Common Grace, Not So Common

Grace is an expression of love that most Christians seem to do better receiving than giving. 

⁴⁴But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? 
 
To be sons or daughters of our Father in heaven we must learn to show grace to others. What is grace? It is the divine favor.  The undeserving kindness, forgiveness, and pardon of God.  God's COMMON GRACE is shown to all people on earth in that he gives us sun and rain--a world to live in and work, receive provision to live, and experience the joys of life.

God's grace, common, and special (given in salvation) clearly shows human beings they are not God.  We want justice, revenge, and people to pay for their wrongs. God says I will pay.  Then, he says, I want you to learn this in order to be my spiritual offspring. 

That seems monumental.  So often, our human nature, what the Bible calls "the flesh" gets in the way of the Holy Spirit's work of making us people whose character become more and more like God's as time passes. 

The fruit of the Spirit in our lives is intended to remove from us the pettiness, gossip, revenge, self indulgence, lies, pride-arrogance, and pure selfishness that come to us naturally.  The Holy Spirit in the e of regeneration and sanctification supernaturally releases us into a life where love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and self control prevail.  The new life begins as a seed grows in us throughout the span of our days into outward fruit of the spiritual life TO BENEFIT AND SERVE OTHERS. 

May God's grace become common in his people.  It is amazing when grace is shown by a Church to the world.  May we move beyond pettiness, judgment, and intolerance.  Let divine power make us people of grace demonstrating God's love to all. 

Fr. Kevin

The Birthday of the Human Race.

Celebrated on Feast of the Epiphany Sunday, Deacon Joshua delivers his sermon on the significance of the coming of the Magi.

The Birthday of the Human Race

Join us Christmas Eve

Join Us

7:00 p.m.

The birth of Jesus is a miracle. 
God has come into the world as a human being,
conceived in the womb of a young virgin 

as a new Adam; 

the beginning of a new mankind.

This is a season of miracles. 
A season of supernatural visits from angels.

Experience the supernatural miracle of Christmas 

Tuesday 12/24 7:00 p.m. 

Joy!

Join one of home care groups as we learn about the power and blessing of Joy!  

Over 5 weeks, we'll examine the orthodox tradition of Joy as well as a chapter by chapter study of the book of Phillipians. 

Tuesday night meetings in Clarence start on October 29th. 

Thursday night meetings in Amherst start on November 7th.

Contact Josh Baker or Christine Clerc to sign up!

My favorite ancient and contemporary music for Advent and Christmas Worship

The countdown begins!  For those who make the musical choices for Sunday worship, Advent and Christmas are two of the best seasons of the year.

In this post I'm going to outline some major and minor themes of advent and then list my favorite songs for planning worship under four stylistic categories: ancient (200 years+), traditional (50-200 years), contemporary (past 50 years) and convergent. 

In our church we emphasize a unified convergent style, with ancient liturgical traditions, allowing for the move of the spirit and embracing where God's people are creating musically today. We do not have a choir, organ, or orchestra. So like many worship bands trying to produce beautiful worship for our King, we are limited to more simplistic songs rhythmically and more melody focused. 

Themes for Advent

Advent is the season of remembrance anticipation and waiting for the promise of the Messiah is almost here. We as Christians recall the plight of humanity and the nation of Israel in waiting for the Savior to arrive. God has promised to send the Messiah. Not just any messiah, but The Messiah. The Game Changer. The one who would raise his people out of the sewers and restore them to right relationship with God. 

In Advent we remember looking forward and continue to look forward in hope and gratitude that God still loves us and has not forsaken us. That even though our failures in leaving Him and ignoring Him and His word, even though our preoccupation with ourselves has ruined our lives, that God is a God of Mercy and Grace who will  not let us go without a fight. He will send His Mighty Warrior to fight the battle and conquer sin, and give us an avenue to being in right relationship with God again.

Keywords: waiting, hope, promise, anticipation, come, expectation, healing, restoration, the King, the Son of Man, the Messiah, Emmanuel, Rescue, we need, Hosanna, preparation.

My favorites for Advent:

Ancient:

Let all mortal flesh keep silent

Day of Wrath O Day of Mourning v. 1-5

Hark a thrilling voice is sounding

Savior of the nations Come!

O Come O come Emmanuel

Traditional:

Hark! The glad sound

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Joy to the World

There's a voice in the wilderness crying. 

When came in flesh the Incarnate Word

What a Friend

Contemporary:

Who will Ascend. -  Dan Wilt

Days of Elijah. -  Robin Mark

Prepare Ye the way - Michael W. Smith

Here I am to Worship. - Tim Hughes

We Fall Down.  -  chris Tomlin. 

Everlasting God. -  Brenton Brown

All who are thirsty. -  Brenton Brown

Your Grace is Enough. -  Matt Maher

Waiting Here for You. -  Christy Nockels

You Bring Peace.  - Sam Hargreaves

Forever.  -  Chris Tomlin

Love Came Down. - Bethel worship

Love Comes Down.  -   Matt Maher

Did you feel the mountains tremble. -  Martin Smith/Delirious

Fires. -  Matt Redman

The King is Coming. -  Jared Anderson

Let us adore. -  Ben Fielding/Darlene Zschech

Prepare the way  Jared Anderson

All God's Children. -  Martin Smith

Salvation is Here  -  Joel Houston

You'll Come-  Brook Fraser/Ligertwood

You are Holy. -  Marc Imboden

Lord we need you.  -   Josh Baker

Hosanna (Praise is Rising) -  Paul Baloche

Convergent

Joy to the world (Unspeakable Joy). - Chris Tomlin

Joyful (the one who saves)

Songs for the Christmas Season

Ancient

So here's a little known but fun fact for today's modern worship leaders. For most Christian worshippers in the ancient church, Christ's birth wasn't very important. Everybody knew that He had been born. They put more significance on Advent, Epiphany, the coming of the Magi, the baptism of Christ, and His first miracle. The emphasis for the earliest churches were How the Son of God revealed Himself and the promise was fulfilled. Some have said that Christmas was a way for the Christians to try and steal the thunder of The pagan sun god feast day, but I think it went much deeper than that. 

Around the same time that Christ's birth started to be emphasized was when the Church was fighting the battle of identifying God's ontological identity. In other words, was God Man or God. Christmas teaches us that God was and incarnate that he could've come in power as the son of a ruler, he could've been born to a rich family and started an empire, he could've descended and started turning rocks into bread and solved world hunger, making our version of utopia come to life....

But he didn't. He came as a baby. The weakest, most vulnerable creature there is. Most Animal babies can at least walk or hop or swim, but not humans. Our babies rely completely on the loving care of their parents in order to survive. He came as the weakest of the weak. The tradition of our Lord's nativity show us that He came to rule by serving. He established His throne by sacrificing. Everything about Christmas shows us the nature of Jesus as the Godman and his divinity is established and expounded through the tradition of Christmas. 

Because of this, however, not many ancient songs are easily found relating to Christmas.

Ancient Hymns

Jesus, light of all the nations (4th century)

Angels we have heard on high (converted from Angel's Hymn, ordained by AD 129)

Traditional

Angels we have heard on High

Away in a Manger
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Joy to the World
O Come all Ye Faithful
Go Tell it On the Mountain
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Silent Night
The First Noel
                                                              What Child is This?

Contemporary

Emmanuel  -  Reuben Morgan
Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)   -  Chris Tomlin
He made a way in a manger
Glory to God   -   Brenton Brown
Here is Our King   -   David Crowder
Light Has Come   -   Charlie Hall
Love Came Down   -   Bethel Worship
Loves Comes Down   -   Matt Maher
Let Us Adore Him   -    Hillsong
Christmas Offering   -   Paul Baloche
Our King Has Come   -   Hillsong
Servant and King   -  Eoghan Heaslip
Silent Night (Emmanuel)   -   Matt Maher
Winter Snow   -   Audrey Assad
Your Name (Christmas Version)   -   Paul Baloche

Convergent

All Creation Sing (Joy to the World)   -   Steve Fee
Joy to the World  (Unspeakable Joy)   -   Chris Tomlin
Joyful Joyful  (the One who Saves)   -   Brenton Brown
Hark the Herald  ( King of Heaven)   -   Paul Baloche
Joy to the World (Shout for Joy)   -   Paul Baloche




Thanks everyone and may God bless your Advent and Christmas Worship!