Yesterday was Good Friday, a day that we remember the wonderful work that Christ did for us on the cross of calvary. He took our punishment that we deserve in order so that we could be made righteous and adopted into God's family. For a second I was wondering why it was called "Good Friday" as the thought of a man being slaughtered for my behalf seems morbid, but then someone reminded that it is in fact the BEST news of all. We are saved from the wrath of God that we deserve and we are given life, which we do not deserve. YES!
Some people from our church decided to have a "Hymnsing." Now if you are not familiar with what that is, basically it is a time where you gather together and worship Christ through song. There are many ways in which this can be done, but the focus for ours was the local church gathered to praise God in thanks for His work on the cross. Many of us had not participated in a hymnsing before, and I think we were partially influenced by an article that we read on the Resurgence blog titled "Is a Worship Service More Like a Concert Hall or a Banquet Hall?"
Niki and I hosted it at our apartment, and it was really great as Joel lead with his guitar and we sang hymns that were focused on the cross. We sang about 14 songs all together mixed with times of prayer and scripture reading. I was both refreshed and gripped as we sang together about how great our Lord is. Some of the hymns we enjoyed were "It Is Finished," "Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder," "Jesus Paid It All," "Man of Sorrows," and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." I think and hope we are going to make this some sort of annual Good Friday service.
Here is a little video from Isaac Wardell about hymnsings. Check it out.
Bifrost Arts from josh franer on Vimeo.
"More and more people show up to church and expect to have a worship experience delivered to them, instead of showing up to church expecting to sing together."
Is your church more of a concert hall or a banquet hall?
"For congregations that are struggling with how to bridge the gap.... it is important to urge congregants not to think of the worship service as a concert hall where they come to receive something, but to think of our worship service as a banquet hall, where we come to participate in singing together."
check out the other articles in the Isaac Wardell series:
What are your favorite ways to spend Good Friday? Do you have a favorite cross centered song?
Some people from our church decided to have a "Hymnsing." Now if you are not familiar with what that is, basically it is a time where you gather together and worship Christ through song. There are many ways in which this can be done, but the focus for ours was the local church gathered to praise God in thanks for His work on the cross. Many of us had not participated in a hymnsing before, and I think we were partially influenced by an article that we read on the Resurgence blog titled "Is a Worship Service More Like a Concert Hall or a Banquet Hall?"
Here is a little video from Isaac Wardell about hymnsings. Check it out.
Bifrost Arts from josh franer on Vimeo.
"More and more people show up to church and expect to have a worship experience delivered to them, instead of showing up to church expecting to sing together."
Is your church more of a concert hall or a banquet hall?
"For congregations that are struggling with how to bridge the gap.... it is important to urge congregants not to think of the worship service as a concert hall where they come to receive something, but to think of our worship service as a banquet hall, where we come to participate in singing together."
check out the other articles in the Isaac Wardell series:
Liturgy, Music, and Space
What Kind of People Are We Forming With Our Worship?
What are your favorite ways to spend Good Friday? Do you have a favorite cross centered song?
