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When the Singing Stops…

September 15, 2009 in Worship with 2 Comments

worship01_largeImagine 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. Continue Reading…

[Video] How to be Interactive in Worship

July 9, 2009 in Media, Worship with 0 Comments

Came across this video in my RSS reader today, and just had to share it. Enjoy!

(via Dan at walkingingrace.com. Thanks!)

A Mighty and Inescapable Truth about God

July 2, 2009 in Ponderings, Worship with 3 Comments

I have one of the best jobs in the world, getting to do what I enjoy for the Kingdom of God. But, I also have one of the hardest jobs in the world. There are seasons where it seems that we watch so many people make choices that dishonor God, their families and others even though they have heard the truth. There are seasons where there is great discouragement and many questions. There are times when I wonder whether any of it makes a difference.

Each time I find myself in one of those times, there is a verse that I am repeatedly drawn to. It is a voice that speaks volumes about the God I serve and His character. It is a verse that can bring a huge amount of encouragement when it is heard with ears that want to hear.

Zephaniah 3:17 is that verse. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (emphasis added)

Thank about that for a minute (or more). The great God of the universe who created all that we see, who is not constrained by time or space, who is not burdened and held captive by the things that stress and worry us. The Lord Almighty who is incomparable,  everlasting, all-powerful, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is with us. Always.

He takes delight in us and quiets our worries and questions with His great love. He, the holy and righteous and perfect God, rejoices over us with singing, not because we get it right all the time but because He loves and treasures us just that much.

Wow.

[Video] John Piper on the Glory of God

May 28, 2009 in Media, Worship with 3 Comments

While I don’t always agree with every interpretation/opinion of John Piper, I think he’s on the money in this clip. Enjoy and consider.

The Languages of Worship: Art (Essentials Red)

March 14, 2009 in Creativity, Worship with 0 Comments

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

When I was first getting into the visual arts as part of worship ministry, I came across a quote that has stuck with me. It’s from a 10 year old book called “Out on the Edge” by Michael Slaughter. He said “the screen is the stained glass window of the 21st century.”

Even as a kid, I remember thinking how odd it was that the church was all about the auditory experience, when we are such visual creatures. That was during the church construction period of make-the-church-as-plain-as-possible-so-it-doesn’t-intimidate-people. Yet, people are drawn to color, significant architecture, pleasing interior design, and the like. Recapturing the expression of art in space and expression can only enhance our connection with God and draw our attention heavenward. Continue Reading…

The Languages of Worship: Baptism and Communion (Essentials Red)

March 10, 2009 in Worship with 0 Comments

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

As I continue to learn about worship history in my online class, the focus recently has been symbolic actions that have been a part of worship expression. The two most obvious things that fall into this category, and that are widely accepted as sacrements across Church lines, are baptism and communion (or the Eucharist).

To me, symbolic actions are a huge way of expressing truth, worship history, and our connection and engagement with Christ. Continue Reading…

The Languages of Worship: Prayer and Scripture (Essentials Red)

March 4, 2009 in Worship with 0 Comments

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

We’ve developed this church perspective that worship = music. While music and singing are a huge part of worship expression, worship is far more than music. It’s something that I am discovering both in the Bible and in looking at the history of worship expression in churches across time. Two of those expressions that we should revisit are those of prayer and scripture.

The worship languages of prayer and Scripture have always been important to me, and I have been privileged to be a part of churches that have valued those things, even if maybe not to the point of the Church of the past. These languages played a huge role in the life of the early church, both corporately and individually. For them, life drove prayer. Continue Reading…

The Languages of Worship: Time and Space (Essentials Red)

February 24, 2009 in Worship with 2 Comments

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

I’ve been thinking (and learning) about the value of remembering lately. God repeatedly told the Israelites to remember what He had done for them, and they repeatedly forgot and got into trouble. I have found myself making fun of the Israelites and wondering what their problem was, only to realize that we do the same thing. It just looks a little different.

Dan Wilt has said that “one of the greatest evidences that we are a fallen race is our tendency to forget.” I know that’s true in my own life, and in the life of the people I minister with and to each week. That’s why as a worship/creative person, I at times what to have people do something physical or take something home to engage with and remember a concept. How many of us have rocks and cloth and little crosses from past spiritual experiences? Continue Reading…

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