Sunday Setlist - December 20

This will actually be a weekend recap, because this weekend we (like many churches) celebrated Christmas.  There was a possibility it would be a disaster, with a huge winter storm bearing down on us, but it all worked out well, and was a beautiful weekend.  We had the sanctuary all decked out in Christmas lights - across the ceiling, around the stage, on the drums and amps, in the lobby.  The entire place was lit solely by white Christmas lights - it was an amazing atmosphere.

Saturday night was our annual Christmas Cantata. This event focuses on our children's ministry, KidzPort, and for the last seven years my wife and I have directed it.  This year we included music by Gospel Light Worship, the Send Judah First choir, the Heaven Sent dance team, as well as a drama and music by our children.  There was a huge storm predicted, which originally was supposed to start in the afternoon, but the snow didn't start until well after sundown.  We got the whole cantata in before there a couple of inches. Our kids were all decked out in their pj's, and sang some songs including "Little Drummer Boy," "Happy Birthday Jesus," and "Feliz Navidad."   (For the last, they were joined by the worship team, the dance team and the choir.) We also had a special performance of two of my daughters singing "Christmas Shoes" - there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

This is one of the songs from the worship team, "O Holy Night." 




And this is "Send Judah First" singing "Emmanuel" (Hutchins/White/White)

For Sunday, we awoke to well over a foot of snow on the ground, courtesy of a good, old-fashioned nor'easter. We had to push the start of service back thirty minutes to let people dig out, but had a surprisingly full house.  Here's this weeks setlist:

Joy to the World (Watts/Mason)(D)
O Come All Ye Faithful (Oakley/Wade)(G)
O Praise Him (All This For a King) (Crowder)(Bb)
Came to My Rescue (Sampson/Davies/Thomas)(C)
Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Wesley/Mendelssohn)(F)

I've always thought "O Praise Him" was a great Christmas song - it always reminds me of the Angel of the Lord visiting the shepherds in Luke 2.  It really fit in well with this set.  It was really a great weekend - the music was awesome, everyone was really feeling the Christmas spirit.  After our Christmas service we have a tradition of caroling at the diner across the street.  Then a group went to a local nursing home for more caroling and praying.  I love it when we bring the church outside the walls.

This recap is part of Fred McKinnon's setlist carnival.