06.28.09 playlist

“sing, sing, sing” by chris tomlin (cd “passion: god of this city”)
“all to you” by lincoln brewster (cd “all to you…live”)
“everlasting god” by chris tomlin (cd “see the morning”)
“you never let go” by matt redman (cd “passion: everything glorious”)
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message - jBow
“all to you” with videos of last summer’s baptism party

yesterday was a great day. i planned the worship service to serve to gear us up for the baptism celebration in the afternoon. we started with two “up” songs that our crowd knows well and usually sing out.

it hit me at some point during the week leading up that our community was experiencing highs and lows simultaneously. we were having conversations with people who were taking the step to trust and follow jesus for the first time, others who were following through with baptism, and others that are still working through questions. these conversations really pump me up! at the same time, two of my coworkers in the office at church experienced the death in their families. so, we were walking through grief with them.

it really served as a reminder to me of all the different stories that people carry into our worship gatherings every week. we’re all singing the same songs, but from vastly different points-of-view and experiences. but that’s really where a lot of the power of corporate worship lies. if all of our experience with God is individual, we miss out on so much. reflecting on the same truths at the same time in a body of believers with various circumstances can be - should be - a unifying experience. i’ll be reflecting on this thought for awhile.

the baptism party itself went off very well. i thought we did a much better job logistically this time. thanks goes out especially to mara groegler, jenny rogers and nicole brady. they did a great job organizing and managing the event.

we look forward to getting better and better at celebrating baptisms in our community. this event was a good step forward in my opinion.