DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Dear Worshippers,

May the peace of our Prince fill your hearts and homes this wonderful Christmas season and all through the New Year, regardless of the circumstances in which you may find yourself. It is a joy and a delight to share this ministry with you for the glory of Jesus Christ, and I pray that you will know the joy of living in His presence in ever-increasing measure in 2008. As John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” [John 3:30, ESV] May that be our corporate prayer today and every day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

What Can I Give Him?

Dear Worshippers,

On my mind these last few weeks has been this opportunity to bring a gift to Jesus this Sunday night in the service. When Pastor David first shared this idea that Kyle Linscheid first mentioned, immediately the verses from I Corinthians 14:26-40 came to mind. Paul offers instruction there for the orderly exercising of gifts in public worship. He says, “When you meet. One will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in an unknown language, while another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord.” Our offering of gifts to Jesus Sunday night I am certain will have that desired effect. I hope you will consider coming and contributing, whether with a song or poem or otherwise.

As I have been reflecting on this theme a poem came to mind by Christina Rossetti, titled “In the Bleak Midwinter”. In my search for the text, I came across a post on YouTube featuring Sarah Brightman singing this text to the traditional Gustav Holst melody. Here is the link to that video to introduce it to some of you, and remind the rest: In the Bleak Midwinter.

We only have the last stanza in our hymnal [The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration, Word © 1986] for some reason. While it is beautiful, it is best understood and appreciated with the entire context of the poem. This was very difficult to find, but I believe is the complete original text. What a gift? Our hearts. I leave you with your Spirit-led reflections.

1.      In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan, 

        earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; 

        snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, 

        in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

2.      Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; 

        heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. 

        In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed 

        the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. 

3.      Enough for Him whom cherubim worship night and day,

A breastful of milk and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him whom angels fall down before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

3.      Angels and archangels may have gathered there, 

        cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; 

        but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, 

        worshiped the beloved with a kiss. 

4.      What can I give him, poor as I am? 

        If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; 

        if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; 

        yet what I can I give him:  give my heart.

Let us be mindful as well of those who are aware how bleak midwinter is. There are many in our lives, even in our church, yes even on our shared area of ministry that look at the season we now enjoy with mixed emotions at best. Whether there is family disharmony or outright conflict, a fractured relationship, or simply reminders of the same, many are dealing with powerful and difficult emotions. Let us incarnate Christ to them and so share the peace that the He alone offers. Give Him your heart, and let Him use to in the life of another.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Thank You, Jesus

Dear Worshippers,

If you participated in the musical this past weekend, please know that I am truly grateful to you. As I said in our prayer time just before we started Sunday night, each of us had a role to play in communicating the message of peace available in Jesus. I thank my God as I remember your part, whatever it was.

I will take some time this week to write thank you notes to at least a few people who contributed to the success of the musical. I will not be able to tell everyone just how appreciative I am of their sacrifices, let alone the sacrifices of family and friends in the midst of this season. It takes a lot of people and a lot of time to do what the Lord did through us Sunday night. Again, I thank our God for the use of each of us.

I am also finding myself thanking Jesus for what He did Sunday night, the days leading up to it, and since. As I think about different things that happened, I am amazed at the goodness of our Lord to me and us. I don't really take the time to convey the many things that I see the Lord doing as we prepare a major work like the musical. Here is a short list:

♪ Excellent stage management assistance in Lisa Giessler, who truly feels as though her job is done best when no one notices, well done
♪ A wonderful combination of folks for the cast, their relationships as seen on stage proved to be a powerful venue for the Lord to communicate to us
♪ The furniture. This may seem like a little thing, but trust me it is not
♪ Caring for details like cookies, we never have too few
♪ The venue at the mall, the TV, and favor with the management. The latter especially was an unexpected blessing.
♪ Our audio/visual crew, including the high-flying Pastor Tony Etris who I learned is afraid of heights, and faithful Fred, and marvelous Meria
♪ Bringing people that we have invited. Only He can do that. Some of them were real surprises, to us at least.
♪ The orchestra players, who came a variety of times from a variety of places through a variety of contacts that only the Lord could make.
♪ The largest choir we have had in that loft since at least Easter. Great job! You are the foundation of this entire endeavor.
♪ And the list goes on.

Thank you Jesus! Thank you for these and any other blessings along the way that came by Your gracious hand. We revel in all that You are, in these days, this season, and forever.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Dear Worshippers,

With the snow falling these last couple of days, I have found myself humming this tune. I even caught Samuel singing it on the way to school this morning as we traveled white-covered roads. The lights are going up all over town, Christmas plans are in full swing, and you can feel it in the air. Christmas is coming. You can see.

As parents of small children, Sarah and I have really wrestled with what Christmas should look like. Presents under the tree can quickly become the focal point of this season that is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of our Savior. How many times are children asked that question during the lead-up to Christmas, “What do you want for Christmas?”

No before you think I am an old Scrooge, you must know that we delight in giving good gifts to our children. What we struggle with is doing so while trying even harder to keep Christ in Christmas. I know this is a universal struggle for every household, so I wanted to write today and encourage you along these lines…

What makes it look like Christmas in your home? For us, it is the nativity at the bottom of a tree decorated with angels. It is the Advent wreath where we try to gather every evening to light the candles and think about Jesus’ coming. It is decorating and going to see Christmas lights which penetrate the darkness and remind us that Jesus did and continues to do just that.

I am certain you have some traditions of your own that make Christmas special. I want to encourage you to enjoy them and the way they point you to the Savior. Maybe there is something new you have wanted to add for sometime and just haven’t. Maybe there is some obligatory thing that you have wanted to stop doing and just haven’t. Purpose to allow your spare moments in this busy holiday season to be filled with Christ. Know that I will be doing the same.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Is there Peace in the World Tonight?

Dear Worshippers,

Following a rest stop in our journey through our core values of worship last week, I sense the Lord leading me to take a detour for this next season. It is my expectation that this detour will lead us back to the path we were traveling together, but for now, let us enjoy this road that lies immediately before us-the Advent and Christmas seasons.

This is a good time to begin a new path since it marks the beginning of the year. Before you think that the stress of the Christmas musical has through my mind off by a month bear in mind that I am referring to the Christian or Church Year, not the calendar. The Church Year, liturgically speaking, begins with Advent. You will remember that advent means appearing. This is the season when we remember that God our King promised to appear, and then kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

The musical we will share next week, makes the statement “There is Peace in the World Tonight” in it’s title and then reinforces that through narration, drama and song. The angels got it right when they said, “Peace on earth”, although the headlines might lead you to believe there proclamation was premature. You see peace is not the absence of conflict, peace is the presence of God.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” [John 14:27] Often this peace seems allusive, just beyond our grasp, but it is found when we rest in Him, not allowing our hearts to be troubled or ourselves be afraid. Sounds easy, right?

I am facing something today in my personal life that kind of has me reeling. I am troubled. I could allow these circumstances to dictate the state of my soul, or I can allow God to do that. Ultimately, this is a response I must choose based on truth God has revealed.

What are you facing today? Will you allow it to rob you of the peace of God? Or rather will you choose to respond to it with the peace of God? I know the choice that I am determined to make. We sang it in the service Sunday night: “Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy or what Thou art. I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.” AMEN. There is peace in the world tonight.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Evangelistic

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the fifth value. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

Last week I mentioned that the last two phrases of our new brand flesh out our mission focus very nicely: Multiplying communities of Christ. Around the World. The thing about multiplying communities of faith, whether here, there or everywhere, is that it requires evangelism. That is, seeing the lost turn to Christ alone for salvation. Our mission to do this around the world implies that we will be doing that right here for starters. If we are to be an evangelistic people, and we are, then our worship must be Evangelistic. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we are recommending for inclusion in the philosophical document:

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,

so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Psalm 145:11-12

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men…For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5:11a, 14-15, 18-19 (From II Corinthian 5:11-21)

Part of the reason that we worship is so that others may hear of God’s mighty acts as we glorify Him. We often forget about the horizontal dimension of worship. When we gather to worship we are there with others. Though our primary focus is the Lord, we recognize the presence of others with us, believers and unbelievers. You may ask, “Do you really think there are that many unbelievers in church from week to week?” The Scriptures bears out very clearly that there are many who think they know Christ, but have never surrendered their lives to Him, and others who simply have not yielded but are being drawn to Christ. When we worship God, those unbelievers hear of “[His] mighty acts and the glorious splendor of [His] Kingdom and have the opportunity to turn in faith.

The second passage reminds us that we have entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, that is, helping people to realize a that Christ has made a way to be reconciled to God. What a privilege is ours to be Christ’s ambassadors. If this is a part of our life in Christ individually, then certainly it will find expression through us collectively. We need always to be looking out for those opportunities to help people realize they can have peace with God.

While we offer a variety of events that have this as a part of their focus, it may not be more clearly presented than at our Christmas musical. There is an effort made to invite the unchurched, and unevangelized in our lives to come. While here, they hear the Christmas story and have an opportunity to give their lives to Christ. Take advantage of this evangelistic event by inviting others and encouraging them to join us for the musical.

But the musical is not the only evangelistic thing we do all year. Every time we gather there is that awareness that unbelievers are likely in our midst and we must clearly communicate the gospel so that they have the opportunity to come to faith. Keep your eyes open for those opportunities when you are here, and when you are there. Everywhere.

Jesus, may our individual lives of worship be evangelistic, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be evangelistic as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Mission Focused

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the fourth value. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

Last week I mentioned new brand of The Christian and Missionary Alliance “Living the Call Together” and the way it communicates who we are. It is explained with four concise phrases: Ordinary people. Empowered by an extraordinary God. Multiplying communities of Christ. Around the World. Those last two phrases really capture the Mission focus of this movement. That focus must be reflected in our worship. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, here are the ones we are recommending for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

You may recall that the latter verse was one of the verses that was used for the last value, Spirit empowered. There is a very pointed purpose in that empowering, completing the task that Jesus gave those first disciples and continues to assign today to everyone called by His matchless name. The empowering of the Spirit is not as much for our good as it is for the glory of our God.

The revealing of that glory to the world in this age started with Jesus command to us, which we call The Great Commission. We often think about the word “go” as being the primary operative word, but we need to be careful not to miss “make disciples”. Jesus did not say make converts, but disciples. The process is very different, the latter being a process not a pinpoint moment. Our worship should aid that process in every way, and be a significant part of it.

But there is at least one other aspect that I want to highlight. At the beginning and the end of this passage are two things we must not forget as we focus on mission: power and presence. Jesus says, “All authority…has been given to me…and surely I am with you always”. We must demonstrate to the world the power and presence of Jesus to the world in relationship. We can tell people about Jesus, but living out His mission focus requires that we show them Jesus. He lived out His mission flawlessly, we do not. Still let us give ourselves over to the One who wants to focus our worship on the mission He has given us to accomplish.

Jesus, may our individual lives of worship be mission focused, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be mission focused as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Spirit-Empowered

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the third value. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

Last week I mentioned that one of the early cries of The Christian and Missionary Alliance was, “Jesus Only!” While we continue to be true to that, our new brand “Living the Call Together” communicates that commitment to this generation. It is fleshed out in four concise phrases: Ordinary people. Empowered by an extraordinary God. Multiplying communities of Christ. Around the World. It starts with the call of the Father, delivered by the Son and empowered by the Spirit. Let there be no mistaking, as much as we desire our worship to be Word centered and Christ exalting, we also desire for it to be Spirit-empowered. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, here are the ones we are recommending for inclusive in the philosophical document:

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power. I Corinthians 2:4-5

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24

As individual believers we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit that we might be witnesses of the glory of Jesus Christ. Far too often, we do not yield to the Spirit’s work in our lives, and so we do not enjoy the benefits He offers. How often even on our witness do we try to use “wise and persuasive words” in the absence of the Spirit’s power.

If our lives are made up of one expression of worship after another, forming a sequence of events that when combined make one great act of worship, then we must trust the Spirit’s power to enable these expressions. Our witness and our worship are intrinsically connected as we see in these verses, so let us surrender to the Spirit everyday, and certainly on the day when we come together.

If you have ever heard me pray before corporate worship, you likely have heard me ask the Spirit to have his way in us, even if that means a radical change in our plans. Even if we have to set our agendas aside entirely to experience the power of the Spirit, would that not be preferable to the alternative, our agenda without Him? I believe so.

May our individual lives of worship be Spirit-empowered, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be Spirit-empowered as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Christ Exalting

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the second value. As I said, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

One of the early cries of The Christian and Missionary Alliance was, “Jesus Only!” Our four-fold gospel represented in our logo visualizes this Christ-focus: Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. Let there be no mistaking, as much as we desire our worship to be Word centered, we also desire for it to be Christ exalting. While one might say that Word centered and Christ exalting are very similar since Christ is the Living Word, there is certainly a place in worship to specifically exalt the person of our Lord and His life and ministry. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, here are the ones we are recommending for inclusive in the philosophical document:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Hebrews 1:1-4

I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Verses 17b-18 from Revelation 1:10-18

Clearly the Word, which we desire to have the central place in our worship, declares that we are to exalt the person of our Lord in all we do, whether individually or corporately. This heart of exaltation toward Christ is demonstrated in our individual lives and then certainly in our corporate life. Everything we do must exalt, lift up, magnify, laud, acclaim, pay tribute to, and sing the praises of Jesus.

You have heard the saying, “A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.” I think this is evidenced in our corporate worship at times, in that our worship, our Christ exalting Word centered worship is only as strong as our weakest link. So I ask you the question, does your life magnify the Lord Jesus Christ? Again, I am not talking about perfection as much as inclination. Is it your aim to exalt Him in all that you do? As we each seek to exalt Christ is our individual lives, we will experience a greater degree of corporate Christ exalting worship when we gather.

May our individual lives of worship be Christ exalting, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be Christ exalting as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Word Centered

Dear Worshippers,

We spent the last two weeks thinking about how worship is not synonymous with music. Now I would like to take a journey through what worship is. As I said, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather deal with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

Consistent with the history and heartbeat of our church, the first value that surfaced was that Worship is Word centered. Probably the most defensible of all the values, it sits right at the top of the list because of the centrality of the Scripture in the life of faith in general and certainly in the gatherings of the people of God in particular. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to each of these realities, but the ones we are recommending for inclusive in the philosophical document are these:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple. Verse 7 from Psalm 19:7-14

I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees. Verse 48 from Psalm 119

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Clearly the Word must have a central place in our individual lives and accordingly our corporate gatherings. How do we express that? We read the Word. We preach the Word. We sing the Word. We pray the Word. We honor the Word. [Everything that we do in the service must be in line with the Word.]

As is the case with this, so it is with all the values. The intent of the corporate gathering is that it is a collective demonstration of what we desire to be expressed in each of our lives individually. Living the Call when we are dispersed should certainly be illustrated by Living the Call Together when we gather. And we do that through His power which is ushered in through our knowledge of Him according to His Word.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

May our individual lives of worship be Word centered, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be Word centered as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship ≠ Music, Part 2

Dear Worshippers,

As we began this path last week I made two basic points: 1. There is much to worship that is not music, and 2. Music, especially singing, is a scripture-mandated element of worship, though much more varied than we often imagine. I asked these questions at the end of last weeks Tuning, “Which music does God like best?” and “What is God’s favorite song?”

One author has put it this way.

His favorite song of all, is the song of the redeemed.
When lost sinners now made clean lift their voices loud and strong.
When those purchased by His blood lift to Him a song of love.
Nothing more He’d rather hear. None so pleasing to His ear.
That’s His favorite song of all.
“Favorite Song of All”, Words and Music by Dan Dean, © 1992 Dawn Treador Music.
First brought to my attention through the ministry of The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir directed by Carol Cymbala

What do you suppose that song sounds like? Do you suppose it has a particular “style”? Do you imagine that it has a particular orchestration and instrumentation? Do you think it is four-part harmony or simple melody, etc.? You see where I am going with this. The song God most enjoys is the song of love sung by “lost sinners now made clean.”

The song above continues with these words. [I get “glory” bumps just thinking about them.]

It’s not just melodies and harmonies that capture His attention.
It’s not just clever lines and phrases that causes Him to stop and listen,
But when any heart set free, washed and bought by Calvary begins to sing…
That’s His favorite song of all, it’s the song of the redeemed…

I heard a story just last Friday that illustrated this beautifully. A friend was relaying to me how she came to know Jesus, and particularly the role that music played in that. She was attending a special service at her church where a style of music was being used to which she had an aversion. From the opening strains of music she relayed how she dug her heals in determined she would not participate, yet during those same stains of music she began to feel God calling her. There was an opportunity at the end of the service to talk and pray with counselors in a certain room. She went there, looked in, but quickly walked away. The pastor and her friend caught her and asked if she wanted to go to the altar. It was there that she gave her life to Jesus in simple faith, with no musical underscore.

God happened to reveal Himself through music, and a number of other means, but the response was not musical at all, at least not in the way we define music and singing. She did not relay to me that she began spontaneous praise singing _________ [insert favorite or abhorrent song title hear]. But she did tell me that her feelings toward a previously unliked style of music changed. Why? Because God revealed Himself to her when her heart was least expecting it, and that opened her to a whole new world, both spiritually and musically.

All this is simply to say that worship is not music, but music can be worship, when the heart is rightly oriented to God, i.e. redeemed. Thanks again for journeying on with me. I look forward to where the Lord will take us next week.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship ≠ Music, Part 1

Dear Worshippers,

Last week I wrote about allowing revelation and response so as to exalt the role of the Holy Spirit in each of these and diminish our role as worship leaders. I was planning to drive on it to the Core Values that we are discussing as a subcommittee of Elders, but did not feel a release from the Lord on this. As I have prayed over the weekend and was meditating even today on what the Lord would have me share with you as we go on this journey I wanted to lay at least one more stepping stone along the foundation of this path. It is this, worship ≠ music, or worship does not equal music.

So often when people talk about worship, they are thinking music. If you look at these Tunings, listen closely to what I say, and hear what I hope is the consistent instruction I offer, you discern something entirely different. At least I hope you do. So that I am understood as we begin to talk about the Core Values of our corporate worship I wanted to make you certain I am NOT talking about music.

As we get into those Core Values, what you will notice is that they have nothing to do with music, or rather are not exclusive to musical expressions of worship. Though music may be a means of expressing any number of them, it is not the solitary expression of them, and probably is not even commonly connected with some. For you see, though music is a wonderful vehicle for our worship, it is but one of many choices. Depending on the path immediately before us, one might choose music over another vehicle, just as one would choose a different car based on the terrain directly ahead…

The scripture clearly commands praise. Psalms 8:2 says, “From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise.” “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises” declares the Psalmist in 46:6. The Psalms conclude with “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” [Psalm 150:6] Not only the Psalms, but in a number of other places we are instructed to “sing”, i.e. Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19, to name a just a couple. Singing praise is just one vehicle to use as we worship, but there are even many expressions of it, including a variety of styles, no one of which could fully communicate the vastness of our God.

While we will all agree on that, we will not so quickly agree on which is best. Unfortunately, that is often informed more by our experience than the scripture. As the leader, I have to choose the vehicle, hopefully under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In the size of congregation we have there are differences of opinion. Understandably so. But what we need to remember, among other things, is that worship, and particularly in this example, praise, is for God. Certainly we benefit from it, but let us keep Him first or we are on precarious ground, if not unbiblical.

And besides, which music does God like best? Have you ever really thought of that question? It seems kind of absurd when you really ponder it. Of all the tones and timbres that resonate among the people of the earth, which is His favorite. Over the majestic symphonies of ocean waves and the whistling of the wind through pines on mountain peaks, what does He really like to hear? Over the glorious sonnets of the angels as they sing “Holy, holy is the Lamb”. What does God most enjoy among our trifling attempts at praise in song? I will answer that question next week, as I finish this discourse and make my case that worship does NOT equal music.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Allowing

Dear Worshippers,

Last week we began a journey together. Rather, I began talking about the journey we are on to better understand and experience corporate worship in our church. Thank you for walking alongside me for this journey as I endeavor, with our Elders, to walk alongside Jesus. Let us all move along and find our encounters with our living Lord more vibrant than ever before.

We started our journey with a very brief overview of how we arrived at this place. The Elders have accepted the responsibility of defining the Core Values of our corporate worship, and have charged that task to a subcommittee chaired by me. We quickly affirmed the vision of our worship ministries [revelation and response] with this statement. “We are committed to worship the Lord corporately by giving Him the opportunity to reveal Himself and ourselves the opportunity to respond. When we gather to worship, all that happens should serve these two primary purposes, revelation and response.”

In that same meeting the Elders considered the following phrase which fueled the next part of the work for the committee. “We are committed to allowing these things to happen by…” In our most recent meeting the committee discussed the word allowing and I had to remind them of the reasoning behind the choice of that word. As we continue along together, let me bring you in on that discussion.

It is important to look back at the phrase and consider what we are allowing. The statement says “these things”. What are these things? Revelation and response. The committee began saying that we want to take a more active role in worship through possibly changing the word to encouraging. Although that is a part of what we ultimately want to do the reality is that we cannot make either of these things happen. The word allowing captures that humble submission more accurately.

You see, we can not make revelation or response happen. We can declare the Word, exalt Christ, and esteem the moving of the Spirit, but the Lord has to do the work of revealing Himself, and His people have to choose to receive that revelation. Even when they receive it, they have to choose again to respond and God has to enable and empower that response. Though worship is a command (Exodus 20:3), God allows us to choose to worship Him, and in so doing find the greatest delight available on earth. We sing that, “the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose You now.” [Come, Now is the Time to Worship, Brian Doerksen]

Even the Father in His infinite power and wisdom allows our worshipful response to Him Jesus said in John 4:23, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” It does not say “they are the kind of worshipers the Father makes.” He allows our response, so we can only take an active role in doing the same. We are committed to doing that.

We will spend some time considering how we do that near the end of this journey, but over the next several weeks we will begin to look at what are some of the Core Values that inform those expressions, actions and elements. I am so glad we are in this together, and am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to worship Him and lead in such a way that allows others to do the same.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Our Journey into Worship

Dear Worshippers,

Do you think you have experienced all there is of God through your participation in corporate worship? In other words, do you think you have “arrived”? I certainly hope not, for there is always more of Him to see, and more of ourselves to surrender. We are on a journey, all of us at different places, but coming together to go deeper into our understanding of God, and our abandoning of ourselves. Though the journey is joyful, it can also be arduous.

For the next several weeks, I want to share a little bit of that journey the Lord is taking us on as a church. I think it is important for us to know where we are and where we are headed, if we have any hope of moving forward. Are you picking up on the movement theme here? Worship is a journey, from a life of rebellion to resignation, from self to Himself, from pandemonium to peace. Put on some comfortable shoes and we will journey on together.

This journey, or at least the place I feel we should start for now, begins with Pastor David’s annual report. He communicated that the Elders spent our annual Prayer and Planning Retreat in January talking about our corporate worship, enjoying a strong sense of unity and purpose. We affirmed that we were “walking” step in step with each other. Out of this meeting came a subcommittee which I chair that has been laboring to define our core values. It has been a very rewarding journey for us and each time we have brought our work back to the Elders, it has been confirmed.

In March, the Elders adopted this statement, “We are committed to worship the Lord corporately by giving Him the opportunity to reveal Himself and ourselves the opportunity to respond. When we gather to worship, all that happens should serve these two primary purposes, revelation and response.” This was very affirming because it is an adaptation of the vision God has given me for the worship life of our church, centered around these two words, revelation and response. I had wrestled through this process as to how to reconcile the vision while defining the essentials of worship in our church. This assured me that I was on the right path.

Another partial statement that the Elders considered at that meeting fueled the next part of the work for the committee. “We are committed to allowing these things to happen by…” The key word in this phrase is not committed, though it is powerful, but instead allowing. Even in our most recent meeting the committee discussed the word affirming and I had to explain the choice of that word. Next week I will attempt to explain that word choice to you, and continue to direct you along this path we are walking together. Thanks for taking the journey with me.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Remembering the Fallen

Dear Worshippers,

It is September 11. I am sure you have been reminded in some way either today or in the last few days that we were approaching this significant date in American history. You probably remember where you were when you first heard of the plane, then planes, colliding into the World Trade Center. You probably remember standing in disbelief as you watched the second plane fly into the second tower, then as they fell. You could hardly believe it when you heard about the Pentagon and the other plane that went down in Pennsylvania. It was a day we will never forget. It was a tragic day in the history of our nation.

Some 3,000 fell that day. Going through their day, minding their own business, living their lives. Struck down, some in their prime, some with unborn children. Many presumably were not prepared to die, having very different plans for the day, the rest of September, the rest of that year. We mourn their loss, and pray for their families who today live it all over again.

But I want to ask you to consider some other fallen. Sarah told me just last night of a missionary that was murdered recently in Afghanistan. This missionary served with my brother-in-laws denomination. I do not know his name. I do not know the date of his death. I do not know the events surrounding his demise. But this I know, he gave his life in the service of the King. I presume he was ready to die, because anyone willing to communicate the gospel in Afghanistan knows the penalty for doing so is death. We mourn his loss, and pray for his family and friends as they grieve.

But let us remember that there are many others that have considered the cost and made their decision to live for, and if necessary die for, Jesus. Against all odds, they have decided to take the good news of the Savior in places that are less than receptive to it. They have placed their lives on the line so that some will have the chance to hear that otherwise might not have. Our missionary that we heard from Sunday in the service, who is laboring in the same country mentioned above, said that she can not leave, dangerous as it may be to here life, because she loves them.

Some of them will likely die in the process. They are our brothers and sisters. Some of them may even be us. Let us not shrink back, afraid to give our all, for the advance of the kingdom of our God is the call that has been placed on us. Let us encourage one another next week during Missions Conference 2007 to do all we can, by God’s grace to communicate the gospel AGAINST ALL ODDS.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Missions and Mercy

Dear Worshippers,

This weekend the choir will resume their ministry to our congregation as they sing the prayer "Hear Our Praises". Some of the text of this wonderful anthem says, “May our homes be filled with dancing, may our streets be filled with joy. May injustice bow to Jesus as the people turn to pray.” I stopped during our read-through of this last week and challenged the choir with this vision…

Wouldn’t it be a blessing if people across the nation instead of reading about football players or partying running rampant in our city, they could read about dancing filling our homes, joy filling the streets, injustice bowing to Jesus, BECAUSE GOD’S PEOPLE TURNED TO PRAY? What a demonstration of the mercy of God! As we heard on Sunday morning in the video from Gabon, missions and mercy go hand in hand. [Check it out at this link: Alliance Video, then under “Confronting Aids” click the “Watch Video” link]

Isn't that the mode of missions, showing and proclaiming the mercy of God? While we can use language that communicates the truth, we must also live lives that confirm our words. When we truly love others, we will reach out to them with the love of Jesus, extending hope and healing in Jesus to souls torn apart by sin.

The text of the anthem continues, “From the mountain to the valley, hear our praises rise to You; From the heavens to the nations hear our singing fill the air…Hallelujah!” What appropriate words for a bunch of mountaineers to sing. Let our praise rise to You, then echo to the nations. Give glory to God and let others know of Him. That is what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:12, 16b “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Start out praising God for who He is and what He has done, then let your deeds echo the praise of your lips through acts of mercy.

Both lips and lives saying, Hallelujah, praise You, Lord!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Break Up Your Unplowed Ground

Dear Worshippers,

A new season, is about to begin. No, I am not talking about the football season which we hope will see our Mountaineer football team crowned the national champions. I am referring to the fall, and the start-up of a cadre of ministries at church, including my favorite-choir.

I mention this because I am about to talk about plowing, sowing and reaping, and I want you to understand that I am aware we are entering harvest time as far as farmers are concerned, even while I talk about the beginning of the process. I am talking about the beginning because that is where we find ourselves in this community that revolves in great measure around the schedule of West Virginia University. In the fall, there is much excitement in Morgantown, but not all of it is centered around the university.

The verse that came to mind as I prayed about my word to you for this week was Hosea 10:12. To keep you from having to tear open the sticky pages from your Bible, at least for the moment, let me share it with you here from the NIV. “Sow for yourselves righteousness,/reap the fruit of unfailing love,/and break up your unplowed ground;/for it is time to seek the LORD,/until he comes/and showers righteousness on you.” I hope that last line is the desire of your soul as it is mine, to see the Lord shower His righteousness down upon us, the city which is home to the number #1 party school in the nation.

That shower will be the result of our cultivating lives of righteousness, loyal to our God. Cultivating is a part of the vision of our worship ministries, though we use the word nurture. Remember the vision, “Our Worship Ministries exist to nurture worship as a lifestyle characterized by sincere responses to God’s self-revelations.” This is all about growth: plowing, sowing, and reaping.

It is the first part that I want you to think about as we enter this new season. Where is some plowing necessary for you? Is there some area that you have left untended for a while? Though resting a field is a good practice, I hope you are willing to do the work that Lord has for you and in you in the days ahead.

Did you notice how this passage starts and ends with righteousness? This is all about the Lord and His mercy. In the chapter surrounding this verse, God is warning the nation of Israel to do some hard work and change their ways, or face the consequences. The Christian life is a life of change and transformation, though sometimes we are guilty of becoming far too comfortable. Part of the note on this verse from the NIV Study Bible says, “Be no longer unproductive, but repentant, making a radical new beginning and becoming productive and fruitful”. Receive that word from the Lord and break up your unplowed ground in this new season.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

They’re Back

Dear Worshippers,

If you have driven anywhere near Morgantown in the last few days you are aware of one thing for certain. The students are back. You have probably sat in traffic where for the last three months you were whizzing along. I want to encourage you with a particular perspective as those students clog the arteries of our otherwise sleepy little berg.

Each student has come to study at WVU with a particular objective. Some have come for a degree, others have come for a good time, if they get a degree, fine. Some are studying chemistry, others are trying to find it in a relationship. Some have come to learn how to teach, others already think that have everything figured out. MANY OF THEM NEED JESUS! I DID!

In the fall of 1990, I entered West Virginia University as a student in the College of Creative Arts. Little did I, know that God was going to draw me to Himself very creatively through a number of my classmates. I was pursing a Bachelors Degree in Music. Little did I know, God was already using that love to draw me to Himself, who would become my First Love. God was orchestrating my life, absolutely no pun intended, to bring me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and I did not have a clue.

How many students have arrived in Morgantown as lost as I was? Everyone of them loved by the Father and gently being draw to Him. Many will miss His leading, but a few will follow. Will you pray for them?

Some of them are future pastors. Others are missionaries. Most will be faithful followers who remember their coming to (or back to) Jesus while they were at WVU. Don’t you want to be a part of that? Prepare yourself for the part God would have you play by praying. And in your prayers listen. God may just ask you to do something that will be a little outside of your comfort zone, but will put you in a place where you can touch a student, or a number of them, with His love.

I want to also encourage you to pray for our College Church. This is the primary vehicle of our reach into the WVU student population. Pastor Smith is laboring with his leadership team to provide a place for students to belong and become more like Jesus. Please pray for them as they communicate the Gospel to as many students as they can.

Yes, they’re back, and the streets are clogged. Clogged with opportunity. The opportunity is yours to pray for them while you are sitting in that traffic, and pray for yourself to help them find their way to the Savior.

What would He have you do?

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Splash Kingdom

Dear Worshippers,

We are hosting our first ever Children’s Musical Camp at church this week. Thirty-six kids from Kindergarten through 6^th grade have come out for a week of fun in the Son. We are learning at entire dramatic musical in one week with our dress rehearsal on Friday at 11:30. We are having a great time learning, laughing and loving.

Most of these kids have already accepted Christ, but this life saving musical gives them the opportunity to confirm that decision, and be trained to share that faith with others as we learn the ABC’s of salvation through a course called “Lifesaving 101” in the body of the musical. The kids will have an opportunity to share the musical on a couple of occasions when they can invite friends, family, neighbors, classmates, etc. to come and hear…and believe.

Pastor Tony challenged parents at VBS to make certain their children are in spiritual environments, places and experiences that will train them to be like Christ. That’s exactly what this camp is, and what so many other things we do at church in general and our worship ministries in particular are. I hope you are keeping yourselves in spiritual environments that are encouragements to your faith. I hope you are looking forward to some in the next few weeks.

Pray for us as we labor for the Lord, that His name may be exalted and His kingdom advanced. Thank you.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Go Rest High on that Mountain

Dear Worshippers,

I learned a beautiful song last week. You probably expect that in my worship planning, preparation, and leadership I learn a lot of songs, and I do. But I learn songs for a number of other reasons. Many of them are very pragmatic, but some are also recreational. The learning of this particular song unfortunately had a very specific purpose. I was asked to sing for the memorial service of a man who was a friend of my family. He was only 42 years old.

He had lived a troubled life, the last few years having faced a very difficult bout with cancer that began in his jaw and spread into his brain. He endured surgeries and other treatment which only served to prolong the inevitable. In the last few weeks, he finally surrendered his life to Christ, following a decision his daughter had made maybe only months before.

That same daughter selected this wonderful song sung by Vince Gill. I sang this with my sister and father, to a man whose soul was finally at rest after so much struggle. Maybe the words will be of comfort to you or someone else who has lost loved one.

I know your life
On earth was troubled
And only you could know the pain
You weren't afraid to face the devil
You were no stranger to the rain

Go rest high on that mountain
Son, you work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and Son

Oh, how we cried the day you left us
We gathered round your grave to grieve
I wish I could see the angels faces
When they hear your sweet voice sing

Go rest high on that mountain
Son, you work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and Son

As believer’s this is the rest and the eternal occupation that awaits us. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, wrote Paul. [2 Corinthians 5:8] This is what one is Christ is looking forward to.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Spiritual Markers

Dear Worshippers,

This Sunday marks the 75^th anniversary for Fremont Alliance Church in Fremont, NE. This is the church I served right out of seminary. This church gave me the opportunity to come back to the Alliance after receiving my Master of Church Music from The Southern Baptists Theological Seminary. This community of faith is still very dear to us, and as they mark 75 years of ministry this week, they will be remembering their heritage of faith and faithful ministry in their little burg in eastern Nebraska. Though we will not be with them in body we will be with them in spirit.

Remembering, and placing spiritual markers along that journey that God uses to create those memories is an important exercise. I am reminded of the Israelites and the pile of stones they set up after crossing the Jordan. I am reminded of the words of Moses that must have been echoing in their ears that day, echoing because he was no more. Words that are recorded for us in Deuteronomy 6:4-10.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

They remind us that we are to remember, and regularly, what God has commanded. We must also remember what God has done. He has delivered us through trials and tribulations. Delivered us from tempests. Sheltered us from storms. Never left us, nor forsaken us, even when we did not remember.

Take a few moments and remember what God has done for you. Tell somebody else. Leave a little spiritual marker to remind yourself and those who will follow you that God is faithful.

O little flock in Fremont, God has been faithful.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Take the Plunge

Dear Worshippers,

Last night we encouraged 117 children to “make a splash with Jesus”, to “jump, jump, jump right into the love of the Lord” as we began VBS 2007. I was a little weary after the flurry of activity to get ready for the first night. It was then that the Holy Spirit reminded me of the eternal value of every ounce of that energy poured out for Him. Encouraging those little ones to dive entirely into Jesus is something I am willing to give everything I have to. And I want you to have a part in that.

Will you pray? Pray for the ones who are hearing the gospel for the first time, that they would receive it. Pray for those who are hearing it again that it would be an encouragement to their walk with Jesus. Pray for the parents who will be around through the week and for the closing program on Sunday that they will open their lives to Jesus AND realize the opportunity to partner with the church all year long to teach Christ to their children.

What an opportunity for them! What an opportunity for you! Then as you hear of the ways God moved this week you will know you were a part of that.

Thanks for living the Call with me this week…through prayer!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott