pointe of worship

Desperation

I think about some of the things I am desperate for; to see my daughters eyes and hear her laugh, to build upon our retirement fund and feel secure in my families future, to graduate seminary before I am 50, to make just a little more money so that I can provide my family with nicer things, to see unbelievers and marginal Christians build a strong relationship with Christ, to own a home again, for our cat (Rufus) to live a full and healthy life amidst his diagnosis of chronic kidney failure, to nurture a great marriage of 5 years into 50+, and to drive a car with air-conditioning and operable power-steering. I feel these are all important, and there is a feeling of urgency that often prompts me to call upon God for divine assistance (maybe not so much with the car).

Take a moment and think of the things you are desperate for, if possible take out a pen and paper and write them down. Now take 5 minutes to watch this video, taking careful attention to what Zac, in the midst of his situation, is desperate for.

Letter to Zac from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

Now, look at your list again... if you wrote it down, circle those things you are still desperate for and cross off those things that no longer seem quite as important. It is my hope that all of us, like Zac, can find the difference between desperation for God and our own wants and needs. Notice that Zac never said he was desperate for a cure... his desperation was focused on what he could do for others and how he could better his relationship with God. I am in awe.

Think about this: "Do I chase the blessings of God more than the presence? I don't want God to simply be a new vehicle for the things I want. I want God to be what I want" (Jon Acuff).  God must be so much more than a spiritual Santa Clause. All things in this life will pass away, but our relationship with Christ (or lack thereof) is eternal. 

I Will Bring Praise

Driving home last week I was listening to the new Hillsong United album "Tear Down the Walls."  As I listened, the chorus of "Desert Song" rang out with the words "I will bring praise..."  This hit me like a brick wall and I began to ponder how I bring praise to God on Sunday mornings.  My primary job is to assist in the creation and leading of a weekly worship service that will reach people through music, multimedia and word. I try to choose music that is relevant to the culture, exciting and uplifting. We use special lighting and develop multimedia presentations that enhance the worship setting to further excite and connect people to the message our pastor will present. Nearly everything within the worship service, from the moment the doors are opened to the time they are locked, is planned and refined to help those who attend experience something that will draw them closer to God and encourage them to return to our worship setting in the weeks to follow.  

 

All of that is good and it is what I am supposed to be doing, but let's get back to "I will bring praise." God has always has been the purpose in what I do, the underlying reason, but my efforts are focused first on creating an environment where people can draw closer to God... people are my first priority. I am not saying this is a bad thing as it is a form of servant ministry, but now, as the words "I will bring praise" replay over and over in my head, ponder if it is somewhat misguided. I begin to wonder what would happen if I turned my sole motivation and purpose to bringing praise to God. Instead of building song arrangements with the thought "this will really take the congregation somewhere," I should build song arrangements that are simply the best I have to offer God. No longer should I worry about how or if the congregation will be moved, but if God is pleased. My tasks do not change, only my motivation. No longer is my work for people (primarily), but for God... a small but significant change that has an immense affect on my relationship with Christ and how I perform my job. Does this mean I no longer care what people think about worship? Absolutely not! I care very deeply, and now if I can only get out of their way...

 

During a worship service my goal has always been to worship first and lead second. However, because my primary motivation is to lead others to Christ, concern for how they are feeling or reacting often finds its way to the forefront of my mind and affects my own ability to worship. How I worship becomes dependant upon how the congregation is worshiping.  However, if I alter my motivation fully towards God, the development of a worship service becomes an "if you build it they will come" mindset. If I bring everything I have to worship to God, where He is my primary motivation and inspiration, then leading the congregation becomes the Holy Spirit's work through me rather than of me. Worship is about bringing our selves to God, not about how we are lifted up. What we receive in worship (spiritual and emotional uplifting) is a byproduct of what we give. Such as it is with leading worship... if I focus solely on bringing an offering to God that suits His purpose, the byproduct is an environment where others are led by the Spirit to worship. I am no longer a worship leader, but simply a lead worshiper.

This is so simple, it is almost embarrassing to admit I haven't fully considered the nature of leading worship in this light yet. But as I look at worship services and Christian concerts around the world (via video), I realize what has bothered me for years about the worship industry... it is often built to satisfy people first with the glory of God second. The task is worthy, but the motivation is misguided. I don't think this is intentional in most cases, but it happens all the time. 

an artistic tapestry

Following the waves of thunderstorms that ran through the southeast last week, I started thinking about a moment from my childhood. It had begun as a typical summer day, spending several hours sitting on the bank of a local farmer's pond fishing. Sometime late in the afternoon I noticed a line of large clouds rolling in. Then, something began to happen that I had never seen before - for at least 30 minutes I watched as the thunderheads moved forward, then back, forward and back over and over again as they built themselves up like a bull dragging his hooves in the ground before the charge. With each cycle the clouds rose higher and intensified their ever-darkening tone. Suddenly, it became VERY apparent I needed to get home... fast. Walking quickly at first and then running, I barely made it home before one of the more severe thunderstorms of my childhood memory hit. 

Thunderstorms are just one act of nature that reminds me of the awesome power that surrounds us. The uniqueness of our world is so amazing we don't even have to leave our yards to see the untouchable artistic tapestry of God's creation. For example, did you know that we could not survive without the moon, and the fact that our planet has a single moon is extraordinarily rare? The moon stabilizes our planets rotation, keeping our poles in place and allowing for predictable seasons in which we can grow crops and countless climate-specific animal species can survive.

So I'm curious, where do you see God's work in your life and in the world that surrounds you? I'll give you a hint - it's everywhere.

there no such thing as Christian music

I can't remember where I heard that, but here's the full quote; "there is no such thing as Christian music, only Christian lyrics."  I like that concept.  I am a child of 70's & 80's music... AC/DC, Ozzy, Journey, Billy Squire, Led Zeppelin, etc and I LOVE playing that stuff on guitar - even though I now feel the lyrics have something to be desired. So, am I celebrating "satan's music" when I play the guitar riff to "Hell's Bells", "Crazy Train" or "Sunshine of Your Love"?  I'm not sure I'm wise enough to fully answer that, but I do believe that what matters most is the heart of the artist who is playing the music. When I was twelve I thought "You Shook Me All Night Long" was just a great song, I had no idea what it was about.  Let's flip this topic for a moment.  Are we more energized by modern worship songs because of the music style, their heavy guitars and drums that speak our personal music language? Are we really worshiping in the midst of this loud, upbeat music or are we just having fun?  Think about this excerpt from Amos 5:23 and ponder what God is thinking when your mind is more on the music than Him;  "Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps."  God is looking for authentic worship.  The next time you are worshiping, ask yourself this question throughout the service... who are you there for, God or yourself? 

p.s. - I think the title quote has it wrong. All things are made by God, hence it should read "there is no such thing as secular music, only secular words that take God's music in the wrong direction."     

my salvation is none of your business

This Sunday I am supposed to share my life story in church.  I'm a bit uneasy about this for two reasons:

1. is my story worth hearing?
2. what will people think about my "lesser" side?

Comparatively I've lived a homely life - no major drugs, jail, faith or health crises. Then again, I have done some (ok, several) things I am not proud of. There were moments I would have qualified for jail. I spent several years battling low self-esteem, ignoring God, hating, judging, drinking, hurting others and hurting myself. Yet here I am, a part of God's story serving as a pastor of worship. Amazingly, God does not expect us to be righteous before He loves us; He doesn't even expect us to be somewhat right before love. Still, I've heard people say "I'm not ready for church, I need to get my life in order first." Unfortunately, the church often affirms this message by expecting people to act a certain way, to dress a certain way, to put on their church-face for Sunday worship. In the process of sharing the Gospel, we end up telling people what they are doing wrong in their lives. We talk about others in the sense of their sins: "they're having an affair", "they're a homosexual", "she's been in jail", "he's a bit racist", and in the process commit our own sin of judgment. So here's the deal, "my salvation is none of your business"*. Rather than focus on sin, heaven & hell, we should focus on helping others experience salvation NOW through a strong relationship with Christ. Sin is not a list to be kept that defines who we are, it is steps taken away from God. God has already forgiven us so this is not a question of passage into heaven, that has been affirmed through our acceptance of Christ. Rather, by changing our lives now we can experience a relationship with God that lessens the pains of this life and previews heaven.

*p.s. - I suggest reading "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren. This amazing book helped me better understand some of these concepts, including "my salvation is none of your business" which is actually a chapter title.

what is the pointe of church?

I'm currently reading a book in seminary about Karl Barth and John Yoder, some interesting theologians.  They believed that the mission of the church is simply to bear witness to Jesus Christ.  They further this thought by stating the reason Jesus formed the basis for Christian communities was that the witness of Christ's love HAD to be a community (church) in order to be clear.  Certainly this simple mission can be interpreted and acted upon in several ways, but if you were to think about everything your church does, examine every function with the question; "does this bear witness to Jesus Christ?"... would this theory conform to your church?  Should it?

that's heaven to me...

This morning "That's Heaven to Me" by Sam Cooke popped into my brain.  Most people know his secular music; "don't know much about history, don't know much biology...," "a change is gonna come," etc, but did you know he started as a gospel singer?  Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers.  The next time you're at the store, find a copy if you can.  Interestingly, even after he moved away from gospel he would often weave these songs into his concerts. Check out "Sam Cooke, live at the Copa"... amazing album. 

Friday I found myself on the golf course wondering about heaven (a regular thought-topic of mine). What will it be like?  Will we get to play golf?  If so, will every hole be a "hole in one?"  And what's the fun in that?  Much of the enjoyment in life is overcoming adversity, growing, learning.  If everything in heaven is perfect, wouldn't this also somehow become boring?  At the moment I was happy because even though I had sliced into the woods, I overcame my position by punching a low flyer between two trees and bogeying the hole (I hope for bogey on any given hole).  I wonder, will we get seasons in heaven?  Will I feel the wind in my face, the sun on my balding head (speaking of, do I get my hair back?), the smell of fresh cut grass & honeysuckles?  Will we have the feeling of satisfaction in a perfectly made egg sandwich or a cat that randomly jumps in your lap and says "I try not to let it show much, but I really do love you".  Maybe my issue is that I see life as "real", and I can't get the image of cartoon angels playing harps on clouds out of my mind, leading me into a false sense that heaven is fake, controlled, without reality, boring.  Adversity makes us feel alive... so much so that we often crave it.  Why is that?       

So, do I have faith that heaven is good, that it is where I want to be?  Absolutely.  Do I get scared thinking about my life ending? Absolutely.  Should we share our doubts and fears with God about His plan? Absolutely.  I heard a great analogy once: going to heaven is like being born. You have no idea what to expect on the other side, so regardless of how much better it will be we don't want to leave the comfort of what we know. Why do you think babies cry when they're born?  "put me back in, it's cold out here!" 

A conversation with God, regardless of the topic, is always good.  Just make sure you listen for His response...

What's heaven to you?    

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"That's Heaven to Me" by Sam Cooke

A little flower that blooms in May
A lovely sunset at the end of a day
Someone helping a stranger along the way
that's heaven to meThe feeling I have when I hear a touching prayer
It makes me know the Lord is somewhere
Even the birds flying around in the air
that's Heaven to me

It doesn't have to be a miracle
In order for me to see, I know
The goodness of my, my Savior
Is everywhere to me

Even the children playing in the street
Saying friendly hello to everyone that they meet
Even the leaves blowing out, blowing out, blowing out
blowing out on the tree
that's heaven to me