Prepare for Worship – Being There for a Friend – Comfort in Death, Part 2 (Jul. 18-19)

Just as hard – if we are not prepared – as learning of our own imminent death, is helping a friend deal with death…be it their own or someone close to them. I touched on this in my prep last week, but what do you say? What can you do for them, either to ease the pain or just bring them some peace in the turmoil?

Pastor’s message this week picks up where we left off in Part 1 as we look at how to be prepared for and deal with the subject of death. We know that we need Jesus, but how to we relate Him to this situation? How can we share the strength and peace of Christ with our friends in their time of grief? Come this weekend and find out!

Also, for those spending the week at Crocodile Dock, be on the lookout for some of your Dock Rocker favorites in the worship set!

The readings for this week:
Old Testament:  Psalm 18: 1-6
New Testament:  Hebrews 2: 14-18
Gospel:  John 14: 1-6

Sunday
Gathering:  “The Battle Belongs to the Lord”
Opening:    “Everlasting God”
                    “The Heart of Worship”
Communion: “You Are My King (Amazing Love)”
                    “Come To Me Today”
                    “Throne of Grace”
Offering:     “You Are My Hiding Place”
Closing:      “You’re Worthy of My Praise”
Sending:     “Where Do I Go”

Saturday
Opening:   “You’re Worthy of My Praise”
                   “The Heart of Worship”
Prayer:      “You Are My King (Amazing Love)”
Closing:     “Everlasting God”
Sending:   “Where Do I Go”

Worship Debrief – Being There for a Friend, Comfort in Death – Part 1 (Jul. 11-12)

Death. It’s a subject that no one wants to talk about, and yet death is something that we will all face sooner or later. Pastor told us this morning that he checked, and the mortality rate on the planet is still 100%. We all will die…sometime.

This morning was the first of a 2-part message on seeking comfort in death, and our focus was on being ready for death. When we are not prepared to die (whether it’s immanent or not), we react in 5 stages (in order):

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Pastor also told us how to get prepared for death, and that comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you need the answer to that question, leave me a comment below, and I’ll walk you through it! On to the production notes!

Saturday, 7/11 – 7:00pm:

•          I was in PA this Saturday to celebrate my grandmother’s 90^th birthday. We had a great party – open house style with a buffet lunch – and there were probably over 100 people there. Lot’s of family…most I didn’t know!
•          Matt led with Elisa and Tom from the stage. Let me know how it worked out! I heard that “Forever” added some comic relief to the night.

Sunday, 7/12 – 11:15am:

•          Fun to watch the kids try to figure out how to get around the empty band platform for the children’s message. Sue did a great job as always.
•          I am a prayer partner for one of the youth going to workcamp this week and it was great to pray for him during the service.
•          We had a friend from college visiting with her family this morning. Great to see them and I’m really grateful for their patience as we ran around after the service getting ready for VBS!
•          Stage was set up for VBS this coming week. So, we decided to put the band on it for services. Partially it was just to have some fun, but sitting behind the main speakers amidst the fabric backdrop has some technical advantages from a sound standpoint. What did you think? How was the sound, the look, the feel… ?

Prepare for Worship – Being There for a Friend: Comfort in Death, Part 1 (Jul. 11-12)

It’s an awkward moment. You finally got a chance to sit down with your friend who just lost a loved one. The ice has been broken and the chit-chat has died down. There’s a heaviness to the air that hangs just over your head. What do you say? How should you act? Can you even relate?

This week we get the first of a two-part message entitled “Being There for a Friend: Comfort in Death.” To us on earth, death can seem frighteningly final. But scripture tells us that death is not the end – and for the Christian, it is not even really to be feared. Our scriptures this week show us that we can lean on God in our sorrow, that He has power over life and death, and that He will not leave us stranded.

As a side note, look for two things to be different this weekend. 1) Matt will be leading again on Saturday night as I attend my Grandmother’s 90^th birthday celebration in PA, and 2) the stage will be up as we prepare for Crocodile Dock (VBS) next week!

The readings for this week:
Old Testament:  Psalm 55: 1-8
New Testament:  Romans 8: 31-39
Gospel:  John 5: 24-29

Sunday
Gathering:  “What We’ve Come Here For”
Opening:     “Come, Now is the Time”
                     “Sanctuary”
Offering:     “Your Love, O Lord”
Closing:      “Forever”
Sending:    “Your Grace is Enough”

Saturday
Opening:  “Come, Now is the Time”
                  “Your Love, O Lord”
Prayer:    “Sanctuary”
Closing:   “Forever”
Sending:  “Your Grace is Enough”

Worship Debrief – Being There for a Friend-Depression (Jun. 27-28)

Do you know someone who’s consumed by activity (fatigued), consumed by worry (fear), and/or consumed by unmet expectations (frustration)? Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s a friend or family member. Either way, we found out this weekend that these are warning signs for what Pastor called Relational Depression.

Pastor’s message, while not meant to be medical or psychological advice, looked at ways we can help those we know through a season of depression. Some of the greatest figures in the Bible – such as Moses and David – seemed to suffer from the near-despair that we can all face under unbearable burdens. However, there is hope…and it’s the hope that comes from Jesus. Here’s how it breaks down:

1. Jesus offers us power that we don’t have on our own.
2. Jesus offers us promises that we can depend on.
3. Jesus offers us perspective on His purpose.

Jesus’ power, promises, and perspective can be the light that brings us through the darkness of depression.

Saturday, 6/27 – 7:00pm:

•       We had a crowd of “regulars” tonight. It’s fun to worship with the family.
•       We missed Matt on drums. You never know how much you depend on that rhythm until it’s not there!
•       A new experience for me: our sound guy fell asleep!!! And then, the others in the Media Booth didn’t wake him up! When we got up for the last song, nothing was on. Thanks to Anna for heading upstairs to take charge of the situation.

Sunday, 6/28 – 11:15am:

•       A big “Thank You!” to David Cascio and Laura Ciminelli for filling in this weekend. Couldn’t have done it without you!
•       We had the youth from Messiah Lutheran Church in Joliet, IL with us in worship. They were on their way to Work Camp in Niagara Falls and we got to hold our sending cloth ceremony for them. It was a great illustration that we are all one body serving Christ!
•       I got some more feedback on the “When am I supposed to sing?” question I asked several weeks ago. Maybe you heard some confusion during the service? Let me know what you observed and if you have thoughts about how to tackle this.

Prepare for Worship – Being There for a Friend: Depression (Jun. 27-28)

While the breakup of a marriage tops the list to stressors in one’s life, depression is probably one of the toughest to cope with. This week, as we continue in our series on “Being There for a Friend,” we look at how to help friends through depression. Our scriptures this week take us from a heavy-hearted Moses trying to lead a frustrating people to an imprisoned Paul grateful for the encouragement of other believers. In the end, we see that our hope is ultimately found in Jesus, who has “come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The readings for this week:
Old Testament:  Numbers 11: 10-15
New Testament:  Philippians 4: 10-13
Gospel:  John 10: 7-10

Sunday
Gathering:  “We Want to See Jesus Lifted High”
Opening:     “All I Have”
                     “You Are God Alone”
Offering:     “Seek Ye First”
Closing:       “Your Name”
Sending:     “Forever and Ever”

Saturday
Opening:  “All I Have” 
                   “Your Name”
Prayer:     “You Are God Alone”
Closing:    “We Want to See Jesus Lifted High”
Sending:   “Forever and Ever”

Worship Debrief – Being There for a Friend – During a Breakup, Part 2 (Jun. 13 – 14)

To recap last week, when we have a friend who is going through a breakup (or any crisis, really) we need to do the following:

1. Show up;
2. Share the pain;
3. Support with prayer; and
4. Start with Forgiveness

This week was Part 2 of Pastor’s message on “Being There for a Friend – During a Breakup.” Picking up where we left off, we looked at the final three attributes of a true friend to someone in crisis:

1. Suggest accepting reality, which involves the following: Accepting what cannot be changed; Playing it down and praying it up; And helping them focus on what is left, not what is lost.
2. Strengthen their faith – maybe even bring them to church; and
3. Speak words of hope.

Saturday, 6/13 – 7:00pm:

•          Another great night of worship with the normal sized crowed!
•          I was not as tired getting to church as I have been in the past few weeks. Naps are a wonderful thing!!!
•          I got to play usher for a few people before service started. Don’t let it be said that I can’t adapt!
•          I forgot to tune my guitar before the service. Oops! Fortunately, now that I’ve been putting it away after each use, it seems to stay in tune better from the last time I used it.
•          I had one member tell me that they used the “Prepare to Worship…” blogs to develop a playlist for their iPod and find new music. That is awesome! I’m so glad that it is used that way…and what a great way to get into worship throughout the week!

Sunday, 6/14 – 11:15am:

•          We had extra stuff in the service today: the Everyday Faith My Bible Blessing and the Reception of New Members. It was a joy to see how God is working and moving in people and hearing their commitment to serve Him.
•          We had a little girl in the pew next to us who came over to Isaac (4yrs old) and whispered something to him. For the longest time, he would NOT tell Darcy what she said. We finally got it out of him though: “You can sit next to me.” Hmm…
•          The mix was off in the monitors this morning, so I had trouble “feeling it” as we played this morning. But people were singing, so things must have sounded OK out in the congregation. Any thoughts on this?

I also got some feedback this weekend about getting the congregation started for a song. So I’m asking you all: How do you know when to start singing. Is their some cue that you look for, or that needs to be there and isn’t? Drop in a comment and let’s have some discussion on this.

Being There For a Friend – During a Break-up, Part 2 (June 13-14)

We continue this week in Pastor’s series on helping others in crisis with Part 2 of his message “Being There for a Friend – During a Break-up.” Last week we looked at the first four characteristics of a true friend. This week, we’ll hear three more. This life is not meant to be traveled alone – particularly in the valleys. When we enter into our friend’s troubles, we become God’s instrument of grace and mercy…and we will see miracles happen. Hear Paul’s words to the Philippians: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1: 6)

The readings for this week:
Old Testament:  Psalm 27: 11-14
New Testament:  Philippians 1: 6-11
Gospel:  John 16: 7-15

Sunday
Gathering:  “God of Wonders”
Opening:    “We Sing Hallelujah”
                    “Better Is One Day”
Offering:    “Who Am I”
Closing:     “Blessed Be Your Name”
Sending:    “Glory”

Saturday
Opening:  “We Sing Hallelujah”
                  “God of Wonders”
Prayer:    “Better Is One Day”
Closing:   “Blessed Be Your Name”
Sending:  “Glory”

Worship Debrief – Being There for a Friend – During a Break-Up (June 6-7)

Pastor was back with us this week and began a series which will run most of the summer that looks at being a true friend, particularly in hard times. This week was the first of a 2-part look at how we can help a friend going through the breakup of a relationship. There are seven attribute of a true friend, and the four we looked at this weekend are:

1. A true friend shows up – that is, physically.
2. A true friend shares the pain (we call that empathy)
3. A true friend supports us with the following prayer(s): Lord, help them recognize Your presence, receive Your grace, and release their pain.
4. A true friend starts with forgiveness – helping us to stop blaming, confess our sins, and forgive those who hurt us.

Saturday, 6/6 – 7:00pm:

•          We had a small, but lively crowd this week. I think the sunshine is going to shrink our numbers this summer. There can be a shortage of nice days in the Buffalo region!
•          I’ve been having busy Saturday’s of late: Samuel has Karate in the morning, followed by a baseball game in the afternoon. That alone takes up most of the day, and this week we added mowing the lawn and a Wake. Needless to say, I’m tired when I get to church!
•          I’m glad we can rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us in worship!
•          What struck you about this week’s service?

Sunday, 6/7 – 11:15am:

•          Missing Janet and David this week in the band. Thanks to Jake for stepping up and filling in!
•          Great to have Jenny back with us again. We had a full vocal sound this week!
•          Samuel playing the sad person during the children’s sermon was a hoot. He loves doing that kind of stuff!
•          We pulled a big switcheroo during communion. Jubal moved to keyboard, Matt moved to drums, and I covered bass. It’s great to have the talent to be able to switch it up like that when we need to! Did you notice?
•          Followed up worship with the Sunday School Volunteers Celebration picnic, then a funeral for a long-time friend’s mother-in-law. Quiet the span of events and emotions for one day. Glad to start it off with worship. How was your weekend and how did worship play into it?

Prepare for Worship – Being There for a Friend – During a Break-up, Pt. 1 (June 6-7)

We’ve all known people who have had a rough time. Some of us know people now who are having a rough time. The break-up of a relationship can be particularly difficult. But how can we help those going through these situations? This week and next we’ll be looking to God’s word to give us some guidance. From the example of Job’s three friends (at least, their initial reaction) to Jesus’ model as our High Priest and His command to love each as He has loved us, we can learn a great deal about ministering grace and mercy to those in need.

The readings for this week:
Old Testament:  Job 2: 11-13
New Testament:  Hebrews 4: 12-16
Gospel:  John 15: 12-17

Sunday:
Gathering: Salt and Light
Opening:   My Reward
                   We Fall Down
Communion:  All Who Are Thirsty
                    Leave Your Heart with Me
                    Take My Life (Holiness)
Offering:    Rescue
Closing:     Hold On
Sending:    Hosanna

Saturday
Opening:    My Reward
                   We Fall Down
Prayer:      Rescue
Communion:  All Who Are Thirsty
Closing:     Salt and Light
Sending:    Hosanna