WORSHIP IN FAITH

What's new?

2012-01-03T10:49:00.005-09:00

Every year at around the same time (NOW), we all, in some form, begin to reminisce over the year behind us & look towards the year ahead. I say, "in some form", because this can, and does, look different for each of us. We have all trod different paths in 2011, and we are all taking slightly different ones in 2012. The beauty of the word "slightly" is wondrous as believers & followers of Jesus Christ. Though each of our paths may be "slightly" different, we are each on the same journey of sanctification...TO KNOW AND BE MORE LIKE CHRIST! Where will your path take you this year? Every Tuesday morning I receive insight from a fellow leader in the local church, Jason Hatley of The Journey Church. Here's what he had to say about the importance of looking back that ultimately leads forward...

"With the end of 2011 just days away, many of us are already turning the calendars in our minds to 2012. Good idea, right?

Wrong!

Let me explain . . . There's nothing wrong with looking ahead, but the problem is that many may be forgetting one of the most important year-end rituals -- wrapping up this year before you move on to the next. That's right . . . like any good worship service it's not over until it's been properly evaluated and debriefed.

One of the things that I do each year is a year-end evaluation. It's an incredibly powerful process and I want to share part of it with you today.

You see there is a leadership principle that far too few people practice these days -- the Principle of Reflection.

John Maxwell says that, "The greatest enemy of good thinking is busyness." That's certainly true this time of year. We become so busy moving on that we neglect to take time to think, reflect, and evaluate how things went this year, and what we can learn from that to make next year better.

So as we head down the homestretch of 2011, reflect on this.

First of all, it will remind you of what God has done in your life this year. Like the Israelites, you and I need to be reminded of all that God has done for us so we can be grateful and remain faithful.

It will also give you a clear picture of where you are and how far you've come in the last year. How did you do at overcoming your biggest challenges this past year, and how is God growing you?

One of the great tragedies of life would be to reach the end of a year, look back and realize you are the same person today that you were a year ago. A year wasted, fighting the same battles, dealing with the same struggles. Like Sisyphus, the king from Greek mythology who was punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again, and to repeat this for eternity.

That's not what you want, not what I want, and certainly not what God wants.

So, before this year is over, let's see what we can learn from it."

Blessings to you & yours in 2012!

It's Official!

2011-12-13T09:19:00.007-09:00

Yes folks, Phase 2 of The Community School of Worship has been approved! What does that mean? It means that starting in the Fall of 2012, we will be expanding the school to include classes four days a week. It means that there will be even more opportunity to train & raise up the next generation of Worship Pastors. It means that...well...we have a LOT to do!

Be looking for our ad in the March/April edition of Worship Leader Magazine. Be praying & thinking on WHO you know that should be here. Is that someone YOU? If you have any questions, please contact me at medington@faithak.com or 907-243-1777 ext. 32.

In the meantime, please covenant with me to pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us in this endeavor, that we would follow in the steps of Christ & that God, the Father would be glorified in the process.

Blessings!

Thank You & PRAY!

2011-11-14T12:59:00.002-09:00

Greetings friends. Yesterday was the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church. I find it very interesting that this important day followed veterans day by just two days. I'm not sure we can ever fully grasp the freedom's that we have in this country. We seem to always be able to find something that we're not happy about. How often do we sincerely thank God for His rich blessings on us. It's a pretty sobering thought.

Over the weekend, we shared this song with the body as we communed with our God, with each other & prayed for those suffering for the name of Christ all over the world. Spend some time in prayer as you listen to this song.

Ground Rules

2011-09-22T20:00:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid I can remember REALLY hating rules. I felt like everybody else had control but me. Now, as an adult (and many hard lessons later), I often times love it if someone else will simply tell me what to do. Of course, I don't always like it that way. For those of you that know me, I knew I wouldn't fully be able to get away with that statement. God did make me a bit strong willed! However, I can say this with complete honesty. When it comes to following the direction of my creator & savior, I long for clear direction. Through the building & utilizing of the Mosaic tabernacle (tent of meeting), God thankfully gave us some clear ground rules in how to approach Him & lead others to Him.

The tabernacle must be built 1st...

...By freewill Offerings

-it CANNOT be manufactured!

 Exodus 25:2 (NKJV) “Speak to the children of Israel, that they may bring Me an offering: you shall take the offering of every man that gives freely from his heart.”

GOD stirred the people up to give, not Moses.

Exodus 35:21 (KJV) "Everyone whom His spirit made willing."

-We, as Priests, have to be light handed with the people in worship. God’s hand is heavy, not ours.

2nd...

...By a people whose hearts are moved 

Exodus 35:21 (NIV) And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him (underline that) came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.

-A great orator can move a persons soul, but passion & conviction comes from the Spirit of the Lord.

-Sometimes we see worship as only a cerebral pursuit. The Lord does want our minds, but let’s not dismiss the fact that the Lord wants our hearts. The Word says...“Love the Lord God with all your Heart”. That’s the first thing He asks for.

-Once He has your heart, He will get your mind.

3rd...

...By God’s wisdom  

Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”

-If we don’t seek the wisdom of God, we're going to be giving
people a false picture of what He wants to give them.

-Remember, everything in the tabernacle has a place & purpose, for a reason. We can soooo easily mess up a 'tabernacle' meeting if we don't follow His direction. Seeking God’s wisdom is the only way to get this right.

Exodus 36:1 (KJV) “… and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded".

4th...

...By skillful people

-There is no value or virtue for mediocrity in the Kingdom of God!

-If we are not doing things to the best of our abilities, we are not worshipping God with those abilities.

-We need musicians that are going to play their instruments as befitting the audience of a King.

-EXPECT THE BEST FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD!  

Exodus 36:1 (NIV) “So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person … are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.” 

Exodus 31:1–3 (NIV) “See, I have chosen Bezalel … and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.”

-REJECT MEDIOCRITY!

5th...

...By people filled with the Spirit of God

- We cannot lead people without the power of God!
- We cannot be okay with just moving people's souls!
- We are not as great as we think we are. We need JESUS!

6th...

...According to the pattern 

 Exodus 25:40 (NKJV) “See to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”

- Because of the sin of the priesthood (2 Samuel 6), the presence of God (Ark of the Covenant) has gone into captivity.

-It’s a priests responsibility to know his/her job.

-When we carry the presence of God incorrectly, we endanger the people.

-The presence of God cannot be carried the world's way.

-Look to God's pattern!

*Original lesson from Zach Neese at Gateway Worship. Modified by Mark Edington.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

School is in Session

2011-09-14T08:59:00.002-08:00

Last week officially kicked off the first semester of The Community School of Worship, with last night being the first Foundations of Worship class. It was such a joy to teach this wonderful group of 19 students. Each week I will be posting a few little jewels from my notes. I trust it will be of help to you in your journey of faith. Please leave a comment on your thoughts. I would love to keep the dialogue going.

Week 1: Who Am I?

I am a PRIEST!

1 Peter 2:5

New International Version

⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9

New International Version

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

My identity makes a HUGE difference in how I act & behave. If, as a congregation member, I see the platform ministry as being the only Priests, then that relieves me of any priestly duties. What would happen if the entire congregation saw ourselves as Priests? It would completely change the way we relate to God & the world around us.

As a Priest, our first job responsibility is to...

Build tabernacle.

Hebrews called the tabernacle the Tent of Meeting. When going to the tabernacle there was always an expectation of meeting with God. Only Priests can host meetings with God, or set up tabernacle. As a Priest, my most important responsibility is to make tabernacle everywhere I go & in everything I do, to set up intersections between God & man.

Deuteronomy 10:8-9

New International Version

⁸ At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today. ⁹ That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as the LORD your God told them.)

The 2nd thing Priests do is...

Carry the presence of God.

Anywhere I go, the Priesthood (Kingdom of God) is with me (ex. diplomatic immunity). I am an Ambassador to the Kingdom of God no matter where I go. The Kingdom of God trumps everything else when the Priesthood is present. When I walk into any room, the Kingdom of God is represented by me!

The 3rd thing Priests do is...

Minister to God.

Your primary responsibility is not to minister to the people, but to the Lord Himself first. Whether you're in the congregation or on the platform, focus your worship upon the Lord & His tastes.

The 4th thing a Priest does is...

Bless the people.

In the passage we read from Deuteronomy, God says that their next responsibility is to pronounce blessings in His name as they do today. Let's look at "blessing" from the perspective of Hod God instructed Aaron to bless the people.

Numbers 6:22-26

New International Version

The Priestly Blessing

²² "The LORD said to Moses, ²³ Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁴The LORD bless you
and keep you;
²⁵ the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

When we bless people we catalyze destiny inside that person. Ministering to their tastes is not ministering to God, but helping them walk into their ministry (priesthood) is blessing them.

If we bless people from the world's perspective, they would remain who they are comfortable being, but if we bless them through the eyes of heaven we're going to propel them into God's destiny!

WOW, THAT'S GOOD STUFF!!

Until next time...

-Original lesson from Zach Neese at Gateway Worship. Modified by Mark Edington

Conference Quotes #3

2011-08-12T11:17:00.006-08:00

"Not on my watch." - Michelle Rhee

"I tried to create a different culture, a culture where we thought about every single child and every single family in the same way we think about our own." - Michelle Rhee

"I would much rather deal with anger than apathy." - Michelle Rhee

"Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves." - Michelle Rhee

"Humility will not automatically make you great. And being great will not make you humble. Humility makes the great greater." - John Dickson

"You don’t need armies to change empires or individuals." - John Dickson

"Sometimes people aren’t going to reward you for doing the dirty work. But you should do it anyway." - Patrick Lencioni

"If you live your life outside of God you are destined for a life of endless repetition and monotony, but when you live in the light of Creation all things become new." - Erwin McManus

"We can’t change history, but we can create the future." - Erwin McManus

"The church needs to reclaim it’s place as the epicenter of creativity" - Erwin McManus

Conference Quotes #2

2011-08-12T10:16:00.005-08:00

"We teach our kids to say 'Please & Thank You'. With God, the protocol is the opposite."

Psalm 100:4 "Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, and His courts with praise"

"We thank Him for everything before we ask Him for anything!" - Steven Furtick

"Good ideas don’t make you a visionary, they just make you a day-dreamer if you don’t move to implementation." - Steven Furtick

"We don’t choose where to be born but we choose to be sinners or saints." - Mama Maggie Gorban

"Everyone who carries the fragrance of eternity has to experience the dark valley of death." - Mama Maggie Gorban

"God is looking for some strong-shouldered leaders who are available to take on tough callings." - Bill Hybels

Conference Quotes

2011-08-11T13:19:00.010-08:00

"Have you had your leadership bell rung recently?" -Bill Hybels

"Your job is to move your organization from HERE to THERE" -Bill Hybels

"You can’t get There until you make it clear how unacceptable it is Here." -Len Schlesinger (referencing Bill Hybels)

"If all you do is think, you are less interesting as a person. Action trumps everything!" -Len Schlesinger

"If you try and try and try, you get more times at bat and increase the amount of times you succeed." - Len Schlesinger

“Many people will try to seduce you into mediocrity. Don’t fall for it. You were born an original, but most die copies.” -Mayor Cory A. Booker

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” - Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (referenced by Mayor Cory A. Booker)

"If you catch on fire, someone will come watch you burn!" -Rev. Brenda Salter McNeil

School of Worship Promo Video

2011-07-28T17:15:00.001-08:00

Latest Night of Worship Video

2011-07-26T17:05:00.002-08:00

Greetings everyone. I'm fresh off the plane from vacation in Colorado. Translation...I'm rejuvenated, but presently exhausted!

I just wanted to let you know that the video of July 16th's Night of Worship is now posted on the church site. You can click on the poster in the right hand sidebar of this blog to be connected to the page. It was an AMAZING night that I hope you can either watch & participate again, or enjoy for the first time.

Blessings!

-Mark

Good Things Come in 3's

2011-07-05T12:38:00.009-08:00

You've heard it said that good things come in 3's. Well today is no exception. I am so excited about what God is doing in & around His bride here at Faith Christian Community. Today I want to share with you three things within the Worship Arts Department that you'll want to make note of. No pun intended. Ok...maybe a little bit.

First:

This weekend we will be having a reception following all three services for those of you interested in joining the platform ministry of the Worship Arts Team. Every six months we hold open evaluations for anyone feeling the calling to serve in this way. If that's you, please come to room 201 (the student room) immediately following all three services this Saturday & Sunday. This will be purely informational, with no obligation attached. Come, hang out, eat something, learn something & go from there.

Secondly:

Three times a year we host an extended time of worship, simply called, Night of Worship. LIVE@FAITH will present this next event on Saturday, July 16th from 6-7:30. We will be wrapping up our Psalms series by singing through the same Psalms that Jesus would have used in the worship of His heavenly Father. Mark your calendars for what has proved to be an amazing night of unity in praise & worship.

With much anticipation. I give you #3:

For more than a decade I have waited on the Lord as He planted a seed deep within me to raise up strong worship leaders. I knew & believed in my heart that this would one day come to fruition in the form of a training venue for those called into this area of service, and even those within the body of Christ that simply want to learn more about worship and what it means to be a 24/7 worshipper. Friends, I'm so excited to tell you that the time is NOW & the place is HERE. Starting Sept. 6th, The Community School of Worship will begin Phase 1. We will begin with four core classes (2 theology & 2 music theory) over a two semester period. These will be held on Tuesday & Thursday evenings here on the campus of Faith. Being Phase 1, we've decided to waive all tuition fees. The only costs associated will be a $100 book fee per semester. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please click here for an informational flyer, and here for an application.

These are certainly exciting times! I look forward to you joining us as we seek to serve the King of Kings...JESUS CHRIST!

-Mark

Coming Soon!

2011-06-14T19:41:00.001-08:00

Does this glorify God?

2011-06-08T07:47:00.004-08:00

Social Networking. The two words mean nothing & everything to us these days. They are so much a part of our everyday life that we think nothing of them, even when we're fully engaged in it. Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, YouTube, Digg, Flickr, & the list goes on...You know you've made an impact as a social networking site when your company name has become a verb...to tweet or twitter. Look, I use these sites just like the next person, but I must say probably not as much. I absolutely see the need for it in this ever-growing fast-paced society called planet Earth. Once I finally jumped in the social media pool, it took me one day to re-connect with my best friend from high school. I couldn't find him anywhere & suddenly there he was. I totally get it! However, as a follower of Christ, I feel it's our God given duty, albeit mandate, to be very careful as we walk around the highly populated corridors in the school of life. Let's look at what God's Word says in Colossians:

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." -Colossians 3:17

At this point in my ministry, I have been to a myriad of conferences, some good (mostly) & some bad (boy was it bad). I have learned some valuable lessons that have helped me tremendously in my walk with Christ & my position in worship ministry. Surprisingly, last year, at a conference in Texas, I heard a very simple statement that made a profound impact into my daily routine. The reason it was surprising is that it wasn't a planned statement as a part of a well thought out lesson. It was simply a passing thought, a rabbit being chased. After quoting several hilarious facebook status posts, The instructor said this, "I have made a vow with my God to not put ANYTHING online that doesn't glorify Him, & help others to do the same."

Friends, it's really as simple as that. We have a choice as to what we put out there, & as you know, once it's out there, it's out there forever. Does this mean I'm going to stop using social networks, absolutely not! I'm just not going to let them use me. Let's stop ranting & raving for the whole world to see, and start following what Christ says in Matthew 18 & Matthew 22.

For those of you that follow this blog, I'm sure you've noticed that I don't post very often. You're not going to get your daily dose of anything here. That being said, I hope you've noticed that whatever I do post, be it on this blog, on my Facebook page, or very occasionally Twitter, it's always very purposeful...

TO GLORIFY GOD & HELP OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!

Control vs. Surrender

2011-05-16T12:11:00.003-08:00

Greetings fellow blogophiles. Just in case you weren't at our services over the weekend, I wanted to post this short snippet. Check it out & please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

If this wets your whistle at all, later this week you can click here to watch Mike's message, as well as the entire worship set.

I SURRENDER ALL!

Bringing an EXCELLENT Offering

2011-05-04T19:08:00.001-08:00

In a study on the subject of excellence, I came across this from David S. Lampel’s “Unison” series. It really rang true with what I’ve been seeking to convey to our worship team as we minister to the Lord & His church.

___________________________________________________________

“We have spoken much of excellence in worship, and there are two points that need to be made clear:

* Excellence in worship is not optional. The two cannot be separated.

* Excellence is not synonymous with perfection. Here is where many get sidetracked; they think that because they are incapable of perfection, they may as well not try for excellence.

In true worship, excellence is not the goal, but the result. The goal in worship is to approach God to adore Him. To do this, we must empty ourselves of self, come to Him with open hands and open hearts--nothing hidden. No hypocrisy. Only truth.

This honesty in worship results in excellence. God accepts our adoration because it is honest, and He permits our honest worship to be an example for others. In this, we attain-- without seeking excellence as an end--excellence in worship.

When you approach your God to worship, whether in public or in private, do it honestly or don't do it at all. Mean what you say to Him. And in your honesty, He will be praised.”

__________________________________________________________

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

-Psalm 150:6 NASB

The Church United

2011-04-21T17:29:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow night proves to be a historic night here in Anchorage. I have the privilege of leading the choir at this amazing night of remembrance & celebration. Check out this video & mark your calendars. See you there.

Church of Anchorage Good Friday Promo (Full Version) from Brant Olson on Vimeo.

"Not a Fan" snippets

2011-04-12T15:01:00.004-08:00

Hey there everyone, just a quick post to say if you enjoyed the testimonies and such that we did for our recent "Not a Fan" series, here they are in one spot, all nice and concise:

Enjoy!

Citywide Good Friday Service

2011-04-04T09:08:00.001-08:00

Mark your calendars now for this AMAZING event!

Evolution of a Worship Song

2011-03-14T20:35:00.007-08:00

Yes, I did say the words "evolution" & "worship" in the same sentence. Just thought I'd throw that out there. A few weeks ago we started a new sermon series entitled "Not A Fan". As a part of my preparation I really felt like God had a new song for the body here at Faith. After pouring over scriptures, I picked up my guitar & began to piece it together. This may be the first time that a song came together in about a week.

So...back to evolution. For all you songwriters out there, you know that new songs go through a bit of trial & error. They may begin as one thing & end as something completely different. In my case, I am not an arranger. Melodies, lyrics & chord structure come fairly easily. Arranging is someone else's job! There's the argument for surrounding yourself with people more talented than you (props to the band, especially Jordan).

I've attached the files that make up this songs process of evolution. Take a listen. The chord charts are attached as well. Feel free to use the song. Start with the demo, then acoustic & finally the full band. Listen closely for the slight nuances of change that build upon each other. It's certainly not a perfect tune, but I must admit that this one made me want to write more. I loved every minute of it. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. I can take it!

Are you needy?

2011-02-22T08:12:00.001-09:00

Greetings from Texas! This morning I received an amazing Word from the Lord regarding our NEED for God & the things of God. Brian Houston, senior pastor of Hillsong church, brought this message. These are my notes from this message. I pray that you will open your hearts up to what our God might speak to you through this.

Be Blessed!
-Mark

Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

EMBRACING YOUR NEED!

I need the wisdom of God!
I need God's grace!
I need my wife!
I need Jesus!

Revelation 3:17
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Proverbs 24:6
6 for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers.

1 Corinthians 12:21
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

NEED IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF GREAT MIRACLES!

YOU NEED MORE NEED!

I want our church to ALWAYS have more vision than money!

God knows your need!

Matthew 6:8
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

1Corinthians 2:7-12
7"No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” – 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."

4 things where increased need will bring increased supply

Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

1. YOU NEED MORE SEED!
2 Corinthians 9:10
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

2. YOU NEED MORE GODLY WISDOM!

James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

3. YOU NEED TO ENLARGE YOUR THINKING!

Ephesians 3:20
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

4. WE NEED MORE NEED!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Gateway Church (NRH Campus)

GOODONYA!!

2011-01-31T14:40:00.004-09:00

Thank You Volunteers!

"Well Done, Good & Faithful Servant!" -Matthew 25:23

Night of Worship...an AMAZING night of ministry

2011-01-26T13:43:00.008-09:00

Greetings blogging community. This past Saturday evening was our first Night of Worship of 2011. What an AMAZING night! God came in a very powerful way & I can't wait to hear of lives that have been changed as a result of such healing worship.

Team, I have been blessed to lead alongside you. This event (& every weekend service) could not have happened with such excellence without each of you laying down your gifts. I am daily amazed at what God has orchestrated here in the Worship Arts Department. I am truly blessed, as is the body of Christ here at Faith.

The images above are going in our latest newsletter. I thought I give you the first glimpse. You can check out the N.O.W. video by clicking on the poster in the sidebar to the right. Give God ALL the glory as you watch, sing, remember & worship. Be blessed!

1st Night of Worship of 2011

2011-01-13T16:43:00.007-09:00

Coming up on January 22nd is the first Night of Worship of the new year. Check out this video from last week's service to get a little taste of what to expect. We serve an amazing God, who has the power to restore our brokenness. Expect this restoration to come in the midst of worship! Feel free to download the poster for advertising purposes.

...I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly...

...let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.

-Psalm 5:3b & 11a

January '11 Worship Vision Night Teaching

2011-01-06T10:13:00.004-09:00

Greetings friends. Here's the latest video from last Tuesday's monthly Worship Vision Night. It's a NEW DAY!!

WVN Teaching 1-4-11 from FaithAK Videos on Vimeo.

A Facebook Christmas

2010-12-15T14:25:00.002-09:00

Pretty impressive & thought provoking video.

Old Made New

2010-12-06T14:33:00.008-09:00

Throughout this time of year we find ourselves singing what I like to call "comfort food" songs. This past weekend, the second week of advent (Peace), was no exception. Christmas carols may be the only "traditional" songs that we can all agree on. That being said, I find myself often wanting to tinker with some of these old classics. The debate continues on whether or not "tinkering" should be done. Oh well! Often times, I'll come across an old hymn or carol that musically doesn't seem to fit the text. You've heard them. It will sound like a happy-go-lucky bar tune (btw, many of them were), yet the lyrics are about an excruciating death on a cross. What? It's just strange. So, this past weekend, I took it upon myself to work on the old standby..."I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day". I just made two slight changes. Rather than a major key, I decided to do the verses in a minor key. It just made sense seeing as one of the verses states:

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth goodwill to men

I then coupled that with an extra chorus in the major key that sang:

Hear the ringing, Angels singing

Hear them crying, Christ is born!

The new chorus brought in the brightness of the season that I think the song needed. It really turned out quite nice. Here's the demo that I made for our rehearsal.

...and here's the video from this past weekend's service.

Let me know what you think.

Thank you Lord for the gift of your Son, & thank you for the music penned through the ages to help us in worshipping Him. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!

Rise Up!

2010-11-29T11:31:00.004-09:00

One of the bedrock principles of leadership (that I thankfully learned early on in my ministry) is to raise up other leaders. Surround yourself with extraordinary people of sound character and solid competence. Then, keep your eyes open for those that shine! My friend and brother Tipasa is one of those extraordinary people. It has been a privilege to walk along side of him as he is stepping into what God has for him as a worshipper and leader of worship. As you watch this video, join me as I rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for my partner in Ministry Tipasa Faletagoa'i.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10

Streamed with permission by discoverworship.com

Thankful

2010-11-22T09:08:00.003-09:00

As we approach Thanksgiving I'm acutely aware of the many blessings in my life. As many of you know, this past week has been quite challenging for my family. More specifically, for my wife. As I type this, she has just been wheeled back to the OR for gall bladder surgery. This has been a long time coming seeing as we were in the ER last Saturday night (technically Sunday morning). Thankfully the doctor let us go ahead with our anniversary weekend at the Sheraton celebrating SIXTEEN AMAZING YEARS! Do you know how hard it is to eat low fat at most restaurants? I'm very thankful for online nutritional charts, but mortified at how much fat we are all ingesting. By now Lisa is somewhat of a pro at this whole surgery thing. This will be her fifth abdominal surgery, and sixth overall. She is an incredible lady!

From all of that, I hope you heard that I am so very thankful for my family. My wife and kids mean the world to me, and I am daily astonished that God has seen fit to entrust them to me. Truth be told, they help me just as much as I help them. Isn't that what family is for? If LOVE can't be found in the family first, then where else? I LOVE YOU GUYS...DEEPLY!

That brings me to the next thing I'm thankful for, my other family at Faith. The people in the body at Faith have been overwhelming in their support of us during this trying time. More specifically, our family within a family, the Worship Arts team and staff. You know who you are, and you have truly been a God send to us. Let's face it, Alaska is a long way from...well, anywhere. Our family is a long ways away, and each of you have filled this gap well. WE LOVE YOU! More and more I'm learning that one of my highest callings in life is to raise up leaders. These past two weekends have been a strong affirmation that God is truly using me in this way. I am humbled and honored to work alongside each of you, and to see many of you stepping up in leadership. Through this tough period, I have felt very comfortable leaving things in your capable hands. God is forming a team of worshippers that are ready for anything. I am thankful beyond words for being called to be a part of what HE is doing.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! Hug your family, tell them you love them & thank God daily for them!

THANK YOU!!!

-Mark

WVN Teaching - The Manifest Presence of God

2010-11-03T11:36:00.007-08:00

Greetings friends. Tuesday night we had a great Worship Vision Night! More than any other week of the month, the week's with WMV's energize me the most. With all of the work that we put in every week, it's just nice to hang out. Tuesday, we discussed a pretty heady topic, the Manifest Presence of God. The video below is of that teaching. We're still working on getting the "crowd" audio to be better so bear with us. My notes are also posted below. Please comment & let me know your thoughts.

Blessings!

Man-i-fest

1. Readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident; obvious; apparent; plain.

Pres-ence

2. The state or fact of being present, as with others in a place.

God is omnipresent, meaning that He is everywhere at all times. David said in Psalm 139:7,

“Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.”

He concludes that there is no place that we can hide from God’s presence.

As well as being omnipresent, God also dwells in the believer. The indwelling presence of God is given to all who believe.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16.

The fact that He is omnipresent & we are indwelt with His Holy Spirit does not stop the longing that we have for the presence of God. What we are really talking about is the increased awareness of His presence in our lives. As a follower of Jesus Christ, The God of the universe dwells within you. It’s this mystery that we should seek to be more completely aware of in our lives.

The manifest presence of God is what brings power. It changes lives & reveals the glory of God.

So, how do we usher in God’s presence? SEEK HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART! Deuteronomy 4:29 says...

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

By placing ourselves before Him in a place of adoration, we make room for Him, and through focusing our attention on Him, increase our awareness of the presence of God in our lives.

Does God desire to manifest himself to us today like the ancient days of scripture? YES! Just as the cloud filled the tent of meeting in Moses’ time, so He fills & reveals Himself to people individually & corporately today. Christ said in John 17:20-22...

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one.”

Notice that Jesus said “I have given them the glory”, not I will give them. The gift of His manifest presence has already been given to us. We must simply choose to live in that truth & believe it to be so.

So, should we expect the manifest presence of God in our lives? ABSOLUTELY YES! However, just as it was in scripture, it is a temporal experience that changes our lives as we seek after our God with all our heart. Think of your day of salvation, or when God healed you, or when revival touched your life. It is real, it is powerful, but temporal! Often times, we want to live in this realm permanently. Remember, your life’s blood is His indwelling presence in your life. When God manifests that presence it is to give you a much needed jumpstart in the right direction. Thank Him for it & let it fuel the fire to seek Him more in all you do.

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

-1Corinthians 12:7

Meeting God at Costco

2010-10-20T08:35:00.005-08:00

I took Monday off as a "day of rest". Last week we had rehearsals for our latest Night of Worship here at FCC. It was Saturday night & was absolutely amazing! For those that served alongside me, I thank God for you daily. Needless to say, come Monday, I was wiped out. So, what better way to rest than by spending 4 hours in line at Costco. Well, technically, 3 hours & 1 hour tooling around Costco as I waited. Yes, it's that time of year in Alaska. Time to switch your tires over for Winter. Thankfully, we've been blessed with a longer Fall than usual. We deserve it after the rainy Summer we had.

There I was, bundled up at number 3 in line. As you know, we've been streaming our worship music online for several weeks now. Night of Worship would be no exception, but as I always do, I needed to preview it before putting it online. I know what you're thinking. What better place to do that, than waiting in line for tires! That's exactly what I did, and I'm here to tell you that I met with God that morning. I popped open the Macbook, put on the headphones, and for the next hour and a half I watched the sunrise, watched the N.O.W. video, and had an amazing (albeit strange) encounter with God. I wept, I sang, I clapped (trying to be quiet about it). For the folks way down the line, I'm sure I was a sight. At least the people right around me could see what I was watching. Incidentally, that sparked some great conversation when I was finished and still had an hour to wait. All in all, what should have been a menial, tedious task, turned out to be a GREAT morning! Needless to say, I'll be doing it again this Friday with my wife's car.

Now it's your turn. Click on the N.O.W. poster in the sidebar to watch last Saturday's event in it's entirety. I trust you will be blessed. If you were involved, please take some time to comment on how God worked in & through you. If you were there as a worshipper, or are watching & worshipping to it for the first time, I would love to hear your comments as well.

What is your Costco moment going to be?

Blessings!

-Mark

Pulse #10 Dew Point

2010-08-18T13:53:00.009-08:00

Many years ago, when I first taught this series, I asked my dear friend (& spiritual mom) Kathy to blog about her thoughts. I asked her if I could share those thoughts with you. Thankfully she said yes. I trust you'll be blessed!

"Gen. 3:8 says that the Lord came to the Garden of Eden in the "cool of the day." This refers to the time of day when the sun is setting and the dew begins to rise and produce a sense of purity and cleansing of the air. I believe that the Lord specifically came to Adam and Eve at this time of day because He desired a pure and clean environment that was conducive for communion and fellowship. In the same way, when the heart of your worship is pure and sincere--when it reaches the dew point--God will reveal His presence to you.

What is the difference between the OMNIPRESENCE of God and the MANIFEST or REVEALED presence of God.

God is omnipresent, which just means He is everywhere. He fills heaven, earth, past, present and future. C.S. Lewis said...

"We may ignore, but we cannot evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito."

Yet the Bible says that when Adam and Eve sinned, they "hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God."

Huh? How could they hide from his presence? Well, the Hebrew word for presence used in Gen. 3 means "at or to the face." It's talking about an extreme level of up-closeness--a place of intimacy.

A lot of times in worship we ask God to reveal himself to us. I think that's a great prayer! We are asking him to, well, get in our faces (in a good way)--get really up close, get intimate with us.

There's a wonderful SECRET God wants us to know, so listen close! Here it is--We can enter into his up-close presence anytime we want to!!

HOW??

First, we've got to have the same passion for His presence that David had when he said...

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (Psa. 27:4).

In Lamar's teaching, he states that there are several "portals" into God's revealed presence, and we camped on one of them: songs of worship and praise. David said...

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (Psa. 100:4).

The Hebrew word for thanks in this verse refers to a large group of believers who are worshipping God with their hands extended vertically! When we do that, we can enter into His intimate presence!

Then when we praise, we go even further into the courts of God's presence! BUT it's not just any kind of praise, it's specifically God-focused singing. That kind of praise is called "Tehillah" in Scripture.

Tehillah is a specific kind of song--a SPONTANEOUS song! That was like a lightbulb going off for me, because for many years I kept reading in the Bible about singing "a new song" to the Lord, and I had no idea what that meant! After all, I'm not a music composer, so I didn't think I could do that. But now I know!

This kind of extemporaneous song is so personal, it rises directly from your heart like fresh bread out of the oven, and God inhabits it or dwells in it, making His presence evident to you.

This may or may not be something that you feel comfortable with in public worship. However, if you're shy about others hearing it, you can always do it at home or driving down the road or going for a walk.

Try it--you'll like it!"

I second that & challenge each of you to press into Jesus with everything you've got!!

Profound lesson from the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit

2010-08-16T14:21:00.003-08:00

Greetings friends. A few weekends ago, we hosted a simulcast of Willow Creek's Global Leadership Summit. The opening session from Pastor/Founder Bill Hybels hit me right where I believe God has our team heading. Going into the Fall, we are about to step into, what I believe may possibly be the most amazing year of ministry. Why? Two words...GOD & YOU! Many of you are really stepping up your roles on this team & we are all headed in one direction...The throne room of our King Jesus Christ! I have never felt such unity & vision for the future as I do right now. If you haven't begun to be stirred of God, please join us for the ride of a lifetime.

I thought you might be interested in my notes from the session with Hybels. You may have to read between the lines a bit, but I pray you'll get it. You are FANTASTIC people! Please comment on your thoughts.

Blessings!!

1. Leaders move people from here... to there.
It's always uncomfortable.

Leaders...your job is to figure out what God wants to get done in this world, your role in it & decide how to move people from here to there.

2. It takes FANTASTIC PEOPLE, if you're going to move forward.
Look for the 4 C's
-Character
-Competence
-Chemistry
-Culture

Do you view the gathering of FANTASTIC people as a privilege?

3. Mile Markers & Celebrations

Continually be filling the vision bucket!
Celebrate everything along the way!

When is the last time you had a celebration?

4. Whispers from God

"My sheep hear my Word & heed it."

Our God speaks to us in the Spirit.

Will you do everything in your power to hear His voice & heed it?

Words that you might hear God whispering to you.
DON'T QUIT!
Step up
Take the risk
Apologize now
Make the tough decision
Get help
Stop running from God
Slow down
Show your heart
Let others lead
Feed your soul
Bless the team
Make the ask
Do something more impactful
Come clean
Embody the vision
Celebrate the victories
Speak the truth
End the secret
Check your motives
Set the pace
Give God your best
Get physically fit
Serve your spouse & kids
Pray & humble yourself

Pulse #9 Beyond

2010-08-09T08:29:00.003-08:00

Welcome fellow bloggers. In many ways I think this Pulse lesson could have been the final one. Why? In one word...Heaven! As much as we screw up worship here on earth with our own preferences, orders, liturgies, yada yada yada; worship in heaven is going to be...well...PERFECT!

I'm reminded of the intro to the original Star Trek. Not being a trekkie, I can't say that I remember the exact words. I do however remember that the general idea was that they were on a mission to continually be seeking what's out there. So, what is out there? The book of Revelation gives us a clear picture of what true worship is like in Heaven. What do you think it will be like? Will everyone look the same in our "new bodies"? Will we sound the same? Will we care? All I know is that in heaven, worship will be perfect, always, forever & exactly how God likes it.

So, in heaven, how does God like it? First things first, the focus of our attention will be on Him only! Let's look at Revelation 5:6:

"I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as though it had been slain."

The focus was on the lamb, not a worship leader. As the song states, "it's not about me", in heaven, it truly is not about me. I'm not saying that we shouldn't sing those songs while here on earth. On the contrary. We should always strive to be heavenly in our worship. However, our flawed bodies often get in the way down here. In heaven, once again...perfect.

Another thing we know about heavenly worship is that it's both loud & long. Let's check out verses 11-12:

"I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders...saying with a loud voice: 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!' "

WOW, 'nuf said!

Also, our expressions of worship will not be half-hearted or weak. They will in fact be extreme in many ways! Get this, the twenty four elders will "fall down" before him. Not only that, but they will "cast down" their crowns at His feet. The word is clear! The heavenly worship of our risen Savior will be EXTREME. Nothing will be held back. ALL FOCUS WILL BE ON HIM...& HIM ALONE! About those crowns that we will be casting down. How many of us spend our entire existence, here on earth, trying to acquire as many crowns as possible. Look, striving for personal excellence is not a bad thing, but when are we going to get it in our heads that it's all just temporary. One day, we will die! What then? Life does go on, & all that we've acquired will one day mean nothing...(silence).

So, that's it. Are you going to worship in the temporary, or will your eternally minded worship always be striving to touch a little bit of heaven? C'mon...don't hold back.

GO FOR IT!!!!

Pulse #8 DNA

2010-07-20T15:21:00.004-08:00

"These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

Matthew 15:8-9

Have you ever been guilty of just going through the motions. You know the drill, singing a song that's been sung a billion times simply because you know it well. Or, raising your hands simply because the guy next to you is. Or, better yet, because he's not. We've got to begin checking our motives, and even deeper than that, our heart.

We as the leaders, must get this right. If our motives are out of whack, it can so easily effect those that we are leading. On the other hand, if our motives are kept in check & our hearts aligned vertically, we can so easily effect those that we are leading. Check out these comparisons. I know they're a bit general, but I think you'll get the point.

Performance is: Worship is:
External Internal
Horizontal Vertical
Natural Spiritual
For Man For God
Organized Organic
Art-Focused Heart-Focused
Complex Faith
Play Prayer
Action Attitude

Every week in churches across America, worship teams get together to practice for the upcoming service. Is this right? Don't get me wrong. For those of you that know me well, you know that I think we should practice. I just think that often times, we can practice ourselves right out of a wonderful time of worship. This is why our Worship Vision Nights are soooo important! There's only so much that any musician can perfect. Without prayer and always working to keep Christ at the forefront of what we do, the LIFE in our worship is gone. Or, I hate to say it, may have never been there in the first place. "Worship is an attitude long before it becomes an action".

Next time you get together to "practice", keep in mind what you're practicing for. Excellence at what you do is biblical. Strive for it always! Just make sure that the perfect sound doesn't take the place of truly connecting with your creator.

I want to leave you with the last paragraph in this week's lesson from PULSE. I urge you to read it, read it again, let it sink in & then, dare I say...LIVE IT!!

"Your heart colors the worship that you present to the Lord because worship comes from within. When your heart offers up worship to God, the atmosphere in your heart goes with it. Sometimes the atmosphere smells bad because of the pollution of sin, negative attitudes or self-centeredness within you. Conversely, when you've prayed, fasted & allowed God's word to wash you, your heart has a pleasant and fragrant atmosphere. The atmosphere of your spirit is drenched with the fragrance of a sweet & sincere heart, & there's a transparency in your spirit that allows others to sense & see the Holy Spirit. People often say that a singer or musician is 'anointed' because they sense the spirit & essence of a worshipper who has a soft & pliable heart as a result of being in the presence of God."

ISN'T THAT THE KIND OF DNA YOU WANT YOUR WORSHIP TO HAVE?

The choir is making a comeback!!

2010-06-16T12:04:00.004-08:00

Many of you know how excited I am that the FCC Choir is making a comeback. Starting this Fall, we will be reviving this gone, but not forgotten ministry. I am SOOOO excited!! Have I said that? Over the past couple of days I have been hooked up with a new friend at Brookwood church in South Carolina. He has really been helpful with some great resources & ideas. The article below was found on his blog. It really hit the nail on the head of how I feel about choirs in worship. Enjoy!! I hope to post two more "Pulse" teachings before leaving for vacation in July. WOOHOO!!

"Praise Choirs in the Praise Band Church. It's not about the music ...

Ask the "man on the street" what the difference is between contemporary and traditional churches. You're likely to hear words like "organ", "hymns", and "choir" describing traditional churches, and "drums", "guitar", "rock", and "praise bands" describing contemporary churches. We know there are more differences than that, but to the untrained eye, those are right on target. As contemporary worship evolves, however, we're seeing more churches using at least some of the traditional elements of worship in fresh, contemporary ways. The traditional elements that are finding their way back are coming back because they are very effective in helping the church accomplish its purposes - worshipping, serving, connecting, growing, and reaching.

A important example of this re-emergence is the church choir - refashioned into the praise choir. Praise choirs don't perform anthems. They lead worship. in fact, in churches where praise choirs are growing, the choirs are not about the music. They are about worshipping, serving, connecting, growing, and reaching. And that's why it's so important that we nurture the re-birth of choirs in our contemporary churches. They provide an effective place for us to accomplish our purpose.

In your church there is a surprising number of people who love music passionately, but don't have the talent to sing in your praise team. They wouldn't have the courage to stand in front of your congregation and sing a solo - and they probably shouldn't. But they feel the same things and music that you do. They have tunes running in their heads all day long, like you. They are moved deeply by a thoughtful lyric. And their heart races when they hear a cool groove, or a great chord progression. But they don't have talent. So they don't have the opportunity to participate in your music program.

The praise choir gives them that opportunity. With some coaching, some practice, some good music, and maybe some good part-writing on your part, along with the synergy of a large choral group, these people can pool their passion for God and music into an amazing sound and force in your worship service. They can be amazing worship leaders!

But the best part is that, in the praise choir, they have a new place to connect, to serve, to grow, to reach, and to worship. It's worth the effort on your part; because it's not about the music. It's about fulfilling purpose. You'll have an opportunity to teach more people how to worship. And your rehearsals will be times of worship. Your praise choir members will connect with others in the group, and build relationships of faith that they'd never have if they didn't have the choir. You'll have provided a new, very fulfilling way for them to serve God and your church family. In the context of this new community and the music you are preparing, they'll grow spiritually. And though the praise choir, they'll have new opportunities to reach out and share their faith."

Music Theory #4

2010-05-20T08:38:00.002-08:00

BE AWARE OF THE TRI-TONE!

BE VERY AWARE!!

I think you'll like this new installment from our friends at Cincinnati Christian University. Enjoy!

Pulse #7 - Occupied

2010-05-05T08:12:00.004-08:00

"Worship is an exercise of the Holy Spirit directed primarily to God."
-Ralph Martin

When we, as believers, are born again, we are now and forever directed from within by the Holy Spirit. Consider it you're gift from God as you enter into a new life. This impartation is the greatest gift that mankind could ever be given. Not only do we have eternal life as we pass from this world to the next, but we have a guide given to us while our journey remains here on earth. The question is, will we follow His leading, or continually seek our own way?

As we seek to worship him, both privately & corporately, the Holy Spirit resides within us to help us every exciting step of the way. I read an article many moons ago on this very subject. Rather than continue my ramblings (of which I have many), I thought I'd post a snippet to give you a little taste. It comes from noted author, blogger & worship leader David M. Edwards...

"The Holy Spirit works within each believer to do whatever He has to in order to awaken and deepen our awareness of and need for Jesus’ Presence in our lives. He does this by drawing our hearts closer to the Lord in: our faith in God, our love for God, our obedience to God, our communion with God, our hunger for God’s Word, and our praise and worship of God! It is “deep calling unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). The Holy Spirit—the deep in us—calling unto God—the deep in heaven. And the precious Holy Spirit draws us into the deep waters of worship where we can experience the Presence of God within the veil.
I cannot emphasize enough the role of the Holy Spirit in our worship. His is the still small voice that encourages us to lift our hands in surrender, to praise Jesus with everything in us, to fall at His nail-scarred feet in worship. The Holy Spirit is constantly and consistently working within believers to deepen our experience and walk with the Lord. He is the Leader and Guide to all truth and righteousness. He is the Light within that illuminates God’s Word and our understanding of it. If we will cooperate with His promptings, we will be taken to new places in our relationship with the Lord and in our times of worship.
True worship is mouth-to-mouth resuscitation…deep calling unto deep. Worship is coming into His Presence and allowing the life and power of God’s Holy Spirit to fill our lungs (Ezek. 37:1-14). The promise of His Presence will work every time. And when Jesus is present, everything is possible and available. Can you imagine Jesus showing up without wanting to touch us, heal us, assure us, comfort us, release us, deliver us, save us, fill us? You see, in the atmosphere of God’s Presence, our faith is emboldened and it reaches up to receive what we need. Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).
True worship will always break down pride and fear. In true worship, pride must go because we must admit that we cannot do anything on our own to make it and we desperately need God’s help, grace, mercy, and love. True worship confronts our fears because we are going to either have faith in God or give in to what we are afraid of. We realize that we cannot serve two masters.
Praise and worship build our faith as does reading and memorizing God’s Word and quoting it aloud. This sends fear scurrying for cover. Fear is the enemy of faith! God’s assurance to meet our needs and deliver us comes on the wings of worship. As we worship, He speaks back and we leave that encounter encouraged and built up in our faith. Don’t be afraid, God knows what He’s doing—put your trust in Him as you lift your praise and words of worship!"

I leave you with this question from PULSE. Are you occupied? If so, with what?

That should be enough to chew on for a while.

BLESSINGS!

Pulse #6 - Romance

2010-04-07T08:04:00.003-08:00

"Worship in its truest form is all about relationship"
-Matt Redman

Do you remember your first date? Was it awkward, or maybe just flat out weird expressing yourself? I remember the first time I asked my wife Lisa out on a date. She didn't believe me! Up to that point in our friendship I had given her no indication that I was a liar. If God could be surprised, do you think he would ever be taken back at the idea that we want to spend time with him? Think about that. Since the first time you asked Christ into your heart (your first date), have you continued dating or has the newness worn off?

Using the example of our earthly romantic relationships we explore a little deeper this idea of expressing our love to each other. In our relationship with God, there are many different ways in which He expresses himself to us...life, peace, death (His for us), eternity...just to name a few. Before I get ahead of myself, what are some ways in which we can express ourselves to our significant other. Okay, I'll start...smiling, hugging, holding hands, kissing, etc...etc... Lamar put it well:

"Just like a man and a woman on a romantic date should be themselves and let their feelings of love (not lust) motivate their actions, so you must also let your inner love for God direct your worship."

One thing I want to make clear before we enter this realm of biblical expressions of worship. Just as in our earthly relationships, their are some expressions that should be expressed in private. The extreme example of this is obviously sex. This is a beautiful gift of God to be expressed with our spouses at the right time and in the right place. I think we would all agree that this should not be a public act. I believe the same rule applies to some of the biblical forms of expression. Remember, our God is an incredibly creative God. He is also a God of order. Check out 1 Corinthians 14:12,26,40.

"The dynamics of public worship are drastically different than the dynamics of private worship. There are some expressions that are great for your own private worship to God but that can potentially be distracting in public." -Lamar Boschman

So, what are some of these different expressions? Well, just to name a few, the Bible commands us to sing, clap, bow, stomp, dance, jump, lift hands, prostrate ourselves, pray, meditate, cry, shout, kneel, give gifts, be silent (yes SILENT) and much, much more. WOW! What would your worship of God be like if you added just one of these to your mix? Just thinking about it, makes my heart jump! I do have a heart murmur though...I digress. Think about it. How did you feel when you took your sweethearts hand for the first time? Even better than that, your first kiss? Can you imagine the intimacy with our creator that is just waiting for us to be bold enough to lean in. Once again, WOW!

As I'm writing this, I'm suddenly very aware of the lie that is lurking just around the corner. You know the one. It's the one that says that he or she must be closer to the Lord, because of their outward expressions. Or, a twist on that, they must be one of those emotional types that easily gets worked into a frenzy. Or, why aren't they expressing themselves? Whatever variation this lie takes, see it as just that...A LIE! Remember, "worship isn't driven by your visible performance or actions; worship should emanate from your relationship with the Father."

Luke 10:27 commands:

"You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind."

I think the key word here is ALL. Are you holding back? What new expression is God nudging you towards?

BE BOLD!

LEAN IN!

Music Theory #3

2010-03-11T11:32:00.003-09:00

Here's the next installment in the series on Music Theory. Both of these are dealing with the subject of harmonics. Feel free to post a comment with any questions or thoughts you may have. Ciao!

Pulse #5 - Temple

2010-03-02T09:52:00.009-09:00

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God

and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

-1 Corinthians 3:16

Well...do you? If you're a believer in Christ, do you truly believe that your body is the temple in which God's spirit dwells? Are you living in such a way that He would want to enter in? Are you hospitable? WOW, these are some meaty questions, but if you really call yourself HIS, then the Word is clear.

Let me put it another way. If someone were to ask you where you go to church, what would you say? As a follower of Christ, I would be completely right in saying...you know, according to God's word, I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I'm really at church all the time. As Lamar put it in the text, I'm a “Winnebago of Worship”. I LOVE THAT!

Several of you have heard the woman at the well story. I challenge you to read it again. Read the whole thing at John 4: 1-42. Let it soak in & then read it again. What is God trying to teach us in this text? Is worship a place? Or, is it an attitude? Man, am I full of questions today! I just think this is something that's worth wrestling with for a while. I mean, if we miss this, then our whole view of worship is going to be skewed. As true worshipers WE HAVE TO GET THIS!

Alright, it's time to rustle some feathers. Read this very closely...”THERE ARE NO WORSHIP WARS AMONG TRUE WORSHIPPERS!” That's right, if you're heart & motives are in the right place, then it won't matter what place or method you are using to worship. I'm very thankful to be serving in a body that has gotten past all this junk! Sure, we worship in different ways, but ultimately, we see God's hand in all of it.

So, let's get back to the root of it all. If we truly are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then we can & should be worshiping Him at all times. Yep...at work, play, even at the Dimond Mall. The scriptures are full of teachings on “Full-time” worship. Just to name a few:

“Pray without ceasing”
-1 Thessalonians 5:17

“And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long”
-Psalm 35:28

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth”
-Psalm 34:1

“Let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise...”
-Hebrews 13:15

I'll leave you with a statement that I have found to ring true in my life, & in time, I pray it will in yours as well.

“If you make your private worship a regular habit, you won't feel awkward about worshipping in public.”

Does your temple need a little spring cleaning?

Music Theory #2

2010-03-02T07:52:00.003-09:00

Hey everyone. Here's the next two videos in the "Music Theory" teaching series. Please post your comments if you have any questions or thoughts. Enjoy!!

Equipping

2010-02-23T08:27:00.011-09:00

Equipping. What does that really mean? According to Webster it is defined as...

e·quip
[ih-kwip] Show IPA
–verb (used with object),e·quipped, e·quip·ping.
1.
to furnish or provide with whatever is needed for use or for any undertaking; fit out, as a ship or army.
2.
to dress; array: He equipped himself in all his finery.
3.
to furnish with intellectual or emotional resources; prepare.

You're on your own with #2, but I can agree with #'s 1 & 3. For some reason I can't seem to get the song "Sharp Dressed Man" out of my head. Anyway, where were we?

Ahhh Yes, EQUIPPING. A big part of what I do around here is raising up others & equipping them to do a good work for the Lord & His church. Because we deal in the most beautiful of gifts...music (in my humble opinion), I've had several music theory related questions as of late. Okay, for those of you who have taken music theory classes, you may have thoroughly enjoyed them. However, for some of us, it was like getting a root canal...several of them. Especially us math challenged folks. So, in an effort to provide teaching in a more palatable way, I have scoured the world wide web in search of some lessons that should help each of you get a better grasp on the often complex subject of music.

In my search I came across a father, son teaching duo out of Cincinnati Christian University. These guys caught my immediate attention. They are really funny! I have to admit, at first I thought, are we ever going to get to some useful information? But it didn't take long for me to find myself laughing & learning at the same time. There are 27 videos total & they are each roughly 10 minutes in length. I will try to post a couple of videos every few days. I promise, the little extra time you spend on watching these will pay off in the end.

So, before we get to the videos, there's one crucial tool that you should all know about before going any further, THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS.

Understanding how to read the circle of fifths will help you understand the relation between music's major keys and their relative minor keys. A major key and its relative minor use the same key signature, which means they use the same sharps and flats in their scales. When you read the circle of fifths, you'll notice that the major keys are on outside of the circle. Opposite them, inside the circle, are their relative minor keys.

At the top, you have the key of C major, which has no sharps or flats in its key signature. Each stop on the circle as you go clockwise from C is a key with one more sharp than the previous key. Each stop as you go down counter-clockwise from C is a key with one more flat than the previous key.

So, if you have the circle of fifths memorized (or have a picture of it handy), you can easily figure out what key a song is in. Simply count the number of sharps or flats in the key signature, and then move that many spaces around the circle of fifths, starting at C. Move clockwise for sharps, and counter-clockwise for flats.

For example, if you see three sharps (F#, C#, and G#) in the key signature, start from C and go clockwise three places, and you'll find that the song is in either A major or F# minor. Similarly, if you see five flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) in the key signature (not a nice thing to do to a guitarist), you start at C and go five places counter-clockwise; that puts the song in either Db major or Bb minor.

Without further ado...On With The Show!

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, EQUIP you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. -Hebrews 13:20-21

-Mark

Pulse #4 - Core

2010-02-08T08:09:00.003-09:00

Have you ever bit into what seemed to be a beautiful shiny new apple, only to quickly spit it out in disgust? What you anticipated to be a refreshing, juicy apple, turned out to be a mushy, gritty mess. What if our worship were like this? Beautiful on the outside, while the inside is falling apart. Check out this next video in the "pulse" series & then we'll discuss.

Judson Cornwall, an early pioneer of contemporary worship said this:

"Worship is an attitude of the HEART, a reaching toward God, a pouring out of our total self in thanksgiving, praise, adoration and love to God."

So you see, all of our many outward expressions of worship mean nothing if our heart is not aligned with God. I am reminded of a fictional story I once heard about God listening in on a large congregation seemingly worshiping Him with all their might. The 100 voice choir is singing out with hands raised high. The band is playing their instruments with as much energy as could be mustered up. The congregation is dancing, singing, bowing, praying...BUT! In the midst of it all, God could hear only one tiny voice. A young boy on the back row is singing his simple song, in a crackly, child-like manner. Even among hundreds of people going through the motions of worship, this little child was the only one worshiping with his whole heart.

In the Old Testament, the most popular Hebrew word for worship is shachah which means "to bow down or prostrate oneself before another in order to show him reverence." In the New Testament, the Greek word for worship is proskuneo which means "to kiss the hand to (toward) one, in a token of reverence." Isn't it interesting how the shift from the old to the new becomes much more personal & intimate. It moves from an act (to bow) that could be done at a distance, to an act (to kiss) that must require a bit closer proximity. I LOVE THIS! Through Christ's redemptive blood, we are given the privilege of worshiping Him directly. Did you get that? We now have a direct connection with the Almighty. Bette Midler's song "From a Distance" is no more!! Okay, I may have crossed a line there, but you get the idea.

Here's a few great quotes from Lamar to remember:

"Worship doesn't start externally; it starts internally."

"You don't do worship; you mean worship."

"If it's in your heart, it will be expressed outwardly."
(Don't be afraid when your inward emotions
begin to manifest themselves outwardly.)

Ask yourself this question; what would you say to someone if they asked you what worship is? Is it when you sing a specific song, or maybe when you raise your right hand at just the right time? Or, is it when you connect heart to heart with your creator? Find some time alone with the Lord and truly seek Him to discover the answer of true worship.

Will you be singing the aforementioned song "From a Distance", or will you be singing the song of the little child?

What's at the CORE of your worship?

Last weekend's message - Director's Cut

2010-01-25T08:55:00.005-09:00

Hello friends. Last weekend I was privileged to be able to co-teach the message in a Q&A with Pastor Steve. It's rare that us worship guys get the opportunity to share our hearts with the whole body. It's always exciting for me to be able to share the why's & how's of my calling into this ministry. Being the preaching veteran that Steve is, he kept us on schedule quite well. However, that meant that we skipped quite a bit of what we wanted to say. So, I thought I'd post the original "unedited director's cut" just in case some of you wanted to go a bit deeper. Later this week, you can get the audio or video podcast at faithak.com. Once again, it was a great honor to share my heart with the entire body. I pray that ultimately it served to strengthen the body & help everyone to go deeper in worship.

Blessings...

JUST GIVE ME JESUS!
The Triumphal Entry
Mark 11:1-19

Steve:

This passage gives us a new identity for Jesus. Jesus the worship planner and worship leader.

Jesus chose the timing of this event and the venue. He decided to take worship to the streets.

Up till this time he has slipped in and out of Jerusalem and instructed people he healed not to tell anyone.

Now he is creating an event, and in essence saying, “Let er’ rip!”

He arranged for the loan of a donkey’s colt, and set up a pre-arranged signal. He told his disciples to untie the donkey and say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.”

Apparently the event was announced ahead of time because people from the villages were there, equipped with palm fronds and tree branches from the country side to lay in his path.

He planned a “parade route”.

He built the entire experience around a passage of scripture. Psalm118:19-29

Mark:

How do you experience “Jesus the worship planner” here at Faith?

Periodically I’ll hear through the grapevine of someone asking the question…what do the Pastors do the rest of the week? This always makes me laugh Here’s some scriptures that might help to paint a picture of the planning that takes place…

Numbers 28:24-25 ²⁴ In this way prepare the food for the offering made by fire every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the LORD; it is to be prepared in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

Isaiah 57:14 ¹⁴ And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."

The Bible is so clear on many accounts of how we are to “prepare the way of the Lord”…”prepare the offerings”…”clear a path for the people to meet with God.”

It’s my job (& pleasure) to work hard at preparing, appointing, arranging, developing, strengthening, discipling…all with the goal of connecting people with their Savior.

What are the considerations you have in mind as you prepare a worship event?

John 4:23 ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

In order for any worship event to be a “pleasing aroma” to our God, I have to first make a covenant in my heart to always produce experiences that stand on the truth of God’s Word & make room for the Holy spirit to move in & amongst the people.

The previous question asked about my role as a “planner” here at Faith. I believe wholeheartedly that the worship experience should be planned well enough, so that the Holy Spirit has freedom to move without chaos. “God is not a God of disorder, but of peace”. I always want to be prepared enough to do what is planned & do it well…or, throw it out the window…also done well.

Steve:

It is easy to read through these verses and miss the scale of this event. It was massive! Matthew 21:10 says “the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” In John 12:19 the Pharisees are dismayed by the event and exclaim, “Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Jesus took worship to the streets! It seems that part of the reason for this is that the Jewish leaders had taken temple worship away from the common people. Later he cleanses the temple, but first he orchestrates a huge worship event in the streets. This was the first ever “March for Jesus.”

Mark:

What safeguards do we have in place to insure that we don’t take worship away from the average person? Often when I travel and visit other churches, I experience dark auditoriums where everyone is focused on the band and almost no one is singing. How do we avoid that?

There’s a great visual in the book of Revelation that will help me to answer this question…

Revelation 5: 11-13 ¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" ¹⁴The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

If you’ll notice in verse 13, it says two very important words…”every creature”. In verse 11, the “angels” made the charge to worship, in verse 12 they did it & in verse 13, the whole world joined in.

Though the musical team is not angelic,J we are charging forward & setting the example for the rest of the body to follow. We place a high value on congregational participation. THIS IS NOT ABOUT US!

To be more practical…

-we keep the lights dimmed, but not completely off (unless needed to set a certain mood). -we vary the dynamics or “feel” of the worship set (louder moments, softer moments, fast, slow, etc...) -Though we are a modern worship culture, we want to pay homage to the great hymns of our past.

Ultimately, no matter what the lights are doing, what the volume or instrumentation may be, I really believe it all comes down to the “culture” of worship that is fostered from the platform. Faith is a worshipping church!

Walk us through the preparation process for a typical week end. What considerations you have in mind in choosing songs and music?

First of all, pray, pray, study the Word & pray! (kneeling bench story)

Every Tuesday, the pastors sit down to plan the logistics of our services. We, thankfully, have a long range planning document that has the themes of each service for a couple of months or so.

I always strive to have everything loosely planned two weeks in advance. That enables me to get the music to each band member a week before our rehearsal. Sed also has his tech team picked out about a week in advance as does Liza with her team of greeters, communion servers, ushers, etc…

I’m a very thematic planner & try my best to tie in at least a couple of songs to the theme of the week. I really believe that people can leave with a greater understanding of the Word if as many service elements as possible work together to get the message across.

Steve:

This event was clearly a fulfillment of prophecy and the announcement of the beginning of Jesus’ kingdom.

Zechariah 9:9-10 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken.

He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.”

Mark:

What role does worship play in fulfilling prophecy and bringing new things into being in a body of believers?

The Word is so full of OT prophecies & their NT fulfillment. Over 400 to be exact. I believe this serves to strengthen our faith! Isaiah 61:1&2 was essentially given by Jesus in Luke as His job description…

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, ^[a] ² to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor

Prophecy is where the “worshipping in Spirit” comes into play.

1 Corinthians 14:3 ³But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

God WILL NOT use the corporate worship experience to condemn you, although he may use it to convict you.

Prophecy – The divinely inspired prediction, instruction, exhortation or revelation.

As mentioned earlier, I do my best to plan the weekend services in such a way that will Glorify our God & take you to Him. Part of that preparation is leaving room for the “divine inspiration” that is given to me as God’s voicebox. I don’t know when or if a prophetic word is going to happen, but I hope & pray that it does & make room for the Holy Spirit accordingly.

How does worship fulfill the role of “opening the gates” and ushering in change?

As mentioned in the previous statement, worship can be convicting. When genuine worship is occurring, our hearts are laid bare before our creator. If you truly let go fully in worship, God can & will do amazing things in & through you.

This verse in Malachi shows the comparison between closing the gate & flinging it wide open…

Malachi 3:9-10 ⁹ You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Money aside, I believe this scripture is ultimately about bringing God our best & seeing the change it makes in us, or…holding back & being under oppression.

Do you consciously plan for this?

YES! & then, as it says in Psalm 5…”I wait in expectation”

Steve:

Mark 11:9,10 “Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!

Hosanna means, “save now!” It is a statement of praise for God’s salvation, but it is also a cry of need.

The people of Jerusalem had tasted healing, they had tasted Jesus’ teaching and His forgiveness and they are crying out for more!

Mark:

How do baptisms, baptism videos and “altar calls” contribute to worship?

In one word…CELEBRATE! We are FAMILY here & these are all significant life-changing decisions that we should & need to celebrate on behalf of each other. It ultimately strengthens the body.

Steve:

Predictably, objections arise:

Luke 19:37-40 “When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ I tell you, he replied, ‘If they keep quiet the stones will cry out.’”

Mark:

Why is worship so controversial?

Though we “worship” together corporately every week, this is an intensely personal act between each of us & our creator. The “way” in which it is conducted will always be controversial to some extent. However, I am so incredibly thankful for Faith Christian Community! Yes, we all have our opinions, but for the most part we “come together” at the foot of the cross. BE PLEASED IN THIS CHURCH! Unfortunately, this is somewhat rare in churches throughout the world.

What sort of issues are the basis for the most concern?

If any, sound seems to be the issue that has the most opinions…& it will continue. To take it back to scripture, the Bible speaks of worship as being “loud” over 50 times from Old Testament to the New Testament. It also speaks of “being still” & “meditating” on the Lord almost as much. There are times to bring a “SHOUT” of joy & there are times to be quiet. We try to have both when we come together to worship.

How do we respond to concerns?

First of all, please don’t hesitate to come to me with anything. Being true to the leader that God made me, I am constantly working towards bringing God an excellent offering. We are a multi-cultural, multi-generational church. This is a BEAUTIFUL picture of eternity. The challenge is set before me every week to bring EVERYONE to the throne room of the Almighty.

What do we do in the process of planning to allow for different musical “Languages” and tastes?

As mentioned earlier, I always plan the services, keeping in mind the multi-faceted make-up of our body here at Faith. Sometimes I hit a home-run, sometimes I don’t. I would also ask of you that you keep Philippians 2:1-3 on your heart…

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Steve:

There is a second wave of worship at the temple: Matthew 21:14-16 “The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.

Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him. ‘Yes’ replied Jesus, have you never read. ‘from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

Mark:

You often emphasize healing in your songs and your remarks during worhip. What is your experience regarding this?

I’d like to answer this with both scripture & a very recent story…

Acts 3:1-16 ¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

¹¹While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. ¹²When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

After Jesus was crucified, resurrected & ascended, one of His disciples continued to heal in HIS name. THAT’S US!!! Through genuine worship, healing can & does happen. What that looks like is up to God.

Secondly – Kathy’s N.O.W. SKYPE STORY (Kathy, feel free to share this story with our readers in the comments)

How should we experience healing during worship and how does it contribute to our times of worship?

I don’t think we should ever force or manipulate the moment. If we’re simply & completely abandoned in worship, God will do the rest. Just be open.

What do you think about the role of children in worship? Does everyone remember two weeks ago when the kids came in & joined us in worship? Wasn’t it great! Dan & his team do a great job with worship for the kids in Cabin Theater. However, we would love to have your kids in here with you when you see fit.

The scriptures are clear on this…

Matthew 19:14

¹⁴Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Not only that, but they are to be our example…

Matthew 18:3

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

THEY SIMPLY COME! LET’S LEARN FROM THEM.

Steve: Enough talk about worship- let’s do it! Stand and join us as we celebrate the healing and salvation we have been given through Jesus Christ!

Afflicted ears?

2010-01-07T08:40:00.005-09:00

As musicians, we are afflicted with very critical ears. We know what it should sound like...or at least have convinced ourselves of that. This Saturday is the release of our first worship CD entitled LIVE@FAITH. Throughout the editing & production process I have knit-picked every tiny little thing on this project. Ultimately, I decided to go with a very "live" feel. For better or worse it is pretty much what you would have heard on the night of Oct. 16 2009. If you're a musician, yes you'll hear a wrong note or two...or three. I'm not knocking the intense production aspect of any Hillsong album (half of the songs on this cd are from Integrity), but there's something to be said for it truly being "live". Jesus, please take away our critical ear & just let us worship.

Ultimately, I'm very pleased with this project. God has truly blessed FCC with some amazing musicians who, most importantly, have their hearts firmly focused on the object of our worship & affection.

As I was driving into work this morning, I was listening to track 13..."You Hold Me Now". What an amazing song! The song was progressing towards the bridge, & it hit me what this cd (& all future projects) is really all about. As I sat in my car weeping I listened to this scripture being proclaimed...

"My Name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place, incense & pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,' says the Lord Almighty." -Malachi 1:11

Father in heaven, may YOUR name be glorified through the release of this cd. May YOUR name reign on high FOR ALL TO SEE!!

Be blessed friends.

New CD Releases this Saturday!

2010-01-05T09:51:00.002-09:00

Greetings friends. The day has finally arrived! Our first LIVE@FAITH cd will be releasing this Saturday at the church. I am so thankful to all involved in making this project a reality. May GOD be glorified through its release!!

Pulse #3 - Drive

2009-12-02T17:24:00.003-09:00

Greetings friends. Sorry for taking longer than usual to get this video posted. I've been incredibly busy lately with getting everything done on the upcoming release of our first "LIVE@FAITH" CD project. I'll be posting some of the music soon.

This is the video from last Tuesday's Worship Vision Night. Sorry, no teaching video is available this time. As you watch it, ask yourself what Drives your worship? Why do you worship our Lord? How would you explain that "drive" to someone who just doesn't get it.

Be blessed!!!

Invisible Children Benefit Concert

2009-11-05T22:41:00.001-09:00

Check out this local concert to benefit "Invisible Children".

Here's their website...

http://www.invisiblechildren.com

Also, here's a promo video from my friend Aaron Gray over at City Church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vLBk3OuYdE

-Mark
-- Posted from my iPhone

Pulse #2 - Aim

2009-11-02T09:24:00.008-09:00

"Aim at heaven and you will get the earth thrown in: aim at earth and you will get neither.
- C.S. Lewis

Last Tuesday we had another wonderful gathering of our monthly Worship Vision Night. Only two months into implementing this new event & I'm convinced that this is the best thing that we, as lead worshippers, could be doing. For those of you serving on a platform team here at FCC, Thank you for your time. I'm beginning to really notice God moving in & through each of you in amazing new ways. One of those is in the area of, what the Word says, "bearing each other's burdens". More than ever before, each of you is truly caring for each other & not just playing music together. As we continue to open up our hearts up in this way, I believe that God will use us in ways that we could never imagine. Keep your eyes open for the move of God within this team & His church.

Now, onto the lesson...

God didn't create you to worship simply for the sake of worship itself. Worship has a purpose. None of the expressions of worship are for your own enjoyment (although, done with the right heart, they bring personal joy), you do it for the Lord. This week really opened up my eyes to the mystery of God. I love the fact that He is mysterious. However, if we have eyes to see, God's word unlocks many of those mysteries for us. We must get to the point that we "aim" our worship for the bulls eye & are not simply content with just hitting the target. Let me explain. In God's word, He has been gracious to offer to us many of His attributes. Once again, this allows us to get more specific & not deal in generalities. Let's list a few:

Self-existent - Exodus 3:14

Eternal - Psalm 90:2

Infinite - Romans 11:33

Unchanging - Malachi 3:6a

All-knowing - I saiah 40:13-14

Wise - 1 Timothy 1:17

And the list goes on. In fact, I'm not sure that all of His attributes will be fully revealed until we are worshipping Him face to face. I CAN'T WAIT!!

I hope this helps you to tighten your focus when worshipping as we lead as well as in your "secret place" worship & with His body.

For those of you that couldn't make the WVN, below is the video that we watched (used by permission), as well as the teaching video of the discussion following the video on that night. I fixed the audio syncing issue from last time, so it will only be streamed this time.

I want to leave you with a quote from a great theologian J.I. Packer:

"What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God."

BLESSINGS!

Amazing Night!

2009-10-18T16:22:00.007-08:00

Greetings friends. This past Friday evening was truly one of the most amazing night's that I have had the privilege of being a part of. We praised the King of kings! We worshiped the Lord of lord's! If that would have been all there was, it would have been enough. However, our loving Father graced us with His presence in such a tender, yet powerful way. He brought restoration! He brought healing!

We purposefully set aside a time within the event to minister to God's children, the "Bride of Christ". What happened was more than I could have ever hoped for. Not only was the aisle filled with people seeking healing prayers, the band also took time to minister to each other. No matter what our plans were, GOD'S PLANS WERE MORE IMPORTANT...and we knew and respected that. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

As most of you know, I don't shy away from using technology in worship. This past Friday night may have been the best use of technology ever. If you're not familiar with Skype, it's a simple video chat program that allows you to see & talk to people all over the world at no cost to you. With that in mind, I have a dear friend in Arkansas that has recently been going through some serious medical issues. I really felt like it would be a great opportunity to have her enter into the evening with us. So, after several failed attempts to get audio, we discovered that the mute button was pushed, fixed that, & we were off. There may be no more powerful words of encouragement than hers as to the power that this Night of Worship displayed. With her permission, here are a few excerpts from her e-mails that night & the following morning.

"Oh, my gosh! It was just incredible!"

"The lighting and graphics were amazing, and the voices blended so beautifully!"

"I thought it was awesome how Steve talked about Jesus’ triumphal entry and said, “It’s loud uncomfortable worship that brings him praise.“ What a great encouragement for everyone to worship freely!"

"it was a healing service, too! I can’t tell you what THAT meant to me!"

"When you did “Here in Your Presence” and “Revelation Song” and “We Cry Out” all in a row, I was just SLAIN! I kept thinking, “OK, now please please do “Healer,“ too, and you did!"

"Mark, the woman who was on your immediately left most of the night had a mean jump! I’m a little jealous! Sigh! In heaven…" - HA HA HA. Not sure who this was, but goodonya!

"if you hadn’t told me that guy was Samoan, I would have sworn he was Israel Houghton! What a perfect ending! “Everywhere That I Go” will go on my iPod tomorrow!" - Go Basa!

"I really thought I was going to watch tonight to enjoy the music and intercede in prayer. Little did I know how much serious ministry I would receive! I loved it when Steve talked about Elijah praying for rain and sending his servant to check the sky six times before he saw the cloud the size of a man’s hand the seventh time. I have felt so beaten down with this liver thing for over two months but I think I turned a corner tonight! It really expanded my faith a lot. I don’t care how many CT scans I have to take, I believe God is healing me and this season will soon be over!"

...The following morning

"I'm a different person today. I didn't even know I was under so much spiritual oppression until I got up this morning and IT WAS GONE! Thank you soooooooooo much for last night!"

So, if you played any role in putting on this event...BE ENCOURAGED! If you were able to be there and worship with the body that night...BE ENCOURAGED! If you weren't able to make it, thank the Lord for what he is doing here at FCC &...

BE ENCOURAGED!

Pulse #1 - Wired

2009-09-30T08:40:00.012-08:00

Hey everyone. Here's the first installment in the "Pulse" series that I'm teaching at our monthly Worship Vision Night. I apologize for the audio not syncing up with the video. It looks & sounds perfect until I upload it. Then for some reason, it gets out of sync. Without further ado...

We are all wired to worship. We were created to worship. The question is, what are you worshipping?

"Worship is a universal urge, hard wired by God into the very fiber of our being-an inbuilt need to connect with god" -Rick Warren

As stated earlier, God created you to be a worshipper. You don't need to be trained in worship. It comes naturally. Now, back to the question, what are you worshipping? Here in Alaska, it's very easy for us to worship the beauty of creation rather than the Beautiful Creator. As musicians, it's too easy to slip into idolatry of our instruments & talents rather than being thankful to the One who gave us our gifts. Remember, we are blessed to be a blessing. Cliche, but true. What else? There's the obvious...movie stars, singers, athletes. What about the not so obvious...our kids, ourselves, worship. Yes, I said worship. You can get so wrapped up in the "expressions" of worship & miss the boat completely on the object of our worship.

Psalm 135:15-18 (New International Version)

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.

16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;

17 they have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

WVN Teaching on Psalm 135

So, what is the object of our worship? What should the object of our worship be?

Let's get honest...He already knows.

BLESSINGS in the journey!

Worship Vision Night

2009-09-29T15:19:00.007-08:00

Last night we kicked off our first official "Worship Vision Night". I am more excited about this than just about anything else going on in the Worship Arts department here at FCC. All of the weekend warriors coming together to learn, fellowship, pray & worship...WOW! With several different teams, We hardly ever get the chance to all come together. If we get this right, there's no telling how God will bless our efforts as we lead others in Worship of Him. As a part of this monthly gathering I will be teaching a series on worship called "Pulse...Your Rhythm. God's Heart.". Imagine that, a worship leader teaching on worship. And no, I don't mean singing! That's just the point of this teaching. Worship is so much more than just the uttering of words (that may or may not ring true) out of one's mouth.

I expect that this will be the biggest year of things to happen off stage. Take this teaching on worship for example. We have fixated, and yes, even gained a new "tradition", on worship being what happens on the platform on the weekends. Now don't get me wrong, I love, even thrive on corporate worship. But that could be sooooo much better when we begin to get it right off of the stage. I really believe that God has big things coming "behind the scenes".

So, it's the off-stage heart issues that I am hoping we will see the biggest growth in this year. The on stage leadership will be even greater when the off stage discipleship becomes priority #1. After each Worship Vision Night I will be posting some of the key points here on the blog. I have also graciously received permission from Integrity to post the video portion of this teaching as well. Per my agreement with them, I will be pulling each months video off when I post a new one. Keep that in mind if you happen not to be able to make one of the WVN's. You will have about a month to watch it online. Be looking for that first post to come soon.

Until then...

"press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of YOU." -Philippians 3:12b

Kaleo Fair Stats

2009-09-28T18:22:00.002-08:00

5 bands on the main stage
4 singer/songwriters on the acoustic stage
200 attendees
224 dollars given to the poor box
30+ volunteers with servant hearts
12 feet of Subway sandwiches
1 piece of art commissioned as a giveaway
2 pieces of glass art donated for giveaways
1 Sony PS2 & a ton of games donated as a giveaway
1 Ibanez electric guitar given away
Lighting rig donated by Crossroads productions

ONE GOD THAT WAS HIGH AND LIFTED UP!!!

1 Amazing night

Next LIVE@FAITH event...Night of Worship on Oct. 16

See you then.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Kaleo Fair

2009-09-02T10:27:00.001-08:00

Greetings. Below is a note from my good friend Dave Roediger regarding our upcoming Kaleo Fair

Hello everyone! We just received the final proof of the KaleoFair flyer! Mark Edington and I have been working very hard at putting this event together which is to happen on September 25th. This will be the first live event that the Live@Faith ministry is promoting. This is also a trial event. If things go well we will continue to have more, if it doesn't, then.... Well, you know. So that being said we are looking for everyones support! Mark and I will be out of town for a week and as some of you know - this can be a dangerous thing when an event is around the corner because progress has a way of stalling. What we are looking for while we are gone is for - people willing to hang flyers around the town, volunteers for the event ( please contact Liza), Christian artists who are interested in displaying their art for sale or donation, and individuals to spread word of the event via Myspace, Facebook, e-mail, telephone etc.....

This event is going to feature two stages with exciting lighting and video production to support the musicians that will be performing.
Stage 1 will be featuring some of Alaska best heavy rock bands, while the 2nd stage will be featuring mellower more intimate sets performed by some of Alaska's most well known singer songwriters. We are also hoping to include some unique Christian artwork which will be on display in the Fellowship Hall along side our performers merch tables. We are also going to be doing a raffle for various giveaways (for more information please go to www.myspace.com/liveatfaith and read our Blog). Included in these giveaways will be T-shirts, Hoodies, Cd's, coffee cart gift certificates. We are looking for other items to giveaway as well. If you or someone you know owns a business and would like to donate a gift card, a service, or merchandise, it would greatly appreciated. Some of the things we are looking for are skateboards, guitars, snowboards, Video Games, things that would speak to teenagers and young adults.

We are hoping that events like these could grow to the point where we could start bringing up larger outside acts (of all styles of music). The only way this can happen is with your support. If we are doing an event that your not necessarily interested in please support it anyway! Tell your kids, tell your coworkers, and most importantly forward this e-mail! We want to invite the city of Anchorage to our home in a loud voice, and shout the glory of God through art, production and music! Thank you for your support.

God Bless,

David Roediger

P.S. Please forward!

-- Post From My iPhone

Worship?

2009-08-20T08:58:00.005-08:00

A couple of posts ago we touched upon the bleeding woman, worshipping in faith as she touched the hem of Jesus' robe. If you recall in that story, she "fell at His feet" in worship. She didn't sing, dance or clap...all valid forms of worship. She simply fell down & bowed to her healer.

In the New Testament, the most prominent Greek word for worship is Proskuneo. The origin of the word "PROSKUNEO" is Greek and it is pronounced - (pros-koo-neh'-o). This word is used in the New Testament of the Bible over 60 times and translates into the word WORSHIP, as well as the words or phrases: to BOW DOWN, kiss towards, bow down before, bowing down, and bowing before.

So, what does this mean for me? Ultimately, as it states in Romans 12:1..."we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and pleasing to God. This is our spiritual act of worship." Our lives should be a lifestyle of worship!

That being said, when was the last time you found yourself face down before the King of kings? He deserves our humility & respect.

Think about it.

A Child's Blessing with Testimony

2009-08-09T19:53:00.003-08:00

As many of you know, we are in the midst of a sermon series entitled "Hot Topics". For what could be a very volatile series, God has really been opening people up to how His Word directs us in these ethical questions. A few weeks ago we were teaching on what the Word has to say about abortion. To hear that message click here. To wrap up that message I sang a song that God gave to me a few years ago from the Psalms & a blessing in Numbers. I followed up with a personal story. Since that weekend I've had several requests for a copy of the song, as well as the testimony. I thought this would be the best venue to get it out there for those that want it. The recording is not that great, but I pray that God will use it for His glory!

Blessings.

Take 2...Part 2

2009-07-27T08:29:00.006-08:00

So, you may be asking yourselves, what's up with the new title "Worship in Faith"? First of all, I'm a sucker for a good play on words. Hopefully this will stick well enough to be considered "good". In a nutshell, it stands for...Worship in Faith (Christian Community) & having faith in a life changing God as we worship Him with all that we are. Here at Faith Christian Community, as the Bride of Christ, we experience many wonderful things...amazing fellowship, a heart for the poor, solid Biblical teaching (that doesn't beat around the bush) & amazing transcendent times of corporate worship. This truly is an amazing place to worship and do life together. As well as we FCC'rs enjoy meeting as the bride of Christ, the second meaning of "Worship in Faith" is of much grander importance. As we all know, life is not a straight road. There are curves & bends, hills & valleys. On top of that, we have no control over any of it! Man, that's a tough one to swallow. The good news is this...the ALMIGHTY GOD of the universe is in full control. Not bad huh! When I come to Him, I worship in complete faith that through it all, He is right beside me & in His perfect timing is making my path a little bit straighter every day. As if that wasn't good enough, here's the best part, that path leads to one place...HIS GLORY! As I sign off, I want to leave you with the best example I know of worshiping in faith...

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Mark 5:24b-34

Did you notice that she didn't sing the latest worship tune to Jesus. She fell at His feet. More on that next time. In the mean time,

WORSHIP IN FAITH!

Basa & Jessie

2009-07-24T22:13:00.001-08:00

It's official. Our very own Basa and Jessie are now hitched!

Blessings on your new journey together.

-- Post From My iPhone

Worship in Faith...take 2

2009-07-22T14:03:00.002-08:00

Hello friends. As many of you know, I started a blog a few months back with the good intention of teaching and encouraging those within the worship arts ministry at Faith Christian Community. Also, as many of you know, that didn't go over so hot. Basically I shot myself in the foot with trying to start so many new things within my first year at FCC. So...that's where take 2 comes into play.

My goal from the beginning was to create another avenue for learning and community within the team. That's still goal, but this time around I'm going to take some of the pressure off. This new blog will act as a great venue for me (& the worship arts staff) to periodically communicate vision to each of you. I'm going to keep it short & sweet. As I was beating myself up for not sticking with the original blog, it dawned on me. As much as I was having trouble churning out long, daily devos. You were equally probably having trouble finding the time to read them.

One other venue that I think will serve a great communal purpose for us is a little thing called Twitter. You'll notice a link on the sidebar of this blog to the FCCWorshipArts Twitter page. If you're not familiar with twitter, it's simply an easy way for each of us to post very short words of encouragement, ideas, songs, etc... It will be a closed twitter page that will only allow FCC Worship Arts team members.

So, as stated in the title...TAKE 2.

Next post...Worship in Faith?

Ciao friends!