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.