Sometimes I'm too serious.

 I miss being on Facebook where I would post all sorts of nonsense just to make people laugh.  So here's one for you...

I was doing a skit here.  Not my best look, but I loved the shirt!

In my opinion...what true worship is, and what it isn't.

Early in the shutdown due to the pandemic, Joe and I did a ZOOM interview with a minister in Holston.  He recorded it to use in a sermon series that would conclude with a message on worship.  The minister asked us to share our experiences with leading worship, experiencing worship, and explaining worship.  I don't have the notes that Joe used for his part of the interview, but recently found mine, which I decided was worth pasting below.

Music in a church service can be uplifting organ/piano music, choirs, singing congregational songs, or special music.  These things can move us into the presence of God and truly worship Him.  But these things can also be a performance.  A focus on the people presenting the music instead of focusing on the REASON we worship.  

I am passionate about the music that is shared in a church service.  My job at Alcoa First UMC is Director of Music/Worship Coordinator.  I plan the services, the order of worship, the music that will be shared, and the Chancel Choir's music.  (I don't plan the worship music for the Contemporary Service - only the Traditional.)

When we come together in corporate worship, the music shouldn't be about us, unless we're singing to one another in witness of the greatness of God...His goodness and mercy...His forgiveness.  The rest of our music - in my opinion - should be thankfulness.  An expression to God...of His greatness, His majesty, His goodness, His mercy...His forgiveness because of what His Son gave for us.  

There are lots of publications one could read and learn so much more than this little mind of mine can share.  No matter how beautifully music is presented, unless it becomes 'as unto the Lord' it's just a performance.  And again, in my opinion, that's exactly what it becomes...a performance.

Here are some points I shared on the ZOOM video were about leading a congregation in worship music:

Colossians 3:15-17 (NLT) ”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Ideally, when planning a musical portion of corporate worship, I feel we need to start with horizontal worship. What is that?  It’s singing to one another about our great Savior, our almighty God, and tell one another how awesome He is and what He’s done for us.  Then that worship needs to start going vertical…where we direct our hearts, voices, and words toward the only One who is worthy of our praise.  We tell Him of our love for Him, we thank Him for what He’s done for us…and then we go truly vertical when we leave ourselves completely out of the songs/lyrics and only sing to Him.  He is an awesome God!  He wants us to proclaim that awesomeness with our voices lifted to Him in praise!  

A worship leader cannot take a congregation into the presence of God if they’re not first willing to go there themselves.  And a worship leader should not take baggage to a place of leadership in music.  Worry, anger, frustration, all need to be left behind.  Louie Giglio (pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta) said: “Worry and worship cannot exist in the same space.  One always displaces the other.  Choose worship.”

I recall the church we served in Ft. Oglethorpe where we had an evening Praise & Worship Service with music, preaching, and a time of ministry at the altars.  I was blessed to be the worship leader for those services and even more blessed to have amazing musicians and singers on our Worship Team.  People like Doug Markle (drums), Eric Adams (bass), Jeff Lambert (lead guitar), Lisa Adams (vocals), and others (who my 68-year-old mind can't recall) who took worship as seriously as I did.  After an hour of rehearsal, we'd go into a Sunday school classroom and have a prayer meeting!!  That time together was as powerful to me as any worship service could be!  Our hearts were so ready to praise that we came out of that prayer time on fire!

Okay.  Sermon's over.  But let me leave you with this thought: When looking at what it means to worship God, it isn’t the elements of worship that are so awesome and powerful.  It’s really about the object of our worship Who is awesome!  And His Name is Jesus!  

If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.  Make your life count!

Baby of the Family

Remember...if you have a pulse, you have a purpose.  Make your life count!

My Name is I AM

Sometimes I’m overwhelmed over a situation over which I have zero control.  Other times, I’m so confident in all God can do in situations that I surprise myself.  But a lot of times, I don’t even think about Who I serve, Who I sing for, and Who I’ve surrendered my life to.  

Then I read this…written by Helen Mallicoat…and I remember.  I remember that I surrendered my life to him in 1973.  

I remember that I told Him at that time that I would go and do whatever He wanted of me.  Now, 49 years later, you’d think I wouldn’t need a reminder.  But when I read this piece written by a lady named Helen Mallicoat, I know that He is the great ‘I AM.’  Thanks be to God!

 

I was regretting the past and fearing the future…

   Suddenly my Lord was speaking: “My Name is I Am.

                     He paused.

            I waited.

He continued,

    When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets,

        It is hard.

            I am not there.

My Name is not “I Was.”

    When you live in the future, with its problems and fears,

        It is hard. 

            I am not there.

My Name is not “I Will Be.”

    When you live in this moment,

        It is not hard.

            I am here.

                My Name is "I Am."

 

No matter our circumstances in the world right now and even in our own homes…God is still The Great I Am!  

“When you live in this moment, it is not hard.  I am here.  My Name is I Am.”

 No matter what is going on in the world today…He is still I AM. 

If you have a pulse...you have a purpose.  Make your life count! 

The New Serenity Prayer by Fr. James Martin, SJ

I found this a year or two ago and cannot remember from where...but here is hoping that you'll find a smile creeping across your face as you read it!

God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, which is pretty much everyone, since I’m clearly not You, God.  At least not the last time I checked.

And while you’re at it, God, please give me the courage to change what I need to change about myself, which is frankly a lot, since, once again, I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.

It’s better for me to focus on changing myself than to worry about changing other people, who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying, I can’t change anyway.

Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter than everyone else in the room, that no one knows what they’re talking about except me, or that I alone have all the answers.  

Basically, God, grant me the wisdom to remember that I’m not You.  Amen.

I always close this blog the same way: If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.  Make your life count!

Make it Funny!

 My motto is: If you can't make it FUN...make it FUNNY!

I had some surgery on a toe in January.  You'd think a toe wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it is if you have a four-inch pin going through the toe and only a smidgen of the pin is visible.  Can you guess where the rest of the pin is?  It's in my foot, keeping that toe straight so it won't keep sticking up higher than all the others.  My foot will look better in sandals next summer!

Having the third toe on your right foot in a perpetual 'bird' position can be funny, if you think about it.  Joe would be teasing me about something for just a little too long and I'd tell him I was flipping him off in my shoe!  

That'd always get a laugh.  But now my toe will be laying down next to the other four, behaving itself.  

My stitches are out, but I still have to walk on my heel in a special open-toed, hard sandal/shoe until four weeks post-surgery.  I use crutches most of the time, but when I'm around a lot of people I use a walker so no one can get close enough to bump my foot.  

Just for fun, I made a 'Caution: Slow Moving Vehicle' sign that looks like a bumper sticker, and taped it to my walker.  Folks smile when they see it.  I also made another sign that looks like a bumper sticker that reads, 'Caution: Driver Singing' which gets a few laughs. I have that same sign on my car's rear window.

Like my motto says: If you can't make it fun, then make it funny!  

If you have a pulse...you have a purpose.  Make your life count!

Sisters

 I miss Vangie.

I miss my sister so much sometimes that I actually ache inside.  But then something happens or I run across an object that makes me smile and gives me comfort.  Vangie didn't write this poem, but I found it in her things when I opened her Bible case.  It's faded, but I hope you can read it...

She had lots of handwritten notes in her Bible and this is one of them that makes my heart happy.

Remember: If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.  Make your life count!