Any “worship wars” or “crisis in worship” seem to have at their root a failure to encounter God.  When we encounter God, we are changed and He is worshipped.  When we encounter God our eyes are either fixed on Him or at least removed from us.  When we encounter God worship is always transformational.  When we encounter God worship is real and relevant.  When we encounter God worship is no longer about style.

Surveying the Crisis of Worship

from R.C. Sproul

There is a crisis of worship in our land. People are staying away from church in droves. One survey indicated that the two chief reasons people drop out of church are that it is boring and irrelevant.

If people find worship boring and irrelevant, it can only mean they have no sense of the presence of God in it. When we study the act of worship in Scripture and church history, we discover a variety of human responses to the sense of the presence of God. Some people tremble in terror, falling with their faces to the ground; others weep in mourning; some are exuberant in joy; still others are reduced to a pensive silence. Though the responses differ, one reaction we never find is boredom. It is impossible to be bored in the presence of God (if you know that He is there).

Neither is it possible for a sentient creature to find his or her encounter with God a matter of irrelevance. Nothing—and no one—is more relevant to human existence than the living God.

Coram Deo: Do you find worship boring and irrelevant? If so, pray for a renewed sense of God’s presence.

Psalm 95:6 “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.”

Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Psalm 50:23 “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

Sometimes I crawl into the presence of God

exhausted by life

beaten by the world

overwhelmed by the weakness of my flesh

and in His presence I find

refreshment for my heart

sustenance for my soul

redirection for my mind

empowerment for the strength of my body

Sometimes I run into the presence of God

rejoicing overwhelmed with His goodness

thankful to the Giver of every good gift

glorying in His sovereignty

and in His presence I find

He abounds even more

He is worshipped

Sometimes I fall on my face in the presence of God

desperate for his mercy

in need

in need of his cleansing and restoration

and in His presence

I meet infinite grace and mercy

I see love

I encounter faithfulness

Sometimes I back into the presence of God

self-sufficient and arrogant

looking away from the light into the darkness of my shadow

pushed by His unseen hand

and in His presence

I am overshadowed by Him

the scales on my eyes are removed

I am refocused

Sometimes I walk into the presence of God

to enjoy communion and fellowship

to rejoice in Him

to surrender to Him the center of my life

and in His presence I find

acceptance and fellowship

joyful communion

No matter how I enter the presence of God—in His presence I find HIM!

Living in the moment
Don’t minister simply in the moment, but do be fully present for people.
Don’t minister simply in the moment, be conscience of the future–leave a legacy.

Living through mission
Don’t minister simply out of mission, but do be motivated by an eternal perspective.
Don’t minister without a mission, be purposeful in your mission and open to God’s working in the present.

Now there is some help–YouTube Safety Mode.  If you are interested, click on these two links for information.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/safety-mode-giving-you-more-control-on.html

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?&answer=174084

Those who have children or who want/need to block inappropriate content, let me recommend two other resources as well (both free).

OpenDNS.org — filter that can block items at your router before they get to your computer (there is also a pay version).

K9 Web Protection from Blue Coat.  This is software you need to install all individual computers.

7 Churches of Revelation: Church Health Check-UP

The Lord’s diagnostic questions

How fresh is our love?
Rev 2:1-7

How firm is our faith?
Rev 2:8-11

How dear is our bible?
Rev 2:12-17

How pure is our heart?
Rev 2:18-29

How true is our life?
Rev 3:1-6

How fixed is our hope?
Rev 3:7-13

How real is our zeal?
Rev 3:14-22

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches–and to individuals.

God is Omnipresent

This is normally defined as, God is everywhere.

But as I ponder this attribute, I’m struck that the normal definition is too small.  Since God is infinite, His omnipresence is infinite--infinite presence. But I know my mind cannot grasp the infinite.  So how can we speak of the infinite presence of God?

God is not everywhere--everywhere is in the presence of God.

That puts the focus correctly on the personal presence of God while at the same time maintaining a balance with His infinite transcendent nature. There is nowhere that is out of the presence of God.

It is God that is “big” and creation “small.”  Even writing that is hard for me to contemplate when I read of and see the magnitude of our universe (see the videos below).  But that is exactly the point--as “big” as the universe is, it is not infinite.  The universe is finite even in its grandeur.

So, if the universe is finite in its grandeur, what is God like?  He is awesome in His infinite presence.  No limitation to where He is, everything is in the presence of God.  God is not bound by the universe.  The universe cannot contain the grandeur of God.

So although everything is in the presence of God and the universe cannot contain God--God is distinct from the universe.  He is not the universe.  He is the Creator and Lord of the Universe. Yet He is personal (see Psalm 139).

So how should we respond to a God who is omnipresent?

• Awe and worship
• Don’t try to hide--because we can’t; therefore, be honest with Him
• Trust because He is always available
• Comfort from His ever-present nature

(For more on the attributes of God click on the “attributes” category.)

Context

First the context.  James wrote to exhort believers to mature conduct by demonstrating their faith and wisdom through godly living (holiness) in spite of their sinful desires and the influence of the world (testing and sin). James 1:2-4 sets the stage for the whole book.

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

He identifies the challenge–”testing of your faith.”
God’s goal–”that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
And our desired response–joy and steadfastness.

Notice that what James is dealing with is “the testing of your faith” that “various kinds” of trial or circumstances produce.  He focus is not on the circumstances, the external forces, but the challenge to one’s faith.

Our faith is tested for strategic purpose–to make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing–as we remain steadfast.

The second part of the context is the first necessary response to the testing of our faith–the need for wisdom.

James 1:5–6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (ESV)

When our faith is tested and we are not sure how to respond, we are to ask God for wisdom.  Wisdom to respond in a way that we can remain steadfast so that God can make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The Character of God

When we don’t respond correctly to the trials of our faith, we tend to shift the blame from ourselves to others and to God.   (See Genesis 3, where Adam passes the blame to Eve and Eve to Satan.)

We may be tempted to ask, “Why is He doing this?”  ”Why is He causing this temptation?”  ”Why does He want me to fail?”

But notices James’ reminder of two great truths about God.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (ESV)

James 1:17–18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (ESV)

The first truth–There is nothing in God to which evil can appeal.  There is no evil in God, no evil motives.

The second truth–In contrast to any evil, God is a giver, a giver of good gifts.

Rather than doing evil to us or seeking to cause us to stumble so He can judge or punish–He is the giver of good and perfect gifts.

Even the trials are for our good.
Even the trials of our character are for our good.

How? Why?

Because His desire for us is not comfort or happiness, but to make us complete, perfect and lacking nothing.

God’s goal for us is what is best for us.

Our Reality

So when we stumble, we cannot blame God–there is nothing in Him motivated by evil.  When we stumble we must acknowledge that it is as a result of our own desires (the reality about us in this passage).

But we could argue, “He gave me the desires, it’s His fault.”

If He gave us the desires, than He can fulfill them the way He intended them to be fulfilled.  We must trust Him and His motives–for they can only be pure, good and holy.

May we trust His character.

Chuck Swindoll of Insight for Living discussed 10 things he has learned in almost 50 years of ministry during Catalyst Conference’s 8th session. Here is what he said:

Fifty years ago, I was a first year student at Dallas Theological Seminary. I was scared, unsure of myself, and fresh out of the Marine Corp. I did not know much about seminary.

I remember sitting in chapel, and a minister told me, “When God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible person and crushes him.” I am so proud of everything you are dreaming of and doing that I hope that you remember to leave room for the crushing.

10 Things Chuck Swindoll Learned in 50ish Years of Ministry:

1. It’s lonely to lead.
   Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decisions, the lonelier it is.
2. It’s dangerous to succeed.
   It is dangerous to succeed while being young. rarely, does God give leadership that young because it takes crushing and failure first.
3. It’s hardest at home.
   Nobody at home is applauding you. They say, “Dad! You’re fly is open.”
4. It is essential to be real.
   If there is one realm where phoniness is personified it is leadership. What I care about is that you stay real.
5. It is painful to obey.
   There are rewards, yes, but it is painful nevertheless.
6. Brokenness and failure are necessary.
7. My attitude is more important than my actions.
   Some of you are getting hard to be around. And your attitude covers all those great actions you pull off.
8. Integrity eclipses image.
   What you are doing is not a show. And the best things you are doing is not up front but what you do behind the scenes.
9. God’s way is better than my way.
   God is going to have His way.
10. Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 tells us that we must be willing to leave the familiar message without disturbing the Biblical message. We get that backwards. This was written in the first century, and now we are in the 21st century. The message stays the same. Don’t miss the message. As you alter the methods, don’t mess with the message.

Traditionalism is the dead faith of those still living. You will defend those things that don’t need defended.

Three Important Observations:

1. With every ministry a special mercy is needed.
2. In every ministry the same things must be renounced and rejected.
   That is hiding shameful things, doing deceitful things, and corrupting truthful things. Guard against deception. Guard against deception.
3. Through every ministry a unique style should be pursued.
   We don’t preach or promote ourselves (it isn’t about us). We declare Christ Jesus as Lord (it’s all about Him). We see ourselves as bond-servants for Jesus Christ.

Five Statements Worth Remembering During Your Next 50 Years of Leadership:

1. Whatever you do, do more with others and less alone.
   It will help you become accountable.
2. Whenever you do it, emphasize quality not quantity.
3. Wherever you go, do it the same as if you were among those who know you the best.
   It will keep you from exaggerating. it will help keep your stories true. Your good friend will tell you things that others will not. They will hold you close to truth.
4. Whoever may respond to your ministry, keep a level head.
5. However long you lead, keep on dripping with gratitude and grace.
   Stay thankful. Stay gracious.

Those of us who are older tend to under-estimate the difference between generations. We think that what feels comfortable to us will not—or should not—be a barrier to those who are younger. Those of us who are younger tend to over-estimate the difference between generations. We feel as if those who are older are a different species and could never understand our experience. One of the most important concepts along these lines has to do with the notion of connection. Who feels “connected” at our church?

I used to think that connection had primarily to do with relationships. But it does not. Connectedness is a separate notion. It has to do with whether or not, when I enter a church, it feels like a place for “people like me.” How people dress, how they talk, what the music is like—many details create a sense of connection or disconnection.

If I feel connected, I am likely to overlook how disconnected people of another generation may feel. So we have to have constant conversations about the experience of people in our generation at our church. We will never be able to make all people feel totally connected at all services. But at least we have to be aware of the dynamics.

Productivity in 11 Words

“One thing at a time. Most important thing first. Start now.” [Skelliewag via@scottros] Photo bykoalazymonkey.