Well, week 2 is in the books and week 3 is about to begin! Once again, this past week was very exciting... very busy... and very rewarding! I cannot begin to explain how God has been blessing me this week! New friends, new learning, deeper relationships... God is great!!
This week, one of the big things that we learned about was that of the actions of the Trinity in our lives and in our worship! This wasn't necessarily new to me, but bringing this back into my head and applying it to worship on Sunday was just so overwhelming today... It is so amazing to know that even though we go to church to worship God, God is already there and, in fact, He is the one that has gathered us there! His Spirit has prompted us to come and we worship in it's power! Christ is the bridge in which we are able to come before God. Only through His blood are we counted righteous and worthy to come before God and bring our worship. More than that though, Christ is there worshiping with us AND is seated at the right hand of God interceding for us (Romans 8:34) and perfecting our worship... presenting it to God as a perfect offering of worship! Isn't this amazing to think about? We truly couldn't worship God without God... He makes it possible for us to do that which we are created to do!!!
Outside the realm of school, work at Overisel has been wonderful! I have been blessed with such a wonderful church body and devoted praise team members! After some conversations today, I am encouraged by the directions that God is us directing us in, and that we are being open and willing to move in this direction!! I say this because of the resistance that many of us are feeling from the enemy. I often take this as a sign that we are moving with God and that God Himself is moving in this place because it has Satan upset and working against us.
If you think of it in the analogy of an army... if your army advances and the enemy ignores it because it doesn't see it as a threat, then there might be a problem with the army... but if the enemy is scared and does everything it can to thwart you, then you are considered a danger... and the enemy feels the need to try and stop you.
What does this mean for us? Well... it means that things aren't going to be easy, that Satan is going to do his best to try and move against us, and that ABOVE ALL we need to be praying hard! God is our source, our strength, and our protection... and we need to solidify that relationship, that we can draw from that power (Romans 8:31)!
It also means that we need to be upholding each other in prayer as well! I would like to ask that you be in prayer for us at Overisel, and for our leadership, as we prepare for our educational season, work on the Revolution service, and seek to reach people for Christ through our work at the church building and in our individual lives of worship and service as well. I would also like to ask you to pray for myself and for Bethany as we move forward with wedding planning while in this busy time of seminary and work and stuff as well...
I have to say that I am really excited to see what God has in store for us this school year!
As we enter this next week, I pray the truth of this blessing holds true in your heart: Jude 1:24-25, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Week 1...
The Lord be with you...
So, I can officially say now that week 1 is in the books. Count it, check it off, and call it history! The first week of seminary has proven itself to be both exhilarating and stressful all at the same time. I am really looking forward to all of the things that I am going to be learning about, all the ways that God is going to be growing me, and for some of the major accomplishments that will be made in this first semester!
First off, before I go any further, I have to again give a huge shout out to my now fiancee Bethany, whom I love so much! She has been a great support for me in these last few weeks leading up to the beginning of this school year! Well that may be partially due to the fact that I proposed to her and she has to be, I know it is also true that she is excited for me to get started as well! I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART!! Thank You for being such a support to me! God has truly blessed me with you!
I want to try and make it a habit to share at least one thing that I have learned or has been impressed upon me throughout the week and share it on this blog. This week I have learned two really important things!
The first is that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I have had my nose in books for approx. 3-5 hours a day in this last week... and I don't even like to read... and I'm not really quick at it either. But, by the grace of God, I have made it through, started reading faster, and have retained a vast majority of it as well! Whats more... I'm actually almost a week ahead in my reading right now!!
The second, and probably more impacting thing that I have learned this week is about how good we have it, and how much we complain about nothing! This first week in my church history class, I have been reading and learning about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd century Christians and their struggles. First of all, these people couldn't even publicly be Christians without the fear of being dragged before a judge and forced to renounce Jesus or face torture/death, the latter being the more merciful of the two. Secondly, when they were caught and tortured, they rejoiced!! I mean things as gruesome as being forced to sit naked on a chair made of red hot iron until you denounce Christ... and we complain when church goes 5 minutes too long... I think that we as Christians often find ourselves complacent in our own little luxurious world. I don't know that I would be able to suffer whippings, beatings, or being burned like that without at least saying something bad...
That is all for now... I would like to ask continued prayers for finances for this year, and for God to continue to bless and strengthen me as I study!
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Grace and Peace...
So, I can officially say now that week 1 is in the books. Count it, check it off, and call it history! The first week of seminary has proven itself to be both exhilarating and stressful all at the same time. I am really looking forward to all of the things that I am going to be learning about, all the ways that God is going to be growing me, and for some of the major accomplishments that will be made in this first semester!
First off, before I go any further, I have to again give a huge shout out to my now fiancee Bethany, whom I love so much! She has been a great support for me in these last few weeks leading up to the beginning of this school year! Well that may be partially due to the fact that I proposed to her and she has to be, I know it is also true that she is excited for me to get started as well! I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART!! Thank You for being such a support to me! God has truly blessed me with you!
I want to try and make it a habit to share at least one thing that I have learned or has been impressed upon me throughout the week and share it on this blog. This week I have learned two really important things!
The first is that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I have had my nose in books for approx. 3-5 hours a day in this last week... and I don't even like to read... and I'm not really quick at it either. But, by the grace of God, I have made it through, started reading faster, and have retained a vast majority of it as well! Whats more... I'm actually almost a week ahead in my reading right now!!
The second, and probably more impacting thing that I have learned this week is about how good we have it, and how much we complain about nothing! This first week in my church history class, I have been reading and learning about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd century Christians and their struggles. First of all, these people couldn't even publicly be Christians without the fear of being dragged before a judge and forced to renounce Jesus or face torture/death, the latter being the more merciful of the two. Secondly, when they were caught and tortured, they rejoiced!! I mean things as gruesome as being forced to sit naked on a chair made of red hot iron until you denounce Christ... and we complain when church goes 5 minutes too long... I think that we as Christians often find ourselves complacent in our own little luxurious world. I don't know that I would be able to suffer whippings, beatings, or being burned like that without at least saying something bad...
That is all for now... I would like to ask continued prayers for finances for this year, and for God to continue to bless and strengthen me as I study!
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Grace and Peace...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Beginning...
The Lord be with you!
Well... it appears that Seminary has begun! Today was my first day... and a great day it was! I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things. I have a great deal of work ahead of me, but I know that the Lord will be my strength and my supply as I work, learn, read, study, write, read, and then read some more.
I look forward to writing about the many things that God is showing me throughout these next few years...
If you could please pray for me as I work on getting organized and back into the swing of things for this semester, that would be fantastic! God has shown his abundant goodness in many things leading up to this time, and I know He will continue to be faithful each and every day!
Grace and Peace...
Well... it appears that Seminary has begun! Today was my first day... and a great day it was! I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things. I have a great deal of work ahead of me, but I know that the Lord will be my strength and my supply as I work, learn, read, study, write, read, and then read some more.
I look forward to writing about the many things that God is showing me throughout these next few years...
If you could please pray for me as I work on getting organized and back into the swing of things for this semester, that would be fantastic! God has shown his abundant goodness in many things leading up to this time, and I know He will continue to be faithful each and every day!
Grace and Peace...
Monday, August 22, 2011
Worship Matters
So your friend asks, “What is worship?” It seems like such a simple question doesn’t it? I think that we often think to ourselves that we have to go to church and worship… or we’re going to a worship service… or because we are singing it is the “worship part” of the service. But what is worship really? I think that the answer is much more complicated than just singing, praying, or anything that brings worship down to just one thing.
This question is a lot like if I were to ask you to explain Football, Baseball, or any other sport to someone that has never seen the sport played. You couldn’t just say “You throw/catch/run the ball” or “you have to score a touchdown/basket/run.” Neither of those would be an ample explanation for what is going on during the game. Neither could you just hand your curious friend a book and tell them to read it through so that they understand without the hassle of your explanation.
What do we do then, in response to our friend’s inquiry about what we do every Sunday morning? Could we show them a bulletin and try to explain the whole thing to them? This might help a little bit to know what is going on in that particular service. Could we just send them to a Pastor? Perhaps he would have a rather informed answer for our inquisitive friend, but I think it more important for us to know about what it is that we do when we worship… and for that we must turn ourselves to the Bible.
The Psalms seem to be the first logical choice to turn to; they seem to be overflowing with “worship language:”
Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come let us Worship and Bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker…”
Psalm 109:30 “With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.”
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
So worship is Praise, Prayer, singing, kneeling, clapping, and even bowing? It would seem that if you look to the Psalms for direction in worship, it would suggest a very physical response to worship. In fact, the words that the Hebrews used for worship are suggestive of that as well. In fact, the Hebrews, when the Word of the Lord was read, would stand in reverence, and would bow with their faces to the ground in times of prayer.
Looking to the New Testament, Jesus, and later the Apostles, takes the idea of worship to the level that it was intended to be. Worship was never intended to be simply an event that was limited to a single day, week, festival, or celebration… worship was meant to be a way of life! Jesus points this out to the religious leaders in Matthew 15 when He quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Later, Paul talks about giving our lives to God in what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Worship isn’t something that we should be saving for a Sunday morning… worship is a life transforming act. When we sing songs, pray together, and hear the Word, it is to be something that changes our lives each and every day. Remember: WORSIHP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT and just as athletes have to change their lives to train and play the game well, so we need to refocus our lives on God, read the Word, Pray, Sing, and train for our lives for worship as well!
This question is a lot like if I were to ask you to explain Football, Baseball, or any other sport to someone that has never seen the sport played. You couldn’t just say “You throw/catch/run the ball” or “you have to score a touchdown/basket/run.” Neither of those would be an ample explanation for what is going on during the game. Neither could you just hand your curious friend a book and tell them to read it through so that they understand without the hassle of your explanation.
What do we do then, in response to our friend’s inquiry about what we do every Sunday morning? Could we show them a bulletin and try to explain the whole thing to them? This might help a little bit to know what is going on in that particular service. Could we just send them to a Pastor? Perhaps he would have a rather informed answer for our inquisitive friend, but I think it more important for us to know about what it is that we do when we worship… and for that we must turn ourselves to the Bible.
The Psalms seem to be the first logical choice to turn to; they seem to be overflowing with “worship language:”
Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come let us Worship and Bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker…”
Psalm 109:30 “With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.”
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
So worship is Praise, Prayer, singing, kneeling, clapping, and even bowing? It would seem that if you look to the Psalms for direction in worship, it would suggest a very physical response to worship. In fact, the words that the Hebrews used for worship are suggestive of that as well. In fact, the Hebrews, when the Word of the Lord was read, would stand in reverence, and would bow with their faces to the ground in times of prayer.
Looking to the New Testament, Jesus, and later the Apostles, takes the idea of worship to the level that it was intended to be. Worship was never intended to be simply an event that was limited to a single day, week, festival, or celebration… worship was meant to be a way of life! Jesus points this out to the religious leaders in Matthew 15 when He quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Later, Paul talks about giving our lives to God in what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Worship isn’t something that we should be saving for a Sunday morning… worship is a life transforming act. When we sing songs, pray together, and hear the Word, it is to be something that changes our lives each and every day. Remember: WORSIHP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT and just as athletes have to change their lives to train and play the game well, so we need to refocus our lives on God, read the Word, Pray, Sing, and train for our lives for worship as well!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Worship Matters
During these hot summer months, I am reminded of my times playing little league baseball and what that all entailed for my family: Pain staking, hot practices in which we practiced catching pop-flies for hours on end, practice on throwing the ball straight, and long games at night or early on Saturday morning. We put in a lot of work to get the results that we were seeking… A WIN!
I remember one other part of my short and limited baseball career, my parent’s involvement. They would be sure that I got there, my clothes were clean and on correctly, but then they would just sit there and watch while we did the work. Now, for the record, I am not discounting my parents at all… but bear with me for the sake of the topic…
My teammates and I practiced a lot and our results were team work and the ability to play together. Had my parents tried to just get up and play with the team (especially in the later years) their actions wouldn’t have really been of much benefit to our team. They were spectators, like most of us at sporting events… we come, sit, and are entertained by what is happening on the field that day (good or bad).
Sometimes I wonder how much that resonates with our church life as well. Do we come on a Sunday morning with clean clothes that are on right and then just sit in the stands and watch things happen (good or bad)? I think too often we do. We want to sit and be entertained, to get out of church what we want to hear from the pastor, to sing our songs, but not really get involved. We aren’t truly seeking life transforming worship or opening our hearts to the Spirit, it’s really all about what we want.
Is this right? NO!!! WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
We cannot just show up and sit in our seats and expect to worship. We can’t just sing some words and expect them to affect us. We CANNOT just idly listen to the words in the sermon and expect to be changed!! We NEED to get out of our seats and get into the game!!! It’s time that we put off the things of this world that seek to distract us… It’s time that we open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming work… It’s time that we put Jesus back at the center of our lives… It’s time that we really worship!!
In our look at the Fruits of the Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit…” and implies that by doing this we will be not walking in the desires of the sinful nature. To me this implies an active, meaningful effort on our part. James writes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This too implies that we have to make some sort of effort.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that we can get to God by our own effort, for we all know that this is not true. We only have access to God through the Blood of Christ. However, if we are truly seeking to worship, to be transformed by the Spirit, and to be renewed by the saving power of God Himself, we need to do our best to make sure that we are in a place in which that work can be done! The words we sing need to be more than words… they need to be truth for our lives. The Word we read needs to be more than a book… It needs to be truth to our lives. Our Sundays, and every day, needs to be more than just sitting and being entertained… it needs to be active, meaningful, worship!!
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
I remember one other part of my short and limited baseball career, my parent’s involvement. They would be sure that I got there, my clothes were clean and on correctly, but then they would just sit there and watch while we did the work. Now, for the record, I am not discounting my parents at all… but bear with me for the sake of the topic…
My teammates and I practiced a lot and our results were team work and the ability to play together. Had my parents tried to just get up and play with the team (especially in the later years) their actions wouldn’t have really been of much benefit to our team. They were spectators, like most of us at sporting events… we come, sit, and are entertained by what is happening on the field that day (good or bad).
Sometimes I wonder how much that resonates with our church life as well. Do we come on a Sunday morning with clean clothes that are on right and then just sit in the stands and watch things happen (good or bad)? I think too often we do. We want to sit and be entertained, to get out of church what we want to hear from the pastor, to sing our songs, but not really get involved. We aren’t truly seeking life transforming worship or opening our hearts to the Spirit, it’s really all about what we want.
Is this right? NO!!! WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
We cannot just show up and sit in our seats and expect to worship. We can’t just sing some words and expect them to affect us. We CANNOT just idly listen to the words in the sermon and expect to be changed!! We NEED to get out of our seats and get into the game!!! It’s time that we put off the things of this world that seek to distract us… It’s time that we open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming work… It’s time that we put Jesus back at the center of our lives… It’s time that we really worship!!
In our look at the Fruits of the Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit…” and implies that by doing this we will be not walking in the desires of the sinful nature. To me this implies an active, meaningful effort on our part. James writes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This too implies that we have to make some sort of effort.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that we can get to God by our own effort, for we all know that this is not true. We only have access to God through the Blood of Christ. However, if we are truly seeking to worship, to be transformed by the Spirit, and to be renewed by the saving power of God Himself, we need to do our best to make sure that we are in a place in which that work can be done! The words we sing need to be more than words… they need to be truth for our lives. The Word we read needs to be more than a book… It needs to be truth to our lives. Our Sundays, and every day, needs to be more than just sitting and being entertained… it needs to be active, meaningful, worship!!
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Supporters!
Recently, I received a check in the mail... it simply said "For Seminary." Now, this isn't a post to ask for more of those (however unopposed I would be to getting them) but just to express my thanks. The person that wrote the check will probably never read this, but her support of me has been probably only been paralleled by my parents.
Millie Burman is probably in her 80's, very loving, tender, and wonderful elderly Christian woman. When I was in high school she approached me for the first time and told me, "Jon, I really feel like God is calling you to seminary. I'm going to pray that you go to seminary."
My initial reaction was, NO! Please God, No! Pretty much every time that I've seen her since then she has made it a point to tell me that she is still praying that I go to seminary. I even made it a point of avoid her sometimes so that I wouldn't have to hear it... but she persisted... and prayed...
Ever met one of those people that, when they pray about something, its pretty much guaranteed that its going to happen? Yeah... that's Millie. So, though it made her very happy, it came as no real surprise to her when I told her finally that I was actually going to seminary.
Now, after an overwhelming amount of prayer support (which in and of itself I'm sure will get me through the next three years) she sends me money as well.
I'm floored... astounded... what a truly wonderful person. I am so thankful for her!
I only hope that I can be as committed a prayer warrior and as giving a person as her some day...
Thank You Millie Burman! God is truly using her in many, many ways! (I told her this too, for the record, seen as she probably won't see this particular posting)
Grace and Peace...
Millie Burman is probably in her 80's, very loving, tender, and wonderful elderly Christian woman. When I was in high school she approached me for the first time and told me, "Jon, I really feel like God is calling you to seminary. I'm going to pray that you go to seminary."
My initial reaction was, NO! Please God, No! Pretty much every time that I've seen her since then she has made it a point to tell me that she is still praying that I go to seminary. I even made it a point of avoid her sometimes so that I wouldn't have to hear it... but she persisted... and prayed...
Ever met one of those people that, when they pray about something, its pretty much guaranteed that its going to happen? Yeah... that's Millie. So, though it made her very happy, it came as no real surprise to her when I told her finally that I was actually going to seminary.
Now, after an overwhelming amount of prayer support (which in and of itself I'm sure will get me through the next three years) she sends me money as well.
I'm floored... astounded... what a truly wonderful person. I am so thankful for her!
I only hope that I can be as committed a prayer warrior and as giving a person as her some day...
Thank You Millie Burman! God is truly using her in many, many ways! (I told her this too, for the record, seen as she probably won't see this particular posting)
Grace and Peace...
Friday, June 10, 2011
Worship Matters
I feel the need to post this... I am creating a column to post in my new church's monthly newsletter... and I thought that posting it here would be a good thing as well! It was an especially difficult, and always ongoing examination of my heart...
After writing in and reading last month’s edition of the Overview, I was somewhat encouraged by what a wonderful resource this is for the church! So much going on from so many different angles, it seemed to me a shame for a resource like this to go to waste, so I am going to start a new column in it that I have affectionately called “Worship Matters” after one of my favorite books on Worship by Bob Kauflin. Why steal a book title name, you may ask… to which my response would be, Because Worship MATTERS! Would you not agree? Throughout the last 2 or 3 decades it seems like worship, or more appropriately music has been at the forefront of church discussion, direction, argument, conflict, thought, frustration, vision, etc… I mean really, we have even come up with the term “worship wars” to give an overarching name to that which has been one of the church’s biggest sticking points in recent history. It is my hope that through this column I can convey my thoughts about this subject as well as my heart, conviction and passion that come with it. Through these writings and continued discussion and exploration, I hope we can come to a point at which we are seeking true worship of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I guess the first thing that one is supposed to do when starting a new column is to prove to the reader that it is a good read… I mean it wouldn’t make much sense to write something that no one wants to read, would it? So what’s in this that makes it a good article to read once a moth? I hope that it will perhaps be both necessary and informational? Maybe some humor? Worship is a very important thing for us to talk about, to know about, and to do. We come here every Sunday, sometimes twice, to “worship” God… we ought to know and understand why… and so that, I guess, is where we shall begin.
We come here each and every Sunday to Worship God. Why? Is this something we do out of a staunch, traditionalistic religiosity (big word for religious zeal)? Do we do this because our parents tell us to, or simply because it’s what we have always done on Sunday morning? I think that first and foremost, before we even look at what worship is, we need to know and understand why it is that we are here… not just here at Overisel, though that is a part of it, but here on this Earth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (aka. the easier one to read) says in its first question and answer, Q.1. What is the chief end of man? A.1. Man's chief end is to glorify (worship) God and enjoy Him forever. Things don’t really get any simpler than that do they? What is the purpose of our being here? To Worship, Glorify, Honor, and Praise God! Not just on Sunday mornings either… FOREVER! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Given that Worship is the primary reason for our existence, I think it goes without saying that these things are important (probably closer to “vital, imperative,” or even “central”) to talk about… yes? Coming back to my favorite book, Bob Kauflin writes that worship is a matter of “infinite importance!” He goes on to ask the question, “Is it [worship] a matter of infinite importance to you?” Honestly, if the chief purpose of our creation is indeed to worship God, then shouldn’t it be the chief purpose of our lives as well? Too often we try to fill our lives with temporal things (idols if you will) to fill eternal holes.
God wants us to love (one definition of love being “worship”) Him more than anything else in our lives. Until we do just that, everything else in our lives will be out of sorts. Our worship extends beyond the few hours we spend at church each week… it is OUR LIVES. Worship is more than an opportunity to sing, use musical gifts, a heightened emotional experience, the latest songs, the best hymns, or even the instruments we use; worship is about Love, about what we live for, about who we are before God, and about the true focus and adoration of our hearts.
The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heard engaged steadfastly for God. –Isaac Watts (a really great hymn writer).
My Friends, as we embark on a journey to find the true meaning and focus of our worship, it is time that we deeply examine our lives as well…
How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday Morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most?
Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or goes we love and worship.
That’s why as worship leaders [and worshipers] the primary concern can’t be on song preparation, [instruments used, style of music] creative arrangements, or the cool gear. Our primary concern has to be the state of our hearts. – Bob Kauflin (with additions).
Grace and Peace…
After writing in and reading last month’s edition of the Overview, I was somewhat encouraged by what a wonderful resource this is for the church! So much going on from so many different angles, it seemed to me a shame for a resource like this to go to waste, so I am going to start a new column in it that I have affectionately called “Worship Matters” after one of my favorite books on Worship by Bob Kauflin. Why steal a book title name, you may ask… to which my response would be, Because Worship MATTERS! Would you not agree? Throughout the last 2 or 3 decades it seems like worship, or more appropriately music has been at the forefront of church discussion, direction, argument, conflict, thought, frustration, vision, etc… I mean really, we have even come up with the term “worship wars” to give an overarching name to that which has been one of the church’s biggest sticking points in recent history. It is my hope that through this column I can convey my thoughts about this subject as well as my heart, conviction and passion that come with it. Through these writings and continued discussion and exploration, I hope we can come to a point at which we are seeking true worship of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I guess the first thing that one is supposed to do when starting a new column is to prove to the reader that it is a good read… I mean it wouldn’t make much sense to write something that no one wants to read, would it? So what’s in this that makes it a good article to read once a moth? I hope that it will perhaps be both necessary and informational? Maybe some humor? Worship is a very important thing for us to talk about, to know about, and to do. We come here every Sunday, sometimes twice, to “worship” God… we ought to know and understand why… and so that, I guess, is where we shall begin.
We come here each and every Sunday to Worship God. Why? Is this something we do out of a staunch, traditionalistic religiosity (big word for religious zeal)? Do we do this because our parents tell us to, or simply because it’s what we have always done on Sunday morning? I think that first and foremost, before we even look at what worship is, we need to know and understand why it is that we are here… not just here at Overisel, though that is a part of it, but here on this Earth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (aka. the easier one to read) says in its first question and answer, Q.1. What is the chief end of man? A.1. Man's chief end is to glorify (worship) God and enjoy Him forever. Things don’t really get any simpler than that do they? What is the purpose of our being here? To Worship, Glorify, Honor, and Praise God! Not just on Sunday mornings either… FOREVER! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Given that Worship is the primary reason for our existence, I think it goes without saying that these things are important (probably closer to “vital, imperative,” or even “central”) to talk about… yes? Coming back to my favorite book, Bob Kauflin writes that worship is a matter of “infinite importance!” He goes on to ask the question, “Is it [worship] a matter of infinite importance to you?” Honestly, if the chief purpose of our creation is indeed to worship God, then shouldn’t it be the chief purpose of our lives as well? Too often we try to fill our lives with temporal things (idols if you will) to fill eternal holes.
God wants us to love (one definition of love being “worship”) Him more than anything else in our lives. Until we do just that, everything else in our lives will be out of sorts. Our worship extends beyond the few hours we spend at church each week… it is OUR LIVES. Worship is more than an opportunity to sing, use musical gifts, a heightened emotional experience, the latest songs, the best hymns, or even the instruments we use; worship is about Love, about what we live for, about who we are before God, and about the true focus and adoration of our hearts.
The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heard engaged steadfastly for God. –Isaac Watts (a really great hymn writer).
My Friends, as we embark on a journey to find the true meaning and focus of our worship, it is time that we deeply examine our lives as well…
How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday Morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most?
Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or goes we love and worship.
That’s why as worship leaders [and worshipers] the primary concern can’t be on song preparation, [instruments used, style of music] creative arrangements, or the cool gear. Our primary concern has to be the state of our hearts. – Bob Kauflin (with additions).
Grace and Peace…
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