We had  a powerful time on Sunday.  We introduced “How He Loves” and the people responded.  I led at our Syosset campus and we had an extended time during that song where the Lord gave us Psalm 46:10 (Be still and know that I am God).  A hush came over us and it was so sweet to just stand for a few moments in His presence as children of the Father.

Here are the songs:

Sing, Sing, Sing (Carson, Gilder, Nunn, Reeves, Tomlin)

Indescribable (Story)

Salvation Belongs to Our God (Howard, Turner)

How He Loves (McMillan)

Happy Day (Cantelon, Hughes)

See more setlists here: http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-81/

So here are the songs we worshiped with this week at Shelter Rock Church in Manhasset and Syosset, NY…

The Lord moved and I felt there were two things He emphasized: 1) He delights in us as we delight in Him 2) In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy.

Blessed be Your Name (Redman)

Your Grace is Enough (Maher)

In Christ Alone (Getty/Townsend)

Hosanna (Fraser)

After message…

Here I am to Worship (Hughes) (new verse harmony written with Harold Greene):

D /  [A/C#] /     C  / [G/B]  [Gm/Bb]     [D/A] / [E/G#] /     G [D/F#] Em /

Closed with “You are Good” (Houghton)

Check out more setlists at http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-80/

Just a few hours left of 2009 here in New York City.  We’re going to celebrate with friends in Queens.  I was thinking today as I drove back from the church in Syosset how many things changed and happened this past year.

When the year began we had only moved to the city a couple months earlier.  Neither Olivia nor I had a job yet and our savings were pretty much gone.  I had interviewed at on church, but it didn’t work out — all we could say was, “Lord, do what You will.”

Olivia got a job at a doctor’s office almost right away.  I interviewed with another church (that one wasn’t it either!) and got ready to do some temp office work.  In the meantime I walked pretty much all the neighborhoods in New York just praying and trying to hear what He was saying for us.  (This was one of the most wonderful seasons yet in my walk with the Lord:)  I finally got a temp job at an office and then another at the NFL.

Olivia found a new opera coach that turned out to be a great help to her as she gets ready to go to the next level in her career.

I went back and forth as to what the Lord wanted from me…did He want me leading worship in a church?…did He want me to go back into songwriting?…did He want me to pursue business at the NFL and lead worship part-time?

Towards the end of 2009 the Lord revealed what He had here for me.  I was called as the worship pastor of Shelter Rock Church on Long Island.  I started a couple weeks ago and He’s already doing wonderful things.

So, here comes 2010.  I’m beginning to see that I need to stop making all these elaborate plans and just follow Jesus. The Spirit will order my steps.  He will lead me on a an adventure that I could never come up with on my own.

Lord, I give You 2010.  It is Yours, I am Yours.  I rejoice in Your presence and Your ways.

(Check out the archives for more details on all our happenings!)

Olivia and I have been reading through Daniel the last couple of weeks and have been moved by his life and what God did through him and for him.  One thing that struck me was when the angels of the Lord came to him, they called him “greatly beloved” or “highly esteemed (NIV).”

To have Gabriel or Michael say this about you, to you, is mind and spirit blowing.

To hear that this is common knowledge in the heavenlies is beyond anything I could even write.

Daniel 9:23
“At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision…”
Daniel 10:11
And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
Daniel 10:19
And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

This word “beloved” has begun to really impact me.  I was listening to a teaching yesterday and the speaker called the listeners “beloved” several times.  How amazing it is that the Church is Jesus’ beloved (Ephesians 5:25).  His desire and whole heart of love is for the Church.  For the Church of which I am a part.

I am His beloved.

Song of Solomon 2:16
My beloved is mine, and I am his.

You and I are the beloved of God…this is so undeserved, so extravagant, that all we can do is turn to Him and praise Him, fall on our faces and worship Him.

Play, sing, worship like someone who is the beloved of the Creator of the Universe!!

Why are there so few opportunities to worship the Lord together?  It’s so wonderful, so amazing and makes us (hopefully) more like Jesus.  As we praise we are filled with more of the Holy Spirit.  He baptizes us anew.  We see more of His fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.  Who wouldn’t want more of that (especially those who live with us:)?

When I was in Illinois, there were two fellow staff members and a few others at the church that loved to get together informally and worship.  Usually around the piano and sometimes with a guitar we would just begin to sing and proclaim Scripture.  There were prayers for each other and various needs we were aware of.  We would cry out for God to move in the upcoming services.  Sometimes it could be dry and just us singing a few songs before we went about our day, but often it was so much more.

Many times we would sing, “I’m falling on my knees” from the song “Hungry” and everyone would be on their knees.  It wasn’t uncommon to glance over and see someone on their face, prostrate before the Lord.  We all looked for times when we could slip away and worship…it was such a delight to get in God’s presence and focus on Him.

So many amazing things were happening at the time in the church body and I believe this was a key to that.  People crying out to God for Him to make His presence known.

Sunday morning meetings are wonderful and I’ve known the presence of the Spirit in powerful ways during these times.  But there are so many other items that must be attended to (announcements, etc.).

I miss the fellowship and power of those intimate times with a few – two or three – singing and declaring the goodness of God.

With the current change in seasons I have a renewed longing for those times.  I long for the expectancy they produced.  Anything could happen – Jesus could do anything and He was doing it.

Lord, may it be so again in greater measure.

Jesus told us that where two or three are gathered in His name He would be there. The problem is, most of the time we make Him sit in the back while we do our thing. This is a prayer that He would “stand up among us.”

That we would sit before Him while He reveals His power, His grace, His love, Himself.

Much thanks to my father-in-law, Keith Curlee, for teaching me this!

Download here.  Play here:

Stand Up Among Us

We’re dry inside these walls of pride
Without You we’re empty
We’re thirsty from our vain pursuits
We long to drink of You
The weight of our sin presses down upon us
Driving us to our knees
We call out to You our God, Redeemer
Blessed is He who brings us peace

Stand up among us
Make Your presence known
Rise up within us
Set Your people free
In Your presence is where we need to be

To the fatherless be a Father, Lord
Show Your compassion
To the prisoner and the captive
Bring Your release
To those who cry out for Your mercy
That always seems out of reach
Holy Spirit come in power
Ignite our passion to believe

Stand up among us
Make Your presence known
Rise up within us
Set Your people free
In Your presence is where we want to be

The Lord is clothed in beauty and power
No one is like Him, He is great

Stand up among us
Make Your presence known
Rise up within us
Set Your people free
In Your presence is where we’re going to be
In Your presence is where I will be

FredMckinnon.Com has a great place to recap your Sunday worship set called, appropriately enough, Sunday Setlists.  I was the guest worship leader yesterday at Shelter Rock Church in Syosset, NY so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring .

Thanks to the worship team: Beth, David, Sara, Warren, Joe, and Brian…thanks for making me welcome and letting me lead!

Thanks Pastors Steve and Jerry for having me as well.

The Spirit was strong and there’s nothing more wonderful than just basking in the Lord’s presence together.

Setlist:

Your Grace is Enough
Everlasting God
Revelation Song
I Surrender All (Hymn)
Mover of Mountains (Original)

God of this City

I hope everybody’s ready for a great weekend…I am!  This has been a long week…

Just wanted to update everybody on what’s going on these days and ask you for your prayers.

If you follow our journey, you know that I have been seeking a new position as a worship leader at a church.  While I’ve been waiting on the Lord, I’ve had a temp job at the NFL.  It’s been such a blessing and a lot of fun, but it’s coming to an end sometime in November, so I’ve been asking the Lord what’s next.

I’ve interviewed with a church in Long Island and am going to lead worship at one of their campuses this Sunday.  In addition to the possibility of the position, I’m also just excited about leading worship in a corporate setting…it’s been awhile.

There are a couple of other possibilities if it’s not the right place, but I would appreciate your prayers!

Olivia and I are also trying to decide whether to move closer to Midtown.  It’s a long commute to her current job (in which she was just promoted!!) and, if I get the LI position, I would need to be closer to Penn Station for the train.

This obviously involves moving (which is always a big deal) and paying more in rent.  So we’re just laying it all before the Lord.

He knows what we need long before we need it.  He knew about these situations before the foundation of the world.

So, thanks for reading (and listening:) and thank you for praying.

I wrote this lyric after an amazing time of worship.  I had just read Psalm 17:8 where David says, “Keep me as the apple of your eye…”  It’s an incredible thing to know that, no matter what, God loves us beyond anything we have ever known.  As it declares in Ephesians, “…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

Download or play: 

You Love Me

CHORUS:
I’m the apple of Your eye
You love me
I’m the object of Your desire
I’m lovely
So when I feel ashamed
Full of doubt and blame
I’ll remember You don’t change
You love me

I tend to feel unwanted
I tend to hurt sometimes
Overwhelmed by darkened clouds
With tarnish on the silver lining

CHORUS

I like to play the victim
Hide behind the pain
Slight manipulation
Smiling on my face

CHORUS

Kicking, screaming
Or frozen, unbending
You look beyond my tantrums
Meet my questions
With one answer

CHORUS

This week, I’ve got a wonderful worship song that I hope you’ll enjoy.  I love doing it in this slow, contemplative way.  I could sing it for hours! (thanks Harold Greene).  It was written by Kathryn Scott from the Vineyard in Ireland (we’re getting intenational here).

Download here.  Play here: