Sunday Setlist - Java 22nd February 2009

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http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/02/22/sunday-setlists-31/

Find me in the River

Desert Song - led by Jana Bougas (it's nice to have a bit of continuity from one week to the next. Last week this was a new song and I wanted the congregation to have a chance to get their teeth into it. We did it a lot slower this week and I think they're getting it. Great song. Will become a favourite, I'm sure)

Consuming Fire (was also a new song two weeks back although I did not realise that they didn't know it. As we're going to be staying with the Holy Spirit theme for the next 21 weeks or so, it fitted and I did a reprise.)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus (I wanted a space for them to just close their eyes and sing well known, simple words and just focus on God, to still and quiet their souls before Him)

Let your living water (Jimmy Swaggart) / Hungry / chorus for LYLW Jesus...Jesus / So I'll wait for You (from Hungry)

For me, it was a disasterous evening. You know those times when it all plays perfectly in your head, you know where God's going with it and then, on the night, you don't put yourself across well or you're not concentrating or WHATEVER and it just falls into an undignified heap. I hate those times.

Pastor Don preached on intimacy with God, and broken intimacy. It was a great sermon, gentle and pointed at the same time. Pitch-perfect. He's particularly gifted for this type of preaching. God seems to have given him the ability to put his words right into the wound and gently push - Here? Is this where it hurts? Let God heal it. Here. Now.

He worked from the story of Jesus with the woman at the well and used examples of different kinds of hugs to get us into the intimacy thinking. His crossover was perfect - timing and wording went right to the heart of the matter with a loving delicacy that revealed his deep love and concern for his congregation. The woman at the well needed a hug. The deep kind. That heals.