Journey of Worship

Archive for the ‘Newsletter’ Category

It’s easy to worship God when things are going well. At those times, it is easy to celebrate God’s goodness and rejoice in His greatness. The challenge of worship comes when things in our life aren’t going so well. It’s in those moments that we need to remember that even though our circumstances have changed, God hasn’t.

This is something my wife, Beck (who blogs here), has been learning and experiencing over the past year. This month in our church’s newsletter, I asked her to share some of what she has been learning about worship in the hard times.

“My husband has allowed me to share with you this week about the journey of worshiping in the dark places of our lives. I imagine all of us at one time or another has struggled to worship God in the midst of pain, disappointment, sorrow. Maybe that’s you this week. I understand; I’ve felt the choking burn of tears hovering near the surface and the nagging pull of fear. I’ve struggled with some health concerns in the last year and the doctors don’t have answers. Recently I was talking to Jesus about the concerns and fears in my life; asking for His provision, teaching, empowering. In that moment I heard Him so sweetly say, worship Me. And I did. Romans 11:33-12:2 gives us the reason why He deserves worship at all times.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

“As I obeyed and worshiped Him I poured out my heart, my worship, my trust, my need, my love as an act of faith and adoration. I felt like the woman in Luke 7, anointing Jesus feet with perfume, weeping and kissing those precious feet that came in search of me. And I knew that it was the Son who had drawn me to worship and the Spirit that had ignited the desire and ability to worship and the Father that had provided EVERYTHING I needed to worship Him in the first place. I am completely aware that even worship is something I can’t give Him on my own. And as I worshiped He gave to me; peace, joy, rest, His very presence.”

This is the second of a two-part post about Good Friday. Last week I talked about an experience I had many years ago on Good Friday, and this week I’ll be wrapping up with why I think it is so important for evangelical Christians to also take time for Good Friday. Check out the first post here.

Remembering Good Friday helps us reconnect with the roots of our faith. The first Good Friday was definitely not seen as “good” while it happened. It was as the early church began to organize its pattern and flow of worship that remembering these events gained importance. The y believed the principle that external rites can order internal experience. As we understand what was accomplished through the event of Jesus’ death, it definitely was a good day as the powers of darkness were defeated.

Good Friday is part of a grouping of days known as the Great Triduum that also include Maundy Thursday (when Christ established communion, washed His disciples feet, and gave the new commandment of love) and the Great Paschal Vigil of Saturday (when Christ’s body was lying in the tomb). These days that resolve in Easter Sunday and the resurrection are at the core of our relationship with Christ and our spirituality. The events commemorated in these days cannot be taken lightly as they are some of the most holy, solemn, and serious events at the center of our faith.

These days allow us to again remember God’s saving work in human history. Good Friday is the part that focuses on the death of our Lord and Savior so He could become our Lord and Savior. Without death, there is no resurrection. The connection of Good Friday and Easter Sunday allows us to experience vividly the contrast of suffering/loss and celebration. We cannot fully understand God’s love for us unless we grasp what He gave for us.

Even though we worship the resurrected Christ every day and live in Him because He is alive, this is the time of year when we again can gain a clearer focus on that fact. I am married every day, but taking time to remember and celebrate our anniversary only serves to increase the commitment and joy of our relationship. By taking time to remember and reflect on the events that led to the greatest event in history, we can only benefit as our understanding and love for all God has done grows and the depth of our relationship increases. As much as we may know about the events of Christ’s death and resurrection, there is much that is still a mystery.

This year, make it a priority to be present in the events the church offers to help remember and celebrate. Instead of just looking at the Easter season as a time for vacation or taking it easy, take time to reflect and mediate on Christ and what He did for us. Take time to prepare for the celebration that will happen on Easter Sunday.

May God remind us of how much was given so that we might have life.

This is the first of a two-part post about Good Friday. This week I’ll be talking about an experience I had many years ago on Good Friday, and next week I’ll wrap up with why I think it is so important for evangelical Christians to also take time for Good Friday.

While I was serving at in my first pastoral position, there was a young man in the youth group who was Catholic. He came to services and events at our church and also attended mass at his Catholic church. There was always an open invitation to go to mass with him, and I wanted to be able to do that. But it was hard because I obviously had to by at my church on Sundays.

Growing up, the only exposure that I had to events such as Maundy Thursday or Good Friday was seeing them on the calendar, knowing what they represented, and understanding that mostly liturgical and catholic traditions highlighted them. We were focused (and rightly so) on the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. It was a huge deal, but the preceding events weren’t as emphasized.

The only way we could figure out how to attend mass with this young man was to go to a special non-Sunday mass. The first opportunity that came was Good Friday. So, off we go to Good Friday mass. I didn’t really know what to expect since I had never attended a Catholic service before.

Being there was a moving experience. While the rituals and such were different than what I had previously experienced, I was drawn into the somber mood and reflection on the death of Christ. There wasn’t a need to tidy things up at the end and remind people of what was to come. I was able to see and comprehend the significance of the death and sacrifice of Jesus – His body broken for ours – in a new way. I was also surprised to discover that the Gospel was fully present, even though most of the people there probably were not hearing the depth of God’s love for us.

I left very moved and reflective upon what I had experience and, more importantly, what Christ had experienced for me. The effect of that was most evident a few days later as I led the congregation in worship on Easter Sunday. I had a fresh and renewed desire to fully celebrate the resurrection because I had come face to face with Christ’s death in a much more significant way than before.

I walked away from that Easter season with a new understanding of the importance of focusing on the entirety of the Easter season, and not just Easter Sunday. Taking time for Good Friday should be just as important for us as coming to church on Easter Sunday.

Come back next Friday to read part two of this topic. Thanks for stopping by.

If you attend a church for any amount of time, you will eventually be asked to learn a new song. For some this is an exciting thing. For others it is not. Perhaps you wonder why we choose to do new songs. By doing new songs, are we saying that the old songs are bad or no longer useful? Not at all. The song selection for a worshipping community does not need to be either new or old, but can be both.

Some may say that we should do new songs because the Bible tells us to. They will point to Scriptures such as those found in Psalm 96:1, which says “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth;” or Psalm 149:1, which says “Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise to the assembly of the saints.” However, most scholars believe that the meaning of these verses, and others like them, has little to do with an actual song, and more to do with what happens in our hearts as God renews us through the Holy Spirit and we see and understand the amazing grace extended to us through Jesus Christ. As our hearts are reborn, then what is expressed is a new song of praise to the King of kings instead of the old song of sin and selfishness. It is the redemption through Jesus Christ within our lives. Read the rest of this entry »

What does worship look like?  As the practical, pragmatic, and action-oriented Americans we are, how do we do this thing that is supposed to draw our attention to God so that we can give Him all glory and honor with our whole being?

The event of worship takes many forms.  One of the biggest ways that worship happens is through music.  This is true today and has been for centuries.  Psalm 69:30 tells us that “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”  Music, in its various forms, provides an avenue where worshippers can open their hearts to God and one another.  There is power in the corporate application of music.

Martin Luther (the one who nailed the 95 theses to the door and kicked off the Protestant Reformation), was a huge proponent of the role of music in worship.  Charles Moss in The Musical Reforms of Luther writes that “Martin Luther viewed music as having powers to repulse evil and to glorify God at the same time.”  In the forward to his Symphoniae, Luther himself wrote that “next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.  It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits. “

As vital as music is, there is a downside to the association of music with worship.  Unfortunately, we have made worship about music and the two have become synonymous in our minds.  Instead of music being an aspect of worship, worship is music.  Then we find ourselves in a place that says we can’t worship without music.

The fact of the matter is, as songwriter Paul Baloche says, “worship has more to do with relationship than with music.  Worshipping God with music is simply a tool to help us connect relationally to a living God.”

So, we return to our original question of what does worship look like.  We know one way is music.  But what other ways can we connect with the living God?  How about things like reading, hearing, and applying the Word of God, tithing, living generously, serving, loving others, meditating on who God is, making our prayers more than just requests, developing an attitude of thankfulness, surrendering full control of our life to God, and responding to the truth of God by living it out in our daily lives.

There’s a reason why the event we attend each Sunday is called a “worship service.”  All of the elements that take place in it should facilitate our whole self connecting with God and choosing to live for Him.  It’s not called a “music service” as music is but a part of the whole.

Worship looks like a lot of things. We can connect with God in a variety of valid ways both corporately and personally.  We should not be limited in our ability to worship the living God based on whether there is music available or not.

What does worship look like to you?  What helps you connect with God?  Let me know in the comments.

Advent is the time when God breaks in on us with new surprises and touches us with a renewing and restoring power. –Robert Webber, Ancient Future Time

It’s the time of year when we enter into the season of Advent, which comes from the Latin adventus, meaning arrival or coming. Advent is traditionally a time when people slow down and take time to celebrate and prepare for Jesus’ birth at Christmas time. Many religious traditions choose not to sing songs of Christ’s birth until Christmas Day since Advent is not a time of joy, but of longing for the coming of the Savior. Read the rest of this entry »

I have heard about you, LORD, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. Show us your power to save us. (Habakkuk 3:2 nlt)

Something that has struck me as important recently is the significance of remembering. When I lead, I’ll often ask God to help us remember who He is, what He has done, and how He wants us to live. I do this rather frequently. You may wonder, why?

The aspect of remembering is huge for us. We go to great lengths to remember things that are important like significant moments in life, treasured relationships, birthdays, and more. We do so through pictures, videos, treasures, and conversations to help jog our memories. We feel sad when people forget about events that were meaningful to us, and it’s heartbreaking to watch some people forget as they age. We will also go to great lengths to block memories of situations that were painful, hurtful, or destructive.

Remembering is a huge necessity in our lives. We need to remember the stories, memories, and commitments of our life because we are forgetful people and are easily distracted. When we don’t remember, we lose a part of ourselves. We forget how God has used the events of life to shape us and reveal Himself to us. Author Robert Webber once wrote that “forgetting brings death, but remembering brings life.”

God knew this about us. As sin entered the world, He knew that we would need help in remembering who He is and what He told us. You can trace this theme throughout the Bible. God constantly told the Old Testament Israelites to build monuments to remind them and their children of the great things He did for them. He encouraged them to takes steps to remember His grace and mercy so that would not get distracted by other gods. He wrote down the 10 Commandments so they would not forget the essential things to live a God-honoring life.

As the early church began to meet, they meet weekly on the first day intentionally so that they would not forget the importance of the resurrection. Meeting together in fellowship was important throughout the week so that they would not forget each other or what God was doing. The writer of Hebrews recognized the importance of this as he told his readers to not give up meeting together. God’s message for us was that when we stop meeting together, we stop remembering and begin to forget.

So, why is remembering the greatness and character of God so important? When we remember, we are not distracted by temporary things or drawn away into sin. I think author David Powlison captures it well. “If you could remember just one true thing in the moment of trial, you’d be different. Bible ‘verses’ aren’t magic. But God’s words are revelations of God from God for our redemption. When you actually remember God, you do not sin. The only way we ever sin is by suppressing God, by forgetting, by tuning out his voice, switching channels, and listening to other voices.”

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:2 niv)

Imagine this scenario with me…you’ve arrived at the church building for a Sunday morning service. You’ve made your way in and found a seat. The service begins as usual with a welcome and announcements about important things. Perhaps you hear a missionary share about the work they are doing. Maybe there is a video conveying a spiritual concept. Then the music starts. You’re invited to stand with everyone else as the leader encourages you to express praise through singing. You’re singing along with the words that declare the truth of who Jesus is, and then it happens. The words disappear off the screen, and there is just music playing. What do you do now?

In our modern gatherings where the same types of things happen regularly and we know the routine, it can be hard to know what to do in those “free” moments. Our natural tendency is to look around, wonder what’s going to happen next, or think about where you’re going to eat lunch. Read the rest of this entry »

Consider the concept of an advocate. How many of us really understand that concept? While advocates still exist in our society today, most people don’t think they will ever need an advocate. An advocate is someone who supports or speaks in favor of something. The advocate concept comes from the legal world. Attorneys were to speak in favor of their client’s case.

We see the advocate role still working today. In hospitals, there will be people serving as patient advocates when a family member is not available. For children in abusive and neglectful situations, the welfare and DFS systems play the role of advocate.

But dig a little deeper and discover that the meaning of an advocate is much richer. An advocate is also someone who acts or intercedes on behalf of another. We have a hard time accepting this truth, but as humans we are in desperate need of an advocate when it comes to having a relationship with God. We cannot speak for ourselves before God because our lives are marred by sin from the moment we are conceived. Without an advocate, we can never hope to enter into God’s presence, gain forgiveness of sins, or know the power of God at work in our lives.

God knew this and gave the role of advocate to Jesus Christ. As our advocate, Jesus throws open the doorway to heaven. He makes it possible for us to enter boldly into God’s presence as we place our trust fully in Him. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 10:19-20).

As our advocate, Jesus is constantly before God on our behalf interceding for our sins. We will continue to struggle with sin until the every end, yet Jesus is before God on our behalf as we confess and seek forgiveness. Without the blood of Christ interceding for us, we would not have any hope of forgiveness and cleansing. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous (1 John 2:1). Christ does what we cannot as our advocate.

Jesus is uniquely suited to fulfill the role of advocate before God because He has conquered sin and death. All power is given to Him over all things. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but also in the world to come (Ephesians 1:21). There is no one who can take that power away and no one who can usurp that power. As we trust Jesus as our advocate, we can have confidence that He has the ability and power to do it.

If we grab on to the reality and depth of Christ as our advocate, it could revolutionize our perspective and understanding. To realize that we have, interceding on our behalf, He who has conquered the chains of death and sin is huge. Take some time today to give thanks to God that He gave His Son as our advocate and that we can rest secure in that. Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend (Job 16:19-20a).

Thank Jesus today for being your advocate before our Holy God and go boldly into His presence through Jesus Christ.

I’ve been sharing some song stories this summer with my congregation, and wanted to focus on the new song, “Praise the Father, Praise the Son” that we sang for the first time on August 9. Check out what Chris Tomlin has to say about it, take a look at the lyrics, and watch the video to hear Chris Tomlin and Ed Cash (who co-wrote the song) talk about it. Allow this great song that focuses the heart and mind on the triune nature of God be a part of your worship expression.

Praise the Father, Praise the Son

“There are always those songs that you hold an extra special place for inside. This is one of those for me. Ed Cash and I wrote this song on the last night of recording my vocals for the record. All of the songs were already recorded, and we were happy with where we were. But I am always open to God possibly breathing another song along the way. On this night, Ed grabbed his guitar and told me he wanted to play this melody that he felt was special and that he had been using in some times of ministry with his church family. It kind of reminded me of how the Bible teaches that David would play, and it would bring peace and healing. Ed sang a few lyric ideas for the verse, and I immediately just began to sing out the chorus you hear on the record. It was one of the moments where you knew you were not in charge, and we both just sat there with tears in our eyes, stunned at what was happening. I do feel this song, in particular, is one that any church, with any style of worship can sing. It continues to be my heart to write songs that give voice to the generations now and the ones that are to come; and I sense this is one of those songs.” –Chris Tomlin

Praise The Father, Praise The Son

Written by Ed Cash and Chris Tomlin

O sovereign God, O matchless King
The saints adore, the angels sing
And fall before the throne of grace
To You belongs the highest praise

These sufferings, this passing tide
Under Your wings I will abide
And every enemy shall flee
You are my hope and victory

Praise the Father, Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, Three in One
Clothed in power and in grace
The name above all other names

To the valley, for my soul
Thy great descent has made me whole
Your word my heart has welcomed home
Now peace like water ever flows

Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the power
Yours is the glory
Forever

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