Bringing Glory to the name of Jesus is a ridiculously great thing that we get to do as the Church.  We live in a broken world.  People all around us are meant to be worshiping God and they aren’t.  John Piper said in the Opening lines of a book called “Let the Nations be Glad” that, “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.”  In other words, the reason why the church is on mission is so that—by God’s Grace—he will use us to draw everyone to worship the true and living God.  When we meet as the Body of Christ, we are engaging in a redeeming act in our City because we are making such a clear proclamation with our loud voices (hopefully they are loud!) that the name of Jesus is great.  When people see us doing what we were meant to do it is a chance that they too might come to do what they were created for as well.  And thus, we worshiped, and these were the tunes that we sang:

Bayside:

Happy Day—Tim Hughes

Blessed Be the Name—Matt Redman

From the Inside Out—Joel Houston/Hillsong United

Majestic—Lincoln Brewster

Hosanna—Brooke Faser/Hillsong United

Origin:

1^st Set

Jesus Draw Me Close—Rick Founds

Because of Your Cross—Phil Wickham

The Stand—Joel Houston/Hillsong United

Hallelujah Jesus—Evan Wickham

2^nd Set

Where We Belong—Reuben Morgan/Hillsong

Blessed Be Your Name—Matt Redman

Take My Life—Phil Wickham/Sean Cimino 

I found this piece of paper and I was struck with a thought. As I look around, it seems like our culture is obsessed with talking about love. Our songs, bumper stickers, and slogans are all full of it—love that is. Social justice is not merely a biblical mandate; it’s become avant-garde. Most of the churches that I see other young people filling have at their center some program to do things for those in need, in the name of love, and that is what should be. But, it is interesting that the popular notion of love is so incredibly general.

In my attempts to live out the Word, I often will write out a verse that I want to integrate into who I am. The picture is an example of this. I leave that paper in places that I will be certain to come into contact with throughout the day (dash board, wallet, man-bag pocket, bathroom mirror etc.). This particular piece of paper I found under my driver seat today, so it doesn’t always work that well, but I try.

This verse is interesting because I don’t automatically think of the attributes in it when I say the phrase I love you. It equates love with patience and kindness, not being jealous, boastful, proud or rude, not demanding, or being irritable, rejoicing about truth over injustice, not giving up on someone, being faithful and hopeful. That’s different than the way I use it.

Now, I support the popular social justice efforts 197% because it is overdue, and it is about time that the church got off their fat pew and did something. My thought is simply that I need to remind myself that love is more than just doing good things and since you are a lot like me you might need a similar reminder. It’s more than kindness. Look at how many elements in the verse are exclusively matters of the heart.

When I say I love you at bedtime and goodbyes and all other times, I don’t necessarily intend to promise the things in this verse; however, I probably should be— trusting that, by God’s grace, he can help me to make it so.

Like most of pop anything, there is a depth that is missing in our culture when love is spoken of. It’s good to know that the Bible gives us some bearing on its most important theme. Am I the only one who uses the words I love you without considering the depth of these words? Hit me with your thoughts.

I played at Elevation Church in my Hometown, Auburn, Ca, this last Sunday filling in for Damian Horne (Awesome church by the way). While I was there, I was reminded that my involvement at Origin began at Elevation when I played there last.

That last Sunday was my first introduction to Pastor Mark South. Apparently, there was a little arranging going on behind the scene between Mark and Damian. Mark needed a worship pastor for Origin and Damian was recommending me.

Damian didn’t feel the need to give me the heads up that he was having me play so that Mark could meet me. But it worked out. I lead the worship that morning without the pressure of thinking that I was being evaluated. I didn’t do anything lame so I guess it worked out.

Mark and I sat down for lunch a week later and now we work together. It’s pretty great. I have never served at a newly forming church but it’s a pretty rad experience to be part of something that has a fresh foundation to be laid. I am really looking forward to what God is going to do in Origin.

I came across this Youtube video that is pretty legit. As a worship leader, it totally resonates with me, but I think that it will do the same for anybody who has spent 2 seconds in a modern evangelical church and has a pulse.

What are we doing in church? We may be guilty of allowing propaganda to guide our worship services rather than Spirit of God and his truth—is what Brian McClaren is getting at. I don’t agree with much of what McClaren has to say, but I like this quite a bit. Check it out. Could we use more honesty in our services? What do you think?