Man of Your Word

Yesterday I was out with a friend and as usual he started winding me up with a bunch of analytical questions.  Don't get me wrong, I love the kid and it's great to be challenged, but as usual I came away with a dozen things I wanted to write about.  One of them was a continuation of an earlier conversation about the state of affairs in the church today.  While he's devoted, tied, and bound to one church, I tend to bounce around because of my constant travel schedule.  The offshoot of not having a steady, every-Sunday worship place, is that the things I am looking for in a church are different than his particular list of church priorities.  Not that either is correct, we were just analyzing the differences.

One major difference concerns the worship service.  He's old school and I'm modern worship.  He delights and finds comfort in the ritual and formality.  I find it confining and too easily insincere.  I take more from the worship and environment often, then I do the message.  Well, right away anyway.  It can take a little time for the message to sink in, but the worship can move me immediately.  Expanding this into the rest of my life, I find I take a lot of my strength from good Worship music.

As an example when I workout or run I've found that the best music to listen to is Worship music.  It's no secret that I'm a huge PlanetShakers fan, and I am constantly on the lookout for more Worship music that moves me.

How is it that two people can attend a service, and find two totally different paths to the same God?  For me, this only reenforces my belief in the personal and not corporate nature of my relationship with my Savior.   For my friend, his anecdotal evidence suggests that the contemporary worship is the more shallow of two types of services.  We are at both ends of the spectrum staring at the opposing pole and wondering how they do it?  I guess it's true what they say: Nowhere is that any more true then when we consider the myriad of choices in worship style we find in churches across the nation.  There must be one for every kind of person so that way we all get feed.  I'll leave you with a quote from one my favorite worship artists of all time.

I pray that more than ever God will lead each of us into a place of true worship, that we will encounter His presence and power and that His desire will be accomplished in us.
-- Twila Paris

Labels: worship

This morning I woke up with a choice.  Actually, I went to sleep with a choice hanging over my head. This evening there is a worship concert that I've been wanting to attend.  A worship group that I've been hoping to see for a couple of years (yes, years!) is finally touring the US and I have an opportunity to go worship with them.  Okay, I know it sounds like another concert.  That's part of where choice comes in.

Firstly, I'm busy with work. Aren't we always? My head flip flops between the importance of a few more minutes I might be able to accomplish something with the joy of recreating.  This is all tied in with my concern that if I leave work early, what will people think? Am I setting a bad example?  Will my client think I'm not "putting in the time"?  It's only a few minutes, and it's not like I don't work a ton anyway.  Surely they can understand, right?

On the other hand, this is more than a concert to me.  It is an opportunity to worship.  Something I treat as precious and valuable. Should the perceptions from work, or any of that even matter?  If my faith means as much to me, shouldn't I sacrifice anything to keep it healthy?  Obviously, that is subjective argument.  No more so than the arguments for work/life balance, getting enough sleep, or eating your vegetables.

Anyone who knows me would agree that I have a pretty solid work ethic.  This is solely thanks to my remarkable parents.  At first blush, this seems to be coupled in my angst about maintaining my work ethic.  Juliet Schor writes about this topic in Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure.  Since its release there have been numerous other studies that speak on this same topic, but one thing is sure.  We are working harder and longer.  My own life is no exception.

What was needed to shake me up this morning was to take a point from Mary and just be quiet and listen.  My spiritual health, my mental health, these are non-negotiable.  What sacrifices those, must be sacrificed.

I guess I know my choice.

Labels: worship

One of my most favorite worship groups, Hillsong United, is on tour in the US!

This is great news for anyone who wants to experience what it is like to worship to high-energy, faith-filled music alongside fellow believers.

Find more about the concert schedule here.

Labels: worship

This weekend I got the opportunity to visit a new church with a friend of mine in Phoenix.  We shared teen years in the Reformed church together and our theological discussions have always been a solid help to me.  He's well-read, a sound thinker, and aggressive in his search for truth and meaning in his spirituality.

This particular church, being Lutheran, is pretty traditional but they have been working to make the service more contemporary.  Overall, I was extremely impressed with their friendliness and warmth.  The message was very thought-provoking if a bit verbose.  (I'm critical and opinionated, deal with it.)  The humorous part of the morning for me was about halfway through worship when I realized that I was the singing louder than...pretty much everybody.  I truly loves me some worship and don't pay much attention to the people around me once I start clearing my mind.  I'm sure those poor traditionalists thought I was a little weird for just closing my eyes and letting the song emerge.  Oh well, so much for first impressions.

So my question to you is simple...what's the proper response in a situation like that?  When you are in an environment specifically to worship, how much should you modify your behavior to fit in?  I'm not talking about being disruptive or disrespectful.  My general rule is that when you are in a place where they don't raise their hands, you probably should keep your hands in your pockets.  When in the presence of believers who always sit and stand only when directed, you probably shouldn't waltz the aisles.  But if a church is singing quietly, should you put a sock in it?  If no one says a word all service, is it wrong to say "Amen" at the end of a prayer?

Labels: worship