, tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime.
Tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime, do serc im anmain, do grád im chride.
Go Ríg na n-uile rís íar m-búaid léire; ro béo i flaith nime i n-gile gréine A Athair inmain,
cluinte mo núall-sa: mithig (mo-núarán!) lasin trúagán trúag-sa.
A Chríst mo chride, cip ed dom-aire, a Flaith na n-uile, rop tú mo baile.

(Wouldn’t the original author be amazed to know that these words still live and inspire the hearts of millions of believers!)

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE POSTS LIKE THIS ONE?

Here’s a link to our “Song Stories” category to see all of the song story posts:
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/song-stories/

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Click this image to go to our WorshipSounds website.

More Music by Travis L. Boyd

Many more Choral Anthems written by Travis L. Boyd can be found on our Worship Sounds Music website. Our Choral Anthems are written to be practical for use in local church ministry and in Christian schools and Universities. You will find that our music is worshipful, memorable, and very affordable. We also have Anthem Orchestrations, Accompaniment Tracks, Vocal Solos, and Congregational Worship music.

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