Holiness is like cheese…

It’s all about maturity! (laughter breaks out…)

Sorry for that rather poor joke, but that’s me. Anyway back to my point. Holiness has really been on my radar of late, so I started reading a book by J.I Packer called “Rediscovering Holiness” and this little blog is inspired by it (just don’t get angry with Mr. Packer for what I’m saying, ). In fact it’s something that God has been speaking to our community too. Yet it’s something that is so forgotten especially (weirdly enough) amongst “Evangelical” or even “Conservative” christians.

So often “christians” are the ones who have to have everything figured out, so they aren’t big on repentance because that means we have to admit our faults and actually in all streams of the “church” we are all too willing to move the blame onto someone else or go for some “inner-healing”.  Therefore because repentance isn’t “big” neither is holiness.

Now to my point. Holiness is more than just not sinning. If we just cut out our sins through “white knuckling it” all we end up becoming is religious. What we need to do is repent of our sin(s) and begin to work on our character. I have met so many “old christians” who have it all together on the outsidebut when you look deeper for the character, it’s horribly missing.

Maybe we think that just dealing with sins will build character, or that over time it will grow by itself, but the truth is we all know people in the 2^nd half of their lives who are incredibly immature. Anyway that’s what I want for my life, to not only walk in victory over sin (which I think is a gift from Jesus, a position I live from and a process I live out) but then to be mature in my character. That seems like a pretty sweet deal to me, that seems like a holiness I could get into.

Sticks and Stones…(Spiritual Formation)

“For: The Essentials Formation Online Worship Values Course with Dan Wilt“

So this week I have been thinking about what inspires me, and also what deflates me, or takes the wind out of my sails. I think it’s so important that we live our lives inspired because life can be so draining and de-motivating. If life is not a sprint but a marathon, then we need to find ways of staying inspired to make sure we can go the distance.

Now here’s what’s happened of late; when I was church planting in the States I started building up the gear I needed to pursue my worship ministry calling. Then a few weeks ago our house was broken into and all they took was our digital camera and my gig bag of microphones, guitar pedals and recording equipment. Most of that equipment I can’t get here in South Africa and if I could I don’t have the money to replace it. It really felt like an attack on my calling and I felt deflated quite quickly.

I struggled with the whole question of “was this a satanic attack on my call, or if not why did God allow it” Obviously that is always the question right? So I just want to share what the answer has looked like in my life and how I’m fighting to stay inspired.

I went before Father and had to start by confessing just how fed-up (you can insert your own angry words here) I was with Him. I then asked Him what He was doing or where He was when the thieves were in our house. Then He replied…

He reminded me of how easily we rely on things (read equipment) to makes us look better or even be more effective in ministry. I felt like He was saying to me that He is asking me to come very simply to Him in worship.

I also felt Him say that just as when Moses would lay down his staff God would use it mightily, but when he picked it up it turned back to the staff, that He was asking me to do the same. And so I have although it’s difficult.

Now when I lead worship I still miss that equipment, but it reminds me to come simply, to lay down my gifts, that it’s about Him not about me and most importantly to just LET GO…

BTW they broke the window to get in, thus the inspiration for the picture and heading.

What’s Holiness got to do with it?

What does holiness look like in an unreligious context?

I’m part of a great community of believers/friends/family where everyone is free to be themselves with all of junk. We give each other room to have issues and yet to also be working through them with Jesus and the Spirit’s help and our mates cheering us on.

Many of us are just plain tired of playing “church” or being super nice Sunday smiley people. The issue though is how does holiness look like in that context or yours? We don’t want to be like those crusty old people who have a sour expression on their faces or wear suites to church. We are laid back, board-shorts wearing, iPod listening, sport fanatical, fun-loving people who are hurt, broken and have placed their faith in Jesus as our Saviour.

Well and idea has been finding me, sometimes ambush style, as I search the internet, the airwaves and my own cd/mp3 collection for songs that reflect to God what I’m feeling inside. They are songs that talk about fire, they are songs that talk about burning, songs that talk about being consumed. And then it hit…

Old school holiness is all about being perfect, about following rules, and almost where being dull and boring is something to be valued. What if we have the wrong address, what happens if holiness doesn’t live on Law-keeping Blvd. What happens if Holiness is a response to something or someone?

As I have been singing and meditating on these “fire” songs I have realised they all come out of a place of intimacy with God or the desire to be more intimate with Him. It is the fire of intimacy that purifies our hearts, minds, choices, character, actions, priorities etc. It is also the flames of intimacy that inspire holiness as an act of worship!

That’s it, holiness as a worship response, an inspired call to purity because of the one I love and the flames of intimacy that begin to consume all that does not please Him. Now I can get into that, how about you?

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Try 2 b conscience of God’s love & pres

Try 2 b conscience of God’s love & presence every moment today. It’ll be the hardest thing you do all day & everything will feel a lot easier

What did you expect?

“For: The Institue of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephens University, Essentials Green Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt.”

Why do we lead worship? I mean what are you aiming at as you lead worship? I always joke with my wife that all I want to do is make someone cry during worship.

For so long I have believed that I should be aiming to put God in front of the people using songs, scripture and pray and that little magical thing called “The Anointing” (please excuse the sarcasm). Then if God’s presence “manifests” then you have really struck the jackpot but that hardly happens, or at least in the churches I’ve worshipped or lead worship in. (maybe there is something wrong with me, but that just makes me normal doesn’t it?)

However I am starting to believe that there is more. Sure we must put God in front of the people because He is the focus of our worship, can I get an AMEN! Yes we also should pursue His manifest Presence; I live for those times when you realize that nothing else really matters. But what happens if by our worship leading we can usher in not only God’s presence but His Kingdom so that it becomes “real”, touching people’s hearts for sure but also changing circumstances, lifestyles, lives, bodies, situations etc?

So what am I talking about, all this “Kingdom” stuff. Well you know how we pray “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done”. Well imagine if our worship leading made God’s Kingdom come, not only inside the 4 walls of the church building but out in the ‘Burbs where we live, inner city, business where we work or the hospital/clinic where all the sick people are. What would that look like? How would it happen?

One thing I know is that this forces me to take His Kingdom and worship outside the 4 walls and that’s exciting. It speaks of more than just a nice times of sitting and soaking, which I absolutely love, but it means that after we are drenched in His presence we are invited to go outside and get a few people wet. It speaks of action and obedience which is so much more than just a setlist of songs.

This for me is a pretty loaded concept and something I am wrestling with so I’m really just asking a question and hopefully putting this up there on our radar screens.

Can you turn me up please?

“For: The Institue of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephens University, Essentials Green Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt.”

I must first of all say I am thoroughly enjoying doing the Essentials Course in worship studies. I have found their materials so thought provoking and yet so balanced and mature. Definitely check the course out if you have a heart for worship!

Anyway back to what I wanted to say…In the church I grew up in there were often differing opinions on worship, and some pretty strong ones at that (I see those heads nodding ). One of them was on “cultural relevance” and “accessibility”, i.e. we were dealing with issues of how we make the “church” cool to other people and maybe even to ourselves because even though most “religious” people won’t admit it, they are bored out of their minds.

It sad to know that these “wars” still continue today, when really the problem isn’t with the other guy who wants to rock out or sing hymns. The problem was us all along. (swallowing bitter pill…). The way I see it the problem has never been should we sing hymns or not or should we sing the latest songs off the Worship Top 40, the problem is about who we are serving.

We all know that worship is about us (wait quick double take, what did he say?) At least that’s what we believe if we are honest with ourselves. Even us worship leaders make worship about us rather than first God and THEN others.

I think worship should be directed towards God but we should also be serving each other by choosing actions, meditations, prayers and songs that help others to connect with God. Far too often worship leaders under the banner of “cultural relevance” choose the songs they want to sing instead of the songs the community, in front of them needs to connect with God. As leaders we need to keep at the front of our minds the question “what is going to help these people connect with Jesus today?”

The other issue goes a little deeper. I have always found that in these churches where there are struggles in worship it is because choosing the right song has become the focus. It’s sort of like if you choose the right song (or my favourite song at the moment) then worship will be awesome, but if you don’t then worship will be rubbish.

That’s also not the point, I mean isn’t this about God and His presence? What God wants isn’t a song or sacrifice (depending on which Testament you choose to live in… jokes) he wants people who will come to Him in faith (Heb 11), He wants people who will worship in spirit and in truth (John 4) and He wants people who are humble (Psalm 51).

I once heard Graham Cooke say that as long as God’s presence is manifesting, that people are getting saved, that miracles are happening on a weekly basis and the poor are being looked after, you will always be relevant. Pretty powerful stuff hey. I think so often we hide behind “being culturally relevant” and choosing cool songs so we don’t have to own up to the fact that God left the building a long time ago.

As always I welcome any comments

The two sides of worship

“For: The Institue of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephens University, Essentials Green Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt.”

This past week I have been thinking about the relationship between intimacy and integrity in worship.

There is a lot of performance in worship these days, which is both good and bad. Good because it usually means cool equipment to play with, but bad because it often leaves worship feeling plastic and superficial.

There is always going to be a push for excellence which is right as we give God our best.

But of all the people who speak to me about excellence in worship, no one has ever mentioned the excellence of the heart.

This is where I feel that intimacy and integrity can help us. These 2 things work together and can give our worship the substance and power we all want.

Intimacy is all about going deeper with God, but so often we struggle, especially as guys, with intimacy because at the back of our mind we can’t get past making it sexual.

Intimacy is all about self-disclosure. (Beware the following paragraph is rated pg13). Now between my wife and I that could end up with me naked but when it comes to God it means letting him see the good and bad parts of our lives and somehow this is way harder than putting our “love-handles” on show.

Now this is where integrity comes in because we can’t experience intimacy if we are not being ourselves.

Here’s a thought the degree we are comfortable with God knowing our most broken parts is the degree to which we can be intimate wit Him and also shows how deep our understanding of His Grace.

I don’t just want to leave it there though because it is good and right to bring our victories and healing to God. It’s just that we find it easier to only show the best version me ourselves to God and other church folk on a Sunday.

So I want to challenge you and I that as we worship today to bring all of ourselves to God, the good and the bad

blurry worship goggles

Of late I have been struggling with leading worship. You see I’m the conscientious kind of person who tries to give my best effort every time.But I have been feeling frustrated because we don’t seem to be engaging God as I would like.

So the usual tendency is to try harder, pick better, more hip and happening songs. Or get more another instrument involved, or make the praise songs more driving etc. (Obviously those are some good ideas for breathing life into stale worship performances, but stay with me…)

So the next step for me is to focus on my character, being raised as a conservative evangelical (you know how it is with us “people of the Word”), you start to look for sin or character issues in your life because that must be what’s blocking the “anointing” from happening. (Now don’t get me wrong, this is very valid too, but what if your conscience is clear before God? Stay with me…)

Anyway, I have been reading this book by Bill Johnson called “When Heaven Invades Earth” and he said something that really knocked me off my pedestal. Basically he was talking about it is unbalanced to think that good character is enough, we need God’s presence to be evident in us and moving through us! (Very loose quote, get the book and read  it for yourself, chapter 8 I think)

WAIT a second! You can’t just toss CHARACTER aside! (That’s exactly what I was saying!) You see what Bill is saying is that even a “non-christian” can develop good character. Character is important but without HIS presence we just end up being little  clones of “Mr. Nice Guy/Girl”.

Jesus was so much more than just a “Mr. Nice Guy” his power and danger came from his Father’s presence working through him.

So basically what I’m trying to say is that if we want to get worship back in focus we need all 3 things happening, and for me, at the moment, I need to really be seeking more of His presence evident in me and through me!

How about you?

Intimacy and Tithing UPDATE: FB and Twitter edition

How are you guys doing on tithing or giving the first fruits of your emotions etc to God? Fill out the poll at the end too if you don’t mind.

Anyway as I have been trying to practice this, I came upon an interesting discovery. I noticed that I was actually processing my emotions and thoughts by posting status updates on twitter and facebook.

Wow! So there’s me thinking I am going to other people, and often my wife first, when actually I should be going to God first. Then, PA-POW! I realise I am cheating on God with Facebook and Twitter!

Now I don’t want to get legalistic or anything but hey I was quite amazed at this. Here I am posting my first-fruits to an impersonal world wide web.

I think there is a little deception that creeps in that tells us these social networks are real life. They aren’t as real as we would like. I read somewhere on the web that up 70%-80% of post’s on twitter are from robots (little programs designed to send updates). Crazy isn’t.

Also think about this: 90% of communication is non-verbal which means simple status updates don’t tell even half the story. Therefore attach more pictures, ha ha ha.

Seriously though, while social networks allow us to connect with others in a powerful way, it can never be a substitute for real relationships.

So here is a new challenge. Before posting your next update, share it with God first.

Let me know how it goes…