Tag Archives: worship

Song for a Sunday // Lord, I Need You

A song for a blustery season…

matt maher lord i need you

Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here, I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You’re the One that guides my heart
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Simple, but powerful lyrics by Matt Maher, led here by one of my all-time favorite female vocalists, Leann Albrecht. This song is a prayer. Pray it with me.

Lord, I Need You/I Need Thee Every Hour

Starts at 00:48:10 and ends around 0:58:30

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

You’re my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

LORD, I NEED YOU

This should take you straight to the link also

CLICK HERE or copy and paste address into your browser::    http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/54305559

Lord, I need you lyrics

Song for a Sunday // The Mountain of the Lord

Ruthie* was leading this when I walked in to Southlake Worship Center in Hobart, IN a few weeks ago. Even though I could only recall the last few words, I remember loving the gentle strength of the song’s lyrics, and the soulful melody – which remained with me.

Thanks to my godly, anointed and so-so-so beautiful sister-in-law, Dawn, for helping me find it. I love it even more in the re-listen. The Mountain of the Lord, Kim Clement

“‘Cause there is a place for those who are broken in the mountain of the Lord…”

“…you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”  Hebrews 12.22-24 NLT

My song for this day, a day the Lord has made.

***

*Ruthie was the cutest little girl, daughter of church leaders and powerful worship leading. I’d see her shining her light in the church hallways in the late 80s and early 90s while visiting my parents. Now she is a worship leader, and wholly anointed, bright light and powerful leader, still shining away!

Songs for a Sunday // For I Know the Plans

A really old Kent Henry album

Spotify says this one is from 1994, so that’s 20 years ago – good heavens! Kent is my all-time favorite worship leader. He blazed a trail in worship revelation and leading 30-40 years ago, but he has never stopped, he just keeps worshiping and leading people in to the Presence, year after year, decade after decade.

There is so much great musical worship out there, many new songs (Kent’s latest release: HERE). But every now and then – it is good to remember and some songs hold up over time and remind you of the good God has done over many years. I can recall what He was doing in my life when I was listening to these songs…

High and Lifted Up, For I know the Plans, The Repaired of the Lord (a spontaneous song of encouragement and promise), Burn it Deep (the reprise) – those are my favorites.

The promise in Jeremiah

As it happens, I caught a live-stream service from Summit Christian Center in San Antonio last night. Pastor Rick Godwin preached, “Good News in a Terrible Place.” It was about the conditions in which God’s people found themselves when that beloved and often-quoted prophetic scripture Jeremiah 29.11 came.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29.11 NKJV)

God’s people were in exile. They were in Babylon, a godless place and they were going to be there a long time, as per, you know – the God of the universe.

Rick said the truth is, being in exile is a regular part of the human existence and the word of the Lord to us is  build houses and plant gardens and marry and live fully and dwell and increase in that place – in our Babylon, our place of exile. Because even there, especially there, God promises:  I won’t leave you, I won’t quit using you and I won’t quit working in your life the way I have planned. Get used to it. You may be in Babylon a long time. But even there, there in your exile,

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord… (Jeremiah 29.12-14)

So that passage wasn’t about being immediately rescued from a bad situation, but about God being there even in the situation – and using us in exile to bless the people and community and world around us!

god has a plan

So, take heart, friends and family. Exile doesn’t mean you’re washed up, used up, outside God’s will or out of His favor. It just means, He has put you {led you} in to the middle of a place (a Babylon) that needs His glory, His light and love to be shown and He will do that through you! This is good news in even the most terrible of places!

The sermon podcast should be available soon! HERE…update 9.10.14…click here for video OR Podcast here

“Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.”  – Tim Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

 

Song for a Sunday // Let me be SINGING when the evening comes

Matt Redman is the greatest hymnist of our day.  If the Lord tarries, the church will be singing his songs a hundred years from now.  They will last.

He just writes the best lyrics, ancient truth with fresh words.


My favorite line:

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes.

I am watching Kai this early Sunday morning while his parents lead worship at two services in Loveland.  The drive over was magical.  The sun rose like a ball of pink and orange fire and I let it consume my rear-view mirror and nearly blind me to be lit up by it.  Ahead of me were crystal-clear, generously snow-capped mountains (yes, it is majesty) and on each side of the road, steamy-fog was rising rapidly, dancing wildly and burning off in the blaze of morning glory.

Kai and I are sitting in the morning sun now, singing…singing…singing to the bird-chip sounds.

It’s easy to sing in the new light of day.

But the song – It is like a prayer: whatever happens today, Lord, whatever obstacles I face, whatever pain I encounter, whatever hardship, whatever doesn’t go like I thought it should; all the good, the bad and the ugly I see, I say to my own soul {my mind-my will-my emotions} Bless the Lord, oh my soul.  And even if I am limping to get there, Let me be singing {still} when the evening comes.  Amen!

Song for a Sunday: Yes!

Omygoodness.  I LOVE this song!

Dave and Tara introduced me to this song the summer of 2006.  I had just left a busy (crazy, heart-pounding, wreck-of-a) church position and I was in rough shape.  They were about to embark on this new thing called Worship and the Word Movement, where they could travel and sing and lead worship and infuse local churches and ministries with much-needed resources for worship – all for just the invitation, no $$ required.   Missionaries.

It was a summer night.  In a barn east of Brighton and the Holy Spirit was pre~sent!  O my.  And they started singing it and every person in the place had their faces turned heavenward with their arms raised singing, “Yes, yes – yes, yes!”

And I was standing there begging God to show me what was next, to give me my next assignment – something to prove He wasn’t actually finished with my life in light of the loss and the pain of the months just passed.

And you know when you hear from heaven and know it is really God because you know you would never have heard those words from your own heart and mind – you know that kind of hearing?  I heard like that and He told me, in spite of the fact that the words of this song are amazing, sweet, and about simple surrender (and have a decidedly early 70s R & B flavor, which is so me),

“Do not sing this song.  There is nothing for you to say ‘yes’ to.”

And I am serious.  Because He was serious.  He absolutely would not allow me the honor of singing this song.  I looked around that barn and just like the wounded heart I was, spewed out, with hot, stinging tears, “Why do they all get to say ‘yes?!'”    He reiterated:

“There is NOTHING for you to say yes to.”

Settled.  KILLED.  Just broke my heart.  I had thought He meant forever.  I couldn’t comprehend He was looking out for me, making sure I was safe before we ventured further…

Many times since, I have asked Dave and Tara why they don’t do that song more because I love it and God lets me sing it now. **happy face** :)

Flash forward:  A Sunday morning (today).

I try to slink unnoticed in to the church.  I am immediately greeted by 2 of the HF familia who will not let me slink by.  Oh no.  I just want to come in, sit in the Whitewater dark and sing a little (along with my son, Rocky, who is leading), hear the sermon and leave like I came: over-worked, over-wrought, over-tired, all my own fault.

Rocky and Jovan are about to step out as missionaries themselves.  6 years later, we are here again…He has a dream to build a worship team that goes out into the highways and byways, even into bars.  He wants to actually worship the Lord in the dark places.  He and Jovan want to write and produce music that will bring healing where the wounded live.  And today, omygoodness – it reminded me of that little white barn with Dave and Tara 6 years ago.

And he dusted off the too-little-used song, “Yes.”  And I am tired.  And I am a bit beaten down by working without resting, by fearing man rather than God, by all the things I should know better than to allow…But sitting there (in the Whitewater dark) I realized, the thing is, I can say yes now.  God is asking me.

“Do you want to do this?” I hear Him ask…

Yes, yes.  Yes, Lord, yes.

And I hear Rocky lead out with strong resolve:

From my heart I say Yes

From my soul I say yes

All my life I say yes, yes…..

So that is my song of the day.  Maybe the month or the next 60 days, I don’t know.  It just really washed over me.

 

GOTTA get a camera that can handle the sound and low-lights.  The vid is low-quality.  But I am sharing it anyway, because if you’re trying to decide something right now, see if these words and this melody will fit.  And if it helps you say what you know you already want to say anyway…

“Yes,” led by Rocky Rhoades (my beloved son in whom I am so pleased.)  Words and music by Dave Powers (c) 2006 (my other beloved son in whom I am also very much pleased).

Get your lyrics and chord chart here: Yes- E (CD)

Kent Henry!!!!

Our family-all-time favorite worship leader (the leader on our first ever Hosanna’s! Integrity cassette worship tape: He is Exalted), has a video blog!!!

Kent Henry:  Great voice.  Spirit-led.  Full of wisdom and grace.  Passing it all on to the next generations.  He played at Heaven Fest 2009 and it was awesome!

AND, on this one, he is teaching from my favorite book of the Bble: Ephesians!

The times of refreshing come from His presence because of the power of redemption…(references the song “The God of the Redeemed” from Brian and Jenn Johnson at Jesus Culture).

“Don’t let the devil ever stop you because you’ve fallen in sin…keep using your gift.  This is a secret I learned years ago, this is from the heart of God to yours.  The devil will try to condemn you and confound you to the place: no more prayer, no more playing the guitar, piano, whatever you are doing in your church, teaching, but do not stop.  Don’t let him stop what’s going on in you in terms of redemption.  Use your giftedness as God is perfecting His holiness on the inside of you.”

Hear more on this Youtube video.  I just subscribed to the whole channel!!

Now-what is cool/weird is, perplexingly…I went to bed singing an old hymn from  my childhood that I honestly cannot remember singing for the past 30 years.  Maybe I have, but it isn’t like a favorite song or anything.  It is vcoming together…Today must be for exploring redemption….by the blood of Jesus…

Sweet is the song I am singing today

I’m redeemed, I’m redeemed

Trouble and sorrow have vanished away

I have been, I have been redeemed.

I’m redeemed by love divine

Glory, glory, Christ is mine

All to Him I now resign.

I have been, I have been redeemed.

The Highest Praise

Overheard from an “official” intercessor:

“Then some one explained to me that the highest form of worship [to God], higher than music or anything else, really, is intercession.  And it was like – of course!” Followed by a hand gesture that said I-am-called-to-THE-most-important-thing + a way huge smile.

{Well, isn’t she just the greatest in the Kingdom}  Ping.

I hate that.  I hate that I cannot just hear stuff like that and be ok with it and go on my merry Christian way.  Or just think “She is where she is,” and not want to tell her how arrogant that seems.  But dang, I find our Western Christian culture of so wanting, just like the conniving-striving-jealousy-position-guarding disciples, to be in the most powerful, important “ministry” irritating.  And I know-I know, that is probably because of my own pride and sin and it-takes-one-to-know-one realization.  That really IS what aggravates me: it is my own crap glaring harshly in some one else that causes me to want to strangle…them!!!  Haha.

So, btw, don’t worry if you have ever aggravated me to your knowledge.  I am really just seeing my own unholy reflection.  It’s not you – it’s me.

I digress.

So, I knew when I heard Miss-intercessor triumphing in her role as highest-ever-worshiper and I felt ticked, that I shouldn’t leave it there, my attitude, I mean.  I shouldn’t categorically now dismiss all intercessors, even though I have known some doozies.  Because there are people called and they literally stand in the gap between God and man.  I have a couple of amazing (and very humble) intercessor friends who haul my junk out and make a case for me, plead for God’s mercy over my life.  When they are standing in the fray – they absolutely are giving God the highest praise, living their most glorious moment – because they are being all He created them to be.  And that pleasure, that glory that God receives when my friends pray, it is complete and it is full and it is true.

But that is not the whole of the glory.

For a rose, it is when it has opened fully, released every drop of its’ perfume and is reaching far and wide in total splendor that it reveals the very glory of God.

For the singer, it is a note {the one}  or a run echoing to heaven and back again.

For a woman giving birth, that moment when bebe passes, bloody and gasping, from the hiding place (where God has been knitting the child together) into air and bright light – is not that moment one of great triumph, the very glory of God revealed, somehow perhaps even symbolizing death passing to life?  Glorious!

For a father in these days, to deliver his daughter to her intended at the wedding altar, pure, whole and holy – it is a moment of glory to our God.

When I am with my grandbebes and I am hearing them and seeing them beyond what the physical senses can pick up, when I am present in their lives and making inroads into their hearts where I deposit a seed of the sweet song of salvation into their tiny hearts and minds because I know I will reap what I sow, oh believe me, it is glory.  It is why I was born.  When I am long gone, that kind of glory remains.

We still try to get points

It is amusing, though, isn’t it?  That even with our 7.4 Bibles per American person, though we have heard of those disciples jostling for position, though Paul writes extensively about the many parts of the one body and how each part must do its’ work so that then we’ll be healthy and growing and truly grow more and more to be like Christ – we are still trying to determine what role we have and how important we can make it seem.

The intercessors think they have the inside track, but if they’d talk to the prophets, they’d know better.  The youth pastor is cooler than the children’s pastor and the evangelist can’t figure out why everyone is wasting time at church and won’t get out into the highways and byways this minute!?  Pastors pretty much dread the charismatic “revivalist” who can come in and stir the pot but leaves before the mess is cleaned up.  There are performance-driven “worship leaders,” who haven’t been in the secret place since they got to be the “leader,” and exhorts who are mad that no one receives their gift.

Please don’t ask me how I know.

How is it possible that the same God who called me also called all of those…weird, prideful, title-seeking people?  What on earth? {you know I’m kidding, right?}

Maybe this, like Paul said:

Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

GOD’S PURPOSE IN ALL THIS WAS TO USE THE CHURCH TO DISPLAY HIS WISDOM in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”    Ephesians 3

It is all for His glory.  Your gift.  Mine.  The weird, prideful people.  He knows.  He knows that when those people and you and me become all He created us to be, when we are doing the things He planned for us before we were even one day old, when we are being who we are, an evangelist, a pastor or teacher or bread baker or car detailer – in  the moment we are who he says we are – we are at our most glorious and we are, in fact {and in richest variety}, giving Him the highest praise.

 

Joyful-Joyful // Song for a Sunday

Laura Hackett from the JOY album.

 

 

It’s fine.  Nobody is looking.  Get up and dance a little!  I’ve got the J O Y !

A Hymn of Faith from Habakkuk 3

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

18 Yet I will rejoice {I will JOY} in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer’s feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

H i d i n g Place // Song for a Sunday

You are my hiding place

You are my hiding place

You shall preserve me from trouble

And You shall compass me about

with songs of deliverence

What time I am afraid

I will trust in You.

Some days, I just pull out the old Hosanna! Ingrity Music and  worship my head off.  Couldn’t find a Youtube for this particular Hiding Place song, though the other You are My Hiding Place song that I also love like crazy is everywhere there.

But in looking, I also found this one.  I sang this so much back in the day that people in our church liked to play it and say, “Hey, Tredessa (or whichever kid), – who is this singing?”  “Mommy,” they’d say.  I sang it that much.  I’ll tell you something now, we’d have to drop it about  3 or 4 keys!

Wow I loved this song back then!  Those late 1980s…

I Hear Angels

 

T W O songs for a Sunday!  Sing with me!