Rocking Horses and Tent Making - its the way forward...

And getting back to reality...

I've had a busy few days, so I havn' had chance to say much, but just to give you some interesting backround info Dad started his new job, and I havn't seen him look so comfortable, fullfilled and happy for 18 months, I've got a Job at my local hospital even though I'm not starting for a week or so, and today I was at the Salvation Armies regional headquarters to think about vocations today.

Two things beating on my mind at the moment. None of them theological really, nothing new and great. One is an idea for worship, and another is about my personnal journey and developement of faith.

For those of you who don't know me well (i.e, don't have a tatoo wih my name on or anything) I am extrememely passionate about worship. I don't just mean your sunday morning hymnals, I am passionate about how everything we should be glorifying God and a pure, beautifull act of worship to him, even though it seems little in comparison to what he gave. But coming back to our worship as a unit wherever we are I feel sometimes we get a little too comfortable. We get into a routine instead of offering undignified, undone, and (occasionally) unpredictable worship (see Matt redmans great book on worship 'The Unquenchable Worshipper'). So anyway, the point is I spend a fair bit of time thinking of one or two worship ideas that could be used. Somthing the same, but different; on the edge, engaging the worshipper. Well the great masterplan I've had pushed into my head is what could only be described as a 'worship feature,' and my thought process has always contained my church, Staple Hill Salvation Army, in mind. My idea is to use the contempory worship group (selected parts), and the Y.P (young people (children)) corps as the 'lead worshippers' for this act of worship. The idea is quite simple, and uses a simple, repitituosse song. The song is 'The prayers of the saints' by Matt Redman, which starts with the question 'Are the prayers of the scents like sweet smelling inscence to your heart?' and goes on to plead 'Let these prayers of the saints be sweet smelling insence.' The idea would be to use it at the opening of a meeting. What it would include is the groups bass guitar, electric guitar, (limited), keyboard (limited), vocal, and lots of simple percussion. This is where the Y.P corps come in. I feel we should always aim to include children in our worship, and it doesn't have to be through a silly song or nice story, but it can just be through something they have a basic understanding of, and in my experience children all learn to use basic percussion insrumens like marracas and claves, and under the leader ship of some of the realy talented musicians we have availiable, with them playing more complex simple toys like bongos and windchimes it would really add the the idea about this being a worldwide church involved with worldwide prayer. Also, we have a few mime dancers here, and some powerpoint techie guys, and if all of it was put together it would be a really engaging act of worship for the kids, and just a beautiful way of a body of people coming to God saying 'please, accept what we have to offer, and let our offerings of our hearts be a sweet sound to your ear.'

So to my personnal journey. It's all down to knowledge and understanding again. God's been bombarding me this week with the song 'Our God Reigns' by delirious. over and over its just been there when I've beens somewhere. The song is quite simply about how screwed up this world seems, but above it all our God Reigns. I've known the song for a while now, but what I've had difficulty understanding why the song stops talking about the entire world, and global issues, and starts to talk about psalm 139, and god not making us by mistake. It was when I listened on wednesday, it kicked in when the line 'He's a father who loves to parade you,' vilontly jumped out at me and grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt. The reason it does that is because many of us are that down hearted about ourselves, or life is so hard like it has been for me, but above everything, personal, or international, Our God Reigns. It's just like the song I'm in his hands which I was talking about a while ago. My confidence lies in God alone. In Christ alone my hope is found.

So thats me untill I next come on, if you are at all interesed. Thanks for all your support guys (I know it's not visible that much on here, but you have contacted me in different ways.) It really means a lot to me to know God has provided me with aquinatances, friends, and brothers and sisters who care for me! God bless the socks off of ya!