Noteworthy Blog

Often called the “National Anthem of Christendom,” “All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name” is one of the most recognizable hymns ever published. According to Hymnary.org , it’s been published in over 3,200 hymnals! Who knew there was even that many hymnals?! This hymn takes us on a journey of revelation to response, the essence of Biblical worship. The first verse establishes just how powerful, majestic, and full of glory and splendor Jesus the King truly is. So much so that “…Let Angels prostrate fall…”! In verse two, the writers go further, showing us that while the whole of Heaven falls prostrate in worship, we too must do likewise. “…Hail Him who saved us by His grace…” “Let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial ball, To Him all majesty ascribe…” My brother and his family spent 12 years on the mission field in Indonesia. While there, he was part of a team that discovered people groups never before documented or recognized – even by the surrounding tribes. With that knowledge

2 Samuel 6:5 (ESV) says, “And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and” the modern worship band. No, no, it doesn’t actually say that. But it could, maybe it should.  It actually goes on to say “lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.” But wait, those don’t sound like modern band instruments, except maybe tambourines and cymbals. True, but lets just take what’s written and apply it to modern culture. The lyre was like an ancient guitar. Said to have been invented around 3200 BC it precedes the lute by nearly 1200 years. Guitars weren’t invented until the 16th century in Spain, and they weren’t electrified until almost 100 years ago. So, if King David were around today, would he have an electric guitar? Well, in the sense that God requires us to bring Him our newest and best, maybe so. In church culture though, the electric guitar is still a point of contention among many believers. There’s a sense that it’s a secular instrume

This week’s new song, “God Is For Us,” comes from CityAlight, the music ministry of St. Paul’s Castle Hill Anglican church in Sydney, Australia. Ten years ago, CityAlight began as a group of 15 songwriters who set out to write music for worship that was both Biblically rich in lyrics and singable through simple melodies. “God Is For Us” is based on Romans 8:31 which says, “…If God is for us, who can be against us? God’s word needs no help from us and it certainly doesn’t need a good melodious groove to be any more powerful than the day it was penned. But, putting God’s word into music, or basing musical lyrics upon the word of God speaks to us in a different way than hearing it spoken or reading it in the Scriptures. And, the repetitive nature of songs like this naturally helps us commit truth to the memory of our hearts. In the 1st verse, it talks about the dark places we all will face at one time or another in our lives – the battle, the valley, and the night. God is there. He is the