Our first recording project, tentatively titled My Father’s Face, is nearing the end of the actual “recording” phase. We have recorded almost everything, except a flute part, a couple vocals and some guitars. After that comes mixing, mastering and replication (if you’re interested!).

Everyone is working very hard to make a great CD (or, hopefully, downloadable album) that will be a blessing to our church and our neighbors and, Lord willing, possibly to other churches too. It’s been great to work together on this, praying before each recording session, cracking up during “outtakes” (we could make a whole CD of outtakes), and just worshiping while recording.

I hope we’ll have this album ready within 8 weeks.

It’s been a great experience so far, and I’ve just rejoiced at the opportunity to use some of my creative juices in a way I haven’t done for a long time (it’s been 16 years since I last recorded!). I’m very proud of everyone’s work on the record (yes, I called it a record - and for you kids, that’s just short for “recording.” It has nothing to do with big vinyl “CDs”.)

But then again, I’m very proud of the work people are doing throughout the worship ministry, from faithfully serving the body during worship services to children’s worship leading and Celebrate Recovery worship leading and youth worship leading to sermon CD-making. I can’t wait to see what God has in store. And to Him be all the glory.

For anyone interested in a progress report on the first DEC worship recording, here you go!

We’re working hard on 10 songs that will (hopefully) bless our church and speak to our friends and family outside of DEC. So far have recorded drums, bass, organ, some guitars, lots of vocals and choir and keyboards. We have a couple nice surprises for you too. Flute, more vocals and guitars yet to go. And we’re choosing the name of the project as you read this!

Hopefully more soon!

This week, as DEC turns our attention to the Christian’s hope (what it is, where it comes from, what it means for today), I thought I’d share a testimony, of sorts, of the hope a Christian has - and what it means, practically speaking.

My friend, Kathy Schlentrich, kindly offered to share a song she wrote called, “Against All Hope.”  She agreed to let me post it here on my blog. Of her song, Kathy writes,

“I wrote this song in response to my mother’s death from cancer. There was no evidence when she died that she had a saving relationship with the Lord and people said to me that she could have accepted him before she died, but that thought didn’t give me peace. What finally brought me to a place of standing on the rock of faith was not the uncertain hope that my mother had accepted the Lord before she died, but rather the certain hope that God is good and just, and that I can trust Him to be the Righteous Judge of the whole world.”

I hope you’ll find Kathy’s lyrics encouraging. I had hoped to post Kathy’s recording here as well - and as soon as technology catches up with me, I’ll come back and add it.  Thanks again, Kathy.

Against All Hope
Words & Music by Kathy Schlentrich

Against all hope, I am hoping to receive
Against all hope, I am choosing to believe
The promise you have given that what you say, you’ll do
Against all hope, I place my hope in you

I place my hope in you, O Lord
And I believe that you will keep your word
I place my hope in you, O Lord
And I believe that you will keep your word
Against all hope

You are good, you are faithful every day
Lord of all, I will trust you, come what may
Powerful but gentle, righteous, kind and true
Against all hope, I place my hope in you
Against all hope, I place my hope in you

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed
Romans 4:18

Over the years, many people have asked for a recording of DEC’s music. In recent years, the Worship Ministry has been discussing and planning to record. And in recent weeks, we’ve gotten closer than ever. So here’s a little preview (which, of course, may change as time goes on).

With the blessing of the church body & leadership, we’ve purchased recording gear (I and others have recording backgrounds) and have set up the basics of a small studio. We plan to record all original songs or arrangements, which means everything on the recording will be DEC-birthed music. Some of these include “I Can’t Wait To Go Home,” “Just As I Am (I Come)” and “My God Is For Me.” We also hope to introduce a couple new songs on the recording.

We’re aiming to have the project ready sometime around Easter, and I hope it’s a blessing to our church family, and that it might be used to give our friends and neighbors who haven’t come to DEC a little glimpse of what it’s like inside our four walls.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Let me know what you think.

In light of God’s perfect and proactive plan to grant forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life to the unworthy (including the “chief of all sinners”), it’s time to celebrate and say, as the Apostle Paul did to his Roman readers, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? For I am sure that neither death nor life… Nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31,38-39 ESV).

Selah,
Chris

(Oh, here’s my meditation on this. Lord willing, we’ll be singing this in 2 weeks -the choir sounds great on it!)

My God is for me, He’s not against me
And if God is with me what shall I fear?
He who died for me - Emmanuel to me -
Lives today in me, drawing me near

CHORUS
Nothing can separate me from the Father’s love
I am secure in Him whatever may come
He who was crucified and was raised back to life
Always stands by my side in power and love

My God has loved me, gave himself for me
Set His seal on me, washed in His blood
No great Accuser of things behind me
Can stand in the presence of my saving God

CHORUS

BRIDGE
I belong to Him
He’s my God and Friend
To the very end ever near me
I am not my own
I am not alone
He has told me He’s never leaving

This week I’ve been reminded in a potent way of how powerful and how central the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to the Christian church. And how easily it slips away from us, and we begin to oh-so-subtly rely upon our good works, efforts and intentions to secure the approval and love of God. I suppose it happens to all of us sometimes. But what tragedy and idolatry can result from that.

May His Gospel transform our affections, our intellect and our will. May God’s people love and serve and surrender to Him with all our heart, mind and soul. And may He be glorified for the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us so that He could take on our sin and God’s wrath against that sin, and bequeath His pristine holiness, His righteousness to those who come to Him in faith.  It is by grace we have been saved!

Thank You, thank You, thank YOU, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

OK, I have many, but ONE of my Christmas wishes is that those without a Dad this Christmas will have a precious sense of their heavenly Father’s nearness and love for them.  What’s your Christmas wish this year?

That’s it for today…  I would love to know:  If you could ask God 1 question, what would it be?

In honor of the Advent season which is upon us, here is part 2 of a 2-part article originally shared in DEC’s “The Times” newsletter. Part 1 of this article can be found here. Enjoy and comment!

Emmanuel

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

“God with us.”

The name itself implies that we have to have room in order for Jesus to be there. No room, no Jesus. He is with us. Maybe the question this Christmas is, “Are we with God?”

Will busyness and overcommitment crowd Jesus out this Advent season, or will we cultivate hearts that say, “O come, Emmanuel! Ransom us! Rescue us!”  Will our hearts cry out with the author of the Revelation, who wrote:

He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 (ESV)

In some ways, today is no different than the night Jesus was born: busy streets, people struggling to meet their responsibilities and crowds competing for high-demand items. Yet amid the noise and clamor of that night, God himself stepped into time. And above it all, a star pointed willing eyes toward this Miracle Child.
…And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. Matthew 2:9 (ESV)

Amid all of our noise and clamor, there’s a light today to point willing eyes to the Messiah. Actually, it’s a city on a hill. And while store fliers and party invitations are clamoring for our attention, God whispers, “Let your light so shine…”

So let’s not miss it this year. Let’s make room, be available. Be attentive. Let the flames of our longing hearts light the way for others. And our hearts, lips and lives declare, “O come, Emmanuel!”

Prayer

God, our hearts and lives are gifts from your hand. We pray that you’d fill them with genuine faith - a faith that would make us receptive - eager! - for you this Christmas. Rescue us from busyness and forgive us for allowing other occupants take your place. By your grace, we are your temple. We have room for you. We have a throne for you!  For your praise of your great name, King Jesus. Amen.

Can you believe it?!  Thanksgiving already?!  More amazing to me is the fact that Advent begins this Sunday. In honor of the Advent season, here’s the first a two-part article I wrote for a previous Christmas season.

Enjoy!

O Come, Emmanuel!

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 (ESV)

No place. No room. Due to the census decree issued by Caesar Augustus, Bethlehem was bustling with activity. A swollen city, full of inconvenienced citizens. The inn was in high demand, and like most malls this time of year, it was full.

It’s not a unique story in Scripture. The Bible is peppered with stories of people who didn’t have “room.” Room for a wedding feast (Matthew 22), for a prophet who was running late (1 Samuel 13), for a hard saying about eating flesh (John 6) or for a the impossibility that the man standing in front of you is the Son of God, raised from the dead (Matthew 28). There’s no shortage of people who have no room for God.

But this Christmas, God is calling us to have room.

I have a friend I eat with from time to time, and he says, “Dessert is not something you save room for; it’s something you MAKE room for.” And I’ve seen him do it! It isn’t pretty sometimes, and it can cause some discomfort! And if that’s what it takes this Christmas, maybe we need to make room for Jesus in our own lives, even if it causes some discomfort.