Scripture and the Life of Worship

So here we are a few weeks into 2012. I'm still having trouble thinking of this year as "2012" - even more so than the usual delay. Wasn't it just 2010?

Anyway, since the new year has dawned, a theme that God keeps bringing to my attention is the need to be in His Word. I will confess that I often struggle to maintain a consistent rhythm of Scripture reading and meditation. There are many excuses (including my own sinful nature), but one thing that I've realized is that for far too long I have approached Scripture reading with more of a sense of duty than delight. Like taking your vitamins. Duty mixed with a fair bit of the "familiarity breeds contempt" syndrome. A toxic combination as it concerns my heart and truly expecting to encounter the living God when opening His Word.

But recently I've been thinking about something I heard from a good friend and former pastor. He said that when we open the Bible we should picture the very breath of God emanating from the pages. I'll admit, when I first heard that I thought, that sounds a little kooky. However, the Apostle Paul does indeed say that Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16). He goes on to say that Scripture is "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Wow, those are all great things that I want to be in on...but in order to be in on them I need to be in the divinely-inspired Word of God. And I need to believe that when I open the Bible I am indeed encountering the Author, not just of Scripture, but of Life.

But beyond that, God wants me to know Him...intimately.

One of my goals this year is to read through the Bible. I want to approach it not just as another thing to check off my list, but with genuine expectation and anticipation. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would illuminate my mind and enflame my heart as I am reading to want to know Him more.

I want to encourage you to look at Scripture reading ("quiet time", etc.) not as a chore but as a blessing and privilege. To love reading the Bible because it reveals God's plan of redemption, culminating in Jesus, and because God wants to have a personal relationship with us. He has given us His Word as the primary means for us to know Him in this life.

Let's keep each other accountable in this area. If we aspire to lead others in worship, we can't expect to lead them into a place of knowing and loving God unless we've been there ourselves.

Tips to Keep Your Voice Healthy

Tim Carson is a vocal coach whose warm-up CDs I've used for several years. I've attended one of his vocal workshops and have appreciated his instruction.

Tim just posted a video on keeping your voice healthy during the holiday season. Check it out!

Why We Should Celebrate Christmas

On celebrating Christmas, by George Whitefield: "Let us celebrate and keep this festival of our church with joy in our hearts: let the birth of a Redeemer, which redeemed us from sin, from wrath, from death, from hell, be always remembered; may this Savior's love never be forgotten! But may we sing forth all his love and glory as long as life shall last here, and through an endless eternity in the world above!"

It Could Always Be Worse

As musicians we know there's always the potential for a "train wreck" on any given Sunday morning - of course we do our best to minimize the potential, but things happen. And when you're involved in one of those not-so-beautiful musical collisions, you just wish there was a drop door somewhere where you could go MIA for a few hours. Been there.

Well, in this Christmas season, take heart - it could always be worse! Check out examples A & B at this MUSICADEMY link!

Oh man, the video is a riot but I think the audio of the "Hallelujah Chorus" is more painful to hear!