Friday, September 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Was it us, or was it you?
{This post was written, but for some reason didn't post to the blog as thought, after our 2011 Easter service}
I've heard it a thousand times already:
"That was what Easter should sound like."
"Today's worship was incredible!"
"Man, you guys were on point today..."
"Why can't we have worship like that every week?"
I tell you what - in my role, that is music to my ears. My goal each week is for what we do on stage to engage the hearts and minds of the assembled church. Nothing is better for me on a Sunday than seeing the faces of people who are letting it go in worship of our God who loves us. It really was a beautiful day on Sunday.
And, elephant in the room, when people say the music was good we know that they're really talking about Eben Franckewitz putting it down on a gospel blues tune.
Don't get me wrong, I love the feedback, and I saw the congregation going all in on Sunday, so there was something going on. I mean, we had people clapping to the beat at 8 a.m.. Usually the 8 o'clock folks are still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes (and we love every single one of you!). I'm just not sure what we did that was so different.
Sure, we had a few more folks on stage. The Easter choir is in session, and was up there helping to lead. We had Charly playing Hammond sounds on the keyboard, and an extra electric guitar player in Greg Hansen, but other than that, I didn't really add anything.
In some ways, in fact, it was just the opposite. We usually do six or seven congregational worship songs in one Sunday service. This week we only did three, and the third one didn't come until 70 minutes in. The songs weren't new. One of them we've been doing for a few months, another for a few years, and the third has been sung since 1739. There weren't any new faces on stage, aside from Eben, who hasn't been up there since he played Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 4 years ago.
It could be that you enjoyed us a little bit more this week. It's possible that we pushed the congregation in a different direction. Or, perhaps the difference this week had less to do with us, and more to do with you...
I saw a people who were ready to worship when they walked through the door. In all three services there was an expectation and an excitement as people entered the room. Where hands were usually in pockets, they were up or clapping. In those chairs where lips are often closed, praise choruses and hymns were belted out.
It makes sense that on the holiest of our holidays, we come ready and excited to celebrate our risen Lord. And while it may be true that there was a little bit of extra energy on stage, I'm more inclined to think we had a congregation that was a little more ready to tell God of their gratefulness, and ready to proclaim death to death. To be honest, I think the entire praise band could have taken the day off and the congregation would have gone on without us, and had a pretty similar assessment of the morning's worship service.
How do we enter our gatherings on Sunday morning? With expectation? With excitement? Do you need us to rev you up, or are you prepared to worship no matter what? If there was no music at all, could you still declare who God is? Do you celebrate Easter each and every week? Each and every day? I can't say that I do, but I think that's what God expects of me. And when it doesn't feel as good as Sunday did, that can be difficult.
The fact of the matter is that there will be mornings when worship feels different than it did on Sunday. The question is: what do we do with that? On the mornings when the sermon is about loving your enemy, and the only instrument on stage is a bassoon, what does our worship look like?
It's the honor of my life to lead you each week in worship. It's my hope that what I do, and what all of our worship leaders do gets better and better every time we're together. I hope we get your heart stirred each and every week. Perhaps its true, however, that what we do on stage lands on your heart in a way that's been prepared before you walk in the room. Perhaps that is what happened this Easter Sunday.
Let's make a deal. If you keep showing up each week like it's Easter, then so will I.
I've heard it a thousand times already:
"That was what Easter should sound like."
"Today's worship was incredible!"
"Man, you guys were on point today..."
"Why can't we have worship like that every week?"
I tell you what - in my role, that is music to my ears. My goal each week is for what we do on stage to engage the hearts and minds of the assembled church. Nothing is better for me on a Sunday than seeing the faces of people who are letting it go in worship of our God who loves us. It really was a beautiful day on Sunday.
And, elephant in the room, when people say the music was good we know that they're really talking about Eben Franckewitz putting it down on a gospel blues tune.
Don't get me wrong, I love the feedback, and I saw the congregation going all in on Sunday, so there was something going on. I mean, we had people clapping to the beat at 8 a.m.. Usually the 8 o'clock folks are still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes (and we love every single one of you!). I'm just not sure what we did that was so different.
Sure, we had a few more folks on stage. The Easter choir is in session, and was up there helping to lead. We had Charly playing Hammond sounds on the keyboard, and an extra electric guitar player in Greg Hansen, but other than that, I didn't really add anything.
In some ways, in fact, it was just the opposite. We usually do six or seven congregational worship songs in one Sunday service. This week we only did three, and the third one didn't come until 70 minutes in. The songs weren't new. One of them we've been doing for a few months, another for a few years, and the third has been sung since 1739. There weren't any new faces on stage, aside from Eben, who hasn't been up there since he played Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 4 years ago.
It could be that you enjoyed us a little bit more this week. It's possible that we pushed the congregation in a different direction. Or, perhaps the difference this week had less to do with us, and more to do with you...
I saw a people who were ready to worship when they walked through the door. In all three services there was an expectation and an excitement as people entered the room. Where hands were usually in pockets, they were up or clapping. In those chairs where lips are often closed, praise choruses and hymns were belted out.
It makes sense that on the holiest of our holidays, we come ready and excited to celebrate our risen Lord. And while it may be true that there was a little bit of extra energy on stage, I'm more inclined to think we had a congregation that was a little more ready to tell God of their gratefulness, and ready to proclaim death to death. To be honest, I think the entire praise band could have taken the day off and the congregation would have gone on without us, and had a pretty similar assessment of the morning's worship service.
How do we enter our gatherings on Sunday morning? With expectation? With excitement? Do you need us to rev you up, or are you prepared to worship no matter what? If there was no music at all, could you still declare who God is? Do you celebrate Easter each and every week? Each and every day? I can't say that I do, but I think that's what God expects of me. And when it doesn't feel as good as Sunday did, that can be difficult.
The fact of the matter is that there will be mornings when worship feels different than it did on Sunday. The question is: what do we do with that? On the mornings when the sermon is about loving your enemy, and the only instrument on stage is a bassoon, what does our worship look like?
It's the honor of my life to lead you each week in worship. It's my hope that what I do, and what all of our worship leaders do gets better and better every time we're together. I hope we get your heart stirred each and every week. Perhaps its true, however, that what we do on stage lands on your heart in a way that's been prepared before you walk in the room. Perhaps that is what happened this Easter Sunday.
Let's make a deal. If you keep showing up each week like it's Easter, then so will I.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Selfless Worship?
"We need to sing fewer songs with the words 'I, me,' and 'my.' Worship isn't about us, it is about our God."
I get a lot of comment cards here at Faith Church. Some are positive, others not so much, but I do read them. One thing I've noticed is that at least 95% of the positive cards have a name attached. On the other hand, less than 25% of the negative comments are signed. Over seven years, I've resorted to becoming a student of handwriting examination, trying to match signed cards to unsigned ones (and sometimes Christmas cards, too). While I pretend to not be bothered by it, I can't help but wonder who it was that didn't like the way I played piano on Sunday, the flip-flop sandals that I wore, or the person I chose to light the Advent candle. Of all the unsigned cards, however, the most prevalent comment, and the one that troubles me the most, is the one above. Generally stated, the question is, "Why do we continually reference ourselves in worship music these days, when the old songs predominantly referenced God and his attributes? Isn't including ourselves a form of idolatry in worship?"
The question has taken many forms over the years, for instance:
This idea, I believe, is founded on two misconceptions.
First, there is a belief that our hymnals primarily contain songs that do not reference the individual in the way that many songs do today. This simply isn't true. Some of the most beloved hymns of this, and previous, generations speak of the relationship between God and the worshiper.
Just as a little unscientific experiment, I walked around the office today and asked some staff members to randomly open our church's old hymnal, Hymns for the Family of God, to any page. They were then to read me the titles of any songs that were on the pages before them. Here is the list, in its entirety:
According to Christian Copyright Licensing International, the two most popular traditional Hymns are "How Great Thou Art," and "Amazing Grace." In the first verse of "How Great Thou Art," God is referenced 4 times, and the worshiper is referenced 4 times. In "Amazing Grace," the worshiper is referenced 4 times, while the attributes of God (grace, pursuit, and healing) are referenced 3 times.
This is not to say that all songs reference the individual in the same way, or that there is an equation to figure out the appropriate ratio of "God" mentions to "Me" mentions. Instead, let us acknowledge that the songs of our tradition wonderfully and joyfully represent the worshiper, and with great frequency.
Secondly, when we see examples of verbal worship in scripture, we often see it in the context of a relationship. Consider the Psalms, what Pastor Steve LoVellette likes to call "God's Worship Hymnal." Much of that book of the Bible references the hopes, fears, joys, and requests of the psalmist. If you have three minutes, listen to what Pastor Steve had to say about this matter in reference to Psalm 23, perhaps one of the most memorized passages in scripture:
God is honored and well served by worship in the context of our relationship with him. The example has been set for us!
Even as Christ teaches us to pray, we see the relationship between God and his people:
Our Father, in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us today our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we also have forgiven our debtors
And Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from the evil one
(Matthew 6:9-13, NIV)
The English word "worship," means "to shape worth," or "assess value." How can we assess God's value in our lives if we seek to remove our relationship with Him from the picture?
Pretend, for a second, that you are sitting down to write a love letter to your spouse or significant other. What will it say? Will you merely make a list of your beloved's attributes and accomplishments? To do so would be to merely create their resume or biography, for you have failed to assess the worth of that person and their attributes to your being, and to your soul. Instead, you will likely write how their sense of humor brings joy to your life, how their smile brings comfort when you are sad, and how their presence makes your life more meaningful. Similarly, we cannot worship God as if we are an historian or human resource manager. God's grace, His power, His mercy, His never-ending love, His creation, His calling on our lives... all of these attributes affect us intimately. How unfortunate would it be if we were to worship Our Great God, without claiming that he is ours?
Make no mistake, we are not the objects of worship. Never forget that God will not share his glory with anyone (Isaiah 42). Is there a danger of focusing too much on our needs and our desires and not enough on who God is? No question. Knowing that, should we allow ourselves to be consumed in a toxic form of tribalism, with some of us claiming "Issac Watts" while others are of "Matt Redman?" Is the Gospel under which we live, the unity of the Church, and our irrevocable commitment to each other big enough to bridge the gaps between differences of preference? Absolutely.
Let us worship using both the old and the new with joy and thanksgiving, in unity, and love for one another, never forgetting what He has done for us.
I get a lot of comment cards here at Faith Church. Some are positive, others not so much, but I do read them. One thing I've noticed is that at least 95% of the positive cards have a name attached. On the other hand, less than 25% of the negative comments are signed. Over seven years, I've resorted to becoming a student of handwriting examination, trying to match signed cards to unsigned ones (and sometimes Christmas cards, too). While I pretend to not be bothered by it, I can't help but wonder who it was that didn't like the way I played piano on Sunday, the flip-flop sandals that I wore, or the person I chose to light the Advent candle. Of all the unsigned cards, however, the most prevalent comment, and the one that troubles me the most, is the one above. Generally stated, the question is, "Why do we continually reference ourselves in worship music these days, when the old songs predominantly referenced God and his attributes? Isn't including ourselves a form of idolatry in worship?"
The question has taken many forms over the years, for instance:
- The accusation: "I often wonder if you pay attention to the words we sing and how often you make us say 'I' in worship songs."
- The back-handed compliment: "Thank you for the great hymns this week. It's so nice to not sing about ourselves for a change."
- The history lesson: "For hundreds of years it was good enough to sing about God alone."
This idea, I believe, is founded on two misconceptions.
First, there is a belief that our hymnals primarily contain songs that do not reference the individual in the way that many songs do today. This simply isn't true. Some of the most beloved hymns of this, and previous, generations speak of the relationship between God and the worshiper.
Just as a little unscientific experiment, I walked around the office today and asked some staff members to randomly open our church's old hymnal, Hymns for the Family of God, to any page. They were then to read me the titles of any songs that were on the pages before them. Here is the list, in its entirety:
- I Stand Amazed
- Jesus, Lover of My Soul
- I Will Sing of My Redeemer
- His Name is Wonderful
- He Hideth My Soul
- Peace, Perfect Peace
- Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace
- I Cannot Tell
- I Need Thee Every Hour
- Be Thou My Vision
According to Christian Copyright Licensing International, the two most popular traditional Hymns are "How Great Thou Art," and "Amazing Grace." In the first verse of "How Great Thou Art," God is referenced 4 times, and the worshiper is referenced 4 times. In "Amazing Grace," the worshiper is referenced 4 times, while the attributes of God (grace, pursuit, and healing) are referenced 3 times.
This is not to say that all songs reference the individual in the same way, or that there is an equation to figure out the appropriate ratio of "God" mentions to "Me" mentions. Instead, let us acknowledge that the songs of our tradition wonderfully and joyfully represent the worshiper, and with great frequency.
Secondly, when we see examples of verbal worship in scripture, we often see it in the context of a relationship. Consider the Psalms, what Pastor Steve LoVellette likes to call "God's Worship Hymnal." Much of that book of the Bible references the hopes, fears, joys, and requests of the psalmist. If you have three minutes, listen to what Pastor Steve had to say about this matter in reference to Psalm 23, perhaps one of the most memorized passages in scripture:
God is honored and well served by worship in the context of our relationship with him. The example has been set for us!
Even as Christ teaches us to pray, we see the relationship between God and his people:
Our Father, in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us today our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we also have forgiven our debtors
And Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from the evil one
(Matthew 6:9-13, NIV)
The English word "worship," means "to shape worth," or "assess value." How can we assess God's value in our lives if we seek to remove our relationship with Him from the picture?
Pretend, for a second, that you are sitting down to write a love letter to your spouse or significant other. What will it say? Will you merely make a list of your beloved's attributes and accomplishments? To do so would be to merely create their resume or biography, for you have failed to assess the worth of that person and their attributes to your being, and to your soul. Instead, you will likely write how their sense of humor brings joy to your life, how their smile brings comfort when you are sad, and how their presence makes your life more meaningful. Similarly, we cannot worship God as if we are an historian or human resource manager. God's grace, His power, His mercy, His never-ending love, His creation, His calling on our lives... all of these attributes affect us intimately. How unfortunate would it be if we were to worship Our Great God, without claiming that he is ours?
Make no mistake, we are not the objects of worship. Never forget that God will not share his glory with anyone (Isaiah 42). Is there a danger of focusing too much on our needs and our desires and not enough on who God is? No question. Knowing that, should we allow ourselves to be consumed in a toxic form of tribalism, with some of us claiming "Issac Watts" while others are of "Matt Redman?" Is the Gospel under which we live, the unity of the Church, and our irrevocable commitment to each other big enough to bridge the gaps between differences of preference? Absolutely.
Let us worship using both the old and the new with joy and thanksgiving, in unity, and love for one another, never forgetting what He has done for us.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Top Ten Reasons to Join Choir for Christmas
And now, from the home office in Milford, OH, the top ten reasons why YOU need to come and be a part of choir for the Christmas Season:#10: We'll be singing every week of the Advent season, so there are plenty of chances to "get your Christmas on."
#9: There are only 10 rehearsals to commit to, so your New Year's resolution can easily be to "not go back to choir in January."
#8: There's no audition necessary, so you can go directly to singing in front of hundreds of people, and never have to face the embarrassment of singing in front of just Jacob.
#7: Our first rehearsal was what we respectfully call "lightly attended," so your attendance alone could increase the choir size by 10%!
#6: We accept anyone high school age or older, and we don't even ask which one of those two categories you are in.
#5: Christmas without a choir is like Christmas without a tree, and you wouldn't want to be accused of stealing Faith Church's tree. Naughty list for sure.
#4: By singing Christmas songs in October, you can get sick of them much more quickly, so by December you'll circle back around to wanting to sing them again.
#3: Free luxury box seats to the Andrew Peterson concert! (What's that? we don't have a luxury box? How about free parking, then?)
#2: Each choir member gets an in-sermon "shout out" from Pastor Steve. Holla!
And the #1 reason you should be a part of choir for the Christmas season...
If you don't, Pastor Steve will have to.
Choir rehearsal takes place each Monday night at 7pm in the choir room. For more contact, contact Jacob Addison.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Unpacking... "Forgiven Forever"
"Unpacking" is a feature that I hope to make a regular part of my ministry blog. We'll unpack the lyrics of songs, look at their basis in scripture, and talk about how the lyrics affect us individually and corporately in worship.
Last week we learned a new song by Carl Cartee, Mark Harris (not the FC guitar player), and Glen Packiam, called "Forgiven Forever." It's a powerful song, and one of my new favorites. We brought this song back from the Inspire Worship Conference that some of the worship folks attended last May, and I've been eagerly waiting to introduce it. Here are the lyrics:
Forgiven Forever
Carl Cartee, Mark Harris, Glen Packiam
VERSE 1
Once we were lost and so far away
Wandering in darkness, covered in shame
Without you, Oh without you
Now we are found by a love that is stronger
No longer blind & we see all along it was you
It was you, It was you
CHORUS
Worthy is the Lamb, Seated in Heaven
Beautiful the Blood, We are forgiven
Forever, forgiven Forever
The victory is won, Jesus is risen
Love has over come, We are forgiven forever, forgiven forever
VERSE 2
Before we had fallen redemption was planned
You were our hope long before time began
It was you, it was you
After the heaven and earth pass away
We’ll stand together with one voice and say it
It is you, Jesus it’s you
BRIDGE
No death nor life, No present or future
No angel or demon, No power, no creature
Can take me away from the love that’s in Jesus Christ
The focus of this song is, obviously, that we who call on the name of Jesus Christ have been "forgiven forever" of our sins, and have an eternal relationship with Christ. The bridge is a quotation of Romans 8:38-39, and declares that the love of Christ cannot be removed from us under any circumstances, and by no power (earthly or otherwise). It's rare that we sing a bridge three times, but this is one that's worth it!
The thing about this song that resonates with me more, however, is the praise of God's sovereignty. In the second verse, we sing:
"Before we had fallen redemption was planned
You were our hope long before time began."
1st Timothy 1:9-10 tells us that the grace we know and are called to proclaim was "given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus."
What a thought, that the saving grace of Christ was planned for us not only throughout history, but before it; even before time itself. Before creation.
When we sing this song, try to think about what it means to have a God whose power and love is great enough that this gift was planned for us before the first sin, before the first death, and before the first man was created. A grace that is eternal; not only looking forward, but in the rear view mirror as well.
Last week we learned a new song by Carl Cartee, Mark Harris (not the FC guitar player), and Glen Packiam, called "Forgiven Forever." It's a powerful song, and one of my new favorites. We brought this song back from the Inspire Worship Conference that some of the worship folks attended last May, and I've been eagerly waiting to introduce it. Here are the lyrics:
Forgiven Forever
Carl Cartee, Mark Harris, Glen Packiam
VERSE 1
Once we were lost and so far away
Wandering in darkness, covered in shame
Without you, Oh without you
Now we are found by a love that is stronger
No longer blind & we see all along it was you
It was you, It was you
CHORUS
Worthy is the Lamb, Seated in Heaven
Beautiful the Blood, We are forgiven
Forever, forgiven Forever
The victory is won, Jesus is risen
Love has over come, We are forgiven forever, forgiven forever
VERSE 2
Before we had fallen redemption was planned
You were our hope long before time began
It was you, it was you
After the heaven and earth pass away
We’ll stand together with one voice and say it
It is you, Jesus it’s you
BRIDGE
No death nor life, No present or future
No angel or demon, No power, no creature
Can take me away from the love that’s in Jesus Christ
The focus of this song is, obviously, that we who call on the name of Jesus Christ have been "forgiven forever" of our sins, and have an eternal relationship with Christ. The bridge is a quotation of Romans 8:38-39, and declares that the love of Christ cannot be removed from us under any circumstances, and by no power (earthly or otherwise). It's rare that we sing a bridge three times, but this is one that's worth it!
The thing about this song that resonates with me more, however, is the praise of God's sovereignty. In the second verse, we sing:
"Before we had fallen redemption was planned
You were our hope long before time began."
1st Timothy 1:9-10 tells us that the grace we know and are called to proclaim was "given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus."
What a thought, that the saving grace of Christ was planned for us not only throughout history, but before it; even before time itself. Before creation.
When we sing this song, try to think about what it means to have a God whose power and love is great enough that this gift was planned for us before the first sin, before the first death, and before the first man was created. A grace that is eternal; not only looking forward, but in the rear view mirror as well.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Our Abilities vs. Our Character: Part 1
I am a golfer. I am not a good golfer, but I do play the game, so I suppose that makes me a golfer of some sort. A discussion of what sort that may be will be saved for another time.
I talk to people about golf. I watch golf. I read about golf. If I were a wealthier man, or one with more time on his hands, I might play more golf. Over the last several years my affinity for the game became paired with my enjoyment of YouTube. In addition to watching people horribly injure their property, bodies, and others with clubs, balls, and carts, there is an enormous amount of video out there to help people attempt to fix their game. A friend pointed me to a Nike commercial featuring a high-speed filmed, slow-motion replay of Tiger Woods' swing. The artistic motion is accompanied by a string trio; revving up during the backswing, and playing an effortless melody on the way down. I must have watched and (poorly) recreated it hundreds of times.
Like many people, I watched with amazement as Tiger racked up 14 majors over the first dozen or so years of his career; seemingly on pace to be the greatest golfer ever and surpass Jack Nicklaus' mark of 18. Perhaps the single most wasted 20 minutes of time I've witnessed (and truthfully, partaken in) here in the church office was when so many of the staff gathered in the youth room to watch Tiger make a clutch putt to force a playoff in the 2008 U.S. Open against Rocco Mediate. After the putt fell into the cup, Rocco Mediate was shown off the course shaking his head, saying, "He made it. I knew he would." So did everyone else.
The fascination with Tiger went beyond Golf, however. People cared what Tiger had to say about politics, business, inner city youth, natural catastrophes, religion...
Then, almost a year ago, it all came crashing down around Tiger. I don't know why we're surprised when it happens, but Tiger's tale is parallel to so many others' whose greatest talents seem to place them in a land of heightened influence, only to see a giant hole in their character turn things upside down.
Andy Stanley, Pastor of Northpoint Community Church near Atlanta, once said that "Your talent and giftedness has the potential to take you farther than your character can sustain you. That ought to scare you."
Does it?
In worship ministry we're often looked at as leaders in the church. I know, I work here, so perhaps I'll have a harder time fending off the attribution, but it's true of the folks who join me on stage week to week as well. Think about it... many of these people are seen by the entire congregation somewhere between 26 and 52 times a year. For some in our church who aren't well connected or have only been visiting a short time, our faces may be as recognizable as Pastor Steve's. If you're on stage, you're a leader whether you seek to be or not.
It doesn't have to be a musician, however. Life group leaders, Sunday school teachers, general board members, whatever the case may be; your ability to lead, teach, speak, sing or create an awesome spreadsheet can take you to a place from which the fall can feel every bit as great as that of the world's best golfer, with a much greater, and more important, impact.
Francis Chan once said that he's never met a pastor whose character exceeded his reputation. Why? Because we can control our reputation. We can manipulate what others see about our lives and can influence their perspective of our relationship with God. The realities, however, lie in the places people don't see, or that which we would rather they not see. So knowing that our abilities and our gifts can lead us to places of great influence, what can we do to be people of a Godly character?
My DNA Group partner, Andy Phillips, and I have been reading the book of James, and it is truly an instruction manual, close to a checklist even, on how to closely follow God and his calling for your life. Real quick, let's hit the first few highlights, and we'll do more later.
1) We must persevere in difficulty.
James 1:2 says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
If we are to be men and women of Godly character, we must rejoice in difficulty. It makes us more like Christ. Nothing that we go through is unknown to God, and even the very testing of our faith, we're told, brings us closer to "completion" (see Philippians 1:6). How do we react in trials? With fear or questioning, or with a bold reliance upon God for the accomplishing of his will?
2) We must know that our gifts come from an eternal God.
"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows," James 1 15-17.
We too often blame God in what we deem to be the bad times, and too often take credit for the good. What is it, exactly that we have accomplished? What is it that we have gained? All that is good is given to us by a God whose purpose for those gifts is the completion of His work. Another word for this is being humble. Humility is the mark of a follower of Jesus Christ, and it is achieved by first knowing who God is, and then understanding who you are. When you do the math on that, you should come away a different person than before.
3) Act on what the Bible says to do.
James 1:22, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Perhaps easier said than done, but this goes right back to Christ. Jesus said "If you love me you will obey my commandments," (John 14:15). It's as simple as it reads: if we are following Jesus, we're going to do the things he says to do. Love the way he loves, pray the way he prays, think the way he thinks, and so on. Being one person on Sunday morning and another person Monday through Saturday is the easiest way to damage the opportunity God has given you to be a reflection of Him on this earth. There are two sides to this, however.
One, and perhaps the most obvious, we need not lead a life outside of the church that is driven by sin. This is not to say that we won't make mistakes, but our lives during the week must not be led by anything but a love for our God who loved us first. Our popularity at work or school, or the advancement of our career must not be more important than our love for Christ, and the obedience that follows.
Just as importantly, though, we must not present a false front when we are with other believers, nor should other Christians make us feel like we have to. Struggle is universal. Hard times and temptation are real for all of us. Faking it in the context of the church body is not fruitful. We must be willing to be transparent, to let others see us as we really are, and perhaps then we can be iron sharpening another's iron, and vice-a-versa.
So we're beginning to see how we can be a people of character; a people who seek to live lives committed to the calling and responsibilities God gives us. And that's just chapter 1. We'll talk more sometime soon about "doing" and what it means for the opportunities God gives us.
I talk to people about golf. I watch golf. I read about golf. If I were a wealthier man, or one with more time on his hands, I might play more golf. Over the last several years my affinity for the game became paired with my enjoyment of YouTube. In addition to watching people horribly injure their property, bodies, and others with clubs, balls, and carts, there is an enormous amount of video out there to help people attempt to fix their game. A friend pointed me to a Nike commercial featuring a high-speed filmed, slow-motion replay of Tiger Woods' swing. The artistic motion is accompanied by a string trio; revving up during the backswing, and playing an effortless melody on the way down. I must have watched and (poorly) recreated it hundreds of times.
Like many people, I watched with amazement as Tiger racked up 14 majors over the first dozen or so years of his career; seemingly on pace to be the greatest golfer ever and surpass Jack Nicklaus' mark of 18. Perhaps the single most wasted 20 minutes of time I've witnessed (and truthfully, partaken in) here in the church office was when so many of the staff gathered in the youth room to watch Tiger make a clutch putt to force a playoff in the 2008 U.S. Open against Rocco Mediate. After the putt fell into the cup, Rocco Mediate was shown off the course shaking his head, saying, "He made it. I knew he would." So did everyone else.
The fascination with Tiger went beyond Golf, however. People cared what Tiger had to say about politics, business, inner city youth, natural catastrophes, religion...
Then, almost a year ago, it all came crashing down around Tiger. I don't know why we're surprised when it happens, but Tiger's tale is parallel to so many others' whose greatest talents seem to place them in a land of heightened influence, only to see a giant hole in their character turn things upside down.
Andy Stanley, Pastor of Northpoint Community Church near Atlanta, once said that "Your talent and giftedness has the potential to take you farther than your character can sustain you. That ought to scare you."
Does it?
In worship ministry we're often looked at as leaders in the church. I know, I work here, so perhaps I'll have a harder time fending off the attribution, but it's true of the folks who join me on stage week to week as well. Think about it... many of these people are seen by the entire congregation somewhere between 26 and 52 times a year. For some in our church who aren't well connected or have only been visiting a short time, our faces may be as recognizable as Pastor Steve's. If you're on stage, you're a leader whether you seek to be or not.
It doesn't have to be a musician, however. Life group leaders, Sunday school teachers, general board members, whatever the case may be; your ability to lead, teach, speak, sing or create an awesome spreadsheet can take you to a place from which the fall can feel every bit as great as that of the world's best golfer, with a much greater, and more important, impact.
Francis Chan once said that he's never met a pastor whose character exceeded his reputation. Why? Because we can control our reputation. We can manipulate what others see about our lives and can influence their perspective of our relationship with God. The realities, however, lie in the places people don't see, or that which we would rather they not see. So knowing that our abilities and our gifts can lead us to places of great influence, what can we do to be people of a Godly character?
My DNA Group partner, Andy Phillips, and I have been reading the book of James, and it is truly an instruction manual, close to a checklist even, on how to closely follow God and his calling for your life. Real quick, let's hit the first few highlights, and we'll do more later.
1) We must persevere in difficulty.
James 1:2 says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
If we are to be men and women of Godly character, we must rejoice in difficulty. It makes us more like Christ. Nothing that we go through is unknown to God, and even the very testing of our faith, we're told, brings us closer to "completion" (see Philippians 1:6). How do we react in trials? With fear or questioning, or with a bold reliance upon God for the accomplishing of his will?
2) We must know that our gifts come from an eternal God.
"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows," James 1 15-17.
We too often blame God in what we deem to be the bad times, and too often take credit for the good. What is it, exactly that we have accomplished? What is it that we have gained? All that is good is given to us by a God whose purpose for those gifts is the completion of His work. Another word for this is being humble. Humility is the mark of a follower of Jesus Christ, and it is achieved by first knowing who God is, and then understanding who you are. When you do the math on that, you should come away a different person than before.
3) Act on what the Bible says to do.
James 1:22, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Perhaps easier said than done, but this goes right back to Christ. Jesus said "If you love me you will obey my commandments," (John 14:15). It's as simple as it reads: if we are following Jesus, we're going to do the things he says to do. Love the way he loves, pray the way he prays, think the way he thinks, and so on. Being one person on Sunday morning and another person Monday through Saturday is the easiest way to damage the opportunity God has given you to be a reflection of Him on this earth. There are two sides to this, however.
One, and perhaps the most obvious, we need not lead a life outside of the church that is driven by sin. This is not to say that we won't make mistakes, but our lives during the week must not be led by anything but a love for our God who loved us first. Our popularity at work or school, or the advancement of our career must not be more important than our love for Christ, and the obedience that follows.
Just as importantly, though, we must not present a false front when we are with other believers, nor should other Christians make us feel like we have to. Struggle is universal. Hard times and temptation are real for all of us. Faking it in the context of the church body is not fruitful. We must be willing to be transparent, to let others see us as we really are, and perhaps then we can be iron sharpening another's iron, and vice-a-versa.
So we're beginning to see how we can be a people of character; a people who seek to live lives committed to the calling and responsibilities God gives us. And that's just chapter 1. We'll talk more sometime soon about "doing" and what it means for the opportunities God gives us.
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