Dangerous Wonder
Mike Yaconelli
The Worship Answer Book
Rick Warren
Systematic Theology
by Wayne Grudem
Reversed Thunder
by Eugene Peterson
The Parables of Jesus
by David Wenham
The Unquenchable Worshipper
by Matt Redman
The Divine Romance
by Gene Edwards
The Shadow of the Galilean
by Gerd Theissen
The challenge of Jesus
by N.T. Wright
As my mate, Matt Maher, says half-jokingly, the Book of Common Prayer is like ‘the best of’ prayers of the church so far. The depth and life in these prayers has blessed the church through the ages and reading and praying these prayers feels a little like joining a prayer meeting with the elders of the church. Every home should have one!
Here’s a favorite of mine:
A Collect for Fridays
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Yo blog peeps. I feel like the bear that has come out of hiding… hairy and a little hungry!!
The Big News is that Kingsway - the UK label that Tim Hughes and others are on - have picked up my Indie release ‘Because of your Love’ and are re releasing it in the States as ‘Adoration’. It’s pretty much the same record with new recordings of Adoration and Amazing God. I really like these new arrangements a lot. AND!! it also has a new song called Stars that I recorded with the African Children’s choir. It comes out this week, so keep your eyes open on itunes. Those of you who’ve already got Because of Your love (the truck driver record 
might wanna get the new versions of these three songs off itunes. The cover looks like this! :
Got this Devo from Scotty Cunningham in Costa Mesa. Filled me with hope and faith. Hope it does you too
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“So I thought we would leave you with a few verses to consider and hang on to as we enter a new year together…
Jer. 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Ps. 139:17- 18 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.
I’ve read these verses for years and have been greatly encouraged by them, and yet again I was reminded of their powerful implications and simple truth. God is thinking an innumerable amount of good thoughts towards us and is preparing us for the good things He has in store for us in the near future and eternity to come.
Be encouraged today as another year winds down and we enter a new one… even with all the uncertainty that surrounds us, one thing is certain… God is for you, loves you, and is working all things together for His Glory and our good.
Eph. 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…
Psa. 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
We love you and pray that the Lord continues to bless, keep, and strengthen you this year as we follow Jesus together.
Much love,
The Cunningham Family
Hey, while helping out at an Alpha conference a couple weeks ago I came across this brief paragraph from Al Gordon.
‘If you look at the fifty top songs your church sings, they will fall into two loose categories: objective songs (He is good) and subjective songs (I love You, Lord). For the first few weeks I would use a mixture of well known familiar hymns and contempoary objective songs. By the weekend, I would begin to introduce some of the more personal songs from our church life, as people now have an understanding of what a personal relationship with God looks like’ - http://www.worshipcentral.org/blog/al/how-to-lead-worship-on-alpha
Although I’ve heard distinctions like this being drawn before, I like the simplicity of this thought and what it means. No matter how we feel about God, or perceive God, or understand God on any particular day, the fact is certain things are true about Him anyway. To use a crude example, certain things are true about your surroundings right now, whether you perceive them or not. Songs that state the truth about God reorient us. They reorient our perspective, they set us right side up and help us navigate our way through life. And as wonderful and necessary as songs that sing from our perspective to God are, we need at least as many songs that speak of God from His (true and objective) perspective. These will remind us of the God we serve, and from this revelation true worship will rise….
How do you choose a set for a new church plant?
How do you lead with other worship leaders on staff?
How do you go about finding new melodies for your songs?
