Breaking Fresh Ground

Overflowing...

 

Photo courtesy of Jenna Buonacorsi

Have you ever felt like your heart is melting?  You know, when something happens that warms your heart with so much joy that you feel all warm and fuzzy... goosebumps, tears, etc.?  Lately I have had the pleasure of hearing both of my girls singing in the house, car, etc. as they become more comfortable sharing their voices without being shy or embarrassed.  This past weekend, Leanna played her guitar and sang for jr. high worship services, and Livvie has been practicing a song that she will be leading in the next few weeks.  As I hear both of them (especially Liv) I am blown away, and it just melts my heart.  In those moments, I'm overflowing with thankfulness, joy, and praise.  There's nothing quite like hearing your child sing beautifully in the voice that you have witnessed evolving over the years, and know that they are doing it all for Jesus.  So proud of them.

YES!!

This weekend at LifePoint church we were lead to worship by our Youth Worship Leader Aaron Buonacorsi and the rest of our weekend team.  He is an awesome 19 year old young man, loves the Lord with all of his heart, and is gifted musically.  We were prepping for services and wanted to have a time of prayer before communion where people could pray on our steps alone, or in our new "prayer alcoves" with others. As a Programming Director with a music ministry background, I cant help but think about different ways we can facilitate these moments while keeping open for God to do His thing, bring ideas for certain songs, find places in the set that this might fit best, etc. I had a song and placement idea that I thought was perfect (of course I did :) and brought the idea to Aaron. I was completely thrilled by what happened next.  Aaron let me know that he appreciated my idea, and then very respectfully told me that he had thought it through, and that instead of going into a new song with the guitar for our prayer time (my idea), that he had decided that continuing in the same key and song would flow much better, and that he had already spoken with Rachel (the vocalist that would be singing through the prayer portion) and that they were good to go.  I'm not sure why it was such a "moment" for me, but from watching him come to rehearsal on thursday COMPLETELY prepared, knowing exactly what he wanted to do, to playing a Lincoln Brewster guitar solo like a pro, from singing his heart out in full abandon, to being authentic and real in front of hundreds of people, I just thought, man.. HE GETS IT.  I was so proud of him.  Being a leader is one thing, but to see young leaders emerge, and walk in what God has called them to is AWESOME. YES!!!

Sunday Setlists

Our team did a great job this weekend, and since as a team we've decided to move in a new direction toward more "dynamic" worship services, I think this week marks sort of the "end of an era" at CVC.(More on all of that to follow..)  Anyway, here was the set:

(We had a short set since at the end of the service we asked our congregation to worship in a different way by finding a place to SERVE at our Opportunity EXPO..and boy did they step up!

Rising- (Baloche)- I consider this song a "go to" song  similiar to "Hosanna", and "Arise" when we want a song that we know the congregation will respond to, and a song that the band always does a great job with.

Grace Like Rain- (Todd Agnew version)- For some reason I am not a huge fan of this song, but I think I'm the only one.  We actually had a few requests to do this one in a set, and I was pleased to find out that our electric guitar player (who did an awesome job) loves this song!  People really were singing along, and Mark and the girls sounded great!

All Because Of Jesus- (Casting Crowns version)- This was our 3rd time doing this song.. Lot's of fun.. I think it's definitely one we should keep in our repertoire.

Watching our drummer (a big guy who drums BIG too, frequently breaking sticks) play his heart out, and seeing Ev and Dave having a blast with each other up there really blessed my heart!  I love these guys!

Check out other Sunday Setlists over at Fred McKinnon's blog

 

Sunday Setlist

This weekend was an absolute blast as we had our Bluegrass peeps, "The BBQ Boys" (plus our very own Mike C. and Tom G.) back for the second time to help us lead worship.  You could really tell they had their practice in.. they sounded SWEET!  We did a few of our standards with a blugrass twist and I thought it sounded really cool.  We also did a few of the old hymns, and our congregation LOVED it!  Here is the set:

Praise The Lord- We just added a little vocal "color" here and there.  They owned this one, and it was so much fun!

Our God Saves-Baloche-  I like this song, but I have to say, I think I liked it even better Bluegrass style!

Worship You Forever-  Honestly, this song is on my "Ugh, not again" list, but it was cool to do it in a new way, and I think the band nailed it.

We ended with a Hymn Medley that the congregation went bonkers for.  It was so much fun to see people's eyes light up as they heard the familiar words, and sang their hearts out to "I'll Fly Away," "This Little Light of Mine," and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken!"

Good times. 

Check out other Sunday Setlists over at Fred McKinnon's blog.

Sunday Setlists

This week flew by, and I haven't had time to do much blogging, but thought I'd at least keep this up, so.. Here it is:

All Because of Jesus-(Casting Crowns Arr.)- I like this version better than the Fee one for our band and singers.  It was a great lead in, and I think our people liked it.  Funny, I always thought it was more of a "special," than a worship tune because of the wordy verses.. Either way, it was fun for us and the congregation.

Take Me Higher-(Brewster version)- I love this song, and think we should do it more.  It had been a long time, and it was really cool!  A little low for us girls on the verses, but we did them in unison for more power, and it sounded really great!  I love feel of this song!  (Weird, but as a BGV- background vocalist for those of you that don't know the slang- this is one of my favorite songs to sing.  Love the harmonies, love the oohs and ahhs..)

Grace Flows Down-(Passion-Nockels version)- We did this before and after communion with just the acoustic and bass.  It was really pretty.  In all honesty, I think I would have maybe cut the harmonies on the chorus, something a little funky was going on there, but the song was really perfect for communion and reflection.

We ended with the Christy Nockels version of Hosanna. It was sweet!  Our band did an amazing job.  We decided to not have the enitire VT on for this one, so it was just Sunny and I.  We had two electrics this weekend, and they sounded SO cool on this song.  Sunny's vocals were great, and I really just wanted to put my mic down and listen to her while I worshipped. Our congregation really sings out on this one.  Cant wait to do it again!

I'm posting this along with other church peeps over at Fred McKinnon's blog.

Sunday Set Lists

I am joining my friend Sunny and jumping on the "Sunday Set List" bandwagon from over at Fred McKinnon' s blog.  Here was our set this past weekend:

Because Of Your Love- Baloche-  a definite keeper in my book.  Our congregation loves this one.  Easy to sing and a great opener.. Mark started the service by praying out the verse.  I thought it was a great idea, and went well.

Blessed Be Your Name- Matt Redman version- This one never gets old.. We did a different drum loop that I wasn't crazy about, but the song went well.

Everything-Tim Hughes-  The backing vocalists left the stage for this one and Mark sang his heart out.  I loved the lighting change we did here (fall colors into blueish hues) and I thought having him up there alone was a cool change.  The congregation really sang out on the verses which is always awesome to hear, and it was a good way to begin a very poignant service.

We did Cardboard Testimonies at the end of the service with Kim Walker's I Asked You For Life.  I thought it was the perfect song, and the girls and the band nailed it.

A Different way to Worship

     This past weekend was probably one of the most amazing weekends I've had the priviledge of being a part of at our church.  Some of you may have seen "Cardboard Testimonies," (if not, you can check it out on youtube, and hopefully soon I will be ably to post the video of ours on my blog.)  We did a lot of planning (Thanks, Sunny!) and a lot of people wrangling (that was me).  Our media director made an awesome video intro, AND set us up with IMAG so that we could magnifiy and display the cardboard images big enough for the entire auditorium to see, and the band did a GREAT job with a song that I thought fit perfectly called "I Asked You For Life." The sound was awesome, and the vocals too. It was a TEAM effort, and an experience I won't ever forget!

     Towards the beginning of the worship set, a friend and I were in the back watching our people sing and she said, "I see that people are singing, but what would it take to have them really ENGAGE?" I thought about that for a moment..  You see, that is part of what our team is called to do, to make it easy for others to connect with God.  To model the way WE connect, and to encourage them to do the same.  When you do this week after week, sometimes it can feel like some people just don't get it.  The comment was still swimming in my head in between services as I had a conversation with someone who is struggling with the decision of where to go to church.  He said that part of the reason that he could not decide is because he wants to attend our church, but that his wife feels that we are too "polished, too big, too rehearsed," and therefore she feels that we are not "real."  There was a time when I would have become defensive about that comment, but I did not.  I felt no need to be, because I know that I have never felt more known, more loved, been held more accountable, and had more people willing to speak truth to me, than in this place.

     The end of the service was drawing near as I headed in for the Cardboard Testimonies portion, and during the first few moments, it hit me like a ton of bricks.. As our people set aside their pride and walked out alone on stage in front of the entire congregation revealing where thay had been without Jesus, and then what He has done in them, I realized.. this was WORSHIP!  These people were modeling their gratitude and praise to God, and our people were ENGAGED!  And as far a being "real," I was overwhelmed with tears as I saw our people reflecting joy, humility, courage, and sacrifice.  It doesn't get any more real than that! 

A Reflection of Him

C.S. Lewis says this:

"The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things are good images of what we really desire: but if they are mistaken for the thing itself, they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshipers. For they are not the thing itself: they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard."

This quote got me to thinking about the wonderful moments I've experienced leading and/or being led in worship. I have thought, "Man, that band is amazing, I wish we could play like them", or "Oh, her voice is unbelievable, it always is so powerful and moving!"  I think we need to be very careful not to idolize worship leaders, teams, or bands because when we have those amazing "God moments", it is HIM we are experiencing!  While it's good to recognize people's gifts and talents, we need to remember that it is ALL from God. The power and anointing is not in the singer, the bass player, or the drummer. It is in Jesus!  I think that's why I get pretty uncomfortable being the only focus on stage.  I feel pressure.. as if people are expecting something from me that I simply can not give. Honestly, I can do my best with the gifts that I have to sing a pretty song , but really.. without God moving through me I can "give" absolutely NOTHING.  I can only get over myself, and open up my heart and soul so that God can pour through me into others.  My prayer is that we will all continue to be open vessels so that God will use us to draw His people close!