Like calm comes to a sea; Like snowfall quietly
You come to me
Like justice to the weak; Like a flood rising
You come, You come to me
Alleluia majesty
Alleluia risen king
Alleluia angels sing
Alleluia
Like springtime to winter’s hush
Like laughter to solemnness
Like a sun rising up
You come, You come to us
Like a song rising up in your heart, filling up
Like a heart’s not enough for this love, for this love
To sing of love, to sing of love
To sing of love, love, love…
Alleluia majesty
Alleluia King of Kings
Alleluia angels sing
Alleluia (sing!)
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Thursday, 17 February 2011
for sjm [I]
My 'jesus music-worship edition' playlist (or what doubles as the master list of the songs my worship team has done), simply because it's a good place to start:
Format: Song - Artist (Album)
All Creatures - David Crowder Band (Illuminate)
Be Thou My Vision
Beautiful - Paul Oakley (Father Me)
Come Thou Fount - Ghost Ship**
Consuming Fire - Soul Survivor (Glimpses of Glory)
The Earth is Yours - Gungor (Beautiful Things)
Enough - Chris Tomlin (Our Love is Loud)
The Glories of Calvary - Sovereign Grace Music (Songs for the Cross-Centered Life)
Great Are You Lord - Phillips, Craig and Dean (Fearless)
Great In All The Earth - Starfield (I Will Go)
Here Is Love - Ex Nihilo (Rain City Hymnal Vol. 1)**
Immanuel - We Are Creation [not a Mars Hill Church Band, but a worship band from Nashville]
In Christ Alone - Page CXVI (Hymns)
Jesus Paid It All - Kristian Stanfill (Passion: Everything Glorious)
Never Let Go - David Crowder Band (Remedy)
No Other Saviour - Starfield (The Saving One)
Nothing But The Blood - Matt Redman (Facedown)
O Praise Him (All This For A King) - Davis Crowder Band (Illuminate)
The House Of God Forever - Jon Foreman (EP 4 - Summer)
Exalted (Yaweh) - Chris Tomlin (Hello Love)
Poison Tree - Ghost Ship* **
Bless The Lord - Jeff Deyo (Light)
From The Inside Out - Hillsong United (United We Stand)
Gloria - Ex Nihilo* **
Gloria - King's Kaleidoscope**
Lily of the Valley - Steve Birss and Jamila Baillie [this was a recording that two members of The Gate did, and we use this format when we sing it]
Offering - Third Day (Offerings II: All I Have To Give)
You - Tim Hughes (When Silence Falls)
You're Beautiful - Phil Wickham (Cannons)
Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong United (All of the Above)
Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle (Full Attention)
Jesus, Lord of Heaven - Phil Wickham (Cannons)
Holy God - Brian Doerksen (Holy God)
All Creatures - Keeler**
Doxology - Ex Nihilo* **
*Songs which have not been done by my worship team, but that have made it onto the playlist anyway.
**Songs that were recorded by worship teams at any of the Mars Hill Church branches. Oh yeah, check out the Mars Hill Church, they're pretty rad.
Format: Song - Artist (Album)
All Creatures - David Crowder Band (Illuminate)
Be Thou My Vision
Beautiful - Paul Oakley (Father Me)
Come Thou Fount - Ghost Ship**
Consuming Fire - Soul Survivor (Glimpses of Glory)
The Earth is Yours - Gungor (Beautiful Things)
Enough - Chris Tomlin (Our Love is Loud)
The Glories of Calvary - Sovereign Grace Music (Songs for the Cross-Centered Life)
Great Are You Lord - Phillips, Craig and Dean (Fearless)
Great In All The Earth - Starfield (I Will Go)
Here Is Love - Ex Nihilo (Rain City Hymnal Vol. 1)**
Immanuel - We Are Creation [not a Mars Hill Church Band, but a worship band from Nashville]
In Christ Alone - Page CXVI (Hymns)
Jesus Paid It All - Kristian Stanfill (Passion: Everything Glorious)
Never Let Go - David Crowder Band (Remedy)
No Other Saviour - Starfield (The Saving One)
Nothing But The Blood - Matt Redman (Facedown)
O Praise Him (All This For A King) - Davis Crowder Band (Illuminate)
The House Of God Forever - Jon Foreman (EP 4 - Summer)
Exalted (Yaweh) - Chris Tomlin (Hello Love)
Poison Tree - Ghost Ship* **
Bless The Lord - Jeff Deyo (Light)
From The Inside Out - Hillsong United (United We Stand)
Gloria - Ex Nihilo* **
Gloria - King's Kaleidoscope**
Lily of the Valley - Steve Birss and Jamila Baillie [this was a recording that two members of The Gate did, and we use this format when we sing it]
Offering - Third Day (Offerings II: All I Have To Give)
You - Tim Hughes (When Silence Falls)
You're Beautiful - Phil Wickham (Cannons)
Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong United (All of the Above)
Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle (Full Attention)
Jesus, Lord of Heaven - Phil Wickham (Cannons)
Holy God - Brian Doerksen (Holy God)
All Creatures - Keeler**
Doxology - Ex Nihilo* **
*Songs which have not been done by my worship team, but that have made it onto the playlist anyway.
**Songs that were recorded by worship teams at any of the Mars Hill Church branches. Oh yeah, check out the Mars Hill Church, they're pretty rad.
all'improvviso amore [trans. sudden love]
This is my friend. She is pretty dang sweet. And pretty dang pretty, too.
This is what she posted on her blog, and it immediately screamed at me (in a good way, don't worry). I'm not a 100% sure, but I'd like to think it's talking about God. At least, that's how I read it, anyways.
Those who know me well know that quotes are terribly important to me. (How important? Ask me about my tattoos.) As Fall Out Boy (I know, I know) says in one of their songs, "...I can write it better than you ever felt it." Which, I think, really just sums it up nicely. Don't get me wrong: pictures are nice, and can be breathtaking at times, but words are really where it's at for me. Words are my deal.
In words I can find comfort, hope, inspiration, joy, and any other kind of emotion you could name. One single word can bring to mind so many different emotions I can't name them all, and even just thinking of the memories brought to mind in that span of 5 seconds can, and will, stir up anything from tears to hatred to uncontrollable laughter.
Words are powerful, and so is my God. Through His words, I can find peace, joy, hope, inspiration, comfort, and love. I am loved. God loves me and will never and could never leave me, and I am precious to Him. And in that, I find solace. And realizing that fact is all-powerful.
This is what she posted on her blog, and it immediately screamed at me (in a good way, don't worry). I'm not a 100% sure, but I'd like to think it's talking about God. At least, that's how I read it, anyways.
Those who know me well know that quotes are terribly important to me. (How important? Ask me about my tattoos.) As Fall Out Boy (I know, I know) says in one of their songs, "...I can write it better than you ever felt it." Which, I think, really just sums it up nicely. Don't get me wrong: pictures are nice, and can be breathtaking at times, but words are really where it's at for me. Words are my deal.
In words I can find comfort, hope, inspiration, joy, and any other kind of emotion you could name. One single word can bring to mind so many different emotions I can't name them all, and even just thinking of the memories brought to mind in that span of 5 seconds can, and will, stir up anything from tears to hatred to uncontrollable laughter.
Words are powerful, and so is my God. Through His words, I can find peace, joy, hope, inspiration, comfort, and love. I am loved. God loves me and will never and could never leave me, and I am precious to Him. And in that, I find solace. And realizing that fact is all-powerful.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
when you're through thinking, say yes. part deux.
I don't think I've been more excited for a cd release date! 41 days!
Monday, 7 February 2011
drop your net [matt. 4:20]
Allow me to tell you a story. First, I'll set the scene:
My vocal history is entirely choral. The choirs I was in didn't use microphones often, and when they did, they'd just put them in front of the whole choir. As a result of this, I have never actually heard my own voice amplified before. Now, I sing on a worship team, and during sound checks I just kind of sing and don't really listen to myself (if I sing at all; I usually just talk awkwardly). The past few times we've sung as a team, my leader has been giving me small solo parts (probably testing to see if I'm confident, or to give me more confidence...either way), and I've had to adjust to hearing myself in a monitor, which has been difficult to say the least.
This week, when I got the e-mail containg the mp3s of the songs we would be doing on Sunday, I squealed and did a happy dance; we were doing 4 of my 5 favourite worship songs! And one of those 4 songs was my most favourite worship song EVER. This Sunday was going to be the best!
And now for the real story:
So this past Sunday when we were rehearsing, I was having pitch issues, and was getting ridiculously frustrated with the whole situation (I've always had good pitch, and losing it is a huge blow to my ego). Needless to say by the end of rehearsal, and right before the actual service, I was feeling really down and self-conscious, about going up in front of everyone and sounding terrible. When we were all downstairs praying before the service, I sat there feeling so depressed about the fact that I was off, that I ignored the prayers going on right beside me. I sat there and wallowed in all the emotions I was feeling: I felt guilty about ignoring the prayers, I felt depressed about my pitch, I felt guilty about being so selfish in thinking that I had a major role in others' worship, I had an intense fear of ruining someone's worship by being terrible, I considered quitting the team, etc... It was a long time of solitude amongst prayer. Even walking up on stage, I felt like the smallest person in the world, but I had no other choice but to just go with it, so I did.
The first set, to me, felt awkward, forced and slightly less than satisfactory, (even though we were doing a song that I had fallen in love with, had a sweet solo, and knew I could hit perfectly) and I trudged off stage, plunked myself in my chair, and I sat through the whole sermon dreading the second set. I hardly made eye contact with anyone for the fear of seeing disappointment in their eyes about my terrible singing. When I walked back on stage for the second set, I felt so defeated that I don't think I even stepped up to my microphone for the first song (the one with which I'd been having pitch issues). From the Inside Out by Hillsong was next (my most favourite worship song in the world). As the song began, I stepped 2 feet back from my microphone, and just let the music surround me. (And being about 2 feet in front of the drums, that wasn't difficult. Have I mentioned how much I love drums? SO MUCH.) I hesitantly began to sing, and in no time felt a million times better by not feeling all self-conscious, being thisclose to my mic. So I sang, and I sang, and sang some more. I don't think anyone realized it, but I was in tears and practically shouting by the end of the song. My voice hurt and my eyes were red and watery, but I don't think I've ever felt better in my whole life. For about three minutes, there was no one else in the whole world but my God and me. Nothing else mattered, nothing bad could happen to me, I had no worries or inhibitions, and I couldn't think of one single thing except Him. For three minutes I was no longer myself; not a friend, student, co-worker, ex-girlfriend, my mother's daughter... nothing but a scared little girl approaching God with nothing to offer but herself. And He took me into His arms and held me, safe and sound. The thing I crave most: feeling safe and protected.
That's the moment I've been waiting for my whole life. That's the reason why I wouldn't hop off the fence and wholeheartedly into Christianity; I'd always felt something holding me back, and the experience of being in God's presence was exactly it. I finally have a grasp on this God thing, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me.
Magnificent Holy Father, I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me.
Who am I that You should suffer Your very life to set me free?
The only thing I can give You, is the life You gave to me.
This is my offering, dear Lord, this is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life, for it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me.
I stand before You at this altar, so many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer, yet what I have is truly Yours.
This is my offering, dear Lord, this is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life, for it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me.
This is my offering.
My vocal history is entirely choral. The choirs I was in didn't use microphones often, and when they did, they'd just put them in front of the whole choir. As a result of this, I have never actually heard my own voice amplified before. Now, I sing on a worship team, and during sound checks I just kind of sing and don't really listen to myself (if I sing at all; I usually just talk awkwardly). The past few times we've sung as a team, my leader has been giving me small solo parts (probably testing to see if I'm confident, or to give me more confidence...either way), and I've had to adjust to hearing myself in a monitor, which has been difficult to say the least.
This week, when I got the e-mail containg the mp3s of the songs we would be doing on Sunday, I squealed and did a happy dance; we were doing 4 of my 5 favourite worship songs! And one of those 4 songs was my most favourite worship song EVER. This Sunday was going to be the best!
And now for the real story:
So this past Sunday when we were rehearsing, I was having pitch issues, and was getting ridiculously frustrated with the whole situation (I've always had good pitch, and losing it is a huge blow to my ego). Needless to say by the end of rehearsal, and right before the actual service, I was feeling really down and self-conscious, about going up in front of everyone and sounding terrible. When we were all downstairs praying before the service, I sat there feeling so depressed about the fact that I was off, that I ignored the prayers going on right beside me. I sat there and wallowed in all the emotions I was feeling: I felt guilty about ignoring the prayers, I felt depressed about my pitch, I felt guilty about being so selfish in thinking that I had a major role in others' worship, I had an intense fear of ruining someone's worship by being terrible, I considered quitting the team, etc... It was a long time of solitude amongst prayer. Even walking up on stage, I felt like the smallest person in the world, but I had no other choice but to just go with it, so I did.
The first set, to me, felt awkward, forced and slightly less than satisfactory, (even though we were doing a song that I had fallen in love with, had a sweet solo, and knew I could hit perfectly) and I trudged off stage, plunked myself in my chair, and I sat through the whole sermon dreading the second set. I hardly made eye contact with anyone for the fear of seeing disappointment in their eyes about my terrible singing. When I walked back on stage for the second set, I felt so defeated that I don't think I even stepped up to my microphone for the first song (the one with which I'd been having pitch issues). From the Inside Out by Hillsong was next (my most favourite worship song in the world). As the song began, I stepped 2 feet back from my microphone, and just let the music surround me. (And being about 2 feet in front of the drums, that wasn't difficult. Have I mentioned how much I love drums? SO MUCH.) I hesitantly began to sing, and in no time felt a million times better by not feeling all self-conscious, being thisclose to my mic. So I sang, and I sang, and sang some more. I don't think anyone realized it, but I was in tears and practically shouting by the end of the song. My voice hurt and my eyes were red and watery, but I don't think I've ever felt better in my whole life. For about three minutes, there was no one else in the whole world but my God and me. Nothing else mattered, nothing bad could happen to me, I had no worries or inhibitions, and I couldn't think of one single thing except Him. For three minutes I was no longer myself; not a friend, student, co-worker, ex-girlfriend, my mother's daughter... nothing but a scared little girl approaching God with nothing to offer but herself. And He took me into His arms and held me, safe and sound. The thing I crave most: feeling safe and protected.
That's the moment I've been waiting for my whole life. That's the reason why I wouldn't hop off the fence and wholeheartedly into Christianity; I'd always felt something holding me back, and the experience of being in God's presence was exactly it. I finally have a grasp on this God thing, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me.
I sought for the King
And He heard me
And delivered me
From my lonely fears
They looked unto Him
And they would attend
And they would attend
And all their faces
Were made unashamed
Gloria, gloria, gloria, gloria.
Oh, taste and see
That the Lord is good
All you people
All you saints
All you children of the King
All you children of the King
Oh, taste and see
That the Lord is good
All you people
All you saints
All you children of the King
All you people
All you saints
All you children of the King
Gloria, gloria, gloria, gloria.
Magnificent Holy Father, I stand in awe of all I seeOf all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me.
Who am I that You should suffer Your very life to set me free?
The only thing I can give You, is the life You gave to me.
This is my offering, dear Lord, this is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life, for it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me.
I stand before You at this altar, so many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer, yet what I have is truly Yours.
This is my offering, dear Lord, this is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life, for it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me.
This is my offering.
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