In 2007, we brought in a relatively unknown singer named Marc Martel from the band Downhere to do the unthinkable — especially in church — to perform Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in its entirety. For years, anyone who has heard Marc sing (or seen him in person) have been comparing him to the late, great, Freddie Mercury — and for good reason! Marc is one of the greatest singers I’ve ever known. And of course, we have to give props to Jason, Jeremy and Glenn, also of Downhere for their superior artistry as well!
Well, it seems that Marc has done it again. He entered a contest sponsored by Roger Taylor, one of the surviving members of Queen, to find the best “Freddie Mercury” to fill the lead singer role of a new tribute band he’s putting together. It seems that Marc is on his way to a landslide victory.
Marc’s audition has become a You Tube sensation with 1,280,594 hits and climbing fast in less than a week!
And of course everyone wants to know how this guy is, and those who have done some digging end up at the video of Marc at Renaissance. We’ve racked up over 200,000 hits in one week! Not bad for a little church in New Jersey!
Let’s push it higher. Share the video on your Facebook and Twitter pages!
Hurricane Irene may be preventing us from attending church together, but we can still spend time together as a church family! Instead of braving the wind and rain, let’s spend a few minutes on Sunday morning with our families reflecting on God’s Word and praying for those in need. While you can certainly do this any time you like, wouldn’t it be great to know that the people of Renaissance were gathered in prayer in their homes simultaneously? We sure think so!
So, at 10:15 am on Sunday morning, let’s all spend some time reading the Scripture passage below and reflecting on God’s provision, protection, and peace. Rich has written a synopsis of the message he was going to bring, and we’ve also included a family devotion written by our new Senior Pastor, Chris Trethewey.
If you’re missing the whole “church experience,” we’ve also included links to some great churches that have an online service experience.
We can’t wait to see what our great God will do as we emerge from the storm!
Scripture
Let’s start by reading Psalm 23. It’s an appropriate Psalm for a morning like this.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord
forever.
– Psalm 23 (NIV)
Prayer
If you’ve been with us for a Vespers service, you’re probably familiar with the acronym ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Let’s use it as a guide for our time of prayer together.
Adoration – Praise God for something about who He is and what He does. That could include His power, His mercy, His love, His compassion, His forgiveness, etc.
Confession – Tell God about any actions or attitudes in your life that you know aren’t pleasing to Him, and ask Him to forgive you.
Thanksgiving – Thank God for things that He’s done for you and others you love, prayers He’s answered, and blessings He’s given you.
Supplication – Ask God for protection during the storm and whatever needs you and your loved ones have right now. Let’s also pray for the start of a new ministry season at Renaissance this fall.
Devotional Message – Joy in Peace
The name of today’s hurricane is Irene, which means “peace.” That fits perfectly with the message Rich was planning to share with us this morning. Since we won’t be able to hear his message this morning, he’s written a summary of what he was going to say. Click on the link below and read it reflectfully.
Life moments like this can be an incredible opportunity to help kids grow in their faith. Read through this devotional and spend some time praying with your kids. Be open to any questions and thoughts that might surface.
A number of great churches around the country broadcast their Sunday services online. Although it’s not quite the same as being there, you can still appreciate the music and benefit from the message!
North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA (11:00 am, 6:00 pm)
As part of our Faithcation series, here’s a list of suggested reading to help you grow in your relationship with God this summer. Most of the books are available in the Resource Center of our Café, and you can purchase them on amazon.com.
Here are the 10 Ways to Honor People I shared this past Sunday during my message on The Power of Honor.
1. Study Diligently
Get to know the people you love. What do they like? What do they dislike? What encourages them? What angers them?
Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)
I want people to love and honor me in a way that’s meaningful to me, so I should do the same for them. To do that, I need to get to know them. I need to study them. I need to figure out how I can express my love for them in a way that they can appreciate.
2. Spend Time Meaningfully
People argue whether quality or quantity is more important when spending time with people. I think both are equally important, which is why I prefer to talk about spending time meaningfully.
Meaningful time could be anything from a conversation to working on a project together. It might mean spending the whole day waiting at the swim meet for your kid to swim 50 yards. The race is over in less than a minute, and you may have hardly spoken to her, but it could mean the world to your daughter that you were willing to spend all day sitting there just to watch her swim for a minute. That’s spending time meaningfully.
3. Give Thoughtfully
When you give gifts, take a little extra time to try to give a gift that means something to the recipient. Don’t just give something that’s convenient for you to give. Put some thought into it.
4. Serve Joyfully
There are thousands of ways we can serve one another. It can be anything from loading the dishwasher to changing a diaper to helping with a school project to dealing with the critter caught in a mousetrap.
Through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13c, ESV)
When you serve people, do it joyfully. They can tell when your heart’s not in it.
5. Defer Graciously
When Anne and I got married we knew that we’d disagree with one another. So, we agreed that the one who felt less-strongly about an issue would defer to the other one. Although it hasn’t always worked perfectly, it’s definitely helped our marriage.
Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10b, ESV)
Ask yourself whether it’s more important to win the argument than it is to love and honor the other person. Honor those you love by deferring to them; and do it graciously.
6. Listen Actively
Pay attention when the other person is speaking. Be present. Let them know you’re listening by looking at them and responding to what they say.
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to
become angry. (James 1:19)
7. Speak Kindly
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can break my heart and crush my spirit. Words are unbelievably powerful. Speaking kindly is a great way to show someone that they’re important to you.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
8. Praise Publicly
Praise publicly and criticize privately.
One of the best pieces of advice I received when I got married was never to criticize Anne in public. Nothing dishonors another person more quickly than putting them down in front of other people or making a joke at their expense. And nothing honors another person more quickly than telling others how wonderful they are.
9. Keep Promises Faithfully
If you want to honor your loved ones, keep your promises to them, even when it’s not easy or convenient. When you break a promise to someone, you’re telling them that something else is more important than they are. On the other hand, when you keep your promises, you’re honoring the one to whom you made the promise.
King David speaks about the person who has a close relationship with God.
He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. (Psalm 15:4b, NET)
10. Sacrifice Willingly
Whether it’s your time or your money or your energy or your agenda, when you sacrifice it willingly, you’re honoring the person for whom you’re sacrificing.
That’s what Jesus did when He sacrificed Himself for us by dying on the cross.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Jesus said to us, “You’re important to me” by sacrificing Himself for us. But we’re not more important than God is. So we should be honoring Him. Yet He chose to honor us, to say, “You’re important enough to me that I’m willing to die for you” because that’s the kind of God He is.
Following Jesus’ example by honoring one another in the same way, by putting each other’s interests ahead of our own, can strengthen a family and make it a place of refuge and shelter. It can make our family the kind of family we want to be part of.
Here are the 10 Rules of Engagement I shared this past Sunday during my message on How to Have a Good Fight.
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
You don’t have to fight every battle. In fact, if you want to have harmony in your family, you need to overlook minor offenses whenever possible.
A person’s wisdom makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Proverbs 19:11 (NET)
2. Don’t sweep it under the rug.
On the other hand, if you can’t overlook the problem, you have to deal with it. Don’t just sweep it under the rug. Otherwise, the pile will build up and become much more difficult to handle.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.
Ephesians 4:26 (NET)
3. Look in the mirror.
Before you begin arguing, ask yourself, “How have I contributed to this problem?” In the hundreds of times I’ve helped people with relationship issues, never once have I seen a situation in which only one person was at fault.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)
4. Hold hands.
Even if you don’t physically hold hands, remember that you’re part of the same family. The person you’re arguing with is someone you love. Act like it!
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her . . . . 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:25-30 (NIV)
5. Identify the issue.
If you can both agree how to describe the issue you’re dealing with, half of the battle is over. Agreeing on the problem doesn’t solve it, but you can’t solve it if you don’t agree what it is.
6. Seek to understand.
Seek first to understand, then to be understood. A great way to do this is to restate what the other person said and ask if your understanding is accurate. We’re so quick to want to make our own points. But, if we’re willing to make the effort to make sure the other person knows we’ve understood them, the problem will get solved much more quickly.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
7. Keep it current.
If you keep bringing up the past, you’ll never be able to move forward in your relationships. We can’t change the past, and we can’t expect our loved ones to change it either.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:5d (NIV)
8. Avoid absolutes.
Never say “never” again! Don’t say “you always.” Don’t exaggerate what the other person has said or done; and don’t minimize your own shortcomings.
Speak the truth in love.
Ephesians 4:15a (NIV)
9. Apologize sincerely.
Do you want to know the quickest way to end a fight? Surrender! Apologize sincerely.
Don’t just say “I’m sorry if you were offended.” Or, “I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t done this.” Don’t minimize your offense. Don’t shift the blame. Be specific. Own your junk.
10. Forgive fully.
Forgive and don’t bring it up again.
Forgiveness means accepting the consequences for the other person’s actions. If you lend me $1000 and I don’t pay it back and you forgive that debt, you’re out $1000. You’re bearing the consequences of my failure to pay that debt. It costs you something. The same is true when we forgive one another when we hurt each other.
We talk about forgiving and forgetting. The problem is that we usually can’t forget, and so we’re tempted to bring up the offense again. But true forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, it means not bringing up the offense again even when we can’t forget it. That’s pretty difficult to do.
The key is having a real appreciation for the forgiveness God has offered us because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. When God forgives us, He never brings up our offenses again.
I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
Jeremiah 31:34b (NIV)
When we really understand the depths of God’s love for us and how completely He has forgiven us, we’ll find it a much easier to love and forgive one another.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
If we all understood and appreciated God’s love and forgiveness, our relationships with one another would be a lot stronger.
One of the highlights of the recent Christmas season was the launch of the Renaissance Fine Arts Team! Our vision for the arts at Renaissance is to unleash creativity in order to communicate the message of Christ with passion and effectiveness. For that reason, I’m very excited about rolling out the Fine Arts team as a wonderful compliment to our Music, Video, Design, and Technical teams! A big THANK YOU to all who participated in this project and especially to Monica Giglio for her time, passion, and organizational skills!
(click on the thumbnails to view larger image and comments)
Tonight is Christmas Eve! On this night we light the final candle of our Advent wreath—the Christ Candle. The Christ Candle reminds us that God is with us and that He has brought us salvation. The candle’s white color signifies celebration and purity.
Many people see God as distant, aloof, uninterested in our lives. Some believe that He is unapproachable, perhaps too busy to be bothered. Others of us are so afraid of Him that we dare not draw near. Perhaps we carry an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame because of our own failings. Whatever the reason, many people believe that God is in heaven and we are on earth, and never the twain shall meet.
Even those of us who would say that we have a close, personal relationship with God sometimes find ourselves estranged from Him. We sense that something has come between us and God. The reasons for this perceived separation can be many and varied. Yet, the result is still the same—God seems distant.
Enter Immanuel.
Centuries before Jesus was born, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
When Jesus’ mother Mary became pregnant with Him, an angel appeared to her husband Joseph to reassure him since Joseph knew he was not the father of Mary’s child. In his comments on the angel’s appearance to Joseph, the Gospel writer Matthew says,
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)
Hebrew names have meanings, and the name “Immanuel” means “God with us.” So, Jesus, who is the fulfillment of this promise, is literally “God with us”!
God is with us in the person of Jesus. This God whom many view as distant and unapproachable actually came down from heaven to live among us. Jesus’ incarnation was not some cosmic anthropological expedition in which God came to earth to study humans. Instead, He came to live and suffer and die with us so that we could live with Him forever. No one forced Him to do this; He did it because He wanted to. He did it because He loves us. A God who loves us that much is anything but distant and aloof and unapproachable.
Christmas is about the God who bridged the gap between heaven and earth—Immanuel—the God who is with us.
Reflection and Discussion
Why might some people view God as distant and unapproachable? Have you ever thought of God in this way?
What aspects of the Christmas story are most helpful to you in terms of seeing Jesus as One who loves you and whom you can approach?
Prayer
Blessed Savior,
You are Immanuel! You are the God who is with us! Thank You for bridging the gap between heaven and earth. Thank You for living and suffering and dying among us. Thank You for showing us Your love in that incredible way. Please help us to grow in our appreciation for You and what You have done for us. Help us to know how near and approachable You are. Thank You for Your love and grace.
Advent is almost over and Christmas is almost here! Over the last few weeks we’ve zoomed in on many different aspects of Advent and Christmas. Today we’re going to step back and look at the big picture by reading the entire account of Jesus’ birth as recorded by the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke. They each write from a slightly different perspective, and reading one or both narratives is a great way to get the whole story in our minds as we are about to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
You’ll find links to several Bible translations listed below. You may want to use a translation other than the one you normally read so that you can get a fresh perspective on what may be a familiar story.
Matthew was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. As such he was an “insider” who spent a lot of time with Jesus and was present for many of the events he recorded. He was a Jew who collected taxes for the Roman government, which meant that his fellow-countrymen didn’t exactly appreciate his occupation. But, his life was transformed when he met Jesus; and he was excited to write a brief biography of the One who had changed his life.
Matthew recorded his account of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 1:18 – 2:23. Here are several translations of what Matthew wrote.
Luke was a doctor and historian who probably never met Jesus. He based his account of Jesus’ life on eyewitness testimony and other early records of Jesus’ life (see Luke 1:1-4). He was also a Gentile (non-Jew); so his perspective differs from Matthew’s, and the two complement one another well.
Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth is somewhat longer than Matthew’s, in part because it interweaves details of the birth of John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ cousin. Below are links to several translations of Luke 1:5 – 2:40.
What strikes you about the narrative(s) of Jesus’ birth that you read today? Why?
What is your favorite part of the Christmas story? Why?
Prayer
Gracious Lord,
Thank You for providing these records of Jesus’ birth for us. Please give us fresh insights into this wonderful story, and renew our sense of expectation as we look forward to celebrating our Savior’s birth. May our hearts overflow with joy and thankfulness as Christmas draws near.
Christmas is a time when people display their creativity. Drive through almost any neighborhood at night and you’ll see a number of houses decorated with lights, with no two displays alike. Every year musicians compose new songs or rearrange old ones to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Some people love to exercise their talents in the kitchen. Others relish the opportunity to find or make that perfect gift to give to each of their loved ones. Our God is a creative God, and He has made us to be like Himself.
The Apostle John begins his Gospel with language that is reminiscent of the creation narrative in the opening chapters of the Bible.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5 (NIV)
The “Word” of whom John is speaking is Jesus. Jesus revealed His creativity by making the world. The mountains and valleys, the trees and flowers, the animals and birds, the people all over the earth—all of these display Jesus’ handiwork.
A few verses later, John speaks of Jesus’ incarnation.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NIV)
Not only did Jesus exhibit His creativity when He made the world, He also showed it when He became a man. Who would have ever imagined that God’s cosmic rescue mission would entail Him being born as a human baby? Think about what kind of creativity that must have taken!
As you’re enjoying the fruit of other people’s creativity, or engaging in some of your own, take a few moments to reflect on God’s creativity. We hang lights on our houses; He hung lights in the sky. We make snow sculptures that look like people; He made people that look like Himself. We give gifts to one another; He gave Himself to us.
Our God is a creative God, and one of His greatest displays is revealed in Christmas!
Reflection and Discussion
In what way(s) do you enjoy exercising creativity?
Which aspect(s) of God’s creativity do you appreciate most?
Prayer
Our Heavenly Father,
What an awesome Creator You are! You made the world and everything in it. You hung the stars in the sky. You made so many different kinds of plants and animals. You formed us and gave us creative abilities. You also showed Your creativity by sending Your Son to be our Savior. Thank you for all that You do for us. As we reflect on the creativity we see around us at Christmas, please help us to grow in our appreciation for Your creativity and for the love You have shown us in sending Jesus.
Throughout this Advent season followers of Jesus all over the world have been preparing themselves for the celebration of His arrival that we know as Christmas. We’re excited because we know that God has blessed us through the coming of His Son.
Most of those who knew of Jesus’ birth were excited—his parents, the shepherds, and others were pleased by what God had done. But some people saw this baby as a threat. Let’s read Matthew’s account of the Magi’s visit to Jesus and King Herod’s response to His birth.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:1-18 (NIV)
The Magi were wise men, possibly even kings, who probably spent many weeks traveling to find Jesus. They knew he had “been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2), and they came to worship Him.
King Herod also wanted to find Jesus, but for a more sinister purpose. Herod felt threatened by Jesus because the Jewish people believed that the Messiah was to be their true king. Hence this baby endangered Herod’s own selfish reign. So he went to great lengths to try to kill Jesus.
The difference between these two responses to Jesus’ birth couldn’t be more striking. Worship or murder. Honor or hatred. Submission or defiance.
As we come to the last few days before Christmas, let’s continue to follow the example of the Magi. Jesus is our King and our God, and we are privileged to honor and worship Him.
Reflection and Discussion
What strikes you about the contrast between the Magi’s response to Jesus and Herod’s response to Him?
How can we honor and worship Jesus at Christmas?
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You are our God! You are our King! Thank You for giving us the privilege of honoring and worshiping You. In these last few days before Christmas, please renew our appreciation for who You are and for all You have done for us. By Your grace may we be excited to bow down before You in humble adoration, just like the Magi did.
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