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What does it mean to say, "Worship does God's story?" It is this: Worship proclaims, enacts, and sings God's story. Worship is not a program. Nor is worship about me. Worship is a narrative. God's narrative of the world from its beginning to its end. How will the world know its own story unless we do that story in public worship?
Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God's Narrative. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008), 39-40.
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Check this out!:
Did you miss us last week? Click here to listen to the latest sermon. |
| Take a Look & Listen! |
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Click here and enjoy Brad Thomspon & the Five Smooth Stones as they perform "Still." |
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Hospitality Team Greeter: Assures all worshipers are warmly welcomed.
Sacred Space: Develops & implements the installation of worship decor for prayer stations & communion table.
Media Assistant: Assists in the visual worship elements.
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Artists for God... |
 It's so exciting, isn't it? Have you heard about February 15 at The Search? What?!? We are recording our very first CD of our house band, 5 Smooth Stones. I can't believe that in just a little over three years of life, The Search has already become a haven for artistic endeavors. Look at the photos from Jeremy Arnold, Lacey Jones or Bob Lee. Check out the many videos compiled by Tony Allred. Read the poetry of Ryan Hyman and Avis Herndon. Hear scripture being read in amazing fashion by college students, adults, and youth. See the art created by our children and adults each week in our art station, including some incredible play-dough sculptures!
Truly The Search is a place that is open and inviting to all artistic endeavors of many streams.
"All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, to Moses, saying, 'The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!'" Exodus 36:4, The Message
Not too long ago, I was reflecting on art, worship, sacred space for some writing I was doing and it occurred to me that it seems our sanctuaries are ripe with "issue-ridden" worship services that, in my estimation, cause the angels to weep. I believe that worship is a continuous outpouring of all we do. I would go further and state worship is always moving, always being created, always engaging not only humanity, but all of the created order. That is a doxology! And the art we engage in, whatever form--be it print, visual, movement, auditory, or simple appreciation causes us to stir our souls; souls crafted in the very image of God, the Architect of Creation.
I encourage you to come and bring friends to our newest offering of music as we spend time on February 15 during worship to send our praises musically to our God. We will be recording the service live and hope your voice will rise as an offering as well. What a joy it continues to be to serve you.... and I'm ready to change my title to read--ARTIST FOR GOD. For as my email signature quotes: "There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred, and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation." (Madeleine L'Engle)
- Suzanne Castle, Minister
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God's Revelation... |
One thing that always seems to be on my mind is how God is revealed to us. If you hear me pray at any time, it is a safe bet that you will hear me pray asking God to reveal Godself to me/us and that we will be open and understanding to that revelation no matter the form or fashion. The hardest thing for me to realize sometimes is that God is revealed in different manners, different times, different places, different people every time, all the time. There is no one way that God is revealed to us every time, so it isn't so easy to realize God is there sometimes. This is one of the reasons we try to incorporate so many different interactions with God into The Search. No one experiences God in the same way. Some of us see and feel God in the music we hear during worship by the 5 Smooth Stones while some of us feel God moving at the art station as we explore our creativity with markers and colors. The point is that God is in all these forms, while God might not be revealed to you through the music, many people experience God best through music. The main thing to keep in mind is that God is revealed to us in many different ways, sometimes it is easier for us to realize this revelation in ways that we like or are more familiar to us. What happens when we open our hearts and minds to experience God's revelation in new and unknown ways? -Alec Ylitalo, Assistant Minister College Ministry & The Search |
| Upcoming Highlights |
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· February 15 - 5 Smooth Stones CD Recording at The Search!, pack the house! Check it out here!
· Terror Texts! - Join us at The Search in February as we explore Faith, Hope, Mystery, Horror. | |
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Friday, February 20, 2009 at 06:02PM 
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