Looking Forward

Although it can be a bit tiresome or predictable to create new list of resolutions each year, I have realized something about myself . . . if it's not written down, it probably isn't going to happen.  I can talk about my goals (plans, ambitions, dreams, resolutions, etc.) until I am tired of hearing my own voice, but there is something about the accountability of something written on a piece of paper or digital document that causes the goal to gain importance.

Of course we can set goals any time of the year, but there is something almost magical about the beginning of a New Year that gives us hope regardless of our previous track record.  We should actually make goal setting a regular part of our lives.  Here are just a few categories to think about as you get started:  1. Health (physical and spiritual), 2. Relationships, 3. Professional, and 4. Personal.

Here is a Team Night message that I had the opportunity to share with our team recently.  It's a gift from us, for you and your worship team!

AUDIO - LOOKING FORWARD

Challenged By Mr. Turtle

I feel challenged!  I am not a prolific writer, or reader, or much of anything else I suppose.  I have a demanding job and work a considerable number of hours each week.  After the workday has ended I have limited time left in the day to play with my kids, have meaningful conversations with my wife, eat a meal, catch up on a good book (or more likely, my favorite television show), and potentially head to bed in search of the elusive eight.

When I take a moment to reflect on my life, I most certainly have had seasons of intense focus.  Times when I have devoted numerous hours attempting to master a single skill or understand a relationship . . . practicing an instrument, studying a topic, dating my wife.  

But that is not where I am today!  Today I carry many different titles, both earned and handed to me.  Today I find it difficult to even think of spending loads of hours practicing, creating, writing, reading, watching, working, engaged in a single activity.  Are you anything life me?

We are at the very beginning of a New Year.  So many possibilities, so many goals to set, so many dreams to dream, places to go, meals to experience, and people to meet.  Truthfully, the idea is daunting and I would much rather take a nap!  Sidenote: we all respond a bit different to stressors in our lives.  Some of us get psyched up, grab the bull by the horns, and absolutely obliterate ourselves trying to tick all the boxes on the checklist.  When I am faced with overwhelming odds, I would rather take a nap.  On the positive side . . . I will be much better rested than those of you out there busting your tails!  I digress.

This is what I have learned through observation over the last several years:

1. The people in my life that I admire . . . they are the ones with goals and plans for their lives.  They didn't get there by accident, they had a dream, submitted it to God, and started walking.  Remember that story about the Tortoise (Mr. Turtle) and the Hare?  I don't intend to be cliché . . . but slow and steady truly does make a difference! 

2. Most of them didn't get there by sprinting.  Notice how I used "walking" at the end of my first point?  I am a results oriented individual.  I like to see things change, but I am beginning to really understand that what I do today will influence where I am next year.  I have often laughed at the idea of a "ten-year plan" . . . but I starting to see the sense.

So, with that out of the way, I want to be transparent and share a few small steps that I am going to take in order to start walking towards the dreams I want!

• Writing - Here I am . . . I am putting it in my schedule, time to write.  My goal is to "publish" 24 blog entries this year.
• Friendships - I have NOT been a good friend.  I have written down a list of fourteen friends both near and far that I want to connect with intentionally at least once per month via text, email, note, or in person.
• Eliminate "seconds" at meals.  This will force me to think about portion size, and hopefully create better long-term habits.

Here is my first step towards a dream.  A single step, walking in a specific direction.  Where are you headed?  I assure you, if you haven't thought about the destination and don't care where you end up, then it makes no difference where you take your first step.

Reminds me of a conversation written by Lewis Carroll between Alice and the Cheshire Cat:

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"  "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.  "I don't much care where--" said Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

Carroll, Lewis (1997-05-01). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (p. 42). Public Domain Books.

The Art Of Scales

Scales are the basic building blocks in becoming a quality musician.

I know, I know, you've taken music lessons and your teacher instructs you . . . no, commands you to practice your scales every week.  If you are anything like me, you spend time struggling through them hurriedly so you can get onto the more "fun" and familiar pop songs that are thrown in at the end of your lesson.  We tolerate our scales, but often times don't truly learn them.  For piano players, there are a number of different finger patterns required to play all 15 (yes, I said 15) Major Scales . . . you lucky guitar players and your consistent finger patterns!

Scales are work, can feel monotonous.  But remember, scales are the building blocks in becoming a quality musician.  Scales unlock melodies, harmonies, chords, and can even explain those colorful chords that "don't belong" within a key.  Scales help define the key signature of a song and can create boundaries to the endless possibilities of music.

For you left brain individuals, music is filled with logic, reasoning, rules and regulations.  When I was attending University I heard a statistic from the Dean of Engineering that nearly 70% of the engineering students were involved with the Music Department!  Music is filled with critical thinking.  Don't freak out on me yet right brain people!  Boundaries exist to be pushed.  Color outside the lines, go against the flow.

I know far too many musicians that write and play music, they even throw in some cool sounding notes and chords that "don't belong," but because of their lack of knowledge they are unable to repeat the same beautiful mistake twice.  By taking a look at the composition of scales we can discover how to take the boundaries and then rearrange them on purpose.

First, let's take a look at the architecture of a Major Scale.  Here is the equation you need to remember:  1, 1, ½, 1, 1, 1, ½.  For all of you sports fans . . . what is this?

All you need are five of these and you have yourself a keyboard.

Let's go back to the equation:  1, 1, ½, 1, 1, 1, ½.  Start on any note and count your half steps (the distance between each key on a keyboard, or each fret on a guitar).  The equation is 1 whole step (equal to two half steps), 1 whole step, ½ step, 1 whole step, 1 whole step, 1 whole step, and finishing with ½ step. 

That my friend is the recipe for a Major Scale.  Every single Major Scale functions the same way!  Try it.  Pick a starting point, plug in your equation, and let your ears be the judge.

This is only the beginning.  Scales are the key to unlocking a world of colorful sounding possibilities.  In the words of every single music instructor I have every had:  "Scales . . . PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!"  I want to encourage you, learning the basic dance steps will help you with the choreography, but when it becomes second nature you can move past the choreography, let go, and create art!

Psalm 16:5-8 (NIV)

⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;

    you make my lot secure.

⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

    surely I have a delightful inheritance.

⁷ I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

    even at night my heart instructs me.

⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

The Unlikely Team - Part 1

Many of us can remember the playground as a kid . . . lined up against the fence as teams are being carefully selected.  Were you ever the last kid standing at the fence?  Feeling alone, uncomfortable, realizing that nobody actually wanted you on his or her team, but inevitably you were taken as a consolation prize by the captain who lost the rock-paper-scissors battle that started this whole thing.

In case you were wondering, that is not the ideal method of building a team.  Unfortunately, many times our Worship Teams can be viewed as such.  “Oh sure, they only allow the cool kids on the stage.  Apparently once you reach a certain age you will be discarded from the cool crowd.  I sure wish I was part of the cool crowd.”

Granted, we need to get along with the people on our team, and trust is an absolute necessity.  However, working with people from different backgrounds, demographics, status, and interests has many benefits as well, each person brings with them a whole new level of influence.  I realize I cannot reach everyone in our church . . . however, the more diverse people we have on stage, the more opportunity for each person to find someone they can connect with because of their own similarities.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV)

   ¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.  ¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

Something from Nothing

Have you ever had to build something?

Recently I have been working on "building" a sound system from scratch.  We are preparing to launch a service on our local college campus and needed to put together a budget for instruments and sound equipment.  Seems like an easy enough task huh?

Do you have any idea how many different microphones, cables, guitar amps, bass amps, drum kits, mixing consoles, front of house speakers, monitor systems, and rack cases there are?  Fortunately I had acquired a fair amount of knowledge by hanging out with tech savvy people (I lovingly refer to them as geeks) over the years.  By the way, get yourself a few geek friends, they are incredibly helpful, perpetually resourceful, and eternally willing to share their wisdom to anyone who is willing to listen.

Let me tell you this.  As prepared, methodical, and mindful as I thought I was, it was nearly impossible to get everything just right!  As I started ordering equipment, as things began to feel like Christmas in the middle of September around here, I realized that even though I had put a great deal of planning into this, I forgot things.  And even though I order most of the needed gear, sometimes the manufacturer or dealer would send me the wrong item.

It was dang near impossible to get things right the first time around.

Do you ever feel as though you are doing everything you can to get things right or make something happen, but no matter how hard you try, you feel as though things aren't working out exactly as planned?  I think many times we give up after the first or second attempt and assume that God doesn't want us to have that job promotion, bring that neighbor to church, take that mission trip to Africa, write that song that the whole church can worship to, etc.  I think we give up too early!  (Check out 2 Kings 13:18-19)

I took a rock climbing class when I was in college.  We had a professional climber come in and talk to our class one day (let me tell you that first of all, professional climbers are a breed of people among themselves!).  He had an interesting take on climbing that I will never forget.  He said that the most rewarding part of the climb is NOT getting to the top.  He said the thrill of the climb is when you are stuck on the wall, realizing that the next move will be difficult.  You are faced with the opportunity to try a new maneuver, make a dynamic move to the next hold, and practice your technique.  The downside of getting to the top is that the climb is over!

God gave us this one life to be an adventure.  All too often we get stuck on the little things that don't seem to work out just right and distract us from the joy of being alive.  The truth is that tomorrow will come!  Whether or not we get everything just right today, we will have another opportunity to try again tomorrow!  Keep moving towards your plans and dreams (1 Corinthians 9:24), keep running towards the destination (Philippians 3:12-14)!  We serve a God that made human-kind out of dust, something from nothing.  I am confident that he cares about the little things that seem so big today, but are small in perspective tomorrow!

Ditch The Band

The worship team.  Many people refer to the musicians on stage of the modern church as "the worship band."  I want to spend a few moments explaining why "band" can't and doesn't work in today's church culture.

By definition, a band is something that binds things together and constricts movement.  Although many of today's rock bands are terrible examples of faithfulness and loyalty because many of them are willing to sell each other out for a solo career (much thanks to large sums of money and fickle fans), the very idea of a band is a closed group.  There is only enough room for one drummer, a couple of electric guitarists, a backup singer or two, and of course the one and only lead vocalist.  The rest of the musicians that you see performing with these bands are "hired help" that come in, learn a few horn or string parts, play the gig, collect a paycheck, and go home without any opportunity of ever making it on the cover of the next album.

Although every young musician dreams of being part of the next great rock band, the message that we send to our potential volunteers when we talk about the church "band" is that there is no room for them.  Don't get me wrong, I realize that much of this is semantics and our desire is to use anyone that is available.  However, it is all too easy to turn a group of musicians that volunteer their time to help people worship freely and without distraction each and every Sunday morning into an elite group of people that sends the message to potential volunteers that there is "no room in this band."

Here is how we have done things at River City Church, and will continue to do them as long as I am privileged enough to work here.  Everything is about TEAM!  We have one TEAM at our church filled with many individuals with many different gifts.  We mix and match our Sunday morning team from a roster of incredibly diverse volunteers.  (Check out Romans 12:5)  I wouldn't have it any other way!

I realize that there are many churches that don't do their worship ministry this way.  I am not saying that we are right and they are wrong, but I am saying I am one hundred percent positive that this is the most effective way to communicate to potential volunteers that we have room for you, this is a place that you can serve, and we would be proud to worship the Creator of the universe with you by our side!  (Isaiah 40:28-31)  That is powerful!

What Is Worship? - Part 1

•  Worship is extravagant respect, admiration, and devotion to God.

•  Worship is responding to all that God is with all that I am.

Biblical definition:

       Genesis 22:1-14 Abraham was so enamored with God, so close in relationship with Him that he responded every time God came calling.  We see Abraham's purpose and devotion in worship because of his preparation and faith he practiced when God asked him to sacrifice his only son.

      Exodus 10:3 "Let my people go so that they may worship me."  God's desire was to free a nation from slavery so that they might worship Him.  Before we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, we are enslaved to our sins, but Jesus has set us free; primarily to worship Him.  The first commandment reminds us of this: "You shall have no other God's before me."

            "God meant for a new convert to be a worshiper first.  After that he can become a worker."  A.W. Tozer

      Romans 12:1 Our lives, as a whole, are intended to be an act of worship.  In view of all that Christ has done for on our behalf, to worship, yielding our whole life, moment by moment, is the only logical thing left to do.  

            "To come into the presence of God and kneel before Him one hour takes all the strength we possess."  Watchman Nee