Week Update

It has been a good week. I have 32 juniors and seniors in high school in a special class at Lee called, “Ancient/Future Worship.”
The original premiss of the class was in honor of one of my mentors Robert Webber. Robert died a couple of years ago, but he has left a great legacy of inspiring worship. Check out his books. They might change your life (life and worship are similar terms to Bob).

Summer School

Because of a heavy summer teaching load, I am not posting often. In two weeks I will try to get back on track. If I have some sudden inspiration, I will post so keep checking.

Music Camp Wrap Up

As you know, last week I had the chance to speak for Lee’s Summer Music Camp chapel services. I enjoyed my time with the students, and I hope they were challenged to be the best musicians they can be for the glory of God.

For the most part, my messages were focused to reinforce the learning the students were experiencing in the class room and rehearsal hall. However, on the last day, I felt the need to ask if any of the students wanted to turn their lives over to Jesus. After all, they had spent a whole week in a Christian environment. So when I asked, at least 5 responded that they wanted Jesus to lead their lives.

What a great week.

Lights Out

I must admit I have been wondering for quite a while why we, as worship leaders (and I include myself because on Sunday nights for UCHURCH at Lee University we do the same thing), want to turn the house lights off during the congregational singing portion of our corporate worship.  I get to visit churches all over the US, and many of them are turning the house lights off or really dim when the congregation is singing together worship songs to and about God.

I understand cool effects and the visual generation within we live.  My concern rests in the fact that the only place in the New Testament music in worship is discussed at any length, Paul clearly communicates that we are to, speak (sing) to one another Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”  The last church I visited had the house so dark I am sure no one was speaking to me in the congregation.  There are times in our UCHRCH services I want the technical artists to turn the house lights up so I can see who I am leading and worshipping with in the room.  

I am also not against performance music or artistic use of intelligent lighting to bring about a visual effect that directs people’s attention to Christ.  But in the past few experiences, it seemed the dark house and cool lighting effects were to bring some sort of attention to the worship leaders on stage.  It almost makes me think we are heading back to the middle ages where the worship was taken out the hands of the congregation and performed on behalf of the people by the priests.  

I am consistently reminded by the words of the late Robert Webber.  Webber says, “Worship is a verb.  It is not something done for you or to you, but by you.”

I realize that most churches are doing this because some church growth person said if you do really cool music with a light show, people will come.  However, all I read about this current generation tells me they want two things more than anything.  First, they want authentic leadership in worship.  Second, because of all the virtual relationship sites current technology has afforded, they are looking for true community.  

If a church provides quality music that is current and authentic along with a developing community, the church will grow.  It will not grow because it is attracting all those who are unhappy with the church they currently attend, but it will grow because there are hundreds or thousands of people searching for authentic community.  If we provide it, and build relationships with those who do not know Jesus like we know Him, they will come, and their lives could change forever.  

I love the use of the technical arts in corporate worship.  But I think those of us in creative worship planning must keep in mind that our job is to illuminate Jesus.  If our methods are just for a cool factor, are we really doing what God has called us to accomplish?  Cool for cool sake might just make us feel better about a sub-par musical performance.  Well thought out creative use of technological arts just might help someone see Jesus for the first time.

Just some thoughts.

Self Love

On Tuesday I start a 4 part message series in the chapels for the Lee University Summer Music Camp.  I am going to talk about our lives as a holistic response to God.  Worship, in essence, is really more than our corporate gatherings on Sundays.  Worship is more about how our lives, once we are in Christ, is lived out with him.  

I am going to start in the most used passage of scripture to describe this holistic life response to God, but I am going to start with the second portion of this scripture first.  Matthew 22:33-40 talks about this whole life response.  In conversation with the religious leaders of his day, Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?”  And, Jesus answered for us to love God with all our being, and to “love our neighbor as ourselves.”

I have come to realize lately, that a better understanding of self love could make us better worshippers.  How many of us really love ourselves?  Or maybe a better question is, “Do we only love the image of ourselves we have created for others to love us?”

In general people might be self centered, but I think there is a real lack of self love.  I will explore this from 2 points of view.

First, to understand self love, we have to consider that when God created us, he did so in his own image.  While we are not God, we are an image of him.  Harold Best says, “everything God is in infinity, we are a finite image.”  As we consider self love and the image of God, we must believe that God was completely satisfied in and of himself for all eternity before he choose to create.  He did not create us because he somehow needed us, he created out of love.  At the end of the creation process of humanity, God said, “it was good.”  

While we have marred the original goodness that God created in us, our original state was a state of goodness.  You and I have some kind of God’s DNA in us that is good.  

The second point, is that while we have marred our original goodness, God has created a way for us to retain that state in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  Our lives have become dark and dirty since the fall of humanity.  However, in Christ we are redeemed and made clean ready to meet God when that day should come in our original state of his goodness.  

When we think on these things, it becomes more possible for us to think more highly of ourselves.  We might even begin to love ourselves enough to make a difference in someone else’s life.  Love your neighbor as yourself; until we come to grips with self love, I am not sure we are able to love the way Christ is calling all of us to love.

Just some thoughts.