Filed under: Christianity, Religion, church | Tags: corporate worship, mark driscoll, religion saves
What is corporate worship? Mark Driscoll in his book Religion Saves has one of the best answers that I’ve ever read. I thought it was worth sharing here.
“Corporate worship is not about hearing a message that tells us what we can do to improve ourselves, singing songs about what we are going to do for God, and judging the quality of the meeting by how it feels to us. Rather, God-centered worship is about hearing a message that reveals from the Bible, who God is and what he has done and is doing for and with us; singing songs about who God is and what he does; and judging the quality of worship based upon whether it accords with the Scriptures.” (p. 248)
A few pages before this, Driscoll has a strong critique of the “contemporary church.” He says,
“In it’s most extreme version, the contemporary church inverted the gospel – that we exist to glorify God – into a false gospel – that God exists to glorify us by helping us achieve our potential, experience our joy, enable our health, and expand our wealth.”
Both of these quotes really got my mind going in a 100 different places. I could comment away on it, but I think I’ll let you take it for what it’s worth. I will say this though, I do NOT think that the “contemporary church” is at all a bad thing. Driscoll is not saying the contemporary church is at all bad. Unfortunately though for some, the “contemporary church” in the MOST EXTREME instances has become a “feel good service” that is more centered on man than God. Also, for the record one more time, I am not a big fan of the term “contemporary service.” Your idea of contemporary and my idea of contemporary are most likely different.
Thanks Mark Driscoll.
I hate when people talk bad about me. I am by nature a people pleaser, and if I can make everybody happy, then that’s what I intend to do. In almost 27 years of life, by the grace of God, I have gotten progressively better in this area. But still, when other people are happy, I’m happy. And when people talk bad about me, it still hurts sometimes.
I was in Ecclesiastes a couple of days ago, and this verse has stuck in my head.
7:21
Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
DANG!!! I know I’ve talked some crap about people more than I would like to remember, yet I still get upset when people have negative things to say about me behind my back. I get defensive, prideful, and angry. So thanks for the good words of wisdom Solomon.
Filed under: Christianity, Religion, church, hymns, music | Tags: Bob Kauflin, hymns, worship, Worship Matters
One more quote to share with you from the book “Worship Matters.” The quote is actually from Os Guinness in the book “Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance,” but was referenced in Worship Matters.
“By our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant.” (pg 15)
I worry that too many times I have pursued relevance over faithfulness, and I fear that many other churches, pastors, and worship leaders have pursued the same thing. It’s not all about the best lights, the best production, the most cutting edge music, the best musicians, the most dynamic pastor, the best HD video screens, the most seamless transitions, the best videos, the funniest sermon illustrations, or how many people you can stuff into your church services. It’s about being faithful to what God has called us to do. I’m not knocking all the things that I listed above. Being relevant to your congregation is extremely important. However, our focus should be on Jesus, and we should be driven by faithfulness, not relevance.
Filed under: Christianity, Religion, church, hymns, music | Tags: As The Deer, Bob Kauflin, Christianity, church, hillsong, hymns, jesus, lord i lift your name on high, praise songs, Religion, shine jesus shine, worship, Worship Matters
Around 10 years ago (maybe even longer), “praise choruses” started to be introduced to the church. What started out as just a chorus has now turned into what can now be as long as a 10 minute song (Hillsong). Granted, most songs are 10 minutes, but the songs have become much more complex and also musically appealing than songs such as “As The Deer,” “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” and “Shine Jesus Shine.”
I grew up in a church singing hymns all the time. Looking back, I probably love those hymns much more now than I did then. I didn’t understand the same things about Christianity and theology that I do now. So for the record, I love hymns, and I love the songs that we sing in “contemporary” churches today. (Also, for the record, I hate the word contemporary. What is contemporary today is old next year. Who is the judge of what is contemporary? I have no idea). You will never hear me say that hymns are better than today’s current songs or vice versa. I believe that they are all useful for today’s church and the Kingdom.
The reason for this post is a quote that I read today from a the book “Worship Matters.” After reading almost all of this book, I have a ton of respect for Bob Kauflin, the author. There are a few things where I don’t agree with him 100% (mainly stylistically because he comes from a more charismatic background) , but overall, the book has challenged me, changed my perspective on some things, and helped me to think about WHY we do the things we do. I would highly recommend it to ANY worship leader or musician who plays at a church. It is awesome. Without any further rambling, here is the quote:
“As grateful as I am to God for the outpouring of modern worship songs, I think the riches of hymnody far outweigh what we’ve produced in the last thirty years. They cover a broader range of topics, are more dense and theologically precise, and are often brilliantly crafted… The hymns we sing today have been tested for centuries, causing the best ones to rise to the top. ” (pg 190)
I am glad that he clarified “the last 30 years.” I think the authors of the songs we commonly used have come a long way in just the past 5 years. I feel that the songs are more theologically “rich” than they used to be. However, there are still some songs commonly used that could be sang to any god, person, or thing (think about “Draw Me Close To You” for example).
Anyways, this quote definitely got me thinking. And I am thankful that the songs we have to choose from that are being written in this day and age are theologically rich. I know that some songs aren’t as rich as others and some are somewhat “watered-down,” but I think this generation of songwriters is making tremendous progress.
Thoughts anyone?
Filed under: Christianity, Religion | Tags: agnostics, atheists, celebrities, Christianity, entertainment, Jesus Christ
I found a link to this website in the footnotes of a book that I have been reading lately. It’s extremely interesting to read what people who are famous have to say about God, Jesus, organized religion, and Christianity.
I looked to see what celebrities that I have heard of or ones that I like had to say about these things. The results are saddening and surprising.
Billy Joel
“Well, I wasn’t raised Catholic, but I used to go to Mass with my friends, and I viewed the whole business as a lot of very enthralling hocus-pocus. There’s a guy hanging upon the wall in the church, nailed to a cross and dripping blood, and everybody’s blaming themselves for that man’s torment, but I said to myself, “Forget it. I had no hand in that evil. I have no original sin. There’s no blood of any sacred martyr on my hands. I pass on all of this.”
Danny Elfman (a composer of film scores i.e Batman, Superman, The Kingdom, and Mission Impossible) – when asked if he believes in life after death
No. So, I suppose, you know, that becomes a fascinating mystery. I mean, I’d like to… I hope… sometimes I really… I kind of hope that there’s a Hell. I hope that there’s a Heaven and that I’m qualified for Hell. ‘Cause that’s where I would definitely want to go. … If there is a Christian version of Heaven, I know I don’t want to go there. Awful bad. Jews don’t have Heaven and Hell. It’s not really part of that way of thinking.
Ira Glass (host of This American Life on NPR)
I just find I don’t believe in God. It just doesn’t seem to be true, and no amount of thinking about it seems to make it true. It seems inherently untrue. And the thing that’s hard about honing that position is, as a reporter, I’ve seen many times how a belief in God has transformed somebody’s life. In all the ways I feel like you can witness God’s work here on earth, I feel like I’ve seen that. I’ve met a lot of people — it’s been the thing that’s changed them, that’s sustained them in a way that I wish I could believe. But I simply find I don’t and I don’t feel like it’s something I have a choice about. I could pretend I believe a God exists, but the world seems explainable to me without it.
I remember, even when I was growing up a little kid, it all seemed, especially the Christian version — arbitrary. That the entire universe would be created, and the system that was set up was: you could actually lead a perfectly good life, and a life organized around good deeds and caring for others, and yet if you simply didn’t accept Jesus himself, the Creator of the Universe would feel so vengeful about it that you’d be condemned to an eternity of torture. It just seemed like a really weird system. Like what difference would it make to the Creator of Everything? The whole thing seemed really arbitrary. Even as a kid, I felt like, “Well, if that’s the system: fine. I accept my damnation. I don’t think it’s a fair system. But fine.” I just don’t believe.
Janeane Garofalo (currently acting as Janis on 24)
The Bible, I’ve said it before, is a beautifully written work of fiction.
Bruce Willis
“Organized religions in general, in my opinion, are dying forms,” he says. “They were all very important when we didn’t know why the sun moved, why weather changed, why hurricanes occurred, or volcanoes happened,” he continues. “Modern religion is the end trail of modern mythology. But there are people who interpret the Bible literally. Literally!” he says incredulously. “I choose not to believe that’s the way. And that’s what makes America cool, you know?”
That’s some pretty crazy stuff. I have never heard someone say that they would definitely want to go to Hell. Take a look on the site. There is so much more to read there that will blow your mind.
Filed under: Christianity, Ramblings, Religion, church, family, in the news, marriage, music, sports
Running/Exercising
- I have been trying to run a lot. It’s depressing how slow I run, but I did a little over a week ago. My feet have pretty much been numb/asleep since then.
- I went to the orthopedic doctor finally after 5 years of numb feet, and was diagnosed with Exertional Compartment Syndrome. I may have some small surgery to correct this, and should be good to go for the rest of my life.
- When I told Ashley about it, she said, “Oh honey, you have a syndrome.”
- I was able to run consistently for about 4 weeks though and lost almost 10 pounds. Running makes a big difference for sure!
News Stories
- An author believes there is “no such thing as virginity.” MSNBC ran an article about this lady and her book. Although I disagree with her 100% on just about everything, there is some truth to her argument. Here is one part I do agree with (at least a little bit.)
So while young women are subject to overt sexual messages every day, they’re simultaneously being taught — by the people who are supposed to care for their personal and moral development, no less — that their only real worth is their virginity and ability to remain “pure.” (Obviously I don’t think that a woman or man should find their only real worth in their virginity and ability to remain pure, but I can see what she’s attempting to say.)
- It is hard to teach moral development in a society that throws sex in your face everywhere you look. I’d love to go into further discussion in some comments with anyone who is interested.
- The story about Miss California finishing second in the Miss USA contest is very upsetting. She answered a question saying she was against gay marriage. Perez Hilton called her a bad name, and all of California has made her out to be the devil. I have a lot of opinions on this, and I could probably write 6 blogs about it, but I won’t.
- Wildfires in SC? Sad that Myrtle Beach is burning like crazy. Hope everyone stays safe and nobody is killed or injured.
Josh Hamilton
- Please, Please, Please go read this story right now! Josh Hamilton was the #1 draft in MLB in 1999. He ended up wasted on cocaine, heroine, and alcohol. He made an amazing comeback and is now playing for the Texas Rangers. He even made the All-Star team last year. He talks extensively about how Jesus rescued him from the life He was living. It is an amazing story of redemption, forgiveness, and God’s love.
Music
- I’ve almost finished learning Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Now I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I can almost play through the whole thing.
- I just purchased the new Jars of Clay album, The Long Fall Back to Earth. It’s amazing how over 10 years later, they have adapted and changed their sound to fit with the times. It sounds like it will be a great album.
- I also purchased Sara Watkins first solo album. She was 1/3 of Nickel Creek. If you don’t download the whole album, listen to “Where Will You Be.”
- Ashley and I are going to see Ray Lamontagne on Friday night. Should be tons of fun. She surprised me with the tickets. Thanks boo!
- I’m trying to sell my Taylor 814ce. Let me know if you know anyone interested!
Finally, Ashley and I are going to spend some time in Brevard/Asheville this weekend. It should be awesome. I hope the weather will be perfect!!! I’ll post some pics/updates when we get back.
Filed under: Religion, music | Tags: jonathan edwards, martin luther, psalm 47:6, worship leader
I have spent a good bit of time lately reading about what it means to be a “worship leader.” I’ve never been especially fond of the term, but it’s what has seemed to stick in today’s church culture. Anyway, I came across this quote from Martin Luther today and I thought it was awesome (most of it at least). Try to wade through the old english talk, and decipher what he’s trying to say. This quote was from something he wrote in 1538. He’s a little over the top, but extremely passionate about what he’s saying here.
“Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits…This precious gift has been given to man alone that he might thereby remind himself that God has created man for the express purpose of praising and extolling God. However, when man’s natural musical ability is whetted and polished to the extent that it becomes an art, then do we note with great surprise the great and perfect wisdom of God in music, which is, after all, His product and His gift; we marvel when we hear music in which one voice sings a simple melody, while three, four, or five other voices play and trip lustily around the voice that sings its simple melody and adorn this simple melody wonderfully with artistic musical effects, thus reminding us of a heavenly dance, where all meet in a spirit of friendliness, caress and embrace. A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”
Filed under: Christianity, Religion, music | Tags: andrew peterson, cardinology, music, resurrection letters, ryan adams
2 of my favorite artists have put out some new work in the past 2 weeks. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals released Cardinology, and Resurrection Letters Vol. 2 was released by Andrew Peterson.
Cardinology
So far, I think that it’s a great album, but not his best, and certainly not my favorite, but I definitely like it a lot more than Easy Tiger. But then again, I seemed to like Easy Tiger the least among my Ryan Adam’s friends.
If you only download 2 songs, download Fix It and Stop. Stop reminds me of The Shadowlands song from the Love is Hell album, and no Ryan Adams song can come close to the awesomeness of The Shadowlands. Here is the EW review and then the RS review.
Resurrection Letters Vol. 2
Andrew Peterson is amazing. I think that if his voice wasn’t perceived to sound so nasally by so many people (it doesn’t bother me one bit), he would be 100 times more well-known than he is now. As I’ve written here numerous times before, his lyrics are amazing, and his musicianship is outstanding. He always has some top notch people playing on his album. Andy Gullahorn (Jill Phillip’s husband) plays acoustic on every song and really adds so much to the music. It sounds so simple, but I promise if you try to play, you’ll have a hard time re-creating something that sounds so good.
Download Don’t Give Up On Me and The Good Confession. (Click on the links for his explanation on why/how he came to write these songs – it’s worth your time)
Here is a review from Lifeway, and another one from Christianity Today
Andrew Peterson never ceases to amaze me, and he doesn’t get nearly as much credit as he deserves. I’ve never wrote one good lyric in my life, and he writes 30 of them in one song. Do yourself a favor and get on the A.P. bandwagon.
Filed under: Christianity, Religion, church | Tags: church planters, ed stetzer, lifeway, simply missional
I don’t read church planter type blogs very often, but somehow this morning I stumbled onto this article from Ed Stetzer who works with Lifeway.
I love things that are simple. This doesn’t mean I’m lazy, because I’m not. But too many times, people make things more complicated than they need to be. In the music world I’m familiar with, musicians often play more than they need to. I love simple music. All too often, people tend to make things too complicated.
This article summed up how I feel church should be. It should be simple. Stetzer explains Dell’s simple, but uncommon mindset. In a culture where companies pile up inventory on their shelves and in warehouses, Dell doesn’t keep inventory. They put your computer together only when it’s ordered. To quote from the article:
Dell wants their resources out there, on the street. Not in the warehouse, where the resources merely gather dust and produce no impact. So Dell has designed a very strategic process to move their resources to the street.
Then check out what Stetzer has to say next:
Most churches build big warehouses and shelve a bunch of Christians (those rows look suspiciously like shelves). They design attractive programs to “retain” people in the sacred warehouse, keep precise records of how much inventory (people) is on the shelves, and brag about their warehouses being constantly open. And warehouse managers love to show other warehouse managers their newest warehouses while dreaming together of bigger and better warehouses.
God is calling churches to shatter the warehouse myth, to change their warehouses into strategic distribution centers, where people are distributed as salt and light to the world–sending them out on mission. Some churches are strategically challenging their people to be out there, and these churches have a strategic and simple process that moves people from the warehouse to the street. These churches are simple and missional.
I’ve never liked blogs from the church planter culture very much, but this really connected with me. I don’t think that programs are bad (I am a product of RA’s, children’s choirs, youth group, etc), but I think that many churches just focus on how many programs they can have. It’s the more programs = more people approach that bothers me. Here is another quote from the article that sums up the whole approach:
These churches do not rejoice in their complex systems or impressive buildings, but in the micro stories of their members’ transformed lives.
Enough said!
Filed under: Christianity, Religion | Tags: 2 timothy, Brandon Clements, God, jesus, the last days
I guess that God wanted me to think about this passage this morning. I read through 2 Timothy 3 this morning and then read this post by Klash (Brandon Clements).
Here is what 2 Timothy 3 has to say:
Godlessness in the Last Days
3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
This passage is amazing. Be sure to go read the post from Klash. He writes much clearer than anything I could write on the subject, and it’s worth you taking the time to go read it if you haven’t already!
