Jesus Sings

Sometime between Jesus Christ leading his disciples in the first "Lord's Supper" and the garden of Gethsemane Jesus and his disciples "sang a hymn" Matthew 26:30. Really? They sang? This response from Jesus has haunted me this week. Leading up to the deepest darkest moment of humanity the very son of God worships his Father. I can only begin to understand the significance of this worship response. The questions that have raced through my mind today as I think about this beautiful moment of worship are full of mystery and awe....

What at this moment did He sing?

What was the emotion in His voice?

Did the his voice shake as He sang of a loving God that He would soon be separated from?

I wonder at the thought of Jesus’ beautiful gift of worship. I cannot help but think it may have sounded much more like Psalm 136.

(Psalm 136:1-26 ESV)

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who by understanding made the heavens,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who spread out the earth above the waters,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who made the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

the sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and brought Israel out from among them,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who divided the Red Sea in two,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who led his people through the wilderness,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who struck down great kings,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and killed mighty kings,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and Og, king of Bashan,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and gave their land as a heritage,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

a heritage to Israel his servant,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and rescued us from our foes,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

he who gives food to all flesh,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

I am blessed and changed by this beautiful revelation. God calls us to sing throughout scripture* but will I sing out to God as my “Refuge and Strength” during the darkest nights of my soul.

*(Psalm 66:2, Psalm 95:1, Psalm 81:1)

moving

This move is going to be tougher than we thought. Trust me, I will not miss South Carolina much. I will not miss the Gamecocks, the good ole boy system, Lexington County Detention Center or the tough season of infertility that we have been through.

I will miss our friends. The Lord has allowed us to have so many deep friendships.

Paul often begins his letters with "I thank God for you..." and I can echo his ancient words. I thank God for the people of South Carolina that God has used in our life and growth.

"I thank God when I think of you!"

Letter to Gateway

Gateway Family -

As some of you may know, I will be leaving my role as worship pastor at the end of September. Katy and I will be joining the Summit Church staff in Fort Myers, Florida.

I have built so many meaningful relationships here in South Carolina and the Lord has used those relationships to build me. Saying goodbye to those you love is one of the hardest things to do, and I find it to be increasingly difficult now that I are leaving so much.

The season that Katy and I have spent here at Gateway has set the stage for the way that we will continue to live our life. We have learned the importance of authenticity and community. Many of you have walked alongside of us through triumph, fear, laughter and tears, and the Lord has used our relationships to inspire our lives. I know that our experiences here will go with us and continue to form our future ministries in powerful ways. Katy and I cannot begin to thank you enough for all the love, support and inspiration that you have given us.

I will continue to be excited about the future of Gateway and the many ways God is working, speaking and moving through you. My prayers are for you as you continue share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your prayers as we move into this new season. Thank you and God bless!

Be the Feet

Romans 10:15

Judd Wright

The Spirit Vs The Kick Drum: Part 1

If I am honest it is sometimes painful to truly engage my heart in the worship of my creator. Even to myself this sounds like a negative statement but I have come to understand that pain is not all together bad.

Let me give you an example:
Pain #1 Taking a bullet from a gun is painful. There is nothing good about being shot with a gun. Ignoring the bullet inside of you and leaving the bullet in you body could be deadly and poisonous. The bullet must be removed.

Pain # 2 Removing the bullet.

While both pain #1 and #2 are…well painful, one is bad while the other is vital to maintaining life.

Again, if I am honest it is sometimes painful to truly engage my heart in the worship of my creator. It is possible to enter into and leave a worship service and never experience God. We can make statements and not mean them, we can sing songs without conviction and we can take communion but never have communion with God. This should not be. I am guilty at times and I am sure I am not alone. This isn’t a specific contemporary church music culture thing; it is a human nature thing.

Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says: 

"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

I think pain can play a bit of a role in our lack or desire to dig deep and allow God to do a work in us. If you have a pulse, then you have sinned and need Jesus. This sin is like the "Pain #1" I spoke of earlier. The healing process begins with "Pain #2" when the poison is removed from our bodies. God wants to remove the poison... the bullet. During worship we interact with God, when we interact with God we are confronted with our depravity and our neediness. Our limited understand of life’s paradoxes are made aware to us and if we surrender God can use this time to heal us as we worship and bring Him glory. This surrender leads to freedom but it can be painful.

Colossians 1:16 “All things were created through Him and for Him.”

Sometimes “spirit and truth” does not define our worship because we are in pain and we won't allow ourselves to surrender to be healed. In truth, the act of worshiping God can be the very thing that God wants to use in your healing.

Prayer: God do not allow me to make the mistake of just singing songs in church today. I want to experience your healing and because I know I was made for and by you, I want to bring You glory through my worship. You mystery is beautiful and your grace underserved. Help me to bless you today in “spirit and truth”. Amen.

Jesus Christ is my standard

I have often looked to the characters in the bible to be my example in life and Godliness. I have looked to men of faith like David, Abraham, Paul, Job etc... Hebrews 11:1-2 says "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation." We can look toward their faith and be encourage because "everything is common to man" 1 Cor 10 but it doesn't stop there. I have been so encouraged this week by the next chapter of Hebrews. Hebrews 12:1-4 says

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

This is huge! Our standard is the "man" Jesus Christ. WOW! What a standard. What a blessing. My friends you have been called and the very same strength that raised Christ from the dead is the same strength that indwells us now. Amen.

Aspired Values

The other day I was talking with my friend Shawn about community, church, relationship, ministry... like we often do and he said something in that conversation that I have been wrestling with ever since. Shawn said that many people "aspired values but not true values". I have been thinking about this for a week or so and I am finding it to be more and more true. I will give you an example

I have the gift of being able to spend my days planning worship services and dreaming of creative ways to help the church connect with the heart of God and the community. Now realize I am a passionate/creative person but I am not an incredibly articulate person. With that in mind I wrote our Gateway worship ministry values in the form of a mission statement. It states:

"Our team exists to create atmospheres where our family can actively and expressively interact with God. It is our goal to exalt God above all; His first commandment is to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We worship Him when we love Him with our whole being; this love is manifested when our faith has feet.

To accomplish this goal we employ any means necessary- to use speaking, singing, instruments, prayer, readings and visuals to touch the imagination, mind, emotions and heart of those in attendance and to become a catalyst for a Christ-centered LIFE so that people are inspired to worship Him well."

If I were to write these values out but do nothing about them it would make Shawn's quote many people have "aspired values but not true values" true about me. I see this happen so often. People have a dream, a vision but they never work it out in their own lives. They live with the values but they never live out the values.

I am sure this happens for many a varied reason (fear, lack of back up, lack of wisdom etc). I am sure it has happened to me and will happen again and again but truth lies in this "whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17The things I do are for the Lord and not for man. This perspective is vital for me to keep because no man has ever inspired me to dedicated service and devotion.

Lord help to make Psalm 26:8 true of myself "I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

funny