Worship Is…

Charlie Hall @ Worship Arts Conf.

After spending two days at the Worship Arts Conference, I have been reflecting on the nature and contents of true, God-honoring, Christ-exalting, Spirit-filled worship.  I went back to my notes from a worship class I had in seminary taught by Dr. Bruce Leafblad.  We called him “Thor, the god of Worship.”  He had this amazing, dominating voice, and could speak on any topic concerning worship for hours.

He defined worship as…
Communion with God in which believers, by grace, center their mind’s attention and their heart’s affections on the LORD, humbly glorifying God in response to His greatness and His Word.   •-    Bruce  Leafblad

He went on to explain worship as an interactive, two-part, give and take between God and the believer.  He used Isaiah 6 to explain that pattern of communion.

Isaiah 6 Pattern of Worship:
1.  Revelation - The Recognition of God
2.  Adoration -  The Praise of God
3.  Confession –  The Repentance of the Believer
4.  Expiation –  The Forgiveness of God
5.  Proclamation –  The Word of God
6.  Dedication –  The Response of the Believer
7.  Supplication –  The Prayer of the Believer
8.  Commission –  The Sending Out by God

What depths and diversity of worship experience?  I have been asking myself,  “Are all of these elements in the worship experiences I lead and plan?”  Do I help churches and other worship leaders explore each and every one of these worship expressions?  Hardly so.  I am doing good to get in 4 of the 8.

It sure makes a 60 minute service look pretty short.

A Personal Invitation

I would really love any of you who check this blog regularly to jump over to a blog I created for the 2009 CU Worship Arts Conference.  All the photos, videos, and content is mine (except the Scriptures…those are God’s).  I am really proud of how it turned out.  I would love for you to read it and let me know what you think.

Eventhough you probably didn’t come to the conference, I really wanted people to experience our time together via the blog.  Check it out at:  http://cuworshiparts.wordpress.com

A Pleasant Surprise

A few minutes later I get a phone call in my office.  It is my boss.  He has talked to his planning team and they would like me to present this morning at 10:15 AM (a mere two hours later). 

Two key principles:  Be ready.  Be quiet.

CU Worship Arts Conference Blog

This Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (February 18-20), I will be hosting an online blog experience covering the 2009 CU Worship Arts Conference featuring Shane Claiborne, Steve Ayers, Charlie Hall, Christine Pohl, and John Mark McMillian.

If you wouldl like to follow the events, breakout sessions, and concerts, go to www.cuworshiparts.com and select BLOG on the header.

Or go directly to http://cuworshiparts.wordpress.com/

Tilling Roots

It is a mixture of things, really.  1.  The economic recession facing our country.  2.  Living on a much lower salary with three mouths to feed.  3.  Leading a church through a stewardship emphasis.  4.  Doing our 2008 income taxes on Saturday.  And 5.  a growing felt need to be a better provider for my family.

All of these things are beginning to remove the soil around my soul and have started showing some roots in my life.  1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Roots are found deep beneath the soil, hardly ever seen unless you are planting something new or tilling up something old.  It seems God is both planting and tilling in my life lately.

He is tilling the soil around my heart which is showing roots of self-reliance, self-centered love of earthly treasures.  He is tilling up my pride, my ambition, and my deep-seeded desire to be wealthy.

But I also hope he is planting something new.  A fresh, new seed of sacrificial living.  A new seed of contentment, not only with what I have, but what heavenly treasures I am storing up.  A new seed of recognition that even in my “American” middle-income earning lifestyle, I am still gloriously rich compared to two-thirds of the world.  And above that, I am a child of the King, a co-heir with Christ.  I have the greatest wealth in the world: salvation and forgiveness of my many sins.

Keep tilling Lord.  Dig deep.  Root out all the roots of the love of money.  But also keep planting new seed, so that I might grow more in love with You.

My Boys Playing

Sleeping Beauty

I know Sleeping Beauty was a girl, but my boy is just too precious when he is asleep.  Especially when he falls asleep on Daddy’s chest.

Racial Disparity in Kentucky

A collection of statistics concerning the racial disparity in the state of Kentucky shared by Mr. John Johnson of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights.

• Kentucky is the 4th most impoverished state in the Union (only below Mississippi, West Virginia and New Mexico)  with 15% of Whites below the poverty line; 35% for African Americans.
• In Kentucky, 75% of white families own their homes; 30% for African Americans.
• In 1955, African American teachers represented 6.8% of the teaching force in KY public schools; in 2007, only 3.7% of the teachers were African American.

These are sad facts.  We think we have come so far in our ideas and concepts of racial equality and liberty, but in reality, the situation is still desperate and unsettling.

I loved a statement made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which was shared by Mr. Johnson today,   “Success is not measure by the number of servants you have, but by the number of people you serve.”

The Evangacube & My Son

I have always loved the evange-cube (now called the e-Cube, sold by E3 Resources).  As a former pastor and now as a parent, I just love having something I can share the Gospel with children. 

The other day Isaac came over to the office and found my cube in the desk drawer.  He asked if he could take it home to play with it.  I, of course, said yes.  (This is my second cube because he destroyed the first one about a year ago.)

This morning Isaac was playing with the cube while watching cartoons.  His mother decided that she would use this teachable moment to share the plan of salvation with our 3 year old.  After all Dr. Dobson claims that he came to faith at age 3, why not start now.

Jennifer goes through the whole plan of salvation while Isaac is listening and watching her flip the cube.  When she is all finished, her son (…not mine, her’s) looks up at his mommy and says,

“Wellll, yeah…but I just want to play with it.”

Preaching at Columbia Bapt. Church

On Sunday, I get to fill the pulpit at Columbia Baptist Church.  Dr. Ted Taylor, my mentor and friend, is the interim pastor of CBC and will be out of town for a week on university business, so he asked me to fill in.  My message title is “Treasuring Christ Together” from Mark 10:17-23.

This will also officially begin a 6-week Maple Trail consulting with CBC working in the area of stewardship.  Maple Trail consultants will be leading in Sunday School, hosting a budgeting seminar, offering financial counseling to families and individuals, and working with church leadership in the areas of community outreach and financial giving trends. 

I will be leading workshops and training sessions each Sunday night during the PM worship services , along with the Bible study emphasis on Sunday mornings.

This should be a great season of ministry together with the fine folks of Columbia Bapt. Church.

KBC Deacon Pastors Spouses Retreat

I will be presenting two breakout sessions at the annual KBC Deacon, Pastor, Spouse Retreat this weekend at the Griffin Gate Marriot Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY.

I am really excited about this opportunity.  Over 200 pastors, deacons and spouses will be meeting in Lexington.  My two sessions are not until Saturday morning, so Jennifer and I get to attend the other parts of the conference Friday night.  

My two breakout session topics are entitled:

• For the Rookies: First Year Deacon Ministry
• Stop, Drop, & Roll: Deacons Dealing with Conflict

For more information, go to www.kybaptist.org.