Family Worship

Several years ago we started something in our family that we called "Sunday Night Prayer." During this time we gather as a family and read from the Bible, discuss what we've read and then pray for each other. It has been an important part of my spiritual life and a highlight for me to get to talk and laugh about life and matters of faith with Sue and the boys.

Dr. Joel Beeke has written a resource on Family Worship - explaining why this practice is important and the types of things that could be done during a time of worship together.

Here's a link to a lecture that he gave in 2011 on the topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EHJVkzybQs

I found it to be really encouraging.

Blessings,
-d.

Some old Vineyard worship songs....

This afternoon I recorded some old Vineyard worship songs.

Click here for a link to the lyrics.

Here's a link to the music.

I first heard these songs on my first visit to the Cincinnati Vineyard in August of 1987. The church met in the cafeteria of Scarlet Oaks Vocational school and after singing for forty minutes or so, visitors were asked to raise their hands and ushers distributed a cassette tape of worship music.

In today's recording I've tried to include the songs that were on the "Welcome Tape" that I received in 1987.

There are a couple of things that are of interest about these songs...

The first thing is their simplicity. Many of the songs simply say "I love you Lord" or repeat the words Hosanna, Alleluia, or Hallelujah.

(The word Hosanna can be translated as "We praise you" while Alleluia/Hallelujah can be translated as "Praise the Lord".)

The second thing of interest is that in addition to using many popular worship songs of that period, there are a number of songs that were written by musicians in the worship band...including Dave Workman, Kelly Wiseman and Jim Hitchcock. (A few years later, the worship band did a live recording of their own songs called "Homegrown Hosanna").

A final note of interest about these songs is their ability to instruct. I'm convinced that God used these songs to help me learn more about Him...especially His incredible grace and mercy...and to help me respond back to Him in worship. I found these songs so helpful that I literally wore out my "Welcome Tape" by playing it so much on the cassette player in my small red Chevette.

There were others who liked the "Welcome Tape" as well. When I visited my first small group sponsored by the Vineyard Cincinnati in North College Hill, the leader played the entire "Welcome Tape" for the group to sing along to (we even had to pause to flip the cassette tape to play the second side). Later, in a small group in Oxford (that was led John and Pam Bertram) we sang many of these same songs while John led us on his acoustic guitar.

Shortly after I received my "Welcome Tape" I gave a bunch of the "Welcome Tapes" to friends, figuring that they would like it as much as I did. Interestingly, nine years later I was talking to a friend in Michigan and she told me, "Do you remember that tape you gave me a long time ago? I still get it out and play it when I need to focus my thoughts on the Lord."

One big difference, as you'll hear, is that I've recorded these songs in my home office with just my own vocals and guitar - the songs on the "Welcome Tape" were recorded with a full band and with several great singers...so feel free to add your own harmony as you sing along.

So, for my friend Kevin (who celebrated his birthday this week) and for my friends at the Cincinnati Vineyard who are celebrating their 25th anniversary tomorrow...here are some worship songs from 1987.

Enjoy,

-DS

Worship Resources

Here's a helpful blog/website from Jamie Brown who is the Associate Director of worship at The Falls Church - an Anglican Church in Northern Virginia.

http://worthilymagnify.com/


-d.

Handel's Messiah

A Christmastime favorite for many is to listen to Handel's "Messiah".

Here's a link to a live recording of Handel's "Messiah" performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra (the first ten minutes of the two hour broadcast have a good introduction of the work...the famous "Hallelujah Chorus" is at around 1:27:00 in the recording.)

The masterpiece, written in 1741, describes the life of Christ. Part One describes the Advent, Part Two describes Christ's death and resurrection while Part Three describes the events found in Revelation.

The link to the lyrics (called the libretto) can be found here.

Blessings,
-D.

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

Here the link to this week's Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer: www.cincyanglican.org/prayer.html

This week we'll spent some time singing worship and praise songs, then pray the Evening Prayer from the "Book of Common Prayer".

The Scriptures we'll be reading tonight seem perfect for the Advent season:
-Psalm 72:11-18
-Jeremiah 23:5-8
-Matthew 1:18-25

The Old Testament passages focus on the glory and redemption of God, the New Testament pasage tells part of the story of Christ's birth.

I hope you find it a helpful resource in your devotional life this week,
-Dave

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

Here the link to this week's Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer:

www.cincyanglican.org/prayer.html

After spending about 15 minutes singing worship songs, we'll pray the Evening Prayer from the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer". Following the liturgical calendar we'll remember the life of Charles Simeon, an Anglican pastor and teacher.

Blessings,
-D.

Prayer and the Anglican Liturgy

I spent last Saturday morning and afternoon with some Anglican friends.

We met at Grace Anglican Church in Circleville, Ohio, a town south of Columbus. At our meeting Fr. Dale Minor and Dcn. Jack Snyder led us in a training on Liturgics...here's how Webster's defines the word:

Li*tur"gics\, n. The science of worship; history, doctrine, and interpretation of liturgies.

The training began with Fr. Dale and Deacon Jack leading us through the Morning Prayer service in the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer". After we prayed, they shared with us some of their practices around praying the "Daily Office" of Morning Prayer. We learned too that an online version of Morning Prayer can be found at: http://www.missionstclare.com/

After our discussion on prayer, Fr. Dale and Deacon Jack discussed the liturgy of their Sunday worship service. Liturgy, they reminded us, is a word that has its roots in the Greek word "laos" (which means people) and "ergon" (which means work)...thus liturgy is the "work of the people" in public worship. Fr. Dale reminded us that all who join us in worship are participants, not members of an audience. In our worship we have an audience of one...the Lord.

They also shared with us their use of vestments, incense and bells as well as how they conduct eucharist (communion). They also reviewed a document with us about "the drama of worship" which they also have posted on their website here.

I appreciated their helpful teaching.

Thanks,
-Dave

The Creeds Revisited

The latest edition of "Mars Hill Audio Journal" has an interesting discussion about the use of creeds in worship.

The discussion was between Ken Myers (of Mars Hill Audio) and Stephen J. Nichols (research Professor at Lancaster Bible College). In the interview, Nichols discussed the history of Biblical interpretation and the use of creeds, noting that in the 19th Century there was a move to focus on "Jesus of the Bible" instead of a "Jesus of the Creeds".

He explained that this move initially sounds like a good thing. The problem, he notes is that in taking this approach, we may focus on narrow, particular texts of Scripture (those that we like) while omitting others. He gives the example of only focusing on passages about the love of God, and omitting those that describe Him as a Judge.

When we just look at one passage at a time, he explained, we end up "getting awash in a sea of texts" until landing on the particular text that we like.

Confessions and creeds he said, "help us see the whole picture of Scripture".

We need to be careful too, Nichols noted, of the contemporary Church's focus on personal experience. "It's not that personal experience is bad," Nichols says, but it becomes dangerous when it is all that there is. "When it is loosed from its moorings of a Confessional commitment", Christianity becomes reduced to "my experience", creating our "own personal Jesus" (in the words of Depeche Mode).

Nichols explained that it is easy for us to ignore parts of who Christ is. Not seeing the whole picture, however, gives us "a distorted view of Jesus, a distorted theology and a distorted view of discipleship". As well as a distorted view of the "nature of our salvation" Myers added.

"These creeds," Nichols noted, "were the lifeblood of the Early Church and for much of the history of the Church."

As Americans, we value innovation, things that are new, edgy and unique...the Creeds were written seventeen hundred years ago.

The question for us is, "What role do these traditional, historic Creeds play in our life?"

Here's a link to the Apostle's Creed, one of the important creeds of the Church. The site also contains two articles by James Orr that explains the Apostle's Creed in detail.

Mars Hill Audio's website is: http://www.marshillaudio.org/ They have a number of helpful resources that address Christianity in contemporary culture.

Grace and Peace,
-D.

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

Here the link to this week's Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer: www.cincyanglican.org/prayer.html

This week we'll spent about 25 minutes singing worship and praise songs, then pray the Evening Prayer from the "Book of Common Prayer".

I hope you find it a helpful resource in your devotional life,

-Dave

The Apostle's Creed

In this week's recording for Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer, I spend a few moments talking about the Apostle's Creed. It's a regular component of our Evening Prayer, here's the text:

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

I mentioned in the audio recording that I find the creed helpful because of its succinct summary of the Christian faith. It speaks of the Trinity...God our Father (an almighty, creator), His Son Jesus Christ (his only Son and our Lord) and the Holy Spirit.

It also speaks to the "Grand Miracle" as C.S. Lewis called it, the incarnation...that Christ came to earth, is completely divine and also completely human...enabling Him to live the life we should have lived and died the death we deserve.

I like too how it not only speaks to past events in the history of the world and the Church, but also points to future events...Christ will "come again to judge the living and the dead" as well as the promise of "life everlasting" to those who have trusted in Him for the forgiveness of sins.

I hope you'll find the Apostle's Creed a helpful reminder of our Christian faith.

Blessings,
-D.

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

I've uploaded the text and audio files for Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer for a new online group with the Anglican Fellowship of Cincinnati.

The files can be found by clicking here.

We'll spend about twenty minutes singing worship and praise songs, then pray through the Evening Prayer service from the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer".

I hope you find it to be a helpful devotional resource.

Blessings,
-D.

Why Worship

If you gathered five Christians together and asked them, “Why do we worship?” it’s likely you’d get ten or more different responses. They might say,

• “Because we are commanded to.”
• “Because I’m thankful for all that God has provided."
• “To receive what God has for me.”
• Or, "To remember what Christ did for me.”

One of my favorite parts of C.S. Lewis’ book “Reflections on the Psalms” are his reflections on the worship and praise of God.

The words “Praise the Lord” can be found throughout the Psalms, and Lewis devotes an entire chapter on the topic in his book. (The chapter is called, “A Word About Praising”).

Lewis notes first his initial confusion when reading about the perpetual praise that the Lord asked for. “Gratitude to God, reverence to Him, obedience to Him, I thought I could understand; not this perpetual eulogy.”

Lewis explains that “God does not only demand praise as the supremely beautiful and all-satisfying Object...he commands it as lawgiver.”

So, in a nutshell, Lewis is saying that God wants us to praise Him.

Before getting into the heart of the question of “why should we praise God”, Lewis first refutes the idea that God needs our worship:

“The miserable idea that God should in any sense need, or crave for, our worship like a vain woman wanting compliments, or a vain author presenting his new books to people who never met or heard of him, is implicitly answered by the words, 'If I be hungry, I will not tell thee' (Psalm 50:12). Even if such an absurd Deity could be conceived, He would hardly come to us, the lowest of rational creatures, to gratify His appetite. I don’t want my dog to bark approval of my books.”

Lewis reminds us that God does not need our worship. Yet it is something that He requires/desires us to do.

Lewis also refutes the idea of bargaining with God, for example, people saying, “Do this and I will praise you”. He calls that notion infantile, but says, “I have often, on my knees in prayer, been shocked to find what sort of thoughts I have.”

As Lewis reflected on this topic of praise, an interesting insight came to him: that people praise all the time. Our praise may not be focused on our Creator, but praising, according to Lewis is something that all humans do. He writes this about his epiphany on the topic:

“I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…the world rings with praise – lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game – praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians and scholars.”

So, praise is something that humans seem “wired” to do. He continues:

“I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?”

After reading the “isn’t she lovely” line I’ll do my best to refrain from any Stevie Wonder jokes...but Lewis explains here that the things that we are drawn to praise are things that we want others to join in praising too. Lewis explained that the writers of the Psalms, “in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.”

Like the angels, Lewis notes, Christians will praise God for all eternity. To imagine this, he explains that,

“we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God – drunk with, drowned in, dissolved by, that delight which…flows out of us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression”

I had to read that passage again:

• drunk with delight (in the Lord)
• drowned in delight (of the Lord)
• dissolved by delight (in the Lord)

Lewis explains, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.”

Enjoying God. In part, that is what praising God is about. When we praise and worship we offer ourselves to the Lord and at the same time get to know Him more too. As Lewis explained, “it is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates his presence to men.”

An Appetite for God

I've shared with some of you that I've started taking some classes from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. The class I'm currently in is studying the writings of C.S. Lewis, and I've recently been reading his "Reflections on the Psalms", a book that I've found to be rich with insights on worship, justice, mercy and many other topics.

On worship, Lewis described the writers of the Psalms this way:

“They express a longing for Him (the Lord), for His mere presence…they long to live all their days in the Temple so that they may see ‘the fair beauty of the Lord’ (Psalm 27:4). Their longing to go up to Jerusalem and ‘appear before the presence of God’ is like a physical thirst (Ps. 42). From Jerusalem His presence flashes out ‘in perfect beauty’ (Ps. 50:2). Lacking that encounter with Him, their souls are parched like a waterless countryside (Ps. 63:2). They crave to be ‘satisfied by the pleasures’ of His house (Ps. 65:4). Only there can they be at ease, like a bird in the nest (Ps. 84:3). One day of those ‘pleasures’ is like a lifetime spent elsewhere (Ps. 10). "

What an extraordinary description of a heart for worship, or having "an appetite for God", as Lewis describes it.

I've recently begun hosting a monthly worship gathering that incorporates modern worship music with some traditional elements from the Church of England. I'm hopeful that as we gather, we will grow in our heart for God like that of the writers of Psalms.