08/01/10: Logan's Worship Blog

The Glory of it All (Crowder)

Revelation 22:13 - I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

News flash: Dutton is not the first or last name of anyone in the band. We formed as a group to fill in for David Crowder*Band when they were away from their home church - Ubc, which is on Dutton Avenue in Waco, TX. And although we've filled in for DC*B over 100 times, we've never played an event together...until this weekend.

Friday night we had the honor of playing at the Texas Student Evangelism Conference with the Crowder guys. As I watched them lead, I was reminded of how much this band has influenced what we do. Yes, yes we've done our best to get out from under their shadow, but I must give credit where credit is due. If I need advice about serious issues in our line of work (record labels, hiring an agent, songwriting, royalties, etc), I know I can call David and he will speak wisdom into my life.

And his songwriting is always a little left of what everyone expects in the worship world. The guitar part and lyrics in this song are a perfect example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg-1yM6insA

Mighty to Save (Hillsong)

Zephaniah 3:17 - The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

7,000,000 hits on a live worship video? Wow. This song has brought the good news to so many people all over the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ

How He Loves (McMillan)

Ephesians 5:2 - live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Listen to songwriter John Mark McMillan speak powerfully about this beautiful song he has written in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXWE6AC8ao

Here is Our King (Crowder)

Rev 11:15b - "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Watch Crowder, himself, teach budding worship leaders how to play this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aea5Mq4sSUA

You are Good (Walter)

Psalm 62:2 - He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

verse 2: "I cry in pain, I sing for joy and then I cry in pain. Still you are worthy of my highest praise, for you remain unshaken."

I'm doing things a bit differently this week and writing this blog in retrospect, as we played these songs yesterday (usually we play the day after I write each entry).

On Sunday, our pastor Gary Singleton preached a sermon entitled "Why all the pain?" from James 1:2-4 (consider it pure joy when you face trials) and John 15 (He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful). Writing this blog in retrospect, I'm able to tell you that I immediately applied these passages in a phone conversation with a friend that afternoon. The exact chapter references and verses were on my mind from the sermon that morning, and I was able to reference them to someone who was facing one of life's many trials. I would encourage you to read both of these passages:

James 1

Trials and Temptations

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.-

John 15

The Vine and the Branches

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.