He's Alive!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His steadfast love endures forever.
The Lord is my strength and my song
And he has become my salvation.

The right hand of the Lord has triumphed,
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone;
This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

This very day the Lord has acted:
Let us rejoice!
God’s name be praised!

From Psalm 118

Give Thanks

"When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves--that insight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Christian experience."
— N.T. Wright

"I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving."

Psalm 69:30

Video from this past Sunday's Cardboard Testimonies:



Let us give thanks to Him who has so richly blessed us in Christ Jesus!

Psalm 27:4

"One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple." (Psalm 24:7, NIV)

This is one of those verses with which most of us are familiar; Matt Redman's musical adaption of this verse in "Better is One Day" brings me back to my college days. I am struck by the Psalmist's singular request - to dwell in God's house. In the Old Testament the people of Israel understood that God was especially present in the tabernacle or temple. David, being a man after God's own heart, longs to be with His Maker.

I am reminded of the newer song we are singing "Just to Be With You" - "All I want, All I need/Is just to be with You, just to be with You". I can hear David singing words like this. He needed to experience God's presence firsthand. There was a sense of desperation.

How desperate are we to be in God's presence? Is there a sense of urgency in our hearts to meet with Him? What does seeing Him, sensing Him, enjoying Him mean in our everyday lives?

How thankful am I that I can be in a personal relationship with my Maker through Jesus' sacrifice and continued intercession? Whereas those in the Old Covenant went to a place to experience God, I am able to to experience His presence anywhere because His Spirit lives in me - wow.

LORD, give me a heart like David's, a heart that longs to be with you. Not just to know things about You, or to sing pretty words about You, but to really see and savor You in creation, in my children, in the Word - in all things. Amen.

Psalms Update, "How Great is the Love"

Hello friends...

I sent out an email yesterday in which I reminded some folks that we are just about 9 weeks away from Christmas. I'm already starting to listen to the "sounds of the season" and I'm worried I'll be sick of Christmas music by Dec. 24th! Actually, it's hard for me to be sick of good Christmas music (not the cheesy stuff they constantly play on the radio) as I love Christmas and the music that goes along with it.

But back to the present...this week we are reading through Psalms 21-25. I'll be posting a reflection on these in the next day or so. Please continue to share your thoughts, insights, interactions with the text as you spend some time reading and meditating.

Yesterday morning I attended Men's Fraternity here at Living Word. When we broke into small group time our leader Gary started it by having us listen to Paul Baloche's song "How Great is the Love". This song has ministered to my heart as a beautiful response to the gospel. We sang it as a special at last year's Thanksgiving service, and I've been meaning to introduce it as a worship song. But hearing it again, I sat in my chair, surrounded by several other men, and tears began to pour down my face. It was a great reminder of His love, His sacrifice.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to this song - perhaps with the lights lower, or in a prayerful state - and let its message speak to your soul.

Psalms 6-10, 11-15 Rewind; This week, Psalm 16-20

OK, so, a few observations from the past couple weeks:

1) Time flies. This is an especially busy season of ministry and life (for me).

2) Being a consistent "blogger" does not come naturally for me (my wife is much better)

3) It's been great to hear (and read) about your interactions with the Psalms!

So, this week we are technically on Psalms 16-20...what I think works best is for me to post a reflection on the previous week's Psalms the week after we read them. I need time to process and reflect - sometimes I'll read something and then only later realize how God was (is) speaking to me. Or I'll find myself praying the words of a Psalm that I recently read.

So, since I haven't reflected on Psalms 6-15, here are a couple things that stood out to me...and PLEASE, feel free to share your own thoughts, observations, etc., by posting a comment below this blog entry (you need to click on the "comments" link).

• God's justice. The psalmist declares in multiple psalms that the "Lord judges" (7:8; 9:8). And not only does He judge, but He judges with uprightness and perfect understanding. If you look at the context, it's clear that the psalmist takes refuge in this fact. The question is, why would David (or you and I) take heart in knowing that our God is a righteous Judge? I think there's at least a few reasons why this attribute of God is reassuring.
  
  One, David believed that God would ultimately vindicate those who trusted and obeyed in Him. The prayer of the psalmist is that God would judge those who oppressed the poor, the righteous - that he would "right the wrongs" done against them. But judging is also used in the sense of testing "minds and hearts" (7:9), and rewarding those who are upright, who fear the Lord. Thus, David puts his confidence in the fact that the Lord will judge - both the righteous and unrighteous - and intervene on behalf of the righteous.
  
  Another reason to take heart in God's judgments is that God can be our justifier. Looking back to the time before Christ, the Apostle Paul explains that God had, in divine forbearance, "passed over former sins" (Rom. 3:25). But now, we know that through Christ's "atoning sacrifice" God is shown to be both just and merciful. Jesus experienced God's righteous wrath so that you and I did not have to. God cannot ignore sin ("sweep it under the rug"), for that would make Him unjust (and unworthy of our worship). But at the cross justice and mercy kiss.
  
  
• There is room for lament in the vocabulary of worship. Psalm 13 is a well-known lament. We can express our heartaches, our disappointments, our anger to God, all the time knowing He cares for us and wants to hear our heart's cries. I can recall some specific seasons of my life (loss of a family member, sickness, waiting for the house) where the laments became the language of my prayers. I would love to see us make more room for "laments" in our worship services, knowing that so many who come to our services are experiencing various trials and sorrows.

If you have been reading Psalms 16-20, you've discovered that Psalms 17, 18, 19 are lengthier. Spend some time reflecting on these psalms, they cover different themes.

This Week - Psalm 6 thru 10

We are in the 2nd week of our journey through the Psalms. Last week we were to read Psalms 1 through 5. This week we are reading Psalms 6 through 10.

Last night at rehearsal I shared that as we read through the Psalms (really any Scripture passage) the Holy Spirit can often direct our attention to a particular word or phrase. That's not to invalidate the need to read Scripture in context (both the immediate and overall) or to ignore what the text meant in its original setting. But it is to say that when we ask the Spirit to illuminate God's Word (shed light, bring understanding, make alive) we often find a certain word or phrase will capture our hearts and minds.

This was the case for me last week as I was reading Psalms 4 & 5. In Psalm 4:7 David says, "You have given me greater joy/than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine" (NLT). When I read that I thought, wow, Lord...is this true of me? Are You what brings me the most joy and satisfaction? I remembered Pastor Aaron's message on idolatry and the question he posed to us: "What - at this moment - are you trusting in?" I believe the Spirit brought my attention to that verse so as to provoke me to examine my own heart.

In Psalm 5: 7 David says, "Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house" (NLT). When I read the word "house" I thought of God's house - the tabernacle/temple in the OT, the church in the NT. As lead worshippers we "enter" God's house every Sunday (think of the Psalms that say "I will enter His gates with thanksgiving...his courts with praise"). But if we think that we can come into God's presence based on our own merits, talents, righteousness - we are sadly mistaken. If I'm honest, I know in my own heart I've been guilty of this faulty thinking.

For me, the thinking goes like this - if I've fulfilled my spiritual "do's" and avoided the spiritual "dont's" I'm worthy to come before Him. But David says it right - it is only because of God's unfailing love that we can enter into His house and experience His presence. A thousand or so years after David wrote this psalm the true heir to His throne - Jesus - would become the fullest expression of God's unfailing love towards us. 1 Timothy 2:5 -"For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus" (NLT). There's nothing I can do to make myself presentable before God - it's only through Jesus that I (we) can come.

As you read in the Psalms take note of those words, phrases, or verses that grab a hold of you. Spend some time reflecting on why those words are sticking out to you - perhaps a situation you are in, or a prayer request, or a sin you are struggling with - a place where God wants to meet with you. Also, I've found it helpful to read from a few different translations as different translations often bring out nuances and give fresh renderings to these ancient texts. Biblegateway.com is a great resource to compare translations.

NOTE on COMMENTS:
I've modified the layout so that comments now appear below the actual posts. To leave a comment click on the comments link and type away. You don't need to have a Google account or ID to remark, it's open to everyone.

Recap of Fall Kickoff Mtg.

This past Sunday we had our fall kickoff lunch mtg. for the worship team - thanks to those of you who attended. I especially appreciated the time of sharing we had at the end, and the opportunity to pray for one another. It's rare that we have most of the team at one place at one time, so it was good to reconnect, however brief our time was.

Wanted to post a quick recap of what we covered, as well as some upcoming dates:

• Thank you for your continued faithfulness, excellence and commitment to this ministry. It's a joy to serve alongside each of you in the high calling of leading others in worship.
• This should go without saying, but it's important to be dialed into the teaching when we're on the worship team. It's a good thing to catch up with each other. But, as much as possible, let's refrain from a lot of chatter during the message so we can maintain an environment (in the backstage area) that is conducive to active listening. If you plan on going out to sit with your spouse during the service, please be aware that for the other service there will still be people following along with the message on the TV. Consider the time before and between services for conversation.


• I know many see the worship team as a primary source for fellowship, care, etc. - and we're certainly glad that we are creating an environment where we can all feel free to share openly and honestly. But, we (myself, Gordon, Connie) would strongly encourage you to participate in a growth group or mid-sized community (if you are not already). I know we all have busy schedules, but we need to do "life together" with other believers. I know how much I need it, and how much I benefit from it in the long run. Check out the groups and communities Living Word has to offer.


• I’m encouraging us to read through the Psalms together. The goal is to read 5 Psalms a week, going through all 150 in order. Most of us (at one point or another) struggle with maintaining regular time in God’s Word. So, knowing the rest of the team is going through the same passages might help us be more consistent. There’s no better book to be familiar with as a lead worshipper than the Psalms. Below you'll see more info on the Psalms reading schedule.

In terms of upcoming events...

• Oct. 8th (Fri) - Encounter Worship - "The Names of Jesus"


• Oct. 16th (Sat) - Bonfire at Bonnie Lauer's - begins at dusk - details to follow

Regarding the Psalms...

• The goal is to read through 5 Psalms (in sequence) a week...so this week (week of Sept. 19th), we'll read Psalms 1-5. You can find the text here at Bible Gateway (NIV). Here's a handy-dandy Bible iPhone app.


• I handed out some introductory notes (from the ESV Study Bible) on Sunday. They can be downloaded here.


• PLEASE feel free to interact with the posts I'll be making on the Psalms. My goal is to do one post a week on how I'm interacting with the Psalms in my own devotional time. It'd be great to hear how God is speaking and revealing Himself to you as you are reading along.

Looking forward to the Fall!

Hello...It's Me Again

So yes, it's been a LONG time since I've posted anything new on this blog. Those on the Living Word worship team know that I've had quite an eventful summer - the cancer diagnosis, treatment, relocating to a new house. Throughout God has proven Himself faithful, especially in my weakness. I have been humbled by the prayers and support of our extended family at Living Word.

All that being said, I'm ready to start a new chapter of life and ministry.

And, I'm committing to posting something on this blog at least once a week.

For the worship team members - you'll be hearing more at our all-team mtg. on Sept. 19, but I'm excited about the opportunity to examine the Psalms together. I'm hoping this blogsite will play a significant role in the study and application of this ancient hymnbook.

So, this is a new beginning. I'm excited about what God is doing and will be doing in the worship ministry here at Living Word.

Buckle up!

A Series on the Psalms

Our brother Mark Jones wanted to let us all know about a powerful series that pastor & author John Piper recently finished entitled "Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God." You can access audio, video and more from the series here:

Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God

John has been the teaching pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis for nearly 30 years and has written more than 30 books. He is known for his passion for God's glory and his commitment to expository teaching (case in point, he preached his way through the book of Romans over a 10-year period!). My first encounter with Dr. Piper was his book Desiring God and I have been benefiting from this teaching ever since.

I would encourage you to check out his series on the Psalms. As "lead worshippers" I think it's important that we engage our minds in studying Scripture - especially the Psalms, as they are the hymnbook of the Bible. Paul puts it this way: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2a). As we listen to God's Word being preached we invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds and touch our hearts. Because we are all involved in helping lead others in worship a series on the Psalms would be one to check out...

Here's what Mark says...

Long story short, he recently did a series on the book of Psalms and the last sermon in the series (6/29/08) was on Psalm 96 and titled "Declare His Glory Among the Nations". John ties in the role of singing and worship towards the later half of the sermon. The sermons are about 40 minutes long but are worth the time invested.

Thanks again to the man, Mr. MJ for the recommendation. By the way, if you guys have anything you think the whole team should see or would benefit from please drop me a line. I'm always happy to give credit where credit is due!