Sunday Setlist - 2nd June 2012 (Baptisms)


Last Sunday we had a very exciting service! 5 people from our church were baptised. So there was more going on and more things to set up than usual for the various Teams.

In preparation for the songs on Sunday I was asked to prepare 'up beat testimony-type songs'. This freaked me out first of all - up beat is fine, but what is a 'testimony' song? I had a few discussions about this and here is the set list I came up with:

The List:
1. Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)- Brenton Brown
2. When I Call On Your Name (I've Found A Love)- Ben Cantelon
3. I Will Worship (I Will give you all my worship) - David Ruis
4.Amazing Grace (my chains are gone) - Chris Tomlin, Loui Giglio, John Newton et al
5. The Cost (I'm Saying Yes To You) - Rend Collective
6. Your Love Is Amazing (Hallelujah)- Brenton Brown

In Reserve
7. Salvation Belongs to our God- Adrian Howard & Pat Turner
8. There's A Place Where The streets shine - Paul Oakley

I guess I decided a 'testimony' song that is meant for collective worship is one that tells a bit of a story of a life or lives transformed by Jesus, like 'Amazing Grace' for example. You also have the obvious interpretation which is making an individual's testimony and life story into a song - but I'm not too sure how this would work in collective congregational worship. What do you think?

It was handy that nearly all songs selected are in the key of G, so flowing from one into the other was easier. One we worked on was moving from the end of 'I've Found A Love' into the chorus section of 'I Will Worship' this worked really well! It was great bringing a really old song that we haven't sung in ages back to life! It's good to be reminded of how good some of the golden oldies are! (I know 'I Will Worship' is not technically that old - released in the 90s but with the rate at which modern worship picks up new songs and drops older ones, I think it fits in the golden oldie category?!)

The song I enjoyed the most was 'The Cost' by Rend Collective Experiment. It is a new song (I like trying to span the decades and centuries when I choose a set list). The band learnt it at rehearsal on Thursday and we introduced it to the church on Sunday. I thought it's theme captured nicely the decision people were making public by being baptised: I'm saying yes to you, and no to my desires, I'm picking up my cross, to follow you... I've counted up the cost and you are worth it!


I also love the sonic freshness of the song as well as lyrically. It cuts through the sameness of many worship songs being churned out today. It's good to be unique and creative and its fantastic that Rend Collective are brave enough to sound different. So it was good and healthy to introduce some difference and variety to the sonic diet of my church! I personally love the song - we will do it again for a few more Sundays to see how the congregation respond before deciding to keep it on our Master Song List or not, but I think so far the signs are positive.

The main thing though is that Jesus was glorified! We didn't get to play the songs in reserve, and that's ok! Those 5 people had a great baptism and the Holy Spirit was with us - what more could we ask for?

Comments

  1. Thank you Matt,great songs and thank you for making my day a very special one, Bob

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good setlist Matt! Now know what to reply with when people ask for a 'testimony-type song'!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its a pleasure Bob = I enjoyed it too!

    Phil - I'm still a bit mystified about testimony-type songs so don't quote me on it!

    ReplyDelete

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