I’ve decided to do an end of the year review for 2009 and give myself the rest of the week to think about an end of the decade review.  So here we go…

If 2009 could be summed up in one word, I believe that word would be difficult.  Difficult in good ways and difficult in uncomfortable ways, too.  I’ve tried to decide how to talk about this year so that when I look back and remember this year, I can remember feelings and events easily.  (I don’t really blog because I crave for others to read about my life, I blog to remember events that took place in my life and to share thoughts with friends and see responses so that I can look back and see how far we’ve all come some day.)  So, the best way to do this is to divide the year into two sections; during and after Concord.

During Concord…

In January, I moved to Concord, NC to do a worship internship at Concord Christian Church.  I’ve blogged about this in previous entries so I don’t have to go into a lot of detail.  It was difficult going into an “internship” when I was a worship and music graduate and I was working with people whom I graduated with.  But nevertheless, that wasn’t as difficult as compared to the rest of the internship.  I believe my whole life was changed by that internship.  I watched a man throw away his marriage and career for another woman.  I assumed responsibilities for a worship ministry I wasn’t ready for emotionally.

In all of this, I felt so young.  I felt like I was too young to have friends in adultery.  After taking the responsibilities for the entire worship ministry, I felt too young and inadequate to hold them.  I felt too out of place for the whole situation.  Bree, whom I went to college with and worked with at the time, came into my office and told me that she was pregnant.  She has now since had Paily, a beautiful baby girl.  But looking back, I remember her leaving my office and feeling too young to have a friend my age in that stage of life, married and now with child.  I just didn’t feel ready to be placed in a place and situation so difficult.

Most of these events led up to and occurred in April.  From April to May, I held my head above water but it was difficult.  I was emotionally so confused on how things happened the way they did, the friendships that I had made in Concord were so bruised and damaged by those poorly made choices by others, I was just drained.  Leading worship every Sunday meant I hardly had any time to go back to SC to visit home and my mom.  The free time I did have I just felt like sleeping.  It was just difficult.  By June, I was so tired that I just did what I could to get by.  I began to realize that I couldn’t make it through the rest of an entire year in this state.  I was miserable just trying to get by.  I picked up running whenever I could just to get outside and to have something to do that didn’t involve communicating with anyone else.  It was my alone time and I loved it.  It was probably the best thing that happened to me in Concord.

By July, the running wasn’t enough to get me by.  My insecurities were at an all time high, while I was doing okay leading a worship ministry, I knew I was not doing my best or giving what I really had to offer.  I continued to just feel like a stupid kid.  I had been praying to God to just get me through this internship for the rest of the year.  Finally, I changed my prayer.  I prayed for God to show me what path to go down.  And everything changed.  The Bible reading I had to do because we did it as a staff became more personal and I was gaining more insight from it.  I felt this peace about possibly leaving my internship at the end of July to pursue graduate school.  I had considered Physician Assistance because I had been thinking about a medical career, so I started looking more into it.  I looked at what I needed to get into graduate school and saw I still had time to sign up for some classes at the State University in Savannah.  As I continued to pray for my own path, Concord hired a new worship minister.  The youth worship times were going to be changing, eliminating the need for my position at the church.  All of the arrows pointed back to moving back to SC at the end of July.  So two weeks before the end of July, I took a step of faith and resigned from Concord.  It was the best decision I have made in my entire life.

Saying goodbye to NC was bittersweet.  In the last couple of weeks before I left, friendships that had been so badly hurt from everything were mended.  Knowing that I was going to be leaving allowed me to relax more and because the summer brought a break in some of my responsibilities, I was just able to focus and enjoy my last couple of weeks there.  I remembered finishing packing up my jeep, closing the trunk and just breathing a huge sigh of relief.  I stayed one extra night in town to take my friend Brian to the airport, and driving home was the most liberating feeling.  I was unsure of how going back to school after 2 years would feel, returning to living with my mom would be, contemplating if I would ever help with worship again at all, and so many other questions.  But I felt at peace and I knew God was leading me so much more this way.  I knew I wasn’t supposed to know everything.

After Concord…

I hit the ground running when I got back to SC.  Alan, who I met before I went to Concord, and I went back to Disney World to use up the rest of our 5 day passes.  And a week after that, I went with him to his military ball.  Alan and I had gone on a few dates before I left for Concord, but because of him deploying to Afghanistan and I was moving away for a year, things just didn’t seem right.  So returning and spending so much time with him felt really good.  After another week or so of hanging out, we decided to try having a relationship together.  Alan has been so awesome to be around and date.  He is deployed right now and I miss the tar out of him.  But God blessed me with Alan as soon as I came back to SC and I couldn’t be anymore thankful for that.

And getting accepted and registering for classes was a bit difficult doing it so late right before the semester started, but it worked and came together fast.  I’ve only been taking one class, but getting back into school hasn’t been hard.  Being in a state university instead of a bible college has been weird, but I definitely don’t mind the change either.  I’ve enjoyed being back in school.

It took me a while to find a job, but I finally found a job with a home health agency.  I became a Private Duty Aid for an older woman living on Hilton Head.  I was nervous at first, starting a job in a completely different profession, but I have enjoyed entering the medical field this way and I honestly can’t wait to become a Physician Assistant.

During and After Concord, I have been able to read my Bible and do some really good personal devotion time.  But after deciding to not do ministry, I’ve been able to really just relax and follow Christ.  I’m so imperfect, but I think making the decision to minister outside of vocational ministry has helped enhance my relationship with God.

One of the biggest changes was my health.  It sucked in Concord, eating crap and not worrying about it.  Leaving there, I got really serious about running and health and dropped ten pounds.  Currently, I’ve stayed at a consistent amount of weight but my body has been changing because of the continuous running and now weight training.  Alan is super athletic and is so encouraging.  I ran the Savannah Bridge Run 5k in early December.  Working on becoming a runner has changed so much for me and I hope to never lose running as a part of my life.

So this year was difficult.  Even after coming back to SC, while life has been so good here, I still hear about all the drama that continues to unfold from what happened in April.  I can’t stand hearing so many lies and watching unrepentant hearts live like nothing ever happened.  It does make me sad to not want to be a part of vocational ministry anymore, but that worship ministry/er left such a bad taste in my mouth for it.  And since being back, I’ve volunteered and helped out and I’ve gotten so much more out of worship that way.  Concord helped me gain some friendships that I love.  For instance, I got closer to Kerri Dandurand, whom I went to college with, through everything that happened.  I met folks like Brian, Susan, Julianna, Kayla, the Cox family and Maud and Ryan.   I met some really awesome people there.  But those relationships can continue even though I’m back in SC.

So there it is.  2009 was a difficult year, but through the hard times, trusting in God led me to calm seas and a place where I could allow God to work in my heart.  Here I am at the end of the year and I feel so much more secure, healthy and happy because of the decision to move back.  So now that I’m back, I look forward to seeing what 2010 has in store for me.

Friday night ushered in the Christmas season for me as I led worship with the team for the 2009 Living Nativity.  What is a living nativity, some may ask?  It is the birth of Christ, acted out in living color on the “streets of Bethlehem”, complete with the characters in stunning costume.  Tents, laden with colorful tapestry, lined the “streets”, manned by merchants.  Guards and census takers greeted the visitors as they arrived and guests were free to roam the tents, nibble desserts and take in the sights and smells of the stable animals- all while viewing baby Jesus and participating with groups from all over the community coming in and providing live music.  It was breathtaking and what I have looked forward to for years as the real kickoff to the Christmas season with my family.

I encourage all who read this to find ways of celebrating the Christ of Christmas!

PS- If any of my friends who were there have any pictures of the amazing village that Terry and Doris created with the Living Nativity, send them in and I will post them!  My hands were too busy on the keys to snap any photos.

Remember the hit movie “Titanic” that came out in the 90’s? The director, James Cameron, has another movie coming out next month, titled “Avatar.” I would be hard pressed to describe the story, but it looks interesting. (And judging by the 3D trailer I saw in front of “A Christmas Carol” yesterday, it looks great.) Below is an interview with Cameron from 60 Minutes. (I think there is one mild curse word in the interview, just FYI.) The most interesting part of the interview to me was the discussion near the beginning about the story vs. special effects. “Avatar” looks like a feast for the eyes, but Cameron stresses that the story is really the key element.

The most memorable movies have stories that connect with people. They may feature great visual effects, but the movies that last and are universally loved and remembered are the ones with a great story. On the other hand, movies that are long on special effects and short on story and character may do well at the box office, but are quickly forgotten. (The “Transformers” movies immediately come to mind.) Any good director will tell you that visual effects must serve the greater purpose of telling a good story.

Special effects change over time. What was innovative a few years or decades ago seems hokey and out-of-date today because of the constant advance in technology and the tastes of audiences. So visual effects aren’t bad, and in fact can be quite helpful. But they shouldn’t exist for their own sake.

It’s much the same with worship. Every tradition of worship features some form of “special effects.” These can range from the evangelical emphasis on music and technology, to the liturgical and Catholic use of vestments and bells, and to the Orthodox use of icons and incense. Every Christian worship tradition has practices and elements that help people to worship. However, they don’t exist for themselves, but rather to help us remember and enter into God’s great Story: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Re-Creation. They support, enhance, and focus worship, but they should never become the focus themselves.

This Christmas season, I encourage all of us to remember the heartbeat of Christmas: worshiping the God who gave himself unselfishly. The shopping, Christmas music, church programs, TV shows, Christmas traditions… all of those are great, but what really matters is the story of salvation embodied in a tiny child born in a manger.

Maybe it’s just me, but worship these days seems kind of exhausting. We have vocalists, worship bands, lights, complicated sound systems, computer projection, live video, a set list of worship songs we’ve rehearsed, and many other elements to coordinate. After I play or sings at our church’s weekend services (there are four of them), I’m pretty tired. (And I’m not even the worship leader or preacher–that’s much more exhausting!) I love being a part of our worship ministry, but anyone involved in contemporary worship would agree that it’s not a simple process.

Technology, worship teams, and the other elements that accompany contemporary worship aren’t going away anytime soon. But we don’t have to see those things as distractions. Really, leading worship is quite simple. All of the things we use in the process of leading worship (bands, technology, lights, etc.) are simply tools to help us lead people in giving worship to God. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the technology and the details of a modern worship service. But when you realize those things can be a great help in leading people in worship, they cease becoming distractions and start becoming tools.

Worship today is complex, but it’s still very simple: we use the tools of our culture to help people worship God. The tools will change, but the goal remains the same. The challenge is to focus on the purpose of what we’re doing while skillfully using the many tools at our disposal.

EBC Choir will be singing at CHOIRFEST 2009
Thursday night, September 10th, 2009
Sweat Memorial Baptist Church  6:30pm

Our worship ministry will be launching a project  called “The 2 Initiative.”  It’s focus will be on doing ministry in teams, edifying each other through mentor relationships, and duplicating ourselves in ministry.  With a focus on Ecclesiastes 4:9, the heart of the project is really to put our team in a position of loving God, loving others, and equipping each other to serve.  Our hope is that this project will build a foundation of ministry built on relationships.

The launch of this project is scheduled for September 03, at 7pm.

Last month we had a meeting for worship leaders in the St. Louis area and it was a lot of fun. The next meeting will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sep. 10 at the First Christian Church of Florissant. We’ll do a tour of their worship facilities then head out to lunch in the area. If you are a pastor, encourage your worship leader to come. If you’re a worship leader, bring a friend from your church’s worship team, or from another church.

I was very happy with our last get-together. It was very refreshing to meet some other worship leaders in the area, hear about their ministries and be encouraged by their love for God. Life and ministry are too tough to go it alone.

If you’re in the St. Louis area, hope to see you there!

Most of the people in this generation are into music, especially band music. The music industry in the world has come up with vast variety of genre and almost everyone in this planet could be represented by these. Music is defined as sound produced with melody, harmony and rhythm, it is an art, and an art is defined as an expression of emotion. Over the history of mankind music has been there. All nations on this planet have their own cultural music that reflects mostly their way of life.

As every one of us has this music in our inmost being running through our veins, we could be certain that such music originated from our Creator, Our God. Even not all could play music so well, we could assume that all of us in this earth have a heart for music and it only differs on which type it is. We could imagine what the sound was when God was creating the universe, there must be some sound, and there must be a heavenly music we haven’t heard before. Music is also identified as subjective. Our music preferences would differ depending on various factors that surround us. It could be our environment, era, and also our emotional state. Reflected in music are different emotions depending on the composer. Some of the aim of a composer is to express or communicate his feeling, an event in life or society, stir up emotional response, gain sympathy, create a mood or atmosphere for movies and plays, adore and connect to God and a lot more.

Human possesses natural responses to its environment as well as to music. The music of the drums provides beat and boost inmost emotions for the early tribes when they worship the Creator. Even in ancient war, a group of musician plays instruments during a war, it serves as signal and also to intensify the soldiers’ emotion to fight and win a battle. In the Bible history music was also used to defeat the enemy of the nation of God. Music definitely has an ability to produce emotional responses. We can notice it especially when we are emotionally down, heartbroken and we could easily relate to a music that reflects our feelings. Grudge, angst, hate are also represented in music and people usually choose music that is loud, noisy or something that is of a high volume of sound. These are just some of the examples that show relation of music and emotion. The results or so called “emotional responses” to these songs or music varies to different persons. There is no perfect math on it but it is still considered a big factor to derive into an emotional state that the music or a song is suggesting. We could say that music can do affect, but not command. It can persuade, stir up, calm down, stimulate, encourage, even discourage and more but not command a listener. The construction of music and lyrics is also a big factor in the effect and response in a song. Sometimes the negative thought from a song sounds cool, happy, fun and directly opposite to it’s meaning. Same thing in some positive songs when played contradictory to it’s meaning defies the concept it was supposed to suggest.

In relation to a Christian church setting, we can use the full potential of music to bridge the connection of congregation to God in the time of singing, time of worship. According to singer/songwriter Paul Baloche, composer of Open the Eyes of my Heart, one of the huge roles of a worship team or band is to eliminate excuses, distractions and obstacles when we come to worship God corporately. It is so important that the band plays as one in spirit, plays skillfully and must have a deep understanding on how God can use music to draw His people closer to Him. From the very start of a worship service it is advised to play a prelude while people are praying. Prelude is usually instrumental and stirs up the heart to adore God. This music must be able to create an atmosphere where in the congregation could freely focus the greatness and holiness of God. It is very important for the musician to seek God as he plays the instrument. Each and every touch of the fingertips on the instrument should be filled with heartfelt adoration in worship to God. God is spirit and we should worship Him in spirit. In fast and upbeat songs, commonly called as praise songs, should be played in accordance to its concept. The concepts of praise song are usually gratefulness, celebration, mostly lively, powerful, intense, grand and more. Playing praise songs are complex in nature; drum beats are suggested to be there, percussions, strings, piano, guitars, trumpets, etc. There is a certain energy level that must be evident when playing praise songs, the energy helps or suggests natural body movements such as stamping of feet, clapping of hands, and other similar responses like these. Guitars, drums, singers  and the other instruments must be of one expression NOT focusing on how the song must be played technically but constantly seeking the presence of our God Jesus who is worthy of praise. Natural body movements should also be affected and used when worshiping God as he intends us to please Him and to do things for His glory. On the other hand slow song or worship songs are meant to be in of lesser speed. It could be soft, calm but also has an ability to intensify or built-up. Certain part of a worship song must be emphasized, and it can be done by improving the dynamics of music. It could be suggested to start playing a song with a dominant specific instrument such as, start with a acoustic guitar, a piano, a soft pad sound from keyboard. It all depends on the composer’s concept of the song.

Praise and worship time must also prepare the hearts of the congregation to listen and accept the word of God from the preacher. Closing song could also be played at the end part of the worship service. When playing songs of existing famous worship bands, it is important that we learn first the base of the song, meaning, study how it was played. These questions must be answered: What is the dominant instrument used? What is the dominant note played by one of the instruments? The texture of music should also be studied, if it is loud or calm, what kind of sound it is? Is it rough, soft, smooth, edgy, strong? All of these can be found in a song and usually the impact of the song is influenced by these musical characteristics. Before coming up with our own version of the song since sometimes we think these bands are so good and we are just beginners, remember this famous worship bands also started as a beginner, but they studied and improved their skills for the glory of our Lord God Almighty. Unless we accept this reality and take away our excuses not to improve or grow as worshipper, we will be stucked and stagnant to our current situation. As worshippers we must never stop seeking God, never stop looking for ways God can maximize the full potential of our gifts and talents. These technical ways of playing praise and worship songs are merely a reminder, a small part only that could lead the congregation to freely express their hearts to God in singing and encourage the people to use everything in their lives, their hearts, voice, strength, body movements to bring glory to His name. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit we could fully and freely connect with God in worship, not by human abilities but always with a pure heart that God desires.

As you can see this is not entirely about emotional responses to music. This is more about maximizing this concept and incorporating it to enhance our skills in music ministry. We are human beings and we express and respond emotionally as the Spirit is leading us. Indeed worship is not based on emotions alone because it is deceiving at times but emotions are merely some of the manifestations when we do worship God.

All glory to our God.

Information here is derived from facts, personal observations, opinion, attended music seminar, books read and personal experiences. But there is no any direct or actual reference that was gathered to support this writing. This is merely a personal thought I wanted to share.

This weekend the announcement went out. Next week will be my last week leading worship at the Lamb’s Fellowship. What an incredible four years it has been. May God continue to have the patience and grace to use me. May His people have the passion and love for Him to see beyond the changing of worship leaders.

May He be glorified much more than any man, any song, or any church. May He alone be furthered. May He alone be made much of.

This is war. There is no break, there is no sabbatical. There is little time left and we must fight. Join me and pick up your sword, Christian.

james

There’s been quite a stir around the world the last few weeks with the death of Michael Jackson. Despite the accusations of his child molestation and the generally bizarre behavior (and appearance) in his later years, there is no debating the fact that he was a phenomenally talented musician, dancer, and entertainer. The world has lost a music icon who was truly unique and helped create the modern music video form.

But the pattern of his life is not unique. We’ve seen it time and again. It’s like the old “Behind the Music” program on VH1, which basically told the same story with different artists: the artist rises from humble roots to music superstardom, gets into drugs and other bad behavior, their life unravels and they fade into obscurity, they clean their life up and then make a comeback. MJ was on the verge of what he hoped was a big comeback.

This downward spiral can happen not only in the music industry, but also in the church, especially with people who are incredibly talented. But how could someone so talented (and here I’m speaking of musical or artistic talent, although it could apply to any area) have a life that spirals so out of control? And what are some temptations for artists in the church? Several things come to mind:

1. Lack of accountability. Artists tend to do their own thing and often believe they are exempt from the processes that govern anyone else. (A look at just about any Hollywood celebrity will do.) They don’t submit themselves to an accountability relationship.
2. Lack of meaningful relationships. Artists are sometimes loners (and lonely). They also may not want to really “be known” by someone else because there is a dark side to them they don’t want to reveal. There is sometimes an unhealthy need for love and attention through performing for others.
3. Lack of a servanthood posture. Artists are sometimes considered celebrities in the church. But we are instead called to be servants with our music and art.
4. Lack of inner character to match exterior position. Artists can be on the stage and in the spotlight, yet lack the interior depth of discipleship to match their platform. At some point the lack of character and inner stability and maturity causes the person to implode. They are revealed to be just a shell, like the skin of a cicada you find on a tree after the insect has left it behind.

Not all artists are like this, of course, but these are temptations we face in and out of the church. These realities point point to the importance of getting artists in the church involved in a small group of some kind, where they can experience life and deep relationships with people. Artists need to have the attitude of a servant, not a celebrity. And they need to be in a process of discipleship that helps them become more like Jesus.

How can we be more intentional about this in the church?

How can Christian colleges help students in these areas as we train them for leadership ministry? Particularly, worship leaders, musicians and artists?

I’m looking forward to playing guitar on our church’s worship team this weekend. For the past few months I’ve been a vocalist, and while I continue to enjoy that, my first love is acoustic guitar. I can remember being a high school kid back in the late 80’s, sitting in my bedroom and playing along to Don McLean’s classic “American Pie.”

In contemporary worship, the guitars, drums, bass, keys and other instruments in worship are center stage. They create the lion’s share of musical noise. Being in the band involves lots of rehearsal and preparation. Because we are on stage, in the lights, and have our instruments amplified, it’s easy to get carried away thinking we are the real show in worship. Of course no one really believes that, but you have to admit that being on stage can be kind of an adrenaline rush.

What’s the real purpose of the instruments in worship? They are there mainly to support congregational singing. While we may have intros, outtros, solos, and some performance pieces in a worship service, the main job of the band is to provide a musical framework for the congregation’s worship, and to glorify God through their instruments.

If you’re a band member, consider yourself a Levite. In addition to providing music for worship in the tabernacle and temple, the Old Testament Levites transported the temple furniture, including the ark. Their job was to make sure the ark arrived safely at its destination. (This didn’t always happen, as we see is the story of Uzzah, if you recall your OT history.) The job of the musician is to support and transport the singing. What an awesome responsibility! If we do our jobs well, the congregation worships more fully and more freely. So let’s play tastefully, worshipfully, and with excellence.

For the last few weeks I’ve been inviting area worship leaders to a meeting to network and share with others doing the same ministry in other churches. I was very pleased this past Tuesday when 11 people came (representing 9 churches). Most of the people there were full-time staff at area churches, but there was at least one volunteer and one intern. We spent about an hour getting to know one another and talking about helpful resources, and some current challenges in ministry. Then a few of us went out for lunch afterwards.

There have been other similar groups in the area for youth ministers and preachers, but there is no network (that I know of) for worship leaders from Christian Churches. Most of my ministry friends are from the Christian Church (Restoration Movement), but this meeting is certainly not limited to folks from Christian Churches. I’m hoping that in the next year or two, if we continue to have successful gatherings, that we can involve more people from other denominations. There is certainly no reason we can’t learn from one other.

Here are a few reflections on the meeting:

1. I heard a number of positive comments about the meeting. It was incredibly simple, and I tried to make it  un-structured, yet people seemed to respond to this. There seems to be a hunger among worship leaders to network with others doing the same kind of ministry.

2. What is the benefit of this kind of thing? An obvious one is getting new ideas from others. Worship and music ministry thrives on creative ideas in music and the arts. All you have to do is ask, “What are some effective things you’ve done lately at your church?” and most any worship leader will have some things to share.

3. On the flip side, another benefit is hearing about the struggles and mistakes of others. Seeing how others have failed (especially bigger churches) makes us feel more “human” and reminds us that at the core, we’re imperfect. There is never a “perfect service” (nor should that even be the goal).

4. But I think the biggest benefit is developing relationships with others in the area. Ministry and leadership can be incredibly lonely, and worship ministry in particular can be very draining–emotionally, spiritually and physically. Hearing about others’ struggles, and the opportunity to share your own, can be a great support.

5. There is also the benefit of Christian unity when leaders from different churches meet together. We’re reminded that we’re not alone in trying to advance God’s kingdom in our neck of the woods.

In the coming months we’ll see what happens with this. I hope that in some small way (and maybe in some big ways?) this is an encouragement to worship leaders in the area. If you know of someone who would benefit from this, feel free to drop me a line or comment.

If you still recall, sometime ago I was in search of answers for how being in the worship ministry could be meaningful.

That is really a presumptuous statement because even in the bible, the music ministry seemed to be rather important, whether Old or New Testament. So, of course it is meaningful.

But for personal benefit, I needed to know so that I can serve more meaningfully instead of being focussed on my selfish ass.

I wrote to my pastor, who was really busy to give me a proper reply. We chatted briefly about it sometime, then I went on stage to sing & further became involved in other singing projects in church.

This is what I found out:

Songs can really minister to a person’s soul in very simple ways. Lyrics are phrased simply so they can remembered easily. Bible verses or concepts can therefore be more easily remembered. Coupled with catchy melodies, the song can linger in the mind for a long time.

I have found that certain songs play in my mind depending on which mood I am in. There are even some songs that serves to lift me up when I feel discouraged.

My recent stint with the Chinese Outreach Ministry, teaching the folks how to sing this song proved this point very much. My prayer that this song will be remembered by them & uplift them had in fact being ministered to myself.

Last Friday was one of the worst days I had & in my discouragement, I thought of this song & I am being reminded to be joyful always. Here, I will share the lyrics with loose translation:

<我要常常喜乐 ~ 赞美之泉 (I Want to Be Joyful Always)>
 
疲乏的   他赐能力    软弱的   他加力量

He gives energy to the tired     He gives strength to the weak  
那等候耶和华的 必重新得力   

Those who wait upon Jehovah    Will surely regain their strength

就必如鹰展翅上腾

Just like the eagle that soars
奔跑却不困倦    行走却  不疲乏

Run but does not get weary    Walk but does not tire
大山  可以挪开    小山 可以迁移

Big mountains can be shifted     Hills can be moved
主的慈爱永不离    这是他与我的约定

The Lord’s great love will not depart me    This is His promise for me
我带着信心倚靠我主    经历他的救赎

I lean on my God with confidence    Experiencing His redeeming love
奔向他 的道路

Running towards His direction

常常喜乐,我要常常喜乐

Always joyful    I want to always be joyful
应当一无挂虑    凡事藉着祷告祈求和感谢

There should be no anxiety    In everything with prayer, supplication & thanksgiving
神所赐那出人意外的平安

The amazing peace that God gives
必在基督耶稣里保守我的一切

In Jesus who takes care of my every need
常常喜乐,我要常常喜乐

Always joyful    I want to always be joyful

应当一无挂虑    凡事藉着祷告祈求和感谢

There should be no anxiety    In everything with prayer, supplication & thanksgiving
神所赐那出人意外的平安

The amazing peace that God gives

必在基督耶稣里保守我的一切

In Jesus who takes care of my every need

Later.

Come Check out MidnightLightBand in Montevallo, Alabama on July 26th. They are playing a free concert in the park.

MidnightLightBand is the Celebrate Recovery Worship Band for Christ Church United Methodist in Birmingham, Alabama
Christ Church Celebrate Recovery

Last week I started reading a book that I have enjoyed immensely. It’s written by Candice Millard and titled The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey. Here is a short description from Publishers Weekly, via the book’s page at amazon.com:

In a gripping account, Millard focuses on an episode in Teddy Roosevelt’s search for adventure that nearly came to a disastrous end. A year after Roosevelt lost a third-party bid for the White House in 1912, he decided to chase away his blues by accepting an invitation for a South American trip that quickly evolved into an ill-prepared journey down an unexplored tributary of the Amazon known as the River of Doubt. The small group, including T.R.’s son Kermit, was hampered by the failure to pack enough supplies and the absence of canoes sturdy enough for the river’s rapids. An injury Roosevelt sustained became infected with flesh-eating bacteria and left the ex-president so weak that, at his lowest moment, he told Kermit to leave him to die in the rainforest. Millard, a former staff writer for National Geographic, nails the suspense element of this story perfectly, but equally important to her success is the marvelous amount of detail she provides on the wildlife that Roosevelt and his fellow explorers encountered on their journey, as well as the cannibalistic indigenous tribe that stalked them much of the way.

That’s a great synopsis of the book. In addition to the fact that’s is very well-written, what I have appreciated most about the book is how it paints Roosevelt in very human terms. Here you have a subject (Roosevelt) that is larger than life.  There is the big story of international politics, intrigue, drama, adventure and near-death experience. But at its core, it’s all about the human element. It’s the people and their stories that matter.

May I say it again? It’s the people that matter.

Here I’m speaking to those of us who work with worship in church. Sometimes I wonder if we’re sure what business we’re in. It’s not the music business. Nor the art business. It’s not the worship leading business, the songwriting business, the programming or production business, or the technology business. It’s not the theatre business, and definitely not the performance business. It’s not the teaching business, the doctrine business, the Bible study business or the church business. Planning and leading worship does involve all of those things, but none of those describe our main business.

What business are really in? It’s the people business.

Worship involves all the things I’ve described above, but when it all comes down, it’s about honoring God and serving people. Technology, music, art, production, teaching, etc. — those are not ends in themselves, but rather means to the greater end of serving people in the name of Jesus.

People in the academic world can be distracted also. When we ask ourselves what we’re really trying to accomplish in higher eduction, it’s easy to think we’re in the business of lecturing, grading, speaking, advising, communicating, writing, publishing, networking, researching, degree-granting, and a host of other things. But again, we’re really in the people business. On the white board in my office I have written the question, “What business are you in?” so that when I turn around and speak to a student who has come into my office I can remember my real priority.

Everything we do in life somehow relates to our relationship with God, or our relationship with other people. There really is nothing else. If you’re like me and have a melancholy personality, sometimes that’s hard to remember and to practice. But I pray that every teacher and leader would clearly understand the end goal of all our efforts in ministry.

Last night when my in-laws were visiting we watched part of “American Idol.” The contest had been narrowed down to three finalists: Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. (My favorite was Danny, but he was booted off tonight.) I haven’t watched much of this season of “American Idol” but I confess that I’m easily hooked. Although the show is a deceptively simple talent competition, it is incredibly engaging as you watch people perform in front of the judges (and millions of TV viewers). I am often shocked at the pure lack of talent in many people who think they can sing and dance, but I’m equally in awe of the talent that seems to come from Nowheresville, USA each season.

I have often told my Worship & Music students to watch “AI” because there are some valuable things they can learn, particularly from the judges’ comments to performers. I’ll share some of those in a moment. But first, let me address one concern you may have about “AI” being about performance and entertainment, and how that relates to worship leading. Performance and entertainment are an inescapable part of every worship service, no matter what the style or size of the church. When understood properly, these elements can actually enhance worship. Let me explain.

I don’t know that you can really separate leading from performing in a worship service. Anyone who does anything up front is performing. I define performing as doing something in front of people, and doing it well. This implies that it’s prepared and rehearsed with the intention of doing it with excellence. The sermon is a performance because it has been prepared, and the preacher has likely practiced or rehearsed it. The communion meditation, worship songs, drama sketches, announcements, Scripture reading and other elements are “performances” in this sense. Performance in no way means that a person is not sincere or authentic — it just means that it’s prepared and rehearsed with the goal of doing it well. This is how I understand “performance.”

The concept of “entertainment” simply means to hold someone’s attention. In worship we “entertain” in the sense that we work hard to transition smoothly between worship elements, we think about the words we say and how we say them, we consider the emotional peaks and valleys of the service, and try to hold people’s attention. Preachers most certainly hope they can hold the congregation’s attention during the sermon. “Entertainment” in the pure sense just means you’re trying to keep someone’s attention; it doesn’t necessarily refer to mindless and meaningless programs like we find on television and the movies.

In a nutshell, I’m saying that “AI” shows how to perform and entertain in a “Hollywood” context, but we can apply some of those lessons for a worship context. The end goals are different — on “AI” the spotlight is on the performer, but in worship the spotlight is on Jesus — but there are some things worship teams can learn:

1. Stage presence. This refers to the way someone handles himself (or herself) on stage. This semester I taught a Speech class at my college, and it’s immediately evident whether a student has the confidence and poise to effectively communicate with an audience. When someone appears extremely nervous and lacks confidence, it makes the whole audience (or congregation) nervous, and they cannot lead effectively. In terms of worship teams, a confident stage demeanor will help put the congregation at ease and allow the musician/artist/worship leader to take the people where they need to go. We use the term “worship leader” because they lead in the process of corporate worship. You cannot lead effectively if you don’t have confidence and authority on the stage.
2. Vocal skills. “AI” is above all a singing competition. When push comes to shove, the contestants have to be great singers. The judges continually make comments related to singing skills: pitch, diction, breathing, phrasing, etc. You can learn a lot about singing just by watching the show. No matter what style of music your church uses, there are two things for certain: we all sing in worship, and we could all do it better.
3. Group musicianship. In the early stages of the competition each season, contestants perform songs in groups. It’s very interesting to see the interplay of teamwork, ego and pride in some of the groups. They must work together as a team if they’re going to succeed. This is a helpful lesson for any church worship team, both musically and more important, spiritually.
4. Audience interaction. The most successful “AI” contestants know how to interact with an audience. It’s a combination of stage persona, musical excitement, lighting and the pure excitement of the moment. I’m very hesitant to suggest that we should try to duplicate these moments in church for their own sake. But let’s ask ourselves why some of the contestants are so successful: it’s because they know how to connect with an audience. They are aware of the interaction between themselves and others; it’s not just about them performing their song, but about the entire group experience. (U2’s Bono is a master at audience interaction.) Again, I’m hesitant to make a direct connection between “AI” and church worship, but I do believe this: worship teams cannot bury themselves in their music stands and expect to lead effectively. Corporate worship is about the group together worshiping God, not about the leader’s or the worship team’s performance. We must be aware of how to involve and interact with the congregation. How can we help them participate more in worship? (On a side note, there is an “audience” on “AI,” but there should be no “audience” in the church except for God. We are the performers and God is the audience. Worship teams are the prompters/encouragers of corporate worship.)

These are not the only important things in leading worship, nor are they even the most important things. We haven’t touched on being a pastor and leader, understanding relationships, the theological elements of worship, the importance of community, and a host of other items. These “learning points” from “AI” only deal with the public leading of worship, not the pastoral and theological aspects.

It’s a fact that we lead worship on state, in the spotlight, with sound systems that amplify our voices and instruments, and video screens that project us as larger than life. Many times it feels like we’re a celebrity in church. But we know better — there shouldn’t be any celebrities or “idols” in the church, only servants. It may appear that we’re in the spotlight, but even as we’re doing our best to sing, play, lead and interact, we should be constantly pointing the spotlight on Jesus Christ — the real celebrity in worship.

Hey guys, I wrote an article on the top 10 things most heard at a youth worship team practice.

I was discussing with some worship leader friends of mine, and discovered that the things I’ve heard the past 10 years are common to almost every youth worship team, so I thought I’d turn it into a funny little article.

I hope you all enjoy it. And please, don’t think I’m poking fun at you…these are things I’ve heard for 10 years now. Trust me, you’re in good company.

Feel free to read it HERE

I’m reading a book right now that is turning out to be one of the best books on the practical side of leading worship that I’ve ever read. I’m thinking this might be a book that would be great fun to read an discuss together as a team. Perhaps we’ll do this down the road sometime. For now, I discovered that you can download and read the first two chapters for free.  The link is this: http://www.gnpcb.org/assets/products/excerpts/9781581348248.1.pdf

This is well worth the time to read.  Share what you think by adding a comment below.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I am.

Mike

love is a solid rock

Today is a rainy day and I decided I hadn’t invested in music in a while so I downloaded the latest John Mayer live album which I’ve been meaning to get, turned some of the lights off in the office and decided to try to just write a bit.

If you knew or had any idea of what has gone in my life, your jaw would wrap itself around the earth at least once.  I’ve seen ministry at its best and at its worst.  I’ve have to make difficult decisions.  I’ve been insecure, unsure, confident and fulfilled.  I’ve seen lives change for the better and for the worse.  I’ve been loved on, I’ve shown love.  I’ve felt angry and confused.  I’ve felt lonely and completely surrounded by friendship.  And did I mention in all of this it was my birthday and my guitar was stolen?

I have found that I have crawled to Christ where I have been weak.  I see that my strength is not my own; it comes from the God who never lets go.  This might be the most confusing blog or you might be right there saying, “I know exactly what you’re talking about!”  But I think we can all relate.  When there is a domino effect and we’re in the midst of the battle, we have decisions to make.  We either stand up and shine or we crawl into the corner, unsure of what to do.

In my daily Bible reading, this verse was one that came up and I had to put it up on my desk (by the way, I moved offices, too!   No longer in a closet.)

1 Corinthians 15.58
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (TNIV)

No matter what, we have to make Christ be the constant.  I watch Lost every Wednesday night and this past weekend’s episode was called “The Variable.”  Faraday, one of the characters, was talking about time travel and if you go back in time, can you change the future and he said he kept forgetting that he and the people traveling in time are the variables.  The same applies to the Church.  We, the people that make up the Church, are the variable.  Christ is the Constant.  We have decisions to make.  But we must stand firm.  We can’t let anything move us from showing love.

I can’t help but to think that all decision making goes back to love.  I think that if Christ is the constant, then we should wrap each decision we make back to, “Are we showing love in this?”  or “How do we best show love in this?”  Because that verse talks about “the labor of the Lord” we have to ask what the labor of the Lord really is.  It’s showing love.  The work of this kingdom is to spread love by spreading the gospel.  The gospel isn’t just a historical story.  It’s a love story between God and his people.

With all that being said, the past few weeks has shown me this; stand firm.  Let nothing move me from the labor of the Lord, loving Him and His people.

I cannot begin to tell you what the past two weeks have been like.

I don’t really have an emotion for them.  In actuality, when I look back I realize that I was just numb and continue to be numb except for last Monday.  While the past two weeks haven’t been a constant of horrible feelings or things happening, I can say that the past two weeks have brought more changes than I’ve had in the past 5 months.

Currently, I’m still the Worship Intern.  That will probably not change.  C3 is looking to hire an interim worship minister.  I’m guessing at this point you’re a little confused.  Two weeks ago our worship minister had to resign for personal reasons.  Him and his wife are close friends so along with this happening, to see two friends hurting has been difficult.  So as soon as I knew he had resigned I picked up the torch of leading worship.  So I’ve been in charge of all worship ministry responsibilities for the past couple of weeks as well as I will now be leading the college age small group.

On Sunday, I walked into church to find that my guitar had been stolen.  After realizing that denial wasn’t the answer, I had to ask, “God, why?”

I don’t really know the answer to that, yet.

But, I can say I’ve grown from all of this.  I see how confident, unconfident, strong, weak, logical, emotional, rational and irrational I can be.  But I can say I don’t want to just learn.  I want to be able to use what I learn.

So we’ll see how that goes.