Merge Worship

I shared with our team last night the first miracle I ever saw. It is the thing that I continue to go back to whenever my heart is filled with doubt or fear. It dawned on me that I've never shared it here, so here goes.

I'm meeting with our worship team tonight for some pizza and fellowship. Part of our conversation is going to be about our focus.

It's easy to focus on musical/technical execution.

It's easier still to just focus on doing your job well.

It's easy to make worship about the part you play.

But worship isn't about us.

Worship is about Him. His pleasure. His praise. Celebrating His promise.

As a worshiping community, my highest aspiration for us is that we would be worshipers. I'm hoping everything we do in the "artistic" life of our church reflects that hope.

How do you keep your focus where it should be?

I got a call on Sunday from a friend asking for prayer for a missionary. "Ezekiel" is a pastor in Africa. On Friday his wife called and said his 8 year old son wasn't there when she went to pick him up from school. Ezekiel hadn't seen him either. A couple of hours later they received a ransom note.

Someone had their son and wanted 1 million dollars (about 14K US$) for his safe return. Needless to say, Ezekiel doesn't have a million dollars laying around. They contacted him later and lowered the ransom to the equivalent of $4,700.

Ezekiel came up with $1,700 and called for prayer. As a network of believers began to pray, Ezekiel felt led to contact the kidnappers. He told a friend that he couldn't pay them off because it would "open the door for other pastors to possibly have their children taken". He contacted his sons captors and told them: "I'm not giving you any money and I want my son back. You're not dealing with me. You're dealing with God."

He sent his wife and younger child to another village to protect them and prayed. On Monday the Holy Spirit directed him to a certain part of town to look. Ezekiel obeyed.

Ezekiel found his son and took him home.

God is real and God is good.

We had a good set of services this weekend. But instead of giving you all my thoughts from that, I'd just like to say happy MLK day! I hope you enjoy this day of celebrating the life of a man determined to make a difference.

What things in your world are you determined to make a difference in? Be inspired today!

I had this thought last night that I might have spent a lot of my time gathering knowledge without gaining wisdom. Once Tony Evans said that "wisdom is putting feet to your what you know".

How many times have I read a great book and not implemented what I learned?

How many times have I had an amazing conversation with another leader only to walk away and stay basically the same?

How many times have I read a passage of Scripture or devo and not put feet to it?

How many times has the Lord revealed Himself to me and I've left unchanged?

I have a large appetite (no fat jokes...this time) to read, connect and grow. In this new year I need my life to be about gaining wisdom not gathering knowledge. I'm endeavoring to live the words of James 1:22

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself. Do what it says"

And all God's people said...amen.

Just saw this from Leonard Sweet.

"Even Christians are so much better at wearing crosses than bearing crosses."

How true. How painfully true.

How can we encourage each other to live lives that are cross bearing instead of cross wearing?

I just realized that I've not done a post since my last weekend recap. Sorry about that. It's been a crazy week learning the ropes at a new church, new area and all that fun stuff. Anyway...I'll get back on the ball.

With that said...here's my thoughts on the weekend.

Worship Set:

• Meet With Me
• Holy is the Lord
• How Great is Our God/How Great Thou Art
• Response: Take My Life
  

Random Thoughts:

• Brian Worley (our Jr. High Pastor) ROCKED his sharing time about being "Uniquely Crafted" while delicately handling his wife's cool pottery. I'll admit I prayed for him every time he picked up those pieces.
• The line of the day that made me smile: "I knew you were going to be a good worship leader when I saw your kicks."
  
• Saturday night service was GREAT! Big adjustment for me leading on Saturday, but there was a real sense of worship that night.
• Lots of fun being interviewed by Sass. Almost got out of hand with the joking in the 11, but fun none the less.
  
• Mercy caught some stomach thing. I'm trying to figure out a way to blame this on our Senior Teaching Pastor who was out with a stomach thing as well.
• The worship team, from the booth to the stage, are all working really hard. It is noted and appreciated!
• My man Les said that he was "completely drained" after the 9:15. I LOVE passionate worship leading that leaves us on empty when we're done.
• They threw up a graphic in the 9:15 that I'll probably try and tweak some this week. (but we're getting there)
  

Going to be a great service next week continuing to talk about being "Uniquely Crafted" and how our passions are given to us by God. Bring a friend that is passionate about things other than Jesus right now and let's see their heart change to pursuing something deeper!

Here's a little recap of what went down this weekend in my world.

Worship Set:

• Beautiful One
• Friend of God
• What a Friend We Have in Jesus
• Communion
• Forevermore

Random thoughts:

• It was my first Sunday in a new place so that was a little nerve wracking, but God was faithful. Kept the worship set simple and singable.
  
• No drummer for 2 of 3 services. I would've normally been a little bugged by this, but everything felt like the glass was half full for me. The band reacted well and I think we were still able to carry enough energy.
  
• Great response from the congregation after the services. Seems like everyone is ready to jump into what God wants to do next in worship here at Grace.
• I'm definitely a bit of a switch from the norm, but the worship team (band/vocals/AV) all reacted well even when I went off the script.
• I really enjoyed getting to lead the people of Grace in worshiping our great God together. (we even had a few clappers in the 11 service)

I think God has brought me to a "weighty" and "challenging" season, but I'm looking forward to tackling this season with my new church family and seeing us become who it is He is calling us to be!

So I'm up late tonight. Praying about this new leg of my journey. Praying for the people God has called me to serve and lead. Listening to some worship music and reading some Psalms.

Just trying to wrap my mind around all He is doing in this new season. I think the weight of this new assignment is hitting me tonight. (ok. it's actually morning)

One thing I know. I'm not doing this alone. Someone gave my Mom Proverbs 4:12 which talks about wisdom guiding us in unhindered steps.

This is not the time for me to try and do things on my own. I am determined to be obedient to Him and accomplish His vision in the new year.

The only way I can do that is by getting Adam out of the way and trusting "Him who has begun a good work" to finish it.

So, as you think about the be year, what big things has He placed in your heart that you can't do without Him? Let's dream together.

So. I'm moving my family in 5 days to a new state. A new city. A new church.

It's always an adventure when we start something new together. This will be Mercy and Judah's first real shot at trying it out. They are 5 and 7 and this is the first move we've made that has hit them. They've been real troopers and have been looking for the positive almost all the time. That's not to say it's been easy. When their peers prayed for them in kid's church:


There were tears shed. By all of us.

One thing I love about transition with Misty and my family is that it pulls us tighter together. It's almost like we know we need to lock it up tight. Knowing that we've been blessed with each other is an amazing feeling and I'm never more aware of how blessed I am then in these times of transition or difficulty.

Our friends have gone beyond any of my expectations to show us how much they love us and Misty has been working like mad to get us ready. She is the rock in my world. I don't tell her I love her enough.

As we've traveled across NC (which is where we're moving back to) the anticipation and anxiety of the move has grown. The reality is settling in.

I'll be leading a whole new set of people in worship next Sunday. They've never seen me lead before. The thoughts are racing through my head.

What if they don't like me?
I can't wait to grow with them and watch them grow.
I'm pumped about where God is going to take us.
I am stoked about the team I'm going to be leading with.
Is Judah's school going to be as great as we think it is?
Will Mercy and Judah find new friends easily?

In short (or not really short) life is just that side of crazy right now. We'd appreciate your prayers and, if you're in the Raleigh area, hit us up when we move down. We're trusting God for great friendships there!

I know this post is a little less efficient and pretty than some of my others, but one of my friends asked me to keep this blog a little more "real" this year. We'll see how that pans out.

btw...I'll be leading worship here in the new year. Drop by if you're around.

As most of you know, my family and I are moving to Raleigh in the new year. We're going to be part of a great church there. (Grace Community Church) This move is also going to put us in between our two families. With my Mom going through non-hodgkins follicular lymphoma this going to be a HUGE blessing.

I made a top 10 list of things I was going to miss about where I am, so I thought I'd pull a Fox News and give equal opportunity to the other stuff going on in my head. So without further adieu, here's my top 10 list of things I'm looking forward to.


10. Opportunities to deepen our faith with another family of believers
9. The chance to make an impact in North Raleigh with a church that is discovering who she is
8. Working with the worship team and musical folks @ Grace Community
7. Cook Out and Bojangles
6. Being closer to old friends
5. Developing new friendships
4. Tarheel Tickets (hint hint)
3. Working with the Staff and Leadership of Grace Community (can't wait to grow together)
2. Being closer to family.
1. Seeing Grace become a place known for being "without walls" and marked by authentic worship, life change, evangelism and discipleship.

I've only got two weeks or so left with my Greenbrier church family and I'm thinking about all the things I'm going to miss. (don't worry Grace Community...I've got things I'm looking forward to as well) Here's my top 10 list. I'm sure I'll forget something.

10. Lunch at Warrior Grill/Bangkok Garden/Kyoto/Famous Uncle Al's
9. Walking to work
8. Church at the Beach (my favorite service every year)
7. Our pastoral and staff team
6. POWERKIDS
5. All my worship teams
4. Consuming, Spirit-filled worship times with our church family
3. All the people who've helped me and my family grow
2. inROUTE peeps
1. Deep friendships (thank God for online networking)

This could be the single most depressing post I've written. I'd just like for all my Greenbrier family to know that my entire family appreciates and loves you all very much. You've been formative in our walk with Christ and I know God has great things in store for you. Thanks for your continued prayers and investment in us. You've likely meant more to us than you know.

So...the cat's out of the bag. My family and I are moving. I'll post some more stuff later, but the long and short of it is that Misty and I believe that God is calling us to be closer to our family. I'd like to go deeper into all the things that led us here, but I'm going to wait until it's all hindsight. Things are always clearer then. My Mom is going through her third round of chemo and Misty's Dad isn't exactly the picture of health. All those things combined with prayer and counsel from wise friends has led us to this place.

In His providence, He's also led us to a cool church (and a great team) that has been in the middle of some transition and is giving us an opportunity to love, lead and grow with Grace Community in Raleigh, NC. We're very sad to be leaving a place we love and friends we treasure, but are also excited about the days ahead. Sometime next week I'm going to post the 10 things I'll miss about here and the 10 things I'm looking forward to.

If you see me or my wife over the next couple of weeks, give us a hug; we'll need it. More details to come. In the meantime, what are your best tips for making a move successful? (especially where young kids are involved)

It's that time of year again. Time for worship leaders to bring their best "thankfulness" set and for pastors to preach their best "thankful" sermons. Sometimes it can be boring to fall into the same old routine. Truth is; I love this time of year. Not because people focus more on being thankful, but because this season begins to focus us on the One that every good gift comes from. Because leaves fall and I'm reminded that this season, whatever it is, isn't my end. That sometimes things have to die to become beautiful again. And that cold times are best spent with warm people.

I love that my family gets together. That friends get closer. Presents come more often and parties are the norm. I relish the hugs that others give that they might normally hold out on. I cherish seeing children marvel at the spectacle of it all. Most of all, I revel in Jesus who gives us a reason to celebrate and a season to treasure.

What do you love about this season?

Great stuff from 'Los Whitaker over at his blog today. Check it out.

Dear Church Member,

Dear Church Member from Ragamuffin Soul

Hey everybody. Join me in making a difference this season. One of the bloggers I enjoy, Anne Jackson, is joining forces with Soles4Souls to bring 50000 pairs of shoes in 50 days to people who need shoes. It is just $5 for 2 pairs of shoes. I just donated and it could not have been any easier! Spread the word! You can go to the site by clicking on the banner below. Our Pastor gave a challenging sermon yesterday about making investments in the health and eternal destiny of others and I was glad to see this happening today. Let's use the power of our social networks to exceed their goal! Now go clean out your car and turn that change into change! (I know that was hokey, but it felt good at the time)

I hate it when God throws the gauntlet down on me. I was reading Jesus' words this morning on the work of the Holy Spirit and came across this challenging passage.

"Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting His own ideas; He will be telling you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future." (John 16:12 & 13 NLT)

So, here's the BIG challenge for me out of that. If I'm truly being led by the Spirit then should I "not be presenting my ideas" but "telling what I've heard"? Should I hide myself in prayer until I have clarity about the "future" God has for those He's called me to lead and walk beside?

What a challenge and a call to prayer. How do you play out the call to lead with clarity? How do you "not present your own ideas" and present "what you've heard"?

Consider the gauntlet thrown.

Today is my first post on the iPhone. I thought I would try this out and see how it works for blogging.

Today is a BIG day for our Country. Hope everyone is going out to vote today. Throw up a prayer for our Country and one for my family as well. We just found that my Mom is going to have to go through with the stem cell transplant and would appreciate your prayers for that.

Did you vote today?

I have the blessing of leading multiple groups of worship teams in our church. I thought I'd share here what we're talking about this week.

I was praying for you guys and our teams this morning and thought it might be good for us to discuss life “beyond the set”. It’s oversimplifying things to think that our sole function as worship leaders and leaders of teams is to create and execute good worship sets. One of the mandates on Greenbrier is the desire to pour into the lives of others. I certainly don’t belittle the work of putting a set together, rehearsing a team and leading people in worship. But, there is another aspect to what we do in the way that we invest in the lives of people on our team.

I’m not just talking about a top down, “the leader sure cares about us”, kind of vibe but a familial feel on our teams that communicates that we are here for each other “beyond the set”. It is so very easy to get into execution mode, but let me give a real world example. How can we best equip our CrosStone (Jr. High) students as worshippers moving forward in their lives...

a) by teaching them the value of rehearsal, excellence, musical passion and exemplary worship enthusiasm?

or

b) by teaching them the value of transparent, real relationships that allow us all to learn and grow from each other and focus our lives on others?

I think both are important, but ultimately who a person is matters much more than what they do. I view our worship teams as another avenue for discipleship and growth in the lives of the people that choose to be a part of worship here. It’s more than a set list. More than a musical experience. More than an exercise in creativity. Worship here should and will go “beyond the set”. Because, ultimately, worship is about more than a musical expression but about a life lived in obedience to Him and committed to seeing His purpose accomplished in the lives of those He places around us. How do you play out worship “beyond the set” with your teams and where can we improve?

I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

I got a question from a friend about being asked to speak on "Responding to God in Worship". I thought I'd share my response here. I told him that I would start with:

a) we respond to God through worship because it is our created purpose
b) worship is not a narrow window involving music in corporate gatherings, although good, there is a greater purpose in worship
c) worship is ultimately what pleases God most; and obedience is what He enjoys that more than anything else we can bring

• Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.(1 Samuel 15:22)
• Old Testament worship including offering and sacrifices. God makes it clear here that He truly delights in obedience.

d) with obedience as the chief criteria for worship, then everything we do, (work, fun, music, worship as we normally define it, reaching out to someone in need, sharing Jesus, resisting temptation) can fall under the umbrella of worship

What would you say to someone on the topic of response to God in worship?