Sunday Setlist / 1.29.12

Here's a look at the 10:10 service at Community Gospel Church in Bremen, IN:

THE SET:
When I think about the Lord (james huey)
          Welcome & Announcements
          Offering
Blessed Be Your Name (matt redman/beth redman)
Holy Nation (jordan muck/jonathan eckberg)
          Reflection // Meditation
May The Words of My Mouth (tim hughes)
          Message
          Communion
          Dismiss


THE TEAM:
Jonathan Eckberg - vocals/guitar
Beth Stemble - piano
Larry Ingle - vocals
Alli Hutchens - vocals
Kay Smith - vocals
Dale Gramm - audio
Perri Helpler - visual


NOTES:
This was the final week in our 1P29C (that is, 1 Peter 2:9 Christian) series.  It was such a great morning of worship and fellowship.  We took communion as a family which was phenomenal.  Pastor Jordan left the communion table "open" after the service to allow families to bring their children up and teach them what communion is all about.  We have an amazing children's ministry, but the downside to that is that we don't have many younger children in the service.  So by doing what we did, it allowed parents to decide if their child had accepted Christ and was at an age where he/she could understand and legitimately engage in the sacraments.  It was a cool experience to see a few of our families teaching their children about the beauty of communion.  I think, in a child's mind, it transforms the act from "snack time" to the deep and meaningful experience that it is supposed to be.  Awesome.

Musically, the set list was "older" than a typical week for us.  The only song that was written after 2001 is the one we wrote for this series!  I could't care less about when a song was written.  If it's a good song with solid theology and it fits the movement of the service and the message of the day then I'm game.  It doesn't matter to me if it's a 70's praise chorus, a hymn, or an original song - the main point is does it move us where God is leading.


When I Think About the Lord - this is a song I've done for years.  I've never really known who wrote it (I had to look it up before I posted this).  It's a song I learned from Dave Hunt in my time attending Rolling Hills Community Church in Nashville, TN.  I love the simplicity of this song.  "When I think about the Lord // It makes me wanna shout // Hallelujah, thank you Jesus // Lord You're worthy of all the glory // and all the honor and all the praise"

Blessed Be Your Name - While this is a song that is greatly overdone among church circles.  However, on the occasions that we do break it out I'm reminded as to the reasons WHY it is overdone.  It's just a great song.  I don't think I even need to comment on this one.

Holy Nation - I mentioned last week that this was a song written specifically for this series.  That means that, of course, we had to do it this week.  People have really caught on to it and I hope it creates an avenue for people to link back to the messages of this series.

May the Words of My Mouth - This is one of my favorite "personal" worship songs.  When I'm sitting at home with my guitar worshipping, chances are that this song will be played.  It's a great song about the joy we have in abandoning all this world tells us we need and being fulfilled in committing to follow wherever God leads - and doing so for no other reason that he calls us to do so.


To learn more about Community Gospel Church please visit cgccommunity.com.

Sunday Setlist / 1.22.12

Holy Cow!

Welcome back to me, I guess, huh?  It's been a crazy last 12 months.  In that span I: started a new job at CGC, started into seminary on a full-time basis, got engaged, got married, and a bunch of other stuff happened.  All that is simply my way of saying that I've had a lot on my plate and, therefore, have not blogged at all.

But I'm back!

So, without further ado, here's what went down at CGC on January 22, 2012

WORSHIP LEADERS:
Jonathan Eckberg - guitar/vocals
Beth Stemble - piano
Larry Ingle - vocals
Alli Hutchens - vocals
Kay Smith - vocals


SETLIST:
Everything Glorious (david crowder)
      Welcome
      Offering
Marvelous Light (charlie hall)
Heirs (jordan muck/jonathan eckberg)
Holy Nation (muck/eckberg)
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
      Message
Let us Shine (eckberg)


NOTES:
We are currently operating without a drummer.  A year ago we had two drummers in the church and due to different circumstances we are currently drummerless.  While I would prefer to have a full band behind us, it has been a nice change to dial everything back and approach the sets from a fresh perspective.  However, if you are a drummer in the South Bend area looking for a church to plug into then I've got a spot for ya! :)

We are in the 3rd week of our "1P29C" series.  This is a four week study of 1 Peter 2:9.  The past two weeks our focus has been on the believer as the "Chosen People" and the "Royal Priesthood".  This week we stepped into the believer as the "Holy Nation".

Everything Glorious - One of my favorite Crowder worship tunes.  Just a good recognition of the greatness of God and the fact that he makes everything glorious and we are his... so what does that make us?  (hint:  transitive property states that if A = B, and B = C, then A = C).  David Crowder is crazy smart.  He's the only worship leader I know that incorporates mathematic equations into his songs.

Marvelous Light - Much of the message for this week focused on the imagery of light.  So this standard was kind of a no-brainer.  It's a great upbeat kick-off to the set.

Heirs - this is a song that Pastor Jordan and I wrote a couple years ago that was released on our Until We're Kings album, "Heirs", last October.

Holy Nation - I wrote this song for this series.  Each line of the verse corresponds to a sermon topic from one of the weeks.  We've been singing it for the past few weeks and are using it as a theme song, of sorts for the entire series.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - one of my favorite hymns.

Let Us Shine - Pastor Jordan closed the service with a quote from D.L. Moody that says, "Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine."  We are called to be the light of the world and to reflect the glory of Christ to those around us.  As I was searching for a suitable closing song to encompass the message I couldn't come up with anything that fit as well as I wanted.  So I decided it would be easier just to write a song.  I used a number of points from the sermon and it turned out really well.