Today, I was encouraged by some great artists (Gungor, Kari Jobe, and All Sons & Daughters). God's revelation came in ways somewhat unexpected and surprising. Here are three thoughts that stuck out to me:
1. "You know my every move...You love for me to sing to you"
Kari Jobe has written a song called, "You Are For Me" with this phrase in the verse. As I sang these words, I thought about the unnerving fact that the God I worship knows my every move. More than that, he knows my every motive. As I contemplated the implications of God's all-knowing, ever-present nature, I thought about the Sundays that I lead worship and think to myself, "God doesn't want to hear it from me...not after the week I've had." As if God's acceptance of my worship is based on the pre-requisite of my behavior, I feel that I am unworthy of even worshipping. But, God doesn't feel that way. Just as his love and acceptance is unconditional, so is His grace when accepting our sacrifice of worship. This means there is no more shame, no more guilt, no more legalism. Only Freedom.
2. "I am a sinner, if it's not one thing it's another...You are a Savior and you take brokeness aside and make it beautiful"
As Paul cries out to God to remove the thorn from his flesh, God replies, "My grace is sufficient". Not only is God's grace sufficient, but ONLY God's grace is sufficient. I have been staring my sin in the eyes lately, and sin's scowl is haunting. Sometime's the power of sin seems overwhelming, as if it weren't one sin it would just be another. Yet God is a redeeming God. Not only is God redeeming sinful acts, he is redeeming sinners.
Sinners, like me.
3. "You make beautiful things out of us"
As I listened to Gungor shout these lyrics, I began to think of the beautiful things he has made from the dust of my life, and the lives of the people close to me. It is good to remember the dust from which you came. I thought about these beautiful things:
-- My 83 year old grandpa finding Jesus in the nursing
home and the new life he has inherited.
-- My best friend finding healing and restoration
in Christ after being sexually abused.
-- The miracle God worked in my life to heal me of anxiety
and empower me to live a life free of fear.
There is beauty all around me. May I not forget the dust from which the beauty was formed, and so, neglect the gratitude God is owed.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Our God Reigns
This week, I feel lucky to be able to attend the National Worship Leader's Conference here in town. Year after year, this conference has been an encouragement to my soul and a catalyst for new ideas and fresh movements of God. This year is proving to be more of the same.
The worship sessions at the conference are led by some of the most well-known worship leaders in the world. The production value is through the roof (and on the roof, sometimes), the hunger for God's presence amongst church leaders is contagious, and the level of musicianship and artistry is almost distracting. All that to say, it is easy to find myself 'swept away' in a movement toward God and His praise. This being my third year at this particular conference, I find myself heavier against that natural pull towards total abandon in worship. The enormity of the worship experience is more familiar, and less overwhelming. Which leaves me looking for something fresh, yet lasting and constant amidst an environment swirling with revelations from God.
Tonight I felt as if I were mining for the treasures of God. As I absorbed the lyrics, melodies, words, and images on the screen, I was waiting to here God's voice in a new way; I was trusting God to initiate a worshipful response. During this mining, as one of my favorite worship leading couples were leading, God revealed Himself to me in humbling way through the phrase, "Hallelujah, our God reigns". As we sang this phrase over and over, God revealed the circumstances in my life in which he is now, actively reigning. I began to imagine the broken, fragmented, discouraging, scary, hurtful, jealous areas of my life. Then, I had an image of God reigning in those moments. I also thought of the exciting, new, challenging opportunities ahead of me, and pictured God reigning there as well. Before, 'our God reigns' meant that He is generally in control of the universe and will have the last word. But now, God was revealing that 'our God reigns' means that he is present in our specific circumstances, in control of the chaos, and lovingly leading us.
I thought of our friends who desperately want to have children, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened. I thought of our friends and family out of work, in broken marriages, or in careers that don't satisfy. I thought about my son's arrival here in a few weeks. I thought about the opportunities that await Living Hope as we embrace our new home. The common thread in all of these situations is that I don't have the answers or explanations. To be honest, I don't even know the right things to say anymore. BUT, "Hallelujah, our God Reigns"
That revelation, the image of God as reigning in my specific circumstance, solicits a response. My response will be a life abandoned to the will and way of Christ.
The worship sessions at the conference are led by some of the most well-known worship leaders in the world. The production value is through the roof (and on the roof, sometimes), the hunger for God's presence amongst church leaders is contagious, and the level of musicianship and artistry is almost distracting. All that to say, it is easy to find myself 'swept away' in a movement toward God and His praise. This being my third year at this particular conference, I find myself heavier against that natural pull towards total abandon in worship. The enormity of the worship experience is more familiar, and less overwhelming. Which leaves me looking for something fresh, yet lasting and constant amidst an environment swirling with revelations from God.
Tonight I felt as if I were mining for the treasures of God. As I absorbed the lyrics, melodies, words, and images on the screen, I was waiting to here God's voice in a new way; I was trusting God to initiate a worshipful response. During this mining, as one of my favorite worship leading couples were leading, God revealed Himself to me in humbling way through the phrase, "Hallelujah, our God reigns". As we sang this phrase over and over, God revealed the circumstances in my life in which he is now, actively reigning. I began to imagine the broken, fragmented, discouraging, scary, hurtful, jealous areas of my life. Then, I had an image of God reigning in those moments. I also thought of the exciting, new, challenging opportunities ahead of me, and pictured God reigning there as well. Before, 'our God reigns' meant that He is generally in control of the universe and will have the last word. But now, God was revealing that 'our God reigns' means that he is present in our specific circumstances, in control of the chaos, and lovingly leading us.
I thought of our friends who desperately want to have children, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened. I thought of our friends and family out of work, in broken marriages, or in careers that don't satisfy. I thought about my son's arrival here in a few weeks. I thought about the opportunities that await Living Hope as we embrace our new home. The common thread in all of these situations is that I don't have the answers or explanations. To be honest, I don't even know the right things to say anymore. BUT, "Hallelujah, our God Reigns"
That revelation, the image of God as reigning in my specific circumstance, solicits a response. My response will be a life abandoned to the will and way of Christ.
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