If you are familiar with FaceBook you know that those who have pages there have a place where they can list favorite songs, movies or books. They can also put up their favorite quotes.
Last night I remembered one of my favorite quotes that I put there.
"We get along great now that I've lowered my expectations." (You can go to my FaceBook page to see who I quoted.)
I thought of it because I was pulling into the parking lot of Ryan's. Please don't see this as a slam on Ryan's. It's a whole lot better than fast food places but in all honesty, it's no Olive Garden. But as long as I wasn't expecting Olive Garden it was great.
What does that have to do with worship? Expectations work both ways. If you expect something to be something it can't be, you will be disappointed. If you expect local church musicians to sound like the latest greatest band in concert then you will probably be disappointed. If you expect your church musicians to help you focus on God and your focus is on seeing Him you won't be disappointed, you'll see God.
We take from worship what we bring to worship - what we expect to get from it.
We should be expecting to meet with our great God, the Creator of the universe, our merciful Savior full of grace and truth, our Comforter and Healer, our mighty King...
I'm afraid that many times we come expecting to hear some good music and a good sermon. And hopefully more often than not we DO hear some good music and a good sermon... but did we see God? Did we hear His voice? Did we spend time in His presence? Did we commune as friend with Friend?
Let me encourage you as you attend a worship service this week - whether with us a Hilldale or at your church where you usually attend - to enter worship expecting to meet with God. Expect to hear His voice. Expect to worship Him. Don't expect to be entertained by the music, expect it to offer you words and melodies that you can join in singing to express your love, devotion, adoration, gratitude, etc.
If you come to Hilldale at 8:30 or 9:45 you can join us in singing these songs. Come expecting to see God.
Lord, Reign in Me
Everlasting God
Choir Anthem – Power of the Cross (See the Chains Fall)
Fellowship song – Hallelujah - Your Love is Amazing
At The Cross
The Old Rugged Cross
The Power of the Cross
Special music – Josh Ford – Lay ‘Em Down
Here's Kristin Getty singing "The Power of the Cross" that her husband Keith wrote with Stuart Townend.
Showing posts with label corporate worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corporate worship. Show all posts
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Corporate Worship - Why It's Important
"I can worship at the golf course."
"I can worship while I'm hiking through the Rockies."
"I can worship seeing a beautiful sunrise as it comes up over the lake."
Yes, if a person is paying attention to his surroundings he can find countless reasons to give praise and to worship our Great Creator. Years ago I hiked through the Rockies with some friends and the majesty of the mountains and the wonder of 100 ft. tall waterfalls and the crystal waters of mountains lakes and streams, the countless shades of greens and browns in the forests and rocks... well, I could go on and on... all of it gave us many times to just stop and thank God and worship Him for His amazing work.
I hope all of you have those times when you are out in nature where you can stop and take a moment to worship. Look what Colossians 1:15-17 have to say about Jesus and creation.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.
But individual worship is not enough. We need corporate worship. (Corporate worship means worship together as a congregation.) Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Our congregation at Hilldale has had some very emotionally tiring weeks lately. We've had the highs of a great Passion Play and Easter morning celebrations and the lows brought by sickness, trials and memorial services for family and friends. As we gather on Sundays and worship our sovereign King together we share each others burdens, we rejoice together, we encourage each other...
This Sunday we will begin our worship services celebrating the great things God has done in our lives as we sing:
To God Be the Glory
Hear our Praises
Friend of God
But because we have met so many times lately to offer words of comfort to those who have lost family and friends in death, it is important that we offer up together words of faith, comfort, and hope. We will do this as we sing these two great song:
It Is Well
I Will Rise
We've celebrated the power of the Resurrection in the last few weeks and this week we can join the song of heaven.
"And I hear the voice of many angels sing 'Worthy is the Lamb.'
and I hear the cry of every longing heart, 'Worthy is the Lamb!'"
"I can worship while I'm hiking through the Rockies."
"I can worship seeing a beautiful sunrise as it comes up over the lake."
Yes, if a person is paying attention to his surroundings he can find countless reasons to give praise and to worship our Great Creator. Years ago I hiked through the Rockies with some friends and the majesty of the mountains and the wonder of 100 ft. tall waterfalls and the crystal waters of mountains lakes and streams, the countless shades of greens and browns in the forests and rocks... well, I could go on and on... all of it gave us many times to just stop and thank God and worship Him for His amazing work.
I hope all of you have those times when you are out in nature where you can stop and take a moment to worship. Look what Colossians 1:15-17 have to say about Jesus and creation.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.
But individual worship is not enough. We need corporate worship. (Corporate worship means worship together as a congregation.) Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Our congregation at Hilldale has had some very emotionally tiring weeks lately. We've had the highs of a great Passion Play and Easter morning celebrations and the lows brought by sickness, trials and memorial services for family and friends. As we gather on Sundays and worship our sovereign King together we share each others burdens, we rejoice together, we encourage each other...
This Sunday we will begin our worship services celebrating the great things God has done in our lives as we sing:
To God Be the Glory
Hear our Praises
Friend of God
But because we have met so many times lately to offer words of comfort to those who have lost family and friends in death, it is important that we offer up together words of faith, comfort, and hope. We will do this as we sing these two great song:
It Is Well
I Will Rise
We've celebrated the power of the Resurrection in the last few weeks and this week we can join the song of heaven.
"And I hear the voice of many angels sing 'Worthy is the Lamb.'
and I hear the cry of every longing heart, 'Worthy is the Lamb!'"
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