Notes on the Notes – October 19, 2014

This week – God Always Has the Remote/Baptism/Praise Team service

This week’s scripture:Exodus 33:12-14, 18-23/Psalm 99

This week’s music:

“Come, Now is the Time to Worship”

“Come, now is the time to worship,
Come, now is the time to give your heart.
Come, just as you are, to worship,
Come, just as you are, before your God.

One day ev’ry tongue will confess You are God,
One day ev’ry knee will bow.
Still, the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now.”

This popular contemporary Christian song was written by Brian Doerkson.  Brian Robert Doerksen (pronounced “durkson”) is a Canadian Christian singer-songwriter and worship leader from Abbotsford, British Columbia who was born in 1965. For many years he was part of the Vineyard Churches as well as Vineyard Music Group. In that context he has been extremely influential in the area of contemporary Christian worship music. He was a featured worship leader on many Vineyard worship CDs and has also taught extensively on worship leading and song writing.

Read the story behind the song at:  http://www.praisecharts.com/the-story-behind-come-now-is-the-time-to-worship-/

Hear Brian Doerkson and Wendy O’Connell at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELdQ66LK5Qw  

“A Voice is Heard”

 “Come, let us praise our God,
Come let us sing for joy,
With a heart of thanks we give honour.
You are a mighty God,
You are the source of life.
Creator God, we give praise.

From the deepest seas
From the highest hills
From the rich dark earth (a voice is heard).
All creation sings! God is heard.

 Through the darkest night (a voice is heard).
Through the breaking dawn (a voice is heard)
Through the heart of life (a voice is heard).
All creation sings! God is heard.

This song by Australian Catholic composers Trisha Watts and Monica O’Brien, was written in 1998.   Trisha Watts is known internationally as a singer, songwriter and teacher and as a powerful catalyst for groups wishing to release their creative voice and spiritual heritage. With over 25 years experience in the music industry as a composer, performer, recording artist, secondary music and drama teacher, youth worker and workshop animator, she now travels throughout Australia and the world leading singing workshops, spirituality days, retreats and creative community events.

“Out of Deep Unordered Water” (VU #453)

“Out of deep, unordered water God created land and life;
World of bird and beast, and later, twosome people, husband, wife.
There is water in the river bringing life to tree and plant.
Let creation praise its giver: there is water in the font.

Water on the human forehead, birthmark of the love of God,
Is the sign of death and rising; through the sea there runs a road.
There is water in the river bringing life to tree and plant.
Let creation praise its giver: there is water in the font.

Standing round the font reminds us of the Hebrews’ climb ashore.
Life is hallowed by the knowledge: God has been this way before.
There is water in the river bringing life to tree and plant.
Let creation praise its giver: there is water in the font.”

Fred Kaan wrote this baptismal hymn in 1965 for his congregation at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Plymouth.  Ron Klusmeier’s setting was published in “Worship the Lord” (1977), a collection of hymns written by Fred Kaan and Walter Farquharson set to music by Ron Klusmeier.  The hymn was also included in Songs for a Gospel People (1987).

“Hebrew Benediction” (VU #965)

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee,
And be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,
And give thee peace.  Amen.”

The words for this blessing come entirely from the book of Numbers 6:24-26 in the King James version of the bible.   The melody is a traditional one, with no known composer, but arranged by Lowell Mason (1792-1872).  The blessing is well known as the priestly blessing, the Aaronic benediction, or the Hebrew benediction. Martin Bucer and John Calvin introduced the Aaronic blessing to Reformed worship after the example set by Martin Luther’s Formula Missae (“Formula of the Mass,” 1523).

“How Great is Our God” – “How does one describe something he’s never seen with the naked eye? Or, how would you paint a picture of an invisible person? Chris Tomlin doesn’t try to make it too complicated for us with his song “How Great Is Our God”, his way of answering someone who says ‘what’s God look like?’. What he says about this song’s development suggests that just maybe that’s the way God wants it. Just celebrate Him, and that’s enough. Almost sounds too easy, and that was kind of how Tomlin thought about it too, at first.  Tomlin recalls that the song’s development began with the chorus section ‘how great is our God…’ , and that that’s all he was able to come up with initially. He says he almost felt regret when he said to Him in effect ‘…this is all I have Lord, there’s no other words I can summon in the English language to describe how great you are.’ Evidently, Tomlin then offered some other words to go with the chorus, but he says the refrain became the focus of the song, after he took to heart some comments by friends. As a result, he says the song’s spotlight shone more brightly on the Holy One’s nature, versus what it was originally when Tomlin focused more on what we as Christians get from Him. Light, majesty, a creature that’s both lion and lamb, and a three-in-one concept none of us can honestly fathom…those are mysterious words that Tomlin uses to try to capture God’s visage. Think of a brilliant light hidden in a cloud. Still, the song’s simple yet potent declaration of God’s supremacy is the overriding message.”

“The splendor of the King,
Clothed in majesty;
Let all the earth rejoice,  All the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at His voice,  And trembles at His voice.

 How great is our God!
Sing with me: How great is our God!
And all will see how great, how great is our God!

 And age to age He stands,
And time is in His hands;
Beginning and the End,  Beginning and the End.
The God-head, three in one,
Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb,  The Lion and the Lamb.

 Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise.
My heart will sing:
How great is our God!”

  “How Great Thou Art” (VU #238)

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

 When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

 But when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.”

The words of this hymn are an echo of the awe felt by the writer of Psalm 8.   The hymn How Great Thou Art travelled a long road before it ended up a favorite addition to English hymnals. The original version was a poem written by a Swedish pastor, Reverend Carl Boberg in 1886.   In 1933, English missionaries to the Ukraine, Reverend and Mrs. Stuart K. Hine heard the song for the first time, fell in love with it and sang it often throughout their missionary journeys. As they traveled the Carpathian Mountains, the couple was inspired by the incredible beauty to translate the first three verses of the song into English. When WWII broke out in 1939, the Hines returned to England carrying How Great Thou Art to its new home. After the war they wrote the fourth verse and arranged the original Swedish folk tune to be published in English hymnals. In the 1950s, the song was copyrighted and widely published in America, becoming more and more popular. When George Beverly Shea and the Billy Graham gospel choir, directed by Cliff Barrows, began to sing the song at virtually every crusade event, How Great Thou Art soon became one of the most recognized songs around the world. (source:  Share Faith website)

Here are just a few of the amazing variety of interpretations of this much-loved hymn:

George Beverly Shea singing on one of Billy Graham’s Crusades in 1969: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsrEscUUNMA

George Beverly Shea singing at nearly 103 years old at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdF1wR98OeE   showing you’re never too old to sing!

For Elvis fans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf0vJiyeLIo

For Statler Brothers fans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YCGhh1bAg

Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill sing this song at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk

Cool version with traditional, world and modern drums at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt8egypk_Lo

“God is in Control”

                                                          “God is in control and He loves and cares for you
He sees the sparrow fall and He know what you’ve been through
So put your faith and hope in His hands
In the One who calms the raging sea
For God is in control and He sees your ev’ry need.

He sees the tears you’ve cried
He knows the pain you’ve felt
He sees you when you fall and He loves you through it all.

Oh I don’t understand or always see His plan
But I know that He cares and that your pain He shares.”

Mark Cole, worship pastor at Eastside City Church in Calgary.  Mark loves to develop worship teams and lead people into the Presence of God. He has a passion for introducing people to God at home and abroad and has travelled to over 60 countries.  Mark is a Music Producer and Arranger and has done over 16 music and worship recordings for various artists, churches and ministries, including five of his own worship CD’s. Mark is also the founding arranger for praisecharts.com which supplies music arrangements, charts and songs to thousands of churches.

“God Will Make a Way”

 “God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side.
With love and strength for each new day,
He will make a way. He will make a way.

By a roadway in the wilderness He’ll lead me.
Rivers in the desert will I see.
Heaven and earth will fade,
But His word will still remain.
And He will do something new today.”

This modern classic was composed by Don Moen (1995).   After learning that his young nephew was killed in a car accident, Don Moen searched for some way to help bring comfort to his grieving family even as he struggled with his own sorrow. While reading Isaiah 43, he asked God to give him something that would bring hope to the family in the middle of a hopeless situation. As he prayed, the words for “God Will Make A Way,” came to mind. He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.

For a while, that song remained a private message for his family. But slowly, he began sharing it with others and soon found that it was a message for the whole church. A message to cling to when “there seems to be no way.”

Hear the song at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o