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Worship Ministry - January 2023

Christmas Night of Worship

Wow! If you missed our Christmas night of worship, you missed out on a blessing! I am so proud and thankful to all those that made the night so special. Those that sang in the choir worked hard and put in many hours on Sunday afternoons so that we could bring our best offering of praise. I am also incredibly thankful that I get to serve with such great musicians each week, and especially thankful for those that played for our night of worship. Last but not least, those that worked behind the scenes in our tech crew, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Hope

When I was a child, I would find myself awake on Christmas Eve wondering and hoping at what was inside those beautifully wrapped packages under the tree. Socks? Candy? The new, latest and greatest gaming system? I was hoping it was the latter! Those are the feelings of every child on Christmas Eve, hoping that time will move faster and the sun will rise sooner so they can see what “Santa” brought them, but feeling like it was never going to come.

Aren’t these the same feelings the Shepards, Wisemen, Joseph and Mary, and all those looking and waiting for the promised Messiah had? A hope that always seemed a little out of reach, that was never truly going to be fulfilled. Egerly waiting for a promised messiah from the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, who hasn’t spoken to us in what feels like eternity! The same God guided us through the wilderness into the promised land and broke the bonds of oppression in Egypt. The same God that etched the law onto the stone tablets and communed with Moses on the mountain. They had hoped that one day that same God would send a messiah to save them, but where was He?

Then, on that silent night, Jesus was born!

We have hope and assurance that God is here with us! We can go with great confidence into this world knowing that we are not alone, but have the hope of Christ Jesus in our hearts if we belong to Him. God sent hope as a baby boy, who grew up a sinless man and bore the sins of all man-kind so that we are redeemed before the Father. God continues to send hope through His spirit as He encourages us and challenges us to live for Him in and through all things. May we return to that child-like hope as we head into a new year. May we remember that God is worthy and deserving of our praise, every day, every hour, in all things. May we not look to the world to fill us, but seek the Lord our God for our delight. May our hope be in the Living Hope, Jesus Christ!

Lyric of the Month
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Isaiah 25:1
Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.

Worship Ministry - December 2022

Thankfulness
"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 106:1

For some, being thankful comes easily, and others find it difficult. Having a thankful spirit takes practice and patience, especially in a world in which the attitude of “more, more, more” is the norm. We are bombarded with personalized ads, telling us all the things in the world that will make us healthier, happier, and "handsomer." Every day, we are pressured to get the new thing, just so we can feel like we fit in with those around us.

“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” Psalm 17:15

Lord, may we be satisfied in you! Help us to rely on You for all that we need, and may You be all that we want.

We are in the season of thanksgiving and giving as we celebrate the holidays. It is easy for us to hang on for dear life as we go from one event to the next, buying all the presents, and eating all the food around us. My prayer for each of us this year is that we would remember for whom we should be thankful and who gave us the great gift ever. To help us do that this year, here are some ideas that will help us practice thankfulness:

1. Have your family write down things they are thankful for on little slips of paper. Place those in a bowl and pull one out each day so you can specifically thank the Lord for what He has done, and given to you.
2. As you wrap presents up, pray over each one for the person that will receive it. Pray that they will know the gift of Christ's salvation.
3. Set a reminder on your phone to take 5 minutes a day to sit quietly with the Lord. Silence and quiet will be in short supply during the holidays, so take time to be still in the Lord’s presence.
4. As you sit down for a meal this holiday season, specifically lift up those who are going without this year, and those that are hungry. Pray that God would give you an opportunity to help those in need.

Lyric of the Month
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord, unto me
faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Psalm 150:1-2
¹ Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! ² Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

May the Lord fill us up with thankfulness this year!