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There are many things Jesus taught on while He was here. I consider the things the gospel writers chose to write on as Jesus' "greatest hits", because we KNOW Jesus spoke on MUCH more than what they wrote down for us. Two of His greatest hits are the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son. The parable of the Lost Sheep is about the shepherd who leaves the flock in search of the one sheep who has become lost, isolated from the flock, or perhaps even wandered off. We are not specifically told how the sheep got lost, why he wandered, how, etc. All we know is the shepherd finds out one of his sheep is missing. The lost sheep in the parable is not one who is in search of a flock, or who is being pursued to be asked to join the flock. The lost sheep is already a part of the flock. When it is discovered to be lost, the shepherd actively pursues and searches out the lost sheep and doesn't just lead or bring him back, but even carries him back.
In the Prodigal Son, the son makes known his plans and runs off and squanders everything the father had for him. The prodigal already belonged to the family and was an active member of the family, and then he left with what was his. When he realizes his foolishness and decides to come back to see if his father would just hire him as a servant, what does the father do? He welcomes his son back with open arms, even running off in the distance to meet him, and throws a tremendous celebration in his honor. Again, this is not a new son, or an adopted son, or someone welcomed in off the street. He is a member of the family who has purposefully and actively 'run off' and returns.
What is it about the shepherd and the father that is so poignant and applicable to the church? Love...love for the flock, not only as a group, but for each individual sheep. Love for the family, not only as a whole, but each individual member of the family.
The advice and encouragement I have, for what it's worth, is going to sound simplistic and perhaps even trite to some. But in the extremeness of its simplicity lies its foundational, undergirding truth. Pastors, staff members, leaders, volunteer leaders...love the people in your church as Christ loves the church.Later...and be careful out there.
I almost always have full weekends it seems. I went in to work for a while this morning. One thing nice about a little bit of a commute with an easy drive (no traffic, etc.) is you usually get some mental downtime. I headed in about 615 am, cruising through farm country with no live deer to dodge. I finished up what I needed to get done by 1040 and headed back home. I got a couple of errands done on the way home, then had lunch with the boys. After that I had practice with the acoustic gospel group I play with (acoustic guitar) from 1 to 330 or so (was a good practice) and then headed home again. I watched some of the first round of the NFL draft and then observed my oldest son while he cooked the main part of supper for everyone on the grill. He knocked it out of the park, working the grill cooking hamburgers, corn on the cob, and hot dogs. It was goooooooooood.
After supper I got to work on the prayer list and announcements sheet for church tomorrow. I found out a few months ago that only about 30 or so get printed and most of those don't get distributed for one reason or another. So a few weeks ago I took the matter in my own hands and started sending out both *.doc and *.pdf versions of the file to all the Lifegroup leaders with the hope they would share it with their Lifegroups, meaning about 200+ people who are more involved should at least be getting the prayer list. You never can have too many people praying in my opinion.
Hopefully I'll be getting the message notes soon so I can start on the Lifegroup guides which will be based on tomorrow's message. I take the notes and listen to both services to know how to work and wordsmith the guides into a readable, booklet type style complete with questions for the leaders to use with their groups. Some of the Lifegroups use the guides to go into Sunday's message a little deeper, discussing it and just talking about it. The problem with not getting the file pretty soon is there will be a delay in getting them out to the Lifegroup leaders because I haven't had the time lately to take a break at work to do them or finish them up.
Anyways, tomorrow I'll be at the school by around 7am to set up my equipment for playing bass with the worship team. We'll be doing sound checks and then practicing until about 905 to 910. Around 9:20 we'll have prayer as a team and then start the service at 9:30 with the first song. The first service will be over around 10:45 or so, and then we'll re-tune and go over any rough spots before clearing the stage around 11 in preparation for starting the next service at 11:15. The service will be over around 12:30 or so and then I'll be tearing down my part of the sound equipment and my instrument equipment, usually finishing up by around 1pm.
After teardown I'll head home to grab something light for lunch and then get ready to sing/play keyboard with the other gospel group (country gospel) I'm in. I use the keyboad for the drums, basic chord accompaniment, and to play the bass line. We have to be there by 2pm to set up and do a quick sound check, and then will be playing for about an hour starting at 3pm. I should be back to the house by around 4:45pm or so, and then I can drop.
Thats how my weekends are most of the time. The only difference would be that I'm not playing out somewhere every Sunday afternoon.
Why do I stay that busy on the weekend? Is it to make money? No....the reason I go in to work for 3 to 4 hours early on Saturday mornings is to make up for my weekly Tuesday doctor's appointment since that always makes me late to work. I wouldn't turn down the overtime, but since I'm salary, no OT. Is it to see how busy I can be? No... Is it to avoid certain people? No.... Is it to make a name for myself? No...most people don't know I do all that stuff.
Why then???? It's actually pretty simple - the overall reason is to help get the message of God's love for people through Jesus Christ, in all types of ways to all types of people. So if you see me yawn every now and then, be gentle when you poke lol. Come join the fun - I can't think of a better reason to be busy.
Later....and be careful out there.
Ok - I finally heard some definitive criticism of our church and it was rather interesting...
from a person who's been there a grand total of 1, MAYBE 2 times(2 or 3 years ago)
and after the weekend of our highest attendance ever (this past Easter Sunday).
Apparently the only reason our church is growing is "because of the show" (i.e., the lights, band, etc.), which takes up a total of an average of 14 minutes out of a (usually) 75 minute service. The growth and number of baptisms we have experienced as a church apparently has nothing to do with the 45 minute verse by verse Bible teaching of our Pastor. It has nothing to do with the 282 volunteers (many who get to the school between 530 and 7am and many others who don't leave until 3pm or so) who work to make sure people know where to go and can worship free from many distractions. It has nothing to do with the prayer teams and Lifegroups who meet in peoples' homes during the week and pray for our community, our leadership, and for God's blessing on every aspect of the service.
Wow. What a waste of energy. Why don't we just give out DVDs and/or CDs instead of going to all the trouble? If all it takes to grow is to hand out CDs and DVDs then let's just sell everything, forget the building, just buy a computer (maybe even a MAC) and upload YOUTUBE videos and hope people watch them. Oh yea - we don't have a building to sell because we meet in a school - mmmm... = what a showy place!!!!
Maybe we should get all the churches to sell all their buildings and give the money to 3rd-world countries...except for the computer of course and the money to pay for the internet connection cuz you have to still do the YOUTUBE thing. mmmm maybe all the churches who dress up, have choir robes, and a $20,000 organ and $10,000 baby grand piano should sell everything because its just for looks and sound. Lets just start using megaphones (battery-powered of course) and get rid of the PA systems because they are just for show to just sound better and louder. Get rid of all the lights and just use the light from windows in the building to light up the stage oops pulpit because you don't really need to see anything because that would be just for show.
oh well
rant over
I'm glad I'm part of a church that will do anything it can to reach people far from God so they can hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. It sure beats spinning wheels.
Later...and be careful out there.
Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Day, was great. The extra practices this week paid off. We adjusted where we needed to and were able to help lead 2 services of people into worship. The dynamics of the worship set were awesome and supported the entire theme of Jesus' resurrection. Over 900 people, more than 50 decisions, a message that brought the gospel home to a lot of people. Overall, Easter was chocked full of good worship time, good 'down'time, good family time...was a full day but was good.
As far as the sound/amp/stage/direct question that I raised before...I think I have a possible reason for the divergent opinions of the use of amps vs direct boxes, etc. I think a person's opinion on the issue depends simply on whether a CD-type, studio sound is wanted versus a live, stage sound. There...that's it.
Let me explain...everyone who has an ear for music can hear the difference between a Live version of Sweet Home Alabama and the studio/CD version of the same song. Live sound has a totally different vibe, feel, and mix of instruments 'overlapping' together - a true amalgamation of tone/sound. Amalgamation is (dictionary.com) "the mixing or blending of different elements, etc.; also, the result of such combination or blending; a homogeneous union."
This is totally different than a studio, or CD sound where individual, direct tracks are fed into a 32 (or more) channel board and then "mix"ed in terms of volume level, panning, et al, with the other channels. I guess another example would be the London Philharmonic orchestra. Even on the CD version of a performance, 107 (love that number) instruments are not individually miked. Why? Because the blending together artificially/digitally, channel by channel, in no way catches the live, naturally "amalgamated" sound of a symphony played all together. Even in the studio they aren't recorded by just one mike, so that there is definitely "overlap" of sound between instruments and sections of the orchestra. You get my drift.
So, in my opinion, that's at least one of the main reasons for the difference of opinion in the use or non-use of amps onstage. This is not to start an argument - it's just discussing opinions/options. The bottom line to me is that there should be an "amalgamation" (haha) of the 2 viewpoints. They both have their strong points and in a live situation, live sound would be best along with still a centralized point of overall control. Why do you still need centralized overall control? Because it's not a concert - but an attempt to bring people into worship in singing, etc.
Any thoughts on it?
Oh and btw - there's a reason why Marshall, Ampeg, Fender, Gallein-Krueger, etc. all still make amps :-).
Later...and be careful out there.
It's Friday again - one day I'll never get tired of. It has been a rollercoaster of a week, but then that's no different than any other week come to think of it. Imagine riding a rollercoaster with no rolls...flat. People fall to sleep driving a straight stretch of road not just because they may be tired, but because its boring and the hypnotic effect of whiteline fever takes over.
It would be kind of boring to be on an even keel all the time. Living a monotone life would have the same attraction as a monaural vs stereo mp3, a monochrome/b&w vs HiDefColor tv, a monotone voice delivering an hour and a half lecture, .... you get the picture. True, there are sometimes that "mono" has its place as something different, unique, out of the ordinary - but it is never good as the "norm" (although it would make clothes-matching a lot easier for us guys).
So yea, I'm glad it's Friday. Fridays mark an omega-alpha type of thing. It's the end (omega) of the vast majority of regular workweeks, and it's the beginning (alpha) of the weekend when things are done that you don't have time for during the week - working in/around the house, day-trips/outings with family/friends, church, relaxing, staying up late to watch a movie or the stuff you've tivo'd/dvr'd during the week. Most Fridays for me are family nights, either playing some games together, watching a movie together, or something similar.
Today, Friday marks even more than the usual omega-alpha thing. I would reverse the phrase and say it has an alpha-omega thing going on. Known as 'good Friday', it marks the anniversary of the full expression of Jesus' love for people and for this world. You see it's not just a special day for Christians. It's a special day for everyone who has ever and who will ever be born because, whether you acknowledge or accept it or not, He loved you enough to die for you, taking your place before God the Father the Righteous. The free gift of salvation that He offers to every person is just waiting to be unwrapped. In fact if you've never trusted in Jesus, you've left the biggest Christmas present you'll ever have under the tree, marked with YOUR name, unwrapped. Jesus said He is the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end). That will never going to change.
So this Friday, this day, has more meaning to me than other Fridays. Hopefully, come Sunday and in the days beyond, it will have that same meaning to many more people.
Later - and be careful out there.
Through all the years as a citizen of the United States, I've seen our country going through some of the toughest times in its history, especially in relationship with Presidents.
Kennedy assassination (as a toddler I remember seeing the funeral procession on tv)
Vietnam
60s riots
Nixon and Watergate
Jimmy Carter
The Reagan Rebound
Bush I
Billy-Bob Clinton
Bush II, 9/11, and war on terror
and now Obama
There have been times when I've agreed with Presidential elections and actions, and times when I've disagreed with Presidential elections and actions. But whichever the case, I've usually been able to hold at least some level of respect for the President. Until now. Early indications of things Obama prioritized were the standard, 'left'-knee jerk reaction of liberals on all fronts. But now he's taking us as a country down an uncharted path - uncharted, of course, except by the Persians, Greeks, Romans, et al - all of whom denied TRUTH and disintegrated internally. History repeats itself.
To say what he said as an off-the-cuff remark over dinner, or a 'too-quick' response to a question is one thing. But a planned speech, topics having been chosen by close advisors and Obama himself, worded and written by speech writing experts as a planned thought/idea to be formally presented as President of the United States...wow.
The amazing possibility, of course, is that God allowed this whole situation to develop and happen for one reason and one reason alone...to get Christians to finally really PRAY for our country and leadership. Because, on a Wednesday night when the vast majority of churches have mid-week prayer meetings, etc., if there is not a prayer-drenched aroma over Obama and our country reaching the senses of God tonight, then there is only one conclusion to draw - Obama is right.
Later...and be careful out there.
107 - my new favorite number. That's how many people were baptized at church yesterday. I got so excited that right after church I went straight to Valero's and played that number in the Lotto - shhhh don't tell the pastor.
Anyways, it was an awesome thing to behold and be a part of. Some of them were planned but many, if not most, were spontaneous. How spontaneous? The Pastor explained baptism and its significance with the example of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunich. He very bluntly asked the question directly to believers "if you are not baptized, why not?" He then proceeded to answer some possible excuses. When he opened up the question for people to come respond to be baptized, there were so many people who came forward that we gave a new meaning to the phrase "double dipping". We had 2 of our pastors baptizing people, and sometimes there were 3 being baptized at once. Our portable baptistry was set up outside with live video and audio feed to the rest of the congregation inside the school auditorium. And there was none of this stiff, formal "please wait until everyone is baptized and be quiet...and pass the Grey Poupon..." garbage. Man, people were rowdy-style clapping and cheering, encouraging and welcoming every single person who was baptized.
It was truly an amazing thing to be a part of. It's why all the volunteers at our church (over 200 at our volunteer banquet a couple of months ago), our staff, and everyone involved at Lifepoint do what we do - trying to reach people far from God to they can know Him.
Organized chaos takes a lot of planning - but we make it work every week. There are so many points of service in a portable church. We have volunteers getting up at 5am or earlier on Sunday mornings just to set up anything at all for the services and Sunday ministries. We have others staying until 3pm and later on Sunday afternoons packing everything away in the crates and trailers. In-between we have Tech Teams (all things techie), Kidspoint Teams (birth thru 5th grade), Highwire Teams (middle school), Parking Teams (crash avoidance), Welcome Teams (lockthedoorbehindthem), Visitor Guide Teams (seeing-eye-people for firsttimers), Volunteer HQ Teams (FT = HV (full tummies = happy volunteers)), Photography Teams (photo snipers), Starting Point Teams (go ahead...ask..make my day), Lifegroup Teams (group homes oops I mean home groups), and on and on and on. Sunday mornings our place of worship looks like an anthill on steroids to the NSA guys monitoring the satellites.
Of course, most people are still in bed that early on Sunday mornings LOL. All I've got to say is that they better enjoy 'sleeping in' while they can because our goal at Lifepoint, in an indirect or maybe not-so-indirect way, is to get them out of bed earlier on Sundays...not to go to the beach, or go to Walmart, or go yard-saling - but in a simple response of faith, worship, and service to the Savior who reached them while they were far from Him.
Brainstorm for a new motto spoken with Sean Connery accent...
"We are 107...and our name is Point. Life Point."
Brainstorm for a new song...
"..whatcha gonna do when we come for you....whatcha gonna do??"
Later...and be careful out there.
