Here’s an mp3 of the song I wrote for our Easter service this year. It’s called “As You Are”, and is about how knowing Jesus is an ongoing process. Sometimes we can get lost and lose site of Him, much like Peter when he was walking on the water, and other times we just forget that we’ll never completely plumb the depths of Who He is while we are still on this earth. What we need to do is keep Jesus in site and know Him, and always realize that it’s really like the first time we’ve met Him, and that’s one of the things that makes Jesus so amazing. He is the infinite, unsearchable God, made accessible to us through His humanity. Let’s get to know him more and more every day.
Just click the link below and a player will pop-up below it. Then click play. (I should mention, I recorded this while at the tail end of a really nasty cold. You know, the kind where you discovered that your body could produce more flem and snot than the entire population of Rhode Island. Yeah, that kind. So sorry about my snotty-stuffy sound. And don’t try to make me feel better by telling me that you can’t tell a difference from when I’m well. Somehow that just makes it worse. *grin* 
As You Are – By Stewart White
Song I Wrote for Our Easter Service
Easter Graphic
So I’ve been racking my brain the last few days, trying to come up with a graphic to use for our Easter service. It had to be functional for a few different things. First, it had to be able to work as a background for our screens on Easter Sunday. Second, it has to be functional as a banner on our church site. And third, it has to be able to work as a CD label because we are making CD invites instead of postcards.
The more I thought about all of this, the more I realized that it might be best to create a logo that can be incorporated into all of these, while still leaving the option to change each one in it’s own way. The following is a rough draft of what I came up with. It’s nothing fancy at first glance, but if you knew what went into it, you’d appreciate it a lot more.
Christmas Service
Well, our Christmas service at church has come and gone. I have to say, it was better than last year. You see, last year we hadn’t moved into our new building, and we were having two services, but for Christmas we wanted to have only one service. So, we decided to hold the service at the middle school, where the church used to meet back in the day. Well, we had to haul all of our gear and sound equipment in, and set up everything, and it just wasn’t the greatest service we’ve ever had. There were a few hiccups here and there, to say the least.
BUT, this year was quite enjoyable. Ironically enough, we ended up having two services, and both were pretty full. I’d say between the two services there were probably about 275-300 people. We had three of the children’s classes each sing a song, which of course is always entertaining. As Ryan put it (the pastor), “It’s fun to watch the kids because you can see bits of their parents in them”. How very true that is!
I ended up borrowing a medley from the Relient K Christmas album, “Let it snow baby, let it Reindeer”. I know what you’re probably thinking, “Aren’t they a punk band?”. To which I would answer, “yes”. However, they are actually quite talented when it comes to switching up styles and going for something more mellow. They have harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys, and their musical arrangements always have a flavor of jazz influence in them.
For our set list, we did:
- Hosanna (by Paul Baloche)
- O Holy Night
- Silent Night/Away in a Manger
- I Celebrate the Day (great original Relient K christmas song)
then at the end we finished up with:
- Come Ye Sinners
Musically, I think the additional band members we added just for this service were a nice touch. It filled things up a little more. My wife and another lady in the church did an amazing job leading “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night”. I hope to do more three part harmonies like that in the future. (I was singing the third part, in case you were wondering)
So I curious, for those of you who drop by on occasion and read my blog, how have your holiday services gone so far? We still have two more services; Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. We’re praying that the Lord would use each service to bless people, but especially to bring Him glory.
Let me know how your holiday services have been going.
-Stewart
Oh NO! Christmas is just around the corner!
I have something to confess: every year, right around the end of November, I begin to get just a little anxious about Christmas. Particularly, the Christmas service that we have at our church. And, just to be a little more specific, the worship music. More specific still, the Christmas music.
Yes, I begin to frantically search for Christmas songs that are actually worshipful, familiar, and theologically relevant to Christ’s birth. And so the mad campaign ensues. I begin searching the web for Christmas songs; I search places like iTunes for newer versions of classic Christmas songs. Even with those tools, I still feel like I’m left with just a handful of decent songs, and I wonder if I’ll be able to find some more so I’m not doing the exact same songs I did the year before.
Can anyone else relate to this? Does anyone else out there share my dread of Christmas songs?
Don’t get me wrong, I actually like many of the Christmas songs that are truly relevant to Jesus’ coming. It’s the arrangement process that can drive me mad. Most Christmas songs are quite old, so consequently, their musical arrangements don’t lend themselves to a more modern style, and the accoustic guitar. For Me, trying to perfom Christmas songs in their original form on the guitar is the musical equivalent of slapping yourself just for fun. Sure, you can bring yourself to do it, but it just doesn’t pack the same entertainment value as it would if you were watching someone else do it.
So, all that to say: What are some ideas you might have to share with everyone else to lend them a hand in their Christmas service preparations? Maybe you have some song arrangements that you think just blow the socks off of their originals. I want to know!
-Stewart
My name is Stewart White. I lead worship for Calvary Chapel of Crook County, in Prineville, Oregon. I'm married to my lovely wife Alycia, and we had a baby girl on April 22, 2010 