Summer Camp

There is something about summer camp that always gets me.

For years of summers, I have watched my sons go off for a week away from their parents and return different from the way they were when they departed for their camp destination.

All of these camps must have had some kind of life-transforming and/or life-shaping experiences because even now Seth (my 24-year old) spends most of his days creating both hilarious and meaningful videos for some of the best camps offered this summer -and he even gets paid to create them!

Our two youngest sons returned today from our church student camp. They are both different young men - it really is that visible - even on the outside. Who can imagine what has happened on the inside. Certainly God knows - after all - He did it.

I love this photo of Matt - it was taken two weeks ago at Windy Gap in North Carolina while he was attending Young Life Camp.

If I created a caption for this photo - it would read, "ahh, now, this is summer camp!"

29 Years - Lost and Found

This post is an admission of negligence and grace.

One evening sometime in the month of April, I came home from work and did what I always do - I removed my watch and my wedding ring, slid my wedding ring onto my watch band, connected the watch band and then..........

For the past 60-70 days, I have been in search of my lost watch and wedding band. I have (as they say) turned things upside down in search of it. After looking everywhere possible, I finally confessed that I was afraid that I had somehow "thrown them away" in a bag of things brought home from Target or somewhere.

Who knows? All knew was I was not happy about losing my wedding ring after 29 incredible years of marriage.

So, one afternoon on my sabbatical, Karla and I went shopping for a replacement wedding ring. As I entered each store, the conversation began with me announcing "I made it for 29 years before losing my wedding ring". That usually brought about a very willing sales person to offer ridiculously expensive replacements.

My how rings have changed in 29 years!

Well, on the afternoon of June 22, 2008, I purchased my new (replacement) wedding ring - see photo!! Karla loves it (that's all that matters), and now my ring finger no longer feels naked, and that's a good thing.

So......all is well......until tonight......

I was searching for something else that was lost (not nearly as important as my lost wedding ring), and guess what I found?

Yep.....my lost watch and my lost wedding ring!

So, now the dilemma......keep the new one or wear the old one?

At this writing, that decision has not been made, but I am still in shock that I actually found this lost wedding ring.

God extended grace to me - yet again.......

One Month

On May 27, I "officially" began my sabbatical. I am not going to elaborate on the past 31 days in this post, but I am going to quote from one of the many wonderful books that I have been reading.

I read this quote on the plane home from Chicago yesterday. It hit me in the face as if I turned my head right into someone's left hook.

The book is entitled, The Rest Of God - Restoring Your Soul By Restoring Sabbath - written by Mark Buchanan - pastor and author (3) books.

What he wrote on page 147 is what nailed me........

"As I left for sabbatical, many people in my church wished me well. They told me they'd miss me, that they'd be praying for me, that they hoped I came back refreshed. And then they usually said, "You deserve this".

I don't. I can think of all kinds of people who deserve it: a single mother who works three jobs to ensure her kids have a decent home and good clothes; a couple who have been clocking twelve-hour days or more six days a week for many years, trying to keep a small business from sliding over the edge; a tradesman who never has time for a holiday when the work is on and never has money for one when it's not; a millworker whose shifts change like the clouds so that he's seen the inside and out of every hour of every day and now never quite sleeps and never fully awakes. I can think of all the people who do their jobs faithfully and capably, even though they die at it a little every day. I like what I do, and I have not worked half as hard as half of these people, and few will ever be given the luxury of a sabbatical.

No, I don't deserve it. It's pure gift, like being born in peacetime and not war, like being forgiven, or kissed, or told you have beautiful eyes. I never earned a minute of it. I don't deserve a scrap of it.

But I feel obliged to the people in my church who have allowed me it. Obliged, not to come back smarter, or thinner, or more eloquent, or more studied up, though all that could help. The obligation I feel is not to pay them back. These things don't work that way, on some barter system where the church trades several months of leave in exhange for shorter, pithier sermons.

The obligation I feel, rather, is to come back restored."
_______________________________________________________________________

God bless Mark Buchanan, and I thank God he wrote this book

Taking A Walk With A Legend

I have to admit that I seldom take walks. I either jog or do nothing. Shame on me.

Last week, I had the extraordinary privilege of taking a walk with arguably the most respected musician/arranger/orchestrator of our time, but more importantly, a true gentleman, husband, father, grandfather, and genuine friend to many.

What a joy to simply take a walk with and converse with Ronn Huff.

Besides being a true genius of an arranger and orchestrator, this man is a deep thinker, he asks hard and great questions, and he expressed a sincere interest in my life and my career. He is quiet and determined. He is passionate and sensitive.

I treasured our time together in ways I will never be able to adequately articulate, and I pray we will have more "walks" in the future.

Here is what was written about Ronn when he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame (3) years ago:

"Being inducted as a non-performing member of the Hall of Fame, Ronn Huff’s legacy is well-known to anyone who has directed church choirs in the last 30 years. While minister of music in a Denver church he arranged and published two highly successful books of hymns, "Celebration, Music for Festival Choir" and "Celebration II." But his arrangements and recording of Bill and Gloria Gaither songs into a 1973 musical called "Alleluia, A Praise Gathering" brought national prominence and was the first religious recording to receive an RIAA Gold Album certification, selling over a million records and books. A Christmas work called "His Love, Reaching," a collection of early Praise and Worship songs entitled "Exaltation" and a series collaboration with the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma are among the successful church music publications he authored. Huff claims to be an arranger, not a composer, but his work is found on many recordings, both sacred and secular. In the past two years alone his name appears on and arrangements are heard in the recordings of Faith Hill, Charlotte Church, Amy Grant, Celine Dion, Jewel, Martina McBride, Allison Krauss, Sandi Patty, John Michael Talbot, Keith Urban, George Strait, Clint Black, Lonestar, Boston Pops, and The American Boy Choir. Until recently Huff held the position of Pop's Director for the Nashville Symphony, but a battle with Parkinson’s Disease has limited his activities in recent years."
________________________________

While these credits speak to the amazing accomplishments of Ronn, you would never know any of this from a simple conversation with him. He would rather talk about his family, his faith, and ask questions about you, your family, and your faith.

If I could only take more walks like this one!

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

Time and People.......

Two very important ingredients of life, and I am realizing during my sabbatical that I am pretty horrible at both - I don't build in nearly enough margin of time with regard to anything I do, and I don't spend nearly enough of the 24 hours in a day with people - especially people with whom I enrich their life and (as I am discovering on my sabbatical) with people who greatly enrich my life when I give them my undivided attention.

I spent the day on Wednesday in the beautiful city of Baltimore, Maryland. (Since Karla and I are such NCIS nuts, I loved seeing signs on the interstate for exits that Gibbs and crew are always talking about in the TV show).

I was in Baltimore for one reason - to meet with a new friend, worship pastor, author, and one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He gave me an entire afternoon of his time - something I will always treasure because even though I don't build margin into my time, I know what it takes to "give up" an afternoon with someone - especially someone you hardly know!

So, realizing I did not want to waste one minute of this man's time, I wanted to make sure I got to where I was supposed to be "on time".

He asked me to meet him for lunch at a restaurant (47) miles from the Baltimore airport. By my Google Map calculations, it would take anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes (depending on traffic) to get from BWI to my lunch destination. With my plane arriving at 10:30am, there was no way for me to have enough time to rent a car and get there on time, and the last thing I wanted to do was to be late to the beginning of an afternoon of conversation.

So, I took a cab - yes, a cab - 47 mile cab ride! What an adventure as my cabbie drove 80 on the interstate (not wearing a seat belt) while glancing often at his portable Magellan he would hold up with his right hand. I was strapped in holding on for dear life. We left BWI at 10:45am. We arrived at my lunch destination at 11:15am. He certainly got me there on time - 45 minutes early! Talk about margin.......

Oh, and yes, it cost a fortune!

Fast forward to the end of my amazing afternoon with this fine and gracious colleage. (I knew I was not taking a cab back to the airport, but was not sure of my options, and quite honestly, I was not about to fret over them while immensely enjoying the company of my new friend.)

So, not surprising to me, my new friend offered to drive me back to the airport. Well, that was not an option because I had already imposed by taking up an afternoon of this man's time - the final straw could not be a 2-hour (in traffic) round trip for him just to get me to the airport, but to give you one more reason to understand what a great guy this man truly is - he would have done it without thinking about it.

I asked him about the Metro - (rail train public transportation). He looked it up on-line, and we landed on a most adventurous (and lengthy) itinerary of two different trains, and finally a city bus to get me back to the airport. (margin, sweet margin)

So, I took the red train, then the green train, then a 30-minute wait for the city bus at the last train station to get me to the airport - I finally arrived at BWI having spent 90 minutes watching the scenery blow by me, rushing through dark tunnels, loving the smell of the city bus, and enjoying the heck out of watching people - all at a total cost of $7.60.

You gotta love public transportation.........

Margin, margin, margin - it allows you to enjoy this beautiful world that God created!

Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often

Karla and I returned late last week from a few days at the beach. It was paradise. I forget what the ocean and sand does to my state of mind. Our trip was an incredibly gracious gift from many people with whom I serve along-side-with (I know that is horrible grammar, but whatever) - the point is - I am grateful beyond words for that gift - the time away with my precious wife was immeasurable.



On Saturday night, our family gathered to celebrate Father's Day - a great dinner, conversation, laughter, some tears, and even some gifts. I received some neat cards, a DVD collection of a TV-series that I have not seen but looks extremely interesting, a "sleep-noise" machine - (gotta love the sound of the ocean as I drift into sleep mode), and two different photo-sets from my sons that I will treasure. In keeping with "tis better to give than receive", I am most excited about my gift to my Dad. (Because I am such a loser and did not get it until I returned from the beach, he will not receive it until tomorrow). I so look forward to his call when I can tell him how to most enjoy it!

This particular Father's Day was also a day of "firsts".

Our first without BigBy - Karla's father who passed away on January 2. It was difficult at times because we miss him, but Seth's prayer reminded us that he is in a better place. Where would we be without that hope?

It was also Seth's first Father's Day. He is a great Dad, and he brings loads of joy to his family and to our extended family....and to me.

My heart is full of gratitude for the experiences of ocean, beach, companionship with the most important person in your life, and the gathering of family around the table.

We have a sign that is visible above our kitchen table - If it were not so large, I would carry it around with me because it should not be limited to our kitchen.

It reads - SIT LONG, TALK MUCH, LAUGH OFTEN

Celebrating 15 Years

One thing that a sabbatical affords is time to reflect.

About a month ago, the incredible choir that God has allowed me to lead and serve along side with for the past 15 years did a most wonderful thing - they gave me a book of congratulatory notes written to me (by choir members) on the occasion of my 15th anniversary as worship minister at church.

For whatever reasons, last night I decided to open the book and read some of the notes. It was a most humbling experience to read nice things that people wrote to me.

I must share one of them in this post because I laughed out loud - for quite awhile -oh my gosh - this is hilarious and so fitting considering the person. (I so love you GT!)

Here ya go - and this is EXACTLY what he wrote:

Worley,

You are a such a loser! Talk to me after you have been at one job for 30 years. 15 years is just getting started. Seriously, I love you more than my 20-gauge shotgun. You are awesome and I admire your heart and your love for God and His people. It is an honor serving under your leadership. If there is ever anything you need, ask someone else.


priceless.......

Forgiveness - Don't Waste Your Life

This past weekend, I enjoyed going to see two of the top movies currently playing in all local theaters.

In each of these movies, a particular line jumped out at me as being refreshing and possibly even redemptive (if not surprising) considering I was not at church, but sitting in a dark room for two hours with total strangers having paid alot of money to be entertained.

In one of the movies, one of the main characters asked this question, "but what about forgiveness?"

In the other movie, the main character at one point says, "I just don't want to waste my life."

Two blockbuster movies with totally non-contrived lines spoken by lead characters as part of the overall plot of each movie.

I just keep thinking about those lines.....

I hope I forgive more frequently than I judge, and I hope I'm not wasting my life.

Sabbatical Thoughts - Day 3

During this "time away" during which I am resting, reading, studying, and listening to God - I stumbled upon the following from Dan Perkins - Pastor of
Twin Oaks Church - San Jose, CA

I will be probably spend several days pondering the following:
_______________________________________________________________________________

I don't know why it's taken me this long to realize that most things in life that are good for you can also be bad for you (key word... most as opposed to some). So... I got to thinkin... What makes it so? Reminded of that old joke about the town idiot who thought the thermos was the greatest invention ever made. "So," another person replies, "What's so special about a thermos? It keeps things hot or cold."
"Yes!" says the idiot... "But how does it know?"

What I've discovered are the two key components in whether something will be good or bad for you.

First, Moderation. Without getting into the moral implications of behavior (duh! put down the breadstick) this seems rather obvious. Too much of anything can be bad. Right? The notion of "you can never be too rich or thin" has already been dispelled by anorexia and the lottery. Besides, anyone who has been to Hawaii can attest there comes a time when you do want to go home. So what makes moderation a determining factor of whether something is good or bad for you is when you push beyond the point of content for the sake of consumption. We here in the US are trained to think and consume beyond contentment. Why? Because we can!

So, you're probably thinking, "What's so special about the thermos..." Well, I'm not saying this is certain but I think our ability to moderate our consumption is a key link to our ability to live holy. As a pastor I have had to deal with a lot of people's choices that have put them in difficult life situations. Invariably, those choices were the results of people going beyond the point of contentment insisting for more! More sex, more numbing, more money, more power, more... More... MORE! Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should do something. Sadly, we have grown up in a place and in a time when you walk into the candy store you check your pockets to see how much money you have and proceed to buy all the teeth-rotting, insulin-rising, pre-packaged stuff we can get our hands on. Why do we do this? Perhaps it because we've been conditioned but I know some folks who just know how to live contently! They have little, drive older cars, take simple camping vacations, you get the idea; and they're happy! They're simply happier than most folks I know because they're content! How did they miss the conditioning?

The second cause for good or bad is our Motivation. Now this one gets a little tricker to identify because it's hard to pin down motivation. I believe motivation is fluid. It changes course like a meandering river based on the current landscape. In fact, motivation can quickly change when confronted with certain obstacles. Our motivation can either push us to these obstacles and reveal our heart's conviction or push us through these obstacles and reveal our heart's resolve. They key here is our heart. What good or bad that results of any action, activity or ability is what lies within our heart... "YES! But how does it know?"

Our walls... The things that we hold within... for security, defense and identity or let me put it this way, for peace of mind, confidence in any situation and what you want people to know about you; are healthy when we are moved and monitored by a standard beyond ourselves and built on a foundation of spiritual and ethical bedrock. Our gates... The things we let in our lives, determined not by quantity but quality, will ultimately decided how well we live our lives.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Ro 12:2). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

So how does this work in your life? Here are some questions for you to discuss.

How content are you and what makes you content? are you leaking?
What do you fill your life with to be "full?"
Are there appropriate and/or defined boundaries in your life?
If so, what are they?
If not, what should they be?
What causes you to act on something?
Do you see yourself as a leader or a follower? A motivator or moderator?
What precautions have or do you need to take on letting good things in your life and removing the "crap" from your life?
When was the last time you did an inspection of the gates in your life? food, entertainment, friendships, habits, recreation, pursuits... what's been burned, loose and hanging off the hinge?
Read Ecclesiastes 12:1-6 and discuss it's meaning, keeping in mind what can be good for you can be bad without moderation and proper motivation...

Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Ec 12:6-7). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

They Really Do Grow Up Too Fast

Our 18-year old has grown up and graduated high school.

This weekend at two different functions, we enjoyed a DVD slide show and oh my what memories to see this kid come into our world, grow up in this house and neighborhood and now he moves on to college.

I know you get sick of hearing it, but they really, really do grow up too fast, and I know you get sick of hearing "cherish every moment", but cherish every moment....

even the ones you want to forget because they were tough at the time....

My friend prayed this prayer at his son's graduation party some 18 years ago, and I have never forgotten what he said......"Lord, thank you for giving us this young man. We know he is on loan from you, so for as long as you will allow, may we be gracious and loving parents and worthy stewards with this gift."

Matt Worley - congratulations - you have brought years of joy to many, many people, and I thank God that He has loaned you to us - what an amazing gift you are!

Generations

Recently, my parents and my sister came for a brief visit from Texas. I insisted that this photo be taken.

(4) generations of Worley men.

My prayer is that someday this photo will mean something significant to Elliott's kids.

I think that's important.......

American Idol - Shout To The Lord

I know that if you have wandered onto this blog, you have already been overwhelmed by this subject line, but I would encourage you to read this in its entirety. I hope to get to meet Josh Harris one day - this whole blog entry of his just confirms my respect for him, and deepens my desire to meet this man and hear him speak to me in person.

This is very powerful stuff, and yes, it is long, so just deal with it....
__________________________________________________________________________________
FROM JOSH HARRIS
I wanted to highlight a few interesting comments that have been left on my first and second American Idol posts this past week. I was glad that several people with more "inside" information stopped by to share. So here are their remarks followed by a few closing thoughts from me...

Christians Inside Fox
A Christian woman named Beverly posted what I thought was a helpful inside perspective from Fox. It helped me to see that, for Christians who work at Fox, having the song played was a triumph. It's easy for me to be cynical as I watch and forget that there are believers working at this network who are looking for any chance to shine the light of the gospel. She goes on to share that positive feedback from Christians would be helpful. Thanks for taking the time to post, Beverly.

I work on one of the "sister shows" of American Idol...so picture an office, with all of the producers, crew, etc. gathered in watching the live feed at our CBS offices, then this song comes on...an office filled with a few Christians....atheists and agnostic Jews. You could hear a pin drop....it was awesome.....the power that came through....nothing had to be said...no debates....just people being touched more than they realized...producers, writers...crew that had never darkened a church door in their lives, or their only experience with Christians was a negative one. You don't always see the workings of us Christians that are behind the scenes...you don't know how much prayer went into getting a song with that message on a, let us not forget, a SECULAR show. So, from someone behind the scenes, the best thing you can do is write to the producer of Am. Idol and simply state how much you appreciate the diversity they showed in having an very inspirational song in their program. Period. No criticizing. This will go farther than you realize. Also, pray, pray, pray for us Christians that have chosen Hollywood as our vocation, career and our mission field.


The Folks at Hillsong
I expressed curiosity about how the process for rights to use the song worked. This person has some knowledge of it and about Christians in the Idol band. I appreciated her comment that we should "reserve our outrage for the real tragedies of this world." Well said.
I know the people from Hillsong who negotiated this deal thru Integrity Music, and the word change wasn't approved, but while they deal with that, they are quite happy the song was song used.

There are also very strong Christians in the American idol band, who are witnesses in places most of us don't have influence—let's rejoice that He is praised, even if by 'indifferent' vessels—let the fruit of our ministry be heard in our churches and in the churches of pop culture.

Let's reserve our 'outrage' for the real tragedies in this world...Let his praises rise... Even from hearts as cold as stones... God can command praise from stones—not just the redeemed.

Jason Castro's Church
A girl named Leslie attends the church that Jason is from. She writes,
Jason Castro and his family attend my church in Rockwall, Texas. He is a Christian and has asked for prayer because one of the other contestants is either an atheist or agnostic. I was told that Jason Castro encouraged a few of the others to sing "Shout to the Lord" after they at first balked at the lyrics. Just FYI: Jason's mother gave him the idea to get dreadlocks, and he now uses his look as a way to be able to witness to teens that normally wouldn't listen. Way to go, Jason!
Sharing the Gospel
I was inspired by this youth pastor who instead of merely hanging out on Christian blogs like this one used this whole discussion as an opportunity to try and share the gospel on secular blogs. Here's a portion of his post...
Well, I can see why some people would be offended by there being a worship song in American Idol. But, at the same time, if all of the singers didn't mind singing it, I don't see why it's a big deal.

The connection between helping the world and praising Jesus go hand in hand. Not to sound like a "Jesus freak" or anything (but I am a youth pastor), but you simply can't love God without loving your neighbor. So, a worship song to the Christian God (even if they left out his name on Wednesday night...but, incidentally, they did say "Jesus" on Thursday night) should almost be like a rallying cry for Christians to do something about all the injustice in the world.

If Christians did more loving in the name of Jesus than judging in the name of Jesus, His name would be much sweeter to the world.

Anyway, I try my best to do this. And I hope that others will be inspired by that song to honor Jesus with their lives and not just with songs.

If you want to discover who this Jesus is, then come check out my blog where I am going through the Bible trying to read it without any preconceived ideas, reading it for what it is. I'm open for discussion too. So, please, if you are wondering WHY people make such a big deal about God, I'd encourage you to check it out.

No Hellfire and Damnation
And finally, Michael Glitz, the columnist at the Huffington Post who I joked with in my post was kind enough to drop by and share the following comment. His words remind me how silly all the ranting over this fiasco must appear to people outside the evangelical Christian subculture.
Hey Josh, Thanks for taking my link in the spirit of positive discussion in which it was meant. My reference to the fact that some evangelical Christians were annoyed included everyone in your community who weighed in on this post, a fair number of whom were annoyed more than "curious" about whether the composer could sue, as you were. Hey I thought that was "annoyed" too to be honest (grin). Others on Huffington have pointed out what carol said that a further reason the group sing-along was inappropriate was the simple fact that not all of them are presumably evangelical Christians and so singing that song without it coming from your heart is at the very least troubling. Thanks for weighing in without hellfire and damnation.
Closing Thoughts
So far, my two posts about the song have been more humorous than serious. I wasn't outraged when they edited the lyrics. I was surprised when they did the song again and included Jesus' name, but I didn't think it was a major triumph of God's kingdom.

As I've read various comments people seem to fall into two different camps. Some Christians are upset—because they left out Jesus, because non-Christians were singing a song of "praise", because it was all about money, because it's another example of Christianity being "censored." Other Christians are elated—because they put Jesus back in, because a praise song was heard by millions of people, because they see this as incredible evangelistic platform.

I guess I'm not really at home with either group. With all due respect, I don't think that having a song like Shout to the Lord sung (even though I like it) is going to usher in revival. This reminds me of the fervor before the movie The Passion of the Christ was released. People spoke about this movie as if it was the ultimate opportunity for the gospel to advance. I don't think it was. Was I glad that it was released? Sure. But I think that it's too easy for Christians to think that any moment in the media spotlight on TV or in film is a bigger deal than it really is. We should welcome any opportunity for media to help spread the good news about Jesus, but I don't think we should put too much stock in that vehicle. The gospel is going to advance as it always has—steadily as it is clearly proclaimed by believers in their words and modeled by their lives and actions. The gospel advances as local congregations receive and live God's word for their neighbors to see.

So I'm more excited about Christians inviting their unbelieving friends over to watch American Idol together so they can build friendships and establish a platform for sharing the gospel in that relationship than I'm excited about an occasional worship song being sung on the show. If both happen, that's cool, too.

Oh, and let me gently disagree with people who are upset about the song being sung, edited or not. Don't get so worked up about unsaved people singing songs of praise to Jesus. It happens every Sunday in churches around the world. It happens in my church every Sunday. Thankfully, a large portion of people at our church are Christians. But there are many people who claim to know Christ that don't. And there are many unbelieving people who come who need to repent and believe.

Here's reality: we live in a secular, pluralistic society. We need to be good neighbors to agnostics and atheists and people of other religions. Christian faith and practice shouldn't be forced on others. And we shouldn't be overly surprised when "gospel" music that is very meaningful to believers is co-opted and used in secular settings by people who don't have personal faith in Jesus. How many times has Amazing Grace been sung and loved by people who don't really grasp its truth? Like it or not we live in a culture where many people view gospel music as merely a style that is part of a cultural tradition. That's all it means to them.

Moments like this are reminders for me that the songs and trappings of Christian culture are not the hope of the world—Jesus is! We need to make him known. We need to love and seek to serve the world around us through prayer, through faithful evangelism, and through Christ-like service of those in need. Our goal is not building a more air-tight evangelical bubble. Neither should our goal be hoping that our subculture will burst out into the broader culture to great acclaim.

Instead, our goal should be to proclaim Christ and him crucified to the people we go to the school with, work with, and live next door to. Our goal should be to preach the gospel and live lives worthy of that gospel. Our goal should be to use our gifts in every sector of society so that God is glorified. I'm grateful there are Christians at Fox attempting to do that. I'm going to try to be more faithful to pray for them and all the rest of us, that we'd be busy making Jesus known.

Long after American Idol airs its final show, Jesus will still be on his throne. Isn't that a comforting thought? Let's seek to make him known right where we are.

What I Would Give To See This Video

LEWISTON, Maine -

Police are searching for a man accused of shoving an electric guitar in his pants and walking out of a store in Lewiston, Maine.

Police say the theft occurred last week and they're looking for three men. One of the men shoved a Fender Stratocaster in his pants and pulled a sweatshirt over the top. The other two acted as lookouts.

All three can be seen on footage from video surveillance.

Strangely enough, the music shop has seen the method before. A man did the same thing in 2006 but was caught as he tried to walk out.

(personal note - I hope this guy was a large man - wow, I can't begin to imagine this in my pants - imagine the trousers on this guy?)

Asking The Right Questions

(I have always believed in the importance of asking the right questions.)

I am part of an on-line network of fellow music ministers who serve in churches much like where I serve. We are constantly e-mailing one another to share ideas, learn from one another, and exchange resources to better equip ourselves to serve better and longer.

This week, one of my colleagues asked this very important (and right) question:

As you look over your ministry for the past 10-15 years (or longer if you want) what (personally or professionally) have you done, instituted, dropped, re-worked, etc that has brought the most impact and progress for the effort?

I have to admit, I don't know how I would/will answer that question - I promise to work on that and blog about it at a future time, but for now, one of my good friends answered it in the following way, and it so impressed me, I had to blog about it.....

1. No plateaus – no matter what I have seen or done, there is always more to see and do.

2. Hang out with young people – my teenage kids still let me associate with their friends. I workout with college students who are stronger than me. It pushes me to do more (see #1).

3. I belong to Jesus – not my boss, my job, or even my family. Helps me keep an eternal perspective.

4. I could learn something new about God everyday, live to be 100, and still have an awful lot to learn when I get to Heaven.

5. Never meet a stranger – treat EVERYONE as being more important than yourself and they just might teach you something.

6. Don’t quit memorizing scripture – “Without faith it is impossible to please Him…” “Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Kind of speaks for itself.

7. Laugh really loud and really hard everyday. Just look around, there’s always plenty of material.

8. Dance whenever possible.

Steely Dan - 31 years later

My married friends with (3) grown sons tell me all the time how uniquely different each of their sons were growing up and how they continue to be different.

I am finding that true as my boys grow older. It is fascinating to watch as their interests expand and take shape.

Ben seems to be the more musically interesting of the (3). That's not to say that Seth does not have musical talent - he does having taught himself the guitar and mandolin. Matt has the best singing voice of the (3) even though he wouldn't be caught dead singing solo in public.

Then, there is Ben who blew me away recently when he told me that I told him once that if he were going to be serious about his musical talents, then he would need to make sure he develops an appreciation for all styles and genres of music.

I don't ever remember telling him that, but if he says I did, then I must admit every now and then, wisdom somehow escapes out of my mouth.

Ben is definitely appreciating music...not to mention becoming one heck of a bass player and soon to be the section leader of the "tenors" (or "quads" as they are sometimes called) in the percussion section of his marching band at school.

Yesterday, Ben gets in the truck with me and immediately asks if I have my iPod in the truck. I have not seen my iPod since Matt borrowed it months ago. He then asks if I have any CD's in my truck - as he put it, "I have to listen to music when I am in the car."

So, I happen to have Michael McDonald's Motown CD, a CD of Sting, and one of my all-time favorites - "Aja" by Steely Dan. I asked if he had ever heard of Steely Dan - what was I thinking - Ben is 15. "Aja" was released in 1977.

We had a blast listening to all the songs - appreciating the sparseness of the production - able to hear every instrument cleanly - marveling at the bass lines, the classic Fender Rhodes sounds, and just great music.

I was thrilled that my 15-year old could appreciate something as classic as Steely Dan....

The End Of March

There is so much I have wanted to blog about since my last post. I can't figure out when and how to write.....just one of those seasons.

I am sitting here now writing because today we buried yet another person just 3 months into this new year - a person who had immeasurable influence on my oldest son.
During the very meaningful memorial service today, I was reminded of the time that teachers have with my kids - the potential for unforgettable influence. Mark Madison had that kind of influence on Seth. Seth's whole life is wrapped up in telling a story in a format that people can watch and listen and experience. Mr. Madison - the Media/TV Production instructor at Brentwood High School - shaped Seth's passion in his most formidable years - 4 years of high school. I know Seth's heart is broken over the passing of this man at the too young age of 58. I am grateful that so many people came today to acknowledge the impact he had on their lives.

Barely a month ago, my friend for many years and the first songwriter I ever signed to a publishing contract, Gary Driskell passed away. He was 50. Just not supposed to happen, but it did. His memorial service on March 1 was a celebration of everything that Gary wanted his life to be about - in giving honor of God. Tomorrow in worship, our whole service will be about heaven. One of the songs I chose to be sung is one of Gary's best songs - yes, it won a Dove Award for Song of the Year in 1991, but more importantly, as I reviewed the words of that song tonight - I realized how powerful and hopeful they are. I look forward to how they will minister to the many hundreds of people who will be in attendance in our worship services.

Then, to top all of this off - (and I know how trite this will appear as you read it), probably the saddest, but so profound movie I have ever watched is CASTAWAY. It has been on all weekend on TNT. I can't not watch it. I keep catching bits and pieces of it. I own the DVD, but resist ever opening the package to place in the DVD player to watch because I know the effect it has on me. I still remember watching it in the movie theater. It took me weeks to get over it, and I am not sure if I ever did. So powerfully written and acted - not to mention the incredible musical score - wow......what emotion.....

Sadness, sorrow, pain, hurt, suffering.......all of these things will pass away, but they are so very real for so many people - maybe that is part of why I keep doing what I do.....I am not a doctor or a nurse or a brain surgeon - I don't have that power or ability to literally save someone's life. I am simply an encourager - I am a believer in the hope of the message of the Gospel. More and more, I am experiencing first hand those people who have no life without that hope. So, every Sunday we gather to remind one another - to encourage one another that apart for Christ, we have nothing.

My ramblings continue to ramble......tomorrow we talk about heaven - tonight I am sad for my wife who lost her father earlier this year - I am sad for the family members who still grieve the death of their husband, father, son named Gary Driskell, and now the wife and son and brother of Mark Madison. At the same time, I must praise God for giving us hope - where would we be without it?

God Bless Pam Moses

Somethings really never change.

Yesterday, I was making my way down the hall at church when I happened on that wonderful sight of one of our Brentwood Young Children's School classes walking in single file back to their classroom. The only thing missing was the "rope" - you know, the thing that all the kids hold on to to keep everyone together walking in single file following their teacher.

This particular class' teacher was none other than Pam Moses. As I walked past her, I told her that her group reminded me of when she taught my son, Matt. He was 5 when he was in her class.

She then asked me how old Matt was. When I told her that he is a senior in high school, she responded with "that makes me feel about 100!!!".

I told her if she feels that old, how do you think I feel?

So tonight, I bless God for Pam Moses - 13+ years of helping to shape the lives of boys and girls as they become men and women!

Why Don't We Ever Sing "__________" Anymore?

My position as worship minister opens the door (quite often) for comments, opinions, suggestions, and even criticism for how we do worship - most especially the songs we sing or don't sing.

A few months ago, a guy came up to me after a service and asked me if we could sing "__________" (a title of a song that will remain nameless for this blog) sometime? I told him (like I tell everyone) I would certainly consider it.

SIDE NOTE
We sing 3-4 songs every Sunday. We have averaged (over the past several years) somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 different hymns and 45 different choruses sung in our services each year.

Back to my story -
So, this same guy (I think) e-mails me in November to remind me to sing "__________". I ignored it because I was busy with Christmas, and honestly, this song didn't fit at Christmas anyway.

Well, this past Sunday morning as we were preparing for our orchestra and other worship leaders to arrive, this same guy (whom I did not recognize) makes his way through the Worship Center evidently on his way elsewhere, never stops walking, but says to me (loud enough for those around to hear as well), "are we singing '______________' today?" When I told him, "no", he replied, "well, I sure wish we would sometime soon because we haven't sung that song in so long, I think I have forgotten the words." (he never broke stride as he headed out the door elsewhere)

I have wondered what he would have done if by chance Sunday would have been the day we really were going to sing "____________"????

Joy Unspeakable

This child makes me smile!

Not So Great A Beginning To 2008

The longer I live, and the longer I serve in a ministry position where there is always pain and heartache and someone in need, it should not come as a surprise that it is bound to happen more close to home at some point.

It's not the way any of my family wanted the new year to begin, but the phone call came this morning around 10:30am, and the day has been brutal to say the least. My sweet wife's father, Byron passed away this morning as his sweet wife, Carolyn was taking him to see the doctor because he had not felt well these past few days due to what we thought was a simple cold.

I spoke with a friend on New Years Eve whose mom passed away a few days ago, and it seemed like similar stories - things seemed so normal, then.......they're gone. They are GONE - no more time with them - no more words to be exchanged - no more hugs - no more pats on the back - no more smiles......it hurts to see my wife, my mother-in-law, and my brother-in-law hurt like this.

As if that was not enough, I had to take my 18-year-old to juvenile traffic court this afternoon because of a speeding ticket he received a month ago when he was still 17. The "court experience" began with a high school senior reading aloud an essay he wrote about dying in a car crash and what it was like for his parents to identify his body because he chose to drive 93 mph in a 70 mph zone.

Having just come from sitting in the ER with the body of my "just deceased" father-in-law, the reading of that essay was sobering and even more painful.

So, 2008 is off to a not so great beginning. As my beautiful wife said to me in the midst of her sometimes uncontrollable sobbing this morning, "I don't know how people with no faith deal with something like this"........she is so right - I don't know how they deal with it, but it is a powerful reminder that as long as there are people out there who don't believe in the Jesus we believe in, then we continue to do whatever we have to do to love these people, and introduce them to this Jesus who in times like today reveals Himself in ways never before imagined to help heal hurt and pain that is so deep words fall short in describing it.

Thank you, Byron for your constant words of encouragement, your love of life, your faith, your laugh, and your example of how to live a life of significance for the Kingdom.......you will be missed, and I know you are already enjoying your eternity!

(I love this photo because it was captured following a most incredible evening at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center last spring when we enjoyed an evening of hymns with our incredible symphony and several special guests artists - Byron loved that evening - he told me that often - it was a memory that will remain with me forever.....)