i was talking with a good friend the other day...he was recounting a profound worship experience he had while visiting a third world country...he told of a small group of people who met together and shared what God was doing in their midst - stories, prayers, spontaneous singing, tongues, etc - no program, plan, service order...he said it was such a profound experience and he's never experienced God's presence before or since in that way...
his recollection reminded me of the transforming power of authentically "meeting with God"...now i don't discount that God moves in many ways in different places and congregations, but he asked me a question that still is ringing in my ears:
what would happen if God really showed up in our gatherings?
i followed up with a what if...
what if He isn't showing up now? what if something is keeping Him from our meetings? have we become so used to routine, song, song, talk, song, announcement, offering that we don't really expect Him to show? would we know if He did? how would it look different (from inside our own hearts to our external expressions) if He did show up?
just a thought on my heart today...you?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Purely Hypothetical!
i have a purely hypothetical situation to which i would like you to respond. if the details and names that appear in this situation are recognizable, it is purely coincidence. ok, maybe that's a stretch, but still, don't read anything into this...
let's say a church has two adult services. the first service (we'll call this the Blender) includes a more traditional music style - a mixture of old and older songs, a few current ones. the second service (we'll call this the itch) includes a more open contemporary mix in regards to musical style - louder, more electric, dynamic, etc.
if this church were to decide to have a completely unique volunteer staff for each service, during which service would you choose to serve?
simple question, no strings, no contract, no relation whatsoever to us - purely hypothetical...seriously, don't read anything into this - - - - yet...
ps...i have several other thoughts/questions on this hypothetical subject, but that is for a later time...
craig
let's say a church has two adult services. the first service (we'll call this the Blender) includes a more traditional music style - a mixture of old and older songs, a few current ones. the second service (we'll call this the itch) includes a more open contemporary mix in regards to musical style - louder, more electric, dynamic, etc.
if this church were to decide to have a completely unique volunteer staff for each service, during which service would you choose to serve?
simple question, no strings, no contract, no relation whatsoever to us - purely hypothetical...seriously, don't read anything into this - - - - yet...
ps...i have several other thoughts/questions on this hypothetical subject, but that is for a later time...
craig
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I must be sleepwalking!!!!!
Sleepwalking boy does that discribe me most of the time.
I'm so caught up in ME that my eyes are blinded to the needy
dying world I live in. Already I feel very convicted & this is only
the first chapter!!!! Wow I have alot to learn for an old guy that
"thinks" he knows it all. I believe God is trying to get my attention.
I only hope that I'm receptive to the message & open to worshiping
God with my life not just my mouth.
I guess that it's time to wake up & quit sleepwalking!!!!!!!!!
Blessing, P2
Monday, January 14, 2008
trying to stop.....trying is the key word.
What does it mean to rest? Since I’ve heard about rest for the past 4 days straight, I have a feeling that someone’s trying to tell me something. Ü (side note….thanks Jess for Sunday…it was good!!)
I took this past Friday off to get together with some friends and it was the best thing for me. I feel more energized then I usually do if I sleep all weekend. (which hardly ever happens) I did nothing. We went to Pokagon and sat by the fire for a good 4 hours. Sometimes talking; sometimes not saying anything. At first, I have to admit, it was hard for me to just sit there and do nothing. I don’t know how many of you have noticed, but I’m on the go non-stop and it’s really hard for me to take a break. Usually I just go and go until I drop. And then I pick myself back up and start over again. My schedule is pretty set in stone. I know what I do on Mondays and I have every detail down to the minute. Get up at 6:30, leave the house by 7:15, get to work by 7:40, Bible time until 7:55, and clock in at 8. Leave work at 5, get to the gym at 5:15, leave 5:50, Campus life at 6:30, Get home 9, go to bed, 10:30. Everyday is exactly like this. I have a feeling that we all have very hectic schedules and that you could all send me your schedules and we could sit and compare and have a grand old time looking over this craziness.
So I guess the question that I want to ask is, how do we find rest amidst our crazy schedules? How do I get the rest that I got on Friday on a weekly basis? Because I know that I don’t have enough personal time to take off every Friday for the rest of the year. Does that mean that I get rid of a going to the gym on Monday’s so I can sit in a bookstore and read for an hour? I’m still not sure how I’m going to shuffle my schedule around; all I know is that I’m going to start resting on a normal basis. And that doesn’t mean taking a 15 minute nap in my car everyday. I need to practice being still. I need to take a break from the norm.
I hope this makes sense to just a few of you. If not, sorry for my ramblings.:0)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
iam sure if you wanted to stop love you could just untie your end and let it go but my God you dont ya i know i love you for it
wow ok so i never write on here and i know that sucks for me ahhh but read every 1s post see heres my philosiphy um well iam a student at least for 2 more days but i am in school most of my time and if iam at home iam doing homework or writing papers yaaaaa and i know we have teachers here to but you at least have computers at school lol um well iam just messing with all ya oh and online i can get my thoughts across best if i odnt use the best grammer so ya onto my point yaaaa
right now iam going though change going from 12 and 1/2 years of school to no more high school in 2 days its a crazzy thought um iam attending college in the fall but its still a crazzzy concept that iam almost done with what seems to me as some of the hardest years but i reliaze the hardest days are yet to come but its really a humbleing and inferior feeling actually being done with high school realizing i really dont know anything and how much i have 2 learn and just how big God really is
this past weekend i got the privliage in speaking to my house church about what worship really is truthfuly do any of us have that figured out no but i feel i learn more everyday but this usnday night while iwas tlaking bout it it suddenly hit me true worship is every second milli second nano second ecccct i live giving all the glory to God i mean giving everything to Him now i konw u all may be nate every 1 knows that but i feel i hear it but am just now realizing what that means every part of my life i need to give glory to God thats worship i cant really express my thoughts real well tonight but just think about that lol um but
i have no clue what iam trying to say but just think about how big God really is and how loving He is but also how powerful He is and ya thats all i got right now well yaaaa hope this made any sense if not srry ahhhhh
wait wow i have somthing else wow yaaa um i ve been thing bout love allot and wow its 1 of my fav words um but its real crazy how much of Gods love is being shown around the world right now there is allot of evil but wow i really feel in my life GODS love is truly winning about 2 months ago iwas talking to one of my fav bands after their show and they recently almost broke up because all the tipical reasons bands break up but the knew God was telling them their ministrie wasnt over and they stuck it out and they told me bout how its hard to keep going on but everynight they truly feel GODs love present and its real crazy to see what impact they are having in ppls lives they aea little harder music thanmost of you may like but the are simply out their to glorify GODs name and for that iconsider them pure worship there lyrics are the title of this post so ya if you dont care srry but i just want to say how power full Gods love truly is and so many times i underestimate it how much i really need it but man i do its the true glue that holds me together to GOd if that makes sense its like when craig was tlaking bout "daow" and how if we are truly worsihping God we will never be the same and wow thats truly deep i mean if you think bout it every time we worship God we have changed somtihng to worship GOD if that makes sense
srry i just say if that makes sense allot cause it mostly only does 2 me yaaa well this is my thought for tonight so ya
GOD IS LOVE
nate
right now iam going though change going from 12 and 1/2 years of school to no more high school in 2 days its a crazzy thought um iam attending college in the fall but its still a crazzzy concept that iam almost done with what seems to me as some of the hardest years but i reliaze the hardest days are yet to come but its really a humbleing and inferior feeling actually being done with high school realizing i really dont know anything and how much i have 2 learn and just how big God really is
this past weekend i got the privliage in speaking to my house church about what worship really is truthfuly do any of us have that figured out no but i feel i learn more everyday but this usnday night while iwas tlaking bout it it suddenly hit me true worship is every second milli second nano second ecccct i live giving all the glory to God i mean giving everything to Him now i konw u all may be nate every 1 knows that but i feel i hear it but am just now realizing what that means every part of my life i need to give glory to God thats worship i cant really express my thoughts real well tonight but just think about that lol um but
i have no clue what iam trying to say but just think about how big God really is and how loving He is but also how powerful He is and ya thats all i got right now well yaaaa hope this made any sense if not srry ahhhhh
wait wow i have somthing else wow yaaa um i ve been thing bout love allot and wow its 1 of my fav words um but its real crazy how much of Gods love is being shown around the world right now there is allot of evil but wow i really feel in my life GODS love is truly winning about 2 months ago iwas talking to one of my fav bands after their show and they recently almost broke up because all the tipical reasons bands break up but the knew God was telling them their ministrie wasnt over and they stuck it out and they told me bout how its hard to keep going on but everynight they truly feel GODs love present and its real crazy to see what impact they are having in ppls lives they aea little harder music thanmost of you may like but the are simply out their to glorify GODs name and for that iconsider them pure worship there lyrics are the title of this post so ya if you dont care srry but i just want to say how power full Gods love truly is and so many times i underestimate it how much i really need it but man i do its the true glue that holds me together to GOd if that makes sense its like when craig was tlaking bout "daow" and how if we are truly worsihping God we will never be the same and wow thats truly deep i mean if you think bout it every time we worship God we have changed somtihng to worship GOD if that makes sense
srry i just say if that makes sense allot cause it mostly only does 2 me yaaa well this is my thought for tonight so ya
GOD IS LOVE
nate
The Bible? Seriously...
What would happen if I took the Bible seriously? I mean seriously, would my life look different than it does today?
How can I read verses like the following and not take them seriously:
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:32-34
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." Psalms 82.3
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19.17
"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21.13
"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22.9
"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29.7
"learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1.17
"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
I don't know. I am not trying to beat anybody up here (except myself), but this concept is all over the Scriptures (and "the Dangerous Act of Worship.")
I have recently purchased 2 other books and am halfway through the first. "living with less - the upside of downsizing your life" is killing me! The next one is "the tough sayings of Jesus"...i am ready for God to do something here, but it is frightening...
I am also very quickly learning that what God is doing in me CANNOT cause me to expect He is doing in everyone else around me. Thus, I deal and judge only myself as it pertains to these things, not others! It is so easy to become arrogant, prideful and judgmental. In other words, I can be prideful when I have so many cools things, lots of money, gadgets, etc...But I can also be prideful when I care more for the poor and needy than others...Maybe that's why Paul talks about contentment so much?
Man, I have such a looooong way to go...
How can I read verses like the following and not take them seriously:
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:32-34
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." Psalms 82.3
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19.17
"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21.13
"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22.9
"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29.7
"learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1.17
"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
I don't know. I am not trying to beat anybody up here (except myself), but this concept is all over the Scriptures (and "the Dangerous Act of Worship.")
I have recently purchased 2 other books and am halfway through the first. "living with less - the upside of downsizing your life" is killing me! The next one is "the tough sayings of Jesus"...i am ready for God to do something here, but it is frightening...
I am also very quickly learning that what God is doing in me CANNOT cause me to expect He is doing in everyone else around me. Thus, I deal and judge only myself as it pertains to these things, not others! It is so easy to become arrogant, prideful and judgmental. In other words, I can be prideful when I have so many cools things, lots of money, gadgets, etc...But I can also be prideful when I care more for the poor and needy than others...Maybe that's why Paul talks about contentment so much?
Man, I have such a looooong way to go...
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Dangerous Act of Worship - WAKE UP!
Ok! To quote Jessica's last comment:
"Where do I begin if I truly want to start living differently than the people who are lulled to sleep and just live comfortably every week?"
Let's put flesh on this. I think it will look differently for everyone, but what does it look like for you to wake up?
"Where do I begin if I truly want to start living differently than the people who are lulled to sleep and just live comfortably every week?"
Let's put flesh on this. I think it will look differently for everyone, but what does it look like for you to wake up?
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