Living the Call TOGETHER

Dear Worshipers,

Over the next few weeks we are going to be hearing a lot about “Living the Call Together”. We have heard that before. We know what that means. We understand what that looks like; praying, giving, going, sending, (living) together, to complete the Great Commission. Or do we?

These weeks we have been focusing on Sunday morning on the reality that God has something to say and that we had better be listening. What is God going to say to you in these next few weeks as we hear the Call again? I hope you will tune your ears to hear what the Spirit is calling you to do as we live the call TOGETHER.

That word TOGETHER is very important. Two particular angles have been on my mind lately as I have been praying and preparing for Missions Conference, and as I have labored over the song that we have begun to learn as a congregation. First, we live together with God. Second, we live together with each other. Both angles find a beautiful expression even in the context of the song. Allow me to illustrate.

It was never really MY song. God began to put that opening line in my heart back about the middle of August or earlier. I prayed about it and began to work through it, living it with God, allowing Him to form the song in my heart through melody and lyrics. I finally sat down at the piano and began to labor over it composing the chords that would under gird the melody and lyrics. After the chorus was finished, I had to wait on the Lord and listen for the verse, if He wanted one. It turned out He did, and He gave that to me as well. I continue to tweak things in the song with God, but it is nearing a finished product. Here is where the other aspect comes in.

I can not describe what it was like to hear that song first start to come to life as our musicians played and singers sang it. It had an entirely different life to it than it did when it was simply between me and God. It began to evolve, becoming more than I had expected. As each yielded their talents the TOGETHER aspect really blossomed. Pastor David called the National Office and they have requested a recording and sheet music to evaluate its’ usefulness beyond our local church. That is very humbling.

Since all I had was my hand-written manuscript, I engaged the assistance of several other servants to help me with this task. Bill Dodrill has created a very professional looking electronic manuscript. Scott Gillum has agreed to assist me in creating a high quality recording. Bob Menear has offered to write a chart for the orchestra. Do you see how this TOGETHER thing has incredible potential? If it ever had been, this is not my song anymore, it is OURS.

All that to say…be mindful of what God is birthing in your heart. It may be a song or some other service to the King. Whatever it is, keep it before Him long enough for Him to breathe life into it and cause it to blossom. That impression, that whisper, that nudge could end up becoming more that you had ever expected as you live it out with God and His people.

Let’s Live the Call Together!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott