I've Got Style

As I continue to read in Isaiah, it continues to amaze me. I have to be honest in saying that this is the first time in my life that I have spent this kind of time in one section of the Bible. Typically I would read and continue to move to the next chapter and I might spend a couple of days on the same passage but to spend over a month of just a few chapters has been an incredible thing. This past Saturday I added chapter 58 to my study and the timing of the subject matter could not have been better. Chapter 58 talks about fasting and the kind of fasting that the Lord desires. Recently I talked to the teens about really praying for the youth ministry and to look for those who were missing and let them know that they were missed, to invite their friends to church, to really look to change our group and to start with prayer. In staff meeting this same approach is being done in challenging our people to pray in June, connect in July and serve in August. So with all that being explain let's move on to what God shared with me on Saturday as I sat at a scenic overlook read my Bible and was amazed and worshipped in God's amazing creation of the beautiful Ozark mountains.

In chapter 58 Isaiah is sharing this message from God about the people fasting and praying and what was happening as they did. They were fasting and praying yet there was no change in how they were living their lives. They still took advantage of their workers and had this air of because I am fasting and praying I deserve God to hear me and give me what I seek. In fact 58:4b says, "You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high." WOW!! What an incredible statement. So that got me thinking. Fasting and prayer are acts of worship. It's giving up of self to see God glorified. Worship is something that we as humans and especially children of God were created to do. So often we get into these worship wars over style of worship. Traditional, contemporary, liturgical. Praise choruses, hymns, no music, lots of music, chanting, etc, etc, etc... As I read this chapter it began to dawn on me that there are two styles of worship but it is not what we think it is.

Style 1. It is worship where it's all about us. We are not truly worshipping God. We arent allowing the glory to go to Him. We aren't changing the world we live in through worship. We are doing it more out of habit or to put on a show. This style of worship is heartless, passionless, and selfish. The goal is to look good or be comfortable in what we do. We pray the same prayers, we sing the same songs, we go through the motions without ever stopping to consider what needs to be happening in and through our worship. That is style 1 and according to 58:4 we think God hears it and is moved by it?

Style 2. It is worship that is all about Him. We begin by truly putting the Lord of Lords before everything else and we lift up all glory to Him because it is truly due to Him and Him alone. When we worship the way He has instructed us to the world is changed. In 58:6-14 it goes on to explain what will happen when we truly fast and pray and worship. Change comes to the world. The chains of injustice are loosened. The oppressed are set free. The hungry eat. The poor are housed. The naked are clothed. The family is restored. And God hears our cries. This style is one that is defined by a heartfelt, passionate, selfless pursuit of the face of God. Not for what He can give to us but because we long to seek His face. Nothing else matters but the things of God and if something is bothering God it bothers us. Regardless of the song we sing or dont sing. Regardless of the type of music. This is a lifestyle that is comfortable worshipping because it is what we do daily. This is style number 2 and God is deserved of this and this alone.

So there is a style war going on in the church. But it is not over the type of music. If the war becomes about this then it has become style one and both "sides" are wrong. But if worship stays in style 2 where God is glorified the type of music wont matter. It doesnt matter what songs we sing. We could sing twinkle twinkle little star and because our heart is so consumed by the things of God we would become lost in worship. Certainly there are preferences and that is fine. I prefer one style of music over another. I prefer certain things. The problem is when our preferences become more important than who it is all about. When we prefer one thing over another and so because of that we "can't" worship. We should be able to worship in all things. We are called to be a people of worship and to live in a style of worship that transforms our lives as well as our world. Worship should no longer be focused on the song style but on the giver of the song. Scripture tells us that there is "nothing new under the sun." That means every song that we sing has been sung for eternity already. The angels have been rejoicing God with praise choruses, hymns, chants, etc... since they were created and so there is no "new" worship songs. This idea that one type of music has a "holier" meaning is lost. In now way is this meant to bash what some would call traditional or contemporary because there are those on both sides who think the same way. They think and spout off that their style is true worship and that the other is not. When really both are worship its the state of the heart that determines the style.

My hope and prayer is that whoever reads this blog would be challenged to look beyond the type of music and to see which of the real style of worship they are about. This worship war over style has much more eternal implications than the "war" we tend to focus on in church. When we fight the traditional worship war over "styles" unfortunately both sides have already lost and Christ is not the focus the type of music becomes what is being worshipped. Great hymns become meaningless in God's ears. Great choruses fall flat and don't reach the altar of sacrifice. It's fine to have preferences. It's those differences that allow us to paint such an incredible tapestry of worship that is beautiful because of the differences. Just don't let those preferences become the object of worship. Well until next time,

I am outie 5000,

Robb

Summer, Summer, Summer Time

Well, the semester has ended and now I just await the final grades to be released and see how the class ended up. Although continually being online for class has kept me offline from blogging I have still been seeing God's hand move in and through my life. I recently did a series called "Untouchables" which was from Doug Fields out at Saddleback. I did some serious tweaking to make it applicable to my teens but what came out of it was some great discussion in small groups over topics like homosexuality, death, disabilities, and racism. Some tough topics that either dont get discussed or are not seen as popular to discuss. It has been very challenging for me as I have had to craft messages and questions and be honest with myself and my teens.

With in the past month I have read a book called the Kingdom Experiment that is available for purchase now and it was a very refreshing way to view the Beattitudes. I highly recommend picking up this book and reading it and make sure that you read with an open mind. Look for opportunities that will allow God to change your world. Make your faith an intentional one and enjoy the opportunity to be Jesus to someone.

Over the past few weeks I have found myself reading Isaiah 59, 60, and 61 over and over again. I have been amazed as God continues to reveal to me who I am in Him. What He has planned for me. Isaiah 60:1-2 states, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you." Imagine that. The very thing that we are to give back to God, glory, He is shining on us. He is taking it and allowing it to shine in our lives. Not by our doing but by His. I think what struck me so profoundly is that in the church there are those who are looking to do something for recognition. They want to be thanked and publicly recognized for what they do and receive the glory. Yet we are told time and time again that all glory is the Lords. We must not keep any of it but give all praise and adoration back the one who it is truly due. Then here comes the crazy part...He shines it on us anyway. Not so that we can say look at me, look at me but so we can be a part of what He is doing and we can point others to Him so much easier. Here we are so concerned about making sure the right person gets credit for what they do when really if we would just stop and give the credit to God he will shine on us even more. I guess the difficult thing here is to make sure that we (1) give the glory to God, (2) don't do it with the mindset of if I do this then I will get God's glory, (3) give God the glory and when He chooses to shine it upon us we again turn around and praise and thank Him for using us.

I am excited. I am longing for more of God in my own life and in the lives of my teens. I have just recently looked into the spiritual disciplines again and in doing so discovered a longing for more of God in my life and so I have determined that this summer is going to be a summer unlike any I have ever had. Even if nothing comes of it but I read and pray and God tells me "I love you" that will be all I need but I am committing to some things that I have to be honest I have not done in quite awhile and I am ready to once again experience depth that I have to see. It should be quite a faith journey and one that should be quite eventful in the experiences of God. Until the next time...

I am outie 5000,

Robb

Time

It has been awhile since I have been on this blog. At the "restart" I wanted to be on this on a fairly regular basis so that I could share what God has been doing in my life. However, school has taken quite a toll on my time this semester. While God is still moving and working I spend so much time writing and basing my thoughts around education that very rarely do I have the time or energy to write here. I have missed it though. I have missed the freedom of allowing my mind to wrestle with and to articulate what it is doing. Hopefully, I will once again be writing and expressing thoughts, concerns and opinions in a way that allows both me and whoever might read this blog a chance to grow in the grace and mercy that God wants to lavish upon us.

On a personal family note, Ally is growing like crazy and in on the verge of walking. So as I have finished school work I have spent a great deal of time watching in amazement the creative hand of God as my daughter matures in her development.

I am outie 5000,

Robb

New and Old

Well another year has come and gone and to say that this year has been full is an understatement. Of course Amy and I welcomed our daughter Ally into the world this summer and that has led to such an incredible amount of joy and wonder.  How God continues to teach me lessons through the joy and trials of parenthood is astounding and quite humbling as well.

Apart from being a full time dad, husband, and youth pastor this past year was my first year of my Master of Divinity work.  This new challenge has definitely been just that, a challenge.  School is not my first love but the knowledge that has come from what I have studied, read, and learned has been priceless.  Next to the lessons I learn about God through my daughter this has been probably the biggest push for a spiritual awakening of sorts in my life.

This awakening has been one that has been rumbling deep in the core of my being for awhile.  Longing for more than just the ordinary.  Desiring more than just getting by and biding my time.  Wanting to touch the very face and heart of God and then refusing to be the same.  I want to experience the unimaginable and discover the unthinkable in reference to what God has for me.  Hopefully along the way I challenge, encourage and inspire others to do the same.  Between family, school and then all of it coming to a culmination at NYWC I have been moved to a new place.  I have been pushed to accept more and to not be satisfied till I get more and more and more.  If God is more then I want God.  If God is never ending than my more should be the same.  It should never stop.  This excites me as what the next year holds for both me and my ministry as I look to be an agent of change in the lives of the teens who walk through my doors and who I come in contact with in their world.

With the new year there is almost always the thought that goes to resolutions and new beginnings and I have to say that in almost a cliche way I am doing the same.  I have made some resolutions for my life and the last paragraph is the bulk of what I hope for.  There is always the traditional get in better shape, be a little better on the organization part of things, etc... but the desire to experience more of God is one that if all others fail and that happens then it will have been a successful 2009.  In January I am starting a series entitled "Leftovers" and how those leftovers are detrimental to our resolutions and how in our Christian walk leftovers can be the killer of a burning passion.  I hope that through this series I learn something.  I hope that the teens do as well, but I want to be the first student of the messages that I share with the teens.  Who knows I may post some of the sermons here for you to look over or just to share with someone who might stumble on my page.  May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be a presence of peace, hope, joy and salvation in your life as the new year begins.  

I am outie 5000,

Robb

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!  Amy and I were sitting around this morning after the gifts had been opened and the cinnamon rolls had been eating and talking about the last 4 Christmas' in our lives and how they were crazy different.  4 Christmas' ago we were both single and Christmas cards were signed individually.  The next year they were signed together as a married couple.  The following year we were together and signed with expecting Ally.  Then this year we signed the three of us.  It is amazing how God continues to bless and move in our lives as we are constantly seeking His face.  It is His direction, guidance, and plan for our lives that we want and to achieve that and to be where we are now is a sweet thing.  All the uncertainties seem so trivial now compared to what God has done in our lives for His glory.

As the day continues and we will, before we know it, take down the tree and decorations and the New Year celebrations will be upon and we will usher in a new year and that comes with it; new promises, joy, sadness, expectations, hope, and whatever else is new.  My prayer as 2008 closes and 2009 opens is that God would continue to receive the glory in our home and that as I continue on this journey with Him and as He continues to stretch, mold, and make me into the man that He desires me to be, I hope I am able to share and hopefully show the light of God's love to one who is searching.

I am outie 5000,

Robb