I was invited to preach recently at a church where they use Baptist Praise and Worship as their songbook. This caused me a little issue as I have been using Songs of Fellowship and others for my song selection over the last twenty years. However, not to be daunted by the challenge, I purchased a second-hand copy of BPW (not one taken from a local church!) so I could select some hymns/songs for the service and have the right hymn numbers.
I strolled down the lane of nostalgia as I came across countless old hymns and songs that I had left far behind me in my leading services. Names such as Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Joachim Neander, Timothy Dudley-Smith and many others came flooding back to me.
It seems that in our haste to "sing a new song" we can leave out the richness of those spirit-filled songwriters of yesteryear from our services. I am sure I will be finding a place for them in some of my order of services to come!
05 April 2013
I think God is trying to tell me something!
I was preparing a sermon for a preaching engagement on Sunday morning, and as usual, I prayed to God to ask what He would want me to preach on. I was led to Like 24:13-35 and the discussion between followers of Jesus walking to Emmaus and Jesus who happened to be disguised from them supernaturally.
The sermon structure came easily as it usually does when God is in control, but just as I was finishing off and my mind drifting to future ministry and what it might be, I was led back to Luke 24:25 when Jesus said to them "‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!"
Now I am not usually one to take a word out of context, but sometimes the Lord speaks through this type of revelation. If it were in isolation, I would ignore it, but after the other weekend ....
From this I know that I don't have to force the issue and try and find what God wants me to do next and where! I will continue to seek Him in my quiet times and studies and I am sure He will reveal more to me when I need to know.
Anyway, it's time to finish off the service plan for Sunday and print off my sermon notes!
The sermon structure came easily as it usually does when God is in control, but just as I was finishing off and my mind drifting to future ministry and what it might be, I was led back to Luke 24:25 when Jesus said to them "‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!"
Now I am not usually one to take a word out of context, but sometimes the Lord speaks through this type of revelation. If it were in isolation, I would ignore it, but after the other weekend ....
From this I know that I don't have to force the issue and try and find what God wants me to do next and where! I will continue to seek Him in my quiet times and studies and I am sure He will reveal more to me when I need to know.
Anyway, it's time to finish off the service plan for Sunday and print off my sermon notes!
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