ChrisMoncus.com

Is there any other word but “wow” to describe this morning. Maybe “wow!!!” with three exclamation points might do.

When I got to St. Simons Community Church at 7:00am as usual on a Sunday, not much felt different. I had been coming to work at this new building each day for two months. Until today we were still having church in our shopping center location. I helped set up graphics and sermon notes as I sometimes do in the sanctuary then headed to the Roof Top – a room we will be using mainly for students and young adults.

It wasn’t until I got in “my” room ‚Äì the Roof Top ‚Äì and flipped on the sound system that it really hit me. “We’re about to have church. Holy cow.”, I thought, then said aloud. On Sunday mornings my main role is production of the middle school service we call Rush Hour. When I sat there holding my printout from Planning Center and began getting things in order on our iMacs and set up the stage is when the fact that a mob of middle schoolers would be in there in only a couple hours truly hit me. Still, it was crunch time. “No time to concern myself with ‘wow-ness’”, I thought.

I finished the stage and headed back into the sanctuary to make sure the volunteers in the video booth were taken care of. All was well. Music in the main service was amazing. The team did an outstanding job. Congrats, Fred, on an awesome first day. As it got closer to 10:00am I headed back out to make sure everything was done for Rush Hour. Turns out none… NONE of my content was on the iMacs. The computer that did have the content was put in the Clubhouse ‚Ä쬆our elementary schooler’s room. I had a scary moment when we thought it had been cleaned up and all non children’s ministry stuff was deleted. Luckily, it wasn’t, so onto a portable hard drive it went. After fixing that I was ready.

The band was ready to practice at 10:00am so we sound checked, got a few kinks worked out with the wireless gear, and let the kids in at 11:15am.

What I saw next put me in a state of awe. We had around 150-200 middle schoolers enter in the room. This number was double our PEAK numbers from recent months. Simply shocking! As we got started the energy was apparent. We played a game, heard a welcome, and then got a talk from our associate youth minister Justin. His talk was outstanding and so very appropriate for the time. The summary goes something like this, “God is big. He is all we need. This building is just a place that we can get together and worship Him. If that isn’t the reason we built this place then it needs to be turned into something else because it is worthless without the focus being God. He is worthy of our worship.”

Amen. Amen.

Next the band played. Shannon, if you read this, all I have to say is that I am amazed at how well things went. You guys sounded fantastic. I have nothing to say but “wow”. I got word from Travis, our Tech Director and my boss that he could hear our subs in the sanctuary. You’d have to know our facility to really grasp that but let’s just say it was pretty fun to hear. You can’t blame me, I had to give our FOUR brand new EIGHTEENS a workout.

Once I got the band’s mix straight I got to sit back and finally just enjoy what was going on. During the last song “O Happy Day” by Tim Hughes it really hit me hard and I started to tear up. All across the room were kids raising their hands worshipping God. They got it. It wasn’t about the building. Right then it was all about God. They were connecting. It was glorious.

I cried because years of work culminated today. Hours and hours of work all met at this junction and we had church. Hours and hours of work just for some kids on a small island in Georgia to have a place to get together to meet God. I cried because I got to be a part of it. It was all worth it. Every second I spent was worth it. I’d do it again for another moment like that. Praise God I get those moments every Sunday.

As far as the rest of the church, Fred McKinnon, our Worship Director, has a pretty good summary he began with, “Wow”. Also, Shannon Lewis, our Youth Worship Director, has a recap he calls “Wow”. Funny, we all wrote these before reading each other’s.

Here’s my summary: 2000 people total on campus. Almost filled to capacity. God was praised. We have some kinks to work out. God is good.

Read Shannon’s and Fred’s for the juicy details.

Today truly deserves a Wow. Praise you God.

Merry Christmas Eve to you all!

Being a reader of RELEVANT Magazine and its associated newsletters I got word of a sale they were having. All of their books were $5 a piece regardless of the retail price. Three days ago with debit card in hand (credit cards… boooo!!) I was ready to shop. I set a six book limit for myself and had at it. Too bad I’m late talking about this as the books are back to retail price.

On the other side of the transaction is today when the package estimated to arrive next week got here. (Go USPS!)

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die by David Crowder and Mike Hogan

The conflict between the here and now and the ever after is a familiar one. Death and life are forever intertwined, as a life lived to the fullest includes pain and grief. Even more, it requires dying to self, which frees one to experience a greater joy: community. Thus explains bestselling recording artist David Crowder as he explores the complex relationship between life, death, grief and community. Drawing from personal experience, Christian theology, the science of pain and the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìhigh, lonesome sound?¢‚Ǩ¬ù of bluegrass music, Crowder applies his often hilarious voice to an inspiring message?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùdeath is not the ultimate calamity … it is just the beginning.

The Naked Christian by Craig Borlase

Ever think there must be more to a relationship with God than a list of dos and don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ts? That church should be more than a slick Sunday morning production? That religion isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t just a patch for your insecurities or candy for your hunger? Strip back the bulky layers of religion with The Naked Christian and step into something more comfortable. It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s called relationship.

Written by Craig Borlase and rooted in biblical principles, this book lays bare our human weaknesses and daily struggles. It blinks in amazement at the blinding grace, love and mercy of God. It will inspire you to chase after Him, to shun the fake stuff and to do one of the hardest things within a church community: BE REAL. CHOOSE AUTHENTICITY. GET NAKED.

The Man Comes Around: The Spiritual Journey of Johnny Cash by Dave Urbanski

The Soul of an American Legend

Who Was Johnny Cash? Rock star? Preacher? Drug addict? Saint? In truth, the Man in Black lived long enough and hard enough to embody all of the above?ɬ?and much more. He was a musical legend, a one-of-a-kind communicator, an American icon?ɬ?but someone that could never be pigeonholed.

Cash’s faith in God was no different: “I’m still a Christian, as I have been all my life,” he once said. “Beyond that I get complicated.” Cash’s faith was raw, challenged, broken and messy. But it was real. Unlike any other book written about Johnny Cash, The Man Comes Around explores with vivid detail the wild highs and lows that took place during this man’s lifelong spiritual journey. It illuminates the deep, unending love he had for his music, his wife and his God.

Painstakingly researched and adorned with vivid, narrative detail, The Man Comes Around shows the impact this American legend has made not only in American music, but in eternity. After hearing his story, you’ll never hear his music the same again.

Pocket Guide to the Bible by Jason Boyett

It’s the world’s all-time best seller. It’s the most influential book in Western civilization. It’s sitting in practically every home in America. Yet few of us have a clue about what’s going on within our Bibles’ gold-lined, onionskin pages. Until now. In Pocket Guide to the Bible: A Little Book About the Big Book, author Jason Boyett hilariously spotlights the events, characters and themes of the Old and New Testaments.

All the Hits So Far by Bradley Hathaway

This book and CD capture the outrageous stories, experiences and observations of Bradley Hathaway, a fixture on the international festival and concert scene. All the Hits So Far combines his bold, honest poetry with commentary and original artwork, resulting in a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of a sensitive, hardcore “manly man” living life out loud through the microphone.

One Thing by Dwayne Roberts

We?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re created to crave. The advertising industry knows this. The entertainment industry knows this. The self-help industry knows this. We spend the bulk of our time pursuing things, feeding our own appetites for the stuff that brings us pleasure. We?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re driven by desire, and that desire is steering an entire generation away from God.

By following our endless fascinations, we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re cheating ourselves. Why? Because we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re called to pursue one fascination, and one only: God. Not empty religious buzzwords or trivia or a superficial 10-step program to “successful spirituality.” Nope. Just God Himself, experienced through the person of Jesus. When our true purpose is as simple as that one thing, anything less is misguided.

Join Dwayne Roberts as he issues the rallying cry of a generation seeking to look past the disillusionment, apathy and boredom with religion, and refocus on one thing: the pursuit of God.

Hopefully I’ll have these done soon and maybe write a review or at least a solid suggestion to buy the book yourself or not.

Remember a couple years ago this huge worship event happened on Jekyll Island, GA called Worship Under the Stars? It was led by Fred McKinnon who is a seriously awesome worship leader and pianist.

Well if you went or wish you went, here’s your chance to experience this event through an audio CD and video DVD set for $5. Yes, that’s $5 for both of them together, a set, a pair (aka $2.50 each).

Here’s the set list:

1. Not To Us
2. Forever
3. You, You Are God
4. Fix My Eyes
5. Though I Can’t See You
6. How Great Is Our God
7. Restore My Heart
8. Spontaneous Piano Solo
9. Extravagant Love Piano Solo [note: only on DVD]
10. You Raise Me Up
11. Hallelujah
12. One Way (Encore)

If you’re interested, head over the HighestPraise.com and buy it. There’s also a video clip of the event just to give you a taste of what’s in there.

Christmas presents anyone?

This morning after Men’s Fraternity (which was awesome) Fred decided to record his Worship Confessional for last Sunday. I appear a minute in. Thanks, Fred, for the kind words.

I’m still blow away over Open Mic Nite at SSCC last night. It was the Whammy! for the week, put on by Shannon Lewis and the Gathering Place.

All the way from the kid nailing a Beetles song who had been playing only a month, to Kim and Heather and their covers (including More Than Words by Extreme), to a band that should be playing at Bonnaroo playing Beck and some others, to Mike Browning and friends rocking hard.

To you guys who played, you were awesome.