What a hectic October..... I'm glad that's in the past. I experienced everything from losing my college to my wife and I opening our own business. I say all of that to say I have finally gotten back to the readings.
As I read "Facedown" I quickly realized that my view of worship could use some tweeking as well as some added foundation.
"The songs are one thing but it goes way beyond the music it's our whole approach" says Redman. Redman seeks to influence the participants in worship to do more than sing. It's to worship God in the little things of everday life. One thing I would take away fromt the reading is the view that worship is only singing is a very shallow view of who God is.
Before I finished up the book, a recent movie came to mind; Spiderman III. There is a part where Peter Parker ditches who his spiderman character is, to become something different. Venom. Peter changed his appearance and how he responded to people. He changed other elements of his humaness such as choosing rudeness over compassion. There were many other things that happened but the point is when he tried to go back to being who he was, it was a struggle. So much so that it took a physical tearing away of who he had become.
To me this book is similar in the way that we have taken worship and made it many things. It is possibly quite different from what God intended. It may take a tearing away of what we know as worship and experience a deconstruction of sorts that brings us back to a place of brokeness with our faces to the floor.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sept 29- Oct 3
As I read chapter 17 in Dawn's book I noticed that it is very important to stand and be strong. I also noticed how I've been the guy whose battered the pastor to change. Changes in culture should never dictate how church is run. If a pastor changes with the whims of the culture there will be no foundation. I do believe that churches have to make corrections but not drastic changes.
Dawn touched on important emotions in chapt. 19. We tend to look for emotional highs to drive us closer to God instead of using a foundation which is based on the Bible. We tend to look at so many variables as barometers of spirituality or church growth. We look at numbers in the pews or we look at the energy being displayed. It's ironic that these two chapters come at a time when I can relate them to our economy. We must not be driven by circumstance to make decisions. We must have the faith and trust in God that he has our best interests at heart and not only that but His plan is far better than ours ever could be. If we change churches in the down time then we miss the building phase of growth. We mustn't view church as the stock market as we buy low and sell high. When we offer ouselves to following Jesus we must commit for the long haul no matter what it takes us through or where it takes us to.
Dawn touched on important emotions in chapt. 19. We tend to look for emotional highs to drive us closer to God instead of using a foundation which is based on the Bible. We tend to look at so many variables as barometers of spirituality or church growth. We look at numbers in the pews or we look at the energy being displayed. It's ironic that these two chapters come at a time when I can relate them to our economy. We must not be driven by circumstance to make decisions. We must have the faith and trust in God that he has our best interests at heart and not only that but His plan is far better than ours ever could be. If we change churches in the down time then we miss the building phase of growth. We mustn't view church as the stock market as we buy low and sell high. When we offer ouselves to following Jesus we must commit for the long haul no matter what it takes us through or where it takes us to.
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