Posts with the category “doxology-and-theology”

Thy works, not mine, O Christ, speak gladness to this heart;They tell me all is done; they bid my fear depart.Thy pains, not mine, O Christ, upon the shameful tree,Have paid the law’s full price and p...  Read More

Every song you sing can be broken down into at least three essential components: melody, theme, and delivery.Those first two -- melody and theme -- are the most obvious, right?  Most simply defined, a...  Read More

Every Lord's Day we begin with a "Call to Worship" from a Psalm or scripture passage meant to elicit the response that its name suggests. We gather to communally participate in an activity that ought ...  Read More

This Sunday we will be learning the song Grace, written by the songwriters of CityAlight in New Zealand. Our congregation has already benefited greatly from singing a number of their previous contribu...  Read More

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys ...  Read More

Even when our voices are not heard by one another, nevertheless they are not stopped from proclaiming the gospel, from prayer and from praise. Even though we all rose to an Easter morning distant from...  Read More

Being at a "loss for words" is one of those rare but universal experiences where a person encounters an event, a thought, or a feeling that leaves them completely speechless. This experience isn't sim...  Read More

My wife and I recently returned from a short getaway in Seattle, Washington. We lived there for many years in the early seasons of marriage and pastoral ministry. This trip reminded us how much we mis...  Read More

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and ...  Read More

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accorda...  Read More

JUXTAPOSITION [ juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uh n ] : the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect.Some things in life - some...  Read More

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me....  Read More

As our church continues to ponder the incredible beginning of God's story in the book of Genesis, certainly the middle and end of that story are not left unnoticed. In fact, the themes of Genesis 1-3 ...  Read More

"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart." (1 Kings ...  Read More

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you ...  Read More

Feast ... We don't use that word much anymore.We attend dinners, receptions, barbecues or banquets, but when was the last time you received an invitation to a feast? Sounds exciting - a feast! I heark...  Read More

My grandmother was a great cook. Some of my fondest memories from childhood involve waking up before the sun in a small house in rural Kentucky to the sounds and smells of my grandmother's breakfast r...  Read More

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted is a hymn penned in 1804 by Anglican ...  Read More

It's been said that song-leaders ("worship" leaders/pastors) in the church are subjected to the most impossible of jobs. It's not having to perform flawlessly in front of a large group. Its not having...  Read More

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love. He will again ...  Read More

One particularly curious interest of mine is the discovery of new words. There's something personally satisfying about learning to condense a sentence, or express a complex thought, or beautify a phra...  Read More

Among the many familiar symbols of Christ in the Scriptures, one that might be missed is that of an anchor. A familiar word even to those who may never have stepped foot in a boat, this essential naut...  Read More

As I put fingers to keyboard, thousands upon thousands of pumpkins are making their way to landfills and the airwaves are already beginning to chime with the sounds of Christmas (in particular, 24/7 C...  Read More

I have a fascination with the history of hymns. I'm sure it has something to do with my upbringing and memories of singing out of a hymn-book every Sunday, or listening to four-part harmonies wafting ...  Read More

In the coming weeks we will be learning a new song together in our Sunday worship services entitled Not In Me, a song originating from the ministry of thousandtongues.org and written by Eric Schumache...  Read More

They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power; to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. (Psalm 145:11-12)This last month w...  Read More