Awakening

Our God

The Lord Reigns

All for the Son

Pray To Your Name

We Love You, Jonathan and Chantele

Hello Brookwood Praise Choir Family. I wanted to let you know that Jonathan M contacted Joe to tell him Chantele's grandfather passed away late Thursday night. The funeral is Monday. They will be heading up to North Carolina on Sunday morning. Jonathan and Chantele, our thoughts and prayers go with you. We love you guys.

Video from Sunday is UP

You can check out the video from Sunday's service now ...  http://www.brookwoodchurch.org/mediaplayer

Enjoy!  It's been a great year.

Praying for Our Prodigals

PRAISE AND PRAY: Kim C’s nephew, (Chris, age 17) is in a special boarding school in Montana. He has had some drug problems. Her brother (Randy) and sister-in-law (Carol) received word that Chris and another boy had run away from school on Tuesday night. They were found last night (Wednesday night) by the sheriff’s department (walking down a road in the pouring rain - 17 miles from the school!). They’re safe. Kim said, “Praise God for bringing the rain to slow them down!” Please pray for Kim's nephew and for her whole family – as you can imagine this has been a very difficult journey for them.

This request from my alto buddy brought to mind an issue that I feel God has been impressing on me. I know many of you have experienced the heart ache of a rebellious child, sibling or other family member. I want to encourage our music ministry family to devote time this summer to pray especially for each other's family members who need to recognize their great need for God and His great love for them. Here again is a link to contact me.

I also want to recommend a very encouraging book by Ruth Bell Graham called Prodigals and Those Who Love Them.
Here is the Amazon.com description:
Ruth Bell Graham writes about famous historical men who lived rebellious lives before submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. She gives parents hope as she unravels these men's crooked paths and shows how in the end they were used mightily of God. In between these chapters she interjects her own words, poems, and prayers of encouragement taken from her many years of journalling during her own sons' rebellious times. She unveils the pain of a mother's heart and at the same time gives great hope for all readers to trust God to do amazing things with their own children. Ruth Bell Graham stresses the need to turn our "borrowed" children over to God and let Him do His work---and often that work is in our own lives first.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Update on Chris M.

Chris came through his heart cath. great! While he does have some blockage, it's in a small artery, so there is no need for any surgery. He's doing fine after the procedure. Thank you for all your good thoughts and prayers!

Keep checking the blog over the summer break. We're sure to have many opportunities to pray for one another!

Another great devotional from Allen White

God Will Give Whatever I Wish?

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
John 15:7

For some this seems like a dangerous verse. If we can ask for whatever we wish, then what if we ask for something we shouldn’t have? Here’s a little secret: God’s a big boy. He can say “No.”

But, the verse says that if we ask for whatever we wish, then it will be given. But, we have all asked God some significant things: healing, provision, miracles and not all of those answers have been “Yes.” Is this verse just supposed to frustrate us? Is this reserved for a better, more spiritual class of Christian?

To get the second part of this verse, we have to get the first part. Jesus says that we will get what we ask for if we “remain” in Him. Remain, abide, dwell – that’s all great if you’re a laid back, Type-B personality who spends your days sipping tea, listening to music, and reading spiritual classics. But, for those of us who are Type A personalities, you can’t really nail us down to one spot. Remaining sounds like hard work.

What’s the scariest thing that you’ve ever done? Whether it’s riding a roller coaster, bungee jumping, changing careers, or having surgery, when we are in a high anxiety situation, we tend to pay very close attention to the instructions. If we don’t depend on the amusement operator, our new boss, or the doctor, things could go terribly wrong. We could fail. We could die or be seriously maimed. We trust that they have our best interest at heart.

Jesus compares remaining in Him with a branch connected to a vine. To remain connected is life and fruitfulness. To disconnect is death. If Jesus were teaching this today, maybe He would talk about an astronaut being tethered to the International Space Station or unborn babies receiving all of their sustenance through their mothers’ umbilical cords. In both scenarios “remaining” is essential for survival.

For those of us who are more often called “human doings” rather than human beings, we’d rather just cut the cord. Independent spirits struggle with depending on God. Yet, without Him we can do nothing.

What does your connection with God look like these days? Are you completely connected and enjoying the flow of His Spirit? Or, are you lost in space? Stop right now and make a quick connection with Him. Then, keep it going all day. Before you make a decision, check in with Him. Before you utter a discouraging word, check in. If you can’t remember, then set a timer or a reminder.

Once your connection is strong, then you’ll be amazed at how your wishes change and how many of them are answered.

To subscribe to the daily devotional by email or RSS feed or to leave a comment, go to: http://galatians419.blogspot.com/

Thank You for Remembering These Prayer Needs.

Hi Gang. I wanted to relay a message from Joe... Please pray for Chris M this week. His doctors have found a blockage in an artery and are going to do a heart cath on Thursday morning. They hope to be able to insert a stent when they do the cath. If that won’t take care of the problem they’ll have to do bypass surgery soon. Several years ago Chris had quadruple bypass surgery. As many of you know, Chris is a runner (in fact, he ran 5 miles before worship on Sunday and a couple of weeks ago he did the Clemson Triathlon). So for someone in otherwise great physical condition, this is troubling.

I also got a request from Graham B asking for prayer for his friend, Mark, who needs more radiation treatments on an area where he was treated for cancer about a year ago.

"O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8)

Message to the choir from John Redgrave

I just wanted to take moment and thank each and everyone of you for your kind words and gifts to Erika and I. I am so blessed to be surrounded by a group of loving individuals such as yourselves. I look forward to what the future has in store for my life and my marriage. But I am so excited for the coming year and being able to lead worship with each of you. Leading with you has allowed me to grow not only as a worship leader but spiritually as well. I am looking forward to being able to bring Erika to choir and have her join our awesome family. Thank you again for blessing us and showing us love continually. Please be in prayer for us this weekend and next week for great weather and traveling mercies.

With His Love,

John & Erika Redgrave 

Keep Praying and Praising!

I do want to post a prayer request I have already received from Kristen H. She got some sad news from her younger brother (who is in seminary) late Sunday afternoon:

"After an amazing day at church, we had a pretty sad evening. After 45 years of marriage, my dad wants to divorce my mom. Quite unexpected and devastating. Please pray for God's love and for my mom, for dad to open his heart and surrender to God, and strength and comfort for me and my two brothers.

Also, foreclosure hearing this week. Pray we are able to come to a loan modification agreement with our mortgage company. Also the resources to pay our bills and allow Ashley to go to college this year."

Kristen also expressed her gratitude for being part of the Brookwood praise family. I will post any other messages I receive by the end of the week. Keep praying and praising!!

Summer Praise and Prayer Requests

Hi Gang. Worshiping with you guys on Sunday was such a wonderful experience! I know it's good to take breaks, but I miss you all already. As Joe mentioned, one way we can keep in touch over the summer break is to continue to share our praise and prayer requests. I have an idea about how this might work, but as with everything we do, we will try and learn and try again. I thought I would continue to post praise/prayers once a week (by Friday of each week). Of course, if you indicate that you have an urgent request, I’ll post it as quickly as possible. Please make it clear if you do not want any part of your message to be posted. I want to be sensitive to confidential information. And as always, no last names will be posted… (unless I do it by accident, in which case Joe will diplomatically correct my mistake – thanks Joe). Click here to send a message to me.

With Thankfulness to My Choir

As I'm sitting here at my computer, the sweet little girl holding bluebirds on her shoulders is in my view bringing a smile to my face. She is (and will always be) a reminder of all my dear and special choir friends I've been so fortunate to meet over the last few years. I'm also looking forward to celebrating the close of this season with a special 'date night' with Tim, as we dine out at Chophouse 47 soon. Thank you!

I am truly humbled by your kind words and generosity. I've been honored to help develop and organize our choir this year. This past season has been amazing! Every rehearsal had a new twist, and every one jumped in with both feet ready to meet the new goals that were set. We acheived them too. Wow! Recording vocals, learning and memorizing music, expressing from the heart...we packed it all in...in the span of two hours each week!

When I first joined this choir, I had no intentions except doing what I love...singing. My plan was to take a break from home life and come in on Wednesday nights, sit down, sing some music, and go back home. I had no idea God had different plans for me! LOL

I distinctly remember walking into POD I (where rehearsals were held until we outgrew the space) and having a sense of peace overwhelm me. I was right where God wanted me to be. He knew I would be able to come out of my inner-self and worship Him freely and fully with these like-minded and loving people.

I wouldn't be judged for smiling while I sang, or raising my hand in the air in praise, or tapping my leg, or swaying with the swell of the music. I went home that night and told my husband that this choir was unlike any I had ever sung with before. This choir that has people who love to sing praise to God. This choir that checks their egos at the door. It's not about them. It's about worshipping their Creator. You have had a tremendous impact on my life.

I have difficulty putting into words what each of you has brought to my life. I love the way Joe leads our choir. He has such an infectious passion for worship! I love the way Alba always has a hug for everyone. I love that Gene observes everything...take note...he misses nothing! LOL! I love that Chris has an impressive memory of what we sang, how we sang it, and that she keeps us in line musically. :o) I love the way Rob cracks a joke at just the right moment. I love when Graham brings us interesting items to view from his museum, but I really love his pimento cheese sandwiches on Sunday mornings! I love Sharyn's witty commentary on our blog. I love the way Cheyenne has come out of her shy self and enjoyed watching her face light up when she sings.  I love the way our 'those who read music' members grit their teeth when we don't sing the right notes, but grin when we get it right. :o) I love how 'those who don't read music' can listen once and sing their notes correctly from there on out. I especially love all the members who have come to choir over the last couple of years saying, "I've never sung in a choir, but I want to be part of the praising. You guys look like you're having fun." 

I could go on and on about each and every one of you, because you all have contributed to the joy in my life. What have I loved most of all? Learning how to lead worship from the heart. Being the Type "A" that I am, I've tried to wrap my head around why everything worked so well this year. I found this passage in Corinthians that sums up the 'why' for me. The last line says it all:

So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight...Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other... When we worship the right way, God doesn't stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony.



1 Corinthians 14:26-33 (The Message)



I could write a book and probably not say all I want to say to each of you. :o) With genuine gratitude, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve with you this season. You are inspiring leaders of worship! As I watch from  a distance next season, I look forward to seeing you all get your praise on!
Love-n-hugs,

Larri

A Great Year

It is that time of year again.  I always have mixed emotions about taking time off from choir.  Part of me doesn't want the break.  Part of me realizes that it's good for us.  It's a chance regroup, spend time with our families, and spend time on some other fun things.

We have had a great year!  Thanks for your commitment, for your service, and for a wonderful year!  We have grown as a choir in so many ways.  I am blown away by the musical growth I have seen this year.  I am impressed by the spiritual depth that God has built into your lives this year.  So I am excited about what God has in store for us next year ... To borrow a phrase from one of our songs ... GREATER THINGS!

Yesterday was one of our special days.  You worshiped with such freedom.  Standing in front of you and watching you worship was an amazing thing.  It energized me and assisted in my own worship.  Thanks!

Have a great summer.

-- Joe

Derric Johnson on Vocal Blend

Looking forward to this ...

From the HisRadio website:

MEGA TICKET! ( Value $50.00 each )

 On Sale Monday, May 24th

THREE Concerts ONE Ticket

1. Matthew West, Josh Wilson, and Johnny Diaz

September 18th - Brookwood Church, Simpsonville 

 

2. Chris Tomlin

October 15th - Evangel Cathedral, Spartanburg

 

3. Steven Curtis Chapman

November 12th - Brookwood Church, Simpsonville

Here is a great post from TheHighCalling.org

Letting Go of Anxiety

5.20.10

I have a major project due today. Now I have two. My anxiety is on the rise. My shoulders tense as my stomach churns. Then I remember. Trust in the buoyancy of God’s grace. No, that’s not it. There it is, rest on the buoyancy of God’s grace. Yes, just accept the grace that’s present. Move effortlessly through the anxiety. Focus on the task at hand and continue to rest on God’s grace.

I was trying hard to grab a catch-line from an earlier post . My first thought was trust in God’s grace. That didn’t seem right. It felt like I was trying to control grace through trust. Then I hit on rest. Just rest on God’s grace.

Grace is all around us. We can flail away like a drowning victim in the water or we can recognize that our best response is to relax and float upon grace. Intellectually, I understand. Emotionally, there’s the rub. It’s hard for me to let go of the anxiety. I want to tame it, to be its master.  Anxiety usually continues to build, and I put more pressure on myself to change the circumstances. Maybe through changing the circumstances, I can manage the anxiety.

This never works.

Trying to reason with anxiety is absurd. I’ve been living with the absurdity most of my life. Precise descriptive language has been impotent to the problem of relieving anxiety. The beauty of language allows us other vehicles. When words are not enough, images can help. Simile, metaphor, and poetry help paint a word picture to capture feelings buried deep inside us.

I'm not saying that the anxiety magically disappears. Through grace, the anxiety energizes me rather than paralyzes me, and I'm able to do some focused work. 

Rest on the buoyancy of God’s grace.

Dan Roloff is the editor of TheHighCalling.org, and his blog, Ramblin’ Dan, has a little bit of everything. At times, a theologian, philosopher, comedian, publisher, sports enthusiast, and businessman, Dan offers a transparent look at the high calling of one man’s work.

Reflection Verse

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

When we're in the middle of trying times, this is a good verse to remember, isn't it? Thanks for sharing with us, Kristin H.!

Parking Map

Here is a map showing where we are being asked to park on Sunday.  I am excited that we can help out with this effort.  It is an easy way to serve God and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our Praise - Our Prayers (Week of May 19, 2010)

Nancy M (S): Pray for niece & her husband - trying to start their family.
Judy T (S): My mom is in the hospital (again) and we have decisions to make about her care. Pray for peace & wisdom.
Heather C: Brother is going through divorce, might lose custody of son.
Liz B: My cousin, Rosa, died - please pray for her parents and siblings. Pray my dad gets saved. Pray my mom & cousin get jobs.
Jamie E: Wisdom in decisions
Scott S: Ann travelling. Pray for God’s will in her friend’s court case.
Anna B: Pray for my youngest sister, Valentine, braking bondage.
Alba S (S): Please pray for Lisa’s recovery.
Kristin S: New job position - lots to learn & lots of travel. Another pain flare up - constant pain. Physical therapy bills rising.
Betty W (S): Son-in-law, Brad, left for Basic Training @ Lackland AFB 5/18/10. Pray for his safety.
Faye R: New job lead – pray for an interview.
Joan A: My daughter, Erin, is 12 wks pregnant & had to go to the ER this morning – dehydration.
Nikki R (A): Husband’s grandmother in hospital.
Mary S: Father and sister (for physical, mental, emotional, spiritual & financial health).
Chris L: Son, Cameron, getting wisdom teeth cut out Thursday.
Kelli D (A): My friend, Kelly, … her ex husband gives her problems.
Kristin H (A): Successful loan modification, God’s will to be done.
Betty (A): Please pray for healing – my daughter - cracked rib.
Rob W: A legal issue. God’s will to prevail. Thanks.
Larry C: For daughter-in-law and 14 year old son - better relationship.
Curt & Phyllis: Curt has very painful blisters & Phyllis is still experiencing a lot of pain.

Weekly Praise Choir Email from Joe Wood

Tomorrow will be our last rehearsal for this choir season. It has been a fabulous year.  Many good things have happened; and we have grown this year in so many ways.  I am overwhelmed when I pause and reflect on all that God has done in us and through us.  All the glory belongs to Him!  This final praise date is ALL ABOUT HIM.

THIS WEEK

My message in this part of the newsletter is much the same as it was last week - Please be ON TIME to rehearsal.  We will gather in the Auditorium, but will move quickly to Pod I to record Awakening and All for the Son. Be sure you know your part and your words.  We will take NO charts or lyrics into Pod I.  After we finish recording, we will go back to the auditorium for the rest of our rehearsal.  Please remember to bring your FM radio and earbuds or headphones for recording purposes.

Please note my request that we take no charts and lyrics into Pod I.  Last week a few folks were still using them.  I understand.  It feels very uncomfortable to not have at the lyric sheet in your hands.  But trust me.  You can do it!  Being prepared will help.  But it you are used to depending on seeing the lyrics, you will still feel insecure without them.  You just have to go for it!  Focus your mind, and
you will be surprised at how well you do.

IMPORTANT DATES

May 23 – Praise Date – listen in rehearsal this week for details on when to arrive, where to park, what to wear, and what to bring.
June 19 – Father’s Day Men’s Praise Choir Rehearsal
June 20 – Father’s Day Praise Date – Please encourage the men in your life to participate.  I promise.  It will be a blast!
August 18 – First rehearsal after Summer break

FALL PRAISE DATES

Do you have these dates on your calendar yet?  Please take a moment to write them in your calendar now so that you can avoid conflicts in the Fall.

August 29
September 19
October 3
October 24
November 14
December 5
December 24

LEADERSHIP TEAM

I want to express my personal gratitude for our choir leadership team this year.  Things ran very smoothly this year and the credit goes to our leadership team and the selfless service that they gave to all of us. Please take a moment this week and express your thanks to them.
 

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT - By Allen White in his blog – http://Galations419.blogspot.com

Clemson Fans, Carolina Fans, and Loyalty to God

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. James 4:8 (NLT)

Southerners are loyal. They are loyal to their church, and they are loyal to their football team. One of the first questions I was asked when I moved to the Upstate was whether I was a Clemson fan (pronounced Klemp-son – there’s no “z” sportscasters) or a USC fan (which has nothing to do with Trojans or Southern California). I have never entered that fray. I am a Jayhawk. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, how could I be anything else?

Southerners delight in decorating their cars and themselves in homage to their team. They name their children “Dabo” or “Steve” based on their loyalties. There are even a few who come to church dressed entirely in black when their team loses.

While there are a few Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia Tech fans thrown in, there is one group who incurs the wrath of most South Carolinians: those with divided loyalties. Now, there are some households that are unequally yoked: a Clemson fan married a USC fan. We understand that falling in love is a result of a miracle and temporary insanity. But, there are some who have the audacity to have actually attended both schools. This is an abomination.

The Bible tells us that God wants to draw near to us and be close to us. But, this intimacy with God is not possible if we have divided loyalties. Just like someone can’t graduate from Clemson and root for USC (or vice versa), we can’t devote ourselves to God and then live as if He doesn’t even exist.

Now, I’m not advocating that we reject the world, sell all of our possessions, and move to a mountain top monastery to live our lives as some sort of spiritual survivalists. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. The problem is that the longer we’re in the world, the more we find ourselves, even as believers, becoming more “of the world” than we care to admit.

The answer is simple, but difficult. The solution is to slow down throughout our day and connect with God. The difficulty is that we rarely slow down or we think that a connection with God needs to follow some grandiose ritual. My solution is that I have scheduled God on my calendar for two appointments per day: 8 am and 3 pm. If you want to see me then, well, I’m indefinitely booked at those times. My appointment with God is about 10 minutes long. I start out with two minutes of silence. Since I’m a Type A personality, one eye is on God. The other is on the clock. Then, I read two or three Psalms. I end with another two minutes of silence.

When I am faithful to my appointments with God, I have better perspective on my life. Those first two minutes of silence remind me that God doesn’t really need me to do anything, to think about anything, to solve anything…without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). The best part is knowing that God looks forward to these appointments more than I do.

How do you draw near to God daily? Where can you make time for even five minutes with God? In your car on the way to work? In the bathroom while you’re getting ready? Maybe you can’t set a regular schedule. Maybe you’d rather just stay in a constant conversation with God throughout the day. “God, did you see what that driver just did?” “God, what am I going to do with these children?” “God, how should I respond to that jerk in my office?”

God is looking forward to your time with Him.
  

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We would like to encourage all staff and volunteers that are here for the entire day on Sunday (i.e. they come prior to 7:30 and stay until at least the 11:59 gets going) to park in a different location. You will see on the attached map that we would like you to park in the 10:30 designated area. When 7:30 hits we will close this area off and encourage you to park where the 9:00 service does. Based on my calculations this could free up around 30-40 spots for the 9:00 service. You will be able to enter into the 10:30 parking area by coming in the main road off of Balcome and then taking a right where the arrow is located on the map. You can then feel free to park anywhere in the 10:30 designated area.

If this is not possible for you or your ministry then that is fine, but if there is any way possible that you can make this accommodation, it would be very helpful.


Remember: The point of your life is to point to Him.

Joe Wood
864.787.5425

Update and Praise Report

Here's an update from Karen H. on her Mom:

First, my mom is doing well with at home Hospice. She got up today and actually wanted to get regular clothes on! She is also up and walking around as long as her strength holds and is eating really well.

And Here's Karen's PRAISE REPORT:  

I got a call from my old boss and he offered me a position back at my old company WITH a promotion starting June 14th!

Praise God! He is SO GOOD!

Keep lifting one another in prayer. Our God works in amazing ways, doesn't He?

Reflection

Here is the reflection verse that Nancy shared with us this week along with an additional comment from her ...


Phil 4:6,7 - Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


I meant to mention how the devotional I read from, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, appears to fall in line with Perry's upcoming series "Can you hear me now?  God still speaks.  Learn how to listen."  I think our culture has pushed the busy button so much we've forgotten how to be still and listen to God.  

Our Prayers - Our Praise (Week of May 12, 2010)

Gladys (S): Threw her back out.
Jerilin (S): Kids are sick. Pray for Mommy too! :)
Jamie (B): Schedule & WISDOM.
James S (B): Focus on God’s plan.
Elaine V (S): Pray for my niece, Olivia, who has run away from home again.
Alba (S): Pray for my friend Winnie (surgery) and also for Hannah (car accident).
Katie (A): pray for our K-9 friend Dabo.
Kim (A): My daughter’s friend, Kylie – newly unwed mom – wisdom & peace.
Nikki (A): Grandmother in hospital.
Bobby (T): Financial
Larry C (T): Son-in-law out of work (needs a job), son-in-law’s family feeling anger and stress, pray for them to wait on God.
Chantele M: My grandfather is in the hospital battling cancer - prayer for his recovery & strength for family staying with him.
Betty W (S): 44 yr old had massive heart attack (5/11)- was married for 1st time on 11/7/09. Pray for my daughter - away from home in rehab.
Heather (S): husband’s grandfather passed away – pray for unsaved family members during this time. Brother getting divorce – pray for family!
Dennis S (T): My business has picked up and my mortgage company has agreed to a payment plan that will keep my house out of foreclosure. Praise God for his faithfulness and grace.
Curt & Phyllis S: Curt has very painful blisters on his feet and cannot stand and sometimes walk. Phyllis is still experiencing a lot of pain.
Jim F: Recovering from hip surgery.
Stephanie W: Husband recovering from a major infection.
Sharyn G (A): Praise that my husband’s disability pension was approved and our insurance will continue. Pray that my son will find a job and learn to seek and trust God more in the waiting time.
Please continue to pray for Lisa C (S) and her family. She started dialysis a few weeks ago.

God of Second Chances

Even at our lowest point, we can praise! Happy Wednesday! :o)

Weekly Praise Choir Email from Joe Wood

How good do you have to be to sing in the Brookwood Praise Choir?  People in our church probably wonder that.  You might even wonder at times. Well, let me say that I believe that there are very few people who are not capable of singing with us.  Only those  people who are “tone deaf” or cannot carry a tune would be a problem in our choir.  HOWEVER, most of us need to be constantly improving our skills to keep up with the way that God is growing us musically.  All of us need to practice often outside of rehearsal in order to refine our craft of singing and to be prepared to lead worship.  And the simple fact of life is that some of us will need to practice MORE than other members do in order to contribute to the ministry that we share. That is true for me as well.  I have to practice a LOT more than Steve Smith would have to practice to lead our choir on a Praise Date.  My skills are not what his are.  Do I feel bad about that?  NO WAY!  I feel honored to have the chance to be a part of it all!  

Keep working for the next few weeks.  The more prepared we are, the more the Spirit of God has to work with when we step into service on May 23.

THIS WEEK

Please be ON TIME to rehearsal this week.  We will gather in the Auditorium, but will move quickly to Pod I to record Our God and Pray to Your Name.  Be sure you know your part and your words.  We will take NO charts or lyrics into Pod I.  After we finish recording, we will go back to the auditorium for the rest of our rehearsal.

Please remember to bring your FM radio and earbuds or headphones for recording purposes.

Once back in the auditorium, we will use the same seating arrangement that we used last week.  I think it worked pretty well!  I would love to hear any feedback that you have about it.

IMPORTANT DATES

May 12 – Record choir vocals (2 songs)
May 19 – Record choir vocals (2 songs)
May 23 – Praise Date
June 19 – Father’s Day Men’s Praise Choir Rehearsal
June 20 – Father’s Day Praise Date
August 18 – First Rehearsal after Summer Break

FALL PRAISE DATES

These are the dates that we have on the calendar right now for the Fall.  They are not set in stone, but the cement is hardening …

August 29
September 19
October 3
October 24
November 14
December 5
December 24

We will also do an“off campus” Christmas Concert at Rolling Green Village, or someplace like that again, but the date is not set.

Please, mark your calendar now and plan your Fall events around them.
 

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT  - By Dallas Willlard, USC Philosphy Professor, Speaker, Author

How Does the Disciple Live?

How the disciple lives naturally comes out of who the disciple is.

As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I. It is my faith in him that led me to become his disciple. My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything: that all that he is and says shows what life is at its best, what it was intended by God to be. “In him was life and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4 NAS)

Being his apprentice is, therefore, not a matter of special “religious” activities, but an orientation and quality of my entire existence. This is what is meant by Jesus when he says that those who do not forsake all cannot be his disciple. (Luke 14:26 & 33) The emphasis is upon the all. There must be nothing held of greater value than Jesus and his kingdom. He must be clearly seen as the most important thing in human life, and being his apprentice as the greatest opportunity any human being ever has.

When this orientation of the whole life has come upon us and been accepted, then the grace that brought it can begin to move throughout every aspect of what we are and do. Grace is God acting in our lives to bring about what we do not deserve and cannot accomplish on our own. But we are not passive in this process. We are commanded to put off the old person and put on the new. (Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:22-24) We are told to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 3:18) This is something for us to do, and , although we cannot do it on our own, it will not be done for us. Being alive in Christ means that we can do whatever it is we need to do to increasingly take on his character and live in his power.

The ultimate outcome of this process is expressed by Paul the Apostle: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Col. 3:17) And again: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31) My entire life is to be caught up in the life that Jesus Christ himself is now living on earth and will continue throughout eternity. And that is why being his apprentice is the greatest opportunity any human being ever has. That is how grace possesses our whole life. That is how those “saved by grace through faith…are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Living as Jesus’ disciple, I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens everywhere I am, in every activity I engage in. There are three dimensions of this learning.

First, I am learning to do the things which Jesus explicitly said to do. It is quite literally nonsense to call Jesus “Lord,” and not do what he said. “Lord” means nothing in such a case. (Luke 6:46-49) But because I do accept him as Lord, his instructions on behavior are my treasures for living life. Of course I cannot do what he said by just trying. I must train! I must, through appropriate courses of action, become inwardly transformed by grace to become the kind of person—in my inmost thoughts, feelings, attitudes and directions of will—who will routinely do the kinds of things he said to do. I will then not be governed by anger, contempt or lust. And I will be able to bless those who curse me, love my enemies, and so forth, because I am one in whom the character and power of Christ has come to dwell through the processes of discipleship to Christ.

Second, I am learning to conduct the usual activities of life—in home, school, community, business and government—in the character and power of Christ. Jesus himself, of course, spent most of his life on earth as an “independent contractor” or businessman. Jesus could have led the ordinary life of the ordinary citizen in all of its legitimate respects. He can show us how to live now, as a mother or father, banker or computer programmer, teacher or artist, in the Kingdom of the Heavens. His character and power and personal guidance will lead us into life as it should be in all of these areas of human existence.

Third, I am learning to exercise the power of the kingdom—of Christ in his Word and Spirit—to minister good and defeat evil in all of the connections of earthly existence. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) Apprenticeship to Jesus means that, in tiny steps, we learn to exercise this power seen in Jesus. Growth in character is primary, for power requires substance of character if it is to be used for Christ’s purposes. Christ had no character problems, but we do. Prayer, in its aspect of training for Kingdom life, is primarily a matter of learning to exercise power in a way that is both profitable and safe. Through it, in the usual case, we take our first steps in “receiving abundance of grace” and “reigning in life by One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) So character is more important than power for us, but it does not replace power. The fruit of the Spirit (thoroughly Christlike character) flourishes only in a context of regular communal manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. And this manifest power of the Spirit in life is not something restricted to “church services.” In this matter also, Jesus is our example and our teacher. He acted with the Kingdom wherever he was. The “rivers of living water” which, as he said “shall flow from the center of the believers life” (from his “belly,” John 7:38), will continually flow from us, as it did from him, wherever we may be.

Now growth in grace—in God acting in our life—is something we must plan for by regular engagement in activities that enable us to receive God’s grace in all areas of our spirit (will), thoughts, feelings, body, social relations, and the deepest depths of our soul. We have been thoroughly “occupied” by sin—which is mainly just exaltation of “me,” and the consequences thereof. Our intention as apprentices of Jesus is to become the kind of person who lives in the character and power of Christ. We must, then, do those things that will enable us to become that kind of person, from the inside out—through appropriate actions and practices.

Such actions and practices are “disciplines for the spiritual life.” They are well-known from observing Christ and his people. They include such practices as solitude, silence, fasting, study, worship, fellowship, prayer, etc. There is no complete list of such practices, though some are more well-known and widely practiced than others, because they are more central to breaking the power of indwelling sin and increasingly filling our life with grace. Disciplines are, in essence, activities in our power that enable us, by grace, to do what we cannot do by direct effort—by “just trying.” We cannot, by just trying, succeed in loving our enemies and heartily blessing those who curse us. But by a wise practice of disciplines in the presence of Christ, we can become people who will routinely and easily do so.
In disciplines we need to be informed and experimental. They are not righteousness, but wisdom. We must be practical with them, and not picky. We must not be ‘heroic’ or think we are earning anything from God. Disciplines for the spiritual life are places in which we meet with Jesus to be taught by him, and he is our guide into how they are best practiced. We should not be overly concerned about how others do them. In a very short time Jesus will lead us into the practice of them that is best for us.

The crucial thing is that, as disciples, we have a plan for carrying out the decision we have made to devote ourselves to becoming like our Master and Lord—to increasingly living in the character and power of Christ. Disciples are those who, seriously intending to become like Jesus from the inside out, systematically and progressively rearrange their affairs to that end, under the guidance of the Word and the Spirit. That is how the disciple lives.

http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=103
 

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Remember: The point of your life is to point to Him.

Joe Wood
864.787.5425

 

Note from Tammy about Lisa

Here is a note from Tammy L. about Lisa C.  She sent this to Alba, but I know you want to know how Lisa is doing ...

Hi Alba. 

Thank you for asking about Lisa. The first 2 weeks of dialysis was very rough for her. We were expecting that though. We are now hoping that with each treatment she will start to feel better. The treatments are a lot like chemo and they wipe her out for the remainder of the day. Thank you so much for your kind words. We BOTH really miss being there. We are one big family and there's a hole in our heart when we're not with you. Please continue to have the choir pray for Lisa. She has a long road ahead. God is good and he'll be our strength! 

Miss you dearly,

Tammy

Just For Fun

Father's Day Men's Praise Choir

OKAY ... this isn't us.  Although I do think one of the guys looks a lot like a young Will Johnson!  Can you find him?

This Sunday, the Men's Praise Choir will be the Featured Ministry.  I need some guys to work the Featured Ministry table between services to answer questions and pass out CDs.  We'll have a sign up sheet at rehearsal this week.

Please, help if you can!

Jim's Hip Replacement Surgery

I just heard from Jim F.  He's home now and recovering well.  He went up and downs some stairs today and is planning to venture outside for a short walk!  Way to go, Jim!

Our Praise – Our Prayers (Week of May 5, 2010)

On this National Day of Prayer, remember to lift up our nation and the following requests from our praise choir family.


Scott S (B): Safe travel this weekend
Judy O (A): Praise Report – my mechanic did not charge me for some work on my car
Mary S (A): Safe travel 5/7 – 5/17
Betty W: Family issues
Larry C: Mike M, has bladder cancer, upcoming surgery to remove bladder
Susan W: pray for sister, Sandy, has Ménière's disease (dizzy spells)
Sharyn G (A): Pray for our music ministry leaders to be guided by God's Spirit as they make decisions for our growing ministry.
Robbie H (A): PRAISES: husband John did get an offer to stay on at his job through Fluor, the new employer. Other employees in John’s company did lose their jobs, so we are very grateful. We are also praising God because of a good report from the hand specialist for our 5-month-old grandson. Sam’s finger is healing well. Thanks so much for your prayers!

**The letter in ( ) refers to the voice section.

Larri, thanks for your comment with the following verse… how powerful! It bears repeating.

From James 5:16 (The Message)

... The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

National Day of Prayer

59th Annual Observance

PRAYER
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Tomorrow (May 6, 2010) is the National Day of Prayer.
Click HERE to access a live feed from Washington, DC.
9:00am to 12:00 noon

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

Weekly Praise Choir Email from Joe Wood

This is such a great time of year.  It’s my favorite time.  The temperature is comfortable; everything is in bloom.  The pollen is in the past.  It’s easy to be optimistic on days like these.  I am not, by nature, a very optimistic person, but I have a lot to be optimistic about - we all do, because we have God.  Our God is greater, our God is stronger, our God is higher than any other.  Our God is healer, awesome in power.  He is OUR God.  We all have a bright future as followers of God.  

THIS WEEK

In rehearsal this week, I hope to be “off book” on all of the songs.  Please do your best to be prepared to that level.  Keep in mind, please, that we don’t come to choir rehearsal to learn our music.  Our goal is to know it when we come.  Our goal in rehearsal is to polish the music, to work on “group” things … the things we can only rehearse when we are together as a group.  Please make it a priority to be there and to be prepared!

We will begin recording choir vocals NEXT week.

AND … you can expect a new SEATING ARRANGEMENT this week.  I’m still in experimentation mode.  Thanks for hanging with me on this. I wasn’t satisfied with it last week.  And I heard the feedback that some of you sent my way.  I even heard some of the feedback that you DIDN’T send my way.  J  I’m going to try something completely new this time.  It will probably change again ….

NOTE TO NEWCOMERS

When we record during the next two weeks, you will want to have a small FM radio with black earbuds.  You’ll also need them on May 23 when we lead worship.  We broadcast what you need to hear in your ears over an FM frequency.  You will be able to tune it in with your radio.  If you need more information, check with your section leader or me at rehearsal tomorrow.

COLOR COMBINATIONS

We are giving thought to what color combinations we want to use next year.  If you have any ideas that you think would make us look good on stage, please put them in writing and give them to Larri along with color samples.  To my knowledge, nobody has made any suggestions yet!  I’m surprised by that.  Surely you don’t trust ME to come up with good colors!  Oh, you are counting on Larri to keep me from suggesting something ugly.

IMPORTANT DATES

May 9 – Mother’s Day – heads up guys!

May 12 – Record choir vocals (2 songs)

May 19 – Record choir vocals (2 songs)

May 23 – Praise Date

June 19 – Father’s Day Men’s Praise Choir Rehearsal

June 20 – Father’s Day Praise Date

August 18 – First rehearsal after Summer break
 

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT  - By Pete Wilson, Cross Pointe Church, Nashville, TN

The Death of Curiosity

Few things energize me like being around curious people. I love the questions they ask, the excitement they radiate, and the way they slow down to examine how things work.

I used to be more curious than I am today. I’m afraid my curiosity quotient has gone down over the years, not only impacting my leadership but also impacting the wonder and awe I have for my Creator.

Somewhere along the way I became seduced by words like “instant” and “ambition”. I actually started to think faster was always better. I started to convince myself that ambition was a way of life.

Last night I finished Sabbath by Dan Allender. It was a great book (more on this later), but he had a quote that I just can’t shake. He said,

“Ambition leads to the demand for the shortest path between points to gain the most in the least amount of time; wonder calls the heart to explore the unexpected, nonlinear paths that often create a new unity that could not be expected when one first began.”

My translation: Hurry + Ambition = Death of Curiosity

I want to be filled with…
More questions and less conclusions.
More mystery and less assumptions.
More wonder and less equations.

Are you living a rhythm of life that leads to curiosity?

- Pete Wilson

 

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Remember: The point of your life is to point to Him.

Joe Wood
864.787.5425

Worship on iPhone - you have to see this!