Bethel Worship Notes-February 2012
By Pastor Glenn Winch | January 30, 2012
“Broken String”
Many times in life things just don’t go the way we want them or expect them to go. While leading worship this past Sunday, one of the strings on my guitar broke. Unfortunately it happened at the most inopportune time because I was about to play a small lead part on the string that had just broken. Even with this mishap, I sensed God’s presence in our worship experience together and took heart as I looked out and saw the many people engaging God in their personal worship.
Recently I was reading the book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God and ran across this quote:
“While God values skill, he doesn't accept our worship on the basis of it. Even if I can play the most complex chord progressions, write better songs than Matt Redman, or play a song flawlessly, I still need the atoning work of the Savior to perfect my offering of worship (1 Peter 2:5). We worship leaders can struggle with discouragement when we miss an entrance, play a wrong chord, or forget the lyrics. We can feel elated when everything goes well. But God isn't listening to the sound of our music or the quality of our performance. He's hearing the sound of our hearts. Years ago I heard a pastor say, ‘God isn't looking for something brilliant; he's looking for something broken.’ We'll never impress God with our musical expertise or sophistication. What impresses God is ‘a broken and contrite heart’ (Psalm 51:17) that recognizes our weakness and puts our faith in the finished work of Christ.”
As you and I worship our Lord together each week, do we seek to have “a broken and contrite heart”? Sometimes the mishaps of life have literally brought me to my knees and reminded of my weakness and brokenness and need for a Savior. Sometimes we/I just need to be broken. When we struggle or fall, Christ will be with us, revive us, renew us, strengthen us, if we call out to Him. As the song writer writes, “My Savior loves, My Savior lives, My Savior’s always there for me. My God: He was, my God He is, My God is always going to be.”
Our worship ministry at Bethel seeks to lead others to respond to the Goodness, Greatness and Grace of God. God’s richest blessings to all of you
Pastor Glenn -Email: pastorglenn@bethelmankato.com
PS. I would love to meet potential New Computer power point operators, New Singers, New Band members and New Choir Members. Please contact me if interested!
Upcoming Worship Ministry Events:
February 18th - Twin Cities Worship Ministry Tour. We are planning on a trip for all of those interested in our worship ministry to attend some Saturday worship service(s) at some of the larger churches in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area (ie…Eagle Brook, etc). Most likely we will leave early afternoon on a bus together along with the Cross View Covenant worship team, attend a couple of services, have dinner and return home later that Saturday night. I am hoping many or all of you will be able to attend. Please RSVP to me if you are able to come. We will be gone roughly from 1:30 – 10pm, watch for updates on the details for this trip, please save the date now. We are holding Feb 25th as a backup date for this if unforeseen changes need to be made.
March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 3, 7, 8 Easter Choir rehearsal dates: We will be rehearsing with our Easter Choir beginning March 8th from 5:30-6:30pm each Thursday night up until the week of Easter. Easter week we will rehearse Tuesday April 3rd from 6-7pm and Saturday morning April 7th from 10-11:30am. We had a great Christmas Choir experience with over 20 members participating. I am looking forward to the Easter Choir and that great time ahead of celebrating Christ’s Resurrection.
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