Enriched Affections

This has been a crazy week. Since my previous post I've had the opportunity to reconnect with so many old friends that have reached out to me. I've been so encouraged by your comments and messages. You would think this feeling of community would energize and motivate me, but the reality is I've been dealing with depression again for a little over a month.* I think it's getting better. Maybe it's all the rain or difficult circumstances. I don't know. Having gone through this before I'm seeing the same old signs, but dealing with it very differently. I think you know you're depressed when you can watch How to Train Your Dragon 2 with your kids and almost start crying when you see Hiccup and Astrid talking... just talking. The mind starts to wander... Will I ever have someone like that again? It sure would be nice to have someone, just to talk to about everyday life, the future, silly goals, a funny thing that happened while flying on your dragon. Of co...

So, full disclosure, this picture will probably be my next tattoo... just sayin'. It's so full of the imagery that has carried me through the ups and downs of life, especially through this past season. In the words of Frank Catton, let me break it down like a fraction for you. The first image that jumps out is the anchor. But it isn't just any anchor, it's an anchor formed from the classic Chi Rho symbol which has long stood for the name of Christ. Christ the anchor. He certainly has been that for me. As this week's song says, He has been my sure and steady anchor, in the fury of the storm, when doubts blew through me, when my sails were torn, when hopes were few. He has been my anchor. Wrapped around the base of the anchor is an unwrapped scroll, symbolizing the Word of God which is the lens through which I know Christ and what He's done. Written on that scroll is the Hebrew word "zakar" which means "Remember." Remember, as in God re...

"In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song." Thus begins one of the most beloved modern hymns of our generation. The concept of Christ alone flows from every corner of scripture. The phrase is also commonly associated with the Protestant Reformation of 1517 as one of the five Solas . Solus Christus (Christ Alone)   joins  Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) , Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) , Sola Fide (Faith Alone) , and Soli Deo Gloria  (Glory of God Alone) as the pillars of the reformational doctrine of the time. These foundational truths magnify God's grace, sovereignty, and purposeful hand in salvation. The beginning and end of this song speak of the hope we have in Christ. This hope extends beyond the day to day needs we face, although I believe it does include those things. The hope mentioned in verse 1 encourages us to rest on Christ amidst trials and suffering. This hope continues into verses two and three and points us to our spiritual ...

Grace is one of the most important themes in all scripture. It is the heart of the Gospel- getting what we don't deserve. I love how this song captures so many of the nuances of this simple word, borrowing some great theology from Ephesians 1-2 , wrapping it all up in beautiful poetry. When you think about the grace of God in your life, what comes to mind? Does this idea begin and end with your justification, or does it continue into the daily routine of your everyday life? Something this song brings to the definition of grace is its ongoing nature. Grace didn't end when we were justified and adopted. Grace "abounds" as this song says in verse 2. It continues to flow, giving us the desires to be like Christ and strengthening us with the Spirit to act on those desires. This song also reminds us of the finishing work of grace, how it brings God's work in us to completion ( Philippians 1:6 ) as we go through the doors of death into our eternal reward. The choru...

We all have resolutions for the new year- weight loss, get out of debt, spend more time with family, etc. I've thought a lot about what I can work on in 2015. All of the goals mentioned above are worthy, and I'll probably attempt all of them in the coming months. However, I wanted to go a bit deeper and work on something that will engage both my heart and mind. That's why I've decided that my main goal for this year is to memorize more songs. My profession is to worship. What a privilege! Each week I get to craft a service that focuses hearts and minds on the Creator of the universe. When Sunday roles around I want to be as prepared as possible to lead in worship. I recently preached on this topic ( you can listen to that here ) and have become increasingly convicted that I need to do more on the music end to be personally ready. One of the things that will really help me is to memorize the music that I lead each week. This will keep me from being so tied to my m...

I love old hymns. I don't mean old as in 1985. I mean old as in written by candle light, authored by men and women who never knew how much their words would be loved by the church. As I was preparing our worship for this coming Sunday I was hunting through my Trinity Hymnal for a good hymn on prayer. There is a lot to choose from, but not a lot that was familiar. How many hymns on prayer do you know of? Many echo the Psalms or speak of relying on God's sovereign hand. But I was looking for something fresh, at least fresh to me. Finding a fresh old hymn isn't an oxymoron. Just because it's old doesn't mean it can't be new. It's like finding a vintage bottle of wine that's increased its flavor as it was waiting to be discovered on an empty shelf. That's how I felt when I read the words to an old John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) hymn called "Behold the Throne of Grace!". For some reason the words (written in 1779) struck me. However, ...

"All Hail the Pow'r of Jesus' Name" by Oliver Holden (1793), new arrangement released by The Gettys on Live at The Gospel Coalition  (2013) Why I recommend this song for worship- This is a classic hymn, one which I hope many of you are familiar with. It echoes the phrase we will be exclaiming throughout eternity, "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name!" I love this hymn because it encompasses not only our individual praise, but the fact that people from all ages, all tribes, and all cultures will also praise the name of Jesus. The next time you sing this in church, remember that this is just a taste of what we'll be able to do and who we'll be able to worship with in heaven. Let it also remind you that just because a song might be a few hundred years old, it doesn't mean we can't still use it to worship God. I'm thankful for this, and other old hymns, which focus our hearts and minds on the realities of the coming age. Suggestions f...

"All I Have Is Christ"  by Jordan Kauflin, released on The Gathering  by Sovereign Grace Music (2011) As I looked through my past Singable posts I was shocked to see that I hadn't featured this song yet. This has become one of my favorites as it causes us to reflect on the singular need every human has, Jesus Christ. Why I recommend this song for worship- What is the story of your salvation? What did God save you from? What has He saved you to? This song tells the spiritual side of all our salvation stories. We once were lost in darkest night, thinking we had the truth. We had no hope on our own, but because of the grace of God we have been saved from our sin and adopted as one of God's children. This is the heart of the gospel and truth we need to remind ourselves of daily. Singing these truths will implant them deep in our hearts. The chorus of this song really says it all: "Hallelujah! All I Have is Christ..." In a culture that tries to tells u...

"All Creatures of Our God and King" with new verses and arrangement by Jonathan and Ryan Baird, released on All That Thrills My Soul  by West Coast Revival , from Sovereign Grace Music (2013) All That Thrills My Soul by West Coast Revival This has been one of my favorite hymns since I first heard it as a child, continuing into college chapel services, and now as an adult hearing it in different churches. Most recently I heard this at the WorshipGod conference arranged with two new verses and parts for a modern choir. Why I recommend this song for worship-  This song is one of the oldest hymns around. The first two verses of this arrangement were written by St. Francis of Assisi who ministered during the early part of the 13th century. His life is exemplified with humility before God, and you can see that written into this poem which later became the hymn we know today. His verses center our thoughts around our place as creatures; created beings wholly dependent on ...

"Nothing In All the Earth" by Joel Sczebel, released on Grace Has Come by Sovereign Grace Music (2013) Why I Recommend this song for worship- I've been waiting to post this song ever since I first heard it at the Worship God conference back in August. It is one of those songs that matches tune and text in an excellent way. One of the most encouraging passages in Romans is the end of chapter 8 , which this song is based on. It expresses that great truth of our unbreakable bond to Christ through his death and resurrection. This is the kind of truth our hurting hearts need to hear and sing and shout out in worship. It also flows from the admonishment from Colossians 3:16 to teach one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. What better way to do this than to sing actual scripture to each other? Be encouraged as you listen to this song, and remember that nothing can tear us from the everlasting arms of our gracious and saving God! Suggestions for...

I'm back from the WorshipGod Conference in Louisville. Let me tell you, it was amazing. I feel like I have a dozen things I need to do NOW, but realistically I hope to get to them over the next year or so. Anyway, I'll be posting a lot about what I learned from there, as well as sharing some incredible songs, starting with this one for today: "Not In Me" by Eric Schumacher & David Ward, released on Songs for the Book of Luke  from The Gospel Coalition (2013) This song is one of many that were written by artists around the country for this past years' Gospel Coalition conference. All the songs are based on passages from the book of Luke. This particular one is a song of confession, picturing what a repentant Pharisee might have prayed had he the heart to come to the Lord. Why I recommend this song for worship- In our church we take a time each Sunday for confession. Traditionally this is in the form of a prayer. I believe another effective way to co...

"You Are God Alone (Not a God)"  by Philips, Craig, and Dean, released on Let the Worshippers Arise (2004) Why I recommend this song for worship- As we come before the Lord in worship, it is important to remember Who we are worshiping. We aren't coming before a famous singer or venerated politician. We aren't about to see our favorite sports team play. This is God we are addressing. This song reminds us of who God is and why He is worthy of our worship. It takes the focus off us and fixes our eyes on the Father. The melody honors the lyrics and lets us build on different themes emotionally and musically. This song has always been a great reminder to me of God's sovereignty and leaves me standing in awe that He could love someone like me. Changes I've Made- I haven't adjusted too much with this one. They keys posted below are both pretty singable, but I would recommend doing it in A (or G with capo 2 for guitar). Any lower and the verses get ha...

"In the Valley" by Bob Kauflin, released by Sovereign Grace Music on Valley of Vision  (2006) This song is based on the opening prayer from The Valley of Vision - a collection of puritan prayers. You can follow this link to read the prayer (it's at the bottom of the page). Why I recommend this song for worship- I love this song because it is full of the paradoxes of the Christian life. In dying we live, through slavery we are made free, through suffering we find joy... the list goes on and on. Singing these biblical paradoxes back to God reminds us of our reliance upon Him and how we need to trust His sovereign hand, especially when things don't make sense. This song is a wonderful encouragement to those that are going through "the valley", a reference to the valley of the shadow of death from Psalm 23:4 . It could be a quiet meditation during a time of confession or a song of commitment. However it is used, corporately or privately, it should ...

"Psalm 23" by Joshua Huff , released on Enriched Affections (2010) Psalm 23 has always been one of my favorites. As I began putting this Psalm to music I wanted to write a soothing melody that brought scenes of the comfort of a shepherd to mind. I was in my major seven chord faze at the time, and it ended up fitting the words really well. The second verse came about through more study and wanting to point us to Christ as our ultimate Shepherd. Why I recommend this song for worship- Colossians 3:16 tells us to "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." One of the things I love to do when I write music it to base the text on the text of scripture, particularly the Psalms. As we worship together, or individually, it is good to let scripture guide us in that worship. The Psalms have historically been the church's music book, and it is very appropriate to...

It's good to be back on the blogosphere after a nice relaxing (yet busy) vacation. On the occasion of Fathers Day I would like to post a song I wrote for my first daughter, Charis. It's a song we still sing to all our girls every night before bed and one they often sing to each other when they are feeling tired. While it isn't one I would necessarily recommend for corporate worship, it is one that could be used for family worship. I hope you like it. "Lullaby for Charis"  by Joshua Huff , released on Enriched Affections  (2010) Here are the chords if you'd like to play along. We usually sing this with "Little Charis" or "Charis, Selah, Trinity" (our daughters) in place of "Little baby." Of course, feel free to personalize it however you want to fit your little ones. Enjoy! (just click & copy/paste this into a document to use) This song is available for download from Amazon and iTunes .

"Holy" by Matt Redman , released on 10,000 Reasons (2011) Why I recommend this song for worship- This has become one of my favorite songs from the past year. It takes the very biblical theme of declaring God's holiness and expands on why we sing of this attribute. Have you ever spoken of God's holiness and wondered what that means? It means He is other, not like us, above us, a completely different kind of being. And yet, He sent Christ to become one of us and to save us. These amazing truths and more are taught with a melody that is very singable and a final focus on Christ's triumphal return. This song speaks to those hurting spiritually, those longing for hope, those needing truth, and those that just want to praise the Lord. We have come to love singing this song in our church and I hope it is an encouragement to you as well. Changes I've Made- The key we sing this song in is C. On the recording I believe it is in Eb which is a bit high for th...

"Jesus, Thank You" by Pat Sczebel, released by Sovereign Grace Music on Worship God Live (2005) Why I recommend this song for worship- Coming to the Lord in worship each week should be a humbling experience. Few things humble the worshiper more than being reminded that we were once God's enemies, but have now been brought near. God didn't save us from a neutral position to become His children. He redeemed rebels whose lives promoted the very things He hated. This song reminds us of these truths and enables us to respond in worship, singing words like "Thank You" and "I want to live for you." This song relates to many of the truths found in Hosea as well, which we focused on in our services today. The themes of redemption and God wooing us as a lover back to himself are poetically spoken in this song. The melody is also easy to pick up and matches the lyrics very well. This is a great song to follow a message on redemption or to sing whi...

"Arise, My Soul Arise" written by Charles Wesley, music by Kevin Twitt, released by Indelible Grace   (2000) Why I recommend this song for worship- Guilt and fear rob us of so many opportunities to really worship our Lord in the freedom of grace and forgiveness. This song opens with the reminder that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that the Son has enabled us to shake off guilt and fear. The upbeat tempo and singable melody encourage us to do what the words say: "Arise!" No longer do we need to cower in shame for our sin. Christ has taken care of that on the cross. Now all we need do is come and worship the Lord. Not only does this song accurately teach the truths of the gospel, but it encourages the biblical response of worship. All of these elements make this a wonderful song with which to worship our God. Changes I've Made-  The only change I've made is in adding some harmony lines. Below is the standard lead sheet...

Today is Mothers' Day. I love that we celebrate this day on a Sunday where we can be reminded of the joy of new life that mothers bring as well as the new life we receive from our heavenly Father. Over the years I've enjoyed the legacy of music, as well as many other things, that my mother has left me. So, rather than feature one particular worship song, here are just a couple "Mothers" songs. The first is a new one from the Getty's that my wonderful wife and mother of our three girls sang this morning in our service. The second is one that my Mom has sang often on this special day as I was growing up. I hope this day is special for you mothers out there. "A Mother's Prayer" sung by Kristyn Getty (2012) "Little Boy on His Knees" sung by Cheri Keaggy (1994) (...not sure who this family is, but the song is what I remember)

"Nothing But The Blood"  by Matt Redman , released on Facedown  (2004) Why I recommend this song for worship- Matt Redman is one of my favorite worship artists. I really enjoy a lot of his music. Songs like Blessed Be Your Name , Let Everything That Has Breath , Holy , and The Heart of Worship  are just a few of his songs we consistently sing in my ministry. He has a way of combining deep theology with affectionate melodies, and this song is no exception. The chorus shares a lot of lyrics with the traditional hymn Nothing But the Blood of Jesus . However, the verses answer the question of why all we need is the blood of Christ. The imagery of Christ's righteousness speaking for us, testifying of grace, and enabling our bold approach to the Father's throne is just one example. The melody matches the depth of the words and enables us to sing with reverence and awe regarding Christ's sacrifice. Changes I've Made- The thing you need to be caref...