The theme for our gathered worship this week was learning to trust in God’s faithfulness and provision for every season of our lives, whether we are in the midst of sickness or health, need or abundance – to “count our lives as loss”.  We recognize that this is difficult to do. In fact it is impossible to achieve and even desire without the Spirit through the Power of Christ and the Word, so we preach these truths to ourselves in song and pray to that end.

Choosing a theme around which to structure our worship can occasionally be very challenging and this was one of those weeks. But I believe it’s helpful for the church (and for me as I lead) to focus on a key aspect of God’s character or redemptive work as we worship. Often I see or hear that God used the truths we sang to work in a way the team had never anticipated and that is both humbling and faith-building.

So here are the songs around which we formed our worship this morning at Grace & Truth:

1. You Are My King (Amazing Love) by Billy Foote

2. Thy Way Not Mine by Horatius Bonar, Joel Sczebel — Worship of Giving

I dare not choose my lot
I would not if I might
Choose Thou for me, my God
So I can walk aright

Scripture Reading – Romans 8:18-25

3. The Lord Is (Psalm 23) by Pat Sczebel & Bob Kauflin

Message – From Bodyolatry to True Health and Beauty (Mike Hanafee)

4. Thy Way Not Mine (we repeated the song congregationally here after being used as the worship of giving earlier)

5. Here is Love by Robert Lowry, William Rees, Matt Redman

6. The Glory of the Cross by Bob Kauflin

What mercy now has been proclaimed for those who would believe
A love incomprehensible, our minds could not conceive
A mercy that forgives my sin and makes me like your Son
And now I’m blessed forevermore because of what you’ve done.

And, oh, the glory of the cross – that You would send Your Son for us
I gladly count my life as loss, that I might come to know
The glory of, the glory of the cross!

Well, that’s what the Lord enabled us to publicly proclaim in song this morning.  For our worship team this week, I led on acoustic guitar, David played the keys and added some nice vocal harmonies, and Loraena was able to lead as a vocalist this week as well.  I believe God will continue to teach and change us as a result of what the Spirit showed us this morning, for His glory!

Blessings in Christ,
-Josh

(I’m including this post in Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlist carnival, where you can see what many different kinds of churches around the world are singing.)

Early this year I read Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel & Community (Chester & Timmis).  This book has furthered my growth in understanding what a gospel-centered church should look like and be about: PEOPLE, not a place; COMMUNITY, not a corporation; MISSION, not maintenance.

I could go on, but I simply want to share a few excerpts from this book to encourage and challenge us as Grace & Truth continues moving towards what God has created the church to be.

“Over time churches seem to acquire committees, meetings, programs, and traditions, none of which may be wrong in themselves, but which cumulatively move the church from mission to maintenance mode. Time and energy are spent making the institutions function.  The legacy of many churches is thus absorbed in maintaining the legacy of a program of activities and church buildings.  Roles exist that have to be filled. The life of the church is geared around maintaining its structures and programs. We need to shift into “mission mode.” People are beginning to say we need “missionary theology” rather than a “theology of  mission.” Mission can no longer be looked at as one branch of theology. All theology must be missionary in its orientation.  We need the same reorientation in churches.  We are in a missionary situation, and all that we do must be missionary.” (page 86)

Look for more powerful quotes from this book in upcoming days. Perhaps they will inspire you to give this challenging book a read as well.

Mike