had a great service this past sunday. mixed it up a bit… had our praise + prayer service.
wanted to be more intentional and create a contemplative/meditative feel to the service by the worship songs that we chose and the flow of it from songs to prayers to the elements.
looking over the setlist, i didn’t realize we did SO many songs… but it was nice.
(* i have a funny story about “how deep the Father’s love for us” and how i had to be cued by grace because i kept messing up the time signature, if you buy me coffee @ Q Cafe i’ll tell you about this!)

anyway, i think we helped create the space for people to just enter into a time of intimacy and a place of prayer… i know it was good for my soul and hopefully the church as well.
i shared during a time of praying for healing… that my personal request is for more patience and understanding and to have the joy of the Lord as my strength.

your continual prayers that i would learn how to extend God’s joy, peace, patience, grace and love to all would rock!

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welcome/opening set:
- meet with me [key of A] by lamont heibert

praise + prayer portion:
- create in me a clean heart, o God [key of G] by keith green
- the wonderful cross [key of D] by isaac watts
- You are my King (amazing love) [key of D] by billy james foote
- all who are thirsty [key of G] by glenn robertson & brenton brown
- the valley song [key of C] by aaron sands, charlie lowell, dan haseltine & matt odmark
- nothing but the blood [key of A] by beth & matt redman
- it’s all about You, Jesus [key of E] by paul oakley

invitation/eucharist:
- how deep the Father’s love for us [key of E] by stuart townend

offertory/closing song:
- i will offer up my life [key of D] by matt redman

went acoustic this sunday… it was a nice change.
tough for me though, felt awkward/different, naked w/o a full band… but it was good. need to be uncomfortable more often.

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welcome/opening set:
- trust [key of D] by matt slocum
- Jesus, lead on [key of E] by brent helming
- what a friend we have in Jesus [key of E] by joseph m. scriven and charles c. converse

invitation/eucharist:
- You are so faithful [key of F#] by lenny leblanc and greg gulley (one of my favorite songs!)

offertory/closing song:
- falling [key of G] by brenton brown & paul baloche

led by jin, this week.
on the drumset again…

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welcome/opening set:
- be Thou my vision [key of E] by eleanor hull & mary e. byrne
- better is one day [key of E] by matt redman
- Word of God speak [key of C] by bart millard & pete kipley

invitation/eucharist:
- faithful Father [key of A] by brian doerksen

offertory/closing song:
- Your grace is enough [key of A] by matt maher

no comments…

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welcome/opening set:
- blessed assurance [key of C] by fanny jane crosby & phoebe palmer knapp
- Jesus, Lover of my soul [key of G] by daniel grul, john ezzy, & steve mcpherson
- Your love, oh Lord [key of G] by brad avery, david carr, mac powell, mark lee, tai anderson

invitation/eucharist:
- Your beloved [key of G] by brent helming

offertory/closing song:
- hosanna (praise is rising) [key of G] by paul baloche & brenton brown

man, can’t believe it’s already june! 4 mos. left before my wedding! cra-gee!
and back leading this sunday after taking a break last week to drum… and it was a blessing.
two of the songs in the opening set are so old for some of the younger members of our congregation that they thought they were newer songs! :O

i feel old!

we also had special guests from outta town who were able to share about some of their awesome work they’re doing out in central asia. many blessing to their family and the kingdom work they’re doing.
you are in my prayers!

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welcome/opening set:
- blessed be the Lord God Almighty [key of C] by bob fitts
- blessed be Your name [key of C] by beth and matt redman
- seek ye first [key of C] by karen lafferty

invitation/eucharist:
- agnus Dei [key of A] by michael w. smith

offertory/closing song:
- nothing but the blood [key of A] by matt redman

worship this sunday led by deanza spaulding.
she ROCKED.
her voice never ceases to amaze… it has such strength, rawness and texture to it all it’s own. am looking forward to having her help out more and having the church be blessed by her giftedness in the several coming months before the birth of her 2nd child (and hopefully after too!).
and i know the women at Q love it when she leads… since her setlist has songs that are better suited for the female vocal range. can’t say how many threats i receive about the higher vocal range of the setlist i usually have. sorry ladies! :T

* i am blessed to serve in any capacity i can with this gifted worship ministry… especially when it’s the drums!

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welcome/opening set:
- light of the world (here i am to worship) [key of D] by tim hughes
- hungry (falling on my knees) [key of D] by kathryn scott
- holiness (take my life) [key of D] by scott underwood

invitation/eucharist:
- at the foot of the cross [key of E] by kathryn scott

offertory/closing song:
- be glorified [key of E] by louie giglio, chris tomlin and jesse reeves

sam kang’s last sunday… gonna miss you, my friend! may God continue to bless you as you’re in ny for the next couple of months!

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welcome/opening set:
- i stand amazed (how marvelous) [key of G] by edwin o. excell, charles hutchinson gabriel
- ’tis so sweet to trust in Jesus [key of G] by wayne kirkpatrick
- holiness (take my life) [key of G] by scott underwood

invitation/eucharist:
- change my heart, o God [key of C] by eddie espinosa, jr.

offertory/closing song:
- it is well with my soul [key of C] by h.g. spafford

* for the full story, click here.

Lord,
we pray and submit this situation in china to You.
for those who have passed,
for those who have lost loved ones,
for those who are injured and hurting,

be with them in their grieving/mourning.
remain their sustenance and their hope.

may we be called to continual prayer and moved to action.
forgive me for being so selfish, Father.
help my heart to beat in tune to Yours.
to be an extension of You to those in need.

amen…

still fighting a head-cold/congestion of some sort… blessed to have katey and eunice take vocal lead. they did a great job!
this sunday, we took some time honoring all of the mothers, as well as spending time in prayer and offering financial aid for the relief of cyclone nargis…

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welcome/opening set:
- pass me not, o gentle Saviour [key of G] words by fanny crosby & music by w. howard doane
- all who are thirsty [key of D] by brenton brown & glenn robertson
- be the centre [key of D] by michael frye

invitation/eucharist:
- You are my King (amazing love) [key of E] by billy james foote

offeratory/closing song:
- better is one day [key of E] by matt redman

[UPDATE: 05.13.2008 @ 03.30pm (PST)]: we will be hosting a benefit fundraiser/concert at q cafe this coming saturday, 05.17.2008 @ 7pm.
if you’re available, please come, pray, donate, help…

* great post from pastor leah, click here. our world truly doesn’t seem as big as it once was… what a reminder that we are called to reach out and help/heal one another.

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(c) photo courtesty of Khin Maung Win/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

when reports first broke about a cyclone hitting myanmar, i remember thinking to myself… ‘oh no, not another disaster in that region of the world!‘. then i remember thinking, ‘wait a sec… what is a cyclone‘? (though, wikipedia has an entry on cyclone, i’m not sure i completely understand what it really is. if you’re a good teacher and have loads of patience, hit me up and explain this to me. coffee on me!)
all i do know for sure? the devastation the cyclone has done to region of myanmar.
reports early on gave the death toll and it continued and continues to grow and i fear it will never be accurately tallied… (i was honestly thinking it was going to be like part 2 of the terrible 2004 tsunami, where a quarter of a million people lost their lives.)

100+
364+
1,000+
10,000+
20,000+…
…more?
they’re talking about it potentially topping 100,000+? as i look at that number, it’s beyond disbelief… i am numb. any loss of life is profound… but multiply it by 100,000?!?!? it is too hard for my mind to comprehend. my heart wrestles with such unimagineable sadness when i think about the repercussions this will have for many, many, many years to come… and potentially never-ending for others.

seeing the path and the impact of this cyclone from an article from the new york times helped me to visualize just how catastrophic this cyclone must’ve been. when you try to imagine winds at 120mph… it’s unbelieveable and truly awe-inspiring:

Lord, help us to pray and mourn and grieve w/ those who have been impacted by this, BUT help us as Your followers to be moved and called to action. rather than focusing on the unreal number of casualties (not including those who are missing, injured, and displaced), help us to focus on those who are alive and in desperate and immediate need of our help. may the ruling military allow the rest of this world to do what it is meant to do: care/help/heal…
when i read about indonesia pledging money and any assistance they can provide, i thought how awesome it was! all things considered, they’re just a few years removed from one of their worst disasters. isn’t that what it should be about? we are all called to display God’s grace? helping one another out as we have been commanded? in my mind, i keep coming back to matthew 25:40:

“…truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. “

i’m encouraged by our church, quest’s desire to help w/ the relief effort. you can read more about it by going to PE’s blog entry regarding this matter. pray with us, and if you feel compelled, give with us… or find some other organization. we’ve all been blessed so much, let’s try to be a blessing unto others!