Blog

CATEGORIES:  Musings & Updates  /  Audio, Video, Charts  /  Weekly Worship Notes  /  Practicing Worship

Off to Malta!

My family and I are off for an exciting trip to lead music and worship in Malta! We will be leading worship six times for all the MTW missionary women from Europe. They have not been able to gather together…

Read more

Advent and Christmas

The four weeks leading up to December 25th are traditionally called Advent, which is a season of confession and longing for the coming Messiah. Christmas Day, on the other hand, marks the beginning of the Christmas season in which we…

Read more

Means of Grace

The church has traditionally seen word, prayer, and sacrament as the three central means of grace.  By 'means of grace' we mean these are the normal ways God communicates his grace to us. Of course, they don't preclude other very…

Read more

A Stake in the Ground

Once again, as we celebrate the Protestant Reformation we will emphasize the doctrine of justification, alien righteousness, and core gospel truths. As you might expect, we will sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. These traditions are important. They remind…

Read more

Silence

A quick perusal of the Book of Psalms, Isaiah, and Revelation will reveal that there are multiple commands and examples of the saints keeping silence before God. Sometimes they are aware of being a sinner in his presence. Sometimes they…

Read more

Refreshment for the Restless

Worship notes for July 3, 2022.

In Isaiah 28:12 the Lord calls his people to find rest and repose, but they would not listen. Not much has changed. Sometimes I wonder if it's because we prefer our anxiousness. In any…

Read more

Shiphrah and Puah

Worship Notes for June 26, 2022

The two themes woven throughout our service today are the fear of the Lord and the Lord's compassion. Without the fear of God we obey self, others, or the prevailing culture. Without the Lord's…

Read more

Why So Similar?

Worship notes for April 10, 2022 for Christ Covenant Church, Matthew, NC. 

For many churches certain worship services or seasons look very similar from year to year: Advent and Christmas, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Sunday, Pentecost, etc…

Read more

Lead On O King 

This week we will study a fairly gruesome passage of Scripture. Genesis 34 is not the most uplifting section… What songs do you sing when dealing with defilement and murder? At the very least you can say that Jacob did…

Read more

On the Road After Two Years!

Like so many other professions, musicians were put on hold during the pandemic. But today I'm piling in the car with four of my children to go play a concert for Millbrook Presbyterian Church in AL. Whoohoo! 

Over the past…

Read more

Reformation Sunday 

In several songs this week we will emphasizing the singing of the congregation by singing a cappella (with no instruments). The sound of nothing but the voice of the congregation is often quite glorious. But in this case I’ve planned…

Read more

Breaking the Root of Bitterness

In Hebrew 12:15, referring to Esau, we are told to see to it that “no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble.” I suppose there is no end to the trouble caused by bitterness. It certainly can cause us…

Read more