https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgjFgP1ZOvo As we begin 1 John we seek to reflect on the love of God show to us that we are called to imitate and show towards others. Some of the themes that come out of 1 John that are reflected in this song are advocacy (2:1), cleansing from sin (1:7, 2:2), forgiveness (1:9), and... Continue Reading →
A Final Blessing
One of the greatest benedictions in the scriptures comes at the end of the Epistle to the Hebrews. After a number of dense arguments around the superiority of the New Covenant, a call to hold fast to those promises, warnings for not doing so, and some practical out-workings of those truths, we receive the author’s... Continue Reading →
The Last Liturgy Standing
All the American rhythms of life we're used to are now drastically different or gone altogether for the time being. The sports cycle, the news cycle, the shopping cycle, not least the daily 9-5 cycle. All of these rhythms are habit forming, and thus soul-forming rituals (read about how habits shape identity here). Our calendars... Continue Reading →
The Puzzle Pieces of Identity: Loves, Habits, and Worship
You are what you love, you love what you desire, your desire shapes your habits, your habits shape your worship, your worship shapes your identity, you are what you love... Got all that? Let's break it down backwards just to be clear! First, you are what you love because what we love shapes our identity... Continue Reading →
Worship as Formative Counter-Culture
Despite the predominant notion that we are self-forming autonomous people who can easily choose what we want to and who we want to be, the stark reality is that we are shaped by our habits and the things we consistently submit ourselves to. Habits are notoriously hard to break, and although we’d like to think... Continue Reading →
Singing is Prayer, So Your Prayer Life Isn’t that Bad!
Matthew Westerholm helpfully condenses some of John Calvin's thoughts on singing and prayer. You can read it here... First, singing our prayers helps us unite our gathered church. Second, singing our prayers helps focus our wandering thoughts. Third, singing helps inflame our withering affections. Fourth, singing our prayers helps us engage our entire bodies.
2019 Winter Collective
This past Sunday (March 3), we had a great time discussing what gospel faithfulness looks like practically. Here's the video from the teaching section. It got started a minute or two late, but we start by discussing Isaiah 6. https://vimeo.com/321338403
Why We Do What We Do: Weekly Liturgy
Why do this? By posting the liturgy of the week I hope to help our congregation understand why we do what we do. I shared this information with the worship leaders each week for a while, but I realized that this is not secret information! My prayer is that it aids in the making and... Continue Reading →
Weekly Liturgy of Green Pond Bible Chapel
[A liturgy is simply an order of service that tells a story that forms and shapes us as we interact with it. CLICK HERE for an explanation on why we use the word "liturgy", why we do more than just sing, and how this is a corporate discipline that shapes us] CLICK HERE for the... Continue Reading →