PHILLIPSANTILLAN.COM

Category: worship

  • Hope in a brown paper bag

    Today my senior pastor taught a message entitled “Hope in a Brown Paper Bag.”  This post isn’t about his message

    It’s about how I experienced it this morning.

    I’ll be honest…I never expected that today would be the day God would teach me that hope comes in packages that you don’t expect.  What happened? In short, it was one of those morning where it didn’t feel like all the my plans were coming together.

    But then it happened…

    God moved.

    I know that hope deserves a nice package, but it doesn’t require it.

    I’m thankful God reminded me that he is still in control.

  • Worship in a Flannel Shirt

    It was the 90’s.  I was introduced to green day, nirvana and flannel shirts.  I even got that haircut where you let the top grow long so you could pull it back in a pony tail, but had the lower half shaved.  If you grew up in the 90’s you know what I’m talking about.

    If you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry about it…it was scary!

    But somewhere in the 90’s I was also introduced to an album series called “Winds of Worship”.  (Did I really just say album?  lol…I meant CD, even though it really was a cassette tape!)

    winds04_jewelcase_400x400q85I was reminded of this album because last night – at our worship arts meeting – someone asked me to give one of my biggest Christian music influences.  Right off the bat I remembered a guy named Andy Park singing, “The River of God sets my feet a dancing…” and so I threw out his name.

    Then I started reminiscing…

    Growing up in a church that only had an organ, a piano, and a “almost” in tune violin player, I remember vineyard worship being a breath of fresh air.  Compared to the hymns with lyrics I didn’t understand (and some with theology that I now know is questionable) singing “Light the Fire Again” with Brian Doerksen’s raspy voice somehow connected with me.

    And so last night I was remembering what it was like to worship in a flannel shirt…

    and I liked it =)