Learning Through Listening

(As an addendum to this article, I would encourage you to reread Blending the Generations (Value 9) from Sweet Sixteen: A study of the core values of the Worship and Arts Ministry of Hope Church, available upon request.)
Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. {Psalm 71:16-18}

Years ago, I sat in my father’s living room, watching him as he faced the final days of his life. I remember struggling for words to comfort him as he dealt with loss of health, two wives, his ministry, his self- reliance, and worst of all—the vitality of his faith. After listening to him for several hours, I chose to read a portion of Psalm 71 to him and noted the irony. Here I was, the “next generation”, declaring to the previous generation (my dad) the mighty acts of God. And in my mind, turnabout was fair play. I can’t count the times in my life he had instructed me in the faith, encouraged me to trust God, and to trust Him fully with the uncertainty of my future. It only seemed fitting in his last days that I remind him of what he had taught me.

At Hope, we are entering a season of listening to and learning from each other across generations. The pastoral lead team, along with elders, have been studying One Church, Four Generations by Gary L McIntosh together to better understand not only how to communicate with one another, but also how to work together more effectively as the body of Christ. I am praying that each one of you will be a part of this dialogue, attending as many of the scheduled forums as you can. (A reminder that this week’s Builders meeting has been moved to February 26th because of last Sunday’s canceled services).

The way of the world is to isolate or group according to affinity, interest or demographics. Many churches have basically given up trying to do anything intergenerational, especially worship, but we at Hope are asking if this is not another example of letting the world squeeze us into its own mold (Rom 12:1,2).

Let’s be clear. There is nothing wrong with individuality and organizing activities around common interests…until it begins to contradict your basic message of love and unity. Jesus told us exactly how the world would know that He had come—that we have (genuine) love for one another. How does that love happen? Not without dialogue. Not without understanding or empathy. And not, on occasion, without compromise.

We in the worship community have a unique opportunity to lead the charge on this vision. Each week we are entrusted with the privilege and chance to help lead God’s people in the most unifying (potentially, at least) event of their week. We don’t all dress alike, listen to the same music, have the same amount of education or income, attend the same movies or prefer the same political candidates. But worship is that one experience which is supposed to center us on the One in whose very image each of us has been made and for whose very glory we have been created. Think about that: each of us— young and old alike, Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, black and white, sick and well, technical wizards and technical illiterates, has been made to reflect God. Jesus called us the very salt of the earth, the light of the world. Can you think of a better way to be reminded of that than to engage in a regular activity which celebrates what we share in common, not what distinguishes us?

Want a big dream? Then imagine Hope church being known as a place where all generations worship together, demonstrate a growing love for each other and an increasing respect for one another’s life view. It’s part of the vision of Hope’s staff and elders for all of us to begin living out a more common life together as a witness to others. It’s definitely not the way of the world. But it is, we truly believe, the way of the Word. Hope each of you will join us on this adventure.

The Power of A Moment

Three weeks ago, I spoke about the new movie, In Time, a futuristic thriller which imagines a society where time is the currency and life becomes a never-ending quest to acquire more of
it. Two weeks ago, Deb and I saw the movie. One observation: there’s a lot of running in this movie. And why not? It’s about time, and time is always running out. Then Sunday, Pastor Stephen referred to it in his message (no, we are not getting residuals), so once again I reflected
on the implications. I thought of a song Chris Rice wrote years ago, entitled “The Power of a
Moment.” The chorus went like this:

You know the number of my days So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head And come write Your wisdom on my heart Teach me the power of a moment.

These words suggest that we don’t naturally default to placing a high value on time. The One who has ordained the number of our days has to teach us to live in the moment. Left to ourselves, we tend to live as if time will never run out. Much like the makeup opportunities we
have for everything from missed piano lessons to college entrance exams, we assume that we can always do just about anything later.

The prophet Isaiah warned: “Seek the Lord while He may found; call on Him while He is near.”
The apostle Paul reiterates this in 2 Corinthians 6:2 “In the time of my favor, I heard you, and
in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day
of salvation.” If none of us can really control how much time we have left, then what we can
choose to do is make the most of what we have—namely, this moment! Honestly, we don’t
even have the rest of today, tomorrow, or next week guaranteed to us. I think about a friend
I had, back in my College Hill days, who was picnicking with his wife and two young children,
suffered an aneurism, and died before he hit the grass under the table. My point is not to be
maudlin or to scare you into action. It’s to encourage you to maximize each moment God gives
you.

Think back to your childhood. For a moment, don’t reflect on periods of time (my first summer
camp experience, my favorite Christmas, the year my parents split up, etc.). Instead, let your
mind lock in to certain specific moments that have really had an impact on you. For many, if
not all, of you, it might be the day you received Christ as your Savior and Lord. Maybe it was
the birth of your first child, or the day you left home. For others, it could be a historic event,
such as the day JFK or Martin Luther King were assassinated, or the day the space shuttle
Challenger exploded before our very eyes.

But what about those moments which seemingly came out of nowhere which not only impacted
you but also really shaped who you are today or how you look at life? I still remember my Aunt
Millie cupping my face in her hands and telling me I had “smiling eyes.” I think I was nine. I still
remember it like it was yesterday. And yet there was an even more powerful moment in my
childhood which left an indelible print on my mind and heart. It involved my mother and me. It
was not planned. It was not pretty. But it was profound.

Our family of eight lived in a small parsonage (preacher’s home owned by the church) in
Aberdeen, South Dakota. The smallest room in the house, other than the one bathroom,
was the kitchen. It was separated from the dining room by a swinging door. On one special
occasion when we were preparing to have company for dinner, I was helping set the table
(don’t think too highly of this action—I’m sure it was conscripted service). I remember being
in a bit of a hurry, and as I rushed into the kitchen for more tableware, I swung the door into
my mother, who was standing on the other side holding a bowl of beans. Like I said, it was not
pretty. Nor was her reaction. She screamed at me, and I, being the young stud that I was, ran
screaming up the stairs to my bedroom. Soon after, I was summoned back to the kitchen to
my mom’s waiting arms for a big hug and an apology for her tirade. She admitted that it was
obvious I was only trying to help.

In truth, I believe that moment was so powerful mainly because her physical gesture of
approval was so rare. She had a very difficult time expressing those kinds of tender emotions,
having grown up in the home of an abusive, alcoholic father. And yet in a moment, she
decided to swallow her pride and dial into my pain. In a moment, she modeled the need for
even big people to admit their faults to little people. And she chose to kneel down, make a
physical connection, and reassure me of her love, even when time was running out before our
guests arrived.

Are moments powerful? Chris concludes his song with these words:

I get so distracted by my bigger schemes Show me the importance of the simple things Like a word, a seed, a thorn, a nail And a cup of cold water.

Who in your sphere of influence needs an encouraging word from you today? Who needs a cup
of cold water? Who needs to hear that thorns and nails were endured on their behalf by a
loving Savior? Look around. Don’t miss…better yet, take full advantage of the power of a
moment.

-tad

Something Smells To High Heaven

When I first heard this quaint little idiom, I think my mom was referring to 1) the room I shared with three other brothers, 2) my sock drawer, or 3) a carry out order I had forgotten about in the trunk of my dad’s ’58 Pontiac. Regardless, I sensed immediately it was not a compliment! That’s the thing about odors and fragrances…they don’t keep a secret very well. They tend to make whatever causes them to go public very quickly.

Throughout God’s word, fragrance is used to signify an offering or outpouring of worship to God, either through a sacrificial act of obedience or an expression of deep devotion. King David knew this when he wrote, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2). Here the image of prayer as a fragrance is used metaphorically to describe something sweet that rises to God from our hearts when we draw near to Him.

A more literal example of the aroma of worship is found in the New Testament in the gospel of John. It is the familiar story of Mary anointing Jesus as a PDA, one which elicited responses of praise and disgust from those in attendance.

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some
for himself.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
{ John 12:1-8 NLT }

To the object of her affection, Mary’s gift was a sweet smelling aroma which filled the room and publically announced that this Man’s life and love were worthy of costly adoration. To the hypocritical onlookers, it was a stench which reeked of wastefulness and self-indulgence. Surely there were more worthy beneficiaries (the poor, perhaps their own coffers) than this commoner from Nazareth. Isn’t it interesting how quickly we move to judgment of others’ expressions of devotion when they seem to surpass or even call into question our own? (I recall Pastor Bill’s comments on Sunday about the maniacs and idiots we encounter on the highway.)

Then there are the application passages which speak of our very lives being a fragrance to God, much like the life of Jesus himself, whose obedience was received by His father as a kind of incense. Paul writes to the Ephesian Christians: “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. “ (Ephesians 5:2 NLT)

And like most fragrances, we can expect different reactions from different recipients. To the church at Corinth, Paul wrote: “But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT)

As we enter our third week of the Advent Conspiracy, we have been challenged to worship fully, spend less, and to give lavishly during this prep time for Christmas. I pray that we could free each other to follow God’s leading in how that looks for each of us. Let’s not, as the Pharisees did, second guess the motives or amounts of anyone’s offering to God. What we choose to give to others must always spill out of us as an overflow of the amazing gift poured into us by God, through His very own Son. What comes from that can only smell to high heaven. Sweet!!!

-tad

What Not To Wear

You may recognize the phrase “What Not to Wear” as the name of a popular cable TV show which finds seemingly ugly ducklings with frumpy dressing habits and transforms them into chic swans. The premise is simple: take one ‘lucky’ candidate (selected, by the way, by close friends and/or family members), put ‘em through fashion boot camp, give them a $5,000 credit card and turn them loose on a shopping spree, and voila! —they are transformed into a more acceptable, less embarrassing part of mainstream society.

One of the criticisms leveled at this “helpful” show is that it spends the first 10 minutes dismantling the self esteem of its chosen “project” before attempting to reconstruct her. They mock their clothes, shoes, hairstyle, etc., even while trying to affirm the inner or essential beauty of these fashion failures. But what do they really know of these persons’ inner lives—their character, struggles, and values? And why should they? Our fashion experts are merely ‘qualified’ to assess the “outside of the cup.” (Matt. 23:25) By connecting one’s wardrobe to their personal worth or value (even the approval of their friends and family), the viewer is left with the conclusion that it really is important to know what not to wear.

So does what we wear really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things? Throughout history, greater minds than mine have landed on both sides of the fence on this one. One ancient proverb states: “A pretty face and fine clothes do not make character.” On the other hand, a very quotable ancient Latin proverbcontends: “clothes make the man.” The great humorist Mark Twain later modified that statement a bit, writing: “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Sadly, this is not how God intended it to be. He made His creation to live unashamed, wearing nothing at all but their ‘birthday suit’. Still, ever since our first parents lost their innocence through the fall, we have been trying to find just the right clothes to cover our bodies. I say right clothes, because what Adam quickly learned was that clothes may make the man, but not just any clothes will do. He discovered all too soon what not to wear—namely, leaves—even big fig ones. They have a habit of drying up, shriveling up and eventually giving up any secrets they initially might hide. (The prophet Isaiah, writing to God’s prideful people, observed that “we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6b) It wasn’t until God himself fashioned skins for our first family that mankind began to understand that not all clothes are created equal. Those first ‘outfits’ were anything but cheap either, having been acquired at the price of some poor animal’s life, by the shedding of blood.

But those first skins were but a foretaste of a much more miraculous makeover that God had in store for us. He knew in advance that our wardrobe required something more permanent than physical clothes, our sin and shame something more holistic than mere window dressing. The prophet Isaiah discovered this hundreds of
years before the birth of Christ when he wrote:

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
{Isaiah 61:10 - NKJV}

This passage is, as Pastor Mike Tabor explained last Sunday, a legal statement for the Christian, for those who throw themselves completely on the mercy of Jesus for their salvation. The garment of salvation is put on us by God himself, not something we design, that we sew, or put on ourselves. So it is with the robe of righteousness. We are declared righteous because God has punished all our sin when Jesus became sin for us. It, too, is custom designed, purchased, and put on us by our loving Heavenly Father when we trust Christ. We are declared saved...righteous.

Pastor Mike went on to say that we don’t just live in the legal…we also wrestle with the practical side of this life every day, every moment. And for that, we are also provided a wonderful wardrobe, which we ourselves get to choose. It’s like having that $5,000 credit card to buy that which we could never afford or supply ourselves. Ponder this makeover:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” {Colossians 3:12-14}

Are you and I compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient by nature? No, but through the Spirit we can put on these divine qualities. Can you and I produce agape (unconditional) love on our own? We don’t have to. Put it on.

So, at the end of the day, knowing what not to wear is actually pretty important. For instance, don’t wear leaves (self-made attempts to hide your sin and shame). Don’t wear your own self-determined value system (all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment—Isaiah 64:6a-ESV). But from this point on, determine to enjoy the garment bought for you with the very blood of Christ (yours legally) and the clothes made possible for you through the work of the Holy Spirit (yours practically). It may not get you on a cable TV show, but you can sleep well at night knowing God’s got you covered.

-tad

It's About Time

I saw an interesting movie trailer the other night for In Time, a thriller starring Justin Timberlake. What intrigued me was the premise: a future society where the ultimate currency is not money, not land, but time. According to early reviews, “in the not-too-distant future, scientists have discovered a way to turn off the aging gene. As the threat of overpopulation looms over society, money becomes a thing of the past. Now, assets are measured in time; those with the most time also possess the most power. Meanwhile, the lower classes are forced to barter with the new elite if they want to live forever.”

Don’t know that I’ll ever see the movie, but the concept is compelling. And it rings true. What we all wish we had more of is time. Time to get stuff done. Time to go here and there. Time to stay busy. And certainly, more time to relax. What appears to be most elusive in this frenzied, not enough time, society is rest. Not a yoga, hmmmmmm-type relaxation, but what the Word refers to as stillness, the ceasing of striving. Rest. And there is much in the Word to establish the importance of resting, of finding rest…of actually pursuing rest.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us to “Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 62 says “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. “

Luke 10:38-42 illustrates the restful posture of Mary, as compared to the busy, but un-peaceful, attitudeof sister Martha.

Hebrews 4: 9-11 cautions: “There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their examples of disobedience.”

These are but a few of the references that are the basis for this week’s choir special.

‘Til They Rest in You

Comes an honest moment when each heart looks inside
Finding nothing here on earth truly satisfies
Some choose to ignore the ache, some confess it’s true
God, our hearts will have no peace ‘til they rest in You

Ev’ry pleasure, ev’ry thrill never is enough
Every trophy, even gold, simply turns to dust
Most still search to find real joy yet they never do
God, our hearts will have no peace ‘til they rest in You

We yearn, we thirst, we stumble in the dark
Discontent, for You’ve set eternity within each heart.

Thank You for my desperate days, feeling incomplete
Thank You for Your loving ways, leading me to see
Jesus You are all I need, nothing else will do
God, our hearts will have no peace ‘til they rest in You

Lord help me to live to reach others with this truth:
God, our hearts will have no peace ‘til they rest in You.

Resting in God is less about relaxing and more about relinquishing. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that “anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” Tired of striving? Tired of working for fulfillment, acceptance, significance? How about waving the white flag of surrender?

Take time. Make time. Put intentional space into your day or week to meet with God and consciously give Him your stress and weariness. And then take Jesus at his word in this busy season: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)

-tad

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

What’s that, you say? Isn’t that a Christmas song? In September??? Well, for several of us on the worship and arts staff, Christmas actually started the day after Easter! And in anticipation
of another December outreach project, we’ve been on the lookout and the listen-out for what unique way God might bring this timeless message to our community through the arts. Last year, our program, “The Wonder of Christmas,” was actually conceived by the song that brought it all together—Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. It was our starting point and it became the climactic exclamation point to the entire presentation.

This year’s program, entitled Unwrapping Christmas, was hatched in two ways, through the lyrics of a composer, Bob Kauflin, and the special insights of pastor and author, Jack Hayford. Twenty years ago, Kauflin penned these provocative phrases in a song entitled In the First Light:

In the first light of a new day no one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been while a new born softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth.
As His mother held him closely, it was hard to understand
That her baby not yet speaking was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
but their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger they would nail Him to a tree.
But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose
And the First born of creation would ascend and take his throne.
He has left it to redeem us, but before His life began
He knew He´d come back not as a baby
but as The Lord of every man.
Hear the angels as they´re singing on the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be when He comes again
But how much greater will our song be
when He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!

And quoting from pastor and author Jack Hayford (from Moments with Majesty):

Christmas month begins. And again I find myself wanting to reach out to help people who can’t, by themselves, ‘unwrap’ Christmas. It is, you know, “wrapped” for many…

…wrapped in the bandages of bygone hurts and disappointments,
…wrapped in the plastic of sophistication which prohibits childlike wonder,
…wrapped in the tinsel of materialistic binge,
…wrapped in the confetti and streamers of empty partying,
…wrapped in the busy-getting-ready preparations,
..wrapped in the artistically designed whisky box of bombed-out,so-called “celebrations.”

The “wrappings” listed are not necessarily reflective of one’s current hindrance, but rather, the cluttered residue of a person’s private history. They are the wadded packagings of Christmases
ruined in other times, at other places. Sadly, the impact carries on, souring year after year. I’m speaking of people…

- who had heartbreak one Yuletide, and now always associate the season with that tearful memory,
- who have been burned out over family stresses surrounding
the holidays, so that
now these days are dreaded instead of anticipated with joy,
- who became wearied with the carnality of superficial gift giving when love seldom attended the presents, and now wince at the idea of Christmas shopping

Confronting those ghouls of past pain, I pray with you: “Father, forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who ‘Christmased’ against us.” And I say, “Be free, dear one!”

Through Jesus – the Babe become King, the Son become Lord, the Child become Christ – in His mighty Name, lay hold of this festal day with rejoicings. Refuse to let the Prince of Darkness
smother the Season of Light. The one who sought to murder the Baby of Bethlehem now seeks to ruin your celebration of His coming. Resist him with all the strength your Lord provides.
Be untied. Be unfettered. Be unwrapped. Take my hands, and together…let’s dance toward Christmas!

In just two weeks, we get to begin the dance toward Christmas again—together. New faces and voices will join us; new songs and scripts await us. But the awesome treasure of good news is
the same as last year and every year since the very first Christmas. And though it is the same, it seems to get sweeter and more desperately needed each year as darkness increases all around.
Musicians and technicians, let’s begin now to anticipate God’s special visitation this season, long before others even know it’s here, as we prepare and pray and ponder.

'Til We Meet Again, Bob.

This week we lost a beloved brother in Christ, Bob Worth, a devoted man of faith who reflected joy and love to all who knew him. His smile could light up a room, even in his last, often pain-filled days. His desire was to go home to his Lord and his wife Carol, who preceded him in death. Still he patiently waited for that release. Still he encouraged those who came to visit him, and listened attentively to words from scripture and lyrics to familiar hymns and praise songs. He was sincere to the end. He was the real deal. And while he will be missed terribly, all that knew and loved him longed for his homecoming.

How mysterious is this paradox we as Christians encounter, when, with the apostle Paul, we come to that point in life when we say “for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. I am torn between the two:I desire to be with Christ which is better by far, but it is necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Phil. 1:21ff). Bob understood his life was not his own. He had been bought with a price. His days had been ordained and number by his Creator. And it was his Heavenly Father’s decision as to when that homecoming would take place.

I know that I never left a visit with him without feeling personally challenged and strengthened because of his great faith. The fruit of the Spirit oozed from him. Even in his discomfort, I often had to remind him, “It’s OK to close your eyes and sleep, Bob. I will just sit here quietly with you.” Even in those moments he sought to be attentive to his company, to be a good listener.

Now that he is “gone,” I—we, too, experience an emotional paradox. Sadness and joy. I used to think Juliet said it best in Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” She was merely anticipating a momentary absence from her beloved Romeo. She fully expected to see him again, and soon. But then I read the words of John the apostle in Revelations 14, and concluded that his description wins the prize.

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from now on: Yes, said the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.”

Though perhaps no reality associated with the human race frightens us more or is more mysterious than death, John calls those who die in the Lord blessed. And for obvious reasons. In death, we are finally at rest. We cease our striving. Our struggles are over. And we are fully in God’s presence—we are with the Lord. He no longer is experienced where we are (condescension) but rather where He is (ascension).

The reference to our works following us reminds us of (at least) two realities: 1) only those things which were born of the Spirit, that had eternal significance, will accompany us into the next life and 2) those seeds sown by us in the Spirit to others will continue to grow and bear fruit in them for generations—our legacy. The phrase “you can’t take it with you” is not entirely true. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 says otherwise.

But facing our last hours on this earth does have a way of focusing us on what parts of life have lasting value. It is not “the one who dies with the most toys wins.” After all, toys or not, 100% of the human race ends up dead, sooner or later.

This week, we were reminded that, for one who faithfully served among us, and for all believers, suffering, pain, and loss are only temporary—only a part of this life. What endures forever is peace with God, joy in His presence, and sweet reunion with those who loved Him and have gone before us. As we celebrate the life and homecoming of Bob Worth, may each of us pray with the Psalmist: Teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts to wisdom. (Psalm 90)

-tad

Lessons From Micah

Welcome to each and every one of you who have joined us this fall! I hope you have had a refreshing break and are raring to go. To you veterans, you have been missed! To you rookies, we are glad you are here and hope you still feel the same in a few months!! As we start another choir season, let me turn your attention to one of my favorite passages in God’s Word, from the 6th chapter of Micah. On one level, it satisfies because of its simple Q & A formula. If only all of scripture was as clear and indisputable! But on another level, it provides rich food for thought that could take many seasons to explore and experience.

Q: With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?
A: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

As worship leaders, we know from both the OT and NT that worship begins here…with a willingness to offer oneself (see Romans 12:1,2). It’s not the goal, it’s the starting point.

Much of what we do in corporate worship involves words, speech, song lyrics, prayers. But Micah suggests in this passage that offering ourselves to God in worship doesn’t have a whole lot to do with what we say. His three prescribed action steps are just that…actions. In some sense, our corporate gatherings are more about stated intentions than the fleshing out of what we vow to God, what we desire to see become reality in our lives. To put it another way, singing about the awesomeness of God, that He is holy, sufficient, above all gods, is quite different than demonstrating those beliefs with our lives.

To act justly is one thing when hanging out with other Christians on a Sunday morning; quite another thing come Monday morning (or even Sunday afternoon). It’s easy to love mercy when we corporately pray for the needs of the Body. But what does it look like when others hurt us, devalue us, even oppose us? And walking humbly? That wasn’t even easy in heaven, when Lucifer lost his place and was cast out. (Isaiah 14:12ff) The reason: He found it hard to be so gifted, so beautiful, etc., and to walk humbly at the same time.

Gathering around the common task of leading people in worship as a community provides us an excellent lab experience to practice these very principles.

Acting justly in the context of this ministry implies simply doing the right thing: keeping commitments (who was it who said 90% of life is showing up?), being punctual, honing your craft, giving your personal best, etc. As teammates, it is important that we not only worship together regularly but also prepare together regularly. We will not maintain a consistent momentum towards excellence if we allow issues of comfort or convenience to rule us as it relates to the grunt work of our task—practice.

As a community, we love mercy when we foster a grace atmosphere...create a safe place for others to grow and be accepted. It means we treat others as we wish to be treated, assume the best motives, even when the behavior is different than expected or what you yourself would do, and be quick to forgive when behavior or motive falls short. Loving mercy is intensely active and passionate, not passive and wishy-washy.

And finally, we walk humbly with our God when we demonstrate the attitudes Paul writes about in Romans 12 and Philippians 2:

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

So, again, welcome to this choir season! Welcome to what I believe will be an exciting year of service, outreach and fun. But also welcome to the grand lab experiment we call Christian community, where we learn how to worship with more than words.

I hope and pray each of you comes to discover your unique and valuable role in this family. It might be your voice. It might be your smile. Maybe it is your ability to listen and care. It could even be your ability to trust God in prayer. Whatever it is, you are God’s treasure and have been placed here by His design. May God be free among us to create the tapestry He chooses..

-tad

Go Home. Go!

Remember the old Smith Barney commercial punch line from spokesman John Housman? “They make money the old fashioned way—they earn it.” Well, that’s how I feel about each of you when it comes to taking a well deserved summer break from formal ministry…you’ve earned it. In spades. Not too many other ministry areas have a volunteer squad which gives up (a minimum of) 5 hours a week, not to mention time for extra seasonal rehearsals, outreach concerts, singing on many major holidays or when others are on holiday breaks, retreats, quarterly team building workshops, etc. Surely you have earned a season of re-creation. (In my mind, I am remembering the closing line of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, when, after the final credits have rolled, Ferris looks out at the camera and says “It’s over. Go home. Go!”)

That being said, I need you to know the next few months will not be the same without you. You will be missed individually and as a band of brothers (and sisters) that I have come to cherish working with. I hope you will take some time to personally reflect on some of the highlights of this past season. When God’s people invoke His presence and blessing on their efforts, it is always the biblical pattern to return thanks to Him when He clearly demonstrates His faithfulness. Need some reminders? New faces joined us, new opportunities to grow in worship and outreach helped solidify our purpose before God as worship leaders and good news bearers. We were used by God to help others experience powerful times of worship, to creatively share the gospel at Christmas and during Holy Week. As a team, we grew in unity and became a safer place for artists to use their God-given gifts. Through prayer and fellowship, we multiplied each other’s joy and divided one another’s grief. As a ministry, we experienced no significant tragedy, although even now we await the release of one of our own, Bob Worth, from his earthly body in exchange for his resurrected one. Anticipating this homecoming reminds me that the truly (and eternally) significant aspect of what God accomplished through us this year will probably not even be revealed to us until we are with Him forever in Heaven.

In addition to looking back to a year gone by, I pray you will also confirm or reaffirm your calling before we re-gather in August to begin anew. I sincerely believe in the concept of high investment, high return, and it certainly applies to the reward, the fulfillment we each receive after earnest preparation. An example of this would be the performance of the finale to our Christmas concert. First, imagine the gratification that came to those audience members who merely heard “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.”

it pales in comparison to the fulfillment that came to each of you after weeks of preparation and anticipation, when you finally joined the orchestra and presented it as a paean of praise worthy of our God. The scriptural principle which applies here is that of death and life. Paul says that we cannot really know resurrected power and life without undergoing a kind of death to ourselves and what might be convenient or comfortable. As you face the fall and the future, I pray you will count the cost and choose to continue to offer the sacrifice of praise.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, personally, as part of the Hope leadership team and as part of the gathered community, for staying faithful to your call as worship leaders. I include in that kudos to our department assistant Jenn for her tireless efforts to serve us, keep us organized, and help us to relate as a family; to my wife Debby as the director of our drama ministry, who inspires with her words, her characters, her stories, and her heart; for our entire tech ministry under Todd’s humble servant leadership and especially Benito and Ingrid for their excellence, creativity and hard work; our instrumentalists, each of whom is a true joy to work with; our Worship Advisory Team (Brian, Danny, Leslie, Veronica, Jim and Sharon), and many more too numerous to mention.

Each of you, through your weekly, consistent commitment to the worship ministry, has not only blessed our church and its guests, but you have richly added to my life. I realize that the personal and professional demands for your time and energy can make such a ministry of service challenging at times. You have stepped up, done your work, and continued to put the blessing of others before your own need for a less complicated life. And even on those weeknights and Sunday mornings when you thought you could not give any more, you simply showed up. How delighted God is when His saints stay the course. It is what ultimately qualified Jesus for being raised to the place of highest honor…he endured to the end.

Finally, I leave you with a blessing contained in one little but awesome word from the Old Testament— mizpah. MIZPAH is mentioned for the first time in the Bible (Genesis 31, around 1800 BC) as a powerful watchword, when Jacob and Laban agreed at Gilead to a God-sent peace. They built a memento of stone and named it like their wise covenant MIZPAH, saying: “The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.” I am confident that the One who watches over Israel,(Ps. 121) who never slumbers nor sleeps, whose eye is on the sparrow—will have each of us and all of us in His scope throughout our summer separation.

You are loved,
tad