Viewing posts in the category of Church

Coming to Myself

October 21, 2009 | Church | Life

endlessjourney

One of my favorite parables is the story of the prodigal son.

The story goes like this: A father had two sons.  The younger was, well, young and thought he knew better.  He wanted his inheritance, and his father gave it to him.  He went away, blew all of the money on wine, women, and song, and ended up in the most degrading place he could think of, fighting not to starve.

Then something great happens.  The words in the Bible say that “…he came to himself…”.*  We’ll be back here in a second.

After this, the son realizes that even his dad’s servants were better off, and that he’d go home and beg to be a servant.  When he gets home, his father runs to meet him and welcomes his lost son back into the family, not as a servant, but as a son.  (There’s a bit more, so go read it in Luke 15).

As I emphasized before, there’s a huge turning point in this story.  The son comes to himself.  Meaning he comes back from his rebellious stage to the truth.  The words also imply that something happened inside the son.  They imply there is some point that we should all be at, and we can get away from, but we must choose to head towards.

This is important.  God will let us run away from Him.  He will always be there, but He won’t force you to stay.  It’s a choice.  And you and I choose.  When the son “came to himself” he chose to go back.  It’s subtle.  We control our direction.  We can either go away from God, or go toward Him.

So, if we’re away from God, we must make the choice to go back.  If we are near Him, we must make the choice to stay.

It’s all about coming to myself.

* The ESV and the KJV say “came to himself” and the NIV says “came to his senses”.  Same idea.

[ Image by h.koppdelaney ]

Who Ministers to the Ministers?

September 15, 2009 | Church | Leadership

the_shepard

Sad fact: leaders in the church don’t always get fed.

Who leads worship leaders into worship?  Who preaches to and teaches the pastors and teachers?  Who mentors the mentors?

Burnout is a very bad thing.  But we too often do so much for the sake of the kingdom that we forget to rest and be filled.  God created the entire universe and He still got a day of rest in there!  There’s a reason.

Leaders, don’t be leading so often that you forget to be filled by God or forget to learn from other leaders.  No one can do it all by themselves.  Look for new perspectives or better methods from other leaders.  Take a day to sit and talk with God, or just to enjoy the day with your loved ones.

This isn’t to say that you should neglect responsibilities, but be sure you don’t overdo it.

Balance, my friend.  Balance.

[ Image by a4gpa ]

Sometimes You Just Have to Do It

September 1, 2009 | Church | Life | Music | Worship

pathway

Sometimes the way forward is just that; forward.  Sometimes the next thing you need to do is the thing that you should have been doing all along.  Most times, we know where the next step is, we just don’t want to take it.  We feel like we can’t, or aren’t allowed, or shouldn’t.  We just need to start walking in that direction.

I play music.  It’s something I’ve loved since I was in grade school.  I’ve played in bands at church before, but recently I haven’t been playing.

Here’s the thing: I have been given a talent from God to play music.  It’s something that I am passionate about, and I love playing music.  But lately I haven’t been using my gifts.

Now, for a time, taking a break is fine.  But to not use the gifts God has given you is bad.  You lose something about yourself when you don’t use your gifts.

This past month, I started using my gifts again by getting involved in a new band at my church.  And it feels great!  I don’t know why I waited so long to get back into playing.

So here’s the point.  You all have talents and gifts from God that you can use.  Are you using them?  You can’t keep your gifts and talents to yourself and stay whole.  You have gifts and talents for a reason.

Move towards using them.  Move forward with your task.  Take the next step.

[ Image by carnavalet ]

I Went to Church Online

April 10, 2009 | Church

On Sunday, I went to church online.

I had seen and been told about LifeChurch.tv and this week my wife and I decided to check it out.  Here’s what I thought.

The message was great.  I think God reminded me of a few things.  I liked that the worship music was included in the service.  The podcasts or vodcasts I know of don’t do that (admittedly, I only know of a few).

Overall, I think this is a brilliant idea.  Church online had more attendees than some small local churches I know.  There is even interactivity, via chat rooms and virtual hand raising.  People connecting and praying.

This is a great outreach opportunity.  The relative cost of going to church online is zip.  You can just jump in, no questions asked.  It allows for people wondering about God and church to check something out, and maybe get connected with a church and God.  It allows people who, for whatever reason, can’t make it to services to “go” to church.  This is leveraging the technology of the internet!

I think we should still seek face-to-face interactions in our communities, though.  Being at church online made me miss being with everyone.  I think that people connecting offline will never be replaced.  Not that this is what I think LifeChurch.tv is trying to do (they have physical campuses all over).

But church online is good.  Check out this post if you want proof!  God moves in it.  Welcome to a new era.

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music

Looking for Meaning in Music, Part II

April 6, 2009 | Art | Church | Music | Worship

In my previous post, I said that music is essentially a vehicle of meaning.  Music communicates emotions, but can only communicate so many before something else is added.

Adding Layers

Adding words to a song makes it more specific.  The sounds of music are like broad strokes on the canvas.  Lyrics are the details.  They bring the fuzziness of emotions into focus, or increase the effect.

When you add somber lyrics to a somber tune, it intensifies the effect.  When you add worshipful words to a glorious melody, it makes you want to worship.  You can also add irony and tension.  If you mix the two (happy tune, sad lyrics) you can add shades of meaning, ranging from comical to satire.

This is why music says it better.  If you say “I love you” to your spouse, that says a lot.  If you sing it to your spouse, that adds the extra emotions.  (Valentine’s Day hint…)

Creating a Response

We write music to convey something.  The human who creates the music shapes the meaning.  And this applies, I think, to individual performances as well.  One band can mean one thing with a song, but another band plays it and it conveys something else.

We also have our own response.  Art is about expressing Truth beautifully.  As such, the same music can have different meanings to different people.  Rock music is a good example.  To some people, it means to express freely.  To others, it is connected with rebellion.  Always remember the context!  And when you use context well, it empowers the song you write.

Remember, oh you writers of music, the power you wield.

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music

The Place of Art in the Church Part II

April 1, 2009 | Art | Church | Music | Worship

The purpose of all art in the Church is to glorify God.

When the Church creates art, it is expressing what the soul wants to say to God.  It is our expression of what God has revealed to us to be Truth (as in absolute Truth).  This can be in a worship song of adoration, a novel based on a biblical story, or a painting of a sunset.

So how is it that we glorify God with our art?

From my standpoint, I see three big ways art from the Church glorifies God.

Building Up

When art builds up the community of God – His Church – then the art brings glory to God.  Some examples include worship music and books dealing with our relationship with God.  When a local church sings praises to God, the people get closer to God.  When we read a book that shows us how to pray, then we are encouraged and given knowledge.  These things build the community.  As the community is strengthened in God, He is given the honor for it.

Reaching Out

When art reaches people outside of the Church – as in leading people to Christ – then the art brings glory to God as well.  When the Church grows, the fame of God increases.  He receives the credit.  Examples here include movies or plays that intentionally reach out to people.  If someone goes to a church Christmas production and realize that a relationship with God is what they need, then God receives glory.

Personal Expression

Art leads the soul to some Truth, and there God is given glory too.  This category is quite broad, and it also gets into some gray areas.  What I mean here are the works of art that point to God.  Much of Christian music can fall into this category.  Hawk Nelson doesn’t make music that is designed for worship.  They play music from a biblical standpoint, pointing out spiritual truths, or looking at life through the lens of their faith.  Much of literature (novels, poetry, stories, etc.) could fall in here.  Thomas Kinkade paints a beautiful picture, but he doesn’t paint (I don’t think) to reach out.  He paints because that is how he expresses beauty.  And that beauty, in some way, reflects the beauty of God.  When we see that, we thank God for beauty, and that glorifies Him.

This is most certainly an incomplete list.  And many of the examples could fit into more than one category.  Think of the Psalms.  Most of them could fit into the first and third categories easily.

The point is this: each category has a place in the realm of art from the Church.  Just because your music isn’t sung on Sunday mornings doesn’t mean it isn’t Church music!  Isn’t it wonderful that we have so many ways to glorify God?

So go, create!

Read Part I

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music

The Place of Art in the Church

March 15, 2009 | Art | Church

A question for the Church: What role does art serve?

I’ve been thinking about the “hows” of the above question. How do we use art to glorify and worship God? Do we only use certain things for a worship service? Does it matter what styles we use in a worship service? Can art be inherently good or bad? (Read my last post for some thoughts on that) How can a single church use different styles of art and should they?

I think I’ll be posting a few times on these subjects, but for now, I’ll touch on the first question.

God is The Creator. His Creation is full of variety, color, and beauty. I live in the mountains of North Carolina, and most days I can see a sunset over the mountains on my way home from work. It’s wonderful, it reminds me that God is Creator, and it tells me God is an artist.

Therefore, if God created us (humans) in His own image, then we have a creative drive in us. If God created us with a creative drive and He commands us to love Him with our whole heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37), then it follows that we should use our creativity to love and glorify God.

So, art from the Church (i.e. God’s people, not the building or service) should glorify God in some way. This is not to say that all of our art should be directly about God, but I think it should be in light of God. And it should not be all the same thing. No two sunsets are the same, why should two paintings be (or why should they both be paintings)?

Put it this way. Just because we are Christians does not mean we should be preaching in the streets 24/7. We need rest, we need enjoyment, we need fellowship, the list goes on. I can play the Wii with my wife or read a book just for fun. But these things must all be submitted to God. Same with art.

Art should be expressions of our experiences. What we feel, what we see, what we know, what we believe. The specific medium by which we show our art is less important. Since God created us all different, we will show our creativity in different ways. None is better than the other, and all can be used.

The principle idea here is that if the art is ultimately God-centered, then it glorifies God. That is the answer to the question. How do we glorify God with art? By honoring Him – His nature, His name, His Son, His Spirit – in our art.

So for all of us creative types: remember who gave us creativity in the first place, and honor Him in what we create, whether that be worship music, novels, paintings, movies, or anything else.

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music


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The Nature of Tools: Thoughts on Worship

February 18, 2009 | Church | Music | Worship

I just read a blog post yesterday that inspired me to say something about tools.  I stumbled across this link on twitter in a search I have up in TweetDeck.  So here goes.

Is a tool inherently good or evil?  How about a fork?  Is it good?  Bad?

Seems a kind of silly question.  Let me rephrase it a bit: Is a weapon inherently good or evil?

Now that will get some responses.  A weapon generally is used to harm.  Most people would say that is an “evil” purpose.  But how about when it defends something from evil?  Is it now “good?”  Most would say that defending the innocent is good.  Why the difference?

It’s all about how the tool is used!  The intent of the heart decides what is good or evil.

The original post, if you didn’t read it, were about contemporary worship music and how the inherent quality of certain kinds of music (extreme paraphrase).  As a musician and as a Christian, I am deeply passionate about this subject.  So here are my thoughts in response.

Musical style is a tool.  Musical instruments are tools.  Tools are not inherently good or evil.  Therefore, no musical style should be considered good or evil.  If a musical style reaches a portion of our culture in such a way as to bring them to Christ and repent, then why should we not use said style?  If a musical style brings us to worship our Creator God who wants nothing more than to fellowship with his people, then why should we not use it?

My biggest problem of the “Which musical style is the best for worship?” debate is who gets to be arbiter and judge?  Who decides that rock music is evil and that folk music is good?  Or that classical music is worthless and rap is relevant?  God is the only one who can judge the heart and soul of a man.  Period.  If you don’t understand why someone is moved by a certain genre, try to understand.  If you still don’t, try and find out why.  Agree to disagree, but don’t say one style is better for worship than another.

I think I need to put a disclaimer in right here.  I am not condoning a “Whatever works for you” brand of theology.  That gets into some dangerous waters.  God is the judge, so go to Him for your answers.  Listening to questionable lyrics that talk about sex explicitly, or have rampant profanity, or hold to very ungodly ideologies is probably not a good idea.  We are to be holy as God is holy, so what we take in needs to be controlled.

That said, how does instrumental music (i.e. devoid of lyrics) become sexual?  Or filled with profanity?  Or rebels against God?  How do drums depict wrong affections whereas piano depicts right affections?  If I remember my music history correctly, the piano (or the fortepiano as it was originally called) was not accepted into the church rapidly.  It was seen as an evil instrument, and that the organ should be played in church instead.  Sounds familiar…  And what do we see today?  Piano is considered an acceptable instrument.  Funny how that works.

All art, I believe, is viewed through the lens of one’s own values, views, and experiences.  That means, if you think that the electric guitar is not an instrument to be used for sacred music, you won’t like modern praise music that uses it.  There’s nothing wrong with not liking something, or saying that you feel the presence of God better if you listen to Style A than Style B.  I don’t like pickles, but my wife likes pickles.  I love fish, but my wife does not.  Both were created by God.  Which one is better?  Who is more right?  Neither.  It’s a preference.  But to say one is holy and one is not makes a statement I don’t want to make.

And I can’t understand how one style can be acceptable and one cannot.  Art is subjective.  It’s not concrete.  Offering sacrifices was a concrete deal.  There were certain animals you were to sacrifice for certain things, at certain times, in line with your means.  So how do we make the jump that music for worship has the same concrete ideas?  It’s the same thing as saying only one set of chords are acceptable.  Boy, wouldn’t that be boring!  It’d become a ritual!  Not an overflow.

So here’s an extreme example.  If we take instrument restrictions to the logical maximum, then we should only play with instruments that the Bible mentioned.  Which would be, I think, basically the lyre, cymbals, and our voices.  I’m probably leaving something out, but you get the point.  Our God is creative.  He is the Ultimate Artist.  Therefore, why should we stifle our creativity for worshipping Him?  I think God, being the lover of our souls that He is, enjoys hearing all of our ways to worship Him.

The blog post did make some good points.  It urged us to pay attention to how we worship.  Worship is not just music.  It is us responding rightly to all that God truly is.  If we go to musical worship and just follow after the cool emotions of being in a crowd, watching a show full of lights and pictures, waiting for the fuzzies to come over us, then we are there for the wrong reasons.  But if those outward expressions of love and fear are flowing from a truthful realization of who God is, then that is true worship.  It doesn’t matter if that style is classical, rock, rap, folk, blues, jazz, metal, pop, or whatever!  If God is truly at the center, then He will be praised.

And it doesn’t have to be music!  It could be a painting where you see the true suffering of Christ on the cross, bearing the weight of our shame to save us from our sin.  You see that and thank God for his grace, and praise Him for it.  Or it could be a work of fiction, where you see God’s eternal pursuit of His children no matter the cost, and you realize that you have been running from God and turn back to Him and praise Him.  Or it could be a film, where you finally see the gravity of your sin and the fullness of God’s holiness and glory, and you realize that one day you will not have the option to turn from it, so you turn to God and praise Him for it.

The tools are a means to an end.  I don’t believe that they carry with them an inherent value of good or evil.  And just because someone does something evil with a particular tool does not make that tool evil.  Neither does it make the tool good if good comes from that tool.  The tool is subject to the heart of its user.  And the heart is subject to God.  If God can use us as tools to advance His Kingdom, surely he could use rock music for good.

If you have any thoughts or scripture to share, please do.  I always want to be learning about my passions.  And if you disagree, please post some comments about why, but do so in love.  Thanks.

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music

The Way We’ve Always Done It: Words Not to Live By

February 1, 2009 | Church | Music

So here’s the deal.  If, in order to explain why you’re doing something, you say “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it,” then you are in trouble.

Case in point: the music industry.  We’ve always sold physical copies and been able to control their copying to our liking.  That’s how we’ll approach digital transmissions.  Result: RIAA as attack dog, proper digital legislation is not around, and the consumers are leaving.

Case in point: the church.  We’ve always done service this way, with these songs, at these times.  Why change to anything else?  Result: churches are losing members and not reaching out to a new generation of believers.

Obviously there is more to both of the points above, and I’m really, really oversimplifying things.

But here’s the point: If we are to survive in a new age, we need to reevaluate our methods.

This is, again, not to say that old methods are bad.  I don’t believe physical copies of music will ever truly dissappear.  There will always be some people (probably like me) who like to have a CD, an album, a whatever of their favorite band.  And churches have always (I think) sung songs together as a group.  They probably always will.  But in order to survive and remain viable, we must always reevaluate the methods to see if they are still optimal.  If you find that your current methods are falling behind, then you must adapt.  There is no other option.  Your choices are change and grow, or remain and die. 

Changing your methods can be hard.  If it wasn’t, we’d all be doing it constantly.  But we cannot end up looking back saying “If only we had changed.”  If we do, we’ll end up trying to sell papers to people who don’t need them anymore because they get the news online.  Or on their iPhone or BlackBerry.  Or on the next cool toy.  If you do successfully change (especially before the rest), you will be prepared for the future.

Just watch out for the next big shift, so you don’t get caught behind the rest!

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music

The Church and Art

January 23, 2009 | Art | Church

I recently watched this video a few days ago and it got me thinking.

We as a church body have gotten behind when it comes to art.

When was the last time you heard of an awesome piece of music that moved the genre in a brand new direction?  When did you last see a painting that pushed the way people painted?

As a body of artists, it feels as if we have become followers.  In music, we have Christian versions of almost every kind of music.  Rock, Rap, R&B, Pop, Urban, Country; you name it, we probably have it.  This is good, and we should express the Gospel message and Christian ideals in these forms.  Yet, when I hear a band or artist with a new sound I’ve never heard before, it’s not a Christian artist.  Why is that?

Now, granted, I have a few Christian groups on my playlist that I can’t compare to anyone else.  Anberlin, for example, I love, and I just can’t seem to put them with anyone else.  The Classic Crime, while they don’t call themselves a Christian band, have decidedly Christian overtones, and are on Tooth and Nail, which carries mostly Christian artists.  These guys have brilliant writing, in my opinion.  The exception that make the rule, I guess.

Here’s the point: We as Christians carry with us the greatest news of all time, we know the God of the universe and can speak with him every day, yet we generally only follow others in their artistic methods?

This just feels odd to me.  If we truly know God, shouldn’t we be able to find new awesome ways to glorify Him?  Should we not be leading as well as following?

I am a Christian artist myself, as I have said a few times on this blog.  I don’t have the answers.  But as a Christian and an artist, I want to be moving in a new direction.  My influences are all evident in my art, so in some ways I will always be following them.  My goal is to create something new that no one has quite heard before.  I may never get there, but I’m sure going to try.

I want to see all Christian artists doing something a little different.  I want to see the church become a center of another arts movement.  I want God’s glory shown in different ways than just what’s already been done before.

Does any one else feel this way?  Got any cool Christian art to share?  Leave a comment, let me know.

Posted via web from On Life, Stories, and Music

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