December Reposts: Part 3

This month, I am going to repost some past blogs.  My hope is that you enjoy re-reading them.  For the rest of you reading these for the first time will gain a little more nderstanding of where I came from.  Maybe learn from a mistake or two of mine.

I always have and always will love football.  It really has over thrown baseball as "America's Pastime" in recent years.  Every year there is one story in the NFL that sticks out among the rest.  This year (2011) is no exception.  This year it's Tebow.

You can't escape it no matter how hard you try.  Every hour on Sportscenter.  Every night on the news.  ESPN.  NFL Network.  ABC.  NBC.  FOX News.  You can't escape Tebow!  Granted, all the guy does is win!  As i am writing this, his team is currently 6-1 with him as a starter.  He leads 4th quarter comebacks and game winning drives.  He does it with his legs, where most quarterbacks win with their arms.  He takes care of the football and rarely make any turnovers.  He's a polarizing figure.  People either love him or hate him.  Why?  The answer: his faith.

Tim Tebow has been very outspoken about his faith.  He has a very popular book out that describes his faith in Christ in detail.  In the off season, he makes his rounds in churches across the country giving motivational speeches and interviews with pastors.  During his games, you see him down on one knee with his head bowed (Tebowing); a common ritual for after he scores touchdowns as well.

But then comes the critics.  Players mock his knee down prayer after a sack.  Other mock his outspoken faith.  Some Christians are up in arms over the deliberate mocking.  Those people are told to "lighten up" by members of the media and that it's "all in good fun."

Here's a question: what if Tebow wasn't a Christian?  What if he was Muslim?  Jewish?  Buddhist?  What would happen if he was mocked then?  I guarantee you, people would be up in arms.  The NFL commissioner would be handing out suspensions like he was handing out candy at Halloween.  No one would be told to "lighten up."  The player that mocked him would be told to go to counseling due to his lack of tolerance.  So why then is it OK to mock Christians?

Jen Floyd Engel from foxsports.com had a great article on this the other day.  In the article she says:

"His religious fervor is an easy target for the vitriol spewed from those who dislike him, but the reasons are much deeper than that. From his advocacy of abstinence to his infamous “You will never see another team play this hard” speech at Florida, it is like he is too good to be true. He is too nice, and thereby we want him to trip up so we can feel better. We want him to be revealed as a hypocrite, and when that fails to happen, we settle for gleefully celebrating his failures on the football field. And why? Because he dares to say thanks?"

-http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Tim-Tebow-why-the-heck-do-we-hate-him-110211

Do people really want  to see this kid fail?  I guess that is the cynical nature of our being.  Instead of raising our morals to the high standard of those around us, we try to bring those with higher morals down to our level.  Sad.  Tragic even.  

Personally, I admire Tim.  I don't know him personally, but he seems like a pretty genuine guy.  I don't root for him to fail by any means...unless I'm playing against him in fantasy football that is.  He's accomplished a lot in his life, and every time someone tries to knock him down, he keeps fighting.  He could easily respond to his critics negatively, but that's not him.  He knows the eyes of the world are on him.  Maybe that's unfair, but so far, he's doing a pretty good job of carrying that burden.

December Reposts: Part 2

This month, I am going to repost some past blogs.  My hope is that you enjoy re-reading them.  For the rest of you reading these for the first time will gain a little more nderstanding of where I came from.  Maybe learn from a mistake or two of mine.

I spent yesterday afternoon with my wife and some leaders and members of a church at a northwest suburban eatery.  OK, so it looked more like a bar than your typical restaurant.  Alright, it was a bar.  Big screen TVs, and Hollywood memorabilia adorned the walls of the establishment.  But the most interesting part of the afternoon was the conversations that we had.  We talked about ideas for ministry.  We discussed what it would look like to have a worship band play in that bar.  We talked about what it would take to have a men's small group at the bar.  We even talked about having a church service or two there.

Huh?  I was/am confused.  You mean that ministry doesn't happen within the four walls of our church buildings?  

For most churches that have ideas like this, they are only doing "lip service."  So many churches "want" to be apart of the community, but when the time comes, they balk at the idea.  It's "too much work" or "now's not a good time" are their reasons, but the reality is that it's uncomfortable.  It is uncomfortable.  It's supposed to be.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues."  Matthew 10:16-17

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he said that bad things would happen to them.  Why should we expect any less?  It would be hard.  We might see rejection, but doesn't God want us to be lights in our community?

Why do so many churches spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their buildings trying to make them "cool" and "acceptable" to outside observers, when local bars, restaurants, and theaters have already done that?  Think about it: what do our modern churches look like? Coffee houses. Bars. Theaters.  What make those community buildings any different from our church buildings?

Seriously, what WOULD it look like to have church in a bar?  I'm not necessarily saying that you should serve beer during the offering or worship set, but what about just using the facility?  They have the stage, the lighting, the decor, the sound system...they have everything!

Why don't we do it? Fear.  Uncertainty.  Doubt.  These factors always creep in when God calls us to do something radical.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10: 32-33

God promises to be with us when we step out in faith.  When we go out and spread His name in our community, we are doing what He wants, but it takes faith.  We need to take those radical steps to reach others for Christ.  

So, what would church in a local bar look like?  I hope someday soon to have an answer for you.

December Reposts: Part 1

This month, I am going to repost some past blogs.  My hope is that you enjoy re-reading them.  For the rest of you reading these for the first time will gain a little more nderstanding of where I came from.  Maybe learn from a mistake or two of mine.

The more that I am involved in full-time ministry, the more I understand that Christians have trouble distinguishing between advertising and evangelism.  I witnessed the difference the other day when I was hanging out with a local pastor.

As we went into the local Caribou Coffee, he told me that he requires his staff members to be a part of the community.  Every pastor that I have ever met says the same thing, but this particular pastor lives that.  By the time that we arrived at the front counter to order our coffee, he had already ran into 3 people that he knew by name.  He also knew 2 of the barristers by name and they knew his.  The thing that caught my eye was what he did after we ordered.  He noticed that the cashier was new and introduced himself.  At that moment, this pastor made a new friend, Drew.

We then sat at that Caribou for the next few hours.  We talked about our hopes and dreams of ministry, our spiritual journey, and the daily challenges that we face in ministry.  During that time, we were interrupted countless times by people that he knew.  He knew each person by name, their story and their family.  Some were members of his church, others were people that he knew that worked at that Caribou or in the downtown area.  

As Drew was leaving for the day, he stopped by our table.  He asked, "Are you guys Christian?"  We laughed and said, "Yes.  Why do you ask?"  Drew then stated that he too was a Christian, but he never met anyone like us before.  No one usually exchanges names or talks with a cashier.  He stayed a few minutes and told us his story.  That was ministry.  That was evangelism.  After my meeting with this pastor, I realized that he "got it."  Evangelism is about relationships.  

So often, church "evangelism" takes place at places like a business expo.  We hand out pens, brochures, or candy as people walk by our booth.  They look at your church like another "business" when you're surrounded by a local bank and a plumbing company.  Once you put in your few hours at the expo, your "evangelism" is done for the year, you pack up your candy and you head back to the four walls of the church.

Today, I wonder what that pastor is doing.  I bet he went into that same Caribou to order his Mint Mocha and talk to Drew by name.  I bet they are building a relationship.  I bet that if and when Drew hits hard times in his life, he'll look for "that pastor who knows his name."  That's ministry.  That's what real evangelism looks like.

Channel Surfing

Have you ever found yourself on the couch, channel surfing in your blue snuggie looking for something “mindless” to watch on TV?  I’ve been finding myself in that position more often than not these days.  Nine times out of ten, I usually end up watching some buddy comedy or something with slap-stick nonsense. 

Last night I found myself in this situation.  Surfing through the DirecTV guide, until I landed on something so mindless that I just knew that it was the perfect choice for the evening.  That 2008 Academy Award snub: “Rambo.”  Granted, it was on AMC, so I was unable to get the full effect of what the director was trying to portray, but watching Sly Stallone hunt down some rebels with a bow and arrow sounded like the perfect end to a hard Tuesday.

About 45 minutes into the film, I heard seven words that redefined this movie for me.  It went from a classic “B” movie with all the explosions, poorly written dialogue, and horrendous acting into a movie with a message.  Just as I’m settled into a thoughtless euphoria, Sly mumbles out these profound words: “Live for nothing or die for something.”

That was it!  My night was over!  Are you kidding me!  What a powerful statement! 

My mind was racing for the rest of the night with the thought of this message.  How many of us in this world are “living for nothing?”  Maybe it’s a friend. A co-worker.  A family member.  These people feel like their life is full and complete, but at the end of the day, when they really look in the mirror to examine their hearts, they realize their lives are empty.

I unfortunately know a lot of people like that.  It may be a cheesy Christian cliché, but it really is true: we all have a “God-shaped hole” in our hearts.  We try to fill it with “stuff,” shallow relationships or anything that makes us temporarily happy.  These people are “living for nothing.”

In the end, though, it’s that “die for something” that is the real kicker.  Do you have anything in your life that you are willing to die for?  More importantly, are you willing to die for your faith?

You may not know who Cassie Bernall was, but you may know her story.  Cassie was a junior at Columbine high school in 1999.  On April 20^th of that year, two of her classmates stormed the school… armed. The two classmates knew that Cassie was that “Christian kid” in the school and put her faith to the test.  They held a gun to her head and asked her if she believed in God.  She said, “Yes.” They then took her life.  Cassie’s mom wrote a book, She Said Yes, that recounts the events of her daughter’s life and more importantly, the account of that fateful day. 

Cassie’s story lives on and she has stood as an example for the past 13 years as a person who really did “die for something.” 

Just Say “No”

For most people, Thanksgiving week tends to kick off the holiday season.  For others, the Christmas “season” started after Labor Day.  Personally, I love Thanksgiving, but it tends to be my last “big breath” before the rush of Christmas starts.  Parties, pageants, and shopping tend to occupy my mind and time.  I think things will only get worse this year with a baby.  This will be the first year that we’re actually doing Christmas cards.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve been hearing a common theme this year from a variety of sources (churches, speakers, blogs, etc.).  That theme is, “It’s OK to say, ‘No.’”  I don’t know why, but that has really hit home with me in the past few weeks.  Maybe it’s because I’m working two jobs, am staying at home with my daughter two days a week, and giving guitar lessons on the side.  I’ve been very guilty of running myself ragged and I constantly allow myself to get pulled in 5 different directions.

I know it’s not healthy; for me or my family.  But I’ve managed to “justify” it by saying it’s, “just that season of ministry” or “it will get better.”  NEWS FLASH: it doesn’t!  There will always be something that comes up and next month may be busier than the last.  Things happen.  Things come up.

Last week, I felt God calling me to quit one of my jobs.  It was a part time job that was taking away a lot of time and energy from my other job and family.  It was tough, but I told my boss on Thursday that I wouldn’t be able to continue after the fall semester.  He agreed that it was the best move for me. 

Even though I’m still in the position for another month, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.  That freedom has come with the knowledge that it’s OK to say, “No” sometimes. 

As the busy Christmas season approaches, figure out what’s most important to you and do it.  Remember, it’s OK to say, “No.”  Do what’s best for you and your family.

I said this last year in my “Thankfulness” post: If you don’t take time out, God will force you to take time out.  Psalm 23:2 "He makes me lie down in green pastures..." Take it from me, take the “time out” before God makes you take one.  It’s less painful that way.

One Year Later...

It’s hard to believe that I started this blog one year and 50 posts ago.  A year ago, I lost my job and had a wife that was 6 months pregnant and heading into the holiday season.  I was hurt, frustrated and upset by the circumstances surrounding me.  There were so many thoughts going through my head that my friend, Ben suggested that I write them all down.  So I started “Relentless Discipleship.” 

This blog was the place that I could tell the world what God was laying on my heart; unapologetic and unfiltered. 

At the time I started “Relentless Discipleship,” my family was going through the deepest valley we had ever gone through.  We had no clue what God was doing.  I had uprooted our lives to take a youth ministry job, because I knew that God was calling us to do so and even after all the pain an hurt that we went through last year, I wouldn’t trade any of it.

Our church family may have abandoned us, but our Fuse Student Ministry family was there for us every step of the way.  Our families were there for us.  Our friends were there for us. They were all an answer to our prayers.  They assured us that God had a plan for our family, and He did. 

I never applied for a job yet I was contacted by 7 churches after I was let go.  I had interviews with each and six made me offers.  All of this happened in a matter of days.  In the end, we felt that Saint Paul was where God was telling us to go.

I am so glad to be on staff here at Saint Paul in Mount Prospect.  I am surrounded by a staff that puts God first.  I am daily encouraged and uplifted.  It’s a church where we all work together to accomplish the goal of building God’s kingdom.  We are so blessed with great congregation members and volunteers.  From the moment we came here, we knew that the God was doing great things here.

There are times I think about how things used to be: the late nights, the cross country trips, etc.  I miss those things, but I know now that God had a plan for me to be home more with my daughter.  As opposed to being at work 5 nights a week, I am only gone one or two AND I get to spend two days a week with my daughter.  That time has been the most precious thing of all.

This time last year, I though the world was caving in around me, but God had a plan for my life.  The path to get me to where I am today was painful, but I know that my family and I are spending more time together; time that we wouldn’t have had a year ago.

The holidays are creeping up, and for some people, they are tough times.  But I’m here to say that God has a plan for your life.  It may not be what you desire or what you think is best, but God’s plan is better than anything that you can come up with. 

You may not be able to see that today, but in a few years, you just might...

Taming The Tongue

Those that know me, know that I love to vacation in Disney World.  My parents own a house down there and my wife and I make a yearly pilgrimage to pay homage to the mouse every summer.  When we are down there, we attend a church called Real Life Church in Clermont, FL.  I had searched for a church to go to while on vacation in Florida for many years and came across this church by pure accident.  One of the things I like so much about Real Life is the preaching of Pastor Justin Miller.  In his messages, he’s not afraid to speak the truth in love, even if what he says may hurt yet be true.

When I’m not in sunny Florida, I find myself listening to his weekly sermons via the iTunes podcast.  This week, he talked about James 3 and how we need to tame our tongue.  This message hit me pretty hard.  I had a phone conversation with a pastor this week that was experiencing divisiveness in his church.  I also talked with a worship leader that is experiencing the same thing in his church.  It seems that gossip and slander are a theme in churches all across the country.

Pastor Justin emphasized verse 3 that we can tame so many different kinds of animals, but we can’t seem to manage to tame our own tongues.  We can charm snakes.  We can train killer whales with whistles and hand motions.  We can train elephants to stand on their hind legs.  We can do all these things, yet we still manage to put our foot in our mouth on a consistent basis.

He also went in to discussion about verse 4, how large, massive ships are steered by a small rudder.  The tongue is such a small part of our body, yet it can corrupt and control the rest of the body.  These days, our spoken words aren’t the only words that hurt.  The words and phrases we put on Facebook and Twitter also do major damage to the people around us.  They may not be spoken words, but they are powerful none the less.

Pastor Justin put out a good idea for those of us who struggle with this issue.  He said that we should use the 10 second rule.  In the 10 seconds before you say something, ask God is what you are about to say honoring to him.  Ask him to give you the right words to say in that situation.  Imagine if more people did that.  Imagine if more people actually thought about what they would say before they said it.  Imagine if people actually asked themselves, “Is this post God honoring” before they posted something on Facebook.

It was comforting for me to hear Pastor Justin’s message this week.  It let me know that there are churches across the country that have the same struggles. 

Do you need to implement a 10 second rule in your life?

The Social Networks

I know that I have previously talked about social networking.  At the time I focused on how churches should utilize social networking.  This post will focus mainly on how these mediums are misused. 

In my years of youth ministry, I probably gave “The Facebook Message” (as my students affectionately called it) at least 10 times and probably could have given it at least another 30 times.  Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter started out as mediums to connect people together, but now have turned into personal soapboxes for people to stand on.  

Currently, there are close to a billion active Facebook users.  Imagine if you had the undivided attention of a billion people.  What would you say?  Would you tell everyone what’s on your heart?  Would you tell everyone what your passion in life is?  Would you tell them how your faith, family or friends have impacted your life?  Would you use that platform to be a positive influence?

I have seen teenagers ridicule and berate their parents and teachers.  I have seen adults complain about their work environments.  I have seen both young and old use social networking to spread rumors and gossip about anything and everything.  These social networking sites were designed to bring people together, but so often, they tear relationships apart.

Did you know that all of your social networking posts are saved?  Even if you erase them, they are saved on a hard drive.  Did you also know that most employers are now asking to see your Facebook page before they hire you?  I know mine did and I have heard of a few people that were not given a job solely because their Facebook account wasn’t good.

Some people think that they are just displaying a post to their 100 friends, but you’re always a few clicks away from telling the world how you really feel.  By just one friend “liking” or commenting on a status, all of their friends see that.  Now your post is out there for the world to see.

What do your pictures say about you?  Do they tell a story of how you act on weekends?  Do they show you volunteering?  Do they show you partying?

What do your posts say about you?  Do they depict you as a positive person or a negative one?  Do they depict you as a Christian or someone far from it?  Do they paint you as a gossip or an encourager? 

Think about this when you make your next post: if you had the undivided attention of a billion people, what would you say?

Christmas in October

If you’ve been to Target recently, you already know that Christmas is coming.  It’s almost painful to look at.  Today, it’s over 70 degrees here in Chicago and I know that Christmas is on my mind.  Why you ask?  Because as a worship leader, it’s my job. 

Christmas Eve is the Super Bowl of church services.  More people will attend the Christmas Eve than any other services.  So, it’s my job to make them memorable and enjoyable for everyone that attends.  Pastors, worship leaders, and entire church staffs toil over these services for months trying to make them great.  But why don’t we take the same care and preparation with the other 51 weeks in the year?  Why don’t we, as churches, put forth the same kind of effort and planning into all of our services, like we do for Christmas Eve?

First of all, a good percentage of churches don’t work ahead.  Pastors plan their sermons on Wednesday and speak on Sunday.  This gives the worship leader 4 days to get music together.  This puts the worship team at a disadvantage to learn new music.  It promotes a style of leadership that leads from “week to week.”  Every week is a “big emergency.”  Everyone is stressed and no one has the proper time to put their “best foot forward.”  Sundays end up looking rushed and thrown together.  The main idea may get across, but the execution of that idea isn’t done well.

Second, we claim that it’s a “special time of year.”  Well, of course it is.  Christmas trees are up.  Lights are lit.  Families come together.  It’s great.  But what is the purpose of Sunday worship?  If the true purpose of Sunday morning corporate worship is to glorify God with other believers, then shouldn’t we be as excited every Sunday like we are on Christmas Eve?  The reason why we worship on Sunday mornings is to remind us what Jesus did on Easter Sunday morning almost 2,000 years ago.  Sunday mornings are supposed to be a celebration of the eternal freedom that we have in Christ Jesus.  But, unfortunately, some look at it as just another thing to do or don’t even go or care at all.

Our Christmas Eve service is planned, and yes, we will put a little more effort into it than a regular Sunday service.  But because we are a church that plans ahead, we put a lot of effort into each week.  It’s my hope and prayer that your churches can plan ahead and make sure that every week is special.  That will help grow your church spiritually.  And when your church is growing spiritually, your church can’t help but grow numerically.

Sundae

As a church worker, I have heard a lot of analogies and stories over the years.  I’ve even heard personal stories from pastors at different churches that sound so similar it would appear that they both have access to the same stories. 

Recently, I’ve been thinking about my role as a worship leader in a large church and thought of a great analogy.  “Working as a worship leader is a lot like creating a sundae for someone else” (see the pun there…sundae…Sunday…alright it’s lame, but you’ll get the point). 

How do you like YOUR sundae?  What kind of ice cream do you use? You could add sprinkles.  You could add chocolate chips.  Do you put fresh fruit on top?  Do you put a variety of candy on there?  What about syrup?  Chocolate, caramel or both?  A little whipped cream?  A lot of whipped cream?  Do you put nuts on top?  Ultimately, there are so many option to think about before you even begin, it can sometimes be overwhelming.

Imagine that you had to create a sundae for someone else and they had NO input on what they were getting.  The might complain that they don’t like chocolate chips and would rather have gummy worms.  They might even be allergic to nuts.  It could be very frustrating.  It will take you numerous tries to get what they are looking for and at the same time, their choices may change over time.

Now, imagine creating a single sundae made the same way for 1,000 people.  That is a Herculean task and borderlines on the impossible.  1,000 people could never agree on the appropriate amount of whipped cream or even the amount of cherries used.  Some may even disagree on the ice cream choice itself.  There is no way that every person will be satisfied and happy with the sundae that you create.

In the same way, as a worship leader, 1,000 people will never be happy with the Sunday that you create.  They may complain that there wasn’t enough singing or too much singing.  They may say that the song choice wasn’t what they wanted.  They might not appreciate the “acoustic” set that week and were hoping for a full band.  They might even want contemporary at a church that only offers traditional.  Whatever the case, it’s a very difficult task to get 1,000 people to agree on one thing.

As a worship leader, creating a Sunday for 1,000 people is like creating a single sundae for 1,000 people.  No one will ever be completely happy with what you do.  But it’s important to remember that Sundays are for glorifying God, not creating sundaes for each person in a pew. 

Parenthood:Part 3-Falling

So my eight month old daughter has started pulling herself on to coffee tables, couches and really anything that will allow her to stand up.  The first time she did it, I was so proud of her, but the past few weeks have been unnerving.  She has the ability to pull herself up, but starts to lose it when she tries to walk.  She has fallen down time after time.  Some instances include a banging of her head, while other times she simply falls safely on her butt.  Every time I see her start wobbling, I get nervous.  I want her to learn to do it on her own, but I also don’t want her to fall down and hurt herself.  It’s the fine line that all parents deal with.

I’m sure that God looks at us the same way.  He sees us try something we’re not ready for.  We may fall and hurt ourselves or we may just simply stumble and learn from our mistakes.

One of my favorite movies quotes is from Batman Begins.  After young Bruce falls in a pit, his father comes to get him and asks him, “Why do we fall?  So we can learn to pick ourselves us.”  My daughter is currently learning how to walk alongside a coffee table.  When she falls, she starts crying and I am always right there to pick her up and tell her that everything’s OK.  When she settles down, I put her back to work at learning to walk.  I don’t allow her to “walk away” from her goals.  I watch her and encourage her, lending a hand when needed and giving praise when she gets it.

God does the same thing for us.  He’s there to pick us up and comfort us when we fall.  He wants what’s best for us.  He loves us and encourages us.  If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have come to earth to die for us.  It’s through his death that we have life, and that his grace covers our failures. 

Church Softball

For most kids, the first song they learn to sing is the “ABC’s” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”  Me?  The first song I learned was “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”  From the time I could stand, I’ve had a baseball bat in my hands.  It was a huge part of my life.  I was heart-broken when I finally had to give it up my senior year due to a major elbow injury. 

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started playing 12” softball.  I immediately fell in love with the game.  I played in a corporate league for a year before I was asked to play in a church league.  For the 3 years I was in that league, I never experienced such poor attitudes and bad sportsmanship .  I saw elders of churches throw temper tantrums that would rival those of my 7 month old.  I heard cursing, swearing and complaining in front of kids and teenagers.  I saw coaches get in verbal shouting matches with volunteer umpires. 

Now I know what you’re thinking: maybe they were non-Christians that were on the team.  Doubtful.  One of the rules was that all but 1 of the players on your roster had to be a member of your church! 

I didn’t realize how bad it was until last week.  I started playing in a corporate/bar league in Wisconsin with a friend of mine.  As we were playing, both sides complimented each other on good plays.  There were no arguments with the umpires.  The only negative words that were displayed were at their own teammates.  Opposing teams were joking around with each other.  It was nice.

Why does the corporate/beer league look more like what the church league should be?

This isn’t an isolate incident.  I go to a denomination-wide national basketball tournament every spring for junior high students.  Every year, I see parents curing out referees.  I see adults yelling at each other.  I have even seen a good number of parents get ejected from the games!

It’s a rarity that I see Christians have good sportsmanship while playing sports.  Why is that?  Why are we such poor examples on the court or baseball diamond?  It’s something that has baffled me for years.

Have you experienced this?  What are your thoughts?

No Pressure

I have been a worship leader for the better part of 15 years.  In that time, I have come to appreciate “No Pressure” worship leading opportunities.  When you regularly lead or are employed by a church as a worship leader, people tend to put their two cents in every chance they get:  The music was too loud.  I couldn’t hear Jessica.  Can you play more hymns?  Why can’t I sing more?  Why did you have a keyboard AND a piano?  You play too much Chris Tomlin.  You don’t play enough Chris Tomlin.  The list goes on and on.

That being the case, I really enjoy opportunities where the circumstances don’t allow me to have to “live with” the results.  For example, last week I led worship at my college alma matter.  Was it loud?  Yes.  Was it polished? When you have guys coming from all over the Midwest and practice for an hour ahead of time, no it wasn’t.  Was it honest? You bet.  Was it worshipful?  Absolutely.

I’m sure there were older alums that couldn’t stand the volume, but you know what?  I don’t care!  There may have been people that didn’t like my song choice.  To them, I say, “I don’t care.”  What people saw up front was worship leaders from different denominations, different churches, and different regions gathered together to worship the same Lord and Savior.  The music that was played came from the heart.  It was filled with a passion and freedom that wasn’t restrained by church politics or a congregation member’s personal preference.  So often, our worship is bogged down with these things. 

“Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”  Psalm 150

Those verses left out things like personal preference, decibel level, and hymn to modern song proportion. 

I encourage you to read 2 Samuel 6.  Why don’t we worship more like David?  Why don’t we dance with unbridled joy in the streets?  A better question may be do we act like Michal?  Do we look down on those who worship differently or not to our personal preference? 

Something to ponder this week…

…and give to God what is God’s…

We have all heard the story before:  The Pharisees and their buddies are following Jesus around and try to corner him…again, even after so many failed attempts.  This time, they try to get him to go against the Roman government, thinking that the Romans would take care of their “Jesus problem.”  When they asked, “If they should pay taxes to Caesar,” he responds by saying, “Give to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is God’s (Mark 12:17).”  

In my many discussions with church leaders in the area, the subject of finances came up.  Many churches are struggling with a lack of financing these days.  The reasons rage from job loss to property taxes that came early or even as simple as people forgetting their checkbook on a Sunday.  Whatever the case, churches are finding themselves strapped for cash.

As we were talking, I thought of something profound (OK, not so profound or new, but something that is rarely said from the pulpit), I think that we feel like our money is ours to freely give and spend as we please, when in actuality: it’s Gods.

Think about it this way: Who designed you? God.  Who gave you your gifts and talents? God.  Who is ultimately responsible for the paycheck that you receive? God.  So, whose name should really be in that “Pay to the Order of” line?  God.  You see, when you look at your money as God’s, you are forced to see things differently. 

Many of us are going through hard times financially, but no matter what, God will take care of us:

 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.  But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!  No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.  That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:19-34

Your offering depends on what God is calling you to give.  For some people, that may mean 10% or tithing.  For others, that may be $50 a week or even a month for others.  And for some, that means giving time where you don’t have the money.  Does that mean that by giving you may have to get the 46” LCD TV as opposed to the 60”?  Maybe.  It might even mean canceling HBO or getting the lower satellite package.  What minstry could you help start/fund by putting in $5 a week?  At the end of the day, God promises to take care of our needs and because of that shouldn’t we return just a little bit back to Him?

Simplicity

Every now and then, I like to take a Sunday and lead worship by myself, singing while switching between the guitar and piano.  The comments I get from these weeks always astounds me.  They range from “Wow, I was so moved” to “Why would you do that?” to “How about you don’t do that again for a while…a long while…”

Rarely do I hear any comments, positive or negative, but it seems like the barrage of emails and personal conversations occur only after “solo Sundays.” 

First off, I love Sundays like this.  I mainly love it because it’s an “easy week.”  No extra mid-week evening practice.  Also, my teams appreciate the added week off.  It’s definitely NOT because I need the attention solely on me for a week.  In honesty, I don’t like that pressure on me.  My sub-par guitar and piano skills are exposed and my mistakes aren’t covered up by the rest of the band.  It’s very nerve racking.

But there’s something about the simplicity of it.  Does every week need to be a huge “production?”  Does your faith hinge on whether or not there is a full rock band up on stage every week?

One of my all-time favorite songs is “Heart Of Worship” by Matt Redman.  “When the music fades, and all is stripped away, and I simply come…”  I remember when this song first came out.  It came out in a time when “big production” was the thing in churches.  I remember thinking, “Wow, I’ve missed the whole point of this worship thing.”  Since then, I’ve always made a point to work in a solo Sunday every now and then, if nothing else, to be that gentle reminder that it’s not about us or our preference, but rather it’s about bringing glory to God.

Isn’t that what worship is all about anyway?

Back To School

Now that I’m an adult, the Back to School/Fall season is probably my favorite time of year.  Although it’s a very busy time of year, it’s still great to see the students coming back to school and breathing a little life into the campus.  For students, there’s something about a “fresh start.”  They have a new teacher to learn from.  For college students, it’s a time of moving out from under mom and dad’s roof and doing laundry and cooking on their own.  There’s just a lot of…change.  And if you read last week’s post, you know that change isn’t always the easiest thing.

But there’s something about a new beginning; a fresh start.  I remember that I wasn’t always the best student and relished in the idea of starting fresh with a new teacher.  Someone that didn’t know my faults and short comings.  Someone that didn’t know that I wasn’t big into the whole idea of “homework.”

We get the same new start from God.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  What a great feeling to know that we are made new in Christ!  It’s like a new beginning.  It’s a fresh start.  It’s hitting the reset button.  Our life is made new through Him because of what He did for us on the cross.  He doesn’t hold grudges.  He freely forgives us…no matter what.

Moving The Piano

I was once told by a very wise man, that, “If you want to move the piano in the church, move it an inch at a time every Sunday.”

Bottom line is that these are great words to put into practice with pianos and any other changes you want to make in the church.  I have worked in the Lutheran Church for a long time and I can tell you first hand that all of the jokes involving light bulbs and tires are true...they don’t like change.

I heard a story that involved an actual piano a while back.  Upon the worship leaders arrival at his new church, he moved the piano from the side of the stage to in front of the alter in his first week.  I almost died laughing.  This poor guy hadn’t even had his first Sunday and people were already on him. 

I’ve been there when I was younger.  In a moment of “brilliance,” my co-worker and I decided that the organ that hadn’t been used for 5+ years should be removed from the front of the church.  In our defense, it was broken for 5 years and was being used as a catch-all for coffee mugs and sheet music.  On a Monday morning, we took a sledge hammer to it and put it in the dumpster.  We spent the week doing carpentry work to fix the stage where it previously resided.  The next  Sunday morning, we caught a lot of flak for that.  I realized then that we moved too soon and too fast.

This philosophy is the same when it comes to service time changes, bulletin changes, stage layout…really, it’s a good standard philosophy to have in any church.  Hopefully you can avoid the mistakes that I’ve made in the past.

UPDATE: Still working on hunting down “Mike.”  It’s been a tough process!

Spiritual Nudge

Have you ever gotten the feeling like you should call someone?  Maybe a friend you haven’t seen in years or someone you lost contact with along the way?

I got one of those “feelings” the other day.  For the sake of anonymity, we’ll call him “Mike.”  I haven’t talked to mike in close to thirteen years, yet for some reason, God placed him in my heart last week.  I remembered the fun times we used to have and, more importantly, the impact he had on my life.  Mike helped shape and mold me into the person I am today.  If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be in ministry.  If it wasn’t for his guidance, I wouldn’t have gone to the college I went to…I wouldn’t have met my wife…I wouldn’t have had the same beautiful daughter…I wouldn’t be in a job that I love…this list could go on for a while.

After several days of thinking about Mike, I was in a conversation with someone and Mike’s name came up.  As I started to tell stories, I was interrupted and was told that Mike was going through some tough times over the past several years.  I now knew why Mike was on my mind.  God has placed him there. 

Is there someone that God is putting on your mind right now?  It could be a friend that you haven’t seen in a while.  It could even be someone that you see often.  It could just be a coincidence, but it could also be the Spirit nudging you to talk to that person.

I haven’t found Mike yet, but my search continues.  The gentle nudging has now consumed my mind to find him to tell him that God loves him…to tell him that he is loved!

Healthy

I know it’s been a while since I’ve added a new post.  This summer has been filled with so many twists and turns (some of which I’ll address in future entries). 

I had a conversation with my college mentor the other day.  He called me up and asked, “How’s life been lately?”  I didn’t know how to answer him at first.  I mean, my life, my job situation, my family has all been in an upheaval for the past year.  But, as I paused to think about it for a minute, I realized that my answer was simple: healthy.

It felt weird to say that considering our church lost a secretary, our high school pastor and our senior pastor in the last five months.  All left for good reasons; mainly to move closer to family, but here’s the thing: there’s no panic.  In any other church, there would be wide-spread panic.  There would be members calling for emergency congregational meetings.  There would be people leaving the church in droves.  But that’s not the case.  Volunteers are coming out of the woodwork.  The congregation has come together in unity. 

Healthy. 

Is this really what “healthy” looks like?

I’ve seen it all in my fifteen years of ministry: Pastors having affairs.  A cult rising out of a ministry.  A sudden death of a staff member.  Power struggles between pastors.  Internal strife between staff and elders.  Financial upheaval.

But healthy?  That’s a new one to me.  Even as I type this, I think of how blessed I am to finally experience what that really means. 

Maybe you are reading this and you, like me for so long, aren't experiencing a "healthy" church situation.  It's my prayer that you continue to seek and put God first.  The Great Physician is never far away ready to heal the hurt and brokeness.