Good morning and Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Yes, I believe that this IS in fact a holiday and should be celebrated as such! Whether you’re a football fan, a lover of clever marketing,  someone looking for the possible half time train wreck, or someone who just loves to get together with friends and have great food, this is a day you’re looking forward to every year. I know we have a fun day planned leading up to the game, starting with the beginning of a new sermon series here at the church called Collision Course: Where Faith and Culture Collide. With it being the first Sunday of the month, we will also be celebrating Christ through communion. I believe God is going to do some really cool stuff this morning. I’m excited to give Him the praise He deserves. Here are the songs that we are planning to sing.

Come and Listen-David Crowder I LOVE this song as an opener. It really sets the tone for people to shake off everything that is going on around them and prepare themselves for what the Lord is going to say.

O Worship the King-Passion

You’re Worthy of My Praise-David Ruiz

All Because of Jesus-Fee

Communion-From the Inside Out-Hillsong

This is what we are singing at The Word at Shaw this morning. You still have time to join us here. Our service begins at 10:30. Click here for a link to the promo video for the sermon series that starts this morning

Even as I write that, I KNOW it’s a big question. I went back and forth trying to decide whether to write it or not. Guess who won? Anyway, we have wrapped up our first week of the new year and, at least in St. Louis, it has been GORGEOUS! I actually had a cookout on Friday because it was so nice. It has been an interesting start to the year, and everyone is bracing themselves for the cold that should have already been here.

I spend a decent amount of time on social media sites as I prepare for the week. I keep up with people’s Twitter accounts and check my Facebook timelines to see what’s going on. And, without fail, I’m always blessed with some nuggets of information that intrigue me. So far I’ve seen complete 180′s in a lot of people’s statuses from just last weekend. Last week, everyone was coming up with these cheesy cliches for the new year. “No Scheme of Hell in 2012″ or “Destined Not to Fail in 2012″ or “I’m Done Fooling with You in 20 -1-2″. But here we are just a week later and now I’m seeing the tables turn. “I can’t believe how I continue to let him get the best of me…” “I should have never let him back in my life. He is already cheating on me again…” How much stuff are these people getting into in the matter of a week? Maybe I’m just more inclined to not be involved in a lot of drama, but my goodness! We should be able to avoid some of the crazy at least long enough to validate our claims on this being a new year and a new us.

So the question begs to be asked…what is it that we are doing? What are we believing God for? Most of the people I see are talking about how they trust God to handle things and fix their job and get them a car and all these things. These are generally the same people who are in the midst of the drama in relationships and work and friendships. Are we believing that we can handle this stuff? Is that why we keep running into the wall head first and wondering why we have a headache? It’s amazing that we have someone who can handle each and every problem that we face, and even more that we will never see in our lifetime, yet we will not trust him enough to handle the cheater in our relationships. Or the boss who doesn’t recognize me. Or the person who cuts you off on the highway. Any of this sound familiar?

One week in I am learning that this love that Christ has for me is taking over my mind. I can’t believe that someone would find me so important to Him that he would die. He actually DIED! I have no other choice but to trust that He has my best interests at heart as He guides me through this life. Today’s set list at The Word at Shaw reflects the love that Christ shows us everyday. I’m believing Him for some big things this year. In the mean time, I’m also trying not to overlook the small things that He is doing constantly. So again, what are you believing Him for?

Sunday Set List 1.8.12

I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)

The Greatness of Our God

Beautiful One

Glory to God Forever

You Never Let Go

Hello to you all! Today is a pretty big day in the Set List world. Why, you ask? Well, not only is this a pretty decent set list (at least I think so), but it’s the first Sunday that the CKBC choir will sing. We have been working hard and I hope that the work will show this morning. We have been working on a song called Draw Me Nearer. It is a very neat arrangement of the Fannie Crosby hymn. We will have to see how things go. They will be singing during the communion time. Or right BEFORE the communion time. We will have to see how communion plays out this month. Or shall I say Lord’s Supper? Anyway, there are two sets again as we have introduced our Sunday night service called Engage. It starts at 5. If you are free you should join us tonight for some good worship (I know the worship leader personally), and a good message. We are currently working through the book of Galatians. Should be good. I’m done talking, here’s the music:

Sunday Morning

And Can It Be

Jesus Messiah

Take My Life (Here Am I)

Draw Me Nearer (Choir Special)

Lead Me to the Cross (Lord’s Supper Special)

Sunday Evening

Indescribable

You Are God Alone (not a god)

Take My Life

Carried to the Table

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

Today’s service was an update of Pastor Jeff’s Olympic trip. He has spent the past 11 days in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics. He went with a group called AMI Sports Chaplains. This was his 6th trip. The sermon time was given to him to share stories and pictures about his journey and the opportunities he was given to share Christ at the games. I also put together a video of pictures he sent to me for a mission moment. Here were today’s songs.

Everlasting God

Be Thou My Vision

You Alone (Crowder)

Come Just As You Are-Response

It turned out to be a decent service. I had a good time and the people really seemed to connect with the message from today. Tonight we will be bringing back the Engage worship service at CKBC. This is the contemporary service that was started last year that was revamped over the past few months. We are bringing it back this evening and there’s much excitement. I don’t know what we’re singing there yet, or I’d tell you. Maybe later.

Pastor Jeff\’s Olympic Adventure If you want to check it out, here’s a link to the video shown in the service this morning. Hope you enjoy it! Be blessed today.

I said that I was going to try to write a response to this morning’s service. I was reminded by my friend Tara that I needed to. I felt sort of pressured into it, but you don’t fight short people.

This morning was interesting. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, but it ended up working okay. The church really seemed to engage with the whole theme of Black History Celebration. There were a couple things that didn’t work out the way that I would have liked, but the songs went pretty well. I even had to step up and play a song that I didn’t know for a woman who sang an impromptu solo. Tara, I hope this helps you and you’re satisfied with this response. If it’s too vague for you (which I sort of left it that way), you can always just ask me when you see me again. Have a good Monday morning! There will be a new blog waiting for you.

This one should be fun, or funny. I haven’t done many Black History Month Celebration Services at church. Mostly because I’ve been in mostly African American churches for the better part of my life. Either way, I don’t really know what to expect this morning. This could either be really cool or really awkward. I really don’t know. Here’s the set.

Opening Song- Lift Every Voice and Sing

Bless that Wonderful Name of Jesus

What A Mighty God We Serve

I Worship You Almighty God

Again, I don’t really know how this will play out. I may have to write a response to the service later today…

I need to write these things on Saturdays so I can get them posted on Sunday mornings. Of course, with the Saturday that I had along with being sick, I kinda missed that. Anyway, here’s Sunday’s worship set. It was Valentine’s Day so it was a ‘lovely’ day. I tried not to be TOO cheesy, but it was still good. I wish I would have been feeling better and had the ability to actually sing. That may have helped.

Oh How He Loves You and Me-Opening

Worship Set

Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing)

You Are My King

I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)

Jesus Loves Me-Response

Yesterday’s service was kinda cool because we actually had a baptism. That was a really cool concept for V-Day. Good times.

I’m starting to find a bit of a groove here at Cross Keys. At least musically. My hope is that this set flows a little bit better than last week’s. There was a lot that went into this one because my normal planning day was totally blown up with MoBap chapel and getting ready for my first rehearsal with the choir. So there was a lot going on in my brain at the point. However, I believe that this one will work pretty well. Let’s see what God does with it…

O Worship the King

Your Love O, Lord

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

There is a Fountain (Communion)

This is my first First Sunday at Cross Keys and interested in seeing how this works. Have a good Sunday!

With the waking up late and driving someone else’s car that didn’t have a radio and wearing a backwards sweater all morning and going to the zoo in the afternoon and to church again in the evening, I completely overlooked posting my Sunday set list. So you’ll have to pretend that it’s Sunday and go on as if it’s not late.

Be Thou My Vision

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

Majestic

We Fall Down

At the Cross

This idea seemed to work well in my head, but something didn’t translate well in the worship service for me. It didn’t seem to flow like I wanted it to. I was able to teach them a new song (Majestic). This is an example of a SSL that I didn’t feel worked as well as it could have. Oh well, God still got the glory and that’s what matters, right?

Here’s my set for this Sunday morning. A little bit new, a little bit ‘ol school.

Come Thou Almighty King (piano opening)

Sing to the King

In Christ Alone

Come Thou Almighty King

At Calvary (Response)

Pray for me as I am having a “Meet the New Guy” luncheon after the service. My plan is to lay out the next 3 months of the worship ministry at this church. I’ll let you know how it goes…