Convocation Spring 2010

Each semester at Lee we dedicate an entire week to spiritual formation and renewal on our campus.  We hold 6 services over 5 days that include guest speakers, musical worship, and seasons of prayer.  For the 90+ years Lee has been in existence, convocation has provided deep spiritual formation for our students.  I am praying that this semester’s convocation will be no different.

For weeks on our campus there have been students praying about the upcoming convocation.  They have set-up a rotation and for 12 hours a day (maybe more), there are students praying in our prayer room in Conn Center (the main auditorium at Lee).  Hundreds of other students are joining in small groups all over our campus in residence halls, club meetings, and informal groups.

Today, I join my prayers with all those students and faculty members that have made a conscience decision to hold this upcoming week in prayer.  The following are a few things I am praying for specifically:

1.  I am praying there will be a renewed sense of the importance of corporate worship on our campus.  I have been the worship pastor for our campus for the past four semesters, and in general I am impressed at the level our students engage in worship during our regular chapel services.  We have 2-3 chapel services per week (depending on the week) on our campus, and students are required to attend 70% of the services in a given month.  So, for a chapel service that is a requirement, our students generally embrace the opportunity to engage God’s presence.  However, I hope this week of spiritual renewal will heighten our understanding of gathering together, as the body of Christ, in His presence.

2.  I am praying that students will clearly hear the voice of God in their hearts as they seek Him for direction in their lives.  This week has had such a great impact on generations of Lee students, I hope this semester’s version is no different!

3.  I am praying for healing and deliverance for our students.  So many of our students struggle with past pain, addictions, and depression.  I hope this week will be an altar in their spiritual lives where they can always point to a time and place where God showed up for them.

Join me in prayer the next few days as we enter this most important time on our campus.

My Dad

It is early on Saturday morning. I am supposed to be getting ready to load a bus and head to Asheville, NC with the Lee Singers, but yesterday a massive snow, ice and freezing rain storm hit Cleveland. It was such a big storm, not only did Cleveland get about 5 inches of snow and ice, Asheville was to get 12 inches. Needless to say, the Singers are not traveling this weekend. So, I find my self with a few extra hours to sit by a fire, drink some coffee, and reflect about life.

Last night Melissa, Reba and Greg (my sister and her husband), and I gave my father an 80th birthday party. Other than the fact that we had a massive winter storm leading into and during the party, it was a very special night. Family and friends gathered from all over to celebrate dad’s big day, and to enjoy a great time of fellowship. I have a couple of reflections from last night I would like to share.

First, I used the term fellowship in the last paragraph. It is a term that I grew up with living most of my life attending church services and engaging in “fellowship” after the services in people’s homes. It has been a long time since I have experienced real fellowship, but last night I was taken back to its real meaning and experience.

Second, I once again learned what it means to be blessed. After my dad opened all the cards and gifts he began to thank everyone for their thoughtfulness and he began to express what a blessed man he was.

In context, this is the same man who was born during the Great Depression, lived as poor as poor could be as a boy and young man, had two sons that were both born with MD and died at the age of 17, and served as a pastor for over 20 years where he not only built successful ministries but also had to work two and three extra jobs just to make enough money to provide food and housing for his family. This is the same man who has had at least 20 surgeries including the placement of a stint and knee replacement in the past year. Yet, in the midst of all these issues, tragedies, and hardships he has maintained the expressions of how blessed he is and how good God has been to him.

My father is the true example of a follower of Christ. He has lived a life devoted to Christ and has realized that to live is Christ and to die is gain.

My dad has been the greatest influence on my life. He has demonstrated how to respond to life’s issues with prayer and praise. He has demonstrated how to work hard to give God the best effort not for personal gain, but because God is worthy of our best in everything we do. He has demonstrated how to be a faithful husband who has loved and respected his wife for 61 years. He has demonstrated how be a good father by providing a balanced approach to discipline and grace. He has demonstrated how to be a pastor who loves people more than preaching. He has demonstrated how to grow old with dignity, grace, will power, and the attitude of thankfulness for all of God’s blessings.

I am a blessed man. Thank you God, for allowing me to have such a great father.

“The Art of Worship Leading”

For those interested, I am teaching some new classes this semester in the Church Music Program at Lee.  I created a new class titled, “The Art of Worship Leading.”  In this class we are going to discuss some of the artistic aspects of worship leading that many classes and even churches do not discuss.  We are starting the semester with the discussion of the tension between functional art and aesthetic art in church.

It seems to me that most of the decisions being made by worship leaders, worship committees, and creative teams concerning music for worship are all driven by functional choices.  I often leave church feeling as if I have met with God in a spiritually emotional way, but I almost never leave thinking, “Wow, that was beautiful.”

I open this conversation because I believe that the music of the church must function to serve the liturgy (whatever your liturgy might be), but I do not think that making functional choices must exclude aesthetic values as well.

Ok, some thoughts to ponder.

Restart

Well, it has been since August since I posted anything.  I was working with some students to create a new site, but life got busy and we dropped the ball.  I am going to try to start posting again.  When school is in session it just seems I cannot find the time to focus on writing.  However, I plan to make this a more important part of my routine.  I think it gives me a place to think out loud and share things that I observe all over the U. S. as I travel and lead worship with Singers.