Obi Expounds His Point

CJ in full flow

Date:  Sunday 31st July 2017

Location: Watford & Lower Earley

Special Occasion: None

Speakers

CJ Wakefield was our visiting speaker in Watford. Obi Abuchi spoke in Lower Earley. Both lessons were excellent. Personal sharing was vulnerable, application to real life was solid, and Biblical exegesis was sound. Video of Obi’s lesson is here. Audio available at the Thames Valley churches of Christ iTunes podcast. CJ’s audio is findable on the Watford church podcast, and the video is here.

Note to self: value personal vulnerability

Obi Expounds His Point

Music Worship

The song services went well in both locations. The stand-out success was the opening set in Lower Earley. Francois played the guitar on “I’ve been redeemed” for the first time in public – and a fine job he did, too. The atmosphere on “Wade in the water” was super – Rynhardt led the song with great poise. The songs had a thread of “father” as a connection to Obi’s sermon theme. This worked well and helped pull the service together. We learned a new song (“You’re the Word of God the Father”) as part of the service. An unusual approach, but it worked well.

Someone remarked to me afterwards that the congregation picked it up more quickly than most songs we learn. He felt it was because the congregation had got used to learning songs – fearing the process less. An interesting insight. If you’re in a congregation that does not like learning new songs, you may first need to teach them how to learn songs. Then persevere, and see the fruit come through in time – by faith!

Note to self: carry on teaching new songs

Other Thoughts

Last week I said:

  1. Involve Francois in the musical accompaniment – done
  2. Use the Psalm 100 devotional for all participating in the service in Watford this week – done

The focus for next Sunday:

  1. Prepare the first set well for Bracknell (we have house church in Watford)
  2. Add personal vulnerability to my sermon in Bracknell

Please comment on what you’re doing locally with your services. What are you trying that’s working? What is God teaching you? Share reflections with us so we can grow and please God.

You can leave a comment below.

God bless,

Malcolm