The Service Order (set list):
Instead of just posting our set list this week, I thought I would post the service order we follow. Probably will continue from now on.
Countdown 2:00
Singing Together
- Arise [Baloche/Moen]
Welcome / Announcements
Singing Together
- Forever [Tomlin]
Greeting/Encouragement Time
Singing Together
- Forever (bridge & chorus) [Tomlin]
- How Great Thou Art [Hine (arr. Baloche)]
- Open the Eyes of My Heart [Baloche]
Children’s Message – Pastor John
Offertory
Message – Pastor John, “Lest We Forget: The Purpose and Power of Memorials”
Singing Together
- Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) [Newton/Rees/Excell/Tomlin/Giglio]
The Recap:
Arise Can I just say – I really like this song as a service opener. I mean, singing / saying to God:
One thing we ask of You, One thing that we desire
That as we worship You, Lord come and change our lives
Arise, take Your place, be enthroned on our praise
Arise, King of kings, Holy God as we sing
…I just can’t think of any other way to position myself at the start of a time of worship! Can you imagine – God says, “OK. I will meet with you!”
Forever A classic. We changed the arrangement for this one the last time we did it – at the wise suggestion of our bassist, “This song is the song that never ends…goes on Forever!” So…we now split it in two – doing the main part before our greeting/encouragement time, then coming back in on the instrumental as the time ends and on to the bridge and chorus – then out. Works great and we still do the whole song…just doesn’t seem to last Forever!
How Great Thou Art Another classic – and a hymn! I really like this arrangement off of Paul Baloche’s Our God Saves CD. We went right into this one from Forever – with a kickin’ drum intro by Zander & Travis!
Open the Eyes of My Heart I have tracked all the songs we have done since I started leading at East Valley and noticed that we had not done this song since March 2007! It was on a few of the service set lists on Fred McKinnon’s set list site over the past few weeks and I thought, “we have not done this in a while!” (real story below). I intro’d the song with a prayer that later in the service as we worshiped God with our intellect by spending time in His Word, that the eyes of our heart would be opened to the wonderful things in His Word (Eph 1:18, Ps 119:18). It won’t be 2+ years until we do this one again…
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) I think this updated version of Amazing Grace is a standard now. I am in awe of how the Holy Spirit brings things together in the service – this song fit perfectly (as only He can make it) with Pastor John’s message about Memorials. It was a great message, my one-liner take-away from John was: “The power in memorials is not in the memory, but what it causes us to do.” Of course, the obvious reference is to Memorial Day and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us; but, also remembering God’s Amazing Grace and my “chainless” state (even though I still shackle myself with STUFF)…may that cause, prompt, result in wholehearted worship…away from the building on Flint Ave…
The Confessional:
The Whine… It was a little rough vocally for me today – I still have some gunk in my chest and a slight cough (allergies and a cold). I almost started laughing during practice…my voice was raspy sounding for a while – kinda sounded like an aged rock star. God is good – I think it cleared up mostly…although, as Karen would attest – I am my worst critic!
Greeting/Encouragement Time Not sure if your church does a greeting time – I think many do. It’s the time when people traditionally turn around and shake hands then face front – you know, the 15-second turn/handshake/”hi”/turn. At East Valley, we super size the greeting time! It’s so cool to see people up and all over da place encouraging, greeting, and meeting new people!
Not sure when, but a while back I really started describing this portion of our service as an integral part of our worship on Sunday’s. It took a few times, because when I said, “we’re going to continue worshipping as we greet and encourage each other” – people just stood there and looked at me as I took off my guitar and walked off the platform! They get it now – sometimes, if I’m not watching the clock, this can extend to 4-5 minutes…of our 1h:15m service!
During this time, I also put this slide up as a reminder of what the time is all about:
On Open the Eyes… I think one of the reasons I haven’t scheduled this song in a while is personal…and that is wrong (sorry EVC folk & God). I am always sensitive to lyrics and what someone may think just walking in and hearing what we are singing (sort of like what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 14 – I know that’s about tongues, but still…).
I guess singing “I want to see you” was the line that I had the “issue” with. Would someone new or not knowing the “lingo” or song story reference expect to SEE Jesus? As they look at us singing, are we seeing Jesus and they aren’t? I know this song is not talking about that – it is based on Eph 1:18, but that was my issue. That is why I introduced the song as above – praying and referencing that passage and Psalm 119:18.
I know this opens up the whole “seeker-sensitive” service discussion. I don’t hold back anywhere else – but sometimes the “Christian-ese” lyrics are a personal challenge. God is working on me – and I know properly introducing songs is the key for solving this (sorta my job as the worship leader, eh). Worship planning is not about Dennis…it is about creating a time where those in attendance can connect with the Lord as a body and give Him due praise and honor and prepare hearts for the preaching of His Word… Ouch, this section was titled “confessional” wasn’t it?
x
Just as I ended the service today:
May the Lord fill you to overflowing with His amazing grace and love – and may that result in wholehearted worship of our Awesome God outside the walls of our church!
Dennis
one who is under grace…
This post is part of the Fred McKinnon service Set list extravaganza!
Interesting discussion on lyrics- I too am sensitive, sometimes too sensitive about “christian-ese” lyrics. But, I think we are called to be, that’s part of our job as worship leaders. Thanks for the recap!
Nice recap of the day. Our guitar player/singer has been stuffed up all week. He could breathe out of one side of his face in the early service, so we were encouraged. Little things, eh? Re: the whine. There are songs that we do that I simply would never listen to elsewhere. The team and congregation connect powerfully, so I have them in the rotation. Lyrically, bad theology is a show stopper for me, but I try to figure out if the lyric is simply ambiguous rather than blatantly wrong.
A great summary of the day Dennis…and I agree with Ellen & Windbag on the lyric content stuff…it’s a fine line between being religious and being true (hopefully you know what I mean by that…windbag puts it well by mentioning ambiguous vs wrong). Thanks for the honesty in your reflection