Hymns on Sunday - Red Mountain Church and Indelible Grace

This week I want to make you aware, if you are not already, of noisetrade.com This is a website that is any artist can put up and freely distribute their music online. Noisetrade.com has a variety of music genres including Christian music and hymns. To get the music you must provide a little info (email address and zip code) - your download link/code will be emailed to you, but that's it. Oh an it provides a way to share what you are downloading on facebook and twitter to share with your friends.

Anyway, now that I have plugged noisetrade, I want to commend to you a couple of albums available. The first is a group from Red Mountain Church in Birmingham, AL. I became familiar with them a few years ago and totally got into the music they were putting out. I bought this album a while back but now it is available in it's entirety

It is "Help my Unbelief" by Red Mountain Church

Another album that I'd like to commend to you is Arise my Soul by Indelible Grace. What is offered on noisetrade is just a sampler, but it has several great songs that I hope wet your appetite for other Indelible Grace albums. Indelible Grace have put out several cds over the last few years that take many old hymns and put them to a new tune or bring a not so familiar hymn back into light.

Hymns on Sunday - Page CXVI Hymns I & II

There are so many great hymns and I am thinking about beginning a new idea for blog posts on Sundays that will highlight hymns, share the stories behind the hymns, or put resources in your hands to hear, learn, and enjoy hymns of old and the not so old. We'll see if I stick with it, but I have some ideas to get me started.

So to kick off this blog idea I want to share with you hymns from Page CXVI. I've enjoyed listening to Page CXVI hymns put to and they have just made them available for streaming on blogs and I would like to share them to you.

From Page CXVI Hymns I



Chord charts for Hymns I can be found on the Page CXVI blog

From Page CXVI Hymns II



Chord Charts for Hymns II can also be found on the Page CXVI blog

By This We Know Love

Summer has come and gone since the last blog post and I'm not really feeling too bad about that. It was a great and busy summer in Lakeshore and we are looking forward to the fall. My support I have been trying to raise for my time in Lakeshore has gone pretty well so far. Lord willing I will be updating everyone on that soon.

For the time being I want to share with you one of my new favorite songs. It's not really new, but new to me. This video is from the 2009 NEXT conference

By This We Know Love
Judah Groveman

God of all Creation, Lord of heaven's light
Descended into evil's darkest night
Infinitely Holy, Your perfections know no end
Selflessly You died my rightful death

By this we know love that He laid down His life
God's very own Son, came from Heaven to die
Suspended He hung, as he shed His own blood
What grace in His pardon, by this We know love

Forsaken man of sorrows, hated by all men
You willingly surrendered for my sin
Scornfully derided, yet in silence stumbling on
Bearing wrath for all that I've done wrong.

By this we know love that He laid down His life
God's very own Son, came from Heaven to die
Suspended He hung, as he shed His own blood
What grace in His pardon, by this We know love

Music new to me...JJ Heller

In the last week or so I have discovered the music of JJ Heller and she has quickly become one of my favorite musicians/vocalists. Her music can be found on itunes, jjheller.com, or amazon. One album, Wake Up The World, is available for free on noisetrade.com for a limited time. I highly recommend checking it out!

Lakeshore Baptist Children's Choir

The last Sunday of this month Lakeshore Baptist Church will be having the children's choir sing at the Sunday morning service. I am really looking forward to this, as are most of the children.

Pastor Don asked me about a year ago if I would be interested in leading a children's choir, I was a little hesitant at first but finally said I would. We began last winter, singing at the Easter service earlier this year. There was not a huge turn out in kids, though we had several that came very faithfully and we had a good time.

This semester I have been joined by Emily Elbourne, who is helping on piano, and a woman who recently began attending the church - Mrs. Joni. She is a school bus driver and has been very helpful in picking up children and just knowing many children and asking them to come. This semester has been very good so far. We have a many children join us in the choir, most of whom have never been to church here or anywhere.

I have had a great time with the kids this semester, as well as constantly learning. I have been streched in ways I wouldn't have thought. But it's been good.

When I was thinking about songs to sing I wanted the focus to be evident - Christ and the gospel. I was greatly encouraged by the music from Sovereign Grace Ministries and chose to use a couple of their songs this semester. One song that we've been singing and I think has become the favorite of the group is To Be Like Jesus.

To Be Like Jesus

VERSE 1
Love, joy, peace, and patience too
Grow in those who trust in You
All who put their hope in Christ
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
Self-control and gentleness
Live in those who have new life

CHORUS
I want to be like Jesus
To walk and talk like Jesus
I want to live like one who follows Him
I want to love like Jesus
To give my all like Jesus
I want to live like one who follows Him

VERSE 2
I don’t always do what’s right
Jesus lived a perfect life
And for sins like mine He died
Teach me to obey Your Word
Help me to put others first
Holy Spirit, change my life

© 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Glory to God Forever

Yes so this might be the week for videos, oh well.

I have really been enjoying the music from the band Fee. The video I posted earlier this week was one of their songs from their previous album, "We Shine"

I am looking forward to their upcoming album, "Hope Rising", which will be released October 6. The following song/video, Glory to God Forever, is song a from that album that I've enjoyed singing in worship to the Lord.



Glory To God Forever

Before the world was made
before you spoke it to be
You were the King of Kings
yeah you were, yeah you were

And now you’re reigning still
enthroned above all things
Angels and saints cry out
we join them as we sing

Glory to God, Glory to God
Glory to God, Forever

Creator God you gave
me breath so I could praise
Your great and matchless name
all my days, all my days

So let my whole life be
a blazing offering
A life that shouts and sings
the greatness of the King

Glory to God, Glory to God
Glory to God, Forever

Take my life and let it be
All for you and for your glory
Take my life and let it be yours

Glory to God, Glory to God
Glory to God, Forever

My idol worship

The dearest idol I have known
Whate'er that idol be
Help me tear it from Thy throne
And worship only Thee

William Cowper 
from "O for A Closer Walk with Thee"

Oh The Deep Deep Love of Jesus

I had the opportunity to spend a little time with my pastor in Platteville singing and sharing songs with each other (basically me learning a few new songs). One song he shared with me was Oh The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus. I hope to spend a little time learning it on guitar when I get back to Lakeshore and sharing it with the congregation.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus.
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of Your love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Your glorious rest above

Oh the deep, deep love
All I need and trust
Is the deep, deep love of Jesus

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore
How He came to pay our ransom
Through the saving cross He bore
How He watches o’er His loved ones
Those He died to make His own
How for them He’s interceding
Pleading now before the throne

Oh the deep, deep love
All I need and trust
Is the deep, deep love of Jesus

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Far surpassing all the rest
It’s an ocean full of blessing
In the midst of every test
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Mighty Savior, precious Friend
You will bring us home to glory
Where Your love will never end

Oh the deep, deep love
All I need and trust
Is the deep, deep love of Jesus

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Let Us Love, And Sing, and Wonder

Let Us Love, And Sing, And Wonder
John Newton

Let us love, and sing, and wonder
Let us praise the Saviour's name;
He has hushed the law's loud thunder,
He has quenched Mount Sinai's flame;
He has washed us with His blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.

Let us love the Lord who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies;
Called us by His grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes;
He has washed us with His blood,
He presents our souls to God.

Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threaten hard to bear us down,
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conq'ror's crown;
He who washed us with His blood,
Soon will bring us home to God.

Let us wonder! Grace and justice
Join, and point to mercy's store;
When through grace, in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles, and asks no more;
He who washed us with His blood;
Has secured our way to God.

Let us praise, and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high;
Here they trusted Him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky;
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood,
Thou art worthy, Lamb of God.

A few random thoughts on concerts

Last night I had the opportunity to go to a MercyMe concert in Baton Rouge with a group from Providence Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head Island. I'm not too familiar with MercyMe, but the concert was pretty good. During the show I was in awe as I listened to the music and watched the lights and the effects of the show. I am a bit of a nerd when it all comes to sound and lighting - especially sound...I really take an interest in it, but it's also a great opportunity to worship the God who created sound, light, and colors.

I haven't given this as much thought as I would like and haven't really thought about how I want to articulate this. So I apologize if it comes off as a bunch of random thoughts, since it probably will.

I was thinking during the show how awesome it is that God has created sound. There's the piano, guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. It's beautiful when they are all mixed together in such a way that you can hear each one of them. When one is not over powering and the people running the sound board strive for excellence in their service. When each individual instrument is tuned and the vocals are on the right note. I'm grateful the Lord has made sound and that He's allowed me to hear it and enjoy it.

The creativeness of music and lyrics is another thing I praise God for. It's possible for every song to sound the same and for every song to be about superficial things. But this wasn't the case during this show, though the songs did have a "common theme", but when the songs point you to Christ that's not a bad thing. Composing music itself takes creativity - a gift God has blessed some people with - praise God.

Obviously in a concert situation the performers and sound and lighting people are striving for excellence. There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence as long as self doesn't get in the way. There is something awesome about excellence and God is glorified through excellence. And though things are not always perfect, God can still be glorified through your actions and humility.

After the concert I reflected a bit on the greatness of God to allow us to sing, to play instruments, to hear the music, to see the lights, and to watch other people really worship God. It's kind of neat to be in a place with many other believers and worship together - some focusing on the lyrics of the songs, others on the technological aspects, but together worshiping the Creator of all things.

The Builder and the Architect

Since arriving in Lakeshore I have been introduced to several musicians and bands that I was previously unaware of. One of my favorites has become Sandra McCracken and her The Builder and the Architect cd. (So I know I'm a little behind the times since the cd was released Nov. 15 of last year)

I am especially fond of the song “Grace upon Grace”, which is based upon a prayer called “Grace Active” in the Puritan prayer book “The Valley of Vision.”

In every station, new trials and new troubles
Call for more grace than I can afford
Where can I go but to my dear Savior
For mercy that pours from boundless stores.

CHORUS:
Grace upon grace, every sin repaired
Every void restored, you will find Him there
In every turning He will prepare you
With grace upon grace.

He made a way for the fallen to rise
Perfect in glory and sacrifice
In sweet communion my need He supplies
He saves and keeps and guards my life

To Thee I run now with great expectation
To honor You with trust like a child
My hopes and desires seek a new destination
and all that You ask Your grace will provide.

I love the first verse stating the things we go through require more grace than I can come up with on my own, but I can go to my Savior who will provide grace and mercy that is endless.

I think my favorite line in the whole song, though, would be “and all that You ask Your grace will provide.” Reminding me that everything that God asks of me, He will provide enough grace to accomplish whatever that is.

Another favorite song is “Thy Mercy”

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

I think Sandra McCracken has done a beautiful job with the entire cd, but the depth of each of the songs is what I enjoy the most. The songs don’t necessarily paint a promised happiness or a light and fluffy picture of Christianity, but speaks of reliance on Christ and our inabilities, God’s grace and mercy toward us sinners, Christ’s death, and our redemption in Christ. Most songs are based off scripture passages and words of great hymn writers (William Gadsby, Isaac Watts, Joseph Hart, John Stoker and the Puritan writers), as well as a reformed perspective.