Happy Birthday To Karla!

My sweet wife turns 53 today!

Recently, she was counseling a 30-something female following one of our services, and as they talked, the subject of age somehow came up and when Karla told this young lady that she was 52, the girl blurted out, "no way - well, you sure are hot to be 52!!" I think Karla took that as a compliment.

This "hot-now-53-year-old" is spending her morning speaking at the Nashville Women's Rescue Mission - she took several paperback New Testaments to give to those homeless women who don't have Scriptures to read.

If you have a minute sometime today, be sure to wish her a happy birthday!

Compassionart Project

Imagine the vision that brings the following names to come together to write songs for the sole purpose of helping to fight poverty world-wide?

Names like Michael W. Smith, Darlene Zschech, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Paul Baloche, Israel Houghton, Graham Kendrick, Steven Curtis-Chapman, Andy Park, Stu Garrard, and Martin Smith.

This CD and other related products releases on Tuesday.

I am particularly thrilled about this project because each artist got to personally choose the charity/organization their portion of the royalties/sales/proceeds would go to. In other words, every person involved in this project is donating to some cause somewhere.

Michael W. Smith chose Living Hope in Cape Town, South Africa.

If you have read my blog or know me at all, Living Hope is where a huge piece of my heart remains at all times.

In anticipation of Michael's 2007 Christmas Concert at Brentwood Baptist (where he agreed to do two shows as benefit concerts) he took the time while he was in Cape Town to meet with John Thomas, the founder and leader of Living Hope in October 2007.

Maybe that played a part in Michael choosing Living Hope to be "his" charity/organization.

As he put it to me - "it seemed like the right thing to do"!

God bless you, Michael, and God bless all of these incredibly influential songwriters/artists who took the time to come together and creatively submit to one another for a greater cause. What a picture that is - what a testimony to laying aside egos, personal and professional agendas to do something really important that goes beyond fame and fortune.

I hope you will take the time to read more about Compassionart, and you will purchase the CD and or other products - for in doing so, you will help to fight poverty, and minister to "the least of these".

Very Random Moment

I hesitated blogging about what happened to me last Sunday morning after our second worship service because 1) I made such a "dork" of myself, and 2) this will really sound like I am either name-dropping and/or patting myself on the back.

What the heck - this is what really happened.....

I was standing in the main area of our Music/Worship Office Suite talking with two friends, and I was facing the door, when a man walked into the office, made eye contact with me, and asked if I had a moment to speak with him.

As I made eye contact, I immediately blurted out, "I know you!" (what I meant was - I "recognize your face", but I did not who the person was)

I walked over to him, shook his hand, and introduced myself. He introduced himself to me and began to as genuinely as anyone has ever spoken to me - look me in the eye and tell me graciously and humble how much he appreciated me, what I do, what we do as a worship ministry, etc.....

The person was Lee Greenwood.

It was so totally random.

He and his family have evidently been coming regularly to our church, and he told me that he followed me back to my office area to express his gratitude to me.

He then said if there was every anything he could do for me to call on him.

Again - so totally random.

If you are too young to know the name or have an appreciation for the extent of this man's musical career, be sure to check him out by clicking HERE.

You just never know who is going to walk up to you after a worship service!

(hey, at least he didn't write me an anonymous note!!)

The Answer: Blue & Gold

Hats off to the Brentwood High Boys Basketball Team for beating (upsetting?) Franklin last night AT Franklin.

They now get to wear their own blue and gold practice jerseys come Monday in practice!

If you live in the area, mark your calendars now - Friday, February 6 - Frankin AT Brentwood. It's always difficult to beat the same team twice in the same season!

Who knows, maybe the Franklin coach should consider having the Franklin team wear blue and gold practice jerseys between now and February 6!!!

Will It Be Maroon Or Blue & Gold?

I love high school sports.

It's real, there's no media hype, there's no debates over play-off systems, there's no "business" in it - just young men and women having fun developing their God-given abilities and skills at a particular sport while hopefully learning the true meaning of competition. You never forget your high school sports playing days - ever!

Tonight, two teams will face each other as district rivals - they know each other, they have grown up playing against each other in sports, and they may even go to church with each other.

Brentwood vs. Franklin

If you live in Williamson County located just south of downtown Nashville, you have to at least know of these two schools. Each one absolutely loves to beat up on the other one - regardless of what sport it is. It defines rivalry.

It has been a long time since Brentwood has beaten Franklin in boys basketball.

Evidently, that is of major concern for the Brentwood head coach - so much so that he has refused to give his team their regular practice jerseys since the season began 3 months ago. He refuses to give them their jerseys UNTIL THEY BEAT FRANKLIN.
To make matters worse (and funnier!), in the meantime, he has made them wear maroon jerseys (Franklin's color).

So, what will it be come Monday in practice for Brentwood? Will they "earn" their coveted Blue & Gold practice jerseys or will they be forced to swallow yet another bitter pill and continue to have to wear maroon everyday in practice?

Tune in tomorrow where I will blog about the outcome!

I really do love high school sports!

"Oh, The Choir's Not Singing Today"

That was the quote overheard by one of our choir members on a recent Sunday when they came into the Worship Center to sit down among other members of the congregation.

The lady seated behind the choir member said this rather disgustedly. When the choir member turned around to tell her that many of the choir members were out of town, the person replied, "I don't like it when the choir doesn't sing."

I get that alot!

I guess I should be grateful that people like our choir, and want to hear our choir, and expect to hear our choir each Sunday. I am one of those worship ministers who believe that the choir is but a part of the worship leadership of the church. Yes, they/we are an integral part of the worship leadership, but my prayer is that people would come to our services wanting so badly to meet Jesus, that it wouldn't matter who is standing on the stage in front of them leading them.

I am very concerned that we are living in such an "impress-me-consumer-oriented" culture, that even in church - maybe even especially in church - congregants come and "expect" to be "wowed", and if their favorite "whatever" is not on the stage leading them in their favorite song or if a certain thing does not happen in the service just the way they would have hoped, then they "can't worship"

On the Sunday after Christmas, I had the rare privilege to attend a worship service where

1. I was not in charge
2. I got to sit with my wife
3. I got to sit with my parents

(notice the "I" in each of those - I have become what I am ranting about!!!)

Actually, I don't think so - those three things were indeed important to me, but what was more important to me was the experience of worship in this wonderful church in Texas where the following were evident to me during my 60+ minutes being there:

1. The wonderful and kind gentleman who drove the golf cart up to our car and then to the door of the church so my aging parents did not have to walk all the way to the building
2. The way we were greeted, and the way people treated my parents as if they were Jesus and a few of His friends
3. The regular music minister was not there - it didn't matter
4. The choir did not sing - it didn't matter
5. The guest ladies choir was fun, genuine, and had an obvious love for Jesus
6. The children's sermon was memorable and engaging
7. The pastor's sermon centered around the candles of the Advent season was encouraging and challenging

So what?

Well, every Sunday of these kinds of worship experiences add up in a person's life. They all contribute to our journey with Christ. It's not so much about perfect attendance and being at church everytime the doors are open. It's way more about making the most of each worship experience (church service) that we are given - to (regardless of who is leading) learn more about the ways of Jesus so that we become more like Him so we are then better equipped to live our lives in ways that those around us can see that something is different about the way we think, the way we make important decisions, the way we treat our kids, our spouse, our friends, our co-workers, the way we love, the way we react - on and on I could go......I know you already know all of this!

I'm just not so sure that whether the choir sings in the worship service has that much to do with what is really important in our journey of becoming true followers of Christ.....

Mr. Bassman, Play Me A Song

It has been fun to watch our youngest son, Ben enjoy playing the bass guitar and the bass (arco).

Here are some fun recent photos! (The hair is!)

Merry Christmas From Billy Graham

I find it amazing that an organization as large as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association must be - would still have my wife on their mailing list.

In March of 1989, she was privileged to be one of the featured soloists at the Greater Syracuse Billy Graham Crusade at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY. I will never forget that evening because I had the incredible honor of sitting with and visiting with George Beverly Shea as well as sitting on the platform and meeting the Reverend Dr. Billy Graham.

I will also always remember that experience because Karla sang at that crusade as she was pregnant with our middle son, Matt. He is now 19 years old!

So, this Christmas - some 19 years later - Karla received a Christmas card from Dr. Billy Graham with the following note -

"Having just celebrated my 90th birthday, I am deeply grateful to God for the ministry He entrusted to Ruth and me for so many years, and to each of you who have prayed for me and my family so faithfully."

May God's gift of Jesus Christ fill you and your loved ones with unspeakable joy this Christmas and througout the coming year.

Billy Graham

(yes, I know it was not personalized, but it still means everything to us that we received it!)

Faith vs. Bravery

Anyone in ministry knows and relates to this statement -

[I have a friend who is dealing with a very difficult situation in their life.]

Well - I do - I have a friend who is dealing with a very difficult situation in their life.

This week, when I reminded them of the depth of their faith (which is evident to all and immense comparatively speaking), and that their faith in God would help them get through this difficulty - their response threw me.

They said, "I know I have faith - I'm just not brave."

WOW!

All week, I have been pondering that comment. How can that be - to have faith, but not be brave? Are we to assume that just because our faith is deep and strong, that we can't still be afraid? What does it mean that we are fearful and filled with faith? Is that not a contradiction in terms?

I know - I am supposed to have more answers than questions, but right now - and particularly in this situation - I must admit I have more questions than answers.

I do know this - my friend is counting on me (and many others) to "pray them through" this situation. I think my prayers will begin with, Lord, help my friend to be brave......

63 Years

Every June in our worship services, we recognize and honor those couples who have been married for 50 years or longer. I love that we do that. Our younger couples who are either engaged or recently married get to see a real life picture of marriage.

This past Monday - December 8, my mom and dad celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. I am amazed at that. Imagine the things they have witnessed and experienced "together" in 63 years!

So, congratulations to Wilburn (WJ) and Alice Ruth Worley - thank you for being a tremendous source of inspiration for so many!!

Leadership In Tough Times

Author, writer Gordon MacDonald always seems to come up with right words and thoughts for the right time and moment.

He has done that again (at least for me) with these words from a recent article he wrote in Leadership Journal entitled, "No Time To Cower".

Here is an excerpt:

The worldwide economic crisis seems the most immediate challenge. Worst case scenario? Many churches will not survive (it's happened before). Christian schools and seminaries will gasp for air; some will suffocate. Parachurch and missions organizations will find themselves in a Darwinian struggle for funding. Theological ideas built on prosperity, American superiority, and asset accumulation will be severely tested.

Wild times lead people to pursue spiritual realities. Look for an uptick in prayer, spiritual friendships, greater curiosity about what the Bible says about life's priorities. Wild times humble the arrogant and acquaint us with the struggles of the poor. Compassion and generosity take on a new meaning. That's not too bad.
There are two possibilities here. One is that I simply don't know what I'm talking about, and it's full steam ahead into business-as-usual. The other? That these conditions do indeed call for a courageous response like Foch's approach to turbulent times: "I attack." A bold advance.

That's what I pray the Christian movement will do. Not retrenchment! But a bold advance involves dramatic change: in leadership, in ways of doing Jesus' work, in innovative new thought about the meaning and impact of the gospel. Again, I say: attack!

What could that possibility mean to people of spiritual influence in these days?

Several experimental ideas:

1. Let's go back to the Bible and rediscover what godly people said and did when the sky was falling in their generation. New insights, possibly?

2. Let's make sure we have something substantial to say to those who are victimized by this economic tsunami: those losing their jobs, those who thought they were economically secure in their old age and discovered they aren't, and youth who might be fearing that there's no dream out there for them.

3. Let's reappraise our priorities of generosity and make sure that the giving-dollar goes to efforts that advance Christian ministry in enduring and deepening ways. Enough of the silly ways the Christian-dollar has been raised and wasted.

4. Let's think repentantly about how a lot of us have allowed ourselves to be caught up in a global financial system that was largely based on greed and falsehood. Lots of Christian organizations are crying about what has been lost because of this flawed financial system. But we ought not to forget it was that same system that helped those organizations get a lot of what they had. What goes up often comes down.

5. Maybe it's time to seek new ways of doing Christian service, ways less dependent upon money and bricks and mortar and more dependent upon unadulterated spiritual power. The early Christian movement, it seems to me, knew a lot about this.

6. We need to ask ourselves if we have any kind of message rising from the words and life of Jesus that would be significant to those in our larger world who thought they had a better way than Jesus' way. Revival time?

Confession: I have never been a great proponent of "revivals" because too many of them (the modern ones anyway) seemed contrived. But maybe—just maybe—we're at the brink of a real one.

If you wish to read the entire article - go HERE

Chasing Cool

I just finished writing an article on worship for a newsletter that will be included in a choral music mailing that I am told will go out to some 7,000 churches sometime in January. I am humbled and honored to have had that privilege.

One of the things I wrote about is the importance of investing in next generation worship leaders.

I have begun a weekly lunch meeting with a 20-something guy who is gifted and called to lead people in worship. The more time I spend with him, the more I learn. I have no idea if I am helping him, but I know he is helping me. One of the things we always talk about is being authentic. The age group of people he leads in worship each week can see through a person immediately. They want real. My friend tells me that he and his team always want to be careful not to "chase cool". In other words, it's really not about being cool - it's about being honest, getting to the heart of the matter. The answers we need don't come from being cool - they come from being broken.

My week would have been complete just to have my regular lunch with my 20-something friend, but I got a bonus this week. I got to also have lunch with a good friend who is older than I am - someone who invests in my life as a person who has walked before me.

He is smart, funny, articulate, and passionate for God's church to make a difference in the Kingdom. He is always such an encouragement to me. He loves to tell me stories of the past, but is just as excited about today and the future. After our lunch, he was headed to a local hospital where he volunteers on a weekly basis to simply sit in the waiting room and minister to families who don't have anyone there to sit with them, talk with them, pray with them. One can only imagine the stories he has to tell from those experiences.

I look back on my two lunches this week with these two men - the huge age/generation gap between them - and I ponder the difference they make in my life.

I thank God for relationships that enrich, that challenge, that encourage, that bring fulfillment to our stress-filled lives.

I pray, too that I would always resist the urge to "chase cool"....

24 Days

I will always remember Father's Day of this year for two reasons:

1. It was my son's first Father's Day
2. I had the privilege of hearing one of my favorite preacher's final sermons

On June 15 of this year, while on my sabbatical, I attended Brentwood United Methodist Church (a few blocks away from my church) to hear Dr. Howard Olds preach. Dr. Olds had cancer, and he would be retiring two weeks later - knowing his death was eminent. Even on that Sunday, you could tell there was a stronger sense of urgency in his failing voice and energy level.

He preached his final sermon entitled, "Don't Stop" on June 29.

He died 24 days later.

This past week, I was finally able to obtain a copy of that sermon, and I listened to it.

Go HERE and do the same.

In October 2006, I blogged about what I was reading at that time - Gordon MacDonald's book - A Resilient Life. Since writing that book, he has been asked to speak at various gatherings of (of all things) worship leaders and pastors.

He challenges those who listen to him to plan and lead as if it were the last time you will plan and lead. I can't help but think about Dr. Olds.

He knew, and he did......

Painting With A Friend

Part of my weekly "ritual" of things to do during the high school football season for the past few years has been to help a friend paint this Power F on the football field of Franklin High School for their home games.

My friend got the job because of his creativity, and he does the painting of the school's "logo" for several high school football fields in the area.

Since my middle son played on the football team the past two years and my youngest son now marches in the band at Franklin, I wanted to keep doing it if I could.

This season, my friend has been through some pretty rough physical stuff with stomach cancer, chemo and other treatments......even to the point of him physically not being able to do the first Power F of this season because he was so sick. (we did the best we could without his direction and inspiration!)

Getting to help my friend paint the Power F this season has been rewarding in a different way. He seems to value that time more than in the past. I sense that in the conversations we have had. Even in the seemingly meaningless duty of painting a high school football field, I get to know and appreciate my friend in a deeper way.

Maybe this week, we should all take a few minutes to value the conversations that come our way.

For me, I am glad that Franklin has at least one more home game this Friday so I get to paint (and talk) with my friend!

A Tough Week

Some weeks it seems like we tread in deeper water and for longer and extended periods of time continuing to believe and hope that the life-line will bounce up against us any moment now, but it doesn't.... so we keep treading.

Deep levels of very real pain and grief surround many of my friends this week.

We have had 20 funerals in 43 weeks at our church, and it's not just death that has made for a tough week.

I think of Matt Redmon's song, "Blessed Be Your Name".
"You give and take away, Lord, blessed be Your name"

Yesterday, I had to submit a report for basically what I have done this past year - along with reports from those who work with me in my area. As I reviewed my co-workers reports and then prepared my own, one word came to mind. Exhausted.

Shouldn't other words have come to mind? Satisfied, Excited, Hopeful, Fulfilled, Joyful, Grateful........

Truly, at most times, I am all of the above, but this week - nope.....just not there.

I met a young, energetic worship leader this week who made the comment to me, "shouldn't the church be a hospital?" Among other things, it certainly is, and this week for whatever reasons, we are seeing our share of hurting people who are in need of healing.

I can't help but think of part of yet another song lyric that describes this in great detail -

On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.

People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize, people need the Lord?

(thank you Phill McHugh and Greg Nelson for writing this)

I think the "private pain" part of that is what gets to me. People simply do not know what to do with the stuff they carry around with them. They feel afraid, they feel alone, they feel ashamed, they feel sorry for themselves, they feel anger towards others, they feel as if they have no hope, they can't be real with anyone for fear of revealing their private pain.

I think my new friend is right about the church being a hospital except for this one huge difference - when a person goes to the hospital, their pain is no longer private. Doctors, nurses, specialists, surgeons, etc. can't treat pain they don't know about. When we go to church, our pain most often remains private. We know God knows our pain, and we desperately want Him to help us - heal us, but we can't let the person seated next to us know we are hurting.

That makes me sad - I have to wonder if this is the way it is supposed to be?

Pirates Reign!

OK - if you can't get a good laugh at yourself, then what's the point?

This photo is completely ridiculous! Please allow me to explain.

I have been asked to speak at a conference this summer, and the people who asked me asked for a photo of me for their promotional piece.

I did not have one readily available, so I asked our graphics guys at church if they could "crop" a recent photo of my family and make it work.

One of our guys sent this photo to me today with the caption, "is THIS the photo you want me to send?" What he didn't know was how "timely" this "photo-shoppedversion" is!!

1. Ben has spent alot of his time this week re-programming (for fun) one of the main songs from "Pirates Of The Caribbean" - you should hear it!

2. My grandson's first birthday is the day after Halloween, and his party will be at my house and it will involve - you guessed it - pirates!

So, as much as I would love to send this photo to the folks who have asked me to speak at their conference this summer - I will refrain - even though I REALLY do want to send it!

(man - what I wouldn't give for this head of hair!)

The Mystery Worshipper

I can't believe I read THIS in the Wall Street Journal this past Friday!

What's next - Personal Seat Licenses and Parking Passes?

Worship Survey - May God Help Us All!

Our church's mission statement is "Connecting People To Jesus Christ through Worship, Discipleship, and Service."

This year, we decided to conduct church-wide surveys with our Sunday worship service congregation for each of these (3) areas of ministry. We started with Discipleship, then we had a survey for Service, and finally, on September 14, we conducted a survey on Worship.

The Worship Survey had the following questions:

Worship has to do with the style of music.
Worship happens only on Sundays.
Worship is the #1 priority of a follower of Christ.
Worship includes tithing.
Worship is demonstrated by the way I spend my time and resources.

(all of the above offered answer choices including strongly agree, somewhat agree, agree, not sure, disagree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree)

then, on the back of the survey, in addition to the age range and gender box to check, you could write your name (optional) and then there were two really interesting questions with space to write in your answer:

HOW DOES GENUINE WORSHIP TRANSFORM YOU?

IS THERE ANY MESSAGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR CHURCH'S TRUSTEES OR MINISTERS?

I am now in possession of 468 pages of answers to the above two questions. That's right - 468 pages. (I feel like Congress!)

I have perused these pages over the past 24 hours. I am quite frankly stunned....actually, kind of numb even.

I told a friend today that God is working overtime with me right now because I don't know what to do with what I am reading.

Please understand - I don't for even a brief moment believe that the efforts of the ministry that God has called me to lead, and the magnificent people with whom I serve on a weekly basis are incapable of messing up or even being misunderstood, but
I have never for a moment questioned our motive - NEVER.

And now - after reading many, many of these comments, I guess I just didn't have any idea that there were:

1. people seated in the congregation each Sunday who felt as strongly as they do about things I/we should and should not do as we attempt to lead people to worship and honor God each Sunday and beyond the walls of Sunday services

2. so many who when given the opportunity to "voice their opinion" were so blunt in "voicing it" - while at the same time remaining for the most part - anonymous in their comments.

Me blogging about this is not some lame attempt on my part to solicit pathetic responses of "I am so sorry for you" or "I can't believe this" or "don't let that get to you", etc.....

I am blogging about this because I am deeply disturbed by what I am reading.

And don't begin to tell me I am overreacting.

We are talking about the worship of God Almighty here. The Creator of everything there is. Don't you dare minimize His greatness by telling me in a survey what YOU think we should or should not be doing so that you can feel better about yourself and YOUR church.

Worship is not about us - never has been - never will be. Worship is not about whether we sing your favorite hymn or your favorite chorus. Worship is not about the temperature in the Worship Center on Sunday mornings. Worship is not about whether you got a "rush" out of Sunday or not. Worship is not about how many times the choir sings or the orchestra plays.

I am grateful for many in our congregation whose response to how genuine worship transforms them gave answers and evidence of their true understanding of why we gather each week in that room.

We gather to boldly, respectfully, and reverently proclaim that God is greater than me and therefore worth everything I can offer to Him. That means that I come regardless of the songs, regardless of the leader, regardless of the "presentation" to find a way to make sure God knows that I love Him and choose to serve Him above any other god in my life. I come to confess that I mess up everyday in my attempt to live my life for Him, but that does not change what I bring to Him - even in my brokenness, I come before Him to make more of Him than me, my circumstances, and my feelings.

Maybe this survey is a wake-up call for me. Maybe this survey is of the devil.

May God help me sort this out as I stay the course in leading people to encounter the greatness of God.

Happy 16th Birthday!

Today we celebrate 16 years with Ben Worley!

It's never easy being the youngest of (3) brothers, but Ben has his own style and his own way about him.

Here are ten things I love about Ben:

1. His laugh
2. His loudness
3. His sarcasm
4. His self-taught ability to play the upright bass (arco)
5. His self-taught ability to play tenors (quads - those 4 drums you strap to your body in marching band) and march while playing them
6. His love for God
7. His love for people
8. His love for his brothers
9. His creativity
10. His convictions

Happy 16th, young man - God did good when He made you, and Mom and I are grateful He entrusted you to us......

Letter To The Next President

This summer while on my sabbatical, I attended one of my favorite churches - North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA. Through the years, getting to know North Point's pastor, Andy Stanley has been enriching to my life to say the least.

On this particular Sunday, Andy was in the middle of a very interesting series entitled, "Letters To The Next President". Now before you think he was walking that ever so volatile line between politics and religion, fear not. He knows better.

His 3-part series was a look at leaders in the Bible, and how the way they led impacted those who followed. He then asked the great question - if you could write a letter to the President, and you know He would read it, what would you say to him?

I highly encourage you to click HERE, then find Andy's letters - He wrote (3).

My favorite is the one with the darker brown envelope - entitled:
From: Andy
To: The Next President
Subject: Beyond Approval Ratings

I am still working on mine.