What’s Next?

Sunday morning retuning: God is on the move at North-Mar Church.  If you were present in the services Sunday I am certain you caught several glimpses of things only explainable as the work of God.  Especially those two powerful LifeChange stories. I can hardly wait for what is next.

What’s Next?  Pastor Myron began to answer that question Sunday for us a church family in terms of 1. Maintaining and Improving our Current Facility, 2. Local Outreach and 3. Global Missions.  These are our top three priorities as we stand firm (Gal 5:1) after our mortgage is paid off this summer.

You must know that just as the Elders have been praying about these matters of the last year and more, so I too have been praying and looking to God for an answer to this same question as it impacts the future of our worship ministries.  I want to take a few minutes to paint a picture of how God has been leading me through this process.

Throughout my entire ministry life I have practiced the model of rotational worship teams that we use now at North-Mar.  Over the last couple of years I have begun to struggle more and more with the limitations of our current model and have considered alternatives.  I have spoken with churches larger than us to see what they have learned that could benefit us.  I have tried to carefully consider the unique implications of the local body we serve, and from whom we are drawn out to lead.

All of these influences have led me to a conclusion.  It is time for a change.  It has been difficult to come to a place where I am ready to step away from some values that have guided me, but I am trying to be careful and not allow them to be a yoke that holds us back, and in some ways they have been.

In short, I am planning on having open auditions for our worship team ministry from which I hope to form two teams which will play two weekends a month.  Beyond this there will likely be other musicians/singers who will be on a sub list to fill in as needed on those two set teams.  We will interview a couple times a year to accept/decline continued involvement on the two teams, presenting on/off ramps for people going through different seasons of life.

I believe this will benefit us in multiple ways.  Chemistry is something we have lacked because our teams our truly rotational.  This model addresses that.  It also ups the ante for those who are serving.  Coming prepared for your teams night is important and knowing when you are on helps.  Individuals will be responsible for filling their own vacancies so there is fewer 11^th hour calls from me/Tammy.

They are some logistics to work through and a myriad of questions to answer and I trust I will have the opportunity to do that before auditions in late April/early May.  I hope to form teams by June so they can both prepare for the Fall recording which I am hoping to do in-studio.  Please pray as we transition and endeavor to stay one step behind Jesus.

Jesus, we want to stay close to You and help our church family enjoy Your glory.  Guide us as we look to You for what is next in this journey for our worship teams.  

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Fat Tuesday

Sunday morning retuning: Pastor Myron and Sharon shared details and the impetus for their recent Pastoral Care trip to three of our international worker/missionary families.  While I appreciated the colorful stories and the glimpse into those lives, what really struck me was the Scripture.  May “increasing and overflowing love” mark our lives.

We are entering a particularly religious period of the year beginning tomorrow.  I use the word religious carefully there, mind you.  Many are enjoying today as much as they can because they intend on entering into a season of self-denial tomorrow.  Thus the folks in New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday.  Many in evangelicalism are not familiar with it, but I am speaking of Lent.  (For those wanting more info, you could start here.)

In short, it is the season of the Church Year beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing through Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.  For many this is a season of self-denial, prayer, fasting and giving as we prepare for Easter by going through a period of mourning and reflection on the nature of Christ’s sacrifice.  I encourage you to make some preparations for Easter as well even if giving up red meat is not one of them.

This is a good idea.  Welcoming into the regular cycle of life, something that disturbs or interrupts our habits, the mindless minutia.  Taking some things away to make room for remembrance.  But more so than giving something up, which may be necessary, I want to encourage you to shift your focus, to refocus on Christ in these days.

Like the ashes, sometimes from the burned remains of last years Palm Sunday branches, which will mark the foreheads of many worshippers tomorrow, may our lives be marked by a careful remembering of the passion of the Christ.  And what will be that mark, that distinctive characteristic in your life?  I am praying mine will be love.

A few years ago, I came across a simple prayer that pops up as a note when I look at the task “Preparing for My Day” on my calendar.  I do not look at it regularly, but when I do it reminds me of this the greatest commandment which Jesus taught.  I do not pray it religiously either, but maybe that could help.

God, whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving You and loving other people--because that's what life is all about.  I don't want to waste this day.

That is my prayer on this Fat Tuesday, this day of indulgences, to be more loving.  I have a feeling I will be even more thankful for His sacrifice that ever if I am able to maintain this focus.  I know I need a lot of help.  How will you observe Lent?

Jesus, help me to soberly reflect on how to best prepare for Easter.  I will begin today.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.  

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Surprised by Glory

Sunday morning retuning: Pastor Paul Armitage reminded us from Micah 6:8 what the Lord requires of us.  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Those words are still ringing in my ears today, and I pray God will work them out in my living.  How about you?

So now I have been challenging you to pray for God to “Show Us Your Glory” and encouraging you to think about how to prepare for that  and what it looks like in your life.  Here is another illustration and encouragement as you walk along a step behind Jesus.  

Last week during choir, God revealed His glory to me.  We were dutifully rehearsing a song when the Lord decided to overwhelm me with a sense of His presence, surprising me with His glory.  I could barely finish directly the song, then had to a minute (which felt like an hour) when it finished to compose myself before I could even speak.

When I did I encouraged the choir members to linger in those moments when they occur.  My temptation was to press on, but the Lord stopped me and then used my experience to instruct me, and I hope my friends as well, that it is good to enjoy the God’s glory when it settles down on us.  A couple of disclaimers:  1) I had done nothing unusual to prepare for or deserve this encounter, but 2) I had prayed for His glory to be revealed.  God does what He wants, when He wants, how He wants, that’s part of the privilege of being God after all.

Here is a link to the song.  It’s a great song, but I find it interesting that I had sung it several times before God hit me with the text  the way He did last week, and has not since.  Jesus Died My Soul to Save   The text can be seen as you scroll down through the link, take a look especially at the use of the words swallowed and aches.

Another practical example...Earlier that day, last Wednesday morning, I was walking into the church the moment the skies opened and dumped a deluge on me.  Suffice it to say I was surprised to get drenched in a matter of seconds, but what really surprised me was the response of people who saw me as I entered the building.  

I felt like Moses having just come down from the presence of God’s glory on Sinai.  It was like people did not want to look at me, but it was because I was wet of course.  It was like they wanted me to cover up the evidence of my encounter saying essentially, “Go get yourself dried off”.  It gave me the perspective of being marked by an encounter.  I was surprised to get wet, much the same way we are at times surprised by God’s glory.

Allow me to encourage you to seek the glory of God’s presence, then to allow yourself to linger in His presence when it settles upon you, however and whenever it does.  Then go away, on, forward allowing your life to be marked by His glory.  

Jesus, show me Your glory.  Help me to live expecting You to do that at any moment.  When You do, help me linger there.  When I do, help me to walk away marked by Your glory.  Do the same for my family of faith, for our good and Your glory.  in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy