Pastor Dwight Moody, at the ordination service for my nephew, Jeremy, preached a passionate sermon about the calling to faithful, gospel ministry. It was really great. (Read more in "A Father's Pride, blog post for January 7.)
One phrase he used caught my ear: "We cannot soften the gospel."
I agree. The gospel is not soft, it is strong. It can even be sharp, especially when it cuts against our pride and self-sufficiency.
But the thought that came to me at the very moment Dwight spoke those wise words was: "But the gospel must soften us."
And one of my favorite verses of scripture was quickly on the heels of that thought: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
And that makes me think of a great, modern classic anthem by Craig Courtney, "Here I Am, Lord." (Actually the song is by Dan Schutte, but Craig wrote a stunning arrangement.)
But back to the point, I wonder--if we're not being softened by the gospel, have we softened it?
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Attitude Is?
A friend in ministry suggested I write about how I have successfully dealt with those in worship ministry who have a bad attitude.
This should be short!
Actually, I think it is a great question and I'm even more interested in help you may have to offer than I am in what follows. This is a huge challenge, and I'm not sure it is one I have effectively conquered. Still, I have three approaches to share.
First, what I've done that hasn't worked--ignore it. I tried this approach far too often. And sadly, some of those folks I just outlasted. My positive, can-do, believe the best approach has probably just frustrated some people so much that they gave up and went somewhere else. I don't know that for sure. No one has told me as much. But it seems, looking back, that this may have happened. That makes me sad.
Second, something I've done that worked well--build a positive team. The more the people around me are armed with a great attitude, the more those with a bad one stand out and feel out of place. Not only that, but those around me who are more comfortable with confrontation simply speak up. One of the things I like about this approach is that as a pastor-leader, I don't have to "come down" on someone, but those in the church hold one another accountable.
Third, what I've tried to do that seemed to help--create a positive culture. This takes the longest but also has the longest positive effect. So I use scripture passages to teach--through weekly emails, in devotions at rehearsals or meetings, and in conversations--that attitude matters to God. Consider these three verses:
"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." Philippians 2:5 (a great passage, vss. 1-11, to do an interactive conversation about over several weeks)
"Do everything without complaining and arguing." Philippians 2:14 (yes, that really is in the Bible!)
"We will speak the truth in love." - Ephesians 4:15 (key being how we speak)
Building a culture of Christ-like attitude can be helped along by creating a short list of core values or key concepts that are published everywhere those in the worship ministry see. While at Memorial Baptist in Frankfort, we decided on these five: integrity, community, excellence, creativity and evaluation. Click here to see more.
One last thought--we need to get better in church-world, and I need to continue to improve personally, at helping one another become more like Jesus: to offer correction, to encourage personal holiness. More verses that may help you develop a Christ-like conviction about how to walk together as a faith community:
"...if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." - Galatians 6:1
"First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye." - Matthew 7:5
So my best counsel is this: develop a culture where people are open to spiritual development--by going first--while building a team of volunteers that share a desire for the same, with a positive attitude. Oh, and get your lead pastor on board. First. For sure.
Hope that helps!
Now... anything to add, wise friends?
This should be short!
Actually, I think it is a great question and I'm even more interested in help you may have to offer than I am in what follows. This is a huge challenge, and I'm not sure it is one I have effectively conquered. Still, I have three approaches to share.
First, what I've done that hasn't worked--ignore it. I tried this approach far too often. And sadly, some of those folks I just outlasted. My positive, can-do, believe the best approach has probably just frustrated some people so much that they gave up and went somewhere else. I don't know that for sure. No one has told me as much. But it seems, looking back, that this may have happened. That makes me sad.
Second, something I've done that worked well--build a positive team. The more the people around me are armed with a great attitude, the more those with a bad one stand out and feel out of place. Not only that, but those around me who are more comfortable with confrontation simply speak up. One of the things I like about this approach is that as a pastor-leader, I don't have to "come down" on someone, but those in the church hold one another accountable.
Third, what I've tried to do that seemed to help--create a positive culture. This takes the longest but also has the longest positive effect. So I use scripture passages to teach--through weekly emails, in devotions at rehearsals or meetings, and in conversations--that attitude matters to God. Consider these three verses:
"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." Philippians 2:5 (a great passage, vss. 1-11, to do an interactive conversation about over several weeks)
"Do everything without complaining and arguing." Philippians 2:14 (yes, that really is in the Bible!)
"We will speak the truth in love." - Ephesians 4:15 (key being how we speak)
Building a culture of Christ-like attitude can be helped along by creating a short list of core values or key concepts that are published everywhere those in the worship ministry see. While at Memorial Baptist in Frankfort, we decided on these five: integrity, community, excellence, creativity and evaluation. Click here to see more.
One last thought--we need to get better in church-world, and I need to continue to improve personally, at helping one another become more like Jesus: to offer correction, to encourage personal holiness. More verses that may help you develop a Christ-like conviction about how to walk together as a faith community:
"...if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." - Galatians 6:1
"First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye." - Matthew 7:5
So my best counsel is this: develop a culture where people are open to spiritual development--by going first--while building a team of volunteers that share a desire for the same, with a positive attitude. Oh, and get your lead pastor on board. First. For sure.
Hope that helps!
Now... anything to add, wise friends?
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
A Twist on the Creation Account
The reading that follows may seem a little long for use in a worship gathering, but in the right moment it could provide an effective reminder of God as the source of creation. Many Biblical accounts of worship testify to the significance of recognizing the grandeur, the greatness of God. And correspondingly, the smallness of us. This passage can certainly have that affect.
For two readers:
For two readers:
1) In his prologue to the book of Genesis in The Message, author Eugene Peterson writes:
2) “First, God. God is the subject of life. God is foundational for living. If we don’t have a sense of the primacy of God, we will never get it right, get life right, get our lives right. Not God at the margins; not Gold as an option; not God on the weekends. God at center and circumference; God first and last; God, God, God.
1) And now, hear the story of creation as Peterson relates it:
2) First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
1) God spoke:
1) God spoke:
2) "Light!"
1) And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark.
2) God named the light Day, he named the dark Night.
1) It was evening, it was morning—
BOTH: Day One.
1) God spoke:
2) "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!"
1) God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky.
2) And there it was: he named sky the Heavens;
1) It was evening, it was morning—
BOTH: Day Two.
1) God spoke:
2) "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!"
1) And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean.
2) God saw that it was good.
1) God spoke:
2) "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree."
1) And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts.
2) God saw that it was good.
1) It was evening, it was morning—
BOTH: Day Three.
1) God spoke:
2) "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth."
1) And there it was. God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, the smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth and oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark.
2) God saw that it was good.
1) It was evening, it was morning—
BOTH: Day Four.
1) God spoke:
2) "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!"
1) God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, and every kind and species of flying birds.
2) God saw that it was good.
1) God blessed them:
2) "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!"
1) It was evening, it was morning—
BOTH: Day Five.
1) God spoke:
2) "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds."
1) And there it was: wild animals of every kind, cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
2) God saw that it was good.
1) God spoke:
2) "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
1) God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature.
2) He created them male and female.
1) God blessed them:
2) "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
1) And there it was. God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!
And then you could sing any of these great songs, or many others!
How Great Is Our God
Our Great God
Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Click on the title to connect to my favorite version (mostly) in itunes.
www.worshipcoach.us
www.facebook.com/worshipcoach
And then you could sing any of these great songs, or many others!
How Great Is Our God
Our Great God
Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Click on the title to connect to my favorite version (mostly) in itunes.
www.worshipcoach.us
www.facebook.com/worshipcoach
Monday, January 7, 2013
A Father's Pride
Yesterday, January 6, 2013, was an emotional day at my home church--Erlanger Baptist in Erlanger, Ky.
I watched my brother, watch his pastor, ordain my nephew.
What has lingered deeply in me about that event is the power of obedience. And yes, I have a lot of pride in my oldest brother, but I am convinced that the principles here are completely transferable to every Christ-follower on the planet.
Let's start with my brother, Rusty. Not many years ago he began to have a new string of obediences. It wasn't that he was living a life filled with "sex, drugs and rock-n-roll" or any similar moniker of sin. Watching from the outside, it appeared more like he was increasingly concerned with saying "yes" to God than saying "no" to other stuff. Of course the results may look similar, because saying yes to God invariably means saying no to other things. But it looked to me more like being focused on what God was saying to do and doing it. It didn't appear as much like struggling to say no to less Godly choices.
To continue with Rusty, this spilled into his role as chair of the pastor search team in 2011-2012. It was his passion to lead that process with Godly wisdom, with great diligence, and with compassion and integrity. From everything I have seen, he did this well. So the pastor who ordained my nephew was doing so--in some part--because Rusty was obedient to God in his role as Christ-follower, church member, and team leader. I'm sure my big brother's desire to be obedient was not easy to maintain. But he was obedient, and Dwight became the pastor at EBC in 2012.
Now Dwight was also living a Godly life, serving on a large staff with a large staff at a great church in Tennessee. The role as pastor at Erlanger was one of "picking up the pieces" and working with God to rebuild something that may resemble the job Nehemiah had with the wall surrounding Jerusalem. Not everything, but many things were in shambles. And so Dwight was obedient to the call of God to move north, take a large salary cut, leave a healthy ministry, and walk into a ministry that needed (and needs) to become healthy.
One of Dwight's acts of obedience, it seems on this day after Epiphany, was to make my nephew--Jeremy--the full time and permanent youth pastor. Jeremy already had a path of obedience that led to this place, and we'll come back to that in a moment. But Dwight's risk was significant. In the world of church dynamics and politics, it might have appeared to be wrong for the pastor called by my brother's team to hire the son of my brother so "determinedly." Yet Dwight saw what so many of us have seen: the call of God on my nephew's life.
Hang with me. Almost there...
Jeremy has been on this path for years, though he is only in his mid-twenties. It began to blossom in large part during his college days at Northern Kentucky University. (Which involved the obedience of another Godly man, Brian Combs, but I'm trying to keep this brief!) And as Jeremy worked his warehouse job he would listen to podcast after podcast of sermons, wrestle with deep and deeply personal theological constructs. And then he would spend time pouring into the lives of people in ways described by young leaders like David Platt (in Radical) and Francis Chan (in Crazy Love). Jeremy has been so consumed with saying yes to God, that he's had little time to say yes to less Godly options.
And at the conclusion of the ordination service, the pastor called upon my brother to close the ordination service of his son in prayer. Rusty quoted God's words to His Son Jesus, paralleling his heart for his own son: "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."
And this morning it hit me. I imagine those were the words God spoke over his son Rusty, and his son Dwight, and his son Jeremy.
Few things bring pride and pleasure to a father like obedience.
I watched my brother, watch his pastor, ordain my nephew.
What has lingered deeply in me about that event is the power of obedience. And yes, I have a lot of pride in my oldest brother, but I am convinced that the principles here are completely transferable to every Christ-follower on the planet.
Let's start with my brother, Rusty. Not many years ago he began to have a new string of obediences. It wasn't that he was living a life filled with "sex, drugs and rock-n-roll" or any similar moniker of sin. Watching from the outside, it appeared more like he was increasingly concerned with saying "yes" to God than saying "no" to other stuff. Of course the results may look similar, because saying yes to God invariably means saying no to other things. But it looked to me more like being focused on what God was saying to do and doing it. It didn't appear as much like struggling to say no to less Godly choices.
To continue with Rusty, this spilled into his role as chair of the pastor search team in 2011-2012. It was his passion to lead that process with Godly wisdom, with great diligence, and with compassion and integrity. From everything I have seen, he did this well. So the pastor who ordained my nephew was doing so--in some part--because Rusty was obedient to God in his role as Christ-follower, church member, and team leader. I'm sure my big brother's desire to be obedient was not easy to maintain. But he was obedient, and Dwight became the pastor at EBC in 2012.
Now Dwight was also living a Godly life, serving on a large staff with a large staff at a great church in Tennessee. The role as pastor at Erlanger was one of "picking up the pieces" and working with God to rebuild something that may resemble the job Nehemiah had with the wall surrounding Jerusalem. Not everything, but many things were in shambles. And so Dwight was obedient to the call of God to move north, take a large salary cut, leave a healthy ministry, and walk into a ministry that needed (and needs) to become healthy.
One of Dwight's acts of obedience, it seems on this day after Epiphany, was to make my nephew--Jeremy--the full time and permanent youth pastor. Jeremy already had a path of obedience that led to this place, and we'll come back to that in a moment. But Dwight's risk was significant. In the world of church dynamics and politics, it might have appeared to be wrong for the pastor called by my brother's team to hire the son of my brother so "determinedly." Yet Dwight saw what so many of us have seen: the call of God on my nephew's life.
Hang with me. Almost there...
Jeremy has been on this path for years, though he is only in his mid-twenties. It began to blossom in large part during his college days at Northern Kentucky University. (Which involved the obedience of another Godly man, Brian Combs, but I'm trying to keep this brief!) And as Jeremy worked his warehouse job he would listen to podcast after podcast of sermons, wrestle with deep and deeply personal theological constructs. And then he would spend time pouring into the lives of people in ways described by young leaders like David Platt (in Radical) and Francis Chan (in Crazy Love). Jeremy has been so consumed with saying yes to God, that he's had little time to say yes to less Godly options.
And at the conclusion of the ordination service, the pastor called upon my brother to close the ordination service of his son in prayer. Rusty quoted God's words to His Son Jesus, paralleling his heart for his own son: "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."
And this morning it hit me. I imagine those were the words God spoke over his son Rusty, and his son Dwight, and his son Jeremy.
Few things bring pride and pleasure to a father like obedience.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Tongues
I hope that's an intriguing title!
I wasn't thinking of speaking in tongues, but that may be an interesting thing to write about from my Baptist background.
I wasn't thinking about the many times I've seen children stick out their tongues at someone from the steps in front of the church.
I was thinking about the tongues of fire that rested on the believers in Acts 2:3.
You know, I've never heard a conversation, a sermon, read an article or blog post on the style of the tongues of fire. Were they wispy like in this photo? Realistic or more animated? Was the color more toward yellow, red, or orange? Tall and skinny or short and squatty?
It's a silly conversation, isn't it? We'd never discuss the style of the tongue and miss the fact that there was FIRE in the house!
Yet I fear we spend far too much time in our churches being consumed with styles of music instead of the fire of the Spirit.
In fact, if we were more consumed with the Presence of the Spirit and the Person of Jesus, we'd forget to notice the sounds of organ or drums, choir or praise team, etc.
Two quotes come to mind, one from Erwin McManus and one from the Apostle Paul.
And then from Paul to his protege Timothy, "I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:5-7)
Let's fan the flame of faith in one another!
www.worshipcoach.us
www.facebook.com/worshipcoach
I wasn't thinking of speaking in tongues, but that may be an interesting thing to write about from my Baptist background.
I wasn't thinking about the many times I've seen children stick out their tongues at someone from the steps in front of the church.
I was thinking about the tongues of fire that rested on the believers in Acts 2:3.
You know, I've never heard a conversation, a sermon, read an article or blog post on the style of the tongues of fire. Were they wispy like in this photo? Realistic or more animated? Was the color more toward yellow, red, or orange? Tall and skinny or short and squatty?
It's a silly conversation, isn't it? We'd never discuss the style of the tongue and miss the fact that there was FIRE in the house!
Yet I fear we spend far too much time in our churches being consumed with styles of music instead of the fire of the Spirit.
In fact, if we were more consumed with the Presence of the Spirit and the Person of Jesus, we'd forget to notice the sounds of organ or drums, choir or praise team, etc.
Two quotes come to mind, one from Erwin McManus and one from the Apostle Paul.
"We must become relevant and reverent. Worship must become the meeting place between the eternal and the contemporary. We tend to love the altar so much that we refuse to set it on fire. Yet God comes in the flames. Our God is a consuming fire...
"Each generation must build its own altar and then set it on fire. If you worship the wood, you will lose the fire. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of our time is that we have kept our pews and lost our children... Throw everything into the fire of God, and you will be left with all you need." - An Unstoppable Force
And then from Paul to his protege Timothy, "I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:5-7)
Let's fan the flame of faith in one another!
www.worshipcoach.us
www.facebook.com/worshipcoach
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Tools, part 2
I've done some reading about spiritual disciplines over the last couple of years. One of my favorites was Mark Buchanan's Your God Is Too Safe. He beautifully and thoroughly makes the case I've seen in other places: the goal is not to observe spiritual disciplines; the goal is intimacy with God. The more faithfully we observe and the more fully we utilize spiritual disciplines, the greater the likelihood of intimacy with God.
As I was designing a worship gathering recently, the similarity struck me. Just like Godly disciplines aren't the ends of a relationship with God but the means, so great worship music isn't to goal, but the path to authentic worship.
And as I pondered that idea, I remembered the similarities and the differences.
I attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1988-1991 and was part of an absolutely amazing choir. We made really spectacular music. I learned so much from the conductor (John Dickson) and students around me. And we often sang great choral music that would not be considered worship music. It was part of a rigorous education in music making. And I loved it.
There was profound and powerful emotion when we connected deeply with the texts we sang, whether sacred or secular. (Terminology I'm not too fond of, by the way.) It would have been easy, even normal, to have the same response to texts from the faith or texts from great poets.
And if we pursue music, seeking to make music our end, we worship a tool.
But when we pursue Jesus through music, seeking to make intimacy with Him our end, we use a tool.
The more emotive a song, the more intense the temptation.
(Please don't use bad music as a way to deal with this tension. Our sacrifices are to be the best we can find.)
The solution is to point one another to Jesus instead of music.
For example, rather than admonishing folks to--in 3 syllables--"sing it out," you can use the same time to say "sing to Him," or "sing to Jesus." Point people to the Person, not the tool.
In my experience, the worship leader who models this best is Bob Kauflin. I learn from him every time I am around him. Bob is now in Louisville, Kentucky, and if you are nearby I'd encourage you to find a way to attend a service where he leads.
In the meantime, if I can help you learn more and implement some of this thinking through my Worship Coach consulting/ministry, shoot me a message.
Tools are powerful. God is all-powerful. Let's remember--and teach--the difference.
www.worshipcoach.us
www.facebook.com/worshipcoach
RodEEllis@aol.com
As I was designing a worship gathering recently, the similarity struck me. Just like Godly disciplines aren't the ends of a relationship with God but the means, so great worship music isn't to goal, but the path to authentic worship.
And as I pondered that idea, I remembered the similarities and the differences.
I attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1988-1991 and was part of an absolutely amazing choir. We made really spectacular music. I learned so much from the conductor (John Dickson) and students around me. And we often sang great choral music that would not be considered worship music. It was part of a rigorous education in music making. And I loved it.
There was profound and powerful emotion when we connected deeply with the texts we sang, whether sacred or secular. (Terminology I'm not too fond of, by the way.) It would have been easy, even normal, to have the same response to texts from the faith or texts from great poets.
And if we pursue music, seeking to make music our end, we worship a tool.
But when we pursue Jesus through music, seeking to make intimacy with Him our end, we use a tool.
The more emotive a song, the more intense the temptation.
(Please don't use bad music as a way to deal with this tension. Our sacrifices are to be the best we can find.)
The solution is to point one another to Jesus instead of music.
For example, rather than admonishing folks to--in 3 syllables--"sing it out," you can use the same time to say "sing to Him," or "sing to Jesus." Point people to the Person, not the tool.
In my experience, the worship leader who models this best is Bob Kauflin. I learn from him every time I am around him. Bob is now in Louisville, Kentucky, and if you are nearby I'd encourage you to find a way to attend a service where he leads.
In the meantime, if I can help you learn more and implement some of this thinking through my Worship Coach consulting/ministry, shoot me a message.
Tools are powerful. God is all-powerful. Let's remember--and teach--the difference.
www.worshipcoach.us
www.facebook.com/worshipcoach
RodEEllis@aol.com
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tools
I love finding a great new song. Actually, I prefer to find a great arrangement of a song, one that makes it come to life in a spectacular way. Great arrangements of great songs are powerful tools.
I love hearing music through great speakers. The more churches I visit, the more I notice the difference between speakers that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars and those that cost thousands and thousands. There's really no comparison. Clarity. Sparkle. Great speakers are superb tools.
I recently led worship as a guest. One of the great guitar players also played cello. He owns two--one that he often brings to church so it can be plugged directly into the sound system and the other one? 300 years old and has "never seen the sun." Great instruments are great tools. In fact, my wife--a really great flute player--has been playing in my worship teams for most of the last 15 years. She had a dream of upgrading her instrument and one of my favorite marriage memories is taking her to Boston where she got to pick out her new flute, a really amazing instrument. I love hearing her play as I lead.
As a bit of a writer, I have delighted in penning dramatic sketches for actors in my congregations. I can't even begin to describe for you how much joy there is in hearing people laugh at something in a well-crafted script. Many of these elements of drama became powerful tools in the hands of the preacher who followed those actors.
And speaking of sermons, they are one of those powerful tools God uses to bring about life-change in those gathered in churches, whether they've been walking with Jesus for decades or running from Him for years.
But I've noticed a troubling trend.
Sometimes we are more excited about our tools than our Savior.
Don't get me wrong. Tools are important. The better the tool, the more effective the craftsman. The right tool make it easier to do the job right. So gather tools--songs, scripts, gear, instruments, etc.
But just like the goal of the potter is not to have the best wheel but the best vase, the goal of the worshipper--and even more, the worship leader--is to USE the best tools to make the most of our great God.
I pray this serves you as a handy reminder at the beginning of a new year!
www.worshipcoach.us
I love hearing music through great speakers. The more churches I visit, the more I notice the difference between speakers that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars and those that cost thousands and thousands. There's really no comparison. Clarity. Sparkle. Great speakers are superb tools.
I recently led worship as a guest. One of the great guitar players also played cello. He owns two--one that he often brings to church so it can be plugged directly into the sound system and the other one? 300 years old and has "never seen the sun." Great instruments are great tools. In fact, my wife--a really great flute player--has been playing in my worship teams for most of the last 15 years. She had a dream of upgrading her instrument and one of my favorite marriage memories is taking her to Boston where she got to pick out her new flute, a really amazing instrument. I love hearing her play as I lead.
As a bit of a writer, I have delighted in penning dramatic sketches for actors in my congregations. I can't even begin to describe for you how much joy there is in hearing people laugh at something in a well-crafted script. Many of these elements of drama became powerful tools in the hands of the preacher who followed those actors.
And speaking of sermons, they are one of those powerful tools God uses to bring about life-change in those gathered in churches, whether they've been walking with Jesus for decades or running from Him for years.
But I've noticed a troubling trend.
Sometimes we are more excited about our tools than our Savior.
Don't get me wrong. Tools are important. The better the tool, the more effective the craftsman. The right tool make it easier to do the job right. So gather tools--songs, scripts, gear, instruments, etc.
But just like the goal of the potter is not to have the best wheel but the best vase, the goal of the worshipper--and even more, the worship leader--is to USE the best tools to make the most of our great God.
I pray this serves you as a handy reminder at the beginning of a new year!
www.worshipcoach.us
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