So it’s about 1am I am here at the campus library , just finished taking a quiz and doing some work items and now it’s time to head home and hopefully get atleast 7 hrs. of sleep. But b4 I head out I wanted to say that today we had an incredible jam session at the “trailer house of blues” (it’s the name that I think we went ahead and gave to the trailer where band practices, which is also Derek’s living place).
This afternoon Donald and I had the company of “Ian”, who is going to be helping us out on the keys. So I am happy to say that for this coming service WE WILL HAVE A WHOLE BAND!..So what’s it going to look like?
Acoustic guitar: Pablo
Bass/keys: Ian
Electric guitar: Donald
Drums: Brian
This is amazing I am really pumped and cannot wait to practice with everyone, b/c it is going to sound great, God has giving us massive I mean MASSIVE talent and we will take advantage of it.
Last night I got to attend the echo group on campus (bible study) and had so much fun reading la biblia with donuts and milk. The conversations that went on were good and the questions were great. But one annotation/comment that I found interesting came from : Mark 3:31-34
31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
…..Miranda went on to present it as a description b/w religion and relationship and once we all heard her breaking it down, we were all amazed.
Shout outs to all the girls in Homestead : Becca, Katy, Jessica. Your love for God is just contagious. And thanks Miranda for the teaching. Also it was great having John, Bernie, Liz and Mike over, mad love to all ya.
Easter service was good, there is no service like it. Although at first we ran into some difficulties getting the doors open to the bar, yet we were able set up in less then 40 some minutes (thats incredible) God knows this is something we wanted to improve and when we least expected we would, we did!….Our new set up went well, we had bass lines/electric guitar/drums/acoustic guitar/piano/synthesizer… Donald also did great playing the bass lines/piano/synthesizer parts of the songs. The Holy Spirit is really helping us grow by taking baby steps. Recalling our practices for this service, I will not forget how Donald and I had great spontaneous moments of worship in our practices making them memorable segments of the month of March.
Hearing Derek speak was also an amazing experience, as there were times in the message that I could sense the intesity of the message, weather it was through a higher tone of voice or silence. I think I can somewhat relate to the feeling b/c during our worship service there were times when I felt my heart exploding into melodies of worship to King Jesus, I can’t resist: I am so in love with the richness of His presence and who He is and what He represents in not only my life but in the future of the city of Greenville…
Our Easter Program:
Go Outside by Robbie Seay…………………………….Gmj
Into Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall……………..Bbmj
Spring of Life by Kristian Stanfill……………………Bbmj
Nothing But the Blood (Hymnal Intro) by Matt Redman……..Bbmj
Beautiful the Blood by Fee……………………………………………………Bbmj
Looking forward to Easter service as we try to add the bass sound with Donald playing the keys on a split mode. So this time will have Donald on: bass, synthesizer, piano, electric guitar. Brian on the drums and I on acoustic. ..It’s been and continues to be a pretty busy week with school and night classes and exams and work but who care! We LoVe CriSto!
Continuing from last post on quietness, I have found in the bible that there are times when we are to be still and keep silence in our worship. Habakkuk 2:20: But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” Zechariah 2:13 “ be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
So during your worship time remember that there will be times when you must be gentle and all you have to do to entertain Gods presence is play/sing gently/quietly. Especially when you are trying to perceive His guidance/response, as was the case with the prophet Elijah who was in desperate need of a response from God.
1 Kings 19:11-13 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
This scripture once again reminds us of that there is strength in quietness; Isaiah 30:15, NIV. “In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength.”…So try worshiping quietly with stillness and see for yourself the impact it will have in your relationship with Christ.
