At a church board meeting last week I noticed the church's mission statement, or "Statement of Purpose" as it says. "South Flint Church of the Nazarene exists to exalt the name of our Lord Jesus Christ through worship, evangelism, and obedience to the living Word of God."
Over the last few weeks the idea of vision has been on my mind. I've never really been in a situation where I've needed a vision for more than just my life before now, so I'm in the beginning stages of figuring that out. But I think before you can create a vision you need to know what you're purpose is, in other words, what is your own personal mission statement?
As I sat waiting for this meeting to start I began to think about a mission statement for life, a personal mission statement. I've narrowed it down to three words: LIVE, PREACH, GLORIFY.
LIVE in the Spirit, Galatians 5.22-25
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
PREACH the gospel of Jesus, 2 Timothy 4.1-8
"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."
GLORIFY the Father, Philippians 2.1-11
"Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
LIVE, PREACH, GLORIFY
Peace be with you
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Worship Wars
Is it really about the music? Does style really matter? Obviously it does because this is an issue, but should it matter? This idea is one that is on the front of my mind this week. The church I am currently serving at is predominately older. Seventy-Five percent of the congregation is over the age of sixty. Several members have been here for seventy plus years. They love the hymns and the traditional style of music, and that's not a bad thing.
I think the hymns are wonderful. Currently I'm working on a book about the beauty and theology found in the hymns. And at the same time I love the new contemporary music. I love the simple truths that I hear in them. But does it really matter what my preference is?
I think back to a class I had in college, Worship in the Christian Tradition. My professor said something the first day of class, and if we learned nothing else in class but this, I think he would be satisfied. "Worship is a trusting obedient response to the word of God." With this definition worship is more than singing, praying, reading the Bible, going to church, tithing; all of these are part of worship but not any one of them individually is worship. Worship is so much bigger than that.
Worship is a life style. The way we live our lives, everything we do and say, is an opportunity to worship God. And the thing with it is this, worship is about God. Look at the definition my professor gave us, "a trusting, obedient response to the word of God." As I read the Bible I find this to be true. If you look up the definition of worship in the dictionary you find this, "Reverence toward a divine or supernatural power; Expression of reverence; Extravagant respect or devotion." The word revere means, "Show honor and devotion to" and devotion is "Loyalty and dedication to." It all points to a life style.
For worship to happen, based on the definition above, God has to speak. Worship begins with God. For it to be worship it has to be directed at God. The only part humans play in all of this is the choice to listen to God speaking and then choosing to respond in trust and obedience.
Worship is not about us, it is not about our preferences or comfort zone. I think back to a previous post, He Alone is Worthy, I mentioned how God HAS to be praised because of who he is. God will receive worship, he HAS to be worshiped, so it will happen. The best part is that he invites us to do it. He invites us, as unworthy as we are, to come and worship him for who he is.
There is a verse in Galatians 4, "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God," the verse is talking about how we used to not know God and lived our lives enslaved to things that are not God. Then it talks about how now that we know God, how do we can we go back to being enslaved by things that are not God? How can we go back to worshiping something that is not God? But the best part of this verse is where it says, "or rather to be known by God," think about that. Take a moment and think about the vastness of creation, not just the world, but our galaxy, or even more, the entire universe. Think about how big it is, God made all of that. The song "God of Wonders" comes to my mind. Right now I'm listening to the song "God of this City" it says, "There is no one like our God" and that is so true.
So as we worship, not just in music but in life, we must realize that it isn't about us. It is not about our presences or comforts, but about God.
Romans 12.1-2, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
God speaks, may we have the wisdom to hear his voice and then the courage to respond in trust and obedience. My we live lives that worship God. May our lives be fully about God.
Peace be with you
I think the hymns are wonderful. Currently I'm working on a book about the beauty and theology found in the hymns. And at the same time I love the new contemporary music. I love the simple truths that I hear in them. But does it really matter what my preference is?
I think back to a class I had in college, Worship in the Christian Tradition. My professor said something the first day of class, and if we learned nothing else in class but this, I think he would be satisfied. "Worship is a trusting obedient response to the word of God." With this definition worship is more than singing, praying, reading the Bible, going to church, tithing; all of these are part of worship but not any one of them individually is worship. Worship is so much bigger than that.
Worship is a life style. The way we live our lives, everything we do and say, is an opportunity to worship God. And the thing with it is this, worship is about God. Look at the definition my professor gave us, "a trusting, obedient response to the word of God." As I read the Bible I find this to be true. If you look up the definition of worship in the dictionary you find this, "Reverence toward a divine or supernatural power; Expression of reverence; Extravagant respect or devotion." The word revere means, "Show honor and devotion to" and devotion is "Loyalty and dedication to." It all points to a life style.
For worship to happen, based on the definition above, God has to speak. Worship begins with God. For it to be worship it has to be directed at God. The only part humans play in all of this is the choice to listen to God speaking and then choosing to respond in trust and obedience.
Worship is not about us, it is not about our preferences or comfort zone. I think back to a previous post, He Alone is Worthy, I mentioned how God HAS to be praised because of who he is. God will receive worship, he HAS to be worshiped, so it will happen. The best part is that he invites us to do it. He invites us, as unworthy as we are, to come and worship him for who he is.
There is a verse in Galatians 4, "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God," the verse is talking about how we used to not know God and lived our lives enslaved to things that are not God. Then it talks about how now that we know God, how do we can we go back to being enslaved by things that are not God? How can we go back to worshiping something that is not God? But the best part of this verse is where it says, "or rather to be known by God," think about that. Take a moment and think about the vastness of creation, not just the world, but our galaxy, or even more, the entire universe. Think about how big it is, God made all of that. The song "God of Wonders" comes to my mind. Right now I'm listening to the song "God of this City" it says, "There is no one like our God" and that is so true.
So as we worship, not just in music but in life, we must realize that it isn't about us. It is not about our presences or comforts, but about God.
Romans 12.1-2, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
God speaks, may we have the wisdom to hear his voice and then the courage to respond in trust and obedience. My we live lives that worship God. May our lives be fully about God.
Peace be with you
Monday, February 8, 2010
1 Corinthians 13.11-12
"When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known."
How does this relate to the rest of chapter? At an initial glace it may seem totally random and out of place. The first ten verses and the last verse are about love. This passage is very often used at weddings but the love Paul refers to here is so much more than a human emotion that a husband and wife show to each other.
The love that we read about is so much more than the love we as people have for one another. This love is the love that we are to have for God, but more importantly it is the love that God has for us! Think about it,
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away" (verses 4-8).
All of those are things God shows to us and it is so awesome that he does, where would we be if he didn't? If he wasn't patient or kind? If he was provoked and took our sins into account? If his love didn't endure when we didn't accept or appreciate it, where would we be? This is the love that God has for us, and it is the model of the love we are to have for him and each other.
But the two verses I mentioned, eleven and twelve, look at them in relation to love, since that is the context they fall in. When I was a child the word love was one that was used so freely, and in some cases it still is. As a little boy, "I love Batman." "I love the Cleveland Indians." "I love ..." Even as I grew older and used the word towards a girl I dated, I never got it. My love was immature. As it says, I spoke, thought, and reasoned as a child would, and my love for God was the same way. But then my life changed, I became a man, and my ability to understand and show love changed.
I understand what it is to love another person, and even though I've never been able to say it to her except on paper in letters I haven't sent, I understand it. My love for, and understanding of, God has increased, and I've come to further understand his heart, due to things I've experienced with this girl.
But even though I have come to this deeper understanding and my love isn't childish and immature, my love is still incomplete, as is my ability to fully comprehend it. I see and know only in part, but one day I will fully know it, I will fully be able to love when I see love face to face. "God is love" (1 John 4.8b).
I will know love as God has loved me, and I will finally be able to love him as he loves me. And this is the most important part, not that I partially love God now, and one day will be able to fully love him, it isn't about my ability to love at all, it isn't that I have chosen to give that love to God. The most important part is that I have been loved by God. God loves me, and that is the only thing that matters at all. And one day I will fully be able to grasp that love when I look Love in the eye, face to face.
Peace be with you.
How does this relate to the rest of chapter? At an initial glace it may seem totally random and out of place. The first ten verses and the last verse are about love. This passage is very often used at weddings but the love Paul refers to here is so much more than a human emotion that a husband and wife show to each other.
The love that we read about is so much more than the love we as people have for one another. This love is the love that we are to have for God, but more importantly it is the love that God has for us! Think about it,
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away" (verses 4-8).
All of those are things God shows to us and it is so awesome that he does, where would we be if he didn't? If he wasn't patient or kind? If he was provoked and took our sins into account? If his love didn't endure when we didn't accept or appreciate it, where would we be? This is the love that God has for us, and it is the model of the love we are to have for him and each other.
But the two verses I mentioned, eleven and twelve, look at them in relation to love, since that is the context they fall in. When I was a child the word love was one that was used so freely, and in some cases it still is. As a little boy, "I love Batman." "I love the Cleveland Indians." "I love ..." Even as I grew older and used the word towards a girl I dated, I never got it. My love was immature. As it says, I spoke, thought, and reasoned as a child would, and my love for God was the same way. But then my life changed, I became a man, and my ability to understand and show love changed.
I understand what it is to love another person, and even though I've never been able to say it to her except on paper in letters I haven't sent, I understand it. My love for, and understanding of, God has increased, and I've come to further understand his heart, due to things I've experienced with this girl.
But even though I have come to this deeper understanding and my love isn't childish and immature, my love is still incomplete, as is my ability to fully comprehend it. I see and know only in part, but one day I will fully know it, I will fully be able to love when I see love face to face. "God is love" (1 John 4.8b).
I will know love as God has loved me, and I will finally be able to love him as he loves me. And this is the most important part, not that I partially love God now, and one day will be able to fully love him, it isn't about my ability to love at all, it isn't that I have chosen to give that love to God. The most important part is that I have been loved by God. God loves me, and that is the only thing that matters at all. And one day I will fully be able to grasp that love when I look Love in the eye, face to face.
Peace be with you.
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