Wanna Be HOT?

Do you want to be hot?

I do. I really do.

And I want everyone in my family, circle of ministry, and broader circle of friends to be HOT too.

Like metal just out of the furnace, I want to be malleable, ready to be more like Jesus.

Oh... you thought I meant HOT like an underwear model? Well, that'd be nice, but I'm learning from my friends in Life Action Ministries that there's another way to be HOT, one that makes much more of an impact in our world:

H - Humble
O - Obedient
T - Teachable

I probably spent 12-15 hours last week with the worship team from Life Action. They were so HOT that I didn't want to leave them. Every time I was in the room and they ran through a song... "what could we do better, Rod?"

Sometimes I didn't know. And sometimes I wasn't sure. And sometimes I had a helpful scriptural truth or musical concept to share. And it changed me, it changed them, it changed our relationship with one another, and ultimately it even changed the experiences of worship we shared afterwards.

Upon reflection, I'm pretty sure it wasn't my counsel that had those effects, it was their willingness to be HOT.

Did you catch that? 'Cause I think it is amazing. If my council hadn't made anything "better," our worship gatherings would've still been better because they demonstrated their HOT-ness in those hours together.

That's why I want to be HOT. If I can be humble, obedient, and teachable in every relationship, then those relationships, as well as the community we experience together, will be transforming--both for us and for the folks around us. And because I'm a worship pastor, our worship gatherings will be better too.

Amazing.

I feel like some scriptures are needed to illuminate my little insight. I could just suggest we read and re-read (and re-read) Philippians 2, because that would certainly help, but for right now let me just suggest we consider (maybe read it slowly 5-6 times to really consider it, rather than just getting through it) these 3 verses from that chapter:

Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out for you own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Phil 2:3-5)

Do We Really Want It?

I heard a couple of unrelated conversations today that made me think of something unrelated to them.

Sounds like a great way to end up with a blog post, don't you think?

One was on ESPN. The commentator had attended the football practice of a perennial powerhouse program that is really struggling. He was struck by the fact that "none of the players looked like they wanted to be great." That's quite a statement. In this massively competitive (even if eternally, fairly insignificant) context, he said he could always walk onto a practice field and pick out the guys who wanted to be great. They were often the ones who would be leading their teams to great seasons as well as those who would go on to the NFL.

The other was in person, at my church. Our guest worship band was practicing. One of their members was doing something on her phone while the others were taking some time to do individual practicing and assorted tasks related to their roles. The leader of the band suggested that this was work time and that she might want to practice any number of places she needed improvement rather than playing on her phone. (Yikes!)



And then I thought about the groups I lead, the rehearsals I facilitate. Do I really want to be great? Not so I can achieve fame and fortune like the NFL promises, but so I can honor my perfect Heavenly Father. And when it is time to work--to practice--am I giving myself fully to that?

And then I was reminded of why I started Worship Coach: to help churches make worship great. Seems to me that most of us stop at right rather than moving along to good, let alone great. (I wrote a series of blog posts that start HERE called "Should Worship Be Great?")

The stakes are not just higher, they are infinitely higher.

The words we sing are not just moving, they're transformational.

And I wonder... if a guest were to observe any of our rehearsals, would they perceive that I/we want to be great? I hope so. I pray so. And I need to do better at making sure if they are paying attention to me...well, there's not doubt. I want to be great for my great King. And I want worship to be great to honor Him, to strengthen the Body of Christ, and to testify to those far from God.

What if Revival Really Comes?

In 3 days, our church embarks on an 8 day “Summit” with Life Action Ministries. In old-school language, this is a week-long revival. Our pastoral team sensed God leading us in this direction well over a year ago. With increasing frequency and intensity we’ve been preparing ever since.











But over the last few days I have started to prepare deeply. I’ve prayed for hundreds of church members by name. I’ve prayed for my family. I’ve prayed for myself. I’ve prayed for my pastor. I’ve prayed for our community. I’ve prayed extra for my worship leaders—vocalists, instrumentalists, technical artists. I was part of our church’s prayer vigil—168 hours of back to back prayers—by taking the 2am slot on Tuesday.

My heart feels soft, like fertile ground ready for God’s word to be placed deeply into my soul.

And, like my pastor has expressed so well, I share his two fears:
     1) What if revival doesn’t come? What if we spend thousands of hours, thousands of dollars, and untold emotional energy preparing, and 3 months from now we’re all the same? I’m a little bit afraid of that. But my greater fear may come in this…
     2) What if revival does come? Will this require me to change some parts of my soul, heart, mind, and actions that I may not be too excited about changing? That probably isn’t troubling for you, but it is for me. And then as a church leader I have another list of fears. They may be a reflection of the extent to which I am a “quality control freak” or—more frighteningly—a poor leader. So I started listing questions and I thought they might serve you too. Are these fears you have—as a part of Woodburn Baptist Church, or as a servant leader in your own church?

1) What if I no longer feel like I’m guiding the ebb and flow of the worship gathering?
2) What if decisions are made differently… and what if I don’t get to be part of making them?
3) What if people that I'm comfortable being uncomfortable with seek reconciliation with me?
4) What if God calls me to do something unexpected? And I don't like it?
5) What if Jesus asks me to die to something I really, really love?
6) What if I feel called to serve the poor, or those very different from me? How will I respond?
7) Perhaps most frighteningly, what if people find out what I'm really like in the deep places of my heart? Will they accept me? Love me? Follow me?

Your list of questions may be very different. But I'd like to encourage you to put together a list. 

In fact, maybe the questions could be more helpful if framed like this:
1) What if I am swept up in the ebb and flow of Spirit-led worship?
2) What if decisions are made differently...and what if every decision feels Christ-centered?
3) What if God does a work of reconciliation? How beautiful might the outcome of that be?
4) What if God calls me to something unexpected and it feels like what I was meant to do all along?
5) What if Jesus raises up a part of me that had been dead and I begin to experience a more abundant life?
6) What if in serving those different from me I discover a part of my life that I'd missed out on?
7) What if, when people find out about the deep places in my soul, they accept me, love me and follow me even more?

Come, Lord Jesus. Bring revival to our church. Then to our town. Then to our region. And finally to our world. May it start with me!

What if your church isn't entering a season of programmed revival? Well, that's okay. I suspect God wants to do these things in our weekly worship gatherings just as much as He does in our revival week.

What do you think?

Untapped Power?

The older I get, and the more I look at Jesus and the men and women of the Bible, the more I find myself searching for real life, walking-around-people who can model mature faith for me. The book of 1 Corinthians calls them “spiritual fathers.”

One of the great blessings of serving at Woodburn Baptist Church is that I’ve found several. Many are more like big brothers than fathers, but I want to tell you about one of the things that has really impacted me from Don, a man who is old enough to be my father.

You see, every once in a while Don will be listening to our pastor (Tim) preach, and when Tim is struggling to say something that’s difficult—because it is deeply emotional for him, or because it will be hard for some to hear, or… well, any reason you can imagine, Don will quietly say “bless him, Lord.” 

That’s it.

“Bless him, Lord.”

And then God does. Tim says beautifully whatever he was struggling to say. And it connects with the deep places in the souls of we who listen.

But it goes deeper.

Don has been doing this for Tim for years. Many years. And God has been blessing Tim as a preacher for those years. There seems to me to be a cumulative effect—the more Don blesses Tim as he preaches, the more blessed Tim’s preaching becomes. It is so beautiful I’m nearly in tears just thinking about it.

But it goes deeper still.

You see, Don is Tim’s dad. Like, literally his dad. Don has been praying God’s blessing over Tim for every one of Tim’s 49 years. It didn’t start with Tim’s preaching or Don’s listening, it started with Tim’s breathing. Probably even before Tim was breathing.

And so I wonder… how much power could we wield speaking God’s blessing over those we love, or know, or don’t even know. And then I wonder… what if we started blessing one another routinely. I don’t mean praying for people who have a special need—that’s essential, of course. I mean when we hear of someone who is struggling to do the right thing, what if we just said “Bless him, Lord” or “Bless her, Lord.” 

What could change in that person’s world?

In our world?

In the world?

Remember Abraham, and how much God used him to bless the nations of the earth?

Remember Jacob and Esau, and how much they yearned for the blessing of Isaac?

Perhaps most importantly, remember the instruction of Paul: “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.” (Romans 12:14)

I’m curious… how do you experience this in your Christian journey?

How Can I Create Holy Expectancy?

I was honored to spend some time with a couple of churches recently as a Worship Coach. One of the questions a pastor asked stroked me as profound. I thought my answers might serve you as well.

His question? "How can I help my congregation come to the worship gathering with a sense of expectancy?"

Don't you love that question? I do!

My first answer was actually a question, and I think it is essential. I'll ask you the same question: "Do you come with a sense of expectation that God is gonna do something?" 

Leaders, if we don't come expecting God to do something God-sized, I don't see how we can expect those we're leading to do so. Shouldn't that anticipation penetrate the way we prepare sermons, choose songs, rehearse musicians, and pray for those who will come?

Now that we've covered that, here are some other things we talked about:

• Before the next time you gather to worship, ask God to create a sense of holy expectancy. When you gather with others to pray, ask God together. When you gather as a church to pray, ask God corporately--as a faith community.
• At the beginning of a service, call people to worship. I don't just mean to read the first few verses of Psalm 100 or Psalm 150, though I'm all for using passages like those and do so myself. More than that, let's call people to engage in worship. Perhaps you could use your own words to say something like, "Let's connect our hearts with the heart of God and discover together just how much He loves us." You can find a hundred ways of your own to do the same.
• At the end of the worship gathering, announce what you're excited about next week--a new series, a new sermon, a specific audience the Word will serve powerfully, etc.
• Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube etc. to herald the things that are exciting to you about the service. (I will sometimes share a great YouTube video of a song we'll sing in worship.)
• Encourage everyone you can, in small groups or one-on-one conversations, to engage in personal, private, daily worship. The more people worship on their own, the more dynamic when those people gather together. Said another way, personal worship explodes public worship.
• As lives are changed--especially as that happens IN the worship gathering--a very natural, organic sense of expectation will develop. Find ways to share the stories of life change when you learn about them. Use videos or live testimonies. Publish stories in the church newsletter and on the website. Celebrate life change and people will come to expect life change. I can't imagine a better way to create holy expectancy!
• Finally, success breeds success. The more people start to experience worship as dynamic, powerful, engaging, transforming, etc. the more they will begin to expect it.

I hope this serves you and those with whom you worship.

Are there other ways you do this in your congregation and community?

Prophet, Priest and King

This trio of descriptors--prophet, priest and king--has been used by lots of folks to describe 3 facets of leadership.

A prophet speaks truth clearly, compellingly. A faithful prophet speaks God's truth faithfully.

A priest cares for people deeply. A faithful prophet is an advocate for his/her people before God.

A king rules with care and wisdom. A faithful king uses structures and systems to make life better for those under his umbrella of leadership.

Autobiographically speaking, being a prophet came first--I was speaking truth pretty well  as a teenager. Being a priest came second--about a decade ago I found myself caring for people in ways I never had before. But this king-thing. I'm still waiting on that part. Actually, I've made great strides--by God's grace. But I don't want to get bogged down in my own junk.

I want to share something that has really struck me powerfully in the last few weeks.

If we'll lead well, like a great king--making life better for those we serve--it will be easier for them to believe we care for them deeply, and then they will be even more open to hearing the truth of God's word.

But if the folks under our care struggle with logistics, or are distracted by practical oversights, then it may never occur to them that we care and they may never get to the place where they are able to hear us speak life-changing truth. So leaders, let's manage time well, communicate logistics clearly, consider how our choices affect their "day-to-day" lives.

Young leaders, don't just live in the part of this triad that comes easily. Pursue all three. Surround yourself with people who can both compensate for the ways you aren't yet developed and who will help you grow into all the roles.

Oh, a word of hope might be helpful here, yes?

Jesus was and is the perfect and complete manifestation of Prophet, Priest, and King. That's only half of the good news. The rest?

According to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, your old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer you who live, but Christ lives in you... as Prophet, as Priest and as King. Hallelujah!

Dangerous Righteousness

The Christian scriptures seem to place a very high value on righteousness. In fact, I can't imagine an easier premise to prove in book after book, chapter after chapter. 

But it strikes me that there are two kids of righteousness that are dangerous, and perhaps even more dangerous for those who lead in worship than for others in less visible places of ministry.

The first is something I struggle with a great deal--and have since I was a kid. It's called self-righteousness. 

The second is something I find more tempting the older I get, and it's called false-righteousness.

Both are deceptive. Both are lies from the enemy.

Self-righteousness is when we think we are better than we are--and, God help us, better than those around us. God is slowly healing me of this, but I still battle it often.

False-righteousness is when we want others to think we are better than we are, and usually, better than they are. For me, this is the other side of the same coin. For others, the struggle may be one or the other.

Can you see why this is dangerous, especially on a stage? The bright lights and the attention of others can magnify these temptations.


There is a danger we might not see as easily, but I've encountered it repeatedly. When we are on stage, representing the God who calls us to righteousness, there is always a chance that we'll be found out. What if someone you work with, live near, go to school with, or even share a house with--what if they hear you on stage declaring the glory of a life changed by Jesus but see you off the stage bearing evidence of a life that testifies to just the opposite?  Well, when we do that, we've lost credibility. We've damaged the opportunity to bear witness to those far from God about the power of God to redeem and rescue us, to free us from a life bound by sin.

But there's good news--no GREAT NEWS!

One of my favorite verses comes from the most famous sermon ever preached. Jesus said, in Matthew 6:33, "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well."

You see, the antidote for self-righteousness and false-righteousness is Christ's righteousness. That's what we seek. That's Whose we seek. 

So let's seek--and by that I mean, let's pursue, go after, peer in every corner, look in every scripture passage--the kind of righteousness that comes from our God. It won't be condescending to others, it won't even be offensive to others. Remember, Jesus lived a life that was 100% righteous, yet those chasing sin found Him compelling, attractive, and transformational. 

There's more at stake than how we perceive ourselves and how others think about us. That's why we need the righteousness of Christ, the kind that flows from the inside out.

I love the way The Message translates Paul's desire for the same thing: "I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness." (Phil 3:9)

Bad Biblical Worship?

Does the title trouble you? Can Biblical worship be bad?

Actually, it can.

You see, most of what I read about worship these days, especially in blogs like this one, are about created things—screens, hymnals, organs, drums, keys, etc.

I find it fascinating that the Bible is silent on issues like this. I find it equally fascinating--and extremely challenging--that it is not at all silent on things related to worship like obedience, engaging both our heart and minds, and the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ.

Consider a powerful passage by the minor prophet Amos. It describes bad worship, and it's in the Bible.

"I hate all your show and pretense--
     the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
     I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noise hymns of praise!
     I will not listen to the music of your harps.

No mention of screens or hymnals. Nothing about harps being good or bad. But God seems quite upset with "noisy hymns of praise." Of praise. God was upset with their praise.

Maybe we should be more concerned about why our Father would use words like "I hate... and I will not accept... and I won't even notice... or I will not listen."

This is bad, Biblical worship.

Maybe that’s why I feel compelled to write so often about the “impractical” side of worship. As long as we are missing the mark on the things the Bible tells us clearly, we are probably wasting our time debating the myriad of things the Bible doesn’t tell us.

Let's not stop here, though. We should get to what makes for good Biblical worship.

What did God want from the people Amos was sent to admonish? It's in the very next verse:

"Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
     and endless river of righteous living."

As just one among thousands and thousands of worship leaders, I'd like to suggest we spend a little more time working toward justice and righteous living and a little less time posturing (even arguing) about the things where God chooses silence.

What do you think?

Wanna Eat Raw Chicken?

Have you ever eaten raw chicken?

I don't think I would. Now I've eaten chicken in all kinds of ways for all three daily meals and in multiple countries, but I can't imagine eating it raw. There's just gotta be some kind of preparation. And, the more time spent preparing the chicken, the more possibilities of great flavor.

A while back I had scrumptious grilled chicken at a friend's house. Prepared with a Pampered Chef rub, then grilled. It took an investment of planning, purchasing, rubbing and cooking. And it was fabulous.

I cook chicken sometimes, too. My favorite simple way is to put some garlic powder on it, drizzle lemon juice over it, put it in a baking dish with a little water, and then slowly bake it. Doesn't take a real long time, but it takes time.

But my favorite chicken of all time has to be when my grandmother would cook it for dinner (that was lunch in her her world) by cutting it up, breading it, and then frying it. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. My brothers and I used to fight over the crumbs.

What in the world does all of this have to do with worship?

Simple, really.

Worship well done (pun intended) requires preparation. Planning. Purchasing. Practicing. And the best services I've ever been part of leading involved practicing both individually and together.

Raw chicken will make you sick. I'm concerned that raw worship leading can keep our worship ministries from being healthy.

In my current church position, I get to see young worship leaders a lot. It is easy to tell when they have spent a good amount of time preparing on their own, spent time preparing with one another, and then--fully prepared--led beautifully.

Conversely, it is easy to pick out when they have failed to prepare on their own before practicing with others, or have difficulty prioritizing practice with others. The best musicians get by, but they significantly limit themselves musically. Perhaps more importantly, they struggle to get past the music and to a place of freedom to worship.

I suspect this is not only true for young leaders but for all of us.

Don't be a chicken. Prepare well. Serve well. Lead well.

Pretenders?

Romans 12:9 says, "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them."


If you serve in any sort of leadership--as a paid servant or an unpaid one--I can't imagine a more potent "horizontal" instruction from scripture.

I confess: I have often pretended to love others. I think I most often pretend to myself, not to them. But still, for most of my career I don't think I've loved people very well.

Now, lest you think me more of a jerk than I really am, I have certainly loved some people. You know, those that were quick to support me personally or my ministry... I loved them really well. The more they loved the songs I picked, the more I loved them. Not just the songs, but those who played and sang and led and served. You get the idea.

I'll spare you the psycho-babble and circular reasoning. You're welcome to speculate about  my past on your own. I'm more concerned with what God is showing me now. And what that means for the future.

I'm hopeful that what I'm seeing might serve your journey as well. These things seem to be true for those in my ministry, but also for those in my circle of friends and--more importantly--in my family.

When I really love people, I ask them to do things because it is best for them, not for me.

When I really love people, I speak encouragement to them rather than expect it from them.

When I really love people, I ask how they are doing. I pray for their needs and check in with them--not so they think much of me, but because I think much of them.

When I really love people, I speak truth into their lives. But only with and in great love. I do so because it serves them, not because it makes me feel better.

When I really love people, I am for them. I'm on their side, regardless of whether or not they're on my side.

Perhaps more practically, when I really love people I choose songs they love as well as songs I love--even if I don't love their songs. 

Similarly, when I really love people, I ask people to do things because they feel compelled by the love of Christ to do them, not because I want them to do them. 

Those last two are where the rubber really meets the road for those of us in worship leader positions. 

It makes so much sense when I read it from The Message: "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it."

You see, that's the difference in a Christ-follower and a "nice person." We who follow Jesus have the same power coursing through our veins that raised Jesus from the dead. That power makes it possible to love people because of who we are, not because of who they are. And we love them because it's what we do, not because of what they do.

I'm learning. Feels like little tiny baby steps, but I'm learning.

How are you doing at loving people from the center of who you are? Any other places where the rubber meets the road that I've left out?

A Parable

A family was on vacation, hiking through a field. They stumbled upon recently disturbed dirt. Their younger child, a boy, just knew there was buried treasure. After begging and pleading (and maybe some bribing) he got permission from his parents to start digging.

It didn’t take long for his big sister to join the work. It seemed like it was taking forever, so dad pitched in. Finally mom gave up and joined them. It was hot. It was humid. It was afternoon. If they didn’t get to a treasure soon, it was gonna be time to give up.

About 20 minutes later someone heard a clunk. Excitement built. They all dug faster and harder. Before long they were looking at a stunningly beautiful box, about the size of a gallon of ice cream. The more dirt they brushed off, the more beautiful the box became. They looked. Honestly, they delighted. The box was stunning, glistening in the bright, hot sunlight.

Mom decided it was time to get back on the journey, so they decided to put the box back for the next traveler to find and enjoy. Of course the kids wanted to take it with them, but mom and dad were able to convince them that the land-owner was also the treasure box-owner, so they continued their hike, grateful for an adventure into beauty.

A second family happened upon the same field, not two days later. Except for the fact that both children were boys, the stories were nearly identical. Until the end.

The second dad decided it might be wise to open the treasure box and see what was on the inside. Having already been captivated by the beauty of the box, they were absolutely speechless at the sight of what was in it. The container was stunning; the contents were indescribable.

The family decided they should change jobs, schools, and everything else in their world to buy that field, build a home there, and have endless access to the treasure. 

What the first family missed out on, the second family was changed by. And all because the dad simply opened the box.

This parable is about worship. Most of us are enamored with the boxes. We marvel at the preaching, the music, even the people doing those things. We enjoy the wrapping so much we forget to pursue the treasure. Could we agree that we won’t stop with the container (worship) but pursue the treasure (Jesus)?

Here’s how He said it, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” - Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

Oh look, a bird!

People follow people.

Worship leaders, that means people aren't following music, or screens, or hymnals, or bulletins. They're following you.

The amazing privileges we're given are to choose the path, and to lead people down that path.

Let me explain.

We might think of the order of service or the songs chosen as a path. People can walk that path, and you can shape the path they walk. You can choose to make it beautiful, adventurous, comforting, etc. As a worship designer, you pick the path they're invited to walk. That's a series of posts for another time. (Or a library of books on worship planning!)

But they don't have to walk on the path you've prepared for them. They can be spectators, watching others walk (or watching other watching others). They might walk part of the path and then decide to just sit down and not continue their journey. They might go off the path. They might spend so much time looking at the path they forget their destination.

And that's where you come in.

People follow people.

So I want to encourage you to lead them. You've laid out the path, now show them around. Bring them along. You don't need a lot of words to do that. But you do need a lot of preparation. Use the instruments to paint the lyrics. Use the screen backgrounds and lights and musical dynamics to do the same. When needed, offer a quick prompt: let's walk a little farther (procedural language) or look at that bird (directional language) or can you believe how God created such beauty (worship language). Use the Psalms. Use other great scripture passages. Sometimes 3 words or 2 sentences can re-engage the attender who has decided to sit out this part of the path.

Use your eyes to communicate. Which direction is the text your singing? Is it directed at God? Then look to Him. Is it directed at the congregation, then look at them. Is it directed at your own heart? Then maybe you should close your eyes for a moment. But not too long. Because they're following you, and when you close your eyes, you shut out those who are willing to be led.

People follow people.

So lead them. Shepherd them like David did, "with integrity of heart." Guide them down the path of your order of worship and deliver them directly to their destination, the feet of our Father. It's when they get there that they will find "mercy and help for their time of need." Seize the opportunity to direct people to the throne of grace.

Bricks

My pastor just finished a series on faith and science. Fascinating stuff. One of those sermons was about technology. It referenced the amazing innovation in Genesis we know as the "brick."

We learned it was this magic building block that made the Tower of Babel possible. Tim taught us that God destroyed the famous tower because the builders were creating something for themselves, not for their God. You may remember that the mandate given Adam and Eve was to "fill the earth." But the motivation of the tower builders was to "keep us from being scattered." It was an act of defiance. You can hear their selfishness: "Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves."

For ourselves.

And that's when I knew... God has sometimes destroyed the tower of my making because I did it for myself, not for Him.

Ever happen to you?

How about in your family life? My wife and I find ourselves digging out of debt because we defied the teaching of God and, without even asking His opinion, spent money we didn't yet have. (Have I mentioned that having your tower destroyed can be painful? Our debt qualifies.)

How about in the worship ministry you lead? Or other ministry? Are you doing what Christ's love compels you to do or what your opinion compels you to do. One approach will endure. The other will be shattered by our great God.

What about in the church as a whole? Do you seek the face of God, the word of God, and the counsel of God? Or do you contribute from a position of personal preference, even in defiance to the wisdom of the scriptures? Do you have people around you who will tell you the difference?

Self-centered towers keep us from the staggering blessings of God that accompany obedience.

Has God sometimes destroyed your "tower" because you built it for yourself--even those around you--but you didn't build it for Him?

If not, hallelujah! Learn from my sinful heart and don't let it happen. If so, confess and receive grace. Let's do better in the future than we've done in the past.

One more thing from the story. God will get his way. He's God. He does that. The end of the story (Genesis 11:9) says, "In this way he scattered them all over the world." Our sin, our defiance, our stubbornness, and our selfishness will not thwart the plan of God. He's too big. Too wise.

Maybe this is why we should think about how to scatter all over the world more than how to build a kingdom in our own town.

Maybe.

Answered prayer... really?

Like many who spend time on stage, I have long admitted (confessed, too) my struggle with the sin of arrogance. In fact, for more than a decade now I have been praying for God to "crucify the pride out of me." This plea was inspired by Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Looking back now, the fact that I would pray that in public was probably--almost certainly, really--an act of arrogance itself. I'm confident I said these things in the presence of other folks so they would think more highly of me. Sheesh! It's like pride on steroids!

Anyway... when I prayed that prayer, I didn't consider something. Crucifixion is to put to death. I sort of got that; it was really the point. I wanted--and still want--God to put to death all sin that's in my life. 

But crucifixion is also painful. Very painful.

How did I not see that coming? 

You see, God has been answering my prayer request. And for about four years my life was painful. My ego was not just bruised, it was tossed in a giant dryer tumbler and bounced around, colliding with the circumstances of life over and over and over.

In the fall of 2010, I was asked to leave a church because they couldn't afford to pay me anymore. I was humiliated. I imagine God was using that experience to answer my prayer.

In the summer of 2011, the church plant/relocation I was serving decided to close. I can see God used (not caused, but used) that experience to answer my prayer.

In the spring of 2012, the large, flagship church I was serving as interim decided that I shouldn't stay permanently. Again, God was crucifying the pride out of me.

Here's the surprise: it really hurt. The experiences of leaving those churches hurt, sure. In fact they hurt my family as deeply as they hurt me. Maybe more.

I'm just not sure why that didn't occur to me when I asked. I've read about, been moved to tears by, taught and preached about, just how painful crucifixion is.

And God has been crucifying the pride out of me.

Even as I write this, share this, I'm aware that I hope you'll read it and admire me. I almost didn't post it.

But I want my story to serve you more than I'm worried about whether you admire me, think me puffed up like a peacock, or think I'm just being goofy.

Consider what you pray for. Discern ahead of time what the answer might mean. And then pray with all of your heart for what God and you want.

While there's a lot of pride left in my heart, I also want you to know that God has been answering my prayer, my quest. In recent months the lessons have been far less painful. Indeed, this season of my life and ministry is one of unprecedented joy.

I can't help but wonder if there are little shadows of another verse of scripture in this season: "For the joy set before him he endured the cross." There's no comparison, seriously. But on the other side of crucifixion there always seems to be joy. After death, life. 

One more verse to wrap up: 

Crying may last for a night,
    but joy comes in the morning.

          --Psalm 30:5b

Ultimately, our God is a God of hope.

Shalom

One of my favorite things about reading familiar passages in the scriptures is how they grow deeper as we grow into Christ. We learn one thing, or maybe a handful of things, and then the scriptures open up all over again.

That happened for me this Easter. 

One of the things I've learned in the last few years is a fuller meaning of the word Shalom. Of course we know it means peace, and we know it is a traditional greeting among Jews. It has been for millenia.

But as the Jews in Jesus day understood it, Shalom was much deeper than peace. It was to bless someone with the peace of God, to wish upon them that they would find their steps, their very heartbeat, in rhythm with God's. Shalom is not the absence of conflict, but the fullness of God's presence. It is the world of humans before the fall, before sin entered the world. It is--at the same time--a vision of what heaven will be. 

Shalom is the peace that comes when all is right with your world.

And that's why, as our pastor read the story from John 20--casually mentioning that Jesus said "Shalom" to the disciples, I found myself so astounded.

Read it for yourself: "Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said.."

You guessed it. Shalom.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made possible the Shalom the Jews had been anticipating for centuries. He didn't simply greet them in the traditional manner, He blessed them with "the way God wants things to be for you" with that single word.

The same Shalom that Jesus gave Thomas and the other disciples is available to us. What an incredible gift of the resurrection. 

Shalom, my friends.

Bad News

The Worship Ministry at Woodburn Baptist Church presented our Easter musical (The Story) a couple of weeks ago. That's not what the blog post is about, but it is important to the context of what you'll read.

It was a big production. Maybe the largest scale event this church has ever done. We offered three time options, opening room for 1,000 people to attend. (We had nearly 400 at our Christmas musical, which was amazing.)

And it was my first Easter musical as the church's worship pastor.

Starting a few weeks before the big weekend, bad news started rolling in. Some of it was personal. Some was about the production. Some was about people who were hoping to be in the choir. It was a little more bad news than the usual weeks leading up to the 20+ Easter musical events I've led. But it wasn't terrible.

Until the week before. 

On Monday and Tuesday I received not 2, not 3, not even 4, but 5 or 6 major pieces of bad news. People that had key roles in both preparation and presentation of the musical weren't able to keep their commitments. I was reeling. I'd done better than ever in my career at crossing the "T"s and dotting the "I"s, but that didn't seem to matter. 

Bad news, then more bad news, then just a little more on top of that.

Sensing the gravity of my world just days before the event? 

And then it happened. The phone call with the good news. It was really, really good news. It was personal, not professional. And it changed everything.

Everything.

So my thoughts turned to my role as a worship pastor. You may already be connecting the dots in your mind, but if not... here goes.

Every time we rehearse a group of people, someone has probably received a few pieces of bad news in the days leading up to that practice.

Without a doubt, every time we lead a group of people in worship there are a few, or several, or many, or most of those in the room who have been bombarded with bad news.

That's why we have to be people of the Good News.

I don't mean "happy clappy" and fake smiles. I don't mean we should ignore anguish and race to rejoicing. I mean that in the midst of the deep struggles of those we lead it is essential that we remind them: God is not only holy, and powerful, and majestic, and real, and eternal, and relevant... but that He is good.

And His goodness is what He wants for us.

Let me say it another way, if the gospel doesn't sound like good news, it isn't the gospel.

And forgive me if this goes too far, but if your worship services don't sound like good news, you may not be leading Christ-centered worship.

So let's make sure we find sounds and lyrics and images and people that effervesce with joy.  Honest joy. Godly joy. Transforming joy.

Let's be people of the Good News.

A Covering that Rocked My World

In Gary Molander's book, Pursuing Christ. Creating Art. he includes a chapter that has affected me deeply. After just a couple of introductory thoughts, I'll share the entire chapter. (with his permission)

1) This came at a point in my career where I was beginning to see this shift in my approach to ministry. I might have more to say about this in the coming weeks. I'm convinced it is centrally important to invite people to do things in the worship ministry because it serves them, not because it serves me. "Covering" was a nudge further down that path.

2) I have moved steadily and continuously down a path toward valuing people more than production, relationship more than results, and well-being over wow-factor. I have a long way to go.

These words may or may not be what you are expecting, but they helped me so much...

Covering
Gary Molander

I hate the word authority. Honestly, I do.

But I like the idea of someone providing a covering for me. I need a covering or two in my life. I suppose we all do.

In the Scriptures, anyone who has authority over someone else has the charge of providing a covering for them. 

All authority exists - at some level - to cover people.

That's the way God designed authorities in our lives. They cover us from injustice, they protect us from evil people, and they lead us to the wellspring of life. They confront us when we're on a path that's destroying us. They help us become bigger people. They lead us. You know you're under the right covering when you feel safe, a little uncomfortable, and growing.

And the only way we know how important these authoritative coverings are in our lives are when they're removed.

After my parents both passed in the last half of 2010, I was trying to wrap my brain around what my heart was feeling. I missed having them around, but my heart was feeling something far greater than that. There's something extremely sad about picking up the phone to call your mom, then realizing there's no one at the end of that line anymore. But that sadness was a symptom of something more, something deeper.

I discovered that the overwhelming sensation happening in my heart was simple. For the first time in my forty-six years...

I was uncovered.

You know that blanket you used to pull over your head when you were a kid? The blanket that protected you from the evils that only came out at night? With the death of both of my parents, I felt like someone pulled that blanket off. And they did it without my foreknowledge or permission. 

It just happened so quickly.

My parents were no longer on this earth with me. And it took their passing to help me realize just how much they provided a covering for me.

A covering that protected.

A covering that provided me with warmth in the cold. 

A covering that allowed me to try new things, without fear of failure.

A covering that helped me experience the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible as both a father, and a mother. 

You have undoubtedly served a client, a leader or a pastor who has provided this kind of covering for you. But you've also served someone who, rather than covering you, abused you and left you unprotected. They were selfish and blinded. They needed you to get what they wanted, and they quoted the right scripture to get it. 

I think that's why Jesus was so harsh with the Pharisees and the Religious Leaders. They were placed in a position of authority, but they didn't cover. They invited people into their kingdoms, but never offered them an entry key. The people collapsed under the weight of their leaders' expectations, and the leaders continued expecting even more. Their people were not covered.

They were exposed.

I'm left a little out of breath at this point. Somewhere in between the gospels and my own experience of abusive authority figures, I find myself asking...

What kind of covering am I providing my wife, my children, and my workmates?

It's easy to point to abusive authority figures in our own lives, and harbor resentment or bitterness or anger or hostility. That comes naturally for most artists, and it takes an intentional act of forgiveness to get past that stuff.

But we also need to become courageous enough to turn the finger-pointing back around in our own lives.

Do the people we have authority over feel covered, protected, and loved by us? Or are we achieving our own dreams, all the while using them to get there?

I wish I could have told my parents how appreciative I am of the covering they consistently provided. But I honestly didn't realize any of this until it was too late. 

And I have a feeling they're fine with that.