Recommended Listening Part II

Well, one of the things I want to do with this blog is to pass on some recommended spiritual/WORSHIP listening, especially things I come accross that are not necessarily very mainstream or popular. Of coarse, some of you know that I have been hooked on Jeremy Riddle's CD "Full Attention" for the past few months. If you havn't heard of this guy check it out. This is probably my favorite worship CD of all time. Every song is an amazing statement of heartfelt praise.







Another new CD that I have recently downloaded from iTunes (yes I do have an ipod now) is "Tonight the Stars Speak" by The Glorious Unseen. This was previewed on the http://www.worshiptogether.com/ new songs cafe jukebox. I was really impressed with the first half of the album so I picked it up. This is a very cool band. They don't blow you away with musicianship, the lead vocals are a little bit on the weaker side, but they have some very good messages. Most of the album is filled with cool atmospherics. There is even a cover of "O Praise Him" that has a slightly different take. Not as good as Crowder, but not worse either. Just different.


So if you are looking for some cool new tunes, check out these two albums. You will not be disappointed.


Amazed by Him,
W2

Worship is . . . . part 18 1/2

Well, I dwell a lot on the topic of WORSHIP (obviously), and it's late on a Saturday night. So why am I sitting here writing this post? Because it is another aspect of what I believe WORSHIP is:

expectancy

Do we get excited about going to the house of God? Do we get excited on Sunday morning when we get out of bed, make breakfast, brush our teeth, dress our children? Do we get excited when we cruise into the parking lot? Do we get excited when we cross the threshold and enter the sanctum where God meets corporately with His church?

Do we get excited the night before?
(I can see the wheels are starting to turn.)
I am sooooo excited about worshipping the Lord tomorrow with God's people!
I am excited to see how God works in our lives.
I am excited to see how God changes us.
I am excited for God to reveal something that I haven't even thought of yet.

I don't ever want to reach a place where I can't get excited about worshipping God the night before.

Lord, bless Your people in mighty and mysterious ways. May we expect You to show us something great.

Amazed by Him,
W2

Burn Us Up!

Well, let's get things rolling with a thought I had today. Lately I have been consumed (pardon the pun) with a song that Shane & Shane performed at the Youth Specialties conference we attended in St. Louis. The song is called "Burn Us Up" from their Pages CD. It is a song that talks about the defiance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace. There is a line that has stuck with me:

The palace stopped in unbelief when the guilty raised their hands to sing

Notice it doesn't say they raised their voices, but their hands. I thought that was a curious choice of words, but no doubt a deliberate one. It is because God wants us to praise Him with more than just our songs. He wants us to WORSHIP Him with our entire being, our hands, our feet, our voice, our soul and spirit.

The defiant song of those three boys as they faced the possibility of death, but still would not compromise their beliefs by bowing to a little "g" god is something that should echo in our hearts:

Burn us up oh King won't you burn us in the furnace of your desire

I think we need to be a little slower to bow down, and a little more willing to burn.

Amazed by Him,
W2

LeT's GeT iT sTaRtEd!

Hm. Well, according to John all bloggers must blog on the first day of the year. So I guess this is as good a time as any to start. But yes, you are right. Introductions should come first.

My name is Wesley Wilson. My close friends call me W2. I am the worship leader at First Baptist Church of Green Valley in Monrovia, Maryland. I intend for this blog to primarily focus on what WORSHIP is, what it looks like, how we can have more of it, and what God expects from us in it. So a lot of what I hope to share with you (i.e., the reader) are my thoughts about WORSHIP, experiences that God is leading me through, songs ideas in progress, etc. I hope that you will enjoy this journey with me.

Amazed by Him,
W2