Following the theme of the previous post, I want to share some of the "method behind the madness" if you will, of these sets I "throw" together. Also, I want to provide a semi-easy way us to recall what we are singing and by whom so you, if you want, can go to iTunes (or equivalent) and download the track for your own worshiping pleasure!
We started singing at our every-other-week prayer and planning meeting for the RBC two weeks ago. Last time, we sang: Holy Is the Lord, Hosanna (by Paul Baloche), God of this City, and The Solid Rock. I will talk about these songs later, I'll definitely be leading them again. Tonight's set was:
Indescribable by Laura Story / Chris Tomlin
Our God (Is Greater) by Chris Tomlin (now to be honest, I'm not sure he wrote this one)
Jesus, Lord of Heaven by Phil Wickham
Indescribable is one of my favorites. Come worship with me for a few weeks and you'll hear it, at least once. It captures a beautiful picture of worship: all creation (not just man!) worships the Lord, their creator. The chorus' lead-in lines really get me: "All exclaiming: " and "None can fathom: ". Creation yearns (as we do, perhaps?) for the Lord and has, like us, been redeemed by Christ! (Romans 8:19ff). No man can fathom the magnitude of the Lord, nor the heights of His grace and love (more to come later on this). All creation too cannot comprehend this; we join their praise and their song to the indescribable, untamable, all powerful, uncontainable, unchangeable, incomparable God.
Our God (Is Greater) is from the latest Passion CD, "Awakening." What a proclamation: "Our God is greater / Our God is stronger"! I think about 1 John 5:21 when I sing this. It says "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." This is John's warning that idols and their lure and their "promise" can negate what we the body are called to do: share and be the love of Christ. When I hear this song I think, "My God (read: our God!) is greater and stronger than any idol the world can offer me." I need this truth. The song doesn't stop there however, it firmly (and defiantly) declares Romans 8:31. "...and if our God is for us / then who could ever stop us? / and if our God is with us / then what could stand against (us)?"
(side note, i kinda butchered the lyrics tonight, sorry... I'll get it next time :p )
Lastly, after a brief message on Acts 1:12-26, Jesus Lord of Heaven. I've mentioned this to a few people, but one of my favorite themes in worship is the unfathomable love and grace of the Lord. Paul prays that the Ephesians (read: we) would know "the breadth, length, height and depth" of His love. (3:14ff). I deeply enjoy the creativity of this truth as found in this song: "Your love has no bounds." When I lead this song, we sing this line alot. Honestly, I want to sing it more. I want to believe deeper and deeper in my mind and heart and soul that His love for me, for us, has no bounds.
Worship in song is a beautiful form of preaching the gospel to ourselves - proclaiming the truth of His word, from our mouths to Him. Sometimes it's truth we have held and will continue hold dear in our hearts and other times it's truth we must digest further. These songs, are praises to our Lord, and they truly are prayers too. "Lord, teach me more of Your love! Thank you for seeing the depths of my heart and loving me the same (from Indescribable). Praise You for being greater and stronger than all of and in the world and being accessible through the saving work of Your Son, in whom we are more than conquerers (Rom. 8:37). Amen"
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