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."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, July 20, 2009
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.
Thanks Steve and Cory for the opportunity to serve.
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