As you plan for Memorial Day weekend services, here's a few traditional patriotic hymns that you can download and use, plus a couple links to a couple of worship songs that would fit the theme.
May 2010 Archives
Planning Memorial Day Worship
Folk Messianic Musician Leonardo Bella -- Producer Profile
Our new installment of the Producer Profile video series features folk messianic songwriter and producer Leonardo Bella. Learn more about his faith and music in the video below.
Download two of Leonardo Bella's songs FREE by using the promo code BELLAPROFILE at checkout. (Offer good until June 25).
*Editor's note: Since the filming of this interview, Leonardo's home and everything in it was destroyed in the devastating Nashville floods of May 1-2. He represents many more in this predicament. If you're so inclined, make a donation to the TN Baptist Disaster Relief fund or The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help. Thank you.
** Note to email subscribers. This blog post is almost entirely a video, which is not forwarded to your email. To view the video, please visit the blog site by clicking on the title of this post.
Free Webinar May 27: How To Use LifeWayWorship.com
Our last How to Use LifeWayWorship.com webinar was such a success, we decided to do another one on May 27 at 1:00 pm central.
Be sure to register for this free webinar today. We'll see you there.
*Note: This blog post consists mostly of video. If you are reading this in an email and the video is not showing, please visit the blog by clicking the link above.
PraiseGathering Music Group Titles Now Available at LifeWayWorship.com
Hey, everybody. Jonathon Willis here. It is my pleasure to announce that 31 praise & worship songs from PraiseGathering Music Group are now available a la carte at LifeWayWorship.com.Many of you are familiar with PraiseGathering and their outstanding songwriters and arrangers such as Bill & Gloria Gaither, Camp Kirkland, and Jay Rouse. Because of Lifeway's new relationship with PraiseGathering, we now have access to their best congregational arrangements and want to make them available for you at LifewayWorship.com.
These new titles include:
- Be Thou My Vision
- God of Wonders
- Blessed Be Your Name
- Great Is Your Glory
- Voice of Truth
- The Wonder of the Cross.
See all PraiseGathering songs available.
Finding the PraiseGathering songs is a snap. Go to our Find & Buy page and simply type "PraiseGathering" (one word) into the search field. While you're there, take two songs on us. Use the promo code "PraiseGathering" during checkout. (Offer good through June 30).
Sunday's Coming
Oh my. Has it really come to this? Check out this spoof of a contemporary worship service from Whisper Productions and North Point Media..
"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.
Questions: Is this funny? Does it sting?
Note to email subscribers: This entry is primarily a video, which does not automatically go to our email subscribers. To see the video, please visit LifeWayWorship.com/pleasestayontherock.
What Happened to Communion?
I've been reading a book by Robert Webber called Ancient-Future Worship. It's not light reading, but it's worth it. In it he argues that the modern evangelical church has lost something in its current expression of worship. (I know, I know. Quick! Get the worms back in the can). Among other things, he claims that many Christians have lost the connection of communion to what he calls the "whole story" of God (i.e. creation, incarnation, re-creation).
He tells a story of giving a lecture on the significance of communion and its practice throughout Church history. A pastor later approached and said:
"I love what you had to say. We do communion on New Year's Eve, but I don't think my people would tolerate it more often than that. Could you suggest an alternative that would have the same effect?" This response is tantamount to saying, "I preach from the Bible once a year, but I don't think my people would tolerate it more often. Can you suggest an alternative?" Jesus said there is a way to remember me -- it is bread and wine. Why don't we follow the clear teaching of Jesus? |
Question: What do you think? Are Webber's comments too strong? Have we lost the importance of communion? How often do you practice it at your church? How do you incorporate it with the rest of your service?
View a listing of songs appropriate for communion at LifeWayWorship.com
Why Not Me Lord?
| Today's post is from LifeWay's President and CEO Thom Rainer. Find out more about guest writing. |
Photo from The TennesseanPlease forgive me for the personal nature of this blog.
I prefer to write about the state of churches in America and trends that impact those churches. But my heart is full right now, so please allow me the opportunity to share some thoughts.
On Saturday Nellie Jo and I left for a week vacation at the beach. As we pulled out of our driveway, we laughed at the pouring rain and celebrated that we would soon see sunshine and clear skies. But as we approached the Florida line, our neighbor called.
Reality Check
She told us that the Nashville area was receiving rainfall of record amounts. The Harpeth River was flowing hard in what was our backyard. The water was in our garage and climbing the steps to the main level at the house. One dear friend who had come to check on our house told me soberly, "Thom, the water is rising in the garage rapidly and should be in the entire house shortly."
Nellie Jo and I turned the car around at the Florida line and headed back to Nashville.
Preparing for a New Life
My wife and I began to deal with the reality that our life was changing. The entire house would be devastated. We had no flood insurance and thus no coverage. The only thing we would have left would be a mortgage.
In some ways, I dealt with this reality well. I am so blessed. I have so much for which to be thankful. Great friends. The most wonderful family imaginable. A great job at the greatest company in the world. So what if I lost most of my material possessions? I was already blessed beyond measure and what I deserve. We would be okay.
The Call
On Monday morning, as we waited to see if we could get to our home to attempt to salvage what we could, another wonderful friend called. "Thom," he began. "I am looking in your house right now. It looks like the water did not reach the main level. It's a big mess on the garage level and in the back yard, but most of the house looks okay."
I was stunned.
We returned to the house within an hour. He was right. The main level was okay. The house would be spared. We have much work to do, and many repairs to get done, but we have our home. It may be a mess now, but the house is not destroyed.
Nellie Jo and I looked at how close the river water line was to entering our home. It was literally only a few inches away. And then we began to hear seemingly miraculous stories of how the river receded even before the rain stopped.
The New Emotion
I am now looking at the television. I am seeing the stunning shots of the ongoing devastation of Nashville. I am seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of homes and businesses completely underwater. I am hearing of numbers of deaths in the area.
And now I have new emotions.
Why were we spared the massive devastation when others were not? Why were our losses in the tens of thousands when others lost everything?
I never asked, "Why me Lord?" when I thought we had lost all of our material possessions. I knew I had already been blessed so far beyond anything I deserved. But I was having trouble reconciling why we were spared the most devastation when others were not. I do find myself asking, "Why not me Lord?"
I have a theological understanding of grace, that undeserved and unmerited favor given to us by our Lord. But today I am having trouble grasping why again I have been blessed. I know I don't deserve it. I know I've done nothing to merit it.
May God be with the Nashville victims of the Great Flood of 2010. May they know His love, His comfort, His protection, and His provision. And in the midst of all the trials, may they experience His grace.
May they know, like I have been taught yet again, that His grace is truly an amazing thing.
Casting Crowns, Steve Fee, and More New Worship Songs
Casting CrownsMore great praise and worship songs have just been added to LifeWayWorship.com!
- Glorious Day (Casting Crowns)
- Rise and Sing (Steve Fee)
- Worthy of Worship (Travis Cottrell's fresh new arrangement)
Free song for churches affected by flooding: "You Are My Shelter"
At LifeWay Worship, we've been affected by the flood in Nashville just like millions of Tennesseans, and we know that churches are working diligently to minister to those in their care.
This afternoon, as we were singing the first song in our worship musical Shelter, the words started to jump off the page:
You Are My ShelterWhen the sun beats down on the barren ground, and turns the soil to stone,
When the rain falls hard, and the rivers flood, and the banks won't hold
CHORUS
You are my shelter, You are my hideaway,
You are my covering, You keep me safe.
You are my harbor, You are my quiet place,
You are my refuge, And my strength; You are my shelter.When the wind blows strong and I can't hold on, You keep holding on to me
You are my shelter© 2007 Van Ness Press, Inc. (admin. by LifeWay Worship). All rights reserved
CCLI #4962335
I don't know what Paul Marino was thinking about when he penned those lyrics, but that's exactly what is happening in the lives of many of our brothers and sisters this afternoon.
For a limited time, LifeWay Worship is making all of the downloadable versions of "You Are My Shelter" free to download at LifeWayWorship.com. You might just want to download the MP3 and listen and let the words bless you as you pray. It's our hope that this song will minister to you personally, and that you'll be able to use it with your congregation.
Joining the Digital Church
What is a Digital Church, anyway?
According to our CIO, it's "solutions that will help churches be more effective in ministry." Well that about sums up LifeWayWorship.com, doesn't it?
The longer explanation is that LifeWay has been spending time researching the options that churches have to get things done in the cloud. We've been checking out everything from church management to event planning and online giving to building your own church website and have come up with a "LifeWay Recommends" list for your ministry. You might find one or all of these services useful to you. I'm pretty sure you've found one of them useful already or you wouldn't be here reading this!
Let us know what you think of the Digital Church. What other web based services have you used to get ministry done? Leave a comment, or stop by the Digital Church booth at the SBC this year and find out more!
Floods Wreak Havoc on Nashville
Grand Ole Opry. Photo from TwitPic.Here in Nashville we've had an eventful weekend that's shaken many of us to the core. If you haven't heard, we had severe floods brought on by 13 inches of rain over a 2-day period. The last death count I heard was 12, but authorities are afraid they're not through counting.
As for me, I rode out the storm solo with my kids while my wife was on a girlfriend-getaway to Florida. We made it with little difficulty. Thankfully, I backed out of a worship leading appointment two hours away, which would have put my babysitter at risk and my kids without their mother or father during Sunday's downpour. Instead, we tried to go to our local church service. My daughter and I are going on a mission trip this summer. This Sunday was to be the bake sale fundraiser. Needless to say, it was not a success. (You want a cupcake? I've got 'em coming out my ears!).
Many are much less fortunate. Homes were lost and many, many homeowners are without flood insurance. (Damage included areas not traditionally thought of as flood prone). Today, many of us are working from home as some roads are still impassable and schools are closed. But as I've far as I've been able to tell everyone at LifeWayWorship.com is fine.
Please pray for us. Not only that we'll be OK and have dry shelter, but that we'll have the grace, strength, and wisdom to serve our families, friends, and the Nashville community well.
"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).
Read more about the flood on Google News, Ed Stetzer, and Twubs. Here's one way you can help.