We are doing a worship series in our church called “Return to Me” to kick off the new year. I preached this week on the topic “Return”, speaking in part about the story of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told in Luke 15 (you can hear the sermon by clicking here). I shared the big picture of the way the whole Bible is the story of God calling us back to him.
I shared this song at the end of my sermon, based on the story of the Prodigal Son. It is sung from the perspective of the Father to the son — or from God to any one of us when we have strayed from his purpose and path.
Here is a video of the song from the worship service and an MP3 of the version that was on my “Remain in Me” CD a few years back.
It’s a strong addiction and you feel
There’s nowhere you can go
Those tears are in your eyes
You cry, but there’s no one there to know
Mmmn
It seemed you had it all
So tall, the world was at your feet
But now you’ve slipped so low
You crave
But there’s nothing left to eat
Mmmmn
I’m waiting for you
It’s all that I can do
My arms are open wide
There’s nowhere you can hide
I’ll run to you
I’ll hold you so close
I’ll be here when you come home
Just turn and run my way
You know that I am here for you
Don’t be to proud to start again
Too blind to see the truth
Mmmmn
(chorus)
Home
When you come home
There’ll be a celebration
That your home
I’ll throw my arms around you
We’ll feast until the dawn
I’ve watched for you
Since you’ve been gone
We had our annual Regional Christmas service yesterday and we had a great mix of music – some classic hymns, high energy rock, tender strings and ukelele, 50′s rockabilly, and even some rap. Anyway, in preparing for the service I put together a few teaching recordings that I thought might be helpful to you worship teams out there in your services the next couple weeks. I’ll also include what I called the “Joy to the World chant” – we did a high energy version of Joy to the World and then went into this – you’ll recognize the chorus and I wrote some verses which different soloists did caller/response style with the congregation. (This is just a thrown together demo recording, but you get the idea, in case you’d like to try it.) By the way, we also did Chris Tomlin’s song “Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)” – what a fantastic Christmas praise song. And a great version of “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Third Day we’ve done before. Have fun with Christmas worship the next couple weeks!
As you have heard by now, those that are a part of the International Churches of Christ (as many of us as possible) are going to be gathering in San Antonio Texas for the World Discipleship Summit in the summer of 2012.
We wanted to put something special together for the conference – a video of disciples from our churches around the world singing the same song. If you are part of a worship team from one of our churches – particularly those outside the US. We are asking for your help with this project. We have decided to use the song “Praises Heard Around the World.”
The project will take place in two phases. (We have to do it this way because unfortunately we can’t send an A/V team out to where you are, but how cool that the Internet and other modern tools make this possible!) First, in the audio phase, we will collect as much audio as we can of you singing, playing instruments, making recordings of your group singing along with a basic track of the song. Secondly, after that audio has been all mixed together into one international recording, we will need you to make a video (with any digital video camera) of your team singing / playing along to the master track that has been created. We are trying to assemble all the audio by the beginning of 2012, so please get that part done as quickly as possible.
Below are resources (sheet music, lyrics, chord chart, a recording that teaches the harmonies) and a video with instructions of how to make this happen.
The song is organized in the style of a caller / response. Feel free to record BOTH parts (you don’t have to just echo the recording of my part. Also feel free to translate into your native language, if you have someone on your team with the skills to do that (I know it is quite an art and can be difficult.) Jaime Turish has done a Spanish translation and that is posted below.
For any of the files below, right click and do “save as” to download and save the file to your computer.
Here are steps outlined by Russell Kirkpatrick, who is leading the way on this project, and they are also described in the video above. Please add a comment to this posting if you have any questions.
1. LISTEN to Praises Heard Around the World…
*Go to soundcloud.com and log in as “hearthemsinging” with password, “praisehim” to hear J Brian Craig’s original recording of his song.
2. RECORD.
*After you have practiced along with the song, record your vocals or instrumentation on a software program like garage band. Make sure you are listening to the song as you record your part so it will coincide, and feel free to express yourself in your unique talent all the way through the song, since we will later have a team of editors create splice pieces of it together.
3. UPLOAD your track on to soundcloud.com
4. VIDEO.
*After the audio production is edited and completed, we will post it to soundcloud.com for everyone to hear which pieces of their own recording are included in the finished song. Then, each artist will need to get help from others to have themselves filmed while performing their part at a scenic location that best represents their country, area, or church.
5. EDITING will take place to pull together all elements to create a music video that will prayerfully played at the World Summit in San Antonio next July.
Please, if you are interested in contributing, then have your submission recorded and posted by Jan 1.
What a blast it is to be with family and friends and celebrate all God has done and how good he is to us. Here is a video recording from our rehearsal last Sunday of a song we seem to always sing on Thanksgiving weekend, “Thank You Lord.” This was the very first congregational song I ever wrote. Here is also a recording from my CD “Be with Me Lord“, and sheet music with chords is posted below.
(Side note – we meet in a Jewish synagogue for our worship services – it has really reverberant acoustics, which is great for congregational singing, but it makes our rehearsals a little rough.)
We had a really busy summer / autumn with lots of conferences and retreats, and I got a bit out of practice with communicating through the blog and social media. I’m going to try to get back on track – I have so many songs to share!
The last conference I attended was the American Leadership Conference (combined with the New England Christian Conference including a worship leader track). I got to plan the opening night of worship on Thursday night, teach some classes and lead some songs. Most of the worship over the weekend was put together by some amazing servants of the church – Tony Martin, Jeff Mannel, Dave Eastman, and others. It was great to get to join in the house band with Ralph Beerhorst, Malcolm Turner, Vinnie Adams, Melvin Jordan, Jamie Slobodnik and too many other amazing musicians to mention. And it was a blast to get to sing with incredible worship leaders like Ross Lippencott, Tina Crawley, Tony Fernandez, Jaime Turish, Carol McGuirk, Ray Kabia and so many others.
Here is a recording of one of the songs from the weekend, “Here Am I Send Me.” This song was actually written for a Campus Conference of the same title we hosted here in LA a few years back. The phrase is a reference to a line in Isaiah 6:8,
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
There is an old hymn called “There is Much to Do” that uses this phrase for the chorus, and has great words about the spiritual needs that are out there in the world. It is a nice song, but it just seemed a little bit outdated in musical style for a bunch of campus students. So I was inspired to use the words from the verses of the hymn and write a new song. Actually, oddly enough, the chorus came to me in a strange apocalyptic dream I had at the time. [Also note Jon Augustine wrote a beautiful song for the conference also, called "Here Am I". Check it out on iTunes or at this link.]
Here is a video of the song. Sheet music and lyrics / chord chart are below. A studio version also appears on my latest CD, “The Whole World Will Know” and features an awesome rap by Big City. I’ll post that here too. And a teaching recording that goes through the vocal parts for the song.
My good friend and fellow disciple / songwriter / worship leader Michael Aggabao lost his 6 year old daughter over this past week. All of those close to him have been mourning her loss, and hurting with Michael and his family. But watching this video helps me imagine her singing just like these little kids – praises to God on that day we are all heading for, along with the “great multitued that no one could cound from every nation, tribe, people and language” (not to mention all ages, Rev 7:9). We can “rejoice” that she is under God’s care and we will all join her some day in singing praise to God in heaven.
(Props to Ivan and Masha Lyashenko for sharing this and for all the amazing work they do with worship in the Ukraine and Russian churches.)
REJOICE
The cornerstone of earth’s beginning
The morning stars and angels singing
In joyful music as the world began
And still the song is ever-flowing
The choir of voices keeps on growing
Eternal praises of the great I AM
Rejoice, rejoice
I will lift my voice
and join the song
Creation is singing
Sing and shout
Even stones cry out
I must rejoice
For you are my King
Reign over me, O King of glory
All of my heart will sing the story
Of how your grace has saved a wretch like me
How sweet the sound we all are singing
The celebration’s just beginning
We’ll sing your praises for eternity
One day every knee will bow
But I give all to crown you now
One day we’ll see face to face
Till then I will run this race
Oh, oh…
Our church has always loved to sing the old spiritual “Wade in the Water” since we first started singing it a decade or two ago. Well we’ve done the song a couple times now with new words, called “Walk on the Water” based on the story of Peter in Matthew 14. Your church might enjoy it, especially supporting a message about faith or putting faith into action (our current worship series is called ACTION, based on the book of James). Here is a recording from last Sunday. Lyrics are below. Hope you enjoy it.
Walk on the Water
(to the tune of “Wade in the Water”)
Walk on the water Walk on the water, Peter Walk on the water, oh Peter gonna walk on the water
Jesus came walking ‘cross the lake at night
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
Thought he was a ghost – they were filled with fright
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
Peter said, “Jesus, if it’s really you”
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
“I wanna walk on the water too”
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
Walk on the water Walk on the water, Peter Walk on the water, oh Peter gonna walk on the water
Peter jumped out, started out just fine
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
But then fear and doubt began to fill his mind
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
Sinking down when saw the wind and waves
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
Jesus grabbed his hand and he was saved
(Peter gonna walk on the water)
Walk on the water Walk on the water, Peter Walk on the water, oh Peter gonna walk on the water
What do we learn from the story told?
(We gonna walk on the water)
We can do great things if our faith is bold
(We gonna walk on the water)
Never be afraid of the waves and wind
(We gonna walk on the water)
Don’t give in to doubt and keep your eyes on him
(We gonna walk on the water)
Walk on the water Walk on the water, people Walk on the water, oh We gonna walk on the water We gonna walk on the water
Chorus
Emin / Emin / B / Emin (break)
Emin / Emin / Emin / B Emin
My wife and I got the privilege last week to direct the annual “Southwest Singles Conference” and God moved in an incredible way! So many people pitched in to make “ELEVATE” and amazing, amazing time together. I’m so thankful to AT Areneson (our guest speaker), Marco and Michelle who lead the LA singles and mentor us in many ways, the planning committee, the tech team, the admin team, the actors, musicians, worship leaders – everyone did such an amazing job.
We took as our theme this year the “Psalms of Ascent” (Ps. 120-134), which are preserved in our Bible as songs that God’s people would sing together as they journeyed from their home towns to make the long climb up to Mount Zion, to the temple at Jerusalem. They too, like our conference participants, were stepping away from every-day life, from the influence of the world around them, to elevate… to join in reunion with each other and worship to God. I like how Psalm 120 says “How terrible it is for me to live in the land of Meshech, to live among the people of Kedar.” Worldly environments stink. It’s great to be among God’s people, as Psalm 122 says, “I was happy when they said to me, ‘Let’s go to the Temple of the Lord.’” And as we come to worship God, and join his people, we see God’s power. We sense His deliverance. We are reminded that HE is our source of strength. He is who we can rely on. We say with Psalm 121:
1 I look up to the hills,
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let you be defeated.
He who guards you never sleeps.
4 He who guards Israel
never rests or sleeps.
5 The Lord guards you.
The Lord is the shade that protects you from the sun.
6 The sun cannot hurt you during the day,
and the moon cannot hurt you at night.
7 The Lord will protect you from all dangers;
he will guard your life.
8 The Lord will guard you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
There is SO MUCH good stuff that went on at the conference – incredible times of worship, amazing preaching, wonderful classes, hilarious entertainment, tear-jerking testimonies and restorations, wonderful good news sharing – too much to be able to post here. But I did want to share a song that was taken from Psalm 121, a passage that came up a lot during the conference because it captures the heart of what we were focused on: lifting our eyes, seeking God’s power, and relying on him. We sang this song together at the conference, “Look Unto the Hills”.
[I will also post some links to a few messages and videos from the conference below so you can check those out if you are interested.]
Me, I was looking at me
and all I could see
was my iniquity.
I’d fall, couldn’t see at all
to know that I wasn’t moving.
So down, I was feeling down,
not looking around
out from inside of me
O I’ve got to lift up my eyes,
swallow my pride,
and see His glory!
I look unto the hills.
Where does my help come from?
I look unto the hills and I can
see my Maker’s love.
I look unto the hills
and then I know I’ve won,
’cause with my Daddy I can only
overcome.
Why, I’m wondering why
I sit when I
have the power to up and fly.
Not me – but when I see above me,
up into eternity.
And then I understand
creation’s hand
is what supports me,
I can see he’s watching over me.
I can be anything with Him when I…
I look unto the hills.
Where does my help come from?
I look unto the hills and I can
see my Maker’s love.
I look unto the hills
and then I know I’ve won,
’cause with my Daddy I can only
overcome.
We were rehearsing this song for worship this Sunday and I thought we’d make a quick video recording for you, in case you’re not familiar with it. Much More than Gold is a great song, written by Chris Aleshin a few years back for our annual singles conference. I love the words and melody of this song. Our church loves to sing it. Give it a try in your congregation.
If I had a thousand wishes
For a future and a dream,
Couldn’t touch the edge of heaven
With all my imaginings.
All my puddles would be oceans,
And my seed would be a tree.
And my hill would be a mountain and
My God would be with me.
Much more than gold is the love of Jesus. More than gold His strength and grace. More than all the riches of this earth When I see Him face to face. Much more than gold is the blood of Jesus. More than gold His strength and grace. More than all the riches of this earth When I see Him face to face.
There are times I’m close to you Lord,
And it’s at those times I’m free.
Then my eyes turn to this world and I
Am brought down to my knees.
Satan has his eye upon me
And he bids me to his side.
So I need you to remind me of
The reason Jesus died…
If I saw the land of heaven,
If I felt the hand of God,
If I heard the band of angels as
They sing and they applaud,
When I’m faced with a decision
To do battle with the wrong
As I start to fight with all my might,
They all break out in song…
Verse:
A / A / F#m / F#m
D / A / E / A
(repeat)
Chorus
D E / A / D E / A
D E / F#m / D E / A
(repeat)
Just returned from a great several days with a bunch of great campus students as part of an internship training program this summer. My best friend Marshall did some funny songs for the group. (Here also is a video from 2006 – he refers to doing songs back then.) Hilarious and true. Many great memories from days of campus ministry, hanging out with all the students.
