Phatfish - Holy, Holy (Lift Up His Name)

Pharfish have put a great video of their song Holy, Holy (recorded at Newday 2009) on youtube, but you can see it here!

EA Scotland podcast

There is a new podcast from EA Scotland. This month it is with Martin Clark, Director and Worship leader at Souled Out in Aberdeen. You can listen to this podcast and catch the back catalog of other podcasts here.

Souled Out is an inter-denominational (representing seven churches), city wide ministry primarily involved in organising large-scale worship events. Previous speakers to Souled Out events have included J. John, Tony Campolo, Mike Pilavachi, Pete Greig, Steve Clifford and Nicky Cruz
In this interview Martin shares his heart for worship and praise within the local church and within Souled Out. He talks about a number of issues including the celebrity culture within the modern worship scene and how we can start to see more songs being written by Scottish worship leaders.

Ezekiel and the 'celtic' church

I've never been persuaded that the celtic church really existed in the form presented to us by the celtic church gurus. There clearly were Christians in Ireland and Scotland from the early 5th Century, but as with all others they would have been Western Christians under the authority of Rome.

I've been reading Chris Wright's book on Ezekiel, which is highly commended. Commenting on 8:14-15:
14 Then he [The LORD] brought me [Ezekiel] to the entrance to the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz. 15 He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this."
Wright offers the following comment:
Christians are rightly recovering a creation balance in our worship and spirituality. Celtic worship has been enjoying something of a revival, even if not all of it would be immediately recognized by Patrick or Columba. However, there is a danger that what passes as allegedly 'Celtic' actually draws on pre-Christian Celtic paganism (which is very much in vogue with New Age adherents), rather than the vigorous and trinitarian Celtic Christianity which emerged after the remarkable conversion of Ireland. It is vital that our appreciation of creation within our worship is kept anchored to the biblical affirmations about God himself, and not allowed to drift over into a false kind of personalizing of nature. If creation is exalted to excessive levels in our theology or worship, we may subtly marginalize the person and character of the Creator and come close to ascribing divine power and properties to natural forces and elements. 'The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it' (Ps 24:2), and our worship, like the worship of all created things, must be directed to the Lord himself alone. The paradox is that if we worshp the living God rightly as Creator, then we shall care for creation as well, as he commanded; but if we worship the creation (in any of its manifestations, or even by unbridled consumerism), we quickly forget the Creator. (pages 106-107)

I am grateful to Chris for this timely reminder and hope that sharing it with you will be an encouragement to worship our God who alone Created everything there is.

Creation Sings

Leaving the Assembly I bought this new cd from Stuart Townend Creation Sings. I listened to it more than twice on the drive home, but haven't watched the dvd disc yet.

Thanks Stuart for a wonderful set of songs in praise of our great God and our wonderful Saviour. A great version of Ps 27. Lot's of new songs to download (legally) and learn on the guitar and share with the folks down here.

Some quotes that encouraged me after the Assembly:

from Holy Spirit, living Breath of God:

"Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,

Giving life to all that God has made,

Show Your power once again on earth,

Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways."

It is God's church and he will set his Spirit within us that we might seek his ways.

from My heart is filled with thankfulness:

"My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who walks beside

...

Whose every promise is enough

For every step I take,

Sustaining me with arms of love

And crowning me with grace."

I don't need to walk by sight since I walk by faith. His promise is enough, more than enough, even if I never see his promise fulfilled, may I keep on in his way and be sustained by the love and grace of his mighty promise.

If you don't yet know Stuart's work this is a wondeful cd to begin with.