With Liberty and Justice for ALL

Dear Worshippers,

We are about to begin our preparations for the annual community patriotic musical. This will be our fifth year and God has worked so beautifully through this project. I hope that each of you will consider being a part of this exciting ministry opportunity. Seeing God working through this diverse group is a wonderful taste of heaven.

Having already begun my score study, I wanted to share a line with you from this year’s work that really struck me. In a section which acknowledges the civil unrest and the great struggle of living out our belief that we are all created equal there is this line. “If there is not liberty and justice for all – then there’s not liberty and justice for any.” That is a very powerful word.

It challenges us not to become complacent because things seem to be going well for us. It exhorts us to look around and not only identify but address the needs of others for the glory of God. It shakes us from our apathy encouraging us to work for a better tomorrow, as we long for God’s ultimate “tomorrow”.

There is an element of social justice here from which the evangelical church often shies away. The mainline churches are better about this often than we are, but may be guilty of making it their “gospel”. There is a balance here that adequately reflects the concern of Christ for the soul and the body. May we strive for that balance.

That is a by-product of a project like the patriotic musical. Though it does little to actually put systems in place to promote “liberty and justice for all”, it encourages believers in every walk of life, to pursue those values even as we look forward to God establishing them in the new heaven and earth. Working together with like-minded believers who practice their faith a little differently is a positively powerful experience. I hope you will simply ask God if this year the time is right for you to play your part in demonstrating the unity we have in Christ.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Nahum 1:7

Dear Worshippers,

About 15 years ago a dear friend quoted this verse to me when I shared with him that my father was in the hospital with some yet to be determined cardiac issue. It came to mind again last week in the midst of another similar episode. Most of you probably know by now that my dad had a heart attack last week. He had some damage to his heart and is currently waiting on bypass surgery. I want to thank you for your prayers for him and my family. I truly could sense the lifting of the Spirit as many of you prayed for my dad and mom, me and our family.

I remember having a conversation last week which centered around this verse. I was assuring myself and those around me in that hospital room that God is good and He does all things well. For the believer, we find our refuge in Him when trouble comes at us. This verse affirms that trust.

In case you do not know what Nahum 1:7 says it is this, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him…” When we place our trust in Him He cares for us. Through the trouble. Did you see that? It does not say, a refuge from times of trouble. You know it well, we face troubling times. But God is always there with us, showing His goodness to those with eyes to see. It is not always so easy to see though…

I was pretty composed through most of the day of Thursday. When I prayed with our family around dad’s hospital bed that night I broke down. I broke down again on the phone with a family friend as I relayed the news. I tried later to understand why I would cry at those times. I still don’t have an answer, but it did occur to me that though I do not understand the circumstances, through my tears I could still clearly see the goodness of our God. Even though I was struggling with the thought of possibly losing my dad, I was truly overwhelmed with how good God was to us, and continues to be.

I pray I will maintain that perspective as we wait on the surgery to be scheduled, and for all that will follow. Thank you for your prayers for my family. They are much appreciated.

Next week…With Liberty and Justice for All.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Be Filled with the Spirit

Dear Worshippers,

I ended last week talking about the empowerment necessary to complete the task Jesus has given us to do. That empowerment comes from the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…”.

I am certain there is much confusion on what being filled with the Spirit means and looks like, because I have talked with many believers. No where else have I read a more simple and succinct explanation on how to go about being filled than the following description written by A.W. Tozer. I trust you will find it very helpful as you consider the filling of the Spirit.

“How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit”

A. W. Tozer

(Christian Publications, Inc. booklet, no date)

• Before you are filled with the Holy Spirit you must be sure that you can be filled. Satan as opposed the doctrine

of the Spirit-filled life about as bitterly as any other doctrine there is.

• You must be sure that it is God’s will for you; that it is part of the total plan, that it is included and embraced within the work of Christ in redemption. (Whenever I use the neutral pronoun “it” I am talking about the gift.)

• You must, I say, be satisfied that this is nothing added or extra. The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.

• You must be satisfied that it is not abnormal.

• You must be satisfied…that there is nothing about the Holy Spirit queer or strange or eerie…. He is only the essence of Jesus imparted to believers.

• You must be sure of all this to the point of conviction…. You are convinced that in the blood of Jesus when He died on the cross there was included, as a purchase of that blood, your right to a full, Spirit-filled life.

• Before you can be filled with the Spirit you must desire to be filled…. Do you want to be possessed by Him?... Are you sure that you want your personality to be taken over by One who will expect obedience to the written and living

Word?... I ask you if you desire to have your personality taken over by One who stands in sharp opposition to the world’s easy ways?

Here is how to receive:

• First, present your body to Him (Rom. 12:1-2)

• Second, ask (Luke 11:9-11)

• Third, Acts 5:32 tells us God gives His Holy Spirit to them that obey Him. Are you ready to obey and do what you are asked to do?

• Fourth, have faith (Gal.3:2). We receive Him by faith as we receive the Lord in salvation by faith. He comes as a gift of God to us in power. First He comes in some degree and measure when we are converted, otherwise we couldn’t be

converted. Without Him we couldn’t be born again, because we are born of the Spirit…. I am talking about His coming and possessing the full body and mind and life and heart, taking the whole personality over, gently, but directly and

bluntly, and making it His, so that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit.

I trust you will find this helpful as you to seek to “be filled with the Spirit”.

Next week…With Liberty and Justice for All.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Stay On Mission

Dear Worshippers,

I mentioned last week two challenges that were affirmed in my heart over and over again at District Conference the week before. I would like to take the next couple of weeks passing them along to you. I hope they will stir your heart in some measure as they surely stirred mine.

The first was, in my words, Stay on Mission. This seems pretty straightforward. Do what you are supposed to do and do not be distracted by a myriad of other passions and pursuits you could cultivate. Our mission is clear. “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19-20. That’s the mission part, but how do we stay on it.

You know the old adage that goes something like, “If you aim at nothing, you will certainly hit it.” That is part of what comes to mind here for me when I think about staying on mission. I have to have the completion of the mission ever before me if I am going to be a part of helping fulfill it. So I ask myself some questions.

How is this mission before me? Am I praying about it? Am I giving of my resources [time, treasure, talent] to see it completed? Do my thoughts and passions reflect that the completion of the Great Commission is at the front of my mind, or even on it at all? Does the plight of the lost concern me, or does the sheer size of the task of finding them paralyze me?

I want to encourage you to take a few minutes and answer these questions. Make it a matter of prayer. I intend to.

Although it is essential to consider my personal investment, it is not enough to be committed to the task. I must be empowered for it as well. One of the saying we have used in the past few years to describe ourselves begins like this. Ordinary people. Empowered by an extraordinary God. Consider with me the source of that empowerment as we take a look at the other challenge I received at District Conference.

Next week…Be Filled With the Spirit.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Overwhelmed

Dear Worshippers,

Last week I wrote to inform you that I would be at District Conference in Ohio and to ask for prayer for myself and the other delegates particularly as we would elect a new District Superintendent (D.S.) . I write today to thank you for those prayers and to attempt to give you a sense of the way God answered them.

Every year, District Conference is a wonderful time of doing business for the district, but also reconnecting to peers and especially to the Lord. While every conference is a blessing this one was exceptional. Though I suspect my recent reading of Tozer had something to do with it, my awareness of the presence of God throughout the conference was very keen. Frankly, it was overwhelming.

Monday night we heard of God at work through our church plants. God is moving irrespective of culture, geography, economics or any other “limiting” factor. He has given us power and is making us witnesses for Him. We learned at the close of the night that our current D.S. is going to be planting a church after July 31^st when he finishes his term.

We had a three hour concert of prayer Tuesday morning that was a sweet time with the Lord and our District family as the D.S. intertwined some things he has gleaned over his years. The afternoon was business conducted smoothly and that evening the service centered around having a passion for the lost, brought to focus through the message of the D.S. It concluded with a powerful time of seemingly-spontaneous prayer.

We had a seminar on “peacemaking” Wednesday, which was good, but the highlight was the ordination service that evening. Always a solemn time of celebration for those who have completed their preparation, this was especially so. A great message from our Vice President of Church Ministries for the C&MA climaxed with the laying on of hands for ordination which followed the most stirring rendition of “I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel” that I have ever heard. I found myself weeping and shouting and raising my hands in worship, which I figure is no big surprise to anyone.

Thursday concluded conference with the mission’s hour, election of our new D.S., and the closing service of communion and healing. In the missions hours we commissioned 16 new missionaries who are going out from our District in the next year. 16! To hear their stories of surrender was inspiring. We elected our new D.S. who then went on to lead us in one of the most moving services of communion I have ever experienced.

It was an amazing week. I found myself overwhelmed on numerous occasions. Let me boil it down into two challenges I received in a variety of ways that I now pass along to you: 1. Stay on mission, 2. Be filled with the Spirit.

It is imperative that we keep reminding ourselves why Jesus has not yet come back – we are not finished with the commission He gave us. The only way we can finish well is to keep ourselves under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Commit with me to pray for that for yourself and our church.

Next week…More about these imperatives, OR a new direction.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Spiritual Authority

Dear Worshippers,

I am at District Conference this week in Dover, Ohio. It is an annual gathering of the pastors, other official workers, and numerous lay representatives from the Central District of the C&MA, comprised of nearly 90 churches in eastern Ohio and the entire state of West Virginia. We conduct business for the District as well as enjoying several times of corporate worship and prayer and hearing from God’s Word. It is a very enriching time and I thank the church for sending me and the other staff members to represent you.

Probably the most significant act of business next week will be to elect a new District Superintendent, who serves essentially as the pastor of the pastors in our district while providing numerous other avenues of leadership. Our current D.S. Gordon Meier has served for 9 or 10 years and I believe has been in the District Office for around 18 years. Our District has been richly blessed by His Christ-like, faithful service. We truly thank God for this man, and his lovely wife and helpmate, Barb.

This time of transition is a crucial one in the history of our district and the advance of the Kingdom through the Alliance in this region. We have benefited from Gordon’s leadership and long for the next anointed leader to exercise his role of spiritual authority with similar excellence and humility. We as a local church will be blessed through this new leader. You will be blessed. To that end I want to entreat your prayers.

We have had a nominating committee working on this for months. They will bring a recommendation to us. Pray for the delegates of conference that like them, we will hear of the voice of the Lord and confirm the selection by election of our new D.S. or to otherwise discover together the will of the Lord.

When I was reflecting on this process last week, the faith of the centurion in his encounter with Jesus came to mind. He understood chains of command and the blessings of following them. He affirmed Jesus authority over sickness and the life of his servant at the very least. You will remember the account:

The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 8:8-12

In the days ahead, and stretching on for years, may we know the blessing of serving under one who has such a clear understanding of the authority of our Christ. Pray with our staff as we go to participate in the process of his selection. And pray for our families back home and our safe return on Thursday. Thank you.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is… Humility

Dear Worshippers,

We complete our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the twelfth and final value, Humility. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

Humility. It has been defined as a modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc. Though it is listed last, it is certainly not the least of the values. One might say that for any true worship to occur, humility is a prerequisite. While I would agreed with that, we offer it here at the end because it is so important to not only start from this position in worship, but to maintain this position. A position of submission, meekness, unworthiness. When we consider God, we should assume such a position. With this in mind we offer that worship is… Humility. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
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 2:5-11

But Samuel replied:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams. I Samuel 15:22

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

The first passage here is from the dedication of the Temple which Solomon built. It is outlining how the people of God can return to Him if they walk away. It is instruction for both lifestyle and for the gathering of worship. It makes me think of the song “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman. “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You. I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it, when it’s all about You Jesus.” This takes humility. It is humbling to acknowledge that even our worship can become something that is not at “all about” God, which it is supposed to be.

If our worship is to be all about God, where better to look for an example of how to live that way that to the person of Jesus Christ. The Philippians passage, believed by some to be a hymn that was known by the early church, clearly portrays the humble attitude of Jesus, and exhorts us to have the same. If He had such an estimation of the Father, we should as well.

The I Samuel passage affirms this as well by teaching that God wants more than just the outward trappings of worship, he wants the heart. A heart that is willing to obey and to heed the voice of God is a heart that is rightly positioned to worship. God is certainly interested in right responses to His glory, but He wants those responses to generate from deep within heart of the worshipper so that worship is not so much a series of actions as a way of life, like in the final scripture.

A worship lifestyle is pictured here: not only in the first two statements, but especially in the final one. “Walk humbly with your God.” Did you notice that this is a short list of things that Micah says “the Lord require[s] of you”? This is not optional. In order to do this we must have a proper understanding of Who He is, and who we are in the light of Him. This implies not only knowing, but ongoing relationship – walking with Him. And how are we supposed to walk? Humbly. Humility should mark our relationship to God, our living with Him, and this demonstrated through every act of worship, but especially when we gather.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is… Acknowledging the Universal Church

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the eleventh value, Acknowledging the Universal Church. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

When we gather to worship we join our praise with the church across all generations and all continents. This perspective is important as it helps us to understand that the kingdom of our God is much larger than our local expression of such. The Nicene Creed, written in the 4^th century A.D. puts it this way: “We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.” What catholic means in this context is the true Christian Church of all times and all places. With this definition in mind we offer that worship is… Acknowledging the Universal Church. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. Romans 16:16

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb." Revelation 7:9-10

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Notice how the first passage says “to him be glory in the church…throughout all generations.” It does not say churches, but singular church. There is one church throughout all generations. This is very significant as we gather for worship. We are joining many who have gone before and will come after us.

This next verse acknowledges that there are many local expressions of the church. We are one body with different gatherings. When we come together we should remember there are others doing the same thing all over the world. Our love for the other churches should be obvious.

The “great multitude” here is the church triumphant. Their group is made up of people from every nation, tribe, people and language. They are unified in their praise of our God as they stand before His throne in heaven. Gathered from across time and space, we will worship with them eternally.

The “great cloud of witnesses” again acknowledges those who have gone before. For the writer of Hebrews, that was a particular group. For us, that group would include the writer of Hebrews, his audience, and all those who have been counted in that number since then. One day we too will be counted in that cloud by those who come after us.

The song that come to mind is “When the Saints Go Marching In”. My grandmother used to sing that. I can vaguely remember her playing the accordion and belting out “Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number…when the saints go marching in.” What a privilege to in faith accept the redeeming work of Christ and turn from our sin, thus enabling us to be counted in that number, who, across time and space will worship Jesus, the head of the church.

Stay tuned…NEXT WEEK…Worship is…Humility.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is… Recognizing the Priesthood and Ministry of all Believers

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the tenth value, Recognizing the Priesthood and Ministry of all Believers. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

Contrary to those who prefer churches where worship feels more like a performance by those on stage, we desire to be a worshipping body, with each person engaged in the drama that is corporate worship. Danish philosopher–theologian Sǿren Kierkegaard spoke of worship as a drama and criticized the noninvolvement of many in his own church. He “insisted that in true worship the members of the congregation are the actors, the ministers and [other worship leaders] are “prompters” and God is the audience.”*

In the most earnest sense, God is the critical theatergoer, who looks on to see the lines that are spoken and how they are listened to…The speaker is then the prompter, and the listener stands openly before God. The listener, if I may say so, is the actor, who in all truth acts before God.

With this drama in mind we offer that worship is… Recognizing the priesthood and ministry of all believers. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. I Peter 2:9

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:7-16

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. I Corinthians 14:26

This follows the previous value, engaging the whole person, intentionally. We are commanded to love the Lord, and part of the way that finds expression is to love others. As we declare our praises together, our preference for one another is one of the most significant things that can communicate the love of God. In our services of blended worship, traditional and contemporary are brought together in an attempt to give every worshipper a voice for their praise. While you may not like one song, there likely will be something else that you will. In that moment you have the opportunity to embrace God’s heart by preferring others, instead of yourself.

Each of us brings something unique to the life and ministry of our church, and accordingly to the worship service. God’s desire is that we would each find our place in that body of believers and use our talents and gifts to minister to Him and to others. We each have a role to play in this drama as the kingdom of priests that will bless the Lord and His people as we discover and exercise those abilities while pursuing unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.” [Ephesians, see above]

One of the best examples of this ministry in corporate worship is when we pray in small groups. This gives an opportunity for each worshipper to make a unique contribution to the experience. While not everyone will desire to pray, some will. The requests that are shared also give some the opportunity to express, gifts of mercy or helps. Others may speak wisdom into a situation in conversation after the service has concluded and we are enjoying “The Fellowship of Faith”.

“That the church may be strengthened.” That is how the last passage ends. The point of the priesthood and ministry of all believers is this. Let us listen to the “prompters” and each of us strive to find our role in the great drama of worship that plays out every time we gather. May God be pleased with our “performance.”

Stay tuned…NEXT WEEK…Worship is…Acknowledging the Universal Church.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

*Don Hustad, Jubilate II, p. 315

Worship is… Engaging the Whole Person

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the ninth value, Engaging the whole person. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

When you even begin to consider the why of worship all you have to do is consider the beauty of God which we focused on last week. Worship is the epitome of other-centeredness, partly because it should consume the entire worshipper in the act of adoration. Archbishop William Temple said it this way.

Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of the will to his purpose-and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for …self-centeredness.

The way we are choosing to put it is, worship is… engaging the whole person. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? I Corinthians 14:15-16

There is more to a person than what can be seen, but the intentions of those unseen things, heart, soul, mind, conscience, imagination, will are demonstrated through that which is seen, the body. When we worship, scripture clearly shows that both the seen and the unseen parts are to be engaged or active.

So what about the unseen portion in particular. In contemporary thought, the soul of a person is often regarded as the combination of the intellect, the emotions and the will. These are to be engaged in worship as we can see in the first passage, but what about the spirit. As Paul shows us in the second passage, there is something else at work here.

Worship is more than singing songs, and praying prayers, it is engaging the spirit. Worship really begins in the spirit of a person, as they are invigorated and brought to life by God’s Holy Spirit. This is made clear in the lack of understanding mentioned by Paul. Not everyone understands this aspect of worship. I am not talking about tongues in particular, but the activity of the Spirit in general. It simply will not be understood apart from the work of the Spirit in the spirit of a person. [This distinction is not easily understood, but clearly spoken of in Job 7:11, Isaiah 26:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12.]

Let us worship God with our spirit, soul and body.

Stay tuned…NEXT WEEK…Worship is…Recognizing the priesthood and ministry of all believers.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Recognizing and Expressing God’s Beauty

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the eighth value, Recognizing and Expressing God’s Beauty. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

There are a myriad of ways that God’s beauty is expressed in His creation. Whether the grandeur of nature or the magnificence of His creatures reflecting His grandeur, there are a multitude of ways that God expresses His beauty to us. When we recognize that beauty as a revelation of something about the Creator that is worship. When we engage in beautiful expressions that are intended to reveal the beauty of God, that is worship as well. So in both the revelation and the response we worship. Worship is…recognizing and expressing God’s beauty. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Oh, worship the Lord in the holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9 [NKJV]

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Psalm 96:4-6

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. Psalm 135:3

Praise the LORD.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him! Psalm 147:1

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

The beauty of God is unique, for it is perfect. The saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, does not apply to Him. While beauty is a matter of opinion with regard to the creation, not so with the Creator. He is beauty. Then again…

For the unredeemed soul, the holiness of God is a dreadful thing. For the redeemed, it is beautiful. The passages above from the Psalms and from Philippians give very clear instruction that our response to God revealing Himself as beautiful should be worship. It delights the soul, and ultimately is the one needful thing in the life of the believer.

Probably one of the weakest areas in evangelicalism is the use of the arts to convey the beauty of God. Certainly, we use music in our attempts to do this, but for a number of reasons we have neglected the visual and graphic arts. There is a new era developing however in the Church in which we are recapturing some of the talent that has been forsaken or poured out in other pursuits. May God be glorified in all our talents as we seek to express His beauty.

Stay tuned…NEXT WEEK…Worship is…Engaging the whole person.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…A Spiritual Discipline

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the seventh value, A Spiritual Discipline. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

When we are for worship there are an infinite number of thoughts going through our heads: Where is so and so? I am so tired. Thank you Lord for another day. Does anyone even notice that I am here and I am crying? I sure don’t like that song. I am not praying in a small group, no way. I wish I had more to give You Lord. Not matter what may be on our minds as we gather for worship, we must bring it all and place it at the foot of the cross. We must fix our eyes on Jesus. We must train ourselves to give Him glory, for worship is…a spiritual discipline. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as

living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1-2

…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. I Timothy 4:7b-8

The first passage is one of the most common scriptures used when anyone talks about worship. In view of God’s mercy we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. This is one of the primary scriptures to consider when thinking about whole life worship. That is to say we do not offer ourselves one Sunday morning, then climb down off the altar and live for ourselves until next Sunday. However, the probably with a living sacrifice is that is exactly what can happen.

This is where the spiritual discipline aspect comes into play. Recognizing that we have offered ourselves to God, we keep ourselves before God in this most life-engaging act of worship. While this is the only appropriate response of the redeemed soul to mercy of God, that does not make it easy. This is where the second passage comes to life.

We must train ourselves in this. While again this is the response of the entire life, our focus has been on corporate worship in particular. So how does this come to bear on that value. If we train ourselves, as unpleasant or at least demanding as that process is, there is promise for this present life and the life to come.

I have often half-jokingly teased people about being in choir because it prepares you for heaven. While I do not think we will be in one eternal worship service as our minds might conceive of it, their will be worship in heaven. If we engage ourselves now in this discipline, it will be to our advantage somehow in eternity. But not only then, now as well.

And what does this training look like. Well, it must include doing things that we know are good for us: getting up and going to church when we do not feel like it, praying in small groups when the opportunity comes, giving of the “first fruits” of our labors to the Lord, actively listening to what God is saying, actively saying things in response-in word, in song, in deed among a myriad of other things.

I encourage you to discipline yourselves to worship…it does the body good…pass it on.

Stay tuned…NEXT WEEK…Worship is…Recognizing and expressing God’s beauty.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Transgenerational

Dear Worshippers,

I am going to keep prayer before you, but for now a respite as we resume the series on the Core Values of corporate worship in our church. If you were not at church last week when the brochure containing them was distributed I have attached it for you convenience. Please read it and familiarize yourself with the Scriptures that teach these values which the Elders have embraced and adopted…

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the sixth value, Transgenerational. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders have adopted 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.

When we are for worship we are a diverse group. We represent different church backgrounds, neighborhoods, ethnic groups, nationalities, cultures, career paths, family make-up, etc. One of the greatest spans we cover is that of generations. Though there are a number of opportunities for the respective generations to gather together within the life of the church, we believe that our corporate worship should be Transgenerational, or across the generations. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we have adopted for inclusion in the philosophical document:

One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

…¹¹kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,

¹² young men and maidens,
old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

¹⁴ He has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his saints,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD. Psalm 148:11-14

¹⁷'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
²¹And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.' Acts 2:17-21 [Joel 2:28-32]

¹²I write to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
¹³I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you have known the Father.
¹⁴I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one. I John 2:12-14

In the first two passages the Psalmist is describing corporate worship or instructing in it’s practice. In the Acts passage, which quotes Joel’s prophecy, Peter is declaring the prophecy to have been fulfilled in the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. That same Spirit is at work today. And in the passage from I John, we read the words of a letter that were meant to be read to the church when it was gathered for worship, obviously across the generations.

When we gather for worship, we must appreciate the fact that we are approaching the Lord with members of other generations. I say appreciate because it is important that we are more than simply sensitive to this fact. We must gather with the expectation that the Lord desires to speak to us through those other generations, through aspects of worship that may be more meaningful to them, and sometimes directly through the members of those other generations. The Lord is so gracious to help us understand the timelessness of worship as we gather to worship across the generations each week, but this is only one of the ways we reach beyond ourselves in worship to see more of God.

Stay tuned…NEXT WEEK…Worship is…a spiritual discipline.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Changes

Dear Worshippers,

For the last several weeks I have been challenging you to enter into a deeper life of prayer. I have asked you for a commitment to a prayer ministry for the worship life of our church, but really centered around knowing Christ better. I have been discouraged that so few of you have responded, but I took that discouragement to the Lord. I believe He has showed me a number of things.

Prayer is not for a few but for all of us. Jesus’ call to prayer in Matthew 9 was not issued to just the spiritual giants, but to all of us. We all need to be praying, and then going and serving. Prayer must be our first work , or all of our other work will be for naught. Let us pray.

This is not a guilt trip but a conviction course. I am not trying to guilt you into praying more. Jesus taught that the Spirit would come to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment [John 16:8]. If you are feeling guilty for not praying, that is not from God. If you are feeling convicted to pray more, that is. It is not my words that bring conviction, but the work of the Holy Spirit.

Change is not a simple thing. What I am feeling compelled to ask you to do will require some changes in your life. You can not continue to spend your time the same way. You can not continue to practice the same set of spiritual disciplines. You must make some changes. That is no easy task. Jesus’ teaching of self-denial and cross-bearing demonstrate this.

It was this last one that really hit me today, first on a personal level and then broadening to include the ministry we share.

How are your resolutions going? A month into the New Year many people have long forgotten the resolutions they made, which likely would have required some changes in their lives. While mine was not a resolution, I have committed to more systematic prayer as I desire to grow in my relationship with Christ this year. I have failed in one area of this endeavor because I have not made the changes in my living to facilitate it.

I wonder how many of you are not willing to commit to pray because you are afraid you do not have the abitily to make the necessary changes in your life to fulfill the commitment? I want to encourage you to submit to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to amaze you with His ability. I am praying for a revival in our church. Will you be a part of that? Will you join me in prayer? Become an InterCessor today!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

NOTES

♪ CHOIR – Join us this week as we are continuing work on the Easter musical “I’ve Seen Jesus”. Click here to hear some clips and read a brief description.

♪ ORCHESTRA – Upcoming Schedule We play next this week, 2.10 and then follow the forthcoming schedule. EASTER schedule is attached. Click here to hear some clips and read a brief description of it.

♪ DVD’s – I have them for “There is Peace…” for those of you who would still like one. At the office and with me on weekends.

January 2008

Dear InterCessors,

Thank you for answering the call to prayer. For a long time the leadership of the Alliance has said that prayer must be our first work. This ministry, a broad group of people praying collectively for the worship life of our church, will ensure that we keep the main thing the main thing. I believe we can move mountains. I believe Jesus gave us great authority that we too often fail to exercise. Thank you for being willing to “get in shape”, or rather to assist the worship life of our church to do so, through your prayers.

This is the commitment I would like to ask you to make. I am calling the InterCessors to spend 2008 as follows.

1. Praying everyday through a monthly prayer card (3-5 minutes)

2. Waiting on the Lord following this to hear His voice (1-2 minutes)

3. Praying on Sunday morning for the worship experience of the church gathered.

4. Praying the rest of the week for the worship experience of the work dispersed.

Eventually I would like to add a fifth phase, possibly later this Spring once the team is a little larger

5. Praying once a month during the service with other members of the team for God to reveal Himself and His people to respond.

Just reply that you would like to be an InterCessor and I will add you to the list for monthly updates.

Divine Power – Daily Living

Dear Worshippers,

Last week the thrust of my thoughts to you centered on Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.” I continue to challenge you to pray today but from a slightly different perspective. I also want to offer a practical suggestion.

Last week I shared some thoughts from Matthew Henry regarding God stirring His people to pray as a sign He is about to bestow some special mercy on them. I think I was thinking of a particular event or season of blessing, and though that may be what God is doing as He stirs us to pray I came across another verse last week that broadened my thinking and brought it in line with the vision God has given us for this ministry we share.

As I was preparing for Small Group last week I came across a few verses in 2 Peter 1:3-4. Allow me to select a portion of those verses for our consideration. “As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life…He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.” Escaping the decadence all around us and sharing in His divine nature are the supernatural by-products of using His divine power for daily living, appropriated to us as we know Jesus better.

While I am praying for special mercy to come upon us in a remarkable way as a church, these words gripped me right from the first five…“As we know Jesus better”. How do we get to know Him better? By spending time with Him. Prayer is one of the ways we do that.

Now for the practical. I shared with choir a few weeks ago about hearing someone on Christian radio talking about spending different times in prayer and meditation over the course of the day. The Biblical foundation for this is solid with examples like Daniel and David being a couple. I purposed to alter my life a bit to try to include a short time of prayer in the late morning, afternoon, and evening in addition to my quiet time with God in the morning which includes Bible reading and worship.

Over the last week I have begun to practice this with greater regularity. It has heightened my awareness of the activity of God in my life. It has given me a greater burden for those around me with a proportional ability to through the Spirit to show compassion. It has helped me to live in the presence of God, experience Him more and more, and as I obey Him to know Him better.

2 Peter 1:3-4 has come alive to me. I am not saying to be religious or legalistic about it, but I want to encourage you to find a way to know Jesus, because when you do, you will find divine power for daily living, and that is special mercy if there ever was one.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Our Mission – In Prayer

Dear Worshippers,

I wrote to you last week to challenge and encourage you to be a part of an increased focus on and activity in prayer for and through our Worship Ministries. I shared in choir last Wednesday night [hope to see many of you tomorrow] that God has really stirred my heart through Pastor David’s message THIS IS YOUR MISSION the previous Sunday, January 13. I have been reflecting on his word and God’s word in that passage (Matthew 9:35-38) over the last week, and the stirring has continued.

As I was preparing this Tuning I consulted Matthew Henry’s commentary to see what insight he might have and it confirmed everything the Lord had been speaking to me. Of this passage about our need to pray for the Lord to send out workers he wrote, “Let us pray that many may be raised up and sent forth, who will labour in bringing souls to Christ. It is a sign that God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs them up to pray for it. And commissions given to labourers in answer to prayer, are most likely to be successful.” [emphasis mine]

Those words gripped my heart. “God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs them up to pray for it.” That is what I am asking you to prayer for: some special mercy. Won’t you agree with me for that?!?

What does that look like? I believe it will look a little different in every circumstance as we “bring souls to Christ”, but it will be marked by one thing. Resurrection power.

In my preparation for Easter, I have again come across the verse in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.” That is what will mark us as we ask and God answers by sending us out into the harvest field. Yes, I said us!

Notice the verse in Matthew 9:38 does NOT say, “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out OTHER laborers.” [ESV] It just says laborers, so God may and probably will answer our prayers by sending US. But when we pray, we have to ask with a willingness for the answer to come through us.

How will we respond when He sends us? How will we respond if we don’t' hear? How will we hear if we don’t listen? How can we listen if we are always talking in prayer? Join me in a new season of prayer as we seek to know Christ and the power of His resurrection poured out through us.

I am so excited I can hardly type quickly enough. I am praying for you to be caught up in the fresh, new thing God wants to do in us. This is our mission – in prayer.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Relationships

Dear Worshippers,

I am continuing to learn that life and ministry are all about relationships. Over the last week I have received a number of emails responding to this communication I fondly call my “tunings”. Without fail they reflected to me the relationship I have with each responder, some more intimate than others, while all very warm and honest. Though I may not have replied to all, I do consider every response valuable and appreciate each taking their time to share their thoughts. I am thankful to God for the relationship I have with each of you.

I did not mean to sound like I was about to quit writing, though it must had sounded that way. I was simply trying to evaluate the usefulness of what I had been communicating. The Spirit led me into that as part of a larger process of retooling in a sense. I will continue to write, Lord willing, as I pray that those who read will seek a similar kind of freshness in their service to the King. As I journey along, I am thankful to have each of you as companions in pursuing Christ-likeness.

This next part of the journey for me is going to be marked by prayer, as these tunings will reflect before resuming the Core Values series. Prayer is really about relationship. As I take time and relate to God in conversation, I get to know Him better. I can express to Him my concerns about my walk with Christ, my family, this ministry and our church for starters. He shows me His heart on these things and I come to a place of rest as I enjoy His presence.

I invite you to cultivate that relationship as well in 2008. Over the last couple of years with varied success I have attempted to organize a prayer ministry for our Worship Ministry. By God’s grace and for His glory, I am committed to revitalizing that ministry. It began with seven men a few of years ago, then expanded to include a larger group almost two years ago. The point of it was to have some things to pray about regarding the worship life of our church, with the ultimate goal of having teams praying not only for our services but during. I am making it my goal to see that happen in some form this year.

I have included below the text of my original communication to those who committed to be InterCessors as well as a list of ongoing and immediate requests. This will give you more information to make a prayerful consideration of involvement in this ministry. Do not be afraid or discouraged. God wants us to approach Him in prayer. We are going to do more of that in the days ahead as we pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and each other.

NEXT WEEK: Our Mission-In Prayer

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

[March 2006]

Dear InterCessors,

Thank you for answering the call to prayer. For a long time the leadership of the Alliance has said that prayer must be our first work. This ministry, a broad group of people praying collectively for the worship life of our church, will ensure that we keep the main thing the main thing. I believe we can move mountains. I believe Jesus gave us great authority that we too often fail to exercise. Thank you for being willing to “get in shape”, or rather to assist the worship life of our church to do so, through your prayers.

This is the commitment I would like to ask you to make. I am calling the InterCessors to spend 2006 as follows.

1. Praying everyday through a monthly prayer card (3-5 minutes)
2. Waiting on the Lord following this to hear His voice (1-2 minutes)
3. Praying on Sunday morning for the worship experience of the church gathered.
4. Praying the rest of the week for the worship experience of the work dispersed.

Eventually I would like to add a fifth phase, possibly in the fall once the team is a little larger

5. Praying once a month during the service with other members of the team for God to reveal Himself and His people to respond.