“Framing” Our Worship Expression

I was intrigued to ponder a quote I read today – a view on what worship ministry should be like.

“Our varied skills should function like the frame around a classic painting. If the frame is too bold or extravagant, we’ll hardly notice the picture it displays. On the other hand, if the frame is cheap, shabby, or marred, we’ll wonder why such a masterpiece is surrounded by junk. The right frame compliments the picture in all the right ways, directing our eyes to the brilliance of the artist, not to the frame.”

First, this is a beautiful statement and is a great word picture of an important aspect of Christian expression. There’s a lot of truth in this. But I think this is only reflects one aspect. That is, the part of worship expression that is intended to create ways of revealing God. This reflects aspects of evangelism or edification. Good stuff, for sure. But this is intrinsically horizontal – directed toward each other. There is another aspect too that I don’t think this quote fully encompasses.

An intrinsic part of worship is simply expression of our love TO God. This is intrinsically vertical. In fact, it’s my view that while the afore mentioned aspect is essential, vertical worship is it’s highest goal. That we would all express our love for God not to each other, but to Him!

Back to the metaphor in question…. It is in this sense that I see the painting (or music, or dance, or poem, etc.) as being THE work. Not because it’s of highest value, but it is the expression of our heart. It is the gift (or even question, or prayer) we present to God. We sketch it, paint it, and frame it. As He has used art through time – including the Bible itself – God will reveal Himself to others through it. We don’t even need to try to get out of the way. Make it loud! Make it bright! Make it ornate! “Praise him with sounds from horns. Praise him with harps and lyres!” When God is present, man is easily overshadowed and “He inhabits the praises of His people.”

God be praised!

Being Green and The Concept of “Sustainability”

Happy Earth Day!

As a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area Earth Day is a pretty big deal. It’s almost like another New Years except all the resolutions have to do with recycling, composting, driving less, or at least doing it in a vehicle that doesn’t use fossil fuels. And, like New Years, most of these resolutions will vaporize…. but leave no carbon footprint

I am actually more of an environmentalist than many in the church. Regrettably, both the American church and taking care of our environment have been so politicized to opposite ends of the spectrum that too many people viscerally feel they can’t go together. Too bad, particularly because Genesis so clearly says that it’s man’s responsibility to care for the earth. Of course it also says it’s ours to use and enjoy, something which you’d swear some “environmentalists” think is a sin! It’s this polarization that’s a problem. But it’s not the heart of the problem.

As I was hearing an Earth Day presentation today I noticed and thought about a word I’ve heard countless times before around the topic of environmental concerns, but I’ve never really thought about it. That term is “sustainability.” The concept of course is that mankind should live in such a way that we keep the earth a sustainable place — that we don’t use it up. What occurred to me today is that the problem with this idea is that it places the responsibility for sustaining the earth on man. This is something we simply aren’t qualified or remotely capable of doing. Read Psalm 104. This is not an admonition for man to sustain the earth, rather it poetically observes that GOD does this. And He does so with so much more beauty and grace than we ever could.

As a Christian, I absolutely believe that we need to be responsible about the resources we use, the junk we create, the animals and plants we harm, and try to make our place on the earth as good or better than we found it. But I don’t believe for a minute that the Earth will be used up or become uninhabitable one minute before God intends that to happen. HE sustains the earth and everything in it. From the water we drink to the air we breathe to the blood coursing through our veins.

Happy Earth Day. And THANK GOD for this beautiful place He’s given us to live, play, and share His love with others.

What Exactly Is Emerging from the “Emergent Reformation?"

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
— Ecclesiastes 1:9

I’m encountering references to “the emergent church” and variations on the theme more and more in books, blogs and other media and I’m curious about it. I’ve even seen this called the emergent “reformation.” That is a big label to live up to!

I’ve done a little reading on the subject, but not a lot. One source I’ve gone to is Wikipedia. I must admit to being a wiki-skeptic in most cases because of the fact it’s basically built on the concept that what most people think is true probably is. That’s a fallacy in my opinion. But in the case of ideas that are just beginning to to shape, I actually think it’s a reasonable place to reference. So as of this writing, the emergent church is described as a “movement whose participants seek to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched.” Regardless of how you describe people, if this is seeking to engage more people in Christianity I’m all for it — regardless of their stage of “churchedness.” The next part of the definition I found a little troubling.

“Emerging Christians deconstruct and reconstruct Christian beliefs, certain culture norms, and methods in ways which will accommodate postmodern culture.”

Whenever I hear people talk about trying to find ways to adjust theology to accommodate culture I start to get very nervous. What comes to mind is something a theology teacher said in class one day, “be very cautious about new ideas in theology.” I don’t think he intended to say new ideas were impossible, only that they would ultimately have to be rooted in the unchanging foundation of The Bible. This also brings to mind Ecclesiastes 1:9 (quoted above) andHebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” God does not change. And neither do we, essentially. At a heart level the things that make us tick haven’t changed since we were initially designed in God’s image. Obviously, what does change is the way we live and interact in the world around us. The things we make, the way we organize ourselves into semi-sustainable units, governments, economies, even religions, change. In that, there is certainly room for new things to “emerge.” But since God, who does not change; has revealed Himself to us, who do not change; through His Word and the Holy Spirit, which does not change; what’s left? As I see it, all that’s left is religious practice. In that I think God gives us guidelines, but a lot of latitude.

You “emergents,” if you’re there. What do you think?

Worship at 30,000 Feet

Everyone should fly!

We should all have the chance to see our terrestrial home from from a jet plane thousands of feet above the highest points on earth. You can’t help but gain perspective. That’s where I sit as I write this. (The downside is that I’m crammed into an economy-class seat ;) I’ve loved flying all my life. I love the rush of take-off. Passing literally over and through various kinds of weather — I even love the occasional turbulence. It’s an exciting reminder of where you are, and how small you are! I always try to get a window seat. Seeing the world from this vantage point is incomparable. I’m amazed at the people who seem to never even look out the window!

I’ve been blessed to get to fly a fair amount — a few times a year. Despite the fact the whole process is very familiar now and can be arduous at times, the joy of flying has never faded. Regardless of the view, looking out the window never fails to inspire worship in my heart. Whether it’s the grander of a snow-packed mountain range, vast expanses of fruitful plain, wilderness so thick with foliage all you see is a carpet of textured green, a barren desert seemingly devoid of life, a seemingly endless sea, or even nothing but formations of clouds — it all amazes me. I am almost always reminded of Scripture’s declaration that God is clearly evident from what has been made so that man is without excuse (Romans 1:20.) Indeed! With crystal clear skies and Chris Tomlin’s “Indescribable” playing on my iPod the view of the Colorado Rocky Mountains today is truly moving.

Even more amazing? That the creation we see today is but a mere reflection of what lies before us in Heaven. This all proclaims His glory. But it is not His glory. It cannot compare to the beauty of His face, His actual presence. Even the Earth we see today is scared by our fall from grace. It is no longer Eden. But the good news is that He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5!) All this will be restored, and us with it! Can you imagine the beauty of our flight into Heaven? The breathtaking moment when we step out into the beauty of our eternal home? When you fly to a destination far from home, ever notice how even the air feels and smells different when you get off the plane? Sometimes that’s a pleasant experience, sometimes it’s not. But imagine the feel and the scent of the totally renewed, revived and healed land where we’ll make our eternal home! Then the faces of those who will greet us as we step into the terminal of Heaven? Surrounded by the unfettered presence of the Holy Spirit in the company of saints. And then there’s Jesus and the Father himself. The beauty of that moment. The unspeakable gratitude we’ll feel knowing it is only by His grace that we can enter, and stay, forever! Perfection at last. Something that has been foreign to man since the fall. But we will know it again. He’s preparing it for us now (John 14:2.)

Everyone should fly! And be sure to look out the window!

Hearing the Spirit in Worship: Transcending Language Barriers

If you want to hear the Holy Spirit speak, worship in a church that doesn’t speak you language!

At the beginning of this month I had the opportunity to participate in a short-term mission to the Caribbean nation of Haiti. As the poorest country in the northern hemisphere, there is much to be done there. The main purpose of the trip was to break ground on a new multi-use facility for a thriving ministry in the rural village of Maissade. We accomplished the task and laid the groundwork for local workers and missionary teams that will follow us. But God accomplished so much more than that alone.

One of the highlights of the trip was getting the chance to worship at the First Baptist Church of Maissade. On arrival to the church you know you’re entering a very different kind of experience. First, the church isn’t even finished…. and it’s been this way for many years. The rough reinforced concrete structure is fortified by scaffolding and supports throughout the building. The roof covers only a portion of the sanctuary. The platform is covered by a large tarp to shelter the speaker and leaders from the hot tropical sun and frequent rain storms. The seating is simple benches that rock up and down against the unfinished dirt floor. Window frames are empty so rain, breeze, birds, and sounds of the village pass through freely. It’s been said that “the church” is not a building, it’s people. Never has this been more evident.

Empty, the building could be described as rough and unfinished, even a little eerie. But when filled with worshippers it’s glorious! These people know how to worship and it’s obviously a great joy to them to offer God their best. After seeing people on the street the day before, the biggest surprise was that everyone’s dressed-up! The women are in dresses, the men in suits. This in stark contrast to the rest of the week when most people are in clothes that are almost certainly second-hand or worse. Then there’s the singing! Everyone sings, and sings out strong! There’s harmony. There are traditional counter melodies. The music was mostly a cappella with a little help from an accordion. They sang in Creole. I sang along in English when I recognized the melody. There were hands raised, eyes closed, and every voice was raised. This worship was not in the slightest bit showy, but its honesty and heart was overwhelming.

The congregation is seated in groups by age and gender. Before the service begins, each group memorizes a passage of scripture that they recite together. They then rehearse a short song together, often in harmony. At the beginning of the service, each group from youngest to oldest, stands to recite and sing what they’ve learned for the whole assembly. At the conclusion, each group takes an offering. From what I learned, they evidently try to outdo each other in their worship and giving. This proved to be the first of several offerings that were taken, the last of which was the tithe. Seeing these people give was humbling. They did it with joy, reverence, and purpose. These are people who have next to nothing, the cost of food is on the rise, and the average annual family income is around $200. I felt like I was watching the widow of Mark 12. What my fellow Americans and I gave that day probably dwarfed the congregation’s total in monetary value. But I am SURE, their level of sacrifice dwarfed ours. I was taken aback by the significance of what God was showing me.

While in town we also witnessed a congregation worshiping in what sounded like a song service that began at sundown and lasted literally through the night, ending just before sunrise. Bare in mind there’s no electricity after about 9:30 pm, so the service took place in near total darkness. I watched and listened for hours as people filtered in and out of the humble, dark, cinderblock building as the music ebbed and swelled in turn. Soon, rather than a dark building I recognized that it shined with the light of the Holy Spirit. I thought about how hard it is to get people to turn-out to a midweek service that lasts past 9pm in the USA.

After worshiping in Maissade I was struck by how little of the service I understood in language, but how much it spoke to me in spirit. In some cases, particularly communion, I recognized the form and therefore could follow along. The sermon, all in Creole, was lost on me. But the exuberance of the people was obvious and moving, especially in their “amens!” The spirit of worship in the music was powerful and transcended all language barriers. These were people who actually felt truly dependent upon God. They have no wealth. Most have no steady employment, it’s not available. Their government has failed them for generations. The prevailing “faith” is Voodoo, sewing distrust and fear in their midst. But God is their rock! He is their ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). His church is their support structure, their community.

As Americans we have a tendency to think we have it all together in comparison to the rest of the world, and we have been greatly blessed materially. But we have no monopoly on faith, hope, and love. In fact, our wealth often masks our need for God. Even as believers, we fall prey to this as easily as anyone else. The result is that while we pay lip service to trust in God, in our hearts we don’t feel we need Him. While I’m sure this grieves God, it’s perilous to us. Most of us have lived like this all our lives. Like so many other things, without a point of reference, the difference is almost imperceptible. The worshipers in Haiti provided me with a point of reference. I left there with a strong sense that, in this way, I have a lot to learn from them.

Where’s Michelangelo?

And if we knew, who would pay him to really be creative???

I am impressed by the stark contrast between churches of past ages and those of today. Compare the two images below for instance….

 

While each have unique architectural beauty, it’s hard to deny the Sistine Chapel’s emphasis on art vs. the more modern example. I see this reflected time-and-time again today in evangelical churches of all sizes. Now I am very thankful that churches today are not typically built by extorting money out of believers who are lead to trust their eternity to purchased indulgences. But at the same time, the amount of artwork that goes into the design and appointment of churches today has drastically decreased. Many churches are more like sterile convention centers than facilities that evoke a sense of reverence and inspire worship by virtue of their design. I’ve not been in the Sistine Chapel, but I’ve been any many sanctuaries based on old world design. Almost without fail they stir up worship and awe in my heart. Their architecture, stained-glass, artistic depictions of Biblical events, even the symbolism of candles, and the fragrance of incense bring me into worship naturally. This doesn’t happen when I enter a tilt-up concrete structure with a drywall interior, folding chairs and indoor-outdoor carpeting. This doesn’t mean God’s in the old church but absent in the new. In fact, God’s everywhere. But art and design can remind us of His presence.

This goes deeper than just how we design. I think it goes to what skills and talents we value and cultivate in the church. It’s impressive to note that many of the greatest artists, musicians and composers made part or all of their living through the church. Michelangelo, Bach, Mozart and countless others whose names we may not even know.

So what has changed? Why have we gone from frescoes to acoustic tile?Surely there are lots of reasons, some practical, perhaps even theological. One is probably man’s ever-decreasing patience. Remember that many old world cathedrals actually took generations to complete. Those who commissioned, designed and broke ground knew they’d never see the finished structure. What pastor would propose a building project like that today? We’re very impatient. On the theological side, there’s also the fact that Puritan traditions of simplicity still exert a powerful influence on evangelical churches today. But it’s broader than just that. you can see it outside the church too. Compare an old metropolitan bank building to one built in the last few years. Stone pillars and marble floors have been replaced by cheaper, far less ornate structural elements.

So maybe it’s not just the church. Perhaps the world is just becoming a less beautiful place. I believe this is reflected not only in the look of what mankind builds, but also in the fact our geographic expansion is simply paving-over creation — God’s handiwork. In that light, my strong conviction is that the church has an opportunity, even an obligation, to further set itself apart as a haven of beauty, art, music, and all manner of soulful expressions of truth, edification and worship. As the longest book in the Bible, Psalms, is a collection of lyrics and poetry. So the church should elevate the arts to be among the most important and prominent fruits of its efforts. Not the onlyfruit mind you, but a larger part than it currently represents. My personal experience has been that artists are most often treated as “resources” the church can use to set the stage for pastors to teach rather than seeing them as the means by which God can reach directly into the hearts of believers to draw true worship while allowing non-believers to encounter the Holy Spirit directly. Having experienced being a part of both artistic ministries and teaching ministries, I am interested in the differences in how they’re shepherded. In teaching-oriented ministries there is at least some measure of effort placed into building the necessary competence, theological understanding, devotional habits, accountability and discipleship skills. While in artistic ministry there is little, if any, focus on these things. The result of this is that the artistic community within the church is often not equally grounded spiritually, not truly equipped for ministry. The sad result of this is the number of moral failures I’ve seen among the ranks of artists. Crisis proportions in my view. While ultimately these are personal failures, the church bares a degree of responsibility as well. But the natural result of this is for church leadership to place less trust in the spiritual strength of their artists. A sad vicious cycle begins if we’re not careful.

There is hope though… there always is, because God is faithful even when we are not. I am encouraged that church leadership titles like “song leader” or even “director of music” are often being replaced by “pastor of worship arts” and a host of other titles that elevate the position and broaden its scope beyond just that of music. Of course, God cares nothing about titles, nor should we. But it represents a shift in thinking and a resetting of goals. Whether or not actual expectations, practices and results have changed is another matter. Success in this I think is far less common. What is required is not changes of title or even liturgical structure (though that may be a result.) As much as it might sound like I’m pinning the responsibility for change on senior church leadership, I’m not. Actually I think the change needs to start within the community of Christian artists and those who are responsible for music and artistic ministry. Recognize the awesome role you can play in the church. Certainly the support of the rest of church leadership will be needed along the way, but we need to demonstrate the impact we can have as we go. We also need to do the hard work of discipleship within our ranks. Of course, this starts with building habits in our own lives that match the lyrics we sing. Do we live like we’re “in love with Jesus?” Is He the air we “breath?” Do we honestly seek that He “open the eyes of our hearts?” As we seek to live it personally and then to sew it within the community of artists around us, God will elevate the resulting ministry. He loves to receive the praises of His people. No one is better equipped to express His praise than the artistic heart!

What is required of church leadership is to recognize that there is an artistic community around them. By nature, they’re among the least likely to assert their presence. But they have a unique and irreplaceable role in the church. Make sure you are seeking to grow, disciple, nurture, build, and use this community to glory of God.

In comments, I’d love to hear about places where this is going well.

Is God Angry With Us?

As so many did today around the world, I went to church. Statistically speaking, mine is pretty big — 4000-5000 in 4 services on any given Sunday. In order to serve that many, we have a pretty extensive facility. Not particularly extravagant (thankfully), but it’s relatively new and comfortably appointed. As you step onto the grounds you can’t help but notice the tables ministry teams have setup to promote the various things people can be involved with, attend, support and otherwise partake in.

While I think this is a great way to get the word out about these activities, I also can’t help but be reminded of the account I ran across studying through the Gospel of Matthew this month. You’re probably very familiar with the account. In Matthew 21, Jesus anger is raised against vendors and money changers who had setup shop in the temple. He’s ticked-off and kicks them out (in a loving, Jesus sort of way, of course.) But really, this is the only place I know of were Jesus’ anger gets physical! He trashes their storefronts! The reason He states for doing this is that they were turning God’s house into den of robbers, which of course they were. They were also doing so in the outer court, the only temple area where Gentiles could actually come. So they were displacing people who might have wanted to be there for spiritual reasons. They were also being a pretty poor witness.

Now I don’t mean to compare these unseemly folk with the people who rightly promote their ministries to churchgoers, but this passage did make me think. Did all the vendors and money changes know they were doing wrong? Maybe so. But perhaps they were just following the examples of others before them. Maybe their response to Jesus was, “but this is how we’ve always done it.”

This is not to say they were justified, only that they may have simply never thought about what they were doing and the affect it might have on others. Jesus confronted them with reality, as He does like no one else can.

In view of this, it made me think…. What do we do in our churches that would anger Jesus if He visited this Sunday? Do we ever turn parts of His Father’s house into something other than a place of worship? Does anything we do prevent others from entering or worshiping? I think churches would do well to run pretty much anything they do through that filter. How much of our resources and time are going to things other than loving God and our neighbors? Does our church really need another potluck? Or might it be more appropriate that we serve those meals to people in our town who won’t get one tonight?

I have to admit I’ve been thinking about things a lot this way recently. Honestly, it scares me because I don’t think the average church… or the average Christian… or I… actually live this way. Could I live in a way that shows God more love? Yes. Could I love my neighbor more? Yes. You don’t have to follow the logic of Jesus message very far before you realize He taught a pretty radical message. I just don’t think most of our churches, or our lives, are that radical. Perhaps they should be. After reading how He greeted the vendors and money changers, I for one don’t want to tick Jesus off!

Sing a NEW Song the Lord

Psalm 96

I have a pet peeve and today I’m going to unleash it! The world is becoming way too homogenized. While I’m totally on board with multiculturalism I find it’s experiencing the differences between people, cultures, countries and even churches that I enjoy the most. I’ve had the blessing of being able to travel the world a bit. I love travel. The different sights, sounds, smells, tastes, people, customs — everything. But in my travels I’ve often been disappointed at how much is familiar when I land. The shopping. The chain restaurants. The music (and usually it’s the mindless pop I hear most!) Even the language — English is everywhere! While the commonality of English is convenient, I also find it a little sad that it’s displacing other languages in local importance.


The city I probably enjoyed the most was Tokyo, simply because it was SO different. English was practically useless. Though there were too many Starbuck’s, McDonald’s and even AM/PM, most everything else was very different. Very Japanese.

My point is that differences are refreshing. They’re also important because they reflect the different ways people experience life. I think this is very true when it comes to our expressions of worship as well. But I have to say the level of homogenization in the US church is amazing! And I think the commercialization of worship music into a recognized genre is driving this. It’s amazing how similar worship music is from congregation to congregation. Thanks to the dominance of the music churned out from Nashville you hear the same songs, the same arrangements, the same sounds, over and over again. It’s just so boring! Not to knock the major song writers and leaders of our day, I’m a fan. I also enjoy playing these songs and I know congregations want to hear them. BUT, we need to change it up a little sometimes. Use the creativity God gave US. Sing, play, arrange, write a NEW song to the Lord! God wants us to experience him uniquely as individuals and as local communities. As we seek this kind of relationship and expression we will also gain new insight and inspiration from Him that is far more personal than we can gain simply by recreating the creative work of others. As artists this is what can drive true inspired creativity. We need this and our churches need this infusion of the Spirit’s work. Our worship will be more authentic, more heartfelt, because it truly comes from our hearts.

I have a strong conviction that as pastors plan and present “original messages” that God places on their hearts specifically for their congregations, we as worship artists are often called to do the same for worship art. We should be seeking the Spirit’s guidance on this. Similarly, I believe worship artists should seek opportunities to get in sync with our teaching pastors on what the Spirit’s leading them to present. Perhaps God would have us write corresponding songs. This kind of dialog is very beneficial artistic inspiration. But it can lead to an integration of Spirit-lead worship and message that cannot be achieved any other way.

I love the advice to young animators from Disney’s Frank Thomas.  “Observe Everything. Communicate Well. Draw, Draw, Draw!”

Similar guidance could benefit us. “Observe Everything. Pray hard. Write, write, write!”