Preparing for Worship

Dear Worshipers,

Last week we begin a short review of the vision God has given our worship ministries. We considered some different views with regard to responding to God and what a worship lifestyle looks like. I would like to expand on the latter a little farther today but first allow me to remind you again of our vision statement.

Our Worship Ministries exist to nurture worship as a lifestyle
characterized by sincere responses to God's self-revelations.

If you have not yet read Pastor David’s annual report I want to encourage you to do so. Several paragraphs near the end it is dedicated to some honest discussion of the worship services of our church. The Elders have appointed a subcommittee to define the core values of our worship “that are representative of Scripture and matched to our corporate personality”. I appreciate your prayers as I chair this committee.

As you will readily see, his comments regard our worship services, but our vision takes into account much more than that. What happens in our services is only a part of our expression of worship, but it is a very significant one. Our corporate worship both demonstrated the strength of our private worship, and prepares us for our public worship. Let us focus on the latter (public) aspect, and save the former (private) for next week.

I was reading last week and came across this phrase, "The worship service is a rehearsal for the everyday life of worship." That puts a little different spin on it. When we gather for corporate worship, we are actually preparing (rehearsing) for the real "performance." That puts all of our worship (service) preparation in a whole new light. We are rehearsing to rehearse our worship. Did you get that? Let me say it a slightly different way. When we rehearse our worship (service) leadership, we are actually preparing to rehearse our worship life beyond the service.

This also gives a whole new meaning to the word "nurture" describing the active intent of all we share with the church gathered. It is the answer to our prayers as we pray for God to foster a life of worship as a result of our corporate worship. It is what Solomon was asking the Lord to do in His people when he dedicated the Temple.

As Solomon prayed there are a number of phrases that speak of this life of worship. They are spoken as Solomon’s heart for a people re-inclined to God. He admitted they would turn away, as we all do being “prone to wander” as the hymn writer said, but asked God simply to draw them back to Himself by helping them live lives of worship when they returned. These are some of the phrases in his lengthy prayer in I Kings. (From The Message)

“as they sincerely live in obedience to Your way”

“careful to live obediently in My presence”

“so that they’ll live before You in lifelong reverent and believing obedience”

“so that people all over the world will know who You are and what You’re like and will live in reverent obedience before You, just Your own people Israel do”

These were Solomon’s prayers at one of the most significant corporate worship gatherings in the Old Testament, the dedication of the Temple. God, when Your people turn back to worship You, help them to live lives of worship. Do you see the common word which I have italicized there-live?

I love that phrase “lifelong reverent and believing obedience”. Solomon obviously liked it too, and being the wisest man on earth must have known God liked it as well. That was his prayer for the worshipper who chose to incline themselves to the Lord. That could be our prayer as well.

Lord, when any of Your people realize they are in sin and turn back to You, hear them from heaven and help them to live before You in lifelong reverent and believing obedience. Help them to live lives of worship, walking in Your way, and practicing Your presence. Do this every time we gather for corporate worship, and do it all the while we are dispersed to worship as well. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

What's the point?

Dear Worshipers,

A lot of folks work really hard in our worship ministries. From AV techs to choir members, worship team vocalists and instrumentalists to soloists, our sacrifice of corporate praise is expressed in many ways. But what is the point of all this labor? What are we trying to accomplish?

Each year as we begin again together I like to remind us of the vision God has given for our worship ministries.

Our Worship Ministries exist to nurture worship as a lifestyle
characterized by sincere responses to God's self-revelations.

This is a daunting task, one that is truly beyond our ability to accomplish, for we are far to ordinary. I am reminded on this on a daily basis. However, the God we serve is far from ordinary; He is extraordinary. As we yield to the Lord, He empowers us to fulfill His purposes in our lives, individually and corporately.

Near the end of last year I was reading two different books which provided solid reasoning for the vision we share: Facedown by Matt Redman (opening words) and Worship - A Way of Life Patrick Kavanaugh. I would heartily recommend both to you as you continue to grow in your pursuit of a life of worship. I want to share a few words from each to continue to expand our understanding and expression of worship as a lifestyle.

Matt Redman’s book opens like this.

When we face up to the glory of God, we soon find ourselves facedown in worship. To worship facedown is the ultimate outward sign of inner reverence.

Every posture in worship says something of both the worshipper and the One being gloried in. The raising of hands tells of a soul stretched out high in praise and the worth of the One being exalted. Joyful dancing interprets a grateful heart and points in adoration to the source of that joy. When it comes to expressing our worship, what we do on the outside is a key reflection of what’s taking place on the inside. Out of the overflow of our heart we speak and sing, we dance, and we bow. God reveals and we respond. [emphasis mine] God shines and we reflect. In the very same way, facedown worship is the overflow of a heart humbled and amazed by the glory of God…

Patrick Kavanaugh offers a very reasoned development of this response that is worship. In the last page of the book he shared this analogy which I thought was a wonderful picture for us to consider.

A true relationship does not limit expression merely to certain times and preplanned places. Suppose I kissed my wife only once each week in a specific place in our house. If you observed such an odd ritual, you would surely conclude that the relationship between my wife and me must be rather formal and cold.

Of course I kiss my wife when she wakes up, and when she walks down the hall, and when she is working in the kitchen, and when she sits at the table. There is no “standard time and place” for a husband to kiss his wife. If they truly love each other, then he delights in giving her a kiss and she delights in receiving it.

So it is-even more so!-in our relationship with the Lord…

This analogy is strengthened with the knowledge that the most common word translated for worship in the New Testament is proskuneo, which means “to kiss toward.”

This is our goal, individually and corporately. Each of us is growing in this discipline of worship. Some of you have resolved even this year to pour your energies into your pursuit of God, and may find yourself frustrated. Kavanaugh offers this words near the close of his book as an encouragement to the individual worshipper in their worship of God, but I believe we can receive these words as a ministry as well. “Like any new habit or discipline, there is a need for persistence-but not guilt.”

Persist in your worship my friends, and it will become your way of life. As we persist together, it will also characterize the ministry we share. To God alone be the glory.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Resolutions or Real Solutions

Dear Worshipers,

Just a few weeks into the New Year and you may be wondering what you were thinking when you made some of the resolutions that seemed like such a good idea only a few weeks ago. Maybe you decided to read through the Bible, but you have missed a couple of days and are now feeling overwhelmed with the idea of reading 110 chapters just to catch up. Maybe you had hoped to loose a few unwanted pounds, but the scale seems to indicate that you weight is the same as it was on January 1. Maybe there was a long overdue phone call you decided to make early in the year that remains unmade. Or maybe there is something else.

The reality of the New Year is setting in and it seems to be shaping up much like the old one. There are habits to develop, and others to break, as well as things to accomplish. Yet the resolutions you made do not seem to be helping you. What you need is real solutions. And you know who has them? GOD! [I know, you already knew that. But I wanted to remind you.]

Every year since sometime back in the late 90’s [that seems strange to say] while we were serving a church in Nebraska, Sarah and I have had what has know become known as our Annual Planning Day. This is a day where we separate from our normal schedule and reflect on our plans for the New Year. Though the planning has much to do with budget and calendar issues, we also discuss specifics of spiritual formation as well.

Now, in case you are thinking, “I would like to get away for a day and plan my year”, let me encourage you. It does take a day, or rather not all at once. For Sarah and I, that day is the culmination of working last years plan successfully or not and reevaluating it, finding better solutions, and setting it in motion. But really more than a day, this is a lifestyle. Just like what you probably need is more than a resolution, but some real solutions.

You have heard this phrase, “Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan”. But you have to be certain to let God guide this process. An old friend once said to me "We worship our work, we work at our play, we play at our worship". That is the danger if you let your life priorities get out of balance.

I saw a little story on ABC News last week titled “24/7 Lifestyle”. I was immediately curios because this is my vision for the worship of God. It was about companies who are letting their employees work whenever they want, wherever they want, as long as they get it done. You might think that less work gets done, but the employees end up working even more. They are working all the time, easily putting in 60-70 hour weeks, with many 12-14 hour days. The freedom to take their work with them anywhere has left many taking it with them everywhere.

While I am not advocating that kind of lifestyle for anyone, I am advocating that kind of commitment. Live your life resolved to worship the Lord 24/7. But don’t just resolve to do it, set in place some real solutions that will help you attain that goal. Maybe you need to get to bed earlier so that you can wake up earlier to get that Bible reading done before the day really gets going. Maybe you need to fast a couple meals a week, spending concerted time with the Lord as He fills your soul with Himself, instead of your stomach with food. Maybe you need to organize your thoughts before the Lord for that phone call, humble yourself and pick up the phone.

Carve some time out with the Lord in the next week and evaluate your plans for the year. Where is God in them? Or rather, where do you plans put you in relation to God? Make it your intent to live a lifestyle of worship, one that is constantly responding to the glory of God. Set in motion some real solutions that will help you live that way, and set your plan in motion.

If you will resolve to let God reveal His plan for you and that you will work diligently at whatever He places before you, you will have some real solutions coming your way that will revolutionize your New Year, for the glory of God, and your good.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

How’s Your Vision?

Dear Worshipers,

Let me ask you a question. Do you see yourself in this picture? I sure hope you do, because I do. That is, I see you in this picture. This image is the new symbol-brand-logo for our Worship Ministries created for us by Andy Moore. THANK YOU ANDY!

There are so many aspects of this brand I would like to outline for you. Do you see the W and the V? That could stand for West Virginia or world vision, but for me it also represents Worship is a Verb. Do you know why there our several figures in the image? An early concept included a single figure, but our worship as a church as a corporate dimension to it. I particularly like that three is more than a couple, and represents a family. We are a family of worshippers, made up of many families and other units of worshippers. Did you notice that the word is the same font and the colors the same from our Alliance brand “Living the Call Together”? This connects us with the larger vision of our Alliance family, while showing our unique part of it.

There are many other aspects of this that we could explore, but I want to ask you the question again, “Do you see yourself in this picture?” The vision of our Worship Ministries is that we “exist to nurture worship as a lifestyle characterized by sincere responses to God’s self-revelations.” God reveals Himself, we respond. That is worship. And God reveals Himself in a number of different ways: through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, the church, the cross, communion, etc. Too many to capture in a simple logo, as if it could be captured in a complex one either.
When God reveals Himself, what is your response? The reality is your response will not be a cookie cutter version of the image you see here. Instead, it will be your sincere reaction to all that God has shown Himself to be in that moment. Your demonstration of worship may will look different than the figures you see, but the posture will be the same. You will be lifted up, exalting the Most High God, even if you find yourself on your face in tears, undone. Your focus will be on Him and nothing else. You may be aware of your surroundings, including your partners in the journey, but they are less significant the the object of your affection, the Lord Almighty.

That is the vision the Lord has given me for worship. A vision where we are focused on Him, responding to what He has shown us, in every situation, every circumstance, every moment. A vision that is consuming and captivating, as certainly as it is convicting.

Let me ask you the question one last time. Do you see yourself in this picture? I certainly hope so.

In Christ,
Pastor Scott

Unadorning to Adorn

Dear Worshipers,

It occurred to me the other day while taking Christmas decorations down that in order to adorn my home for the “ordinary” season which we will soon enter, I have to unadorn. It then occurred to me that unadorn was not a word, so let me clarify. In order to dech my halls for the after Christmas season, I had to first undeck them. Wait a minute? That’s not a word either.

O.K., let me try this again. We are talking about taking off one thing off and putting on another. Imagine how silly it would be to just put all your other stuff back up on top of the Christmas stuff, if it would even be possible. You would not imagine doing that, would you? I mean really. You change outfits for a different season, not simply put a new on top of the old. This is pretty obvious stuff.

Then the Lord reminded me of the spiritual principle at work here. “You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:9b-10 Oh, yes!

As I enter the New Year, I find myself asking, “What do I want to put on this year?” Here’s a good list to start clothing ourselves from “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved”: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 1Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. 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.

Then I realized, “I can not put those things on over my current wardrobe.” I cannot just add to my life. I must first take away. Unadorn, if you will. Some of the things I might be guilty of would include “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from my lips.” Colossians 3:5b, 8b That was my old life. I used to walk in those ways. And so did you. Let’s not lie to each other.

As you enter the New Year. Take some time to ask the Lord what He wants to adorn your life with this year. As you do, listen for what He is telling you to strip off. Let Him help you and be prepared to be clothed with the peace of Christ your Lord, now and throughout the year.

Don’t just adorn, unadorn.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott