Genesis turns 2!

As promised, here's a few pictures of Genesis. She's such a cutie.

Another Funny Video

So, Genna turned two on Sunday. TWO! Can you believe it? It's already hard to imagine what life was like before her. We got a new camera and will be showing some new pics soon. Until then, I want to share this video I came across.

Now, those of you who know me know that I don't do many sports. I normally miss the impact of a good sports illustration. So, today I'm gonna make up for some of that. Many of you can relate to this . . .

JESUS IS MY FRIEND

I'm so glad I missed this era of Christian music! Kinda creepy, kinda funny.

Enjoy.

Favorite worship song?

I picked up the new Chris Tomlin CD "Hello Love" yesterday. It's fantastic! Though I knew many of the songs from Passion Cd's, the ones I didn't know were just as good! As I was thinking about favorite songs off of this one and Hillsong's latest, it got me thinking. . . .

I have favorite worship songs- we all do. Most recently, I am loving "Hosanna" from Hillsong, "I Will Rise" and "Praise the Father, Praise the Son" from Tomlin, "Jesus Saves" from Travis Cotrell and Hillsong's "Worthy is The Lamb" (It's STILL a great song, no matter how often I sing it!)

I'm curious- what are your favorite worship songs and why?

Healer was a hoax?

It's no secret, I'm a big Hillsong fan. If you haven't heard the latest CD called

THIS IS OUR GOD, then you need to go pick it up. One of my favorite songs on the CD is called "The Desert Song" sung and written by Brooke Fraser (get her CD Albertine if you like her voice too!). But this weekend, I heard some crazy news about ANOTHER one of my favorite songs on the album called HEALER. A pastor from Australia wrote the song as a source of strength during his battle with cancer. It turns out that the pastor didn't have cancer at all- he was covering up his porn addiction.

Check out the full story here.

At first, I was shocked. Why would he do such a thing? Why would he deceive and hurt so many people? But as I watched his story unfold, I got a certain peace about it. I feel it deepens the song even more. He needs spiritual healing now. Please pray for Pastor Mike Guglielmucci and that God will heal him and his family.

OK, OK, so EVERYONE and their mom has blogged on how awesome Elie Wiesel was last Thursday night. And I am just now getting around to my turn at it. So, here goes. . .

First, I AGREE- the evening WAS awesome. The church building (

it was at my church- how cool is that?) was packed with over 800 people. Channel 7 news even made an appearance! There was an excitement I haven't felt when waiting to hear a speaker- EVER. And when Elie stepped out, everyone erupted in applause and leapt to their feet. Just seeing a group of people honor a man like that was inspiring!

I can still remember having to read his book "Night" in high school. It was one of the few books that has stuck with me all these years. I even pulled it out 3-4 years ago and re-read it. So, to now sit at the feet of this man, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and actually hear him speak . . . . it's beyond words. For just one night, he was our teacher, our Rabbi- sharing with us the message of reconciliation.

If you want to know more about his content, I will defer to Josh and Patrick. They have done a great job summarizing it, so check their blogs out!

Anyway, I started grad classes last week at Rochester College. I'm excited to get back into school and learn again. I know it sounds weird, but its true. I miss digging into the Word and learning from my Bible profs. So, I'll get my fill on Thursday nights!

Contemplative Worship

Last Sunday, we finished the last of three nights called the "Summer Worship Series." One Sunday night a month, the church came together to worship. What makes this unique is each night was a different style of worship: one traditional, one contemporary, and one contemplative. Each one also included a time of fellowship with a potluck.(I know, we're kickin' it old school!)

This last Sunday was the contemplative service. It was done in the style and manner of Taize (www.taize.fr for more info). Of all three styles, this was the one I was looking forward to most. It also was the one I was dreading most. You see, the Taize service places a HUGE emphasis on silence and prayer. The praise team, singing all reflective songs, sang from the back. The liturgy was read by Vicki and one of our elders, John Barton. The structure is very liturgical with candles and crosses. The room was darkened. In other words, very Catholic. And I was nervous as to how our church would receive it.

I personally get a lot out of this style of worship. In my hectic life, I sometimes need to be FORCED to slow down and listen to God.

Listen.

It's that word that I like. In so many of our other services, it's not so much about listening as TALKING and DOING. And as much as I love the activity and the outpouring of other languages of worship, there is something to being still and listening for the still, small voice of God.

To my surprise, the contemplative service was a hit! People responded very well to the almost 5 minutes of silence, the selection of taize songs, as well as the candles and the crosses. And they asked to do it again!

I am thankful I am in a church that is open to try varying styles of worship in this way. That they aren't afraid to experience God in different and sometimes uncomfortable forms. From songleaders and hymns to praise teams and choruses to silence and liturgy, we can all find something meaningful in each one. We can appreciate each one for their depth and authenticity. Each style is a language that has communicated adoration through the years to one God. And that is something we can all come together for!