Since some have asked ... I think it went well. Probably the low point was when I put my foot on the table and pretended to shoot it. (Hey, I have a little theatre in my background.)
The subject of having a different worship time for a different worship style came up, and I was shooting myself in the foot by opposing it. Truth is, I would love to attend - and even help plan - such services. I'm pretty sure my wife and kids would love it, too. But I don't think my mom-in-law, at 87, would be very comfortable with it and I love being able to sit with her at worship. So, though I wouldn't say the staff came to consensus on that question, I think we were reasonably comfortable with the idea of having a less-formal devotional time, say, on Thursday nights or whatever.
There were other issues. I don't feel at liberty to discuss them, but I do think that the staff was pretty much united by the close of the meeting on some important and urgent items. There will be other discussions, I'm sure, and in the end our elders will certainly call on the wisdom supplied by the Spirit to make decisions on some of those items.
It's clear to me that we all want to offer our very best to the Lord in our worship. We want everyone's heart to be engaged during it - perhaps it's not possible with everyone all the time - but to do our best not to be causing distress or distraction from our focus on Him.
Maybe our ministry intern Andrew Sherrill posed the best rule-of-thumb test for any given item in question:
Will it make God happy?
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
I Am (A.) Totally Dreading (B.) Totally Looking Forward to Tuesday
The answer is (C.) Both of the Above.
On Tuesday, the ministry staff at my 1700+member church will take a day out together (I had suggested a retreat, away from the building and phones and doorbells and computers, but it didn't work out that way) to talk partly about our church family's worship time together.
As you can imagine, just about every point of view on the subject is held by someone on staff, not to mention within our church family.
At our church, I have the responsibility of working with worship planning teams to translate their plans into the visuals and music used in our worship hours. Not everything that is happening in the planning or the execution is working as smoothly as it should. I expect to bear some of that responsibility Tuesday. I also expect to share some of it.
At the same time - if handled adroitly, prayerfully, and lovingly - the exchange of ideas and perception about worship can be an extraordinarily heart-expanding opportunity. I expect to catch myself slapping my forehead a few times and saying, "I never thought of it that way." I also expect to catch myself a few times saying "Why in the world would ANYONE see it that way?" Hopefully, I will catch myself before saying it aloud.
There are problems to be solved with the way our worship is being planned and carried out. No one denies that. So we have a place to start the conversation.
Some of the problems are structural. Some are technological. Some are perceptional. Some are preferential.
Most, I believe, can be solved to the satisfaction of the One to Whom it really should matter the most - and a few can be solved to the satisfaction of most everyone else.
I also believe that what will make the most radical, positive improvement in the quality of our worship together is being able to not be derailed by any given aspect of it (selection of songs, clapping, raising hands or keeping them at our sides, spectacular visuals, procedure in observing the Supper, technological failures, accompaniment by praise teams, etc.) and to enter into worship intentionally, fully, purposefully and with all our hearts.
Then we will listen, sing, pray, dine at the Table, recite scripture together as if the Lord Himself were present.
Any suggestions for Tuesday?
I welcome your prayers.
On Tuesday, the ministry staff at my 1700+member church will take a day out together (I had suggested a retreat, away from the building and phones and doorbells and computers, but it didn't work out that way) to talk partly about our church family's worship time together.
As you can imagine, just about every point of view on the subject is held by someone on staff, not to mention within our church family.
At our church, I have the responsibility of working with worship planning teams to translate their plans into the visuals and music used in our worship hours. Not everything that is happening in the planning or the execution is working as smoothly as it should. I expect to bear some of that responsibility Tuesday. I also expect to share some of it.
At the same time - if handled adroitly, prayerfully, and lovingly - the exchange of ideas and perception about worship can be an extraordinarily heart-expanding opportunity. I expect to catch myself slapping my forehead a few times and saying, "I never thought of it that way." I also expect to catch myself a few times saying "Why in the world would ANYONE see it that way?" Hopefully, I will catch myself before saying it aloud.
There are problems to be solved with the way our worship is being planned and carried out. No one denies that. So we have a place to start the conversation.
Some of the problems are structural. Some are technological. Some are perceptional. Some are preferential.
Most, I believe, can be solved to the satisfaction of the One to Whom it really should matter the most - and a few can be solved to the satisfaction of most everyone else.
I also believe that what will make the most radical, positive improvement in the quality of our worship together is being able to not be derailed by any given aspect of it (selection of songs, clapping, raising hands or keeping them at our sides, spectacular visuals, procedure in observing the Supper, technological failures, accompaniment by praise teams, etc.) and to enter into worship intentionally, fully, purposefully and with all our hearts.
Then we will listen, sing, pray, dine at the Table, recite scripture together as if the Lord Himself were present.
Any suggestions for Tuesday?
I welcome your prayers.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Wiping Out on the Net
I know the surfing hasn't been real good in this spot recently, and I apologize. I'm trying to update a membership database of 1,800 records for my church's online directory in my precious free time, and it has to be done one-at-a-time by hand ... because the Shelby church software database won't convert to anything that Microsoft Access can read.
And most of the records are at least two years out of date.
But here are some other spots where the surfing is great and the waves are humongous:
And now, back to our regularly-scheduled Access spreadsheet.
And most of the records are at least two years out of date.
But here are some other spots where the surfing is great and the waves are humongous:
- John Alan Turner is essentially posting a personal study guide to the book of Daniel online, one chapter at a time and it's outstanding. It's like getting a free book!
- Preacher Mike Cope has a new blogging address, and his recent posts titled "Bible #1" through "Bible #6" (plus an awesome interview with my former care-group friend Jackie Halstead) are well worth your clicks and scans
- Tommy Stewart has a preview of Brian McLaren's new book, The Secret Message of Jesus. Nope, it's not Gnosticism, if you're an Elaine Pagels fan.
And now, back to our regularly-scheduled Access spreadsheet.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
I Just Deleted A Post
It was judgmental and unkind. It was arrogant and rude and it insisted on its own way. It was irritable and resentful, and probably jealous and boastful, and certainly rejoiced at wrong.
I thought it was clever and funny. On a second look, five minutes later, I perceived it very differently.
So it was up five minutes too long.
And if you happened to see it, I deeply apologize for my poor taste, poor judgment, and poor attitude.
I thought it was clever and funny. On a second look, five minutes later, I perceived it very differently.
So it was up five minutes too long.
And if you happened to see it, I deeply apologize for my poor taste, poor judgment, and poor attitude.
Monday, March 13, 2006
HeartWorship: As A Little Child
I grew up in an era in which Christianity mistakenly thought it was our job to judge everyone else and each other, too. So I used to judge people who expressed their praise for God with their arms lifted high to Him.
My fellowship of Christianity didn't do that. So it had to be wrong. Besides, I couldn't understand why (unless wishing to draw undue attention to themselves) anyone would want to do such a thing.
That is ... until I had children.
And I began to understand that my power to judge and have compassion is as weak and immature as His power is perfect. From Psalm 103:
It's hard to resist a child. When a child asks you to help with something she can't do; get something he can't reach; kiss a boo-boo or provide an outstretched-arm full-body lift-me-up-and-hold-me-tight hug ... it's hard to say no. It's their shameless humility that captures our hearts. They are fragile of body, mind and spirit. They need us. No one else will do. They reach out for the only one who cares, who will help, who will comfort.
So we must be with God.
And though I worship with the same fellowship and do not draw undue attention to myself by lifting my hands (thereby inviting judgment) - sometimes I close my eyes during our times of praise together and imagine myself reaching out to my Father in the loving surround of a much larger fellowship ....
My fellowship of Christianity didn't do that. So it had to be wrong. Besides, I couldn't understand why (unless wishing to draw undue attention to themselves) anyone would want to do such a thing.
That is ... until I had children.
And I began to understand that my power to judge and have compassion is as weak and immature as His power is perfect. From Psalm 103:
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases ...
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
It's hard to resist a child. When a child asks you to help with something she can't do; get something he can't reach; kiss a boo-boo or provide an outstretched-arm full-body lift-me-up-and-hold-me-tight hug ... it's hard to say no. It's their shameless humility that captures our hearts. They are fragile of body, mind and spirit. They need us. No one else will do. They reach out for the only one who cares, who will help, who will comfort.
So we must be with God.
And though I worship with the same fellowship and do not draw undue attention to myself by lifting my hands (thereby inviting judgment) - sometimes I close my eyes during our times of praise together and imagine myself reaching out to my Father in the loving surround of a much larger fellowship ....
Sunday, March 12, 2006
HeartWorship: Prelude to Praise
If you were compiling a book of almost a hundred-and-fifty of your nation's favorite hymns of praise to God, what would you write in the introductory paragraphs?
If you were writing a few paragraphs that you hoped would inspire your brothers and sisters to anticipate worship, what would you compose? Turns out, the answer might be the same for both questions.
Aren't we most inspired to praise God when we see His work around us, and in our own lives?
The writer of the first Psalm seems to think so, for that is the subject of the collection?s introduction: The one who walks, stands and sits among the righteous - who delights in God's instruction - is rooted like a strong and fruitful tree near water. God's work of beauty and growth takes place in this one, whom He watches over. Evil ones, like chaff, cannot stand; they blow away and God lets their way perish.
Look around you. See God's work in the lives of those near you. Meditate on the ways He has worked in your life - perhaps through some of those same people. Perceive the redemptive relationships He blesses us with through His Son, Jesus.
You won't be able to keep your heart and voice from praising Him.
If you were writing a few paragraphs that you hoped would inspire your brothers and sisters to anticipate worship, what would you compose? Turns out, the answer might be the same for both questions.
Aren't we most inspired to praise God when we see His work around us, and in our own lives?
The writer of the first Psalm seems to think so, for that is the subject of the collection?s introduction: The one who walks, stands and sits among the righteous - who delights in God's instruction - is rooted like a strong and fruitful tree near water. God's work of beauty and growth takes place in this one, whom He watches over. Evil ones, like chaff, cannot stand; they blow away and God lets their way perish.
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Look around you. See God's work in the lives of those near you. Meditate on the ways He has worked in your life - perhaps through some of those same people. Perceive the redemptive relationships He blesses us with through His Son, Jesus.
You won't be able to keep your heart and voice from praising Him.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Unorthodoxy
I've come to realize that it's my belief system; my hermeneutic; my doctrine.
I won't be forced into a false choice between orthodoxy and heterodoxy. Not while there's an entirely different way of looking at both.
Hopefully, just the way Jesus did.
When needled about his disciples not washing their hands. When reprimanded about healing someone - "doing work" - on the Sabbath. When prodded to choose between giving to God and giving to Caesar. When goaded into judging between a man and his brother - or into judging the fate of a woman caught in adultery.
When He essentially said those many times, "Yes, I know how it reads. But do you know what it means?"
Unorthodoxy.
It may not be the only way to believe, but it's the way I seem to have been pursuing for a long time - and now that I've thought about it, I love the precedent and the One who set it.
I won't be forced into a false choice between orthodoxy and heterodoxy. Not while there's an entirely different way of looking at both.
Hopefully, just the way Jesus did.
When needled about his disciples not washing their hands. When reprimanded about healing someone - "doing work" - on the Sabbath. When prodded to choose between giving to God and giving to Caesar. When goaded into judging between a man and his brother - or into judging the fate of a woman caught in adultery.
When He essentially said those many times, "Yes, I know how it reads. But do you know what it means?"
Unorthodoxy.
It may not be the only way to believe, but it's the way I seem to have been pursuing for a long time - and now that I've thought about it, I love the precedent and the One who set it.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
The Church Police
Salvation Fuzz (The Dead Bishop) may be my favorite Monty Python sketch, in all of its various versions.
Faced with the dilemma of having (another) dead bishop on the landing, a family wonders if they should call the Church or the police. They decide to call the Church Police.
Together now: "THE CHURCH POLICE!"
And are immediately rewarded by the arrival of a vicar-sergeant. Ooops, no; a detective-parson.
It was hilarious to me years ago. Nowadays, it's somehow not quite as funny.
You see, there really are Church Police: the self-appointed folks who feel compelled by some kind of spirit to criticize, write up, and sometimes condemn to hell their brothers and sisters in Christ who have purposely violated these saints' dearest-held beliefs about matters that often aren't remotely dealt with in the Bible.
And however much one may admire their zeal for the scripture, their commitment to being watchtowermen, and their dedication to seeking the old paths - the plain fact is not all of their motives and tactics and results are admirable.
If you say much of anything beyond the fact that they exist and they are not going away any time soon (barring, of course, an eschatological event that would take us all away) is to invite the accusation that you are judging people - perhaps being more judgmental than these good brethren.
I don't know if any of these folks have ever gone directly to the person(s) they name and have something against in order to set the relationship right again, but I can tell you that I've never seen such an encounter recounted in any of their publications.
I don't know if these folks regularly pray for the inspiration of the Spirit to make clear to them the difficulties presented in scripture - or if they regularly pray for the targets of their critiques - but I have never seen that mentioned in their works either.
I don't know if God has incontrovertibly called them to pursue this priority in their walk with Him - over other priorities such as helping the poor, seeking unity of the brethren, persuading those who do not know Jesus that He is the living Son of God - but I rarely if ever see those concepts within their diatribes as well. - Though I have seen criticism of doing good for the deserving when done in cooperation with people whose church sign reads differently.
My previous preaching minister and friend Mike Cope took a little grief for mentioning these Church Police in a humorous way at his blog a few days ago. Frankly, if any of the folks who felt compelled to correct him for this had any clue how very much grief he has endured in his life and how much of it has come from critical personal attacks on his service to God, they might have softened their criticism a bit.
Okay, having said that I'll wrap this up.
I believe in a judgment day to come. I believe I will answer for this post. I believe the Church Police will answer for their diatribes as well. I do not believe I will be held responsible for the wrong things they did, nor vice-versa.
For I really have to restrain myself not to become as critical of them as they are of others. I truly have to watch my step so that I don't fall into the sewer of personal attack, innuendo and strife. I am a basically loving person, but I genuinely have a deep problem loving people who are self-righteously antagonistic toward others who struggle, and who confront and condemn in the name of the Lord while claiming that they are only judging actions and not people. I know how very close to that edge I am right now, while writing this.
So I am begging your help. Pray for me and with me in this, and I will commit to praying for others who (I feel) have neglected the weightier matters; have taken it upon themselves to insist on justice over mercy when God calls for both; have ignored the clear instruction of Matthew 18 and so many other important calls for humility, unity, self-judgment and purity of motive.
Please.
Faced with the dilemma of having (another) dead bishop on the landing, a family wonders if they should call the Church or the police. They decide to call the Church Police.
Together now: "THE CHURCH POLICE!"
And are immediately rewarded by the arrival of a vicar-sergeant. Ooops, no; a detective-parson.
It was hilarious to me years ago. Nowadays, it's somehow not quite as funny.
You see, there really are Church Police: the self-appointed folks who feel compelled by some kind of spirit to criticize, write up, and sometimes condemn to hell their brothers and sisters in Christ who have purposely violated these saints' dearest-held beliefs about matters that often aren't remotely dealt with in the Bible.
And however much one may admire their zeal for the scripture, their commitment to being watchtowermen, and their dedication to seeking the old paths - the plain fact is not all of their motives and tactics and results are admirable.
If you say much of anything beyond the fact that they exist and they are not going away any time soon (barring, of course, an eschatological event that would take us all away) is to invite the accusation that you are judging people - perhaps being more judgmental than these good brethren.
I don't know if any of these folks have ever gone directly to the person(s) they name and have something against in order to set the relationship right again, but I can tell you that I've never seen such an encounter recounted in any of their publications.
I don't know if these folks regularly pray for the inspiration of the Spirit to make clear to them the difficulties presented in scripture - or if they regularly pray for the targets of their critiques - but I have never seen that mentioned in their works either.
I don't know if God has incontrovertibly called them to pursue this priority in their walk with Him - over other priorities such as helping the poor, seeking unity of the brethren, persuading those who do not know Jesus that He is the living Son of God - but I rarely if ever see those concepts within their diatribes as well. - Though I have seen criticism of doing good for the deserving when done in cooperation with people whose church sign reads differently.
My previous preaching minister and friend Mike Cope took a little grief for mentioning these Church Police in a humorous way at his blog a few days ago. Frankly, if any of the folks who felt compelled to correct him for this had any clue how very much grief he has endured in his life and how much of it has come from critical personal attacks on his service to God, they might have softened their criticism a bit.
Okay, having said that I'll wrap this up.
I believe in a judgment day to come. I believe I will answer for this post. I believe the Church Police will answer for their diatribes as well. I do not believe I will be held responsible for the wrong things they did, nor vice-versa.
For I really have to restrain myself not to become as critical of them as they are of others. I truly have to watch my step so that I don't fall into the sewer of personal attack, innuendo and strife. I am a basically loving person, but I genuinely have a deep problem loving people who are self-righteously antagonistic toward others who struggle, and who confront and condemn in the name of the Lord while claiming that they are only judging actions and not people. I know how very close to that edge I am right now, while writing this.
So I am begging your help. Pray for me and with me in this, and I will commit to praying for others who (I feel) have neglected the weightier matters; have taken it upon themselves to insist on justice over mercy when God calls for both; have ignored the clear instruction of Matthew 18 and so many other important calls for humility, unity, self-judgment and purity of motive.
Please.
Things the Bible Never Said
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live apart in insistence upon their own interpretation! - not in Psalm 133:1 anyway.
May they be brought to complete perfection in their understanding of and obedience to scripture, to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - not quite the way John 17:23 reads.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of hermeneutical distinctiveness among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus. - can't find that in Romans 15:5; can you?
Make every effort to keep the separateness and apartness of the Spirit through the bond of peace. - could Ephesians 4:3 really mean that?
... until we all reach exclusive correctness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - perhaps not the intent of Ephesians 4:13, huh?
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which separates the righteous from the unrighteous in perfect uniformity of doctrine. - hardly the right translation from the Greek of Colossians 3:14, is it?
May they be brought to complete perfection in their understanding of and obedience to scripture, to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - not quite the way John 17:23 reads.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of hermeneutical distinctiveness among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus. - can't find that in Romans 15:5; can you?
Make every effort to keep the separateness and apartness of the Spirit through the bond of peace. - could Ephesians 4:3 really mean that?
... until we all reach exclusive correctness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - perhaps not the intent of Ephesians 4:13, huh?
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which separates the righteous from the unrighteous in perfect uniformity of doctrine. - hardly the right translation from the Greek of Colossians 3:14, is it?
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Think Fast
Perhaps you don't fast during the Lenten season. I didn't until last year, and the season sneaked up on me this year. So I had to think fast.
After losing a little sleep the night of Mardi Gras, trying to settle on something to fast from, I finally decided to just repeat last year's effort: Mountain Dew.
I still love the stuff too much, and my midriff proves it. So, for this season, it goes.
And though I'm not surrounded by vending machines proffering it, there are two in our church building where I now work.
Therefore the spare change I would spend on bottles or cans goes into another can - this year, the can for Children's Home in Paragould. In fact, all my change is going into it, as soon as I get some.
If God could adopt me through the sacrifice of His Son at Easter - and guarantee an eternal place in His family through its resurrection - the least I can do is make things go a little smoother for some kids who haven't been adopted yet.
As I've said many times before, you can always count on me to do the least I can do.
After losing a little sleep the night of Mardi Gras, trying to settle on something to fast from, I finally decided to just repeat last year's effort: Mountain Dew.
I still love the stuff too much, and my midriff proves it. So, for this season, it goes.
And though I'm not surrounded by vending machines proffering it, there are two in our church building where I now work.
Therefore the spare change I would spend on bottles or cans goes into another can - this year, the can for Children's Home in Paragould. In fact, all my change is going into it, as soon as I get some.
If God could adopt me through the sacrifice of His Son at Easter - and guarantee an eternal place in His family through its resurrection - the least I can do is make things go a little smoother for some kids who haven't been adopted yet.
As I've said many times before, you can always count on me to do the least I can do.
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