News or News?

A recent Time magazine article featured an article on a new evangelical surge among Latin Americans. There was a distinction made between these Latinos and their heavily Catholic heritage as well as the largest protestant group--Baptists.

Here's the sentence that jumped off the page at me about this new brand of churches: "Sermons aren't drawn from the headlines; instead, they often sound like news itself."

Can you imagine why it grabbed my attention?

The gospel is good news. It IS news.

It should be, anyway.

Can good news ever lose its' goodness?

Rather than the novelty being found in newspapers, it is that our God making all things new. God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit is making you and me and those around us new.

Now that's good news!

As a worshiper, a worship leader, and a guy who loves to help other people lead worship, let me say that if the news has lost its' goodness, I imagine it's because church attenders have stopped worshiping. 

I don't mean that they've stopped going to church.

I don't mean that they've stopped singing or listening to the sermon.

I mean that they've forgotten what it feels like to have their mind's attention fully focused on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

I mean they may have only faded memories of what it is like to have their heart's affection stirred by the mind boggling love of God for us, in us, through us.

Preachers, please remind us of the news. Christ died for us, all of us. Christ is risen, alive in us. And yes, Christ will come again for us!

Worship leaders, help us love Jesus Christ out loud.

Christ-followers, encourage one another. God is a God of hope. The God of The Hope. The good news is great news for all of us. Let's remind one another often.

Ever Wonder Why?

I wonder "why" a lot. I mean, like, an inordinate amount of the time. Honestly, I'm nearly why-obsesseed.

So this revelation--the connection of "why dots" that follows--really took me by surprise. I wonder if what occurred to me has ever occurred to you.

DOT 1

Consider Amos 5:21-24, God speaking:

I hate all your show and pretense--
   the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burt offerings and grain offerings.
   I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
   I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
   an endless river of righteous living.

As a church musician, it strikes a bit of fear in me to hear "away with your noisy hymns of praise" from the mouth of God.

DOT 2

It is rare for me to talk to someone who has been part of a church for more than a year or two who has not been hurt by that same church. In fact, I've begun to wonder if it isn't far more "normal" (typical may be a better word) to be deeply wounded in a community of Christ-followers than in any other community. As a guy who has been part of pastoral team leadership for years and years, this makes me very sad.

But hold on. Don't write me off as too cynical yet.

DOT 3

I recently heard a brilliant insight in a sermon from Bill Hybel's daughter, Shauna Niequist. In refering to the teaching of Jesus to Peter--and to us--that we forgive our brother 490 times. Not 3. Not 7. Seventy times Seven. 490. Shauna wondered out loud for us all: could this mean that God's honest awareness of human relationships is that we might offend one other around 500 times. Maybe that should reshape our relational expectations.

DOT 4

Christianity is relationally centered. World religions are based on teaching systems or belief systems. Ours is built on a relationship with Jesus and relationships with one another. It was Jesus who said the greatest commandments were about a relationship with God and our relationships with one another. It was our Savior who said that the world would be able to point us out by the outlandish love we demonstrate for one other. Surely this includes our capacity to forgive as we've been forgiven. (Which is, of course, undeservedly and unceasingly)

CONNECTING THE DOTS

In the passage you read from Amos a minute ago, God is sick and tired of people engaging in worship enthusiastically while treating each other dreadfully. Maybe the reason God will not accept our worship celebrations apart from living out justice and righteousness is because He wants those not yet redeemed to see us as people-people even more than as Jesus-people. 

Bottom line: you and I have a responsibility to make sure we are right with people just as much as we have the responsibility to be right with God. 

ONE MORE DOT
Matthew 6:33 is a pretty popular verse. You probably know it like this: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." Well, an equally accurate translation would be: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice and all these things will be added to you."

So worshipers and worship leaders, let's treat one another with lavish love, respect and honor. And let's pursue justice. After all, we aren't worshiping to justify ourselves but because we've been justified by Jesus Christ.

Forget It!

I love the whimsy of the Holy Spirit.

I love the unfathomable breadth of the Bible.

And I love to listen to great preaching.

So yesterday I was listening to some great preaching from my friend Adam Norsworthy at Versailles Baptist Church. He was taking us on a tour through the depths of Philippians 3:12-14. 

Adam was challenging us to let go of our past--those things we've done that we're ashamed of--due to Paul's words in verse 13: "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." This is hard, isn't it? To be free from the bondage of our past sin? Adam used both Paul's story and a stunning image from the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. I was really engaged by Adam. He's a very good communicator.

And then the whimsical Spirit took me someplace very different inside that verse.

As essential as it is that we forget the past, I was convinced that part of what God whispered to me included forgetting my successes as well as my failures. You see I can get so puffed up by past success that I can forget my need to fully rely on God.

And with that same sense of whimsy, I sensed the Spirit whisper to me that this is a danger for many of us as we yearn for the golden days of yesteryear. Maybe, my friends, it is just as essential to forget our successes as it is our failures. 

Indeed, I wonder if only then might it be possible to "press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize." 

What do you think?

Memorial Day Controversy?

I've been pondering this grand Memorial Day holiday all weekend. It isn't the first time; I usually think about such things and their connection to faith, to worship, etc.

Well today I had what may be a rather controversial thought.

Before I get there please hear me say that I am a deeply patriotic man. I sing the National Anthem at ball games--usually all by myself. It's fairly normal for me to get choked up as I sing. I am as thankful as anyone I've ever spoken with for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers that ensure freedom for millions of us. 

OK. Are you ready?

Here goes.

I don't think those who died fighting for the freedom we enjoy in America made the ultimate sacrifice.

There, I said it.

And no, I'm not going to argue that Jesus did. That's sort of obvious, I think. Jesus died for all of humanity across all of history; veterans died for one country with just over a couple hundred years of history. 

What I mean is, for those who are Christ-followers, the ultimate sacrifice is not made by the veteran but by their family. 

Let me explain.

Paul wrote that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)

If we believe him, then those who are in Christ actually win by dying. We gain. We have final victory, not terminal defeat. Regardless of who wins a particular skirmish, battle or war, those who die trade in combat for heaven. They find that by losing their life they find a better life. Perfect life. Eternal life.

But the families left behind... they have yet to receive such glory. They are left here with the pain of loss. They grieve--but, if they are in Christ, as those who have great hope!

So I have to wonder... does this phrase I've seen from so many of my social media friends, that I've heard from so many people I love and respect... does it reveal that we have a hard time believing that heaven is really as good as the Bible says it is?

Or does it reveal that we think of this world as our home?

Or, to finish on a less controversial thought, does it simply reveal that we have a terrible time trying to find adequate words to express our gratitude for those who gave their lives so we could live these lives?

I suspect there's a little of all of that going on. What do you think?

A "Goodbye" Season

My interim at Woodburn Baptist Church near Bowling Green is coming to an end on Sunday (5/26). I have greatly enjoyed the 4+ months we've worshiped together.

My firstborn child, Catherine, is graduating from high school the following Sunday (6/2). She had an amazing high school career, maintaining a 4.0 while being a member of 2 dance teams, and part of a dance studio, and being involved with churches, and contributing to the family. (...and a bunch of other stuff.)

I met and led worship with a guy in Versailles last week. He's moving before I'll be back there to lead worship again. I think we'd have been friends. Instead, I just got to tell him goodbye... and Godspeed.

So I've been thinking about goodbyes a lot lately.

Do you know the background of the word? It's one of the more interesting ones, I think.

Using "King James" English, say "God be with thee" as fast as you can. It starts to resemble Goodbye. That's the etymology of the word.

So I don't like to say goodbye, but I can hardly think of a better thing to say.

God be with you.

To my friends at Woodburn, until we see each other again... God be with you.

To my daughter's classmates... God be with you.

And to all we encounter--you and I--perhaps there are few words we could say that could make more of a difference in the moments that follow a relationship than "God be with you."

So while this is, best I can tell, a looooong way from my last blog post, still I'll choose to say to my handful of readers, because I deeply desire for God to be your closest companion, Goodbye.

Key to Abundant Life?

I've been listening to and reading some wise Christian leaders over the last few months. There seems to be a healthy conversation taking place about the difference (in today's church) between converts and disciples. Of course this is not a new distinction, but it is one that seems to be getting refreshed.

And now I'm wondering. Could it be that in many parts of North America the church isn't growing in healthy ways because we are filled with converts expecting to be served rather than disciples looking for ways to serve? Do you and I expect to be waited on, expecting someone to deliver abundant and eternal life to our table on platter? Or are we increasingly becoming people who are serving others at the banquet table of our Master?

It seems to me that when we "obey all the commands Jesus has given us," (Mt 28:20) we are disciples who live abundantly and anticipate eternity.

Let me be even more concise: obedience is the path to abundance.

There is no doubt, Jesus came to bring the very opposite of what the enemy is intent on: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Jesus takes story after story, teaching after teaching, to describe for us how to have that life--the very life He came to give us.

My concern is that we may be stuck, thinking the moment of conversion is the only key to abundant, then eternal life. But the instruction of Jesus seems to be that converts aren't entitled to abundant life, we just have access to it. The way we live abundantly is to follow the instruction of our Master.

What do you think?

Why worship leaders should watch The Voice

I am not a regular watcher of reality television. I see enough of reality in my life. I'd prefer to use my TV viewing to escape.

But I really like The Voice.

I thought it might be interesting to share some things that make me wish worship leaders in churches are watching. Here are three.

1) The coaches keep telling their singers that they have to communicate the text. Have you noticed that? All of the coaches say it. They keep looking for different ways to get it across...like worship leaders should be doing. And they recognize it clearly when it happens. Some folks have made it past potential elimination simply because they were convincing. As I was working on my computer, I just heard Blake Shelton say, "If people don't believe you, it doesn't matter how well you sing."

Now, how much more valuable and significant is this counsel for those of us who stand on a platform in church than those who stand on a (very cool) stage on television? We have to keep finding ways to do more than "know the words." We've got to communicate those words. Clearly. Powerfully. Convincingly. The stakes are infinitely higher building God's kingdom than building the pop music kingdom.

2) The contestants work on their music before the first rehearsal, before the second rehearsal, and before the competition. Wouldn't it be fabulous if all of the musicians in our worship ministries (vocal and instrumental) would do the same?

Again, the stakes are higher in our churches than on this show. Sure, the reward for winning The Voice is a good bit of money and relative fame. But the reward for effective worship leaders is greater: a proud heavenly Father, a strengthened church family, and helping people cross from spiritual death to life!

3) The world is resonating with this show. In many ways, this is instructive for indigenous worship. I've done an entire blog post on what I mean by indigenous worship, but for now let me simply describe it as "a service in the language of a certain people group." Not just their verbiage, their entire cultural language. The Voice is, whether we like it or not, a standard by which our Sunday mornings are measured. Which reminds me of a series of blog posts: why our worship gatherings should be great.

It's why I founded Worship Coach consulting nearly a decade ago. I want to help churches make Sunday mornings great, culturally engaging, and transformative.

And all of those are things The Voice purports to be. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Maybe that's why America likes it so much!