Comfort Song

COMFORT SONG
Christian Jung
(c) 2008

VERSE 1
D---------D/F#---------------------G-------------A
Child of Mine, I've heard your cry and my heart is breaking with yours
D----------D/F#-----------G----D/Bb
You are always on My mind
D---------------D/F#--------------G---------------A
The hurt you feel is so very real, like a stabbing pain deep inside
D-----------D/F#----------------------G----D/Bb
Oh how I hate it that you feel this way

PRECHORUS
Em-------------------------------A
So many questions fill the air like stars in the night
Em---------------------------------------A
May they fade away as you embrace the morning light, because

CHORUS
D--------------------------D/F#---------------------------------------G
The pain this day has begotten will someday soon be forgotten
G----Gm
I'll wipe your tears away
D-------------------------D/F#--------------------------------------G
One day we'll be reunited, and all the wrongs will be righted
G-----Gm
Yeah I can barely wait

VERSE 2
D-------------D/F#-------------G--------------A
Wounded heart, fragile soul. your world's been turned upside down
D-----------D/F#-------------------G----D/Bb
My yoke is easy My burden is light
D-------------D.F#----------G------------A
Precious one, so undone, your sorrow's too much to bear
D-----------D/F#--------------------G-----D/Bb
I want to rescue you from this storm

PRECHORUS
Em-----------------------------A
So many questions will arise as you live this life
Em---------------------------------A
May they fade away as you embrace the morning light, because

CHORUS

BRIDGE
D------------------------------------------D/C#
Today I turned to the Father and whispered a prayer for you
D/C-------------------------------------------------------G
He whispered back and said to Me He's felt exactly the way you do
Bb------------------------------------------------F
He has also suffered loss, He knows what you're going through
F-------------------A
And now He's reaching out His arms to comfort you, comfort you

CHORUS
D----------------------------D/F#-------------------------------------G
The pain this day has begotten will someday soon be forgotten
G-----Gm
I'll wipe your tears away
D--------------------------D/F#-----------------G
One day we'll be reunited, and all the wrongs will be righted
G------Gm
Yeah I can barely wait
D----------------------------D/F#-------------------------------G
The healing I have to offer to you my sons and my daughters
G-----Gm
Is here for you today
D--------------------------D/F#----------------------------G
The day we'll be reunited is just beyond the horizon
G-----Gm----------D--D/F#--G---Gm---------------D
Yeah I can barely wait, yeah I can barely wait

COMMENTARY:

This is the first time I have ever written a song from God's perspective to us. Our close friends, Jesse and Tanya Gellatly had just returned from Mozambique, Africa on furlough for a couple of months. Tanya had miscarried earlier in the summer while in Africa and returned back to the states three months pregnant. Her and Jesse were beaming with joy as they were fully expecting that this baby would make it full-term and that they were going to be parents. I got a disturbing phone call one evening only a few days after they had returned to the States saying that Tanya had just lost the baby and was miscarrying a second time. My heart just broke for her and for Jesse. Of course, I didn't really know what to say, so I just went into a time of prayer. During that time of prayer, I asked Jesus to reveal to me how he felt about what was happening to Tanya. From that question flowed "Comfort Song." I wrote the song in a matter of hours and then went to bed, continuing on in prayer for Jesse and Tanya. They came over the next morning and I played the song for them. Tanya was in tears. We quickly decided to hit the studio upstairs at Whipple Creek Church and record the song. We got it recorded, mixed and mastered in three days and burned enough copies to hand out at church that Sunday. I played the song live that Sunday. The wierd thing about this song that God gave me, is that I feel it is for the Church, big "C," body of Christ; for all of those who have suffered the loss of a loved one in their life. You can hear the song to the right under the "Live/Unreleased (c) 2008" playlist. Please feel free to download it and pass it on to anyone who you think the lyrics in "Comfort Song" might bring comfort to.

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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Hope you are having a fantastic week. Lots of crazy things happening in our country. Lots of cool things happening in our church. Once again I want to thank you all for being such an awesome part of our worship team. I thought worship this last Sunday was phenomenal in spite of little glitches during practice and such. For those of you who weren't on the rotation this past Sunday, I would really like us to try as much as possible to be at the church for practice promptly at 8:00 am. I believe that if this happens, any stress due to time restraints will be alleviated. And again, sorry for being too abrasive during practice. I realize that was the case this past week and I want you all to know how much I love you. I also want you to know how difficult it can be to direct a team of 7 musicians and 6 singers while getting into a place of intimate worship of the Father, and then keeping in mind the one hundred people coming in to meet at the feet of Jesus.
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Phew! Thank God for His strength to be able to meet such a task with the anticipation that His Holy Spirit will reveal Himself in power and that the heavens are going to be opened, and we, as worship leaders and as a congregation, get to lift our voices and the sounds that come from our instruments heavenward before the throne of the very One who fashioned us from nothing. We all need His strength to meet such a task because this is what God has designed us to do; to love Him and to love others. Oh that we, worship leaders in His Church, would just clothe ourselves with humility, starting with me, and submit ourselves to God and to each other. We are family and we still have this stinkin' sinful nature that wants to pop it's ugly head up, even though we are doing our best to walk in the Spirit. I'm tired of it. I so much want my sinful nature to stay crucified with Christ on the cross. Thank God that He is not finished with any of us yet. We are all works in progress and there will be a day when we will gather around His throne and worship Him unhindered by our sinful nature. Until that day...Let's be the fragrance of Christ to each other, to those who enter the doors of Whipple Creek Church and to the rest of the world on this side of eternity.
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Can I get an amen?!?
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ALSO - This last Sunday there was an announcement about an APEST (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher) Seminar coming up at Whipple Creek Church on Saturday, November 22nd, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our staff at Whipple took the APEST test over a year ago, I think, and it is a great tool to recognize how God has gifted us for leadership with these positional gifts. Basically, I think it would be a great idea for us as a worship team, to take the test online and go to the seminar if possible. The test costs $10.00 and the seminar costs $30.00. Would you mind taking the APEST test online and then printing out three copies of the results (One for you, one to bring to the seminar if you can make it, and one for me...you can bring it one Sunday if you like)? If money is an issue with any of this stuff, let me know. I don't want money stopping you from either taking the test ($10.00 isn't too much I don't think) and attending the seminar ($30.00 could be a stretch for some of you...we will cover the cost of whatever you cannot). Then we, as a worship team, can look at how God has gifted each one of us...and my hope is that it will help us to get a bigger picture of God's destiny for each one of us individually and also how we can best work together as a team, complimenting one another in our gifts. Whatcha think? Can you let me know if you are in or not by shooting me a quick email? Thanks a billion. Here is the link to the online APEST:
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http://theforgottenways.org/apest/
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You guys are amazing and I am blessed beyond belief being able to work with you all. See you on Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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Awesome time of worship this last Sunday! I felt very freed up to do a little free-flowing, spontaneous worship. Let me explain a little bit about what I mean by that. I know that this can be something that is "new" to many people and many churches. I will use this as an opportunity to do a little bit of teaching on it, as I am not sure where you are all at in regards to this. This last Sunday when we came out of "Here I Am To Worship," I felt prompted to shift back and forth between two chords (happened to be E and A last Sunday) and just sing, spontaneously, words and melodies that aren't learned or written down, but flow from my heart. I also tried to free up the congregation to sing new songs to the Lord in such a way. This may take time for people to catch on to, but I believe that it is a beautiful thing. Many times when I have done this, I have sensed an overwhelming presence of the Hoy Spirit, not only upon me, but moving among the congregation. I believe that it is really about letting the Holy Spirit flow through us during this spontaneous worship...as if our spirit and the Spirit of God within us are freed to release expressions of worship in unison. This may be a hard idea to grasp, but I challenge you in your own times of worship, maybe when you are listening to some worship music where there is a break in the singing and chords are being played, to just begin singing to the Lord, new unlearned melodies, as unpracticed lyrics that flow from your heart to the heart of God. Again it may take some time to get used to, but I believe that your spirit will be edified as you explore this kind of worship to God.
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This last week, Tanya Gellatly, a very close friend of mine and Christy's, lost her baby after being pregnant for three months (Please pray for her if you don't mind). Jesse called me at let me know that evening, so I stayed up most of the night praying for Tanya, and writing a new song. As I went into a time of prayer for her, I asked God how He felt about her pain, and not just her pain, but about when His children suffer this kind of pain. I believe that God gave me this new song I am calling, "Comfort Song," which is written from Jesus' perspective. It is really a song from Jesus to His hurting children I believe. I am going to sing it after the message this Sunday as I believe it is not only for Tanya, but for the body of Christ at Whipple Creek, and maybe the body of Christ in general. So there will be no need to learn it, but I just wanted to give you a heads up about it. I am going tonight to record the whole song with Andrew tonight up in the studio, so that we can have CD's available to people who want them. I think the song will go well with Brett's message on "How Do We Know God's Will," as well.
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Much love to you all. Can't wait to see you this Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey worship team,
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Crazy times we live in, huh? I just got done watching the stock market fall to a record low again followed by the presidential debate. You know what the cool thing is? God is bigger than our country's financial dilemma and bigger than the next president...in fact HE IS THE MAN. I vote for Jesus as the ruler of not only our nation, but of the world, and on more of a personal level, our hearts. God is so awesome!
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This last weekend we've had other crazy stuff happening within our own worship team. Aiden wasn't there because he was in a really bad car-wreck, being hit by a drunk driver going 60 miles an hour. Matt wasn't there because he was in bed with an injured back. We prayed for you guys, and worship team, let's continue to pray for these guys and the others in our team we have been covering in prayer. I know that Aiden's back is REALLY sore and off the charts according to the chiropractor. His wife took the brunt more in her neck, which is also REALLY sore. Glad that you guys are on the road to recovery. Haven't heard from Matt yet this week, but let's please continue to pray for him.
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You guys did great being without much of our team. Jonas, my son, did an outstanding job filling in on acoustic guitar. I am so proud of him (sniffle, sniffle). Even for being a skeleton crew, we still pulled off being done with both sound check and practice by around 9:30 am. Awesome job, guys! And guess what, we're gonna need to shoot for that again this week as we are having an omelet feed from around 8:30am until 10:00am, and I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't mind having devotions after we practice at 9:30am with one of Jerry's omelets on a plate in front of me. =) So please, if possible, let's let's be at the church as promptly by 8:00am as possible.
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Oh yeah...check it out. God has blessed us so much as a worship team, that we are sending smaller worship teams from our church to Matt Payne's church in the Portland/Beaverton area on November 9th and 16th, and possibly for a couple of more Sundays in December as their worship pastor, Jenni Clayville, will be on maternity leave. I don't know if you remember, but this is the church that we have been supporting in their new(er) church plant...we sent cards to them a few weeks ago. I love how our church is so about THE Church, big C. In other words, we're not so focused on who we are, but rather, are concerned about helping other churches that really need it. I know that this has been a dream of both Brett's and mine; To BLESS other churches by sending worship teams out. Did you know that we literally have 4, well actually 5 guys that can lead worship and at least 2 complete full teams?!? Thank you Jesus! So as you open the new REVISED Oct-Nov2008 schedule, please look it over to make sure it works, especially on those two Sundays. I have talked to most of you who are involved in this about it.
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Thank you guys again and again for your ministry. As always, I look forward to meeting at Jesus' feet with you this Sunday, and leading others to His feet as well. Much love to all of you.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hello my friends!
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As I was talking to a few friends of mine from Whipple Creek Church, they said that they felt like the heavens were opened up during the time of worship this last Sunday. Did you feel that way? I felt a tremendous amount of freedom in worship as I played guitar and sang (maybe too much freedom as Brett was trying to get my attention for offering when my eyes were closed) from my heart. Isn't it neat to be so inundated by the Holy Spirit that everything else in this world just fades away. I love it! What a sweet, sweet time of worship we had...and the theme of gratefulness tied in so well with the message. Thank you guys so much for doing this with me week in and week out. You guys are awesome!
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Couple of things I'd like to go over:
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(1) For the sake of aesthetics, I think I am going to ask that we limit drink containers that we have on stage with us to water bottles only. I have heard some comments that it may be a distraction to have all of our different colored coffee cups (mine included) and drink cups up on stage. I just don't want to take the chance of being a distraction during our time of worship. It is fine to have our coffee cups and drink cups during practice, but then changing over to water bottles (same brand...provided by Whipple) when the service starts. I think that we also need to try to be sensitive and tactful as to when to take a drink (I know that we need to for our vocals and such, but just trying to go as long as we can without would be sweet). Any comments, thoughts on this?
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(2) For the sake of practice going smoothly and finishing by 10:00 am promptly for our pre-service prayer time, I would like to again remind us to be at the church by 8:00 am if possible. I know that we all run a little late at times. I'm just trying to get as much time in on practice and as little time as possible on sound checking and such. I will also watch our time for devotions to keep us on schedule. We did pretty well this last week, but the weeks previous we were running pretty late. Also, I know that all of our opinions about sound, tone, volume, etc., are all valid and important, and you all know that I don't like to be some weird "iron fisted" leader, but I would like to set a precedent of giving the WORSHIP LEADER and the SOUND TECHNICIAN the freedom to make a quick decision for the sake of time with all other worship team members supporting decisions made by these two people. Believe me when I say that we are all a TEAM and should all have creative license to play or sing what is fitting and appropriate for any particular song. I really believe that we all just need to serve with humility, and not arguing, for the sake of unity in spirit as well as having the big picture in mind...our decisions can and do effect not only ourselves, but other team members and the entire congregation. Along with this I would like it if we DID NOT CHANGE any settings between practice and the service, unless the WORSHIP LEADER approves of it. If there is a discrepancy or disagreement from a member of the worship team as to what decision the WORSHIP LEADER or SOUND TECHNICIAN makes, I would appreciate compliance to these requests for the practice and service that Sunday morning, and then we can have a discussion about the disagreement after the service. Thank you guys so much. You know that I hate to "make a bunch of rules" for us to follow, but I really am taking into consideration everyone involved in the worship service if I ask for something particular. I am also trying to build in this precedent for the worship leader coming after me so that there is no confusion on who has the final word on such things. Any thoughts or dialogue on this? I want you all to know that I VALUE ALL OF YOUR OPINIONS and take them all into careful consideration.
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I love you all very much. Please pray for Bill Christina as he wasn't feeling well last week. Let's also remember the other prayer requests from last Sunday. If you have any new prayer requests, please let me know so I can pass them along.
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Blessings,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hi worship team!
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What a fantastic time I had worshipping the Lord in the beauty of His holiness this last weekend. There was such a genuine sense of joy and the Spirit of God was so very evident. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am so blessed to be able to lead worship with you all. (CHRIS - thanks for joining us this last Sunday on the drums...you are truly missed). I love the versatility and the diversity that our worship team has musically. God has uniquely gifted each one of us and when we all come together it is beautiful.
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There are no new songs this week, but we are doing the new one we did this last Sunday, "Cry Holy." Brett will be focusing on thankfulness and so our set for this Sunday definitely has that theme running through it. I challenge each one of you to thank God for He who is and for all that He has done and is doing in your life during your times of personal devotions this week. Then, as we all come together this weekend, our hearts that are filled with gratitude may spill out into those we intend to lead into God's presence. I have so much to be thankful for in my life. I know that all of you do as well.
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I look forward to this Sunday. I am praying for you all. Please pray for one another and let me know if there are any prayer requests that you would like me to pass along to the rest of the team.
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Much love and many blessings,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings fellow worshippers:
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Hope you all have been having a good week. Thanks for hangin' in there last week with the sound issues we were having before practice (JOYCE-thanks a billion for your patience with us). I think that during the service it ended up fine. Even with the sound issues I sensed the Spirit of God moving during the service. We are really trying to fine tune things. There are so many variables with having a sound system, using it differently for another event, and then trying to get it back to where it was. These are all glitches we are trying to work out. We are also hoping to get some newer equipment and cables as time goes on which will help out immensely.
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This week we will be doing a bit more of a blue-zee set so it should be a lot of fun. Please keep me updated if you have any prayer requests. I am praying for you all and am looking forward to this Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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Thank you so much for last week. I know that it takes a lot of patience to try new things but I think the intimate, acoustic setting was awesome. I placed the chairs in a semi-circle like that because I wanted people to feel closer to the worship team. I really love the free-flowing Spirit led worship that takes place at Whipple. My heart would be that you would all feel that kind of freedom to worship...as the Spirit of God leads. Let me know on Sunday mornings, if you are ever sensing that you should share some Scripture or words of encouragement with the congregation in the middle of the worship set. I am so open to that. Also, I am so open to new songs that you feel would be a good fit for what we are doing. Thank Lisa for giving me new songs every now and then - can you send me the names of the last songs that you sent me as well as the album names? Thanks.
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Thanks again you guys for all of the gifts and talents that you continue to lay at the feet of Jesus. You guys are so awesome. Can't wait for Sunday. See you then.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings dear friends.
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I pray that this finds you well. How has your week been so far? Mine has been all about transitions. I quit my job doing hardwood floors this week. This transition has enabled me to focus in more on ministry and preparation for departing for the foreign mission field. For those of you who don't know, my family and I are making plans to move to Poland and serve as full-time missionaries. Doing this takes a lot of time as we are looking for friends, family members and churches who can support us financially on a monthly basis. Our family is also learning the Polish language, and it is a hard one to learn. It has been such a joy leading worship these past six months and I am looking forward to the next six months of serving in this capacity at Whipple. You all must know how many tears we will shed when it comes time to say, "goodbye" early next year. I am praying, and would like to ask you to join me in praying for the right person, or people, to step into leadership as the worship pastor at Whipple Creek Church. I believe that God has someone out there that is going to be able to take you as a team, as well as the entire congregation, to wonderful places in worship of our Father.
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On the topic of transitions...we all go through them in life. What priority does worship take place in your life through all the transitions. Both the easy transitions and the difficult transitions. The story of Job always blows me away. He was the most upright man of God in all the land. He went through a very difficult transition, from extreme wealth and great health to total poverty and poor health. Yet it says in Job 1:20-21 that after this, Job "fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.'" Even Job's wife said to him in Job 2:9, "Curse God and die!" To which Job replied in Job 2:10, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" And then it says in that same verse, "In all this Job did not sin with his lips."
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WOW! What an example of worshipping God no matter what transitions or circumstances are going on around us. Job had a very healthy perspective that God is bigger than transitions in life and greater than even the most difficult circumstances. May we all learn this important life lesson from Job as we experience transitions in our lives. Convicting, isn't it? Thank God that He isn't finished with any of us and that we are a work in progress.
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Thank you guys again and again for giving your talents to God and using them Sunday morning after Sunday morning. We are truly blessed at Whipple Creek Church with a phenomenal group of servants. Love you guys so very much. See you on Sunday.
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Blessings,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hello everyone!
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I hope and pray that you are all having an awesome week. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. What an awesome time in our Papa's presence last week during the time of worship. Thank you all again and again for your time as you serve the Lord so faithfully. I am looking forward to our next series on Sunday mornings called "Road Trip." This is a subject that is so very close to my heart...The Great Commission, where Jesus tells us to go into all the world and make disciples of every people group, waiting for the Holy Spirit to fall upon us and empower us to do so at home, in our circles of influence, in our workplace, in our neighborhoods and to the ends of the earth. My prayer is that our times of worship would, as we bask in the Lord's presence, ignite our hearts on fire to share Christ, through words and actions, to the lost.
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It seems like a silly thought to raise our hands to Jesus in the lifeboat and not reach out our hands to people drowning in the waters around us and pull them into the lifeboat. Yet sometimes, we can become so "me" focused. "What's in it for me?" "How can I have a good feeling as I worship?" Even many modern worship songs reflect this. If you don't think so, count how many times "I" is found in our more modern songs than in the hymns of yesterday. Oh for more of the theology found in the hymns in today's modern worship tunes. I know that as a worship team we know that it's not about "me," but about "Him" and about "others." Even the two greatest commandments that Jesus gave us are to "love God and love others." Satan fell from heaven due to pride...taking the focus from God and others and placing it on self, and then leaving a wake of destruction behind. The unholy trinity (me, myself and I) has become today's idol of choice in this screwed up world. Let us crucify the "I," dying to "self" and live wholeheartedly for "He" while serving "them" with reckless abandon.
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Love you all very much. Hope I didn't beat anyone up too badly with the whole INAM thing (It's Not About Me). Let me know how the schedule works for you all. I know many have vacation time during the summer and such. Can't wait for Sunday. See you there.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

Whipple Creek Worship Team Unplugged

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hi there.
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I want to thank all of you who were in the worship team last Sunday. There just seemed to be such a sweet spirit about things last Sunday. I know that I was definitely blessed...and I felt really free to just move in the Spirit of God. Thanks for being such an awesome worship team to create such an environment for me to do so. I really am not worried about what is going on musically because you guys hold it all together so well, even when I stray from the path of normalcy and take on the role of prophet (message from God to the church...not in the futuristic sense) right in the middle of the set. This is something that I would love to see all of you cultivate as God continues to mold and shape you into awesome worship leaders. It is one thing to get up on stage, pick up an instrument and sing a song, hoping that all goes well. It is another thing to have your heart laid wide open before the Living God who desires to communicate to His people today, sense or hear what it is that He would like to communicate, and take the risk of speaking or singing it out as a worship leader. One thing I know, is that it is with fear and trembling, along with a heart cleansed by the blood of Christ that I ever operate this way as a worship leader on Sunday mornings.
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Thanks for lifting up Amy and her son during this tough time in their lives. Please continue to pray over that situation. This week had been nuts for many as VBS is going on along with many other things. Our cat, Denny, passed away last night. Our family has been in tears off and on since then. Thanks for your prayers, even though it seems like a weird thing to pray about. The cool thing is, that God cares about every single detail of our lives, no matter how minute we may think it is. Thanks again. Please continue to send me prayer requests as they come up. I haven't heard any more updates about Lisa's friend or Andy's nephew.
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Please check it out as I have adjusted it since last week. Also, Bill Christina - I haven't heard from you lately. We have been praying for you at devotions on Sunday mornings. I hope things have improved for you. Please let me know if you are okay to play drums. Chris Scrivner - If you are still in town on Sunday, you are welcome to join us, too. I will just have one of you on percussion and the other on the kit. Also, please find attached the Sunday Map. Love you guys. See you this Sunday.
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Grace and peace,
Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys!
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Hope you are all well this week. I love the focus on prayer that we've been having at Whipple Creek with the "One Prayer" series. What an awesome thought: Churches everywhere, worldwide, joining together with one purpose, with one prayer. As you all know, prayer is communication with God. Worship is also communication with God...we are communicating our love FOR Him TO Him. So in a sense, much of worship is actually prayer.
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When I was younger I used to draw quite a bit. Not long after I rededicated my life to Christ I drew a picture of Jesus. It was actually a pen and ink piece made up from tiny dots so His hair looked a bit like dreadlocks on accident, though I could definitely see Jesus having dreads. Anyway, Jesus was in heaven lying on His stomach with His legs sort of crossed it the air. He had a huge smile on His face. With one of His hands He was cupping His chin, and with that elbow on a cloud He propped up His body, like He was relaxing, lounging about in the heavenlies if you will. His other arm was reaching through space and in the palm of His hand was the earth, sort of levitated, like a softball, yet He wasn't touching it. He was actually spinning it.
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When the body of Christ worldwide unites with one prayer, worshipping with voice, I imagine Jesus looking down and smiling as He spins the globe in His nail-scarred hand, hearing His followers adore Him as different time zones whirl by and catch His listening ear, in different languages, yet with one voice. Neat picture.
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Love you guys. See you on Sunday morning.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hello friends!
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How are you all this week? I am doing well and I hope that you all are the same. Thanks to all of you who served on the worship team last Sunday. To be honest it was kind of a weird Sunday, at least to me. I think the reason I feel that way is because it didn't seem like the congregation was engaging in worship. Which leads me to a couple of very important questions: (1) What does it look like when the congregation really IS connecting with God during the time of worship? (2) How do we determine whether a Sunday morning time of worship was successful or not? I believe that the key in answering these questions has to do with balance. Follow me if you will.
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(1) What does it look like when the congregation really IS connecting with God during the time of worship? I think that different people express worship in different ways. Some people will stand up and clap their hands. Others will sit in their seat with their head buried in their hands as they meditate on the words being sung. Some raise one of their hands and yet others have both raised. Some eyes are closed while others are open. As worship leaders, we cannot look into the hearts of people while we are on the stage. Only God can do this. Yet we know from Scripture that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." So at least for the most part, Spirit-filled times of worship will move people who are worshipping God from their hearts to some sort of response.
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I don't know if it was just me, but last week it felt a bit more like I was performing at a rock show. Not because I wasn't worshipping God from my heart, but because of the response of the congregation. On most Sundays I don't really have to ask people to stand up or sit down. Most of the time this happens naturally. But last Sunday, at least from what I was seeing or sensing, people were listening as spectators, and then applauding at the end of a song. Does this mean that everyone there was not really worshipping God? Of course not, but I have to at least ask the question as to why the response that would normally manifest itself physically in a person didn't seem to be there? Is it song selection? Maybe a couple of new songs throws people as they are just learning them. Yet there was only one new song last week. Is it that everybody woke up on the wrong side of the bed on the same morning? I don't think so. I greeted people before the worship set who seemed rather chipper. Couple of things I would like to explore with you all more and more.
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Do you remember in the Wizard Of Oz when Glinda, the "good witch" of the North caused a deep sleep to fall on Dorothy and her companions in that field? Sometimes I feel as though there is a huge spirit of apathy, or maybe spiritual laziness and sleepiness that seems to take a hold of large groups of people. I mentioned earlier that I "sensed" what was happening with the people. I believe that Christ-followers can develop this spiritual "sense" by more and more experience in ministering to groups of people, marking certain familiarities as they arise, and asking God about them. Is this even possible for a group of Christ-followers to fall under some kind of "spell?" If you don't think so, why do you think people, at times, get so tired while reading the Bible or praying. Maybe there is something to this. Maybe Satan really doesn't want people to engage in worship, because he knows that the fruit of such an engagement will result in damage to his kingdom. How can we, as worship leaders fight against such things that would keep the people we are longing to usher into God's presence through worship?
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Maybe there are times when people will only venture out to stand, sing out, clap or raise their hands if they see other people doing so. Once somebody breaks the ice and begins to worship freely in the congregation, as they feel prompted to, others seem to follow suit. Until then, many people feel self-conscious, as though people might think such and such about them if they are standing when no one else does. How can we, as worship leaders teach the congregation that there is complete freedom to worship as they feel led? Can we model this from on stage?
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(2) How do we determine whether a Sunday morning time of worship was successful or not? This is where I would like to talk about having a balance. I get the feeling at times, by comments that I hear, that playing every note perfectly or singing every song flawlessly is the standard by which we judge a successful time of worship. I disagree. I am stoked when everything does sound that way, but this isn't the standard. It goes even further. I have even heard it said that if we get better musicians to play, better singers to sing and newer songs in the repertoire we will have a "bigger draw." Is this what we are after? More people to listen to good music? Many mega-churches have this way of thinking. If you don't meet their requirements of a seasoned musician or singer, and I mean the bar is raised really high, there's no way you can be a part of their worship team.
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Now I am not saying that we should let just anyone be in the worship team. If someone can't stay on key or is playing something wrong all the time or is just not far enough along in learning their instrument, they should not be asked to be a leader in the worship team as they would not be leading people in worship but distracting them from worshipping the Lord. This can happen through a screening process. But if someone can play pretty well or sing pretty good and there heart is in the right place, why shouldn't they be given a shot to continue to develop as worship leaders, whether singing, or playing an instrument. Let me camp here for a minute on the heart. In my opinion, some of the most gifted and anointed worship leaders would be guys like Martyn Smith from Delirious, Chris Tomlin and Phil Wickham. What is it about them that draws people in? A good voice? Good playing? A good band behind them? These are all helpful in creating an environment where people can worship God, and all of the above mentioned have these things. But I believe that it is the heart of these guys that draws people to God. Their heart for Jesus is so evident. Believe me, there are much more talented people in the world...Martyn Smith goes flat (even on recordings), Chris Tomlin is a bit breathy and Phil Wickham has vibrato galore, a bit too much if you ask me, but they have hearts of gold. I will follow them to the feet of Jesus because of their heart, not their skill set.
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In the Old Testament, those who had any physical deformity or mixed blood in their ancestry were disqualified from being priests. When Jesus died on the cross, He became our High Priest and the veil in the temple was torn in two. We are all priests in the kingdom of God and should all have the opportunity to be used as such. I see the worship team at Whipple Creek Church as a place where those who have some talent and a heart to lead people to Jesus can serve. How about you? We'll take all of the greats as well. But we will not exalt one person over another because they sing better, play better or look better than someone else. I am looking for faithful, teachable people to serve alongside of me. As long as we are doing our best. No one is expected to give more than their best. If someone in the worship team is being a distraction to the congregation by something they are doing or not doing, we will deal with that as we are made aware of it. Balance. Balance. Balance.
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Back to the original question. A successful time of worship on Sunday morning can be determined, not by how good the sound was, or even if people had a good feeling (again, these are not bad things), but by the fruit that comes out of the lives of those who have truly had an intimate encounter with the Father. What do you think? Let's talk more on this subject at devotions this Sunday.
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Sorry for the discourse. This has just been on my heart lately. This Sunday is another acoustic Sunday (Yeah! I love those!).
Love you guys.
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Grace and peace to you all,
Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings!
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Hope you have been having a great week so far. Thanks to those of you who were in the worship team last week. Again, we had another awesome time of worshipping the Father in the beauty of His holiness. I felt that the congregation was also very much connected to God in worship. Thanks again to all of you. The Lord is using you mightily in the furtherance of His kingdom. Can you believe that furthering the kingdom of God can be as simple as singing or playing an instrument? As the sound of our voices, the strumming of our guitars, the beating of our drums reverberates through the air, the praises that ring out actually thwart the kingdom of darkness. Oh yeah, Satan hates when people, from a sincere heart, praise and worship Elohim (God), Adonai (Lord), YHWH (LORD). Satan's whole deal was to try and elevate himself to the place where he was receiving such praise, adoration, worship. So as our praise and worship of the only One worthy rises, Satan's kingdom falls. In Scripture we find that God's heart is that His name be glorified and lifted up in all the earth. My hope is that, however small a part we play in this whole thing, our praise and worship rings out in Hazel Dell...Vancouver...Washington...the United States...and throughout the entire world. As we lead others in the worship of our Lord Jesus, we are being a part of a global plan to see God's creation everywhere redeemed back to Himself. Thanks for being a history maker.
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Love you guys. See you on Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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How is your week going? I hope and pray that it has been going good. It seems like this week has been crazy-busy for me so far. I am hoping that things will slow down a bit later in the week and then going into Memorial Day weekend so that I can find rest. Speaking of rest, do all of you take time to just do nothing? It is so important in this fast-paced society. I try to use this time to draw closer to Jesus. I know that I desperately need more of Jesus in my life. So I want encourage you this week, especially if you have Memorial Day off, find some time to just rest.
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Looking forward to spending time in the presence of the Lord with you all on Sunday. See you then.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Whipple Worship Warriors:
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Greetings in the name of the One who we worship. How are you all doing so far this week? I hope this finds you well. Thanks for bearing with me and praying for me last Sunday guys. You don't know how much it means to me to have such great friends and fellow co-workers in the Kingdom of God around me, lifting up my arms at times as the battle rages on before our eyes. And what a relief it is to be able to pour ourselves out to each other; flaws, struggles and all. I mean, it felt thick and heavy in the main sanctuary before we had our devotions, at least to me. As I shared my struggles and burdens with you all and then sat back and watched you all minister to each other and make yourselves vulnerable before each other, I was rejoicing inside. Our worship team is more than a group of people there on Sunday mornings to get a job done. Our worship team is a caring group of authentic Christ-followers who have got each other's back. Praise God for you all.
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Thanks guys. Remember, if you have any prayer requests to share with the team this week let me know so I can get the word out. Love you all. See you on Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys!
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I pray this finds you all well. What a lovely time worshipping our Daddy we had last Sunday. One thing I would encourage us as worship team members to do after leading the congregation into God's presence is that His very presence that was so real and tangible on that Sunday morning would be burned into backdrops of their souls and remembered often during the week, and that a desire would be stirred up within them to experience God's presence through worshipping Him during the week as well. In fact, can we pray that our congregation, including ourselves, would develop a lifestyle of worship? That God's presence would inundate every area of life and we/they would be in a continuous state of gratitude for who He is and what He has done and continues to do. May we all be marked as worshippers and may His presence be sensed in and around us at all times.
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[Christian's head comes out of the clouds]
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Please find attached the worship schedule for May/June 2008. It would be awesome if you could look it over and let me know if there any adjustments that need to made? Thanks a million. (Lisa - do you mind singing this Sunday as Christy must now focus every week on the Power House ministry?) Also you will find attached this Sunday's map. No new songs this week, but definitely some newer ones. Love you guys and as always, am so very privileged to fight side by side with you all on the frontlines of the heavenly war that has been waged. See you on Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings my friends,
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How are you all doing this week? I hope and pray that you are all well and having a good week. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I continue to be blown away by the way the wind of the Holy Spirit blows through our church body. Sometimes it feels like a hurricane. Other times like a gentle breeze. My desire is that we all continue to fall head over heels in love with Jesus, and then express that love somehow in our worship of Him (words can't even describe that love and gratitude many times).

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Please find attached the Sunday map for this weekend. You will notice that many of the songs are the same ones we did on Easter Sunday. There is a purpose for that. Brett will be giving the last message of the "Living In The Dash" series and wanted us to end the series similar to how we started it, really focusing on the resurrection of Christ.
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I'll see you all first thing on Sunday morning. May our Father grant you a great rest of the week. Please feel free to shoot me any prayer requests that you have for the worship team to pray over.
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Blessings,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings fellow co-laborers in Christ,
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Isn't it interesting on Sunday mornings how our time of worship can be totally awesome and Spirit-led Sunday after Sunday, yet look and feel different from one Sunday to the next. The Sunday before last I felt that the people were freely worshipping in the presence of the Lord as soon as they entered the main sanctuary. This last week I sensed a heaviness, as though many were burdened during the time of worship until after the message while we were leading the last few songs, where I very strongly sensed the Holy Spirit's presence. I find it really interesting. The Sunday before last you could sense the Spirit of God moving so strongly during the entire service, and our tendency would be to say, "Let's do it like that every Sunday," or "It should look like that every time," almost as if the bar had been set by what happened that morning. I think we ought to kick against that line of thought for two reasons: (1) If a Sunday morning didn't look like that particular Sunday two weeks ago, people could experience somewhat of a letdown, almost as if "God didn't really show up that Sunday." Basing our sense of the Spirit of God moving on a "feeling" that we had could be dangerous and putting God in a box. The truth is, the Holy Spirit is always at work during the worship service and we should never leave on Sunday feeling letdown, but edified. (2) There is a chance that we could try to force the hand of God, or try to manufacture some kind of experience. This kind of worship leading is not authentic and even dangerous. I say, we just get out of the way, stand back, and see what God does every week, embracing whatever the outcome is.
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In one of the songs I wrote, "You Reign In Majesty," one of the lines says, "we have come to give and not to receive, yet You're so conscious of our needs." That is why we are all worship leaders. That is what worship is about. Ascribing worth and giving honor to our Creator, our God, our Savior, our Friend. Anything or any feeling that comes from that time of worship is just a "perk."
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Anyway, wasn't trying to write a dissertation. I have felt a lot of opposition from the enemy this last week. Some of it through circumstances. Most of it just a strong sense. I believe that we are doing everything right as a worship team. This could possibly be why there is so much opposition. If we weren't making an impact for the Kingdom of God, my guess is that Satan would spend as much time trying to mess with us. Please continue to pray for protection for all of us, for the Whipple Creek Church staff and for all of those who call Whipple Creek Church their home as well as for all of our families. Please let me know if there is anything we can be specifically praying about as a team this week. Love you guys. See you on Sunday.
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Grace and peace,
Christian.

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hello everyone,
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Last week's time of worship was so sweet. You guys are really bringing it. Thanks. I know that the Holy Spirit moves in and through us as we worship our Father and lead others to His throne. Many of you know that Maria's dad passed away this last week. Please keep her and her family in your prayers, as well as all of the other prayer needs. It often feels as though after awesome times of worship like last Sunday, we get hit hard by things. Our family has been experiencing this as well. Stay on guard against the evil one. He hates what is happening and hates that you are a part of it. May God place a hedge of protection around us all. Blessings on you all and see you on Sunday.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings fellow worship team members!
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Baptism Sunday was awesome last Sunday. Thanks Nick and team for leading the worship time while I was in the hot-tub. I was wondering - are you guys continuing to lift each other up in prayer during the week like we had talked about during our devotions last Sunday? Just a reminder to pray for each other during the week. If you think about it, please continue to pray for the healing of my back - it has taken a turn for the worst this last week and I have been a little frustrated with the medical professionals who I am sure have my well being and best interests in mind and not the dollar signs $$$ they see because of my workman's comp. claim (sarcasm intentional). I just found out today how bad my herniated disks really are. Aarrggh. Nothing that the Great Physician can't take care of, though. Love you guys. You are all often in my thoughts and prayers. Talk to you soon.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey team!
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Wow! Last Sunday was amazing! Thank you all for your hard work. I think it was right around when we sang the song by Phil Wickham, "Beautiful," that I just felt an overwhelming sense of the Holy Spirit washing over me. Not that we are going after some kind of spiritual "high" when we worship God...it was just one of the many benefits we get to enjoy when we worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. I can't think of an Easter Sunday where I have had as much fun. Thank you all for what you have brought to the worship team. With all of the great feedback we may have to do the choir thing more than just once or twice a year. What do you think? Again, I am honored to be able to lead worship alongside such a gifted bunch. Love you guys. See you soon.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey worship team!
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Sorry I am getting the songs we are doing this Sunday to you so late. It's been a pretty tough week. Please pray for me as I hurt by back pretty badly at work (doing hardwood floors) this week and am not sure when I can return to work. Also please pray for Brett and his family as Brett will be leaving to be with his father in South Dakota. With Brett not here this Sunday, I will be both leading worship and teaching. I will be counting on your leadership this Sunday as my mind can wander to what I will be teaching on. Please pray that I can remain focused on leading the congregation in worship as well as bring God's truths through the Bible teaching. Have I ever told you guys how much I appreciate you all? If not, please know that I really do appreciate the sacrifices you guys make to be there on Sunday mornings and to bring the gifts that God has given you to edify the body of Christ. See you guys on Sunday (And some of you on Saturday for the choir rehearsal).
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Blessings,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings worship team!
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You guys rock! Last Sunday the worship was so sweet (as it always is). Thank you all once again for being such a vital part of what God is doing at Whipple Creek Church. I pray that you worship with the same reckless abandon during the rest of the week that you do on Sunday mornings. You are warriors on the frontlines of a spiritual battle (check out 2 Chronicles 20). Anyway, I am attaching the new schedule for March and April of 2008. Please look it over and let me know what changes I need to make. This week we are doing another "unplugged" worship set. Love you guys.
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Blessings,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Greetings Worship Team!
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I wanted to thank you all for an awesome Sunday last week. God is so good to us, isn't He? I am really enjoying the time together with you studying through the Psalms and in prayer before our practices on Sunday mornings. Thank you for your prayers concerning my health. I am feeling much better today. I believe that God often times uses us in our weaknesses even more so than when we are counting on our own resources to somewhat carry us through. At least that's how I felt this last Sunday. I started to notice a common thread in the fact that many of us on the team have been facing some health issues recently. It could simply be due to something going around, or a change in the weather. But there could also be resistance from the enemy in the form of a concerted effort to mess with our worship team and get us distracted or discouraged. Let us, with one accord, continue to thwart Satan and bind him from our worship team, our families, our church leadership and our congregation...In the name of Jesus!
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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I have you scheduled to be on the worship team for this coming Sunday. Last Sunday's time of worship was phenomenal! I am so excited to see what the Lord does this coming Sunday. He is so worthy of our praise and worship! Thanks a bunch. Love you guys.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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I have been hearing so many good things from those in the congregation about how awesome worship has been over the past few weeks. I wanted to thank you for being such a huge part of it and encourage you to continue allowing the Lord to work through you. I love you guys and continue to be blessed by leading worship with you.
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Grace and peace,

Christian

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

Hey guys,
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Again, awesome time of worship this last week. Another quick reminder that the worship team, sound crew and tech crew are meeting at 8:00 am on Sundays at Whipple. Thanks again for offering your gifts to God in this area of ministry. There are definitely awesome things happening.
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Blessings,

Christian