Lest you think we stopped using the wonderful talents of our graphic designer Amy Jones and her team of volunteers, instead bringing in local artists who specialize in airbrushing, please read on to find out why on earth we’d use the above design!
This year our theme of Holy Week is that of Jesus as king. The events of this week are shocking in the roller coaster of emotions of the crowds, the manner in which the tables turn on Jesus, and his betrayal by everyone. Throughout it all – the tempting praise of Christ as the overthrower of Rome, the weakness of his best friends, the beatings and abuse – Jesus remains focused on the Cross. Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the cries of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10) While the people’s words were accurate, their hearts were not, proven by their shouts of “Crucify him!” mere days later. They had distorted the reign of Christ, reducing him to a mere political king, a warrior who would rise up to defeat Rome and free the Jews from oppressive reign. When he did not appear to be their kind of king they turned on him, having no clue their vision was much too small for what God had in mind in sending His Son. For this reason, we covered the cross and hung the above image of “Warrior King” – meant to be a gaudy representation of our distortion of Christ’s reign and rejection of the Cross.
We too reduce Christ to a mere secular king that will provide safety and comfort. In arrogance we approach Jesus with our own idea of how he should reign, with our needs and desires at the center. Just like the people in Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, we shout “Hosanna!” at the top of our lungs, but when confronted with a humble Servant King whose journey takes him to a sacrificial death on the Cross we throw in the towel, even shouting “Crucify him!” Or worse, we turn our head and pretend he’s not there, going on with our safe, comfortable lives.
Services in Holy Week often focus on on the events and details of Jesus’ death. How long the nails were, how much pain he endured, how awful we are in our sin, etc. Those are all important details, but the reason behind it all is God’s great love and the glory it brings Him. For this reason, each song we sang dealt with the love of God that compelled Him to send His own Son to bear the wrath we earned.
Your Love
Words and Music by @MattStevensNC and @JoshBain
This is a re-write of a song I wrote several years ago that appeared on our last album “All Things Praise”. With Josh’s help, we simplified a few things and introduced this new version several weeks ago. Here is a verse, and hopefully we’ll get a recording posted soon:
Oh what a love, hung on a cross
Bearing sin and shame
The death I’ve earned
You gave Your Son
Before I knew Your Name
Your Love Is Strong
Words and Music by Jon Foreman
The Season EPs by Jon Foreman have been a soundtrack to my life over the past few years. The songwriting and production often voice struggles, questions and feelings I’ve wrestled with. This particular song has been suggested for corporate worship before, but it wasn’t until @V21Church Musicians and entrepeneurs Chris and Elizabeth Boyette suggested it that I reconsidered. In light of our approach to Palm Sunday of swimming in God’s love, this song seemed perfect. The lyrics affected me each time we sang it, and because of the production I’ve grown accustomed, we brought in a cello this Sunday, Melinda Pierce, a regular musician at Visio Dei, a fellow Raleigh church.
In The Shadow Of The Glorious Cross
Words and Music by Brooks Ritter and Rebecca Bales
This has become a regular song for @V21Church, first introduced at our Durham campus by band leader Brandon Squizzato and then brought to Raleigh after I was moved by their version. Christ’s love is at the core of this song, and His patient pursuit is well laid out in the following verse:
When death’s dark shadow’s at my feet
When I am plagued by unbelief
You place my hands into your side
By precious blood identified
You Are Much More
Words and Music by @ThadCockrell and Benji Cowart
One of my favorite things about leading worship is praying and planning a Sunday service, listening to the sermon and hearing some of the same themes, ideas, passages, even words and phrases that was planned into the songs we respond with. In these moments I’m reminded of the leadership of the Holy Spirit and compelled to listen more instead of barrel ahead with my own “brilliant” ideas.
We have not sung this song at Vintage21 since October 11, 2009, and I’ve never led it. After hearing the sermon and Tyler’s challenge to deal with the love and mercy of Jesus, it was clear the Spirit had a message for people. Praise God for leading His church!
What am I gonna do with your kindness?
What am I gonna do with your love?
What am I gonna do with your mercies?
What am I gonna do with your love?
You are much more than my heart searches for.
Don’t forget to attend this year’s Maundy Thursday Service. Here’s the Facebook page, invite your friends!
Matt Stevens is the Worship Pastor for Vintage21 Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact him via Twitter: @MattStevensNC
uhhh. i hate to say it, but Emily and I did mention to one another that we were a bit confused by Amy’s new style ;)… we just knew it must be some sort of trick :)
Thanks for clearing that up and for also charging us to focus on who Christ truly is, His power, and His glory.
AHHH. Thank you! Did you get a lot of feedback on the banner? I thought I had taken a trip in the hot tub time machine back to 1992. I was a bit worried about that one ;-) Perhaps a question mark at the end ?
But in all seriousness, I see your point. SO easy to try and re-create Jesus. And not good at all.
Man, am I glad for an explanation of that signage. I had a friend from college in town for a visit this weekend. She hadn’t been to church with me since the Oberlin Rd. days of V21. I found myself wanting to somehow apologize to her for the “Warrior King” sign or give some kind of excuse for it. Instead, I just opted for voicing my dislike and poking fun at its “mid-’90s cheesiness.” And I was confused by the gauzy white fabric it was hung on and why it would cover up the cross – our symbol of Christ’s sacrificial life. The whole thing just made me uncomfortable.
In the end, I chalked it up to a very rare misstep by the design team. So reading this explanation was quite a relief for me. But now that I’m remembering my reaction to the sign yesterday, I’m also remembering something that came to mind while I was listening to the sermon.
It’s this: I’m grateful to sit under such biblical teaching and instruction at Vintage21 church. I know I benefit from hearing the gospel proclaimed clearly week after week on Sundays and in my Community Group. To me, my discomfort at seeing that gaudy “Warrior King” sign shows that the real truth of Jesus’ life and mission – which was not flashy and showy but substantive and genuine – has been taught well by those around me. Yes, I have the Holy Spirit within me to help grow seeds of truth in my heart, but we can’t forget that we are called to be sowers of God’s Word. I’m glad Vintage21 is a place of truth-sowers. I know my life and so many others are blessed because of it. Praise God!
Man, we were all wondering what that thing was at rehearsal. Everyone in the building at the time had the “seriously, what is this?” attitude. We didn’t think it was very characteristic of the design team ;)
Now that I know the meaning I think it’s great, but I think I just have a lot of explaining to do to some folks ;)
I just want to say that “Your Love is Strong” is one of my favorite songs of all time. I didn’t discover Jon Foreman’s EPs until this past summer, but then the compilation album, Limbs and Branches, quickly topped my iTunes most played list. I’ve always thought “Your Love is Strong” would be great to sing in church, so needless to say I was very excited to find out we were. I’ve also sung “House of God, Forever” in church, which is great, though a little more low-key than most we sing at Vintage. Jon Foreman has really been blessed with musical talent and skill as a song writer, but also a true faith that goes much deeper than the surface and wrestles with difficult issues (and that’s a very refreshing change from some mainstream worship music today).