Filed under: Song Writing
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Filed under: Essentials Blue Course
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Summer 2009 Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
Well the idea that is swimming through my head at the moment focuses on on ‘new humanity’. If worship makes us fully alive, and we become new again, renewed, new creation, or what I am liking at the moment, new humanity, what does it mean to me as a follower of Jesus, as one engaged in community (the church) and tasked with the language of worship to help awaken people to the image within?
As we tell the stories of salvation, and point to the cross, and how to life this out, I think this idea of new humanity truly means to make our lives a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God, then can we look at our lives through the lense of the sacrament of communion, the Eucharist, and see that we can be this new humanity and bring about restoration and be the living message of redemption as we come breaking ourselves open and pouring ourselves out so that the world can be healed and restored as they come to see the One who broke is body, and shed his blood for us, at the cross?
This new humanity, its you, its me, its us, the church can be this new humanity on display! And so as we gather, we remind one another, we instruct, we inspire people about being Eucharist for the world we find ourselves in. We become reflections of the God within us to the world around us, and we spurn one another on to love and good deeds, as we see written in the book of Hebrews…
This is awesome! I think this is where heaven and earth can intersect more and more, as we break out lives open and pour them out where ever God leads us to…
Filed under: Essentials Blue Course
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue – Summer 09 – Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
There are two thoughts that have gripped me this week:
1. I, as a worship leader and a salvific storyteller…enough said, and I LOVE it!
2. With all that we’ve looked at this week, is it possible to say I/we are/can be the place where heaven touches Earth…then what could the church be? How can we influence this more fully? See it more clearly?
I’ve started to write again, something I’ve never really felt was something I should explore, but the more I have been pressed this past 3 weeks, the more the urge us beginning to wrestle with me…
Filed under: Essentials Blue Course
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Summer 2009 Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
I’ve been touched and challenged by this week’s focus, The Nature Of God and found it rich and thrilling. I’ve always done well when its come to study, was a 4.0 in two stints of grad school pretty much without purchasing a book or studying too much. (and no they weren’t mail order degrees!).
But as with any study, and especially that focused on deep theological discussion, the more you take in, the more you realize how little you know…and I’ve found that I’ve been really challenged to check my thinking, my responses in conversations, and most the time, I just feel way over my head. Sometimes I just think thats just how it feels being a leader, I’ve never felt adequate in that respect.
Anyway, this brings me to our ‘Point Of Awareness’ for this week, in regards to the notion that our ability to search for God cannot in and of themselves break through and give us the understanding to where we can say with confidence, ‘yep I’ve now got You (God) all figured out’.
Something I’ve been thinking about in terms of this ‘containment’ and ’stretching and expansion’ in our understanding of God through songs is this notion that we need more songs that speak of just the sheer wonder and mystery that we’ll never have a full understanding this side of heaven. As the God who self-reveals, I am sure there are things I miss all the time that I shouldn’t, which is one of the many reasons I am thankful for people like Dan and the lot that he’s brought together to help us, but I know that truly the reason I have a relationship with God and get to know about His is because He chooses to remove the veil of my heart, mind & soul. And sometimes, its all I can bear at that time, because maybe to go further, would pretty much kill me. I know this will sound silly, but i can think of 2 or 3 times in my life while encountering the presence of God I’ve felt literally, like, this is so intense, I am almost afraid for my life…
Actually each of those times, something new has been given to me, whether it be freedom, new direction, deeper love and understanding, a new assignment or phase in my journey etc…
But can we sing of His mystery and awe? We can’t lose that, and maybe in our wonder, we begin to find where His heart beats and begin to get in step with that rhythm, which leads me to another thought…
I love the fact that God welcomes and encourages us to know Him deeper, but its not by study or intellectual comprehension alone (sometimes that might be the starting point, other times is after what I’m about to say)…its by self-surrender and submission and taking up His cause and for me, I’ve realized that I learn more about who He is by living out more and more activities that might in some way reflect His heart and action in this world. Trust me I often feel as if I’m fumbling in the dark, and do not claim in any way to have arrived or be an expert, but maybe I learn more about loving God, by loving others. Maybe the way I love God is measured by how I love others? Maybe I learn more about bringing freedom to the opressed by finding freedom myself, and helping bring that freedom to others? Giving someone a meal, clothing them, sitting with them in a hospital, giving someone simply a smile & hello, greeting them with dignity and paying attention…
Do I learn more of who God is by acting on impulses that seem to reflect Jesus’ heart? I think so…and I certainly hope so…
Disclaimer, I am a life long learner, and am in no way advocating that study is not important…I just value being a practicioner and hope that at the end of my days, there is a long history of acting out what I’ve learned, and not just kept it all in my head and heart…
Thanks for stretching me this week!
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online – Summer ‘09 Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
There are a couple of things that have been floating around my head, both pertain to raising up new leaders, which is one of my primary roles these days. Both of these are from recent conversations with up and coming worship leaders here at my church:
‘You don’t know what you don’t know…’
The other is an old Vineyard axiom,
‘much of learning to lead is more caught than taught…’
As I’ve reflected on these, both of these have been true in my life. As I look at my journey as a worship leader, I can certainly say that in my early days, I have no idea what I didn’t know. I think it comes with the territory. And interestingly enough, much of what I have come to know has been more of the caught variety than the taught. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had to value the disipline of learning, I certainly have.
But i was struck with how much I seemingly ‘know’, but can’t seem to remember where I aquired it along the way. One of my main priorities in this season is to identify, recruit, equip, deploy and monitor new worship leaders. And many of them are at the very beginning stages of their development, which is extremely exciting. What I realize though, is I started out with far more of a foundation that I was ever aware of. I know this is partly the blessing of being raised around quality leaders my whole life, but I really resonated with the basic, but fundamental understanding that Don Williams discusses in ‘Why Theology?’
I think back in our movement, at thank God that we didn’t make more mistakes than we actually did in our worship writing/leading and how key it is for us today, to raise up worship leaders and song writers that are well versed in the reality that ‘God is True’ and what we think and know about Gob is critical to the proper intention of worship in regards to the Kingdom.
The statement that sent chills down my spine was, ‘anything else is trafficking in the Kingdom of darkness.’ I wonder, have I ever done such? I know that I’ve experienced it in my midst, but have i ever been directly repsonsible for that?
This has really shaped my thinking over the past 5 years, and one of the primary questions I ask worship leaders, whether they are mine, or from other churches, is the simple question, ‘why do you sing the songs you choose to sing?’ My observation is that often, it is not due to the fact that the words resonate in our hearts, that they reflect their personal lives, and the life and breath of the church. I think about it this way, worship leaders have the divine sacred responsibility to put good words on the lips of the gathered. If we don’t have deep within us the answers to the questions D Williams asks:
- What is the Gospel?
- Who is God?
- What is God’s purpose?
- What is His plan for salvation?
How can we know whether we are putting good words on people’s lips. I feel extremely blessed to be in a church community that does and extremely good job of teaching the bible every week, but I agree with Brenton’s assertion that we shape our community’s theology, how people think about God, more by the songs we sing than by our teachings. That’s a pretty big deal then and means that the songs we choose to put on people’s lips are vital.
But more than that, I have to have deep within me, and personal understanding of this God of truth in ever increasing depth. Does my life resonate with the songs I am drawn to sing? Does the life of my church ride on that same wavelegnth?
What am I doing to make sure that those I am raising up ‘know‘ way more than I did at their stages of development, and have every opportunity to ‘catch‘ the good that they are meant to catch from me?
Filed under: Essentials Green Course
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Green Online – Spring ‘09 Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
Unfortunately most of my time had to be devoted to our Easter services, which were so much fun. But it did mean that my reflections were neglected, no excuse, but there’s only so much time in the day.
I was hoping to talk more about how kingdom expectation relates to leading worship that leads people to repentance and a renewal of our faith in Jesus, but I am still working through my thoughts on it. It was fun to prepare and think about leading worship this weekend at our 6 services through the lense of what we had been discussing and what I’d been thinking about. I felt our set really reflected this idea and as we sang these songs there was a real connection in my heart between the notion that we are singing songs that give us a great opportunity to do just that, and my personal convictions as a worshiper, feeling led to do just that as I am leading others.
There was a real tangible sense of God’s presence and it just felt as if there was a heightend awareness merely for the fact that this had been on my heart. Anyway, it was a real privilege to worship with friends and our wider community this week!
FYI, the set we led was this:
Our God Saves – P Baloche
Unfailing Love – N Briggs
All I Have – Bobblemann & Brennan
Surrender – M James
Special Song – Christ Is Risen – J Riddle
Filed under: Essentials Green Course
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Green Online – Spring ‘09 Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
I’ve been struck this week by the thought of whether we think we know it all or not. I hate to admit it, but I think we do often respond as if we think so. I honestly wish I could spend more time with people like Dan, and others I’ve met over the past decade, I really feel like iron sharpens iron, and I am in need of sharpening. I readily admit that most of the time I truly don’t have a clue, and am doing my best to follow Jesus and serve our people, but when we talk about issues of accessibility and cultural relavence, our scope of influence and thus our understanding is so limited. I love the fervor and tenacity of the young people I talk with and read within my travels, but I honestly feel like much of it is just naive. Anyway, I am not sure this post is going to be very helpful, so maybe I’ll just stop here, not like anyone actually reads this stuff anyway! (wow I sound old and grumpy!)
Anyway I am loving the study and look forward to the next few weeks…
Filed under: Essentials Red Course
Project Red
U – kingasa
P – phil47
Filed under: Essentials Red Course
For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online – Spring ‘09 Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
Well, sorry to say, no vodcast this week, its just been to manic, and to be honest, I felt a rant coming, so best we stay away from video equipment this week. Its been a really fun week to think about communion for me. I lead communion twice a week in our weekend services and I’ve given quite a bit of thought to this whole act of receiving communion. What does it mean? How do you take it properly if there is a proper way? More importantly, how do you facilitate a wide range of various backgrounds, cultural practices, and beliefs regarding what communion actually is? For us, we offer the opportunity to receive communion at 2 of our 5 services weekly, then at all 5 services once a month during our worship. So as the worship leader, I weave the taking of communion into our time, and speak for a moment as we pause to let people know what is going on.
I’ve had an interesting week of discussions regarding ’symbolic action’, as if the use of those words waters down the vibrance and sacredness of taking the elements. To me, unless you were there with Jesus, at the last supper, every communion meal from then to now has been a ’symbolic action’ as we obey Jesus command to remember. I personally think we have a whole bunch of baggage and junk that cloud our understanding of what communion is. So weekly I try and explain in very simple and honest terms what this act of drinking and eating is. This to me is truly an opportunity to receive God’s grace and mercy as I remember Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on my behalf, and ask him to wash me again of the things that get in the way of my relationship with him. Its an opportunity for grace, its also an opportunity to unite with the gathered and build community as we partake in receiving God’s grace together.
It is such an honor and privilege to simple explain God’s redemption and unconditional love, and to remind people that its available as we turn to Jesus daily. For me this is the essence of why we offer communion, its so special, so precious. Anyway, I could go on, but think I’ll stop there…
Filed under: About Me
So today I ventured out with my three little ones to take in our first spring training experience. We drove over to the Dodgers/White Sox complex in Glendale to see what it was all about, and well, it see if we might be able to catch a glimpse of my childhood idol, Don Mattingly. I have to be honest, the sight of the diamonds, the smell of the grass, the sun shining brought be back to being a little kid all over again. Gosh it was so easy to slip back into my childhood and see all these players for way more than they really are…it was actually pretty cool!
It was fun to also now sit with my children and explain all the different neuances of the game as the players were running different drills, pitchers practicing covering first, turning double plays, infielders coming in for bunts, etc…
They actually managed to deal with me for about 20 minutes before thinking it was way more fun to roll up and down the grassy hill we were sitting on, but it was a start! Sadly though, we didn’t catch a glimpse of Donny, so I guess it will have to wait another day! Ahh, spring in Phoenix, its pretty cool!
