I really appreciate the leadership that Lalpi gives to the congregation at Cityview for our worship of the Triune God. Yesterday the service was a tight weave that created a picture and an experience of the extraordinary grace of Jesus. I was so blessed by how Dan and Lalpi presented East to West by Casting Crowns. A stillness descended on the congregation as we contemplated Jesus’ forgiveness! Thanks Lalpi and thanks Dan. If you want to reflect again on Jesus’ forgiveness of our sin you can watch the video below.
worship
seen at cityview this past sunday
For those of you who wanted to really listen to the words of Josh Garrel’s song Freedom I have posted it below. Thanks are due to Mary and Ben for pointing me in the direction of Josh Garrel. Ellen and I have listened to him all week! As well some of you may want to check out the play list of worship songs and songs viewed before the service; Lalpi and I are posting these on YouTube at the Cityview Baptist channel.
a taste of last sunday
We had our First Nation’s friends from Tsawout Assembly of Praise Church and the Tribe of Judah worship team at Cityview last week. God ministered to my heart and really challenged me during the service. Their music and their testimonies of Jesus’ grace in their lives caused me to reflect on how good it is to share Jesus as Lord without having to abandon our differences that do not conflict with the Cross and the Gospel.
Below is the text of a song written by a man in Ontario. I hope the words of Rise Up Mighty Warrior will be true in your life.
The One who was rejected, because of hardness in their heart;
The One who took the pain, paid the price for our new start;
This very One who died, and gave us reason to live,
To give love to those who’ve mistreated us,
and a heart to forgive.
To all who’ve suffered, at the hands of another,
Come out from the bitterness, come out from the shame,
Well, the God of creation is calling out your name;
Turn to those with love, who have only brought you pain
So rise up mighty warrior, rise up,
and receive what only God can give.
He gives Life through the blood of Jesus Christ.
He gives Love and the strength to forgive.
The lies we believe from our past were nothing but a cruel deception. To take from us, what is rightfully ours, The sons and daughters under God’s protection.
new song, Your Love, by donna reine
One of the delights of having God-gifted and talented people around is that we get to experience God’s promise of “new songs.” Here is, Your Love, by Donna Reine presented by the worship team at Cityview.
worship exiles
The dominance of Jesus in John’s heart and mind confronts my own preoccupation with problems. Even as John, the exile of Patmos, took up the pen to write the letter and record the revelation he was aware of Jesus’ concern and correction for the churches. However, in writing the letter the dominant concern of John was not in providing solutions to their problems. John is absolutely gushing with praise for God. Jesus’ revelation in John’s letter invokes worship in John even as he writes to the churches. The revelation pulls back the curtain so that Jesus may be seen. “Look, he is coming and ever eye will see him, even those who pierced him.” (Rev 1:7)
John erupts into worship just as he greets the seven churches declaring that Jesus would have glory and power forever. Notice how John’s worship is in response to God. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” (Rev 1:5-6) Then as if to punctuate how Jesus is their very life–God greets them in the letter: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and was, and is to come, the Almighty.”
I am too easily occupied with my own voice and contemplation of problems and challenges. When I lean into those problems I too often lean in first–with a sense of aloneness. I realize that problems can turn us into worship exiles. Without a compelling and truthful vision of who God is and what He has done for us, problems usher us into a void in which we become functional atheists. We act as if God is dead, inattentive to our situations, unable or unwilling to act. Perhaps this was part of the danger attendant to John’ audience who might have felt that the persecution of Domitian or the pressures of gaining or creating wealth were more present than God.
John was physically exiled to the Island of Patmos. But the churches were in danger of self-generated spiritual exile from the presence of God. The danger remains for us as well. If we cease to respond in thanks and praise to the One who has loved us, freed us from our sins, and made citizens in His Kingdom with purposeful intent we will become worship exiles.
urbanfoot 