​One of my favorite quotes about the music we use during our regular gatherings as a church is from theologian Gordon Fee.  It’s a simple quote, but gets right to the point:
 
“Show me a church’s songs, and I’ll show you their theology.”
 
For those who are responsible for choosing the songs that a church sings, this quote shows the gravity of that task each week.  There is significant value in choosing music that resonates with your congregations, and often the popular music from the local Christian Radio station holds a lot of influence in the selections Worship Leaders schedule in their local context.  Even so, carefully examining the music we fill our car-rides, our homes, and our churches should be a regular part of our Christian walk.
 
In the coming weeks, here at “Worship Notes” and at the FEFC Video blog “From the Desk” we will be talking about what we believe, a brief explanation of our statement of faith and how some of the songs we sing reflect that belief.  For churches throughout history, one of the signature aspects of their worship was a corporate declaration of what they believed in the form of “Creeds.”  While many churches no longer incorporate this into their gatherings today, it still does us good to remember that THIS WE BELIEVE.  It helps us refine what we say we believe and protects us from the false doctrine that so easily slips from the culture into our churches. 

Join me in praying for this series as we dive in to God’s word and the music we sing!
 
For His Glory,
-Pastor Zach

As many of you already know, I’ve been listening to a lot of “older” worship songs in the past few weeks.  We do live in a culture that often values things that are new simply because they are new, and while there have been some truly excellent songs written in the past few years, I have found great joy in re-visiting and discovering for the first time some of the great songs of the past in our worship as a church.  Some of these beloved songs have made me pause and reconsider using them even today, others have merely caused me to pause and pray over the lyrics that I have sung for years.
 
One such song is “In the Secret,” originally performed by Andy Park and Vineyard Worship.  Here are the lyrics:
 
     In the secret in the quiet place
     In the stillness you are there
     In the secret in the quiet hour
     I wait only for you, 'Cause i want to know you more
 
     I want to know you / I want to hear your voice
     I want to know you more
     I want to touch you / I want to see your face
     I want to know you more
 
     I am reaching for the highest goal
     That I might receive the prize
     Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside
     Out of my way, 'Cause i want to know you more
 
The simple lyrics echo my heart’s desire to “Be still and know that [God] is God” (Psalm 46).  So often in the frantic busy-ness of our days we only take moments to be still, if at all.  We listen to our Bible readings on our commute, we multi-task while listening to our favorite Podcasts, we hastily give thanks for a meal in prayer before diving in to eat… we do not find still moments.
 
One of the greatest challenges we find in this modern age is finding time to open our Bibles for sustained time of meditation on God’s word and prayer.  As I’ve thought on the lyrics and sung through the song, I’m reminded that we all need to find more time to get to know God through His word, and to spend time letting it set in our hearts and minds.
 
For His Glory,
-Pastor Zach