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

Developing Personal Worship - The Visual

What does Personal Worship look like?

Developing a picture / visual of Personal Worship.

A good visual of personal worship is a picture of the Old Testament tabernacle (the tabernacle of Moses Exodus 40):

Tabernacle History:  The tabernacle of Moses was considered the gathering place.  There were literally no other places the people would worship or meet with God.  Not everyone was allowed inside the tabernacle.  Only a select few (the priests, Moses, and Joshua) under very special instructions were allowed into the tabernacle.  It was built using very specific blueprints, with very specific materials, by very specific people.  The tabernacle was used religiously throughout the Exodus of the Israelites (during their 40 year journey through the desert).

1)  The gate (the place of preparation).

Objective:  Set aside a half an hour a week in a place with no distractions.  Bring a Bible, guitar, keyboard, or CD’s.  Gather your thoughts, focus your mind, and prepare to meet with God.

2)  The laver (the place of cleansing / purification).

Objective:  Pray to Christ for forgiveness and cleanliness.  Check your heart, ask God for insight into your attitude.  Offer up a heart sacrifice, asking God to remove anything that might hinder your relationship with Him.

3)  The Holy Place (the place to focus).

Objective:  This is a time to offer prayers and worship to God.  Take the opportunity to tell Him what He means to you through song, scripture, praise, thankfulness, shouting, crying, etc…  Take some time to offer personal prayers and prayers for others.  Draw near to God and seek the Holy Spirit.  This is the time to respond to God and what He means to us.

4)  The Holy of Holies (the place of intimacy).

Objective:  Meditation.  Take time to get quiet before God.  Give yourself time to be still and listen to the heartbeat of God.  Take this time to train yourself to be silent.  Give God time to speak.  It is much easier to hear His voice when we are not talking.

Developing Personal Worship - The Need

WHY DO WE NEED PERSONAL WORSHIP?

PONDER THIS:

      Personal worship requires continual cultivation and nurturing.

GOD'S CALL TO HIS PEOPLE:

1.  We are called to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
      John 20:30-31

2.  We are called to follow Jesus Christ in obedient discipleship.
      Matthew 4:18-20

3.  We are called to use the gifts and abilities God has given us.
      Romans 12:4-8

4.  We are called to honor and serve God in our personal lives, in our households and families,
      in our daily occupations, in our community, our nation, and our world.
      Deuteronomy 5:16

Fundamentals & Essentials of Worship

A DISCUSSION:  Fundamentals & Essentials of Worship

• There are many people that have been Christians for a long time and know all about “worship".

• There are many people that are Christians and are uncomfortable with “worship".

• There are many people that are NOT Christians and don’t have the slightest clue about “worship".

• My goal is to explore some of the fundamentals of “worship” and what it looks like INSIDE and OUTSIDE of the church.

DISCUSSION #1:

How would you define “WORSHIP”?

Before we can determine whether or not it is important, we need to determine what it is!

      "Acknowledging that someone or something else is greater - worth more - and by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored…Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it.”  --Harold Best

Book: Music Through the Eyes of Faith

DISCUSSION #2:

What does “WORSHIP” look like?

• Worship of an object or relationship.

• Consumes your thoughts and actions.

• The object of our attention, topic of our speech, the outflow of our income, etc.

      "Worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible."  --David Peterson

Book: Engaging With God

      "Reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to his gracious revelation of himself, and in accordance with his will."  --Dr. Dan Block

Book: For the Glory of God

DISCUSSION #3:

WHY do we need to “WORSHIP” God?
• Worship is our testimony to the world of what the Lord has done.
• We have the opportunity to glorify the creator of the universe.
• Worship is what we were created for.
• God does not need us to worship Him in order to be validated, He gives us the opportunity to worship Him.  Romans 12:1-2

HYPOCRISY.
• Is it hypocrisy to do things for my wife, even when I don’t feel like it?  I made a commitment to my wife.

• Is it hypocrisy to continue to sit through class, even when I feel like it?  I made a commitment to my education.

• Why are we so afraid as Christians to be hypocritical by worshiping God, even when we don’t feel like it?

HOW do we need to “WORSHIP” God?
• Lift your hands.
• Use your voice.  Psalm 100
• Kneel.
• Jump around.

      "Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin".  --William Temple

(1881-1944) Readings in St. John’s Gospel