Glory to God in the Highest

I don't know about you or the local church body you're apart of, but at the body I'm a part of, Fellowship Bible Church, Knoxville, we are currently indulging in the season of Christmas. However, let me make a disclaimer: We are not indulging in the Christmas season because the world is indulging in the Christmas season, but we are diving in because we want to re-capture the beauty and wonder of the birth of the Christ, the Son of the Most High. So, now that I've said that, I also love to sing the songs of Christmas, because they're fun and for the most part, communicate very well the wonder and awe of the birth of our Savior. This past sunday we sang the song "Angels We Have Heard On High", and as I was preparing the songs and weaving them together, I really began reading the words of this song. As I read, I realized that I've been singing this song for years, but never truly knew what the words in the chorus, "Gloria, In Excelsis Deo" truly meant. I knew that it was having to do with God's Glory, but never understood the beauty of this Latin phrase. So, I did some research, and this is what I learned. By definition, "Gloria, In Excelsis Deo" means: Glory to God in the Highest. This phrase is the title and beginning of a doxology or "song of praise" used in the Roman Catholic Mass and even sometimes in other Christian Churches. This particular song of praise was originally written in the Greek language and goes back to at least the third century, even possibly the first. Both the Greek and the Latin read the same until the last two lines, which are as follows. The Latin reads: Tu solus altissimus" and "Cum sancto Spiritu" which means You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. The Greek reads: Every day I will bless thee and will glorify thy name forever and ever, then adds ten more verses, primarily drawing from the Psalms. Either way, both are still sung today in the Roman Catholic Mass and in the Greek Orthodox Church. (All information drawn from studies in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia Online) I will now post for you the full modern English translation of "Gloria in excelsis deo" Glory to God in the Highest, And peace to His people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, Almighty God and Father; We worship You, we give You thanks, We praise You for Your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Son of the Father. Lord God, Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us; You are seated at the right hand of the Father, recieve our prayer. For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Spirit in the Glory of God the Father. Amen. I hope all you in blog land found this information somewhat helpful and hopefully the more we dive into what we're singing and saying in our churches, the more effectively we as the Body of Christ may advance the Kingdom. Amen. Kenny

Something New...

Hey all, if any who read my blog. I'm going to try a new thing. First, let me tell you a little about myself. I am a worship leader for a church called Fellowship Bible Church in Knoxville, TN. I am spending a year here as a Musical Worship Resident studying and learning how to pastor others in the area of Worship. I have a passion for leading worship. I also have a desire for learning and dialoguing with others about how to improve as a worship leader. So, here's what I propose: Each sunday after I've led worship, I'm going to post a bit on what the focus of the service was, and what I learned in preparing to lead the service. Hopefully, all you out there in blog land can respond and either share feedback and dialogue on what I've posted, or simply share you're own lessons learned through your preparation for leading. Either way, I think this can be a great opportunity to help advance the Kingdom and grow in our leadership. So, till Sunday, Kenny

I want to Lead Worship, today...

Can I have faith without believing in God?

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see" ~ Hebrews 11:1. I've been thinking lately about faith. If faith is being sure of something we hope for, and also being certain of things we do not see, then why is it that I don't always trust God to lead me into something I cannot see. Maybe this sounds simple, but let me elaborate... It is scary to be alone in the dark. It's terrifying to be alone in the dark and not see the light. However, I've been told the light is there, even though I can't see it. If I ever want to find my way out of the dark, and into the light, then I have to believe that the light is there, so that I'll continue to look for it.