Brother love.

This past weekend at church my brother and the rest of the relevant dudes came out and led worship. It was an amazing experience. I especially loved having my brother lead, and be included in the process by speaking.

God is good. God is such a blessing to me and all my family. Some related some just sisters and brothers from another mother. But nevertheless it was good to have my extended family meet and lead my other family (Northgate).

Take a listen to the message here http://northgatefmc.com/media.php

Be blessed.

What in the world is better because of me?

One of the things that I have been wrestling with for awhile is re-thinking discipleship. Is it an overused word that attaches itself to many church staff meetings? Yes. It can become a very vague even intimidating word that makes the weak leader feel even weaker.

As a worship leader I have had many weekends while leading at my church that the thought has popped in my head, "What in the world is better because of me?". And depending on the weekend I either leave feeling high on the scale or like I have fallen off it all together.

Discipleship is a bridge. It's moments of time that involves vulnerability, reality and love. I began to realize that if I where to leave my church tomorrow what impact will my life have made on the people around me? And that's when I got a snippet of clarity. Clarity that can be found in sermons, best selling books, the Bible and so on. In other words, it's funny when truth has always been in your presence but you never took notice of it.

At the start of this year I started a group called the "Worship Leaders Guild". A group of fine leaders who have the gift of leading others in worship. They either lead on the weekends that I am speaking or out of town, or are leading one of the services taking place throughout the week. We have a blast. We ask good questions together. We seek wisdom together. And best of all we learn from each other.

You see I get paid not only to lead the weekend music, but I have been charged with an even more important task, discipleship. God has opened up doors for me to share my limited knowledge with others. To speak into their lives and encourage them on the journey of learning how to be a better worship leader. It was once said, that you are not a good leader unless you leave something behind in the form of another body to carry on what you have been entrusted.

It seems to me that Jesus had this same thing in mind. He had a short time to leave a map behind so that those followers could teach others what He had taught them. The circle was made complete.

This is why serving in your local church is so important. You may have the opportunity to teach and speak into the lives of a select few. You may have a good insight on money, marriage, running sound or playing guitar. Why not find some disciples that you can encourage and gather with to make something better because of you.

The best time that we can invest in this life is investing in other people. That is what makes our worship to God relevant to the atmosphere around us.

The birth of music

i absolutely love music. music is the soundtrack to life. i really believe that. i mean every album that i own has some sentimental meaning behind it. i love that music can transport you to a different time and place with the pushing of a right faced arrow. it's the beauty of God really.

i recently read that Fraud hated music! he actually wrote on many occasions about how much he disliked music. how it hurt his ears, and the tones did not seem to agree with him. now we are not talking music like def leperd or ac/dc, we are talking bach and beethovan. some of the prettiest, wittiest and most elegant music ever made.

well like i said a couple of days ago, i have started on my journey to read the Bible from cover to cover. and i stumbled acrossed something that i had never noticed before. a passage in Genesis that reads... "to Adah was born a baby named Jabal. he became the first of the cattlemen and those living in tents. his brother's name was Jubal, the first musician--the inventor of the harp and flute." Genesis 4:21

i never thought about music having an originator, yet the Bible says that the artist known as Jubal was indeed the first musician. i wonder if david, writer of Psalms, also known for his musical abilities, had ever heard any of jubal's work with the harp. i mean david played a harp it says in 1 Samuel 16:23. you gotta wonder if he ever played a song written by the inventor himself, or if david had an ipod with Jubal on it. i doubt it. but anyways...

what a pleasant surprise to be able to read about art that i am passionate about. not all art can be traced back to the originator, but for sure if you own a Bible you can read about this man named jubal and the birth of music.

What knowledge is powerful?

Wednesdays are the days that I like to go into my office at home and read a good book. And true to form that is what I am doing today, but I had to stop and make a comment on something that I read today.

I am currently reading "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis. It's a different kind of book in that it is almost like reading another language, or maybe it's like reading the roots of what we call the "English" language. But nevertheless the read is very intriguing.

In the book there is a section where a Ghost, or someone who has died and has been living in Hell, visits an old buddy in Heaven who is refereed to as the "White Spirit" . Now please suspend all theological judgment on whether people in hell will have a chance to visit there loved ones in heaven. I would like to hope that would be the case. But that is for another time, and no I am not a universalist.

There conversation goes a little something like this....

"'Free, as a man is free to drink while he is drinking. He is not free to be dry.' the Ghost seemed to think for a moment. 'I can make nothing of that idea,' he said.
'Listen!' said the White Spirit. 'Once you were a child. Once you knew what inquiry was for. There was a time when you asked questions because you wanted answers, and were glad when you had found them. Become that child again: even now.'"

At which the Ghost said... "...The suggestion that I should return at my age to the mere factual inquisitiveness of boyhood strikes me as preposterous. In any case, that question-and-answer conception of thought only applies to matters of fact. Religious and speculative questions are surely on a different level."

The White Spirit responds with this, "We know nothing of religion here (speaking of Heaven): We know nothing of speculation. Come and see. I will bring you to Eternal Fact, the Father of all other facthood."

After reading this, I realized that I have a tendency to fall asleep in lull of religion. But what blew me away wasn't the whole religion is bad and relationship is good, again that is not what this blog is about, it was the simplicity by which knowing God is all about staying spiritually young. Like a child.

I wonder if some "mature" Christians really know of God at all?

We have all heard that knowledge is power, and there is truth to that, but I would wonder if there is a line that we cross, where we know a lot about God, but nothing of God. I think this happens so easily and quickly.

Knowing a lot about God is important, but knowing of God is even more so. Knowing of God is the part that really keeps you humbled, and forces you to not so much look for answers to every mystery of our faith, but instead just accept that God is the Father and we are nothing more than the children. And in that knowledge we can rest in the presence without tirelessly running from pastor to pastor, from book to book and enjoy the fact that we have been found.

And that knowledge is powerful.

I'm in love with Mother Teresa, and she's in love with me!

A couple of days ago I started a new book called, "No greater love" by Mother Teresa (or as she is more affectionately known by me "Mother T"). I have got to tell you that I have been challenged from the outset of this book. So much, that I am not sure that I even want to read on further for fear that I might have to actually practice what I read.

Listen to this...

"I feel that we too often focus only on the negative aspects of life -- on what is bad. If we were more willing to see the good and the beautiful things that surround us, we would be able to transform our families. From there, we would change our neighborhood or city. We would be able to bring peace and love to our world, which hungers so much for these things." Mother T

and this,

"If our poor die of hunger, it's not because God does not care for them. Rather it's because neither you or I were generous enough." Mother T

I have to wash my hands. It's something that has been ingrained in me since my earth science teacher told us some of the most disturbing things about not washing your hands. When I get home from anywhere, I have to immediately must find a sink and perform this life saving ritual. I will not eat, get undressed or do anything until my hands smell like lavender, or cucumber something or other.

You know if you read the above quotes, and you were to actually take them seriously, you would find that your hands are going to get dirty. Your spiritual hands as well as your physical hands are gong to have to get dirty to really practice what we preach as Christians.

The sad part about being a Christian sometimes is that we become very focused on one thing, one part of being a Christian and then we become somewhat unbalanced in our discipline. An example is that I just got back from a two day retreat talking all about creation. The emphasis was on taking care of creation around us as part of loving God. Which I'm all for, don't get me wrong. But if you listen to church podcasts, read the latest books, heck even turn on some of the political debates as of late and you will find more people in the church and outside the church more concerned about saving a tree than saving those that are hungry, those that are poor.

Hungry people may not live on our block. But everyone needs something. And the question is are we willing to get dirty to do the work of God. It starts with just getting know the people around you. The most face time that I have in my neighborhood is running my recycle bin out to the curb and then running back. I recycle because I'm a good Christian.

The reality is this...

Recycling is good, feeding the poor is good, but if we don't do either, or if we choose to do just one than in some ways we are only grabbing at one piece of the puzzle. We are called to love all people. Love. St. John of the Cross said this, "At the end of our life, we shall be judged by love." Love. That is a small word with massive implications.

Anyways...

What is God calling you to do with what you've read? Because what hit me is that, now, I have been exposed. I can't ignore it. And guess what, now you are too.

Man I have to say that sometimes I scare myself. Recently I have been into this band called "Justice". There album is called "Cross", and it will do the trick. It surely will get you dancing.

Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in music that I thought that would never in a million years like. But the truth is, maybe that's part of growing older, or trying to stay young. I am not sure which one it is. Nevertheless the soundtrack of my life as of late has been a little on the unpredictable side. This is one of those unpredictable examples.

I guess if I hear another Radiohead, Pilot or Deathcab song I might throw up. Not because I don't absolutely love those bands, but I've grown complacent in my inspiration as far as music goes.
That's what makes music so fun. You can like something so intensely for a little while and then watch yourself grow out of it. You realize that you need something to build on the soundtrack of your life, of all those bands that brought you to this point...your present.

Anyways keep rocking on.

I love democracy to a fault.

I am currently reading a book called, "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster. It's been an absolutely amazing read and I highly recommend it!

You will not be disappointed!

In it he mentions something very interesting talking about our churches or communities of faith...
"While leaders need the counsel and discernment of the believing community, they also need the freedom to lead. If God has called them to lead, they should not have to bring every detail of life to the community. We must never be seduced by Western democratic ideals into believing that every person must have equal say about every triviality in the community's life. God appoints authoritative leadership in his Church so that his work may be done upon the earth."

Now I can tell you first hand from working within a community how difficult it can be lead. But that is not what I want to emphasize here. The truth is, we all have become very accustomed to democracy. Now don't get me wrong, I am a red blooded American that believes that the Greeks came up with more than just great food.

But in the same thought I also believe that we who are accustomed to voting, having a say in every matter (especially if we voice our opinions openly to whomever will listen) have maybe done a great disservice to our communities of faith. We all have comments about the preacher's style, the worship leaders taste in music, or lack there of, and if we talk loud enough we might even get our respectable preference. But then we have to ask ourselves is that the kind of leaders that we want running our churches, our communities of faith?

I want to let leaders lead. God inspired leaders can quickly become people pleaser's. It only takes one person with a very strong preference to make life miserable for the leader. And then sooner than later we have our style of music, our version of the Bible in the pews or chairs in front of us and leadership that bend and cave to your every whim. But in reality all you have done is blindly fought against God's kingdom and the fullness of that kingdom being realized here on earth.

Democracy is good. But sometimes I love democracy to a fault.

Shopping makes me tired.

Today I went to the mall with Megh and my cousin Julie. It was really a quite successful trip. I had to get my computer repaired from those fine folks at the apple store.

The truth is though, even though I tell myself that I am not going to buy something, in fact I go through this pre-mall exercise in which I tell myself that I don't need anything. I have enough to outfit any army and enough stuff to keep me always guessing where this is or that. I have to much stuff.

But without fail, I get to the mall and find myself justifying why I need this, or need that. And usually I will give into the temptation, pull out the plastic and purchase what I again don't really need.

But then again, can you blame me? I need to get my computer fixed, so I must go into the mall, and thats when those freaking marketing people show me exactly what I must have. So I go into for a repair and come out with something else. Something that I didn't even know I was going to get before I go in. But I don't think again that this is all my fault. It's not. I am supposed to be drawn to the advertisements placed in convenient areas. And all of them make me feel good about myself, if only I could give in and buy that product being advertised.

It's all a game. A game that everyone plays. Regardless of whether you shop at the mall or Salvation Army. And like any athlete after playing a game, you get worn out and tired. It's like running a marathon. Only you don't always have to have h20 to continue shopping. But just being there in the mall, resisting temptation, can make you tired. Cause you know that once you get into the car, you realize that the need to purchase will go away.

Well I played the game today, and I won. I didn't buy anything that I didn't need!
But shopping makes me tired.