(I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I’d be holding off on book reviews during my Worship Influences series. I’m still reading, however, and I want to get this book out of my queue.)

I selected the book Preparation for Eternity with God by Rick Streight because the topic has been of interest to me for over a year now — the subjects of heaven and hell and Christ’s return and our resurrection. I also wanted to read it because we’ll be beginning a sermon series next month at my church called “If I Die Before I Wake,” and the final message will be on the resurrection.

Preparation was an immediate disappointment. If someone were to ask why I think some preachers/pastors should not attempt to write a book, I would point to this one. I don’t claim myself to be a gifted speaker, but I fancy myself a writer. I have little patience for books not written by writers. And for that matter, sermons delivered by non-preachers.

Perhaps I’m being harsh with Streight, considering he may have only written half the book, as a lot of the text is one King James Bible reference after another, which would be fine, except the prose has absolutely no rhythm, the result of which is a garbled mess. What’s more, the chapters are short and without focus. It’s as though Streight wanted to cover everything but consequently covered nothing.

If I’d pulled this book off the shelf in a bookstore and read just a sampling I would have winced and placed it back on the shelf. Instead, I was forced to read the entire thing. (OK, I may have skimmed through it.) Don’t bother. There may be some gold nuggets hidden within the mess, but it’d be a painstaking mining process I do not recommend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Many of my non-liturgical friends might be unaware that today is Ash Wednesday. If you read last year’s post about this time (“Fat Wednesday and Other Irreverent Ideas“), then you’d know we just began observing this day on the church calendar.

After dinner tonight and before we head out for Jr. High BigGroup (our church’s weekly youth worship gathering) and my Money Map class, we’ll worship together as I impose ashes on our children and my wife (and Cindy on me). These ashes will represent for us our repentance and identification with Christ and his covering for our sin.

The girls were a little concerned about having to go out in public this year with ash on their foreheads. I reminded them that they will be among other believers, though, admittedly, junior high believers can tease with the best of the heathen ones. To console them further, I informed them that I’d be teaching a class with people staring at me for 90 minutes.

We’ll begin today a book I heartily recommend, although I’ve previewed but one chapter. We’ll read the first chapter together tonight and the following entries for the period of Lent, which I’m planning for us to read before the girls head out for school. You can get N. T. Wright’s Lent for Everyone: Matthew Year A through amazon.com and try to catch up once it arrives. Or even better, the Kindle version is $9 and you can read it instantly.

Whatever you do, I hope you take some time this season to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice as we look forward to Easter.

We also like the spin off, House Hunters International. Sometimes we imagine ourselves searching for a flat in Europe or a bungalow in South America. If even for a half hour, we consider moving to some exotic place. We don’t consider how we would do this. Maybe after that book I’ve written and the publishing deal it accompanies.

It’s ironic that we would dream of moving out of the country when for the past decade or so we’ve pondered little else than moving back closer to family in Arizona. (I suppose we could move to Mexico.) In case you weren’t aware, we moved here to Ohio in 2001. We’d only been married a few years; Lindsay was 2 and Jacque not even 1. We thought we’d live here for a few years, as I got some needed experience in my field, and then move back. Obviously, God’s plans were different than ours.

Lately we’ve been thinking more pragmatically about a move, though the least pragmatic reasoning involves a contest we entered online daily for more than a month. HGTV gives away their “Dream Home” every year. They build a $1 million-plus home somewhere in the United States and furnish it and people enter a drawing to win it. Years back Cindy entered the contest for a house in Oregon, as she’s always wanted to live in the Pacific Northwest, where she was born. This year’s home is in Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City.

Infatuated with the Landscape and Clime

Why would we consider Utah? Because last summer we visited Cindy’s father who lives there. I’d never been to Utah, despite that it’s Arizona’s neighbor to the north. It’s where my dad lived before and where his estranged sons still live, one of whom we visited.

If I didn’t fall in love with Utah then, I was at least instantly infatuated with the landscape and climate. In our past considerations of relocating back to Arizona we’ve often wondered: Could we live back in the desert? With the heat and absence of seasons? The lack of color? And did I mention the heat?! Utah was a bit toasty when we went in June, but the humidity was minimal. And the mountains were gorgeous. It reminded me of a weekend trip to Colorado years ago.

Last June we’d stayed in Utah for about three days before driving the rest of our journey to Yuma, a mere 11- 12-hour drive. We imagined living only a day’s drive from the rest of our family. We could be there for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Birthdays would be plausible. We could host family escaping the July heat. Or those interested in playing in the cold white stuff.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Speaking of which, we’ve grown to love seasonal changes. There’s something about enduring a 5-month winter that causes you to appreciate spring and summer. And autumn is gorgeous if not for the impending winter. This winter in Ohio has been a bit discouraging. Although we’ve loved the higher temperatures, the lack of snow has been disheartening. We haven’t gotten nearly enough to play in. I hear Utah gets a lot of snow. I might have to learn to ski.

It’s doubtful we’ll be awarded the Dream Home this year, but it has caused us to focus more intently on our goals. We like where we live now. (I’ve grown more comfortable with the rural environment.) And we love our church. It would be hard to leave, as it always is. But a day’s drive to home and a breathtaking landscape and Grandpa Jensen nearby would make the move easier.

Speaking of grandparents, the last time I spoke to my grandma (whose first question, even before a hello, whenever I see or talk to her is, “When are you moving back to Yuma?”) I told her about our thoughts concerning Utah, and she seemed pleased. Perhaps she’d long resigned that we’d never return and Utah was a welcome surprise.

When will we move? Not anytime soon. We still need to sell our house in Toledo. Will we move at all? That’s entirely up to God. We present to him our request, but he has the final say. And he is the one who would make provision. We make plans, and he guides our steps.

Until then (if there is a then), we will continue to serve faithfully here and enjoy small town life.

I pulled two worship music books off my shelf, ones I hadn’t looked through in many years. The books are Integrity’s Praise & Worship Songbooks 2 and 3: More New Songs from America’s Best Selling Praise & Worship Series. Each features the songs from six of their worship recordings, a couple of which I remember wearing out. (Remember when you could wear out tape?)

My church in the ’80s used a lot of Integrity’s songs. Back then, and they still do this today, Integrity’s had a subscription service, where you paid for and received worship tapes about every other month or so. These were live recordings from various churches across America, typically featuring different worship leaders, though their style and instrumentation was rather similar. This music was very piano driven. Guitarists were welcome, as long as they left their distortion pedals at home.

Play Me a Medley

One of my absolute favorite recordings was Forever Grateful, led by Martin Nystrom, who penned “As the Deer.” A feature of this, and many of the Integrity’s tapes, was the medley. A few upbeat tunes would be merged together to create one medley. Similar keys and tempos made this possible. Medleys were quite popular in the church for the better part of a decade. The downside was that the individual songs, without beginning or end, tended to blur into one long monotonous song.

Forever Grateful‘s title track is a beautiful song of thanksgiving for Christ’s death on our behalf, and one I might use in our early service this Easter. “Prince of Peace” is wonderful, as is “Shepherd of My Soul,” which preceded one of the first hymns I’d ever heard and one of my favorites, “Savior Like a Shepherd.” “Faithful and Just” featured minor chords and modulations uncommon in the music that would follow in the ’90s and even the first part of this century.

The Songwriter

Don Moen would become a mainstay of Integrity’s recordings and would, in fact, become involved in the leadership of the recording and publishing company. Though his voice is rather weak and nasally — characteristic of the singer/songwriter, I suppose — he had a way of leading worship that ushered in God’s presence. (I’ve seen him once at a concert and once at a worship seminar.) And for 10 to 15 years he was the premier worship songwriter, especially when he teamed with others like Lynn DeShazo.

Many of the songs in Songbooks 2 and 3, I would use in my early years of leading worship at a small church plant in Yuma, my hometown. Even as I played through some of them the other day, I was taken back nearly twenty years when I led them, six or seven years after they were originally published and recorded. These were definitely piano songs, and I feel bad for what I subjected my guitarist to (sorry, Ken), myself a guitarist now. Most of the upbeat songs I would never use again, but plenty of the ballads would surely engage my congregation today.

I’m grateful I attended the church I did in the ’80s, how their worship style was progressive for the day. It left a lasting impression on me, and, if not for the songs we sang, I wouldn’t be a worship pastor today. I’d probably be an architect or something. Sure, I might have more money in the bank, but I’m not sure I’d enjoy it as much as leading worship.

Most of us know about Judas Iscariot, the trader, the one who betrayed Jesus, handing him over to the religious leaders who wanted him executed for blasphemy. Something I noted last week, if you remember, when Judas objected to Mary’s lavish worship, is that the gospel writer John refers to him as a thief. As the treasurer, Judas would dip into the money bag and fill his personal account. Not much, mind you. Just a little here and there. You wouldn’t want to set off any alarms.

I don’t know when the disciples figured out Judas had been embezzling ministry funds. Likely it was after his death and after Jesus had died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. They learned a lot about their fellow disciple after he hung himself in a field.

I will be teaching a new financial course, as I mentioned in “Money Map“. (I’m writing this a few weeks ahead of my post date.) One topic I’ll hit hard on is our tendency toward greed, as Tim Keller so aptly illustrates in Counterfeit Gods. Judas intrigues me. Why did he betray his Master? I was reading in a Bible dictionary, which stated that no one can really know his motives for betrayal. Although, I’d like to offer that at least one motive is quite clear–greed.

Let’s look at John 13. This scene is very familiar to many of us. Jesus is with his disciples on the night before his death.

John 13:1-2 (ESV)
¹ Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him …

Satan had been working through the religious leaders to bring about the death of God’s Son. Something I did not hit on a couple chapters ago is that the Pharisees rejected Jesus because he threatened their position, their power and influence (see John 11:48). In Judas they found an insider willing to trade his Rabbi to satisfy his greed. John points out that Satan had been directing Judas’s heart, as well. Soon, Judas would be subject not merely to temptation to grasp money but would become possessed by the devil himself.

After Jesus acknowledged the one who would betray him, Judas left the men he’d shared company with for three years.

John 13:26, 30 (ESV)
²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. … ³⁰ So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

They would see him again one final time, accompanied by soldiers and religious higher-ups, when they would arrest Jesus in the garden.

Was Judas’ only motivation greed? No, probably not. Perhaps like other followers of Jesus, he’d had other notions of a Messiah, of one who would upend Roman occupation. Maybe he wanted on the inside of such a revolution, one that, if successful, would guarantee some kind of position of power for himself.

And money.

And so we circle back to greed.

We view Judas with disdain, scoffing that we would never betray our Lord in such a manner. But I would ask: Have we truly given up the worship of money like the other disciple I first mentioned, like Matthew the tax collector? Or do we sometimes resemble Judas? Instead of scoffing, perhaps we could pray like David:

Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Most of the people in my congregation have grown up with traditional worship that sadly didn’t encourage physical expressions of worship. Therefore, clapping is, I imagine, quite uncomfortable for them. But — and I don’t want to sound New Agey here — there is an energy that builds when people clap in worship. I’m going to work on this one for the foreseeable future, taking the initiative myself to teach and model clapping. How I’ll do this while playing an instrument will be the challenge.

Something else I think will help our people is for the band to sell the ending. I know, that sounds weird. But take a listen to Paul Baloche, whose recordings are nearly always live worship events, and you’ll see how his band sells the final chord. They always swell, which encourages the congregation to applaud. That is, to offer God worship with their hands. Very often, Baloche will tag a chorus somewhat a capella after the clapping has faded.

Our Set

(You can see the details here including song links.)

We had four rather upbeat, or at least high energy, tunes to open the service. We also introduced a new one for us.

Our Musicians

• DRUMS – Rob P.
• BASS – Rob M.
• ELECTRIC GUITAR – myself
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR – Darah
• PIANO – myself
• KEYS – Sarah
• VOCALS – Betty, Richard, and myself

Traditional Service

(You can see the details here.)

A vocal trio led the early service and some of my favorite hymns, while I ran sound.

1. Take My Life (Vineyard Song: Scott Underwood)
2. Crown Him with Many Crowns
3. We Fall Down (Chris Tomlin)
4. Holy, Holy, Holy
5. Whiter Than Snow

Check out what other churches are doing at TheWorshipCommunity.com.

Well, when I gave the young lady a $10 bill for my $7.12 total, she accidentally entered the wrong amount I was giving her into the register. She looked baffled, unaware of what to do. She then grabbed a pencil and piece of paper to work out the change she needed to return to me.

As she engaged the borrowing rules of subtraction, I kindly (not judgmentally, I might add) said, “I think it should be $2.88.”

She was surprised, “How’d you do that?”

“In my head,” I replied.

To her I was like Einstein, I suppose.

Watch Calculators

Older generations have always warned against the overuse of calculators. Cue grumpy old man voice from SNL of yore: When I was a kid, we used an abacus for our calculations … and we liked it!

Remember those watch calculators? They had miniscule buttons and each entry returned a high pitched beep. Those beeps must have been mandated by elementary school teachers to prevent cheating. Those beeps were piercingly loud. About as loud as the kid next to you sneakily trying to snack on Corn Nuts. (You can suck on them all you want, but that crunch is inevitable.)

I carry a calculator around with me everywhere now in my phone. It’s a simple app, but if you turn the phone to the side, you get all kinds of complicated features. I only ever use the percentage one. I also have access to a wealth of information I used to have to just know. Whether my list of tasks, appointments, or notes.

I used to be a good memorizer. (I might still be today if I tried.) As a young piano student, I always had to memorize my recital pieces. I never understood why other instrumentalists didn’t have to memorize. Someone would go to a faraway closet and unearth a music stand for the flute players and violinists. We piano players had a music stand built into the piano, yet we had to lay it flat. Come to think of it, vocalists also had to memorize their songs. Of course, I’m a pianist and a vocalist. I should have played the oboe. But then, how would that help me now?

Dumber and Dumber

I read an article awhile back about how Google is dumbing us down. (I’d have to Google the article to tell you where it’s at.) It’s this sense that because we have 24/7 access to information, then we don’t actually have to know or remember any of it. I can look it up and return a result in a matter of seconds. On the one hand, we have the ability to learn a lot. On the other, we’re not storing it in our native information retrieval systems — our brains.

I’ve thought about this as it relates to Scripture. I think it was David who wrote, “I’ve hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (I think it was him. I’d have to look it up.) I’ve not done much hiding of God’s Word in my heart lately. Sure, it’s all hidden in my Bible app, and I can call it up rather quickly. But hiding God’s Word has to do with meditating. It’s repeating over and over in my heart and mind whatever it is I’m wanting to chew on.

Thinking back on it now, memorizing my music as a piano student was good for me. It forced me to get beyond the notes on the page and breathe in the music. Breathe it in, then exhale it out through my fingers. I suppose that’s what meditating — or in this case, Scripture memory — does too. I breathe in God’s Word and exhale it through my words, my thoughts, my actions.

No need for an app.

My first exposure to worship music was a vinyl record led by a cartoon hymnal named Psalty. Psalty the Psalter, I think it was. I remember my twin sister and me as kindergartners dancing in the living room to the songs of the first Kids Praise album while my mom made cookies in the kitchen.

Some of these songs were outrageously fun, like “The Butterfly Song” and “The Wa Wa Song.” But there were also some contemporary choruses that I still love to sing today, including “Jesus, Name Above All Names” and “Seek Ye First.” We must have also had the follow up collection, because I remember “Arky Arky” and “In His Time.”

These melodies were incredibly easy to sing. Sometimes I miss the simplicity of these songs. These days I struggle with guitar riffs and what I call basement/attic songs, where half the song (usually the verses) is quite low while the other (chorus, bridge) is insanely high. How rich would our worship service today be if we stopped all the clamor and just sang, “In my life, Lord, be glorified …”?

These Kids Praise songs were among the first I ever played. Even before I began piano lessons, I started plunking out the melodies, and nearly 30 years later, I still play primarily by ear (though I can easily read music).

Thank you, Psalty, for leading me as a child, back when I didn’t care about (or know anything about) singing in tune and when I danced freely, as in: “I’m gonna jump down, turn around, hit the ground, and praise my Lord.” And thank you, Mom, for investing in those records.

Becky, hit play on this video, and you’ll be transported back with me. Thinking these days I could play the honky tonk piano.

Now I’ve got a hankering for a sugar cookie.

It had been a difficult year financially for our church as an organization and as individuals, just as it was for many across America (and the world). So I could understand her objection. I was about halfway through my short presentation when a congregant interrupted with a financial question pertaining to the worship arts portion of the budget. She said we shouldn’t have spent nearly what we had.

Just a year into my position at this church, I probably looked like a deer in her headlights. A small one. A baby one like Bambi. I looked to the elders, to my pastor. “Uh, Papa.” (No, that’s probably more like Fieval Mousekewitz.)

I was reminded of this in reading John 12.

 ¹ Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³ Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. –John 12:1-6 (ESV)

(Let’s look past the part about Judas’ being a thief. I don’t think that woman at the council meeting was a thief, though she was just as vocally opinionated as one Mr. Iscariot. Was that his last name? Did any other disciple have a surname?)

The Love Feast?

You can look throughout Church history and see the different approaches to corporate worship, whether it’s done in humble simplicity or extravagant display. My church’s denomination has traditionally emphasized simplicity. Look no further than our Maundy Thursday gathering we call the Love Feast, a misnomer if I’ve ever heard one. It’s hardly a feast. A simple slice of roast in broth and some bread. Perhaps the feast refers to the love. (I’m not sure how “Love Feast” survived the ’60s.)

We have some friends who serve as missionaries. When they return to Preble County for their summer hiatus, they always help out with worship, her on piano and him on banjo and as vocalist. We’ve talked about the financial disparity between the U.S. and our neighbor in Haiti. They are not judgmental towards affluent believers here.

Could the money we allocate in our church budget be sent to Haiti to help many people? Certainly, and we do help. But I get the impression from them (and Jesus) that worship and the spaces we use for corporate worship should look and sound and smell beautiful.

⁷ Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” –John 12:7-8 (ESV)

As the overseer of the worship arts budget, I have to weigh each purchase: How will this contribute to an atmosphere of worship? Yes, I need to be careful with how the budget is spent–and I do have accountability in this regard–but this passage shows here that Jesus welcomes lavish worship, what some might think is excessive. This kind of worship arises from the depths of our hearts and also hits our wallets. Candles, linens, technical upgrades — these cost money that, yes, could be given to the poor, as Judas pointed out.

As in many things, we must find a balance. It’s why one evening in my home we eat a simple meal of beans and rice, and then for our Sabbath meal we might have steak. Of course, my favorite Sabbath meal is tostadas, which are pretty cheap to make. Now, there’s a feast. With an emphasis on the food.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. –Psalm 29:2 (ESV)

It is a joy for me to watch the kids play. From my vantage point at the drums, which is raised about three feet, I could see all of them. Some looked nervous, those who took the big stage for the first time, and others a little more confident. It was a great mix.

Since our junior choir (elementary school kids) opened the service, I joked with the band backstage saying, “They’ve got the cute factor, so you’ll need to do something else.” Great kids I love working with.

Our Set

(You can see the details here including song links.)

Our Crew

• DRUMS – myself
• BASS – Darah
• ELECTRIC GUITAR – Justin
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR – Benjamin, Kevin
• PIANO – Samantha
• KEYS – Jen
• VOCALS – Darah, Samantha, Marissa, Emily

Traditional Service

(You can see the details here.)

Our adult choir led the early service accompanied by piano and organ. This was the second week in a row when I had no responsibilities at the early service. I was free to converse with some of our older folks and then to worship.

Check out what other churches are doing at TheWorshipCommunity.com.

The letter was to Bruce Hornsby, whose PO Box address was listed in the liner notes of his Spirit Trail. Mostly I thanked him for his music and said he was an inspiration for my playing. He returned the letter with brief comments in the margins. I was absolutely thrilled. I might still have that letter in a box of other nostalgia.

I recently received an email response that excited me as much. I don’t know why I was thinking of Jim Lunsford, my choir director for but one year in high school, my freshman year. Despite the limited time I had with him, Mr. Lunsford would become a great inspiration for me musically.

When I hated jazz

I’ve had the benefit of some wonderful music teachers, but looking back he was the one least content with mediocrity. I’m not sure I said that the way I mean. See, he taught only one year at Kofa High School, and he’d inherited a pretty good jazz/madrigal choir. But he took the choir to higher musical heights my freshman year than any director would after. (At least till I moved in 2001. I haven’t kept up with them.) He inspired in me a desire for excellence in art, one that often leaves me discontent with my own playing, one that causes me to invest more and more time practicing.

The other thing Mr. Lunsford did was introduce me to jazz, as well as to one Bruce Hornsby. But I didn’t like jazz initially, mostly because I couldn’t play it. 

After that one year at Kofa, though, Mr. Lunsford moved across town to Cibola High School. I’m not sure why he left Kofa and a very talented ensemble for one whose style was that of a show choir. “Jazz hands” instead of good jazz vocals.

I wished he’d stayed but am grateful he left

Our new director couldn’t play the piano to save his life, which provided a wonderful opportunity for me. Those following three years I served basically as the assistant choir director. Or maybe it was assistant to the choir director. 

Thrust into the role of primary jazz pianist, I enlisted the help of Mr. Lunsford. I had just a couple (free) lessons with him, but he taught me a lot about music, about playing in a band, about what to listen for when directing. Not to mention augmented and 13th chords and how to comp Latin jazz.

I found Mr. Lunsford’s email address online at a school in Chicago, so I wrote to tell him of the influence he’s had on my “career.” Here’s part of his response:

How delightful to hear from you! And a remarkable coincidence. About three weeks ago I was going through some old boxes in the basement.  I ran across a photo of the Royalaires, and it took me back. I struggled to recall names, but a few came to me, and yours was one. Overall it was a very talented group, but some stood out — Jennifer, Angie, the three Mikes, Jason, and you.  …

I am most grateful for your kind words. As you might have heard somewhere, the teaching profession is not a career one chooses for its pecuniary benefits. The greatest reward comes when a student finds some inspiration in the sharing of knowledge and passion.

If you are ever in Chicago, please don’t hesitate to call.  I’d love to catch up over a meal or a coffee.

I might head to Chicago just to chat with him, after I look up the word pecuniary.

Rory Noland is the author of several books, including The Heart of the Artist, which was a godsend to Christian artists everywhere and especially those who serve in the church. His latest book is written not for artists or even worship leaders but for believers who want to grow in the spiritual discipline of worship. His (and my) aim is not simply to get more people roused up for worship on Sunday morning but for us to live throughout the week in a conscious awareness of God’s presence, as we honor him with the meditations of our hearts.

Worship on Earth is broken up into two parts: (1) Growing as Private Worshiper and (2) Growing as a Corporate Worshiper. In the first part, Noland examines the worship life of David, who is associated with about half of the songs in the book of Psalms. Noland writes about how to make worship a priority and a habit (with wonderful tips on how to do this), and he calls us to turn from idolatry and also to worship amid adversity. In the second part, Noland points us to the book of Revelation and how we can here on earth emulate worship in heaven. He offers wonderful advice for those who struggle to worship corporately.

A Spectator Sport

There is a tendency, Noland acknowledges, for churchgoers to resort to spectatorship. (I’m not sure that’s a word; I may have just made it up.)

There’s nothing wrong with entertainment per se, but when it dominates our lives, it produces a bystander mentality, where we observe life from a distance without getting actively involved. Worship has become a spectator sport. –Rory Noland

I see this every week, and I definitely agree with Noland that no one can worship for anyone else. No one can offer thanksgiving for me, nor I for them. I may be the professional, in the sense that my job is to help people worship, but I am not a priest (or a cantor) assigned to worship for others.

I encourage believers everywhere to read Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven for you to grow in the discipline of worship. Some of us, artists in particular, have a bent toward expression, but God has created everyone, not just the artists, for worship. And he has some directives in the manner he desires to be honored.

We too need to scour the Bible to learn how God wants to be worshiped. For it doesn’t matter how you and I want to praise God. It’s not ultimately important whether worship makes us feel good or if the music is to our liking. True worship must always be offered on God’s terms, not ours. So we need to learn how God wants to be worshiped. –Rory Noland

(Eaton COB folks, I’ll be preaching on the spiritual discipline of worship in a couple months, but get a jump on the others by reading this book.)

I’ve mentioned here before that I love good humor. Comedy is an art form in the same way music and writing is. And like art, it’s entirely subjective.

I discovered Jim Gaffigan on Pandora’s PG Comedy station, so I cued up King Baby, his second release, on Rhapsody. It’s hard to find good clean comedy. For the most part Gaffigan is pretty clean. A few mild words here and there, but his content is rather safe.

If you’re having a rough day and just need a good laugh, check out Jim Gaffigan. He’ll crack you up. Here’s a clip for you.

Dave Ramsey recommends as part of his “Legacy Drawer” (a package of financial information for your loved ones in the event of your death) to write these kinds of letters. I certainly need to update mine and include one for Micah. I’ve been putting it off, though, because it was a heartwrenching task before.

What do you write to your wife who will have been suddenly left alone to raise the kids?

How do you begin to tell your teenage daughters that you wished you could have been there to walk them down the aisle? That you pray the man they’ll marry Dad would approve of.

How do you start a letter to your toddler to tell him that you wished you could have taken him to Little League games, that he needs to listen to his mama, that in the event she remarries, he needs to respect his step-father and allow him to be a surrogate daddy because a boy needs a man?

A difficult chore indeed. But, oh, how they would treasure a posthumous letter from me. I need to make it a priority.

Shifting gears a bit …

The running joke among Christian kids regarding Scripture memory involves the shortest passage in the Bible, and the one smack dab in the middle of my reading in John 11 — “Jesus wept.”

I used to think, Now, that’s nice. Jesus is emotional concerning the death of his friend Lazarus, brother to Mary and Martha. But there’s more to it. There is more John hints at than grief. There underlies an anger on Jesus’ part.

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” –John 11:32-37 (ESV)

This was it right here. This is what Jesus came to do. His mission was to defeat the power of sin. Overcome the power of sin and you’ll eradicate its consequence — death. But death would live longer. Death endures still today.

In that moment Jesus may have been dwelling on the fact that physical death wouldn’t be defeated at the cross, nor at the resurrection. Not immediately anyway. Yes, when we die, we go to be with Jesus instantly, but we leave behind our “survivors.” (Odd word, isn’t it? Survivors?) We leave behind those who will grieve our passing.

Perhaps Jesus looked ahead 2,000 years when three kids would lose their daddy and a young woman would become a widow. I don’t want this for my family, and I pray I’ll be around for a long time. (It’s why I hit the gym a few times a week and try to eat right, so I can tell our grandchildren all about Jesus.) But until Jesus returns for good, my body is fragile and ultimately subject to physical death. I must live in light of this fact.

Someday the final enemy will be destroyed. Jesus will be “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” until that day.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. –1 Corinthians 15:20-26 (ESV)

I received an email from one of my vocalists who wasn’t serving this past week. Near her among the congregation sat an older man she didn’t know. Throughout the entire service he didn’t sing a note, that is until the last two words of our closing song, when he sang “to you” in a deep, raspy voice.

We’d been worshiping with “The Stand,” a ballad we’d featured for four consecutive weeks, something I don’t normally do, though I’m realizing it just might be a good practice. We’d finished the song after a rather long service, and I just felt we needed to return to the pre-chorus:

What can I say,
What can I do
But offer this heart, O God,
completely to you.

We sang  it about four times as an extended tag to not only the song or even the service but our four-week marriage series “For Better, For Worse.” Were some people tiring of the song and perhaps conscious of their grumbling bellies? I’m sure there were many. But I’d also observed a number of people with hands raised, and I didn’t want to close the moment just yet. And now I understand: if not for that final repeat, that man’s two words would not have been uttered.

Worship leaders, let us be patiently observant of our congregations and allow God to lead us.

Our Set

(You can see the details here including song links.)

I sang a gut-wrenching song during offering, and I prayed I would make it through it without falling apart. I remember hearing Lincoln Brewster’s “Real Life” for the first time a couple years ago when we had just moved. The girls were in the back seat and I was coming undone at the wheel. It was all I could do to hold it together on Sunday, as well. What made it worse was my changing some of the lyrics to be more autobiographical, since Brewster sings of growing up in Alaska. This is an amazing song.

Our Crew

• DRUMS – Jeff
• BASS – Brian
• ELECTRIC GUITAR – Dick
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR – myself
• KEYS – Susan
• VOCALS – Sarah, Richard, and myself

It’d been some time since I’d led on acoustic guitar, at least with a full band. I’ve been playing with my Zoom A2 effects pedal to produce a better sound for my Martin, which is a lower-end model with a pretty poor pickup. I love the feel of it and hearing it live, but not so much when it’s plugged in. With the Zoom, I modeled a Gibson Jumbo with a condenser mic and some light chorus and reverb. It didn’t sound too bad.

Traditional Service

(You can see the details here.)

1.  Bind Us Together
2. How Great Thou Art
3. The Love of God
4. The Gift of Love
5. Cherish the Treasure
6. Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Larry led our early service wonderfully, accompanied by piano and organ, a seldom used combination at our church these days.

This lack of response led me to reevaluate FPU, and I discovered that I no longer wanted to facilitate it. I want to help our people learn how money and possessions can devastate us spiritually and relationally when they aren’t held in check, more so than to get people to take the right steps in the right order for building wealth.

So I did some looking around and discovered Howard Dayton’s book Your Money Map, which is similar to FPU but with a greater spiritual emphasis. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find curriculum for a class, so I had to assemble my own. This has enabled me to compile the information I think is most important to teach in a four-week class.

Mostly I’m plagaraizing Howard Dayton and borrowing from Dave Ramsey, Tim Keller, and Andy Stanley, among others. Not everything is unoriginal, however, as I will offer principles God has shown me over the years both as hard knocks experience and through my own reading of Scripture.

Here are the sessions:

1. The Journey — an introductory lesson
2. Destinations — very practical, in terms of spending plans and other financial statements
3. Relating with Money — how we relate to one another regarding money, including how can we teach our kids about finances
4. Manna and Mammon — some pointed things Jesus specifically had to say about money

For those interested in attending the FREE class, it will begin Wednesday, February 1 at 6:30 pm at Eaton COB’s Barron Street campus.

It took me longer to read this book than any in recent memory. For several months I lumbered through Metaxas’ overly detailed narrative. I knew just a little about Bonhoeffer prior to the book and afterward more than I might ever need to know. Instead of compiling one chronological account, Metaxas could have broken up the aspects of Bonhoeffer’s life into mini-volumes that I could digest one at a time.

For instance, it was interesting to see Bonhoeffer’s change of heart regarding church and becoming a pastor. Personally, it’s been almost uncanny how the books I’ve been reading have related to one another. Eugene Peterson in The Pastor tells of how he wanted to be a professor not a pastor, much like Bonhoeffer. Philip Yancey explored how the church should function in Church: Why Bother? just as Bonhoeffer did. Both Peterson and Yancey attested to the American church’s temptation to succumb to consumerism, something Bonhoeffer witnessed nearly 100 years ago.

In New York they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin and forgiveness, death and life. –Bonhoeffer

I appreciated Metaxas’ research, as he must have invested thousands of hours poring over and compiling letters and journals, but I felt he loaded down his absolutely wonderful prose with too much information. He consistently buried his fantastic writing with far too many excerpts from said letters and journals. It also would have been nice to have a cast of characters, much like you’d see in a playbill, since one name easily blended with another. I kept asking myself, “Now who is this guy again?”

I pledge allegiance to …

Bonhoeffer wrestled, as do I and many believers in America (see David Platt’s Radical), with nationalism, concluding that “one can’t be a Christian and a nationalist at the same time.” He was greatly patriotic, in the sense that he loved his country, her land, people, and culture, which is why he decried the Nazi’s abduction of his beloved Germany.

I pray for the defeat of my nation. For I believe that is the only way to pay for all the suffering which my country has caused in the world. … Christians do not wish to escape repentance, or chaos, if it is God’s will to bring it upon us. We must take this judgement as Christians.  –Bonhoeffer

I intend to read some of Bonhoeffer’s books, especially his well-known works The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together, because Metaxas introduced me to a man who believed life with God looked different than most seminaries and churches portrayed it. Still today many churchgoers view God as a law giver, one we must (and can)appease by good works. For Bonhoeffer, “to be true to God in the deepest way meant having such a relationship with him that one did not live legalistically by ‘rules’ or ‘principles’” (Metaxas). It was how Bonhoeffer could reconcile the deception on his part of the plot to assassinate Hitler. As Martin Luther would say, he was “sinning boldly.”

How do you sustain suspense when you’ve given away the ending in your title? Bonhoeffer gave his life for the cause of Christ during the Third Reich, for his involvement in the attempt to take down evil incarnate. Unfortunately, Metaxas squelched the climax with his attention to detail. [Spoiler alert:] Bonhoeffer was just days from rescue by Allied forces. The closing action got bogged down.

I would recommend Bonhoeffer for those up to the challenge. There may be better biographies available, I don’t know. I liked getting to know the man more than the reading of the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I list these in order of listening frequency:

Stuff You Should Know

I love the duo of Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant as they discuss a wide range of topics, including current ones like “How Pepper Spray Works.” I’m not always interested in the topic, but their wit and banter make every episode a worthy listen. There’s a reason why SYSK has been on iTunes Top 10 podcasts for a few years.

ESPN: Baseball Today

I started listening to this one a few years ago, but then Eric Karebell’s  co-host was fired for saying something remotely critical of the commissioner. I tuned out for a bit, especially as the co-host in 2010 was nauseating. In 2011 they added Keith Law who arrived with a suitable level of snark. He’s on three times a week during the season, and Mark Simon is on two times. I usually avoid those two posts, since he’s obsessed with obscure stats and historical numbers and players.

Freakonomics Radio

This is a great show I stumbled upon that “explores the hidden side of everything.” Though the host might be an economist, it’s definitely not a show about money. My favorite episode might be “The Upside of Quitting,” where they explore the myth that quitters never win and winners never quit.

Tim Keller Podcast

I haven’t listened to many sermon podcasts lately except for Tim Keller’s. I’ve really taken a liking to his content and delivery. I certainly like his books, and his preaching is confident yet humble, unlike some others I’ve listened to in the past.

TechStuff

This is another show from the How Stuff Works family of podcasts and blogs. I’ll pick different episodes here based on my interest in a topic.

The Moth

Everyone has a story. It seems these days we’re trying to recapture the sense of stories being told around a campfire. The Moth offers true, spoken-word stories delivered live before audiences throughout the U.S. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re serious, sometimes they’re explicit (and labeled as such).

Stuff Mom Never Told You

And another one from How Stuff Works. Same here. Some topics interest me. Apparently there’s a bunch of stuff my mom never told me.

This American Life

A fantastic show from Ira Glass and always at the top of iTunes Top 10. I don’t listen to this much, partly because the shows can be a bit long, longer than a round-trip commute for me. But this is definitely worth checking out.

How about you? What podcasts do you listen to? Besides the Say What You Will podcast, of course.

In the quiet of the morning with but a single lamp on in the house, my freshly brewed coffee on a little tray I set next to me on the couch, and my Bible open to the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John, a little phrase — two short words — jump off the thin page and smack me a few times, knocking the wind out of me, nearly spilling my coffee. (Agreeably, our couch is brown.)

What was it that struck me so violently? Here it is:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” –John 10:11-13 (ESV)

A hired hand. Hasn’t this been me? Am I not the outsider brought in to get the job done? A mercenary pastor? 

I realize I’ve written a lot lately about the role of a pastor, so I apologize if I’ve become repetitive. (Maybe I am becoming a pastor. Aren’t they usually repetitive?)

After I left my church in Toledo, I learned there was a church in a nearby suburb needing a part-time worship director. Several people encouraged me to inquire into the position. Maybe they would make it a full-time position. Maybe you can help them, and they’ll help with the bills for a while.

Well, I met with the pastor and we talked and prayed about it. He then discussed it with his leaders and returned to me with a proposition: I would join them on a temporary, part-time basis, while they continued to search for a director and I continued my search for a full-time position. We’d scratch each other’s backs, so to speak.

The Worship Consultant

Looking back on my time at McCord Road Christian Church, I realize what a great opportunity it was for me. I learned a lot during my seven months there, though I’d thought I’d been brought in to teach, not to learn. See, initially I saw my objective similar to that of a business consultant. I’d go in, analyze what does and doesn’t work, then offer my solutions as the expert. The difference, I suppose, was that I’d actually help with the changes.

The problem was that I assumed everyone there wanted a worship ministry that reflected what I’d been doing for the past several years. I gave little consideration to how they viewed worship and what they appreciated in the service, what brought them closer to God. I thought they just wanted a fully contemporary service.

See, what they had been doing was trying to squeeze contemporary music into a traditional service. I thought they needed to do away with the traditionalism, so I stomped all over elements I didn’t know many people loved. 

For instance, offering was very traditional. They had an offertory during the collection. After this the plates would then be brought forward with much pomp by the head usher to be prayed over by a pastor. We didn’t have an offering collection at my previous church, because we dropped our offerings in boxes near the entrances. I thought this traditional offering portion of the service had to go. So I started showing videos and having announcement spots during the collection, doing away with the offertory. For some this was a difficult change, because offering was meant to be reflective. I won’t get into what it should or shouldn’t be.

Whatever the case, I didn’t take the time to learn about the people, their past experiences with worship, what they were accustomed to. I was the mercenary pastor. Get in, get the job done, get out. The hired hand.

(By the way, I met some wonderful people there, and when the possibility arose I nearly rejected the position down here in Eaton to stay with them.)

God has not called me to be a hired hand, a mercenary pastor. Sure, I can do music well and I have a lot of experience designing and leading worship, but my church needs more from me. Thankfully I’m seeing changes. I’m recognizing more and more people when I’m leading them in worship. I’m aware of their struggles and I pray for them even while reaching for a barred Em7 chord. I’m deeply concerned about the wolf who desires to snatch them away. And this might be the most telling: I’m looking for country-tinged worship songs that folks in rural Ohio would like.

Darah led our contemporary service wonderfully, including a song I’ve liked singing but may like her doing better, “The Stand.” Included in the band were two of her brothers. I hadn’t noticed that the three had never served together. What a treat for their grandma. (She said as much.)

For our marriage series, we included a clip from Fiddler on the Roof, the scene where Tevye and Golda sing “Do You Love Me?” If you’ve never seen the movie/musical and you’re a worship leader and you realize, of course, that Jesus was Jewish, you need to see it. It’s a house favorite.

Our Set

(You can see the details here including song links.)

We started a little slower than usual with the mid-tempo “Hosanna.” It was nice, but we have to be careful not to allow it to drag too much. Sometimes I prefer Starfield’s version, which is more upbeat.

I hadn’t been sure of the Hillsong ballad, “Let Us Adore,” but it’s grown on me. Our congregation seems to respond to it rather well. You always need a good 6/8 song.

Our Crew

• DRUMS – Ryan
• PERCUSSION – Betty
• BASS – Wesley
• ELECTRIC GUITAR – myself
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR – Justin
• KEYS/PIANO – Darah
• KEYS – Sarah
• VOCALS – Darah and myself

Traditional Service

(You can see the details here.)

• Here I Am to Worship
• You Are My All in All
• Rock of Ages
• The Solid Rock
• It Is Well with My Soul
• Change My Heart, Oh God

I led the early service on acoustic. I normally lead from piano when I go it alone, but I wanted to change things up. I balanced the song selections: three hymns with three newer songs.

Brethren Retirement

My pastor and I led a short afternoon service at the Brethren retirement home up in Greenvile, Ohio. I took along my guitar and a little system I got a couple months ago: a Fishman Loudbox Mini. It has an input for acoustic guitar and one for vocal, each with 2-band EQ and effects (chorus and reverb for guitar, and just reverb for vocals). It puts out a nice sound for smallish venues.

• Think about His Love
• The Love of God
• Amazed
• It Is Well with My Soul

I began with a song that came to mind while I grabbed a quick lunch at home, an Integrity Worship song from the ’80s that I sang at my church growing up. I moved to a familiar hymn. My pastor mentioned that the older folks don’t sing much and would want primarily to hear me sing/play. I was happy to lead them as they sang along in their heads and hearts.

Return to Sender

I capped the long day with our youth band. We worked on quite a few songs at our rehearsal, since we’ll be leading a morning service in a couple weeks. I’m still looking for a drummer, so I don’t have to play.

• Song of Hope (Heaven Come Down)
• Sing Alleluia
• Mighty to Save

Check out what other churches are doing at TheWorshipCommunity.com.

I’ve taken to carrying what I call a man bag. Like Seinfeld’s “European carry-all,” I carry just about anything I need in it. Sounds like a purse? Well, you’d be mistaken, my friend. This is no purse. It’s simply a downsized version of the computer backpack I used to lug around.

I started carrying my man bag back during the summer when I was cycling to my office. I’d been preparing for the donut race (see “My Time at the 2011 Tour de Donut”), stretching my commute to 30 miles. I didn’t want my heavy laptop on my back for 2+ hours, so I started leaving it at the office and doing more work on my iPad.

So what’s in my bag, you ask? What does a man need other than his phone and wallet? Here’s what’s in my bag:

• My iPad — I take this everywhere. It has all my music in it and books I’m reading. I can access documents I’m working on (Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox) and the online planning center I use to organize worship services and musicians. I often write blog posts with it. I love it. The best ministry expense investment I’ve made, aside from my guitar.

• A bluetooth keyboard — This makes the iPad easier to use for extended typing.

• Moleskine notebooks — I have one larger notebook, about the size of my iPad, that I use for meeting notes, sketching out creative ideas, and extensive planning. I have a smaller notebook about the size of my Bible that I use in the morning for my devotional journaling. (I usually leave my Bible at home, since I have the ESV Study Bible app on my iPad.) And still another even smaller, pocket-sized notebook I keep in the outside pocket of my man bag. In this notebook I jot down quick ideas and to-do’s.

• My wallet — I don’t like keeping my wallet in my pocket. Not in the back, at least. If I’m wearing cargo shorts in the summer, yes. The inside breast pocket of my coat, yes. Too often, though, I’d leave my wallet behind. My man bag is a safe, memorable place to put it.

• Pens — I’m picky when it comes to the right pen, so when I’ve found the right one, I have to hide it from my kids. Right now I’m liking the Uniball Jetstream. Nice smooth ink. Soft but not too cushy. A good grip.

• Earjamz ear buds — These sound sweet when I’m at the gym or a coffee house that’s playing crappy music (or no music at all — more on that for another post). My Earjamz aren’t quite as good as the ones I use on Sunday morning but are as comfortable since they use the same soft foam tips.

• USB thumb drives — Tucked safely in my man bag, I never have to wonder where I left them last.

• Fingernail clippers — Again, if I don’t hide these someone will swipe them. I don’t keep a file, though, because the dust gets all over everything.

• Lip balm — Gotta keep my lips moist when I’m singing. You don’t want to hear lipsmack in the mic.

• Gum, mints, an emergency Clif Bar, some Aleve.

• My dad’s Swiss Army knife — Mom gave this to me after his funeral two and half years ago. I’m not sure how Dad would feel about my keeping it in the man bag, since he always carried it in his pocket (like most men). I feel a little manlier, however, just having it with me, and I remember him every time I use it.

So there you have it. I carry a man bag, and I’m not ashamed. And I don’t care if the black bag doesn’t coordinate when I’m wearing brown shoes.

The Litigators is a little more comical than I remember from Grisham’s previous books. It’s the story of how a young corporate attorney partners with two injury lawyers and their hapless attempt to bring down one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It’s a great read once you get past the slow start.

Cindy’s father sends our family the same Christmas gift every year and one we always look forward to — a Barnes and Noble gift card. We head out to the store usually on a wintry day and spend an hour or two picking out books. This year I mostly hung out with Micah in the children’s section and, when he tired of that, in the cafe where we shared a cookie. I was able to use my portion of the gift card to purchase Nook books that I can read on my iPad using the Nook app.

Here are the three I purchased:

• The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obrehet — I’m more than half way through this one. A great story about a young doctor remembering her doctor grandfather. Though Obrehet doesn’t say where the story is set, it could be former Yugoslavia. A nice change of scenery from most of the novels I read set in America.

• The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides — I make it a habit to find prize-winning authors (Eugenides won the Pulitzer for Middlesex) to see what makes them so great. I haven’t started this one yet.

• Nobody’s Fool by Richard Russo — Another Pulitzer winner (for Empire Falls) and an author I’ve grown to love. I was excited to learn that his earlier novels, including this one, became available as ebooks.

I’m reading some non-fiction books right now too, of course. You’ll see a review soon of Walking in the Dust of the Rabbi Jesus, which I just finished, as well as Bonhoeffer.

So what are you reading?

• Matt Nathanson – “Bent”
• Jack Johnson – “Better Together”
• Tracy Chapman – “Fast Car”
• Jason Mraz – “You and I Both”
• Matt Nathanson – “Curve of the Earth”

Matt Nathanson “Falling Apart” from Matt Nathanson on Vimeo.

I think in school I just liked the rules, the 2+2 always equals 4. My favorite subject, English, also contained rules: grammar rules. I don’t remember all the names of the parts of speech, but I know how to use them and when I can break them. The same is true in music.

I remember the first day of my second year of music theory in college. My professor who’d pounded the rules of music into our brains for two full semesters said, “OK, now that we know the rules we can break them.” (Most musicians simply break them without knowing them.) We would analyze chorales and see that Bach had invariably followed all the rules, and then we’d turn to something by Debussy and see that he’d broken many of them. Of course, I prefer Debussy over Bach. I guess at heart I really am a rebel.

A pattern is emerging for me in the Gospel of John: Jesus keeps turning over the way I think the world works. What was black and white has blurred into a hazy gray. There are seldom easy, pat answers — except to say that God will be glorified.

Busting the Health and Wealth Myth

Let’s look at a blind man who was healed by Jesus.

¹ As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. –John 9:1-7 (ESV)

There was a mistaken understanding in Jesus’ time — and not much has changed today — that health and wealth were undeniably linked to God’s blessing. If you were rich, you must be righteous. Poor, a sinner. Healthy, righteous. Sick, unrighteous. Many people believed this, despite the pleadings of the prophet Jeremiah who wondered hundreds of years earlier why God allowed the wicked to prosper.

¹ Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? ² You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. –Jeremiah 12:1-2 (ESV)

Look also at David’s honest prayer:

³ For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. … ¹² Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. ¹³ All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. –Psalm 73:3, 12-13 (ESV)

So when Jesus’ disciples asked him why the man had been born blind, he said it had nothing to do with his or his parents’ sin but that God might be glorified. Years prior, God knew when he formed the man in his mother’s womb that he would encounter the Son of God and be healed. From his toddler years, this man stumbled in the darkness until the day Jesus spat in the dirt, made mud, and placed it on his eyes.

Once Blind, But Now I See

Following the healing, an argument between the formerly blind man and the Pharisees ensued, including a hilarious moment when the man asked if the religious leaders themselves wanted to become Jesus’ disciples. He also said something very pointed when they pressed him for knowledge of the man who’d healed them. He said in essence, “I don’t know who he is, yet I know this: I was once blind but now I see.”

In my attempt to write here for these Scripture posts and in my teaching my family about Jesus, I have to admit that sometimes I’m stumped. Sometimes I just can’t explain it. And I’m OK with that.

I’m reading a fantastic book right now called Walking in the Dust of the Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg. She writes about how we want to understand everything, and if we can’t, then we won’t accept it. I’m beginning to accept what I don’t understand. Like why a man had to suffer with blindness his entire life until Jesus would heal him. And even more, why so many suffer without healing.

Another reason for the indifference between Jewish and Western logic is the assumption that God alone can understand all things. Jewish thought is much more comfortable with knowing its limits than is Western, Christian thought. … All true explanations of God’s nature must openly include paradoxical concepts my mind cannot grasp. –Lois Tverberg

We opened with the wordy song by the Piano Man as part of our marriage series, “For Better, For Worse.” Pastor Dan then previewed his sermon before we continued with our regular worship songs, including one that may be the death of me: Lincoln Brewster’s “Reaching for You.” No matter how much I practice it, I get the guitar riff right a little less than half the time. Good for baseball, but not music.

We featured the new song (for us), “The Stand,” which I absolutely love. We’ll continue with this for the rest of the series. It’s a song of devotion, of surrendering. The old hymn followed it nicely.

I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of “From the Inside Out.”

Our Set

(You can see the details here including song links.)

I’ve always had a hard time making it through the wedding standard, “I Will Be Here.” It’s getting to a point where I have to not think about the words. I have to put my emotion aside, or I’ll be a wreck by the second chorus. It’s the same with a song I’m preparing to sing in a couple weeks, Lincoln Brewster’s “Real Life.”

Our Crew

• DRUMS – Jeff
• BASS – Carl
• ELECTRIC GUITAR – myself
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR – Olivia
• PIANO – Joellen
• KEYS – Samantha
• VOCALS – Brenda, Deb, and myself

On acoustic guitar we featured a familiar face to many, and I teamed her up with some familiar musical cohorts. It’d been awhile since Olivia played on the stage, and it was the first time I got to. Wonderfully gifted musically, she’s a great blessing to us here at Eaton COB.

Traditional Service

(You can see the details here.)

• ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
• He Keeps Me Singing
• Since Jesus Came into My Heart
• At the Cross
• Shepherd of My Soul
• Close to Thee

I joined our bluegrass group on piano this time, playing some good ol’ Southern Gospel. And I pulled out an old Marty Nystrom tune from back in the ’80s for an offering song.

Check out what other churches are doing at TheWorshipCommunity.com.

I may have mentioned before that I love playing Words With Friends. I’ve always liked Scrabble. I remember once when Cindy and I were playing with my twin sister and Cindy’s two sisters — I think they were both there. My mother may have also been playing with us too. Team play. I just remember Becky (my sister) getting frustrated and tossing the board, tiles flying every which way. Good times.

If you’d like to play with me, my username is ljmdad. Though, I must warn you, I’ve been known to put up some numbers. My highest-ever tally against no less than my little sister: 142 points playing the word

J-I-B-E

(Amy is my sister-in-law, actually, the little sister I always wanted to tease.) She’s a writer herself, so it was no small feat taking her down.

One thing you won’t get with me, however: I don’t run up the score — usually.

Baucham begins by lamenting the lack of fathers willing to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, how so many of us have relinquished this role to the “professionals” — our youth and children’s pastors. The church he pastors places little emphasis on children’s ministries, choosing instead to focus on equipping fathers as the primary disciplers.

The Bible leaves no room for fatherhood that doesn’t take seriously the responsibility of raising children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Whether it’s found in the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, or the Epistles, our calling is clear. We must shepherd our families.

My Favorite

This extends — or rather, begins — with our wives. A husband must first lead his wife, for this is “the foundation upon which a man’s shepherding ministry in the home is built.” A man must prioritize his wife over his children.

I have a running joke with our kids, though it’s not really a joke, that regularly communicates to the girls (Micah will get this in turn) that Cindy is undoubtedly my favorite. “Why does Mama get a bigger piece of pie? Oh yeah, ’cause she’s your faaaaaavorite.” To be sure, my kids will always know that my wife will always come before them. And in this favoritism they find great security, knowing that Dad loves Mom and will never forsake her — nor, logically, them.

Spiritual Transformation vs. Behavior Modification

Baucham addresses discipline and how we have regular opportunities to demonstrate the gospel to our kids. When they’re young, we correct without much explanation, but as they grow older, we stress not behavior modification but spiritual transformation. The gospel of Jesus is the devastating truth that we can do nothing to attain God’s favor but also the fantastic news that through his death and resurrection Jesus reconciled us with the Father. Children’s behavior, even from an early age, reveals the necessity for the cross. And it’s to the cross of Christ that we return with them again and again.

We don’t want to simply direct their behavior but to address their heart, their attitudes and motivations. They need to learn more than the what of their sin and failure; they need to learn the why, Baucham says. So we fathers (and mothers) teach them to recognize their need (and ours) for Christ, to confess and repent and seek promised mercy.

Formative discipline begins with the reality that our children’s greatest need is regeneration. … Another word for “formative discipline” is discipleship.

Fathers as Worship Leaders

Beyond discipline and discipleship, Baucham is also emphatic about worship, prayer, and the Bible — three things you’d think should come to me easily, though I haven’t been consistent with these. It’s been more spontaneous than regimented. We pray often, but we don’t explore the different types of prayer. For instance, we haven’t demonstrated intercession nearly enough, how we pray beyond our own needs and for those of others.

I want us to worship more at home. There’s a lot of music, but seldom worship — in the sense that we are intentional about lifting up God’s name and drawing near to him.

We began reading a book simply titled The Story, which is an ordering of the Bible from the NIV text as a clear story. We’re just a couple chapters in, stopping most recently with the entrance of Joseph. I like the concept of The Story, because I want our girls to grasp the whole of Scripture, not just principles and individual short stories. I want to teach them how the entirety of Scripture points to Jesus.

I definitely recommend Family Shepherds to all fathers, or to any man planning on becoming one. At times it gets bogged down with doctrine Baucham finds necessary to explain, such as when he denounces Pelagianism, or at least Semipelagianism, among Christians today. Trudge through those sections, because overall the book is extremely helpful for us fathers wanting to raise more than well-mannered children. Personally, I’d rather my kids burped at the dinner table while failing to use a knife properly, as long as they love and serve Christ.

21 was the best-selling album in 2011. Whatever that means. Is that physical CD sales? Or perhaps it’s combined with old-fashioned record store numbers and those of iTunes.

Adele is sure to take home some hardware next month at the Grammy’s, though it’s likely she will not be performing at the awards show, since she’s recovering from throat surgery. Was it improper vocalizing that led to the needed surgery? If so, I hope she fixes it but maintains her unique style.

A few weeks ago Cindy was sharing with me some YouTube videos featuring covers of Adele’s “Someone Like You,” a gorgeous ballad. There were some better renditions, at least in the sense that they were sung very nicely, but to me, Adele’s songs are more than just great neo-soul tunes. It’s like Tina Turner. No one else can sing “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” or “Private Dancer” (though I’m sure Rod Stewart has tried).

“Rolling in the Deep” was her first hit from the record last year and also the first song. When I heard it, I knew immediately this was no slump CD — like Norah Jones’ second release after a fantastic debut. Adele follows with “Rumour Has It,” which recalls the backing vocals of the Motown ’60s.

“Turning Tables” and “Don’t You Remember” remind us that Adele finds her niche in sad songs. But she impresses with “Set Fire to the Rain,” which might be my favorite from her live disc.

Hoping to catch her on tour

Cindy surprised me at Christmas with Live at The Royal Albert Hall. We watched it while taking down Christmas decorations. Well, I’d started helping but was immediately mesmerized by the live set, featuring drums, bass, two guitars, keys, a few backing vocalists, and a sweet string section, though at times the mix seems off (I like more drums) and it’s too bad that none of her instrumentalists are featured in extended solos.

Live, Adele betrays that she’s human, with a flubbed note here and there. She even restarts a song because she didn’t like her first phrase. But Adele is easy to forgive, because she’s so likable onstage, despite her potty mouth (which just might endear her to her British crowd). I had to keep skipping when we were watching the DVD. (The CD contains very little, if any, profanity-laden commentary from the songstress.)

Adele covers “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and while it’s pretty good, no one (for me) sings it like Bonnie Raitt. And it’s almost formulaic in the live set: heart-wrenching ballad with just piano; very few of the ballads feature the band. (I hope her keys player gets paid more than the other band members. First, because he’s a keys player. Second, because he puts in more time.)

The best part of the show is the double-encore when her audience fervently sings back to her the chorus of “Someone Like You.” She is moved deeply but regains composure to close with “Rolling in the Deep.”

If you don’t already have 21, you’re one of the few. If you like it, you’ll want Live.

Poor Debaters

I wonder if you have ever been arguing with someone and your opponent says something so ridiculous, so outlandish, so blatantly false that you can only laugh at their logic. Such is an argument the Pharisees posed.

Jesus had been speaking about authority and his being the Light of the World, and many people were believing in him.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” –John 8:31-33 ESV

Now, I haven’t consulted any commentaries — like the ones I mentioned last week — but on an initial reading, I just don’t understand how the Jews could say they’d never been enslaved to anyone. This reply seems absolutely ridiculous in light of their own history. What about Egypt? What about Babylon? What about their current oppressors, the Romans?

Jesus was addressing slavery to sin and how he wanted to set them free from such bondage. Then a discourse regarding fathers ensues. The Jews claim Abraham as their father, and Jesus accuses them of being Satan’s children, which doesn’t exactly endear him to them.

Their reply is a kid’s: “Nuhuh, you are,” saying Jesus himself was possessed a demon. (see verse 52)

Who do you think you are? 

For whatever reason I used to think the charge of blasphemy against Jesus, the one the religious leaders used to get Jesus crucified, was a drummed up allegation, that Jesus never admitted or claimed to be God. Not so.

After much discussion about Abraham and fathers and demons, the people finally ask, and you can sense the tension culminated to this point. Not just in this dialogue but ever since Jesus appeared on the scene. The people ask, “Who are you?” But theirs isn’t exactly a sincere question. More like, “Who do you think you are?!” More rhetorical than genuinely inquisitive.

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. –John 8:54-59 ESV

It can be easily missed, but in Jesus’ reply, “I am,” he distinctly claims to be one with God. Hearken back to Moses in the desert with God via the burning bush. Moses asks who God is and God says, “I am who I am.” The Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end. The God who was, is, and will always be.

Jesus is saying,

“Before Abraham, I am. 

Before Moses, I am. 

Before the Prophets, I am.

Before the existence of the earth of which I am her Creator, I am.

Before the stars and the sun and the moon, I am. 

Before galaxies you can’t even see, I am. 

Before even time began, I am.”

The Jews realized immediately what Jesus was saying, which is why they picked up stones, for blasphemy was punishable by stoning. Of course, we know that Jesus was not guilty in his claim to be God because he was — I should say is — God. Though Jesus tended to teach in parables and his words were often hard to understand, make no mistake that Jesus never considered himself merely a teacher, merely a prophet, merely a good man who taught good morals. No, Jesus knew who he was and made it plain.

The Jews didn’t remember their own history and they didn’t believe the God-man who stood before them. How about you?What in your past have you forgotten? What do you believe about Jesus?

I’ve written about the PowerPoint charts we use on stage (see the post). We’ve become completely dependent on them, so there was a brief scare when we couldn’t get it to work. We send a VGA cable out to a splitter/converter which then sends to our LCD screens via cat-5 cables. We couldn’t get the splitter to work despite its green light. (Green means go right?)

Eventually we figured out the surge strip had been powered down. If we’d actually begun playing, we’d have realized some of our in-ear monitor systems weren’t on either. Apparently the splitter’s green light merely represents an active VGA signal. I’m thinking we should work toward memorizing our music. Of course, we could have just sent the charts to the printer and used the old-fashioned music stands stowed backstage.

Worship was wonderful, as the congregation was quite responsive. I imagine their familiarity with our opening songs prompted their ease into singing. There’s something to be said for using the same old, tiresome songs.

Our Set

(You can see the details here including song links.)

We used a hilarious video from Johnny and Chachi (see below) during offering. I was a little concerned about the silliness of it, especially after a rich worship experience, but Dan (our youth pastor) transitioned well between them.

Our Crew

• DRUMS – Rob P.
• BASS – Rob M.
• ELECTRIC GUITAR – myself
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR – Justin and myself
• PIANO – myself
• KEYS – Sarah
• VOCALS – Betty and Richard

I started on electric guitar then moved to piano on “God of Ages,” a song I’ve noticed our congregation really likes and the band tolerates due to its unchanging chord progressions — verse, chorus, bridge.  Richard and Betty led our response songs, and I accompanied on acoustic guitar. I’ve really taken to tossing my pick and using my fingers on slower numbers. Interestingly, it was some Christmas music (hymns and such) I’d prepared for a gig last month that has helped me get better at this.

Traditional Service

(You can see the details here.)

1. Love Lifted Me
2. Redeemed
3. I Am Thine, O Lord
4. Fairest Lord Jesus
5. I Surrender All

A vocal trio led our early service. One of the guys was under the weather (and I can write that sincerely here in January, since it’s been a gorgeous winter thus far) but made it through. Since we began a marriage series, they sang Stephen Curtis Chapman’s “I Will Be Here” during offering. I’m considering using this song in our contemporary service later this month.

Return to Sender

Return to Sender (our youth band) returned after the Christmas break with a great set for BigGroup (our youth worship service). We had a full band, but we’re still in need of a drummer, so I hit the skins.

1. Blessed Be Your Name
2. Everyday
3. Forever Reign
4. Everyone (Praises)

Check out what other churches are doing at TheWorshipCommunity.com.