Connectivity

Life as we experience it contains a lot of twists and turns, ups and downs, and highs and lows. It is because of that roller coaster type existence that it is so important for us to be connected to one another as humans.

As someone who has spent their adult career in ministry, this is not always the easiest thing to do.  I don't want to sound condescending, but if you haven't served in ministry (as a job, not a volunteer) I don't think that you can fully understand why.  When you are on a church staff, people scrutinize EVERY thing that you do, say, type, wear, eat, etc.  I could share things that I have been scrutinized over that would probably shock you, but that isn't the point of this blog.  It is a fact that you have to be able to deal with or ministry will eat you up and spit you out.  Consequently, connecting to others has been a struggle for Beth and I.  You always wonder if people that are befriending you are doing it genuinely or if they are simply trying to find something in your life to use against you at a later date.  Unfortunately, this isn't fair to those who are genuinely seeking friendship, but it causes you to put up a wall to protect yourself and your family from all of the junk.

While we've been attending our current church for 8 months now, it was just 3 weeks ago that Beth and I made the decision to attend our first Life Connection Group (SS Class).  Let me  share with you what I have found in the past 3 weeks with The Servants (that's the name of our group).

For starters, we chose the group because we already knew a few of the members through our involvement in worship ministry.  That made it much easier for us to walk into a group.  The Servants are not your typical Sunday School class and I LOVE them for it.  In our short time with the group, I have come to learn that (and if I'm wrong, then I hope that John will correct me) their main focus in our hour together is to share needs and concerns that people have and to spend time praying for them.  Sometimes, that may take the whole hour and if it does that's ok.  It's not that we're pushing Bible study to the side as something unimportant, it's that we are making sure that every person around the table knows that the people in that room love them and care for them.  It is truly a living breathing example of bearing each other's burdens.

Whatever church you call home, I encourage you to seek out a small group that will allow you to come as you are and encourage you along this crazy journey that we are all on.  It can be a life changing experience to get connected.

What Do You Know?

I got into a conversation with someone close to me this weekend.  It was one of those conversations that as soon as it starts, you know where it's going and no matter how badly you don't want it to continue, it does.

It started as we got onto the topic of what people wear to church.  This person was lamenting the 'good old days' when people always wore their absolute best to church each week.  You remember the traditions.  Wednesday evening service was casual, and by casual I mean you didn't have to wear a tie if you were a guy. 

Then the conversation went where I really didn't want it to go.  Music.  Ugh!! I don't want to get into a worship war debate with someone so close to me.  I was told how a preacher had told a story about using the hymn 'At The Cross' in a service.  In the days following he received MANY emails, notes, etc. asking where he had found such a beautiful song.  This preacher then went on to say, "That's what's wrong with many of today's churches. No one knows any of the old songs of the faith that helped so many people through so many things."

Really?!?!?  THAT'S what's wrong with churches?? We're not singing enough old songs so consequently people can't get through their troubles because they don't know these songs??  You have got to be kidding me!!

I've made it completely clear in other posts, that I don't care if your worship style is traditional or modern.  I care about one thing when it comes to what people take away from a corporate worship experience.  Do you know Jesus??

I believe it is completely possible to introduce a sinner to Jesus with a hymn or with a modern chorus, with a KJV Bible or with The Message.  Can we PLEASE stop bickering over music?? We all know that everyone has their preferences and that's fine.  Stop bad-mouthing those styles that don't fit your personal preference.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

Have a blessed day!

Modern Worship: Emotional or Cerebral

Over the past several months it seems that those infamous worship wars are heating back up.  I have personally debated the issue with people and have read countless articles lamenting the rise of modern worship as the death of all that is sacred.  Most of the arguments fall into one of two categories.  The first states that the technological enhancements to our worship experiences have become distractions rather than enhancements and have created a performance or concert venue rather than a house of worship.  The other states that there is absolutely no good theology coming forth from modern worship music.  There is a third camp that is not as prevalent in the war against modern worship music.  That camp simply states that modern worship music is too wordy and too difficult to sing.

Before I continue, let me say that to some extent, this modern worship pastor feels that there is some validity to each of these arguments that must be weighed as we plan for an effective and meaningful worship experience.  It is in the weighing of these arguments, that I want to pose the question, 'Can we have a meaningful modern worship experience that also engages the intellect in the way that more traditional worship experiences seem to?'

What made me want to explore this?  I have a friend who recently changed churches and is observing the season of Lent for the first time in her Christian life.  She is chronicling her journey through Lent on her blog and it has been a fascinating read for me.  You can check it out here.  One of her observations is that she enjoys the intellectual engagement that she is getting from the traditional forms of worship she is experiencing.  This is not a new train of thought, but her insights have been so powerful that it has challenged me to ask the question that I raised above.

Why is it that the modern churches don't include any traditional liturgical elements in their worship services?  Are we scared of losing 'cool points' if we dare look at things like the church calendar or responsive readings?  Make no mistake, the modern church still follows liturgy.  It just more often consists of elements like announcements, transition videos, skits, etc.  Before you throw me in the traditional camp, let me say that I think there are ways to do all of those things including some of the more 'old school' elements I mentioned.  Does it require some work and extra creativity on the part of the staff? Sure.

The under 40 generation is a very visual generation and the technology enhancements work for us.  However, we also like to be challenged intellectually.  A lot of churches ignore that and assume that if they give us the smoke, lights, and modern music we will stay engaged simply because of the production value.  They are often finding that to not be the case.

I think my biggest pet peeve with many (not all) modern churches is the void of scripture woven throughout the worship service.  In many places, you might get 2 or 3 verses of scripture to kick the sermon off and then that's it.  Did I miss something?  Is the Bible the guide that we use for our lives?  If so, shouldn't it have a more prevalent place in our service?  I'm not advocating that we worship scripture, but I am advocating that we use it a whole lot more than we usually do.  Realistically, if we simply included more scripture in our worship, we would certainly engage our minds more than we currently are.

I am starting to wonder if maybe we get too hung up on the terminology of modern/contemporary/traditional that when we hear the term that doesn't best fit our preference we shut down and refuse to even see what God may be speaking to us.  In my opinion, there are wonderful songs of worship in praise in both the traditional and modern scopes of music.  There are also terrible songs with bad theology in both veins as well.  Worship is about God, not us.  Maybe we should challenge ourselves to engage in every facet of our corporate worship services from start to finish.  As hard as they try, our pastors and worship pastors won't always get it right. It's not fair to put all the blame on them when you don't get what you expect from a worship experience.  Stretch yourself. Challenge yourself.  Don't check your brain at the door.  I think what I'm ultimately getting at is that I believe it is completely possible to have a modern worship experience that moves our emotions AND challenges our thought process.  Modern and cerebral worship experiences don't have to be mutually exclusive.

I have blogged a little bit with regard to a few of the arguments I mentioned at the beginning of this blog.  If you want to read more about those, you can go here and here.

Please feel free to comment your thoughts.  This could be a fun topic.

Carolina vs. Duke 2015 Round 1 - What We Learned

It's been a while since I've done a sports related blog, so if you don't like sports or don't care about college basketball, I'll be back to my normal blog posting soon enough.



I never write on this topic immediately after the game as the emotion, win or lose, is too raw and I find it impossible to even try to be objective in those moments after the buzzer sounds.

Last night was everything that is right about college basketball.  The greatest rivalry arguably in all of sports was on display for 2 1/2 hours and as it usually does, it lived up to the hype.  Both teams overcame double digit deficits to force overtime and the game came down to the last possession with the Dukies going home happy and the Heels taking the longest 8 mile drive of the season back to Chapel Hill.  Here's my observations while attempting to put my bias aside.  Feel free to challenge or agree in comments as the discussion is what really makes this fun.

1. Tyus Jones is a player that every Carolina fan will hate for years to come.  One of the youngest players on the floor, in the biggest game of the year, was probably the most poised man on the floor last night.  What he lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in heart.  He simply refused to let Duke lose last night.  Okafur had all the hype, Jones delivered a much more poignant performance.  This takes us to....

2. Jahlil Okafur is a phenomenal talent, no question.  He can be contained if you take the game to him.  You have to initiate the contact with him.  If he is allowed to make first contact, he will eat you for lunch.  However, he didn't respond well when Carolina got physical with him.  This Carolina fan is still hoping that he's one and done.

3. Marcus Paige is a shell of what Carolina fans saw last year.  I don't know if it's the plantars fasciitis or if teams have simply figured him out, but whether or not he's scoring, he must impact the game for Carolina to be successful.

4. JP Tokoto will drive Carolina fans nuts with some of his decision making, but I would rather him make a few boneheaded decisions and be aggressive like last night, than watch him disappear to timidity.

5. If Brice Johnson can eliminate one stupid foul per game, he could be absolutely dominant. Unfortunately he loses about 3-4 minutes of floor time every night due to foul trouble.

6. People will be quick to criticize both team's defense given the final was 92-90 and I'll admit, both teams have defensive flaws.  Duke can't defend the paint and Carolina can't defend the 3-point line.  That said, let's also be honest and say that when clicking as both teams were, these are 2 of the best offensive squads in the country.  When a team or a player (Quinn Cook) get hot from 3, Carolina is in trouble.  Likewise when a team owns the paint (Meeks and Johnson), Duke can be beaten.

7. Both of these teams can play with and beat anybody in the country, but I don't think either of these teams make a title run this year.  Duke isn't deep enough and I expect them to wear down in the tournament as they have done in year's past.  I mean, let's face it...the 18 game ACC schedule is absolutely grueling and it will take it's toll on the best of teams.  Carolina struggles to close teams out and that will ultimately spell their demise in March.

8. Who wins round 2??  Duke will be favored, but I think Carolina will be motivated to exact a bit of payback on March 7.  Either way, we should have another classic on our hands.

Do We Like To Be Offended?

It's a serious question. Is there some underlying reason that we are so quick to play the 'I'm offended' card as soon as someone says or does something that we don't like? I'm actually starting to think that maybe, to some extent, we do. Before you write me off (or get offended) please here me out. Let me draw from a recent online encounter that I had.

Is this really controversial?

The above link is to a blog post from a very good friend of ours. She posted this and a firestorm broke out on her personal Facebook page. She was called careless because some took offense to the blog (particular the part about women's ministry). I was absolutely floored at the level of offense that took place over this simple blog post.

Now. I am not here to talk about her blog. I have my opinions, but that isn't what this is about (especially since I am a man and these were women sensitive topics). This is about how easily some people are offended (particularly in the church).

What do we get offended about in church? There's the obvious thing....heresy. This should not only offend but most likely cause us to seek another church to be a part of if when confronted the heresy is not dealt with. We are offended by the style of music. We are offended by hard teaching that is sound doctrine when measured against scripture. We are offended when our pre-conceived notion of doctrine is challenged. We are offended when someone doesn't smile when they walk past us. We are offended at how someone dresses. You get the point....we are offended by a lot of things when in reality, heresy may be the only valid thing on the list to take offense at. Why do we seek offense?

I have a theory and it's simple speculation on my part, but here it is. Claiming offense gives us a reason to not examine ourselves. It points the blame towards the person or thing that offends and moves the spotlight away from us as individuals. Culture has been inundated with a philosophy that we have a right to not be offended. Sorry, but that's hogwash.

Jesus offended. A prime example is at the end of John 6. This is the infamous 'eat my flesh and drink my blood' incident. So many of His followers turned away at this saying that Jesus asked his closest friends, his disciples, if they were going to leave too. This wasn't the only time He offended, but it is certainly one of the most memorable.

Now, I know what some of you are saying right now. That was Jesus. He did nothing wrong so it was ok for him to be offensive. With that being said, let's go farther into New Testament writings. Particularly those of Paul and James.

There are so many controversial passages in Paul's writings that it's impossible to pick one. But if you need to be convinced, read Romans 1, and I Corinthians 12 and 14 and see how it would be easily to take offense at his writings. Then let's move ahead and read the book of James. We all probably take offense to what he has to say about the tongue.

Our propensity for being offended is probably one of the biggest reasons that there is so much fighting inside the four walls of the church.  That in-fighting is one of the biggest turn-offs that non-believers have with regard to the church.  Can we not step back for a minute and realize that our personal offense is just that in most cases....personal? Sometimes we would be much better served to internalize the offense and use it for self evaluation instead of using it to tear down or destroy someone else.

In fact, I personally like it when a pastor says something that makes me double take and ask if that's what he just said.  It forces me to go back and examine the scripture even more and that is healthy.  So that being said, unless there is all out heresy involved, can we just take a chill pill and quit being so easily offended.

Thankful For Memories

There has not been much sleep for me since about 2:15 AM. My phone rang. I knew before I answered what it was. We had been anticipating this phone call for a couple of days, but no amount of 'preparedness' takes away the absolute punch in the gut I felt when my dad said the words, "Pappy's gone." It's been some 7 hours since I got the call. I haven't cried yet. I have a feeling that this bottle of emotions is going to come flooding out once I get to Maryland.

Now both of my grandparents on my mom's side are gone. I am left with 35 years of memories of Pappy and I am so thankful for those memories. Since moving to South Carolina I've only been able to see Pappy at most 1 time per year. The hardest part has been with only seeing him once a year, each time I've seen him the past several year I've been able to really see the gradual deterioration of his health. Because of that, I choose to remember happier times. Here are some of my fondest memories of Vestal Yelton (Pappy).

1. Christmas Eve at Mamaw and Pappy's was a highlight for us every year. Roughly 17-20 of us crammed into their house for dinner and gift exchange. I can still here his voice as everyone would enter the house, he would let out a resounding, 'Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!' During the gift exchange, everyone wanted to sit in Pappy's recliner. The only way to get that seat was to convince whoever was seated there that they had a phone call (obviously pre-cell phone days). It wasn't often that someone fell for it, but when they did, it was priceless. This became the running joke year after year even though no one was falling for it (except on the occasion that one of the grandkids had a fiance or spouse that had not experienced Christmas Eve with our family). What I wouldn't give for one more Christmas Eve with the whole family there.

2. I remember walking back through the woods with Pappy to fish (although we never caught anything) in Liberty Reservoir. For me, I enjoyed throwing rocks in the reservoir more than the fishing, but I really think that it was about the time with Pappy.

3. I remember our yearly family camping trips to Granite Hill in Gettysburg. There was something unreal about watching Pappy come down their waterslide head-first on that foam mat.

4. I remember that when you would tell him you loved him, his response would without fail be, 'I do you too.' He had a hard time verbalizing love, but those of us who were fortunate enough to call him Dad or Pappy knew that he loved us.

5. Lastly, I remember all too vividly the devastated husband weeping over his wife's casket in 1997. He was never truly happy since she died and we all knew it. I am comforted in knowing that early this morning for the first time in over 17 years, he saw Carrie Yelton as he has never seen her before. More importantly than that, he saw for the first time face to face, his Savior.

I will miss him greatly, but I know that he is no longer suffering. His mind is clear and his heavenly body is perfect.

Until I see you again, I love you Pappy! And I know that you do me too. See you over there.

*BTW - here come the tears.

Finality

I can't help it. I have been thinking a lot about death lately. It seems that in my own little corner of the world, death has surrounded me lately. Since August it seems like there has been a constant thread on my social media feeds about people that I know or people that have impacted me in one way or another passing away. Here's the list.

1. Billy Latham - Beth's father passed away last August. This was the first time either of us have had to deal with losing a parent.
2. Andrae Crouch - OK, I didn't know Andrae, but as a worship pastor it is impossible not to feel the impact of his writing in the world of church music.
3. Lari Goss - Lari was a well known and respected writer and arranger in the Christian music world. I was fortunate enough during my time at Lee to participate in the recording of one of his projects 'God's Glorious Church' with the Lee University Campus Choir.
4. Andrew Thomas - Andrew was an friend of mine at Lee. He was a remarkable bass vocalist and one of the most compassionate individuals that I've ever met.
5. Madelynn Nelson - This was a little girl that we never knew but she was a cousin of one of Beth's classmates at CSU. She was battling cancer and she passed away yesterday.

With the exception of Beth's father, all of these people have passed away within the last two weeks. Then, on Thursday night I get the phone call that my 92 year old grandfather is more than likely beginning the final phase of his life here on earth. Here's a photo that was taken from what would probably be my last visit with him.

Oh, and did I mention that earlier this week Beth's grandfather was taken to the hospital because of a medication mix up that bottomed out his blood pressure and heart rate to very dangerous levels. He is now home and stable.

So this is why I have been thinking so much about death.

We often hear the word death and think about the finality of it that is portrayed in the world. The reality of it is that death while final in relation to our time on this earth, is really just the beginning of eternity for all of us. The pleasure, or lack thereof, in eternity for us depends on one simple thing. Have we accepted the gift of salvation that Jesus so willingly and selflessly provided for us through his death and resurrection. Eternity can be spent worshiping the Creator in Heaven or it can be spent in torment. The choice is ours.

Is it cliche to use the subject of death to take time and do a 'status check' on the condition of my relationship with Jesus? Probably. That being said, I would much rather be cliche and know that I'm ready to go when my time comes, than to ignore it and miss Heaven.

Raw Emotion

Emotions are the ever present 'tell' in our lives that let people know that something is affecting us for better or worse. The greatest poker players in the world have mastered the art of keeping emotion in check so as not to tip a bluff or a winning hand. As humans we tend to do our best to temper our emotions. We try to behave like Queen Elsa and 'conceal don't feel' in public so as not to give those around us a glimpse into our lives. I almost like to say that we 'cook' our emotions and only let them out once we have determined the best presentation of those emotions. Perhaps that's why when those emotions come rushing to the surface without our having the opportunity to temper or 'cook' them, we call them raw emotions.

That's where I find myself tonight. Emotions are rushing to the surface and I find myself retreating to the solace of my laptop to try to use words to process what is going on in my head right now. This is me, in the moment, being honest and transparent. Maybe this is simply therapeutic for me and not even meant to be read by others, but then again, perhaps my process on display can help someone else that is going through a struggle. Either way, here it is.

Since June of 2014 life has been a series of unfortunate events to say the least. I left my position at Crossroads on June 14, then a month and a half later Beth's father passed away. Despite my inability to find a steady job, the fall seemed to settle down a little bit as we got involved at a local church and began to make some new and dear friends. We had a wonderful Christmas with our girls despite all of the other circumstances and then Beth started her final semester towards her Bachelor's degree earlier this week.

Then tonight's phone call came. My grandfather on my mom's side is 92 and in failing health. His doctor has been with him at the nursing home all day today as he has started to refuse food and drink. Since my grandmother passed away 17 1/2 years ago he has really never been happy. The last few times I have been able to see him a large part of his dialogue with me was about how he just wants to die. His doctor has recommended that hospice be called in. I don't know if that means hours, days, weeks, or months. No one does.

Here's where it gets raw for me. I love my grandfather dearly. I do not wish to see him suffer at all. We all know that since Mamaw died that he has been miserable. Being essentially forced medically to leave his home and take up residence in a nursing home has seemingly broken his spirit. I don't resent that decision or the family members that made it as it was necessary. He couldn't take care of himself and he refused to stay with any of his family that could help him. Although in reality I don't know that any of our family was equipped to take care of him the way he needs to be cared for. However, despite all of that, I find my self asking the most selfish question to God that I can possibly ask. That question is 'How much more do I have to deal with right now?' Pretty pathetic on my part, huh? I think so, but I can't get that question out of my head.

I'll go to bed tonight and try to sleep on all of this. I'll probably wake up with a little bit clearer of a head in the morning. Why? Because when all is said and done, my head knows that none of this surprised God. He is sovereign in every situation and He will be walking through this process with me and my family.

If you read this, pray for my grandfather. Pray for my family. Pray for me.

Ever Feel Like You're Alone In A Wasteland?

The journey of our Christian lives is not a constant mountain peak experience. How cool would it be if it was? Or would it? Sometimes I think it's the trips through the valleys that allow us to more completely appreciate the joy that comes when we get those moments on top of the mountain.

Let's face it, we all experience those spiritual dry times where you feel alone, isolated, and that God has gone silent in your life. Those moments are grueling for even the most mature of Christians. What I find, though is how important it is to remind ourselves that we are never alone in these moments. Even in those valley of dry bones moments (Ezekiel 37), God is right there with us waiting for us to walk in obedience so that we can fully see His awesome power on display. Here are a few songs that speak encouragement to me in those moments. The first is one that I just heard for the first time last week and had the awesome opportunity to sing it with Crystal McCall and the rest of the worship team at Northwood. Crystal did an awesome job on it and I wish I had that recording, but it's still a great song of encouragement.

Something That Really Scares Me

There is a disturbing trend within the Western church that is scaring me. Maybe it started when 'Love Wins' by Rob Bell hit bookshelves. Maybe it was brewing underneath the surface for a time before that, and the release of the book only gave people the courage to break the surface with this trend. What is this trend? It is the increasingly more popular belief that the Bible is not to be taken literally when it comes to things like hell, punishment, or anything else that makes the hypergrace, prosperity gospel teachers uncomfortable.

Let me be the first to say that I am fully aware that there are parts of the Bible that are allegorical. The parables obviously come to mind in this matter. The thing is, when Jesus was using parables, the Bible tells us that. Why would it not clue us in on the use of allegory on an issue as important as whether or not hell is a real place? That doesn't make sense to me.

Here's my problem with the argument that we can't take the Bible literally. One simple question. Who gets to decide what is literal and what is allegorical? Many proponents of this teaching would say that the piecing together of the Bible by historical councils leaves room to say that maybe they got it wrong with determining which books to include in the cannon. If that is the case, is it not problematic to give fallible man the opportunity to decide what passages are meant to be taken literally and which are to be taken as simple allegory? It becomes, to me, a catch 22 wherein you can't have it both ways.

Maybe I'm old fashioned on this one. If that's the case, I'll wear that label proudly on this matter. To me, either the Bible is God's word or it isn't. You can't pick and choose what you want to accept and what you don't want to accept. The concept of hell doesn't sit well with hyper-grace theology. But in an effort to fit their hyper-theology mold, they ignore the theology of the justness of God. A just God can not allow sin to go on without consequence.

Why this trend scares me is that it is just one more step in undermining the authority of scripture. How this is a good thing will never make sense to me. Attempting to take away the power of God's word is not only a futile effort, it is a step in the direction of humanism where we decide what is and what is not. Christians, be on guard and watch out for this kind of deceptive teaching.

Do You Have a Crutch? I Do.

Several years ago, former WWF superstar and sitting Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura uttered the following words. "Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." When I first heard this, my initial reaction was disgust and anger. Then I thought about it a little bit more and I came to the conclusion that I'm ok with my relationship with Jesus Christ being labeled a 'crutch.' Some of you may cringe when I say this, so let me explain.

A crutch is defined as 'a support used by an injured or disabled person...as an aid to walking.'

The first thing that we must realize is that all of us as humans are injured or disabled by sin. Our 'injury' keeps us from having a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether a person believes in God or not is irrelevant to this fact: all of humanity is looking for something to give them stability as they walk through life. Whatever a person chooses to use for that stability is by definition a crutch. Let's look at some of the common crutches used and see which one is the wisest option.

1. Money. How many times have we heard it said that having money can solve all of life's problems? Far too many as it is simply not true. It seems that those who are wealthy are always looking for more wealth. If money takes care of problems and makes you happy, why is a massive amount of money never enough for those who have it? Does money help when the person you love the most dies? What happens to your money if the market were to collapse? While it is certainly a viable crutch to an extent, it seems to be severely flawed at best and may buckle under the heaviest of life's circumstances.

2. Power. Having power makes you the ultimate decision maker in your life. No one else decides your course of action. It's all yours to do what you want to do with. No doubt about it power is enticing. However, to borrow a line from Spiderman, 'with great power comes great responsibility.' Having power may be enticing, but what happens when you make the wrong decision? Having all the power means shouldering the ultimate responsibility. Have you ever noticed that former presidents always seem to be much happier than the sitting president? Maybe power isn't all that.

3. Relationships. We all crave interaction with other people. The more people in our circle the higher our self esteem seems to climb. Having a social activity every night of the week provides a sense of worth to those who are desperately craving acceptance. Have you ever realized that the larger your circle, the larger the chance of getting stabbed in the back, the larger the chance that someone you love will suddenly reject you, and of course, the larger the chance that someone you love will die. I don't say this to discourage personal relationships. On the contrary, I encourage them. What is important is that you don't put too much stock in them. If people are your crutch, the crutch will collapse at some point and leave you lying on the ground struggling to get back up.

4. Jesus Christ. Name the one person in history who cared so deeply for you that they literally gave up their life for you. There is only one answer: Jesus. No matter what life throws at you, Jesus will not leave your side. Hebrews 13:5 is one of many biblical reminders that He will NEVER leave or forsake us. You see, it doesn't matter what I've done wrong, He loves me the same. Acknowledgement of His lordship and the receipt of His sacrifice grant me access to God's kingdom for all of eternity. Is Jesus my crutch? Yes, and I am proud of it.

A Lesson in Worship from the Wise Men

I doubt that most of us venture into our places of worship during the Christmas season expecting to learn some profound spiritual truth that we haven't figured out yet. This morning was certainly no different for me, until our interim pastor, Dr. Tew, began sharing from Matthew 2:1-12.

It's a story that we all probably know by heart. This is the story of the wise men and their journey to find the newborn king. Here's what really hit home with me today in this passage.

1. The wise men had a priority of worship. The second part of verse 2 reads, "We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him." This wasn't a side trip that was attached to another mission for these men. This was an intentional pilgrimage to worship the newborn king. Finding the child and worshiping Him was the entire reason for their trip.

This made me think about our own 'pilgrimage of worship' that we make every Sunday morning. I had to ask myself a very hard question. Is my trip to church each week about worship or is it about something else? Inevitably there are multiple things we experience in a normal Sunday morning. We have fellowship with friends. We are taught from God's Word. We worship. At least we're supposed to worship. See where I'm going with this? Is worship the priority when we come together on Sunday morning? Ask yourself this: 'If I didn't get to fellowship with my friends on a Sunday morning, would I still get up and go to worship?' As someone who very much enjoys seeing friends and interacting with them, this is not always an easy question to answer. How much of my church experience is social and how much is worship (spiritual)?

2. The wise men experienced worship. Looking down to verses 10 and 11, you see this: "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."

Worship was a joyful experience for them. In some translations, verse 10 says they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Is my worship joyful? Does my excitement over who Jesus is cause me to worship with great joy?

The last part of verse 11 reminds us that giving is a part of our worship experience. The wise men had not realized the fulfillment of their mission until they had presented their gifts to Jesus. Largely thanks to high profile televangelists making a mockery of giving, many pastors are scared to even bring up giving in the course of a service. We almost try to find a way to hide the offering time in our services to avoid talking about it. Our giving to God shouldn't be something that is so taboo that our pastors are scared to mention it. I'm also not one for making a huge display of giving your offerings to the Lord, but we shouldn't knee jerk to awkwardness any time the subject is brought up. It truly is a part of our worship. It is a demonstration of Christ's lordship over one of the most difficult areas of our lives to give Him full access to. However, when you do give, there is a new depth of worship to be experienced.

I challenge you this week to look at the Christmas story with the intent to learn from God. Don't just treat Matthew 2 and Luke 2 as part of our mere traditions. Look at them as what they are, God's Word. Allow Him to speak to you even in these most familiar of passages.

Merry Christmas!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Movie Edition)

Christmas is one of my absolute favorite times of the year for obvious reasons. Celebrating the birth of our Savior, spending time with family, enjoying Christmas music, and rushing around to various parties and programs are all part of this special time of year. Another aspect of this time of year that I thoroughly enjoy is watching Christmas movies. I thought it might be fun to put together a list of some of my all time favorite Christmas movies. Feel free to comment with any that you enjoy that I didn't include in my list. Here we go.

10. Miracle on 34th Street - While the 1994 version is pretty good, it doesn't compare with the original. I remember watching this one every Thanksgiving immediately after the Macy's parade on NBC.



9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - It's just not Christmas around our house until we've watched this classic.



8. Home Alone - Sticking with the comedic theme for right now, I still remember being almost unable to breathe as a kid in the theater the first time I saw Kevin McAllister outwit the Wet Bandits.



7. A Charlie Brown Christmas - OK, it's not technically a movie as this was a 30 minute television special, but there aren't many Christmas movies that so honestly tell the real meaning of Christmas.



6. The Nativity Story In a day and age where Hollywood has butchered Biblical stories, here's one they got right.



5. The Year Without A Santa Clause Because what's Christmas without the Meiser Brothers



4. The Muppet Christmas Carol I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for the Muppets and while I never thought that any version of Dickens' tale would surpass Mickey's Christmas Carol, this one does.



3. Elf Who doesn't enjoy Will Ferrel as Buddy the Elf



2. It's A Wonderful Life It's hard to not have this movie in my top spot, but while it is most certainly an all time classic, there is one that surpasses it for me. If you haven't seen it, it is most definitely a must see.



1. White Christmas Maybe it's the music, maybe it's the dance numbers, or maybe it's that iconic version of 'White Christmas' that concludes this movie. This is my favorite Christmas movie of all time.

Paul the Gentleman

Earlier this week I finished reading through the book of Acts. I've read through this incredible book many times, but something struck me this time through the book. I'm curious if this is maybe just me seeing something that's not there or if it's something that is there that I've never caught onto before.

It seems to me that Paul was a gentleman when it came to his evangelistic approach. This thought goes against 90% of the mental images that have often come to mind regarding Paul, but I realize that those mental images are largely formed by things that I've heard in sermons or teachings on Paul. I've always pictured Paul as a roughneck type of character. I mean, let's face it, the guy had to be tough. He survived beatings, stonings, a snakebite and a major shipwreck. Maybe it's this tough guy characterization that has made me think of him as anything but a gentleman.

While it's true that Paul had no qualms about going toe to toe with the Jewish religious leaders of the day, let's also remember some of the more subtle things that characterize Paul throughout the book of Acts. Before his conversion on the Damascus Road, he was a well respected religious leader himself. Paul refers to himself as a 'pharisee of pharisees' at one point. This tells us that he was an educated man and was most likely very well spoken. We also see that he constantly earned the respect of those holding him prisoner all the way up the political ladder to Rome. Paul also addressed people from where they were. He never comes off (at least in my opinion) as haughty or brash when it comes to presenting the gospel. His sermon on Mars Hill where he brings up the monument to the 'unknown god' is a great example of this. Paul is arguably the greatest missionary to ever live and people were being converted every where that he went. I don't think you have that level of success without knowing how to talk to and treat people in a manner that earns their respect.

So what's the point? How many times do we make it impossible for someone to even consider Christianity by our words or by our actions? I'm not suggesting in any way that we water down the message of Jesus to make it less offensive to those who don't believe. Is it possible, though, that maybe we should change our delivery method so as not to come off as haughty, brash, condescending, or even worse, ignorant to the very people who so desperately need to meet Jesus? What do you think?

Getting Back to Where It Started

In my daily Bible reading, I've come to the most exciting book of the Bible: Luke's second letter to Theophilus, the book of Acts.

Why is this the most exciting book you may ask. This is the book that tells us the earliest beginnings of Christianity. We see Jesus' remaining disciples along with a former pharisee (Paul) lead this rag-tag group of Christ followers through the growing pains of a thriving movement all the while dealing with persecution from the religious leaders of the day as well as the occupying force of Rome. Oh, and the miracles that occur throughout this book.....I love it!!

Then there is part of me that gets a little bit sad as I read through the book. We see the church in action. They don't always get it right, but the reality is, these are people that spent 3.5 years following Jesus carrying out His instructions. If anyone that has ever lived should know how to do church it is this group. Why does this make me sad? Because when I look at the Acts church and the 'American' or 'Western' church, I see two very different entities.

There are many glaring differences but two of them really strike me. The first is their passion for Jesus. These men unashamedly proclaimed Jesus anywhere they went and didn't care what the consequences would be. For most of them, the consequence was death. Fast forward 2,000 years to the Western church and we see many Christians silent at the thought of offending someone. In 2,000 years have we really gone from laying down your life for Jesus to being quiet so as not to offend someone?

The second is in our handling of those in need. Before I go on, let me first say that while I am making a generalization here, I understand that there are many churches who do a wonderful job taking care of the poor, the orphans, and the widows. Today churches are able to track who they give help to and use technology to network that information with other churches in the area to determine if they should give help. Yes, I know that there are scam artists out there and we are to be good stewards, but part of me really wrestles with that. I find it ironic that many politically conservative Christians cry out about the dangers of government entitlement programs, but then they don't support the church enough to allow the church to take care of the poor. Something doesn't seem to add up.

Maybe it all comes back around to this passion for Jesus that we should have. If we have a passion for Jesus, then shouldn't these things take care of themselves? When our love for Jesus totally consumes us the way it consumed the leaders of the Acts church, we will truly be a transformed people and we will see God do incredible things.

I don't want that 'Old Time Religion' but I wouldn't mind a good dose the the Acts Church.

Just For Fun

If you know anything at all about me, you know how much of a part of my life music is. My tastes in music are incredibly eclectic. I thought it might be fun to show you some of my favorite pieces of music from a wide variety of music. So, let's get started.

1. Toto - Rosanna



I'm a drummer. Any drummer worth their salt knows this infamous groove by the late, great Jeff Porcaro. The funny thing about this groove to me is the simple fact that absolutely no one can make this groove the way that Jeff could. It's a classic!

2. Sting - Seven Days



This is another drummer's indulgence. Vinnie Colaiuta on drums is simply a master making this 5/8 meter just simply groove effortlessly.

3. Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover



While most know this song for the catchy chorus, for me it's the groove of the verses laid down by Steve Gadd that make this song one that I can never get enough of. So good.

Alright, now I'm gonna leave my drummer indulgences because I could put up video after video. Now get ready for a whirlwind trip of genres.

4. Petra - Creed



Of the 'modern' Petra songs, this is by far my favorite. I will never forget the disappointment when I saw them right after John Lawry (keyboards) had left the group and the intro played by new keyboardist Jim Cooper wasn't even recognizable. Here it is as it was meant to be.

5. Petra - Road To Zion



I can't mention the 'modern' era of Petra without bringing in this classic from the Greg X Volz years of Petra. Not only are the lyrics amazing, the harmonies are so tight.

6. Les Miserables - Empty Chairs at Empty Tables



Yes, I love musicals. This is easily my favorite song from one of the best loved musicals of all time sung by Michael Ball. So much more powerful than the Nick Jonas version.

7. Wicked - Defying Gravity



Before she was singing 'Let it Go' as Elsa, Idina Menzel was belting out 'Defying Gravity' as Elpheba in Wicked. This is my favorite musical and this song is just ridiculous with Idina singing it.

8. Verdi - Dies Irae



I fell in love with this piece from Verdi's Requiem when I had to learn it for a conducting assignment in graduate school. Few classical works can match the sheer intensity in this piece.

9. Dave Weckl and the Buddy Rich Big Band - Mercy Mercy Mercy



What can I say except that I love the way this piece grooves along. I closed my senior recital playing this piece with a jazz band. Love it!

10. Pentatonix - Stuck Like Glue



A capella music is gaining a little bit of mainstream traction in large part to groups like Pentatonix. I could have pretty much posted anything they've done, but this was an early performance on NBC's The Sing Off that really got my attention.

11. Straight No Chaser - 12 Days of Christmas



Before Pentatonix, these guys were already a YouTube sensation largely because of this arrangement. Love the 'Africa' section at the end.

12. U2 - Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For



The most influential band of my generation. Period. Love this arrangement.




So that's just a small sampling of some of the music that I just can't get enough of. Maybe I'll revisit this topic and share some more. I hope you enjoyed checking some of these out.

What are some of the songs that you can't get enough of? Let me know in the comments section!

Leadership = Servanthood

These are two words that we don't often think of together. We picture leaders as strong, take charge individuals who often have a team of people at their beck and call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's not often that we think of a leader as a servant. However, that's exactly the example that we are given by Jesus.

John 13 tells the story of Jesus beginning His final Passover celebration by doing something that was unheard of. He got down with a basin of water and washed his disciples feet. The teacher made Himself subservient to His students and washed their feet. Think about it. This is not even the sanitized version that we sometimes see in church services. This was Jesus, the Son of God, on His knees washing a days worth of dirt and anything else that could collect on your feet from walking around the city of Jerusalem with basic leather sandals on your feet. These feet were dirty.

In doing this, He is teaching us something that we as Christians and certainly those who are leaders often forget. To lead, you must be willing to serve. I have heard of some churches that, upon hiring new staff, immediately ask that new staff member to clean the bathrooms. If the newbie questions or has an attitude about it, his job may be over right then and there.

Why would some churches do this? It's simple. They want to know that their staff members are willing to serve first. I have never been exposed to the bathroom test, but I was asked to do something incredibly menial and in reality pointless early on at a job. It wasn't until many years later when someone finally told me that I was being tested to see if I would actually do the task and do it right without complaint.

Serving others is not always convenient, easy, or fun. It's not supposed to be. If it were it would be hard to call it serving. Service to others can take on many shapes. It can be as simple as picking up the phone in the middle of the night and talking to someone who is really hurting. It can be as tough as sitting in a hospital room with them as they watch a loved one pass away. There are countless ways that we serve others and in turn, serve God. In doing so, we allow ourselves to experience a joy that really can't be explained and we become the hands and feet of Jesus reaching out to those in need.

It seems like today in churches, we all want to be served but are hesitant to serve. We make excuses left and right. Why? Maybe it's because we value our time so much that we don't allow others to have any part of it unless it benefits us.

The next time you get ready to serve up one of those excuses to not serve, picture the Son of God on His knees washing the filth off of the feet of His disciples. Jesus served. So should we.

Adoption Saved My Life

I know what you're thinking. Beth and I have not adopted any children. You're right. We haven't. That doesn't mean that I haven't been blessed beyond measure by the act of adoption.

I really started thinking about this subject last month when our church was taken through a series on adoption by our executive pastor, Chuck Mayo. The very first sermon was tagged with the verse in the image at the top of the blog. I've read that verse countless times, but something clicked this time as I read the words, 'I will not leave you orphans.' We are told in scripture to meditate on God's Word and throughout November I spent a lot of timing on this topic.

Well then, rehearsals for Christmas at Northwood ramped up and for the first time I heard the script in its entirety. The theme was 'Five Gifts of Christmas.' Those gifts were (and I hope I'm not blowing this) Jesus, grace, reconciliation, adoption, and expectancy. There's that word 'adoption' again. Seems like I couldn't get away from it.

Fast forward to Sunday morning worship. In his first Christmas sermon, our interim pastor, Tim Tew, went to this passage in Galatians.

When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying 'Abba, Father!' So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. - Galatians 4:4-7 HCSB

There it was in black and white. God's gift of Jesus meant that I could receive the gift of adoption. I think that a historical understanding of adoption will help us to understand the impact of this amazing gift. When someone was adopted, everything about their former life was erased. EVERYTHING! That means that debts were cancelled, inheritances were forfeited, and any other ties to their previous family were severed completely with no trace of them remaining. They were considered from the moment of adoption a full fledged son or daughter of their new family and were privy to any and all rights associated with that title. They were heirs!

Isn't this what salvation is really all about? Our old, sinful way of life is executed and our new life in Christ begins. This life in Him allows us to become children of the Almighty. A relationship so intimate that we can cry out 'Daddy!' to the Creator of the universe. So often we come to God with all of our learned traditions of prayer. What God really wants to hear us say is, 'Daddy, I need You.' It's as simple as that.

As you celebrate the birth of Jesus during this season, let's remember to celebrate the gift of adoption that is made possible by the incarnation of Jesus Christ. If we accept His gift of salvation, we are God's children. Our inheritance awaits us in Heaven. It doesn't get much cooler than that.

So you see yet another unexpected blessing I received by being a part of Christmas at Northwood. The lesson for me started with a sermon at the beginning of November, was reinforced through a Christmas production, and was wrapped up with a bow by a point in a Christmas sermon yesterday. I'm so glad that God doesn't stop teaching me things. Every truth that I come across takes on deeper meaning with each new lesson from the greatest Teacher.

Thanksgiving Came A Week Late For Me

Well maybe not literally, but as I sit here tonight, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. So tonight, I am going to do my best to put into words some things that have happened through this experience of Christmas at Northwood that I will be forever grateful for.

1. I am thankful for the amazing gift of the performing arts. This week I watched some 70+ cast and crew (singers, instrumentalists, dancers, technicians, etc) come together and forge a bond that only comes from performing together. If you were part of that team and you are reading this, I am looking forward to reading everyone's bios tonight. You are all so incredibly gifted in your particular areas and I consider it a true blessing to have shared the stage with you.

2. I am thankful for the experience of playing in a band again. The CAN Band as we are called was an incredible group of players and it was a joy to be part of them. Crystal, Charlie, Jason, Josh, and Ben....you guys are amazing. Let's do it again!

3. I am thankful that God can take something that is broken and put it back together. It's no secret how difficult this year has been for Beth and I, but I know in my life, God is putting me back together and is healing the pain that has tried to take me out of ministry. I will never speak for my wife, but I saw some things this week that show me He's doing the same thing for her. We may be at different stages of that journey, but we're doing it together and nothing the enemy can throw at us will split us apart.

4. I am thankful for being stretched musically. Let's face it, I'm a drummer. Playing piano for worship is an entirely different animal than playing auxiliary keys for a Christmas production that ranges from Elvis, to Taylor Swift, to Frozen and everything in between. I have not been this challenged since I had a piano player tell me on a Sunday morning that they were quitting and I had 7 days to make myself proficient enough to lead from the piano. This week, I was playing dueling piano parts on a Trans Siberian Orchestra piece. WHAT??!??!

Speaking of which....

5. I am thankful to not be playing Wish Liszt again for a very long time. (Crystal, I still have my hard copy if we can get the band back together for a sheet music burning ceremony)

6. I am thankful to go to bed tonight knowing that I don't have to have the same outfit that I've worn for 6 straight nights ready to wear again tomorrow night.

7. I am thankful for exhaustion. If I wasn't this tired (see pic) I would question if I've really given it my all.

8. I am thankful for cast members who will change back into an earlier costume at the end of a long night just to put a smile on the faces of my children.

To my fellow CANNIES - You guys are awesome and I love you all!

Changes Are Coming

It has been a couple of weeks since I have blogged anything. Things have been very hectic in our lives and, well, family comes first.

With that said, I wanted to let you know about a change coming in our lives that we covet your prayers about as well as any leads that you may have. It has been 5 months since I resigned my position at Crossroads. Our initial plan was for me to find a job that would keep us afloat while Beth finishes her last 2 semesters at Charleston Southern and then we would look to relocate into ministry again. Well, Beth's plan has not changed. However, with the job market being not very good here in the Charleston area, we are finding it absolutely necessary for me to begin my search for a ministry position immediately. We realize that this means that we will most likely be living apart for a couple of months while she finishes her degree, but she has worked to hard and done too well in school for her to put those plans on hold for another year while we move. We know this won't be easy, but we also know that as God has taken care of us through trials before, He will continue to sustain us through this.

We ask for your prayers that God would lead us to the church that is the right fit for our family and that God would strengthen Beth to finish out her degree while we are apart. I would also ask that if any of you know of churches that are looking for worship pastors that you would let me know so that I can make contact with them.

We continue to learn that God's plan is not always the same as our plan and I have to believe that the difficulty in job searching is His way of telling me that it's time to get back in the saddle again and do what I was called and created to do. Thanks for your continued prayer and support.