Matt Chandler Post

This is great!

Ben Harper

I must say that I haven't been too excited about music since John Mark McMillan's album "The Medicine" came out last September. When it comes to worship cds...wow... I guess the last great cd that came out was Charlie Hall's "Bright Sadness" .

And then I found this little jewel... "White Lies For Dark Times" By Ben Harper and the Relentless7. I haven't listened to much else since this came out. This is raw, nasty rock n roll. I love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTMqPTIbvzI

Courage

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway" John Wayne

Life takes a lot of courage. Life can be so tragic and we are so frail. I am reminded of this daily as I talk with people in my life and even as I experience life myself. It can be scary to face life and sometimes to even want to wake up in the morning can take a lot of courage. As a Christian I do not generally feel hopeless but it is easy to often feel helpless and even alone. I am sure that Joshua in the Old Testament was scared to death to cross the river Jordan and go into the place that the Lord promised him but God told Joshua "be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God is with you where you go." Joshua 1:9 We all feel helpless, alone and scared at times but the God of Joshua is the same today and He is with us. We are not alone.

Email to Russ

Today I spoke with my great friend Russ about my heart for worship and the church. This is a summarization of the email that came from that conversation. I thought I'd blog it.

A large part of my worship is delighting in others worshiping God and seeing them getting intimate with God. It is so neat to see people experience Christ and this brings me much joy. I know I must keep proper perspective and not allow other people’s engagement or lack of engagement cause me to feel worth. Worship is not about me. Worship is complexly about God. However it is my job as a worship leader to worship God and faithfully declare freedom and love and help others to do the same. It is hard to not place this burden on my own shoulders when it is my job. I am so burdened to see other’s engage with God in worship, to see them experience Him, to see that injustice devoured and God lifted into the highest place. There is a liberation, a communion, a freedom in worshipping God that I want to lead Christians to see. I grieve for the saints to experience communion with God. I still can’t help but to long for something deeper. I feel God calling me to deeper intimacy in worship and life and I believe it can happen this side of heaven. I am going to open my heart and the word and pray that the Lord speaks to me and reveals himself to me. Oh how I long to worship with others from deeper places within my soul. I believe God desires that too.

AW Tozer said

“Now, worship is the missing jewel in modern evangelicalism. We're organized; we work; we have our agendas. We have almost everything, but there's one thing that the churches, even the gospel churches, do not have: that is the ability to worship. We are not cultivating the art of worship. “

I believe this worship is art and that it is beautiful to God because it is beautiful to me and He has created me in His image. “Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: For Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11) He created us here and now for His pleasure. I think He wants it now, so I want to give it now and see it’s revelation come alive now. It is an urgency for the saints to worship God.

This is where my heart is. To see the Church worship God now, this side of heaven.

“Them that honour me I will honour” (1 Samuel 2:30)

Thanks Russ. You are in the image of Lord “Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.” That’s what you are.

Summersalt

I have been off the old blog for the last month because I have been leading worship at Summersalt. For those of you that do not know, Summersalt is the youth camp that is put on by Steve and Cory at the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The Lord was faithful everyday and the Summersalt staff is a sharp staff of servant warriors that Love God. It was a honor to worship, fight and serve with these guys.

Thanks Steve and Cory for the opportunity to serve.

Writing songs

Ok So... I Haven't written on this blog in 5 weeks. I am lame. So here's a bunch of random stuff that I have been digging lately.

Ben Byxbe's wedding is this Friday.

I have been riding my motorcycle a lot. It is stinking great!

Jesse Isley is back in town and that rocks b/c he is super talented and a huge encouragement to me. This Sunday's worship set was sick.

Not to Us / Here Is Our King
Lift High Eddie Kirkland
Hosanna Hillsong United
Everlasting God Brenton Brown

The songs were good but the energy and spirit was great. The band sounded the best that I have ever heard. I was so pumped after we left.

I have a recording at thehttp://www.jamroomstudio.com comimg up June 1 for Summersalt camp this summer.

I have been writing a few songs lately. It has been nice to get back into the habit of writing.

This motorcycle is hot.

I love Coldplay. I think the new cd is like good old Coldplay but newer (if that makes sense). This video rocked my face off. I had to share.



That just happened.