www.alabasterbox.net

Music and worship is a passion of mine that I love to share.  And I love to share about God's grace and His precious gift each one of us, Jesus.  That's why I started this website and hope to continue it.  Recently, I've added a few other things that I love - beauty and fashion, and COFFEE!  :)   I certainly  don't want  things to overshadow the origin of Alabasterbox.net, but if you drink coffee or enjoy beauty products, please consider shopping through this site to help us keep the costs down. Also, -great news - the streaming music player is back again!  But most of all, I hope you enjoy the music and grow a little closer to God. In the meantime, I'll be working on some ideas to make the shopping experience - and the listening experience- better!

Have a terrific day!

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I'm feeling very reflective tonight.  And I probably should - it's Maundy Thursday, the night when we reflect on the Last Supper.   But this year, our church broke away from the traditional Maundy Thursday service, and I think that it was  a good thing, at least for me.  Don't get me wrong, I've been moved to tears and repentance after a good reenactment of the Last Supper, with disciples clad in striped smocks and barefeet, I've been affected by more than a few Tenebrae services (that cymbal gets me every time!), and touched by even the simplest renditions of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded."  Those traditions have become just thatt because they are full of meaning and important truth.  And I will be the first to admit that I think traditions are important and I find both comfort and meaning in them.  But I also have to admit that in the past, after I heard those words  spoken by the narrator at teh end of the Passover Feast "And the disciples sang a hymn and went out" followed by the congregations' silent exit, there were times when I was more depressed than moved.  In my opinion, we get a little stuck in the act of re-crucifying Christ  that we miss why He made that glorious sacrifice in the first place.  Sometimes I think we feel the need to make ourselves feel sad and guilty for the three days that Christ was in the grave to make it feel worthwhile and important.  Maybe these things I'm thinking have a little hint of truth in them, or maybe they're jus the exhaustion talking.  You know the feeling, the tiredness that comes from trying to be a full-time wife and mom, a student, a church pianist, a webmaster, writer, etc etc etc.  We are all busy and that makes us tired. 

We're often busy because we're doing things for the Lord.  This Holy Week is certainly busy for me, with some added responsibilities this year that make it a little busier than usual.  Which leads me to our church service tonight. 

Instead of the traditional Last Supper reenactment or other service, our church decided to do something  a little different for the night:  an Easter cantata, "Worthy, Song of the Ages" complete with choir and orchestra, videos, solos, Communion, the Hallelujah Chorus, and Christ emerging from the grave.  (Don't be so shocked.... we all know how the story ends, lol).  It felt good to do something a little different, it felt really good to come away from the service feeling upbeat and joyful.  It felt good to serve, to share the Gospel in music, to have Communion. 

The irony is that I was moved tonight because I didn't participate in Holy Communion.  In the middle of our cantata, after a song about communion, our church served the cup and the bread.  The congregation was served by intinction, the choir was served through Communion plates, and a kind usher brought the Sacraments over to me at the piano.  At the time, my hands were too busy serving, and I did not take Communion tonight because I was playing the background music. 

Although we try to minimize it, sometimes people who are serving don't get to participate in things like Holy Communion for logistic reasons.  It happens and I'm ok with that.  I would rather participate when it can be meaningful and spiritual rather than rush through just to say I did it.  And that makes perfect sense to me. 

But tonight, the sacraments that were intended for me sat on top of the piano while I played soft background music, while we finished the Communion time and resumed the cantata, while Christ emerged from the tomb, while the pastor preached, and while we sang the Hallelujah Chorus.  I was so moved by the little plastic cup and the slightly stale piece of bread as they were sitting there on the piano, served just for me, but my hands were so busy that I did not stop to receive that blessing.

My life is a bit like that - God is calling to me but my hands are busy.  Sometimes I'm busy doing things for Him, other times I'm busy doing for my family or even just for me.  I know I need to stop so much doing and open up some space in my life to commune with Him.  I need to sit still and listen, read, pray, and be 'loved on' by God.  In this time of Easter, when we celebrate the unbelievable sacrifice that God made for His underserving children, I want to encourage you - and most of all, I want to encourage myself - to take the time and Commune with God.  He has already offered Himself - with arms outstretched, and nailed to a cross - to each and everyone of us.  All we have to do is take the time to accept His gift and receive His blessing.

 I did finally take Communion, when the evening was over, and everyone was milling around gathering up their programs and children.  I had a quiet reflective moment in the midst of the noise.  It wasn't much - just a pause in my doing, but I was still.  And I was moved as God touched my heart and reminded me to take the time not just to do things for Him, but to be with Him.

I don't know if we'll go back to our regular traditions next year.  That would be very ok with me.  Or maybe we'll forge a new tradition.  That's ok with me, too.  But I am looking forward to next year being a moment to pause, reflect, and Commune with God, with or without our traditions and sacraments. .  That's what really matters.

God bless!

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In my last post I asked about whether or not we're 'doing worship right' - and I can't say that I have the answer to that, although I do believe that God looks at our hearts even when we make mistakes.  But here's a couple other blogs with some food for thought about worship. 

Sad State of Christian Worship

Turn Your Ears

What do YOU think?

Tags: service, worship

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I often wonder about mainstream churches in America (and the not-so mainstream churches, too).  We're very predictable.  Most churches and their services share the same elements even if they are called different things or done in different styles.  We have our 'prelude' (or pres-service music), our opening songs, call to worship, welcome, announcements, children's message, sometimes a choir anthem, special music, offering/offertory, pastoral or morning prayer, Scripture, preaching, prayer, closing song, postlude or walk out music. Sometimes the church uses an organ, sometimes it uses a band or an orchestra.  I love and look forward to these things in a worship service.  They are designed to help us know God more and to aid us in being with God along side of other believers.  These are good things.  But are they the things that God wants? 

I heard an advertisment on the radio - I'm not even sure what it's advertising, but it really made me think.  The commercial talked about going from being a "come" church to a "go" church. Instead of the focus of the church being on bringing people in the doors, the focus is going to the people and meeting they're needs.  I'm not sure that there is a right or wrong here so much as there is a balance for each and every church.  But I wonder....

What do you think?

Tags: church, worship

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Tags: tiny url

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I've started writing some articles on many different worship and music topics, ranging from piano lessons to worship songs.  As the articles are published, the top 5 will post automatically on the articles page, but for now, you can check out the latest article below. 

The Component's of a Good Worship Song
This article discusses the components that make a good worship song.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1534327/the_components_of_a_good_worship_song.html

Don't forget to join twitter! :)

Tags: articles

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I've started writing some articles on many different worship and music topics, ranging from piano lessons to worship songs.  As the articles are published, the top 5 will post automatically on the articles page, but for now, you can check out the latest article below. 

The Component's of a Good Worship Song
This article discusses the components that make a good worship song.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1534327/the_components_of_a_good_worship_song.html

Don't forget to join twitter! :)

Tags: articles

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I have yet to get the music streams to embed on alabasterbox.net, but I do have links posted to the streaming players.   You can get FULL LENGTH STREAMS of Hymns for Meditation and 30 second clips of everything else.  Everything is available from itunes, napster, and amazon.  Enjoy!!!   Just click on the Music Streams link at the top of the page.

By the way, do you twitter?  Twitter is a great way to keep in touch throughout the day with quick updates. You can check out my tweets on the home page.... www.alabasterbox.net

Tags: music streams, updates

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