Posture in Worship (Issue 2.28)

It’s always hard to write the final devotional of the year – there is so much to reflect upon and also so much to look forward to after the summer.

But instead of a sappy reflection or a “Go Get ‘em” pump-you-up speech before our break, I’m going to ask for you to consider something over the summer.  The something is what our bodies say about worship when we sing.

Have you ever noticed on Sundays that there are actually people in the congregation that don’t look excited to be at church?  Have you ever noticed there are people in the choir that don’t look excited to be at church?  What is that all about?  I’ve actually seen people SITTING IN THEIR SEATS or standing WITH THEIR ARMS FOLDED when we sing “When Christ shall come, with shout of acclimation, and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!”!

So over the next couple of months as you worship in the congregation (and not from on the platform), think about how your posture and body language either reinforce or contradict the words of the songs.  For example, if the words of a song say that you “bow”, why is it you are looking up?  Even if the words call us to “fall on my knees” or “bow down”, even doing something as bowing our heads toward the ground can communicate (to ourselves, to God, and to others) an attitude of submission, repentance, and/or respect.  Or if the song says, “We lift our voices, we lift our hands, we lift our lives up to you” why do our hands stay in our pockets (or crossed in front of us)?  And if you’re not into that whole “lifting the hands” thing, wouldn’t it be better to just not sing the words?

Here’s the point – if we are singing for an audience of One – God – then to say one thing with our lips and another with our bodies makes us to be hypocrites (at best) or liars (at worst).  If we can’t do something as simple as lift a hand (when our lips say we are going to do it) or bow a head (when our lips say we are going to do it), how can we expect God (or anyone for that matter) to believe us when our lips say we “surrender all to Jesus” or “lay it all down”?  It is in the little things that integrity and character are proven, and to him who is responsible with little much is given.  Sometimes people express that they don’t feel God is present when singing takes place.  Perhaps that’s because our lips and our actions don’t agree.  Perhaps it’s because what God sees is a bunch of hypocrites who don’t do what they say they will do.

And that just ain’t a good situation to be in.  Challenge and encourage each other to be making sure your verbal and non-verbal communication agree (what’s the statistic? 75% of all communication is non-verbal?  If that’s true, God gets quite a message from some people…)

The greatest joy I have on Sunday mornings when I lead worship is seeing people’s faces reflect the words they are singing as they communicate with God.  And I have to believe that God feels the same way.  And there are plenty here who do that – look for them next week, and see the difference in worship.

A Year in Review (Issue 1.31)

Originally Written for 6/14/09

As this is the last newsletter for a couple of months, I want to share my thoughts on the past 11 months serving here at LBC.

Let me begin by saying it has been such a blessing to be your director, and I hope that you have enjoyed this past year in choir.  I have tried to stretch you in many ways, and I believe you’ve made some great strides in your musical skills.  Some key things we’ve focused on this year have been vowel formation, cut-offs, and phrasing in the music.  As I look back I see how much you’ve grown – this morning’s anthem was a great testimony to the work you’ve done.  Thank you for your had work and dedication.

We’ve also learned a lot of new music – from the Christmas cantata, to the Easter anthem with orchestra, to the numerous new anthems you’ve learned through the year.  As we enter the summer months some of those anthems may return (like this morning); we’ll also continue to pull out stuff from prior to my start here.

I’ve also worked to build a spiritual component into choir, and I hope you have found that.  These weekly devotionals are part of that, as is praying together as a group.  It is my goal and hope that you see the choir as  spiritual family of sorts.

As I look forward to the next choir year I have additional goals and ides to implement, and I hope you’ll be here to participate in those.  Know that I respect and value each of you, and I hope that you find the time absent from rehearsals refreshing, but also that it begins to build anticipation for returning together in the fall.  A date has not yet been set, but once it has we’ll make sure to announce it.

And when we do, please remember to invite others to join us.  I look forward to this time every week – it’s worshipful and fun.  And I want to share it with as many people who are willing to receive it.

Have a great summer.

What God Has Done (Issue 1.30)

Originally Written for 6/7/09

I don’t know about you, but this morning’s music really focused me on the essence of what God has done for us and how we should respond.

In love Christ died for us, and because of that we have hope of “no more tears, no more pain” because we “will rise” to live with Him eternally.

This means I shouldn’t boast in anything “but the death of Christ my God,” and I need to “sacrifice [everything] to his blood.”

Why?  Because “Love so amazing…demands my soul, my life, my all.”

I think that’s it for today – just take the time you normally spend reading the devotional and meditate on those truths.  My prayer is that these were more than emtpy words sung on a Sunday morning but that they truly are our heart’s cry.

Keeping Secrets (Issue 1.29)

Originally Written for 3/31/09

It’s hard keeping secrets, especially good ones.  Several weeks ago Melissa’s mother and sister began planning a surprise baby shower for her, which happened this afternoon.  For the past several weeks, and especially the last couple of days with everyone in town, it’s been very difficult to not slip-up and say something to ruin the surprise.  As of now, though, everyone has left the house and the plan is under way – in about 15 minutes (or, when you’re reading this, about three hours ago), Melissa should walk into a friend’s house and hear “Surprise!”

Have you ever had a secret that you wanted to share but knew you couldn’t?  Perhaps it was a promotion at work that wasn’t public yet, or an award you were going to receive, or a birthday party you had planned…  In any case, whatever the event, you had to watch what you’d say because if you said the wrong thing you’d let the “cat out of the bag” and ruin the whole thing.

Except in one area.  Too often when it comes to sharing our faith we box it up and hide it so no one knows.  How come it’s so hard to keep the “Secret of the Baby Shower” but so easy to keep the “Secret to Eternal Life and True Contentment”?  Jeremiah says, “But if I say, ‘I will not mention [God] or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (20:9)

I know this is a short devotional, but I’d like us to meditate on that verse some.  Why is it so easy to go to someone at work and share the most recent gossip on a colleague, but so difficult to run and share what God has taught us over the weekend?  Why is it hard to keep the secret of the sin someone’s doing but easy to keep the secret of the forgiveness offered the sinner?

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 8:38).  When people come in contact with you do they find the spring that shoots forth living water, or do they find it shooting something else?  Maybe it’s time to begin sharing your “secret”.

Believing in – and Loving – God (Issue 1.28)

Originally Written for 5/3/09

I’m reading a book entitled Crazy Love by a pastor out in California named Francis Chan; to be honest, it’s the first I’ve ever heard of him and (obviously) the first book I’ve read by him.  I want to quote a few things he wrote in a chapter entitled “Crazy Love”:

“Recently, out of my desire to grow in my love for God, I decided to spend a few days alone with him in the woods.

“Before I left, a friend prayed, ‘God, I know how much you’ve wanted this time with Francis…’  Though I didn’t say it at the time, I secretly thought it was a heretical way to pray and that he was wrong to phrase it that way.  I was going to the woods because I wanted more of God.  But He’s God; He certainly wouldn’t want more of me!  It seemed demeaning to think that God could long for a human being.

“The more I searched the Scriptures, however, the more I realized my friend’s prayer was right on, and that my rejection to his prayer indicated how much I still doubted God’s love. My belief in God’s love was still theoretical, not a reality I lived out or experienced.” (emphasis mine)

Later on in the chapter Pastor Chan discusses the difference between loving a person for who they are versus loving a person for what they give us, and he draws the parallel to how some Christians approach God – they seem to love Him more for the gift of everlasting life than loving Him for who He is; he even goes so far as to write, “[A]n important question to ask ourselves is: Are we in love with God or just his stuff?”  It reminded me of an experience earlier this week in court where I saw a young man apologize to the judge and say “I’m sorry.”  To his apology, however, the judge looked at him and said, “I don’t believe you – you’re not sorry because your behavior doesn’t demonstrate that.  You’re sorry that you got caught and that you’re here in my court room, but you’re not sorry for what you did.”

I think that’s what Pastor Chan is referring to.

Let’s go back to the first quote, though, and look again at the section that I put in italics.  I’ve been thinking a lot about that quote this week, and I’ve been asking myself what I do that demonstrates my love to God.  Another question raised in the book by Chan was, “If we stopped believing in God right now, how would our life change?”

And when it was phrased that way, it started it hit home a little more.  I pray you and I meditate on that question a little bit this week, and then use the answer to determine our response.

Walking in Sandals (Issue 1.27)

Originally Written for 4/26/09

Today since it was hot I wore my sandals and we spent a good deal of the day outside – went to Kid Fest, Plant & See, the park, in the yard, etc.  At Plant & See I walked through lots of muddy areas to find rose bushes for Melissa, at the park I chased Chloe through the wood chips, and in the yard I helped Melissa plant a rose bush and then sat with Chloe as she played in the sand box.

Needless to say, my feet were rather dirty – except where the sandals straps were.

Now you’re probably thinking I’m going to talk about the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, and how gross that was, and how dirty their feet got, and yada-yada-yada.

But I’m not.

I’m going to talk about the straps on my sandals.  See, when I took off my sandals, you could tell where they had been – you could see the white skin that wasn’t dirty because they had been protected by the straps.  Had I worn socks and shoes my feet would have been even cleaner, since they protect a larger area of my feet.

It’s kind of an illustration for our lives as Christians.  We walk through the world every day (literally), encountering people who don’t know Christ, movies and music that do anything but glorify him, and watch TV shows that some people probably wouldn’t even admit to watching.  All these things dirty us in very real ways (remember the song, “Oh be careful little eyes/ears what you see/hear”?)  As we interact with the world, it leaves its mark on us.

Except where we’ve protected ourselves by wearing the armor of God – where we’ve pulled His word over us and given Him complete control.  Then the dirt doesn’t come in, but gets deflected out.  Just like the sand on my feet.

Which makes me wonder – do I walk through life wearing sandals, shoes, or work boots?  Sometimes, to my shame, I’m probably walking bare-foot.  And when I do, all the filth and muck gets on me and leaves a stain.  Only when I fully and regularly surrender to God can I travel protected.

Which begs the question: what am I doing to protect myself?

Or, in your sense, what are you doing to protect yourself?  Prayer?  Bible reading?  Worship?  Fellowship with other believers?  Confession?  Surrender? Faith building?

What kind of shoes are you wearing today?

Opening Day (Issue 1.26)

Originally Written for 3/29/09

We’re getting close to the big da – yup, it’s gonna happen next weekend.  Can you even stand it?  Baseball is back!

That’s right – next weekend Spring Training will officially end and the 2009 season will start.  For all us Chicago Cubs fans out there, this means it could finally be “Next Year”! (of course, we’ve been saying that for, oh, let’s just say, over a century…)

Really, though – and I’m completely serious – this could be the year for the Cubs.  We came so close last year – I mean, we came really close (I still think the reason we didn’t win was because I was distracted from praying for important stuff – like the Cubs winning the World Series – because I was too busy starting a new job at a new church, but that’s for another devotional…).  This could be the year!

Have you ever thought about all things different things we look forward to?  Going to the game, watching the game on TV, seeing the latest movie, going to watch… well, just about anything.

Do you have that same excitement about coming to church to meet God?  Do you look forward to it like you do the start of a new season?  Do you miss it when you don’t make it (either because you’re sick or out of town)?  Or are you more like a baseball fan who missed the coverage of Wimbleton? (BTW, when is Wimbelton?  And why do they waste money putting something like that on TV?)

Anyway, I digress…

The point here is that we should savor our moments with God in worship.  I recently completed a student entitled, “Experiencing Worship”.  It focused on how we can truly encounter God during our worship times – both public and private.  The first thing it focused on was identifying and understanding who it is we worship.

Our passions stem from our desires (duh), and those come from our hearts.  Have you ever sung a song that said something along the lines of “My desire is to worship you”?  Now be honest – were those merely words, or is that truly the desire of your heart?

Too often I look forward to things in this world that are of little or no eternal worth and then take God and his grace for granted.  Too often I make a bigger deal out of Opening Day than I do Sunday church.  Could that be a reflection of my heart?

Opening Day (Grace Notes Issue 1.26)

Originally Written for 3/29/09

Cross Posted on Grace Notes

We’re getting close to the big da – yup, it’s gonna happen next weekend.  Can you even stand it?  Baseball is back!

That’s right – next weekend Spring Training will officially end and the 2009 season will start.  For all us Chicago Cubs fans out there, this means it could finally be “Next Year”! (of course, we’ve been saying that for, oh, let’s just say, over a century…)

Really, though – and I’m completely serious – this could be the year for the Cubs.  We came so close last year – I mean, we came really close (I still think the reason we didn’t win was because I was distracted from praying for important stuff – like the Cubs winning the World Series – because I was too busy starting a new job at a new church, but that’s for another devotional…).  This could be the year!

Have you ever thought about all things different things we look forward to?  Going to the game, watching the game on TV, seeing the latest movie, going to watch… well, just about anything.

Do you have that same excitement about coming to church to meet God?  Do you look forward to it like you do the start of a new season?  Do you miss it when you don’t make it (either because you’re sick or out of town)?  Or are you more like a baseball fan who missed the coverage of Wimbleton? (BTW, when is Wimbelton?  And why do they waste money putting something like that on TV?)

Anyway, I digress…

The point here is that we should savor our moments with God in worship.  I recently completed a student entitled, “Experiencing Worship”.  It focused on how we can truly encounter God during our worship times – both public and private.  The first thing it focused on was identifying and understanding who it is we worship.

Our passions stem from our desires (duh), and those come from our hearts.  Have you ever sung a song that said something along the lines of “My desire is to worship you”?  Now be honest – were those merely words, or is that truly the desire of your heart?

Too often I look forward to things in this world that are of little or no eternal worth and then take God and his grace for granted.  Too often I make a bigger deal out of Opening Day than I do Sunday church.  Could that be a reflection of my heart?

Finding Love (Issue 1.25)

Originally Written for 3/22/09

You know, I read a blog by a pastor several months ago reflecting back on the year 2008.  One thing he blogged about was his favorite movies of the year, and one was Wall-E, the latest from Pixar Studioes (the ones who gave us Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Cars, to name a few).  I had wanted to see it in the theatre, simply because I love the Pixar movies, but was unable to do so.

Until last night.  I actually ordered it on Pay Per View about three weeks ago, but we never had a chance to watch it, so earlier this week Melissa and I agreed that Saturday night we would sit down and watch Wall-E together.  It was well worth the time spent; personally, I think it’s one of the best Pixar movies yet.

The premise of the movie is very simple – it’s about finding someone in life to care for and be cared by.  Granted, that’s not how it starts, but that’s the gist of the movie.  There is a little robot named Wall-E who is lonely and yearns to be loved, and the movie traces his pursuit of the robot he falls in love with.

There are so many parallels to life that I could draw – but I’ll stick with just the obvious ones.  First, it shows us the need we all have for acceptance and love, and it should challenge us to find that within our families.  The rise in gang membership and activity across this country is proof enough that people yearn to be accepted, loved, cared for, and protected – and it demonstrates the lengths they will go to get it.  But we should find that security in our homes in our families – from our spouse, parents, siblings, etc.  Beyond that we should find it in the church – our church.

One question we need to ask ourselves is whether we give the love, care, acceptance, and protection others need from us.  Do we give it to our families?  Do we give it in our church?  Is there anyone in our family who feels unwelcome by us?  Is there anyone, for whatever reason, who would feel unwelcome in our church?

If the answer to any of those is yes, we need to take a long, hard look at how we share love with others.

The final parallel is that only in Christ can our need be fully met.  Since I’m “preaching to the choir,” I’m assuming that each of us has found that rest.  But that raises the question – what are we doing to help others find it as well?

The answer to that, like the earlier questions, isn’t quite as easy to give.

Music Selection for Worship (Part 2) (Grace Notes Issue 1.24)

Originally Written for 3/15/09

Cross Posted on Grace Notes

Two weeks ago our devotional looked at the outline of the service for last week thematically and how the music was put together.  Let’s look now at this morning’s service and also at next week’s service.

First, our theme for these two weeks is “Leaving a Godly Heritage”, so this morning it focused on the primary way we leave a Godly heritage – passed on via the family.  Next week we’ll look at discipleship and missions.

This morning’s service began with a call to worship, which was a prayer that those behind us will always “Find us Faithful”.  This was to help focus the congregation (and us) on our role as disciplers.  Next, we sang the congregational song Jesus Loves the Little Children, which should remind us of the importance God places on children and our responsibility to pass the faith on to them (both our own and others in our realm of influence).  The special music today came from the kids, which should have reinforced this idea.  Next, we sang a medley that focused us on the Christian Home, serving as both an opportunity for us to pledge ourselves to God’s leadership and also to pray for His guidance in our homes.  Our choir anthem today was chosen for the 3^rd verse that reads, “For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent child, friends on earth, and friends above…”  Part of the joy of human love is sharing God’s love with those around us.

Next week we’ll continue the theme of “Leaving a Godly Heritage”, but we’ll grow out from the family and begin to look at discipleship of others and missions outreach.  Our music begins with a prayer of confession and re-dedication as we seek to follow Christ (Dear Lord & Father of Mankind).  Next, we’ll read scripture and sing a congregational hymn about going and “making disciples”.  Special music will highlight the various seasons of change in our lives as we sense God’s presence in it, and we’ll sing a final congregational song of commitment to go and serve the Lord through witnessing and giving.  Just before the sermon the choir will sing a prayer anthem asking God to focus us on others and reaching them.

As I wrote two weeks ago, it is my prayer that through the music in the worship service you come to meet & experience the risen Christ in such a powerful way you seek to share Him with others.