The traditional JibJab year-end round up for your visual and aural enjoyment…
And remember, soon this blog will be closing down. I think the next post will be the one that confirms that. Most likely. Prorably.
And the video below does play. You just might need to refresh the page before it works. For some reason. Do I look like I know why? Wait. You can’t see me…
Come and join in with Sunday Setlists over at FredMcKinnon.com, and see how churches around the world have been worshiping this week..
In a week when hardly anybody in their right minds will be blogging or reading them (I know this says a lot about me…) this is my last Sunday Setlists post.
On this blog.
In the next few days, I’ll be finalising some changes to my online-ness, one part of which will be the shutting down of Shaping The Space. So stay tuned for that.
Wait, no-one’s reading this…so…um…anyway…
We had a “review of 2009″ type message today, and a bit of preparing for 2010. A big part of that, in the early part of the year, will be the release of our album, which I mastered on Wednesday. Feels like a decade ago now, with Christmas in between and all that goes along with it, but it’s ready for replication and will be released in February. iTunes, etc will follow later.
Sunday AM Music
1. You Deserve (Hillsong, 2008)
2. Desert Song (Hillsong, 2008)
3. It’s Your Love (Hillsong, 2009)
4. He Is Lord (Hillsong, 2008)
…then for the tithes & offerings…
5. Give Thanks (198something)
…before the preaching
6. I Walk By Faith (C3, 1990)
…and then to close the service with the altar call…
6. Give Thanks, but then morphing in a spontaneous song, all of which went for around an hour. A wonderful time of Holy Spirit soaking.
In what is often a difficult week – mid-summer, straight after Christmas – we had most of our people there, and ready to worship & seek today. Margaret led that time of intimacy with God through music beautifully, as she always does. And the spontaneous song (yes, I recorded some as I was in the congregation…no, I’m not posting it here…it was to help the team remember how it went) was truly a blessing.
And with summer, we don’t have evening services until February 2010 either. Just so ya know.
Note for Facebook readers : remember if I post a video or song, you’ll need to actually click through to my blog to see or listen. You know you want to.
As if the last one wasn’t enough…more people, more accents, more weirdness.
After several of Laura Anne’s twitter friends “coerced” her into a Scottish rendition of “The Night Before Christmas”, she also requested some of the coercees take part.
So…I thus coerced Diane to help me out to make it multi-national. And everyone knows she has the bestest accent on the planet anyway.
Without further adieu … here it is : our long overdue return to the world of vlogging
A friend of mine, of indeterminate faith, recently said one of the best pamphlets he’d ever seen was from Jews for Jesus. It was simply titled : “Jews for Jesus : What??”
This comes from another of their pamphlets. And because it mentions my favourite non-holiday, I thought I’d share it.
What shall we do?
What shall we celebrate?
Hanukkah, Christmas, … Festivus ?
If I choose Christmas I can go with the flow. With Hanukkah I get more presents. And with Festivus…for Seinfeld fans…there’s an airing of grievances and feats of strength.
Religion and ritual. What do they have to do with reality?
Amidst the dreydls, the candles, the wreaths, the ribbons and whatever other traditions you may hold…there’s a feeling that there’s got to be something more.
Holiday traditions fill us with a nostalgic longing for a reality that many of us have never experienced. A hunger and thirst that can’t be satisfied with latkes or eggnog or anything we can see or taste or touch with our physical senses.
That’s because our souls really long to be right with the One who created us.
The best gift of the season can only come from God…and the dilemma is whether you are willing to receive it.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should be perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
It’s not a matter of whose holiday or what culture to celebrate…but whether or not you open your heart to that Jewish baby that God sent so that people of all cultures and backgrounds could know God and experience His forgiveness and peace.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called : Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
Come and join in with Sunday Setlists over at FredMckinnon.com, and see how churches around the world have been worshiping this week..
I’m keeping this uber-short this week. Because no-one should be reading set-lists in the week before Christmas anyway 
It was our all weekend Christmas/Hanukkah celebration from Friday to Sunday, with Bob Mendelsohn from Jews for Jesus offering powerful messages about Christ in Hanukkah and also Messiah-mas. Love that name.
Following is two lists from Sunday, as usual, except I’ve abbreviated the song credits because I’m a bit time strapped. Our AM service was a “normal” service, while PM was our Christmas celebration. In effect, this meant a 12 hour day for much of the team. Tis done, twas fun. Glad it’s over for another year. Actually, this is my last Christmas with Awesome Church…at least for several years, probably longer. Feels kinda weird.
Also, for anyone who is reading…I’m changing some of my online presence over the next week or so. More to come later, but anyone who subscribes to this blog will be affected, just so ya know.
Sunday AM Music
1. No Reason To Hide (Hillsong, 2009)
2. For Who You Are (Hillsong, 2006)
3. His Glory Appears (Hillsong, 2009)
4. To Meet You Here (Awesome Church, 2009)
…then following tithes, offerings, news…
5. Happy Day (Tim Hughes, 2006)
…and then to close the service with the altar call…
6. His Glory Appears
Sunday PM Music – Christmas Party
1. Let God Arise (Tomlin, 2006)
2. This Is Our God (Hillsong, 2008)
*introduction to the Christmas/Messiahmas party*
3. I’m Walking In Authority (Donnie McClurkin, 2009) – our KidPower sang while the CrossMovement junior dance team danced. Completely gorgeous.
4. The Light Of The World (Jews for Jesus, 1982) – considering our completely non-kosher team, this came off surprisingly yiddish, and certainly got the crowd dancing. The kids in particular loved it.
5. Away In A Manger – calypso style
6. Angels (Hillsong, 2003)
7. Six White Boomers (Rolf Harris, 196something) – a quintessential Aussie Christmas song. For da kids, ya know.
8. Aussie Jingle Bells (Colin Buchanan, 199something) – as above, but you all know the tune. Look up the lyrics…you might understand them.
9. O Holy Night – surprisingly for us, not radically rearranged, just with a gentle swing
10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – because even though it’s hot here at Christmas, the kids love this too – even with the My Sharona style drums & bass we do…
11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – kinda like the Jackson 5 version, but ours goes for.ev.ah. while Santa arrives and distributes lollies to all and sundry.
12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas – the end.
See you next week, and Happy Christmas!
Note for Facebook readers : remember if I post a video or song, you’ll need to actually click through to my blog to see or listen. You know you want to.
Source: Compiled by APN from media reports
Slightly alarmist? Perhaps. But one thing is certain…this is no time for complacency. We Aussies can’t keep coasting along on our “she’ll be right, mate” laidback attitude. The possibility of this happening is very real…and we need to love-bomb our brothers and sisters with the love of Christ, and Christ alone.
An official Taliban publication warns Australia that it will have to assimilate into a dominant Asia or face the prospect of being overpowered and forced to take population overspill from Asia. The choice is spelt out in the latest issue of an online Taliban monthly magazine, Al Sumud, whose lead article offers a sweeping view of a post-war order in which a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan becomes a moral pivot for a pan-Asian renaissance that will coincide with the decline of Western power.
“The end of European leadership in the world will give the white population in Australia two choices,” according to author, Mustafa Hamid, a former senior al-Qaeda member who in 2001 married an Australian woman with links to Islamic extremists. “They can either return to their motherland in Europe or reconcile with their Asian neighbours.” Otherwise, he warns, a lengthy conflict will ensue in which Australia will be overpowered “by Asian nations that are better armed and more numerous”.
“There is no doubt that the huge growth in the population of Asia, together with its economic and military development, will make Australia into lebensraum (living space) – to use the term used by Nazi Germany as a motivation for territorial conquest” writes Mr Hamid. Asia, Mr Hamid writes, is facing a population explosion “while Australia is nearly empty, apart from scattered groups of white residents”.
Residents are warned to return to their countries of ethnic and cultural origin or face an “unequal conflict”.
These warnings, however, are marginal to the central vision offered in the article – the emergence of a vibrant pan-Asian identity in which Islam, and the Taliban in particular, constitutes a powerful moral and cultural force but not an exclusive one. Its emphasis on pan-Asian political identity rather than pan-Islamic sets it apart from al-Qaeda ideology. The Taliban article does not call for jihad, although it hints at the possibility of “peaceful Islamic expansion” and the linchpin role in the “Asian Age”, as the author terms it, is ceded to non-Islamic China.
Wayne Westcott speaking at a Christian Business dinner challenged those present that true balance in life demanded a focus on more than the physical. He commended the Portland YMCA for recognizing that. “If our priorities are spirit, mind and body, let’s not be afraid of the message of Jesus Christ. If we’re going to call it a YMCA, then let’s not be ashamed to use the word ‘Christian.‘” he said. Eugene Wallace, chair of the organising committee, said “the YMCA owes its existence to divine guidance. It has been led by God, inspired by God and sustained by God,” he said. A number of other YMCAs nationally are pursuing a similar focus on Christ. About 150 people from YMCAs across the nation gathered in a Colorado meeting in October to discuss promoting such change from within. Bob Hall, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette, echoed Wallace’s call for a fresh vision of God’s historic role in the worldwide movement. “We must not ignore or forget this wonderful spiritual legacy,” said Hall. “It’s the foundation of our organization—it’s in its DNA,” he said. Source: Christian News Northwest via Australian Prayer Network
Come and join in with Sunday Setlists over at FredMckinnon.com, and see how churches around the world have been worshiping this week..
As anyone in worship leadership knows, December is a busy month. For Awesome Church this year, this has mainly been for non-Christmas reasons – the completion of sessions for our album. We are also “doing Christmas”, but in conjunction with Jews for Jesus we’re having a Christian Hanukkah celebration next weekend. So one of the songs we’re doing has a very Jewish feel, which is weird for our rock-band oriented team.
But all good fun, and all next week.
For this morning’s service, our young adults pastor Sebastian Ferla preached a great message on rivers of God’s presence, drawing on a huge number of scripture references, mainly from Acts and Genesis, and linked the four rivers in the Garden of Eden.
Sunday AM
Music
1. Send My Sins Away (Murgida / Awesome Church)
2. For Your Name (Morgan, Gillies, Houston / Hillsong)
3. All For Love (Fieldes / Hillsong)
4. Shout Unto God (Houston / Hillsong)
…then following tithes, offerings, news…
5. It’s Your Love (Fieldes / Hillsong)
…and then to close the service with the altar call, healing prayers, soaking time…
6. In Your Presence (DeShazo)
Rachel was our worship leader this morning. And now that she’s finished high school and is in that limbo period waiting to find out what university course she has got into, she’s putting a lot of time into studying worship and music’s part in worship. I love seeing our youth raised up and taking initiative like this! She also did a great job this morning, despite some technical issues before our pre-service practice. She got the team prayed up and excited about bringing the church into God’s presence through music this morning. And she did. Though I will say, with the radical rearrangement of the first song (which will also be the first track on our album, I think) a lot of people were in “stop and stare” mode*. That’s fine though, they got over that and started praising & worshipping without worrying about everything going on around them pretty quickly.
This afternoon, after a marathon 16 hours in the studio yesterday and just a few hours sleep last night…I caught a few more hours sleep, though I’m still well behind and feeling it. It will now be a busy few weeks wrapping up post-production of our album ready for release at our Vision Sunday service at the beginning of February.
*And, in case your interested, the final song we recorded sounds a little bit like this this. Just a bit. Seriously. I like arranging and producing church music a little left of centre some of the time.
Note for Facebook readers : remember if I post a video or song, you’ll need to actually click through to my blog to see or listen. You know you want to.
straight from the riotous fun of the Copenhagen Climate Conference…we bring you…
The Environmental Movement’s Fossil of the Day Awards:
1st: Ukraine
for having worst reduction target in the world – a 75 per cent increase from current levels.
2nd: Australia
…and other non EU industrial nations known as the ‘brollies’ or umbrella group… for proposing that “carbon capture and storage” projects qualify as CDM projects. :/
3rd: Ukraine…again!
for not telling anyone how it is spending the €300 million windfall it pocketed from selling surplus emission credits to Japan.
HT: Giles Parkinson via Business Spectator
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