Haiti Has My Heart

I’m not sure if there’s a monthly, or even yearly, quota to consider yourself a real “blogger” or not but if there is, I am not a blogger. It’s been months since my last post. That being said, I figure it’s time to get back in the saddle and tell you about the Mission’s trip to Haiti I just returned from. Here’re a few thoughts I’ve been dealing with since my return from the western portion of the Island of Hispaniola.

*Note: yes, I realize that Haiti is considered apart of North America, but when I refer to North America in my thoughts, I'm referring to continental North America (that is, Canada/USA) and the church we are all a bit more familiar with here at home.

Culture Shock:
This is a term we hear often when North Americans visit third-world countries, disaster zones, or poverty-stricken communities. When we jump into an area of our world that is seemingly opposite to our own we feel the shock of being taken from our comfort zones. However, I didn’t feel culture-shock when we arrived in Haiti. Yes, I certainly saw some things that differed from my own culture like topless women bathing in rivers, mountains of trash that litter the streets like snow, pickup trucks used as taxi-cabs, stone/straw/mud homes, and goats tied to a lamppost outside a convenience store. Emotions run a mile a minute when you see the destruction of a home right next door to the immaculate American embassy or see throngs of people scurry around a busy market while UN officers sit idly by across the street.
Despite witnessing all of that, I did not face this “culture-shock” when we arrived in Haiti. Rather, I experienced culture shock when I arrived home to my family, my home, my car, and my computers. Upon my return to Moncton, it was what the Haitians have that we in Canada and the US do not have that was the biggest shock to me. We complain about things like road conditions, cold coffee, the length of our church services, and lineups. But it’s the things like richness in faith, the love of a community, giving the best of what you have to others, waiting on the Spirit, taking your time, singing louder than the instruments, and work-before-play that are what makes the Haitian people such a consistent, durable, and resilient people. There was a word that we were taught before our trip begun: “degaje” which is Creole for “to do the best with what you have”. In a culture where we can get what we want, when we want it, how we want it, Haiti is a culture that plays to its strengths and makes do with what little they have and I believe they are the better for it. These are some of the things there is a lack of in our own culture. A lot of things that are wrong with continental North American culture can be cured by what can be learnt from the Haitian people.

Grieving Process:
My sister-in-law went on a trip to Sri Lanka a few years ago and when she returned she experienced what she calls a “painful readjustment”. When I asked Rebecca to explain that, she replied: “I didn’t understand how the trip fit into the rest of my life and I struggled to accept my own world. I wondered how I could experience the feelings of hope and meaning that I had in Sri Lanka and apply them when I got back home.” My mother-in-law, Sandy, when helping Rebecca sort out her trip, called it her “grieving process’. I tend to stick with this same definition, though I feel similar feelings to that of Rebecca. I grieved over the state of Haiti’s culture while I wallowed in my own self-centered life back home.
It really is hard to describe to your loved ones, your co-workers, and your church what you experienced, felt, and saw from a trip of this kind. Other than telling stories and flipping through pictures, I felt I wasn’t doing justice to the people of Haiti simply by recounting my memories. Before we left, Frantz (our Nazarene Work and Witness coordinator from Haiti) told us to “…not forget about Haiti. Tell others about what you have seen, what you have done, and what you have experienced, but tell them to continue praying for Haiti”.
I was compiling some pictures and video footage from our trip to put in a 4-5 minute video for our church. I spent about 2 hours on the video on the Saturday night but it wasn’t until I sat down and watched the video with my church, among my fellow congregants, that I started to “grieve” over what I saw. It wasn’t until I sat with others just like me and watched those clips unfold that I realized the impact of my experience. I sat in the pew and wept over a country I did not understand in a country I thought I understood.
Through the stories of the other 4 men from my church that were with me on the trip, I was able to see the great things God had done in their lives and the greater things God is doing in Haiti from a whole other point-of-view (without actually having to be in Haiti).

Things I Regret:
Some of the things I regret about this trip are small, but significant.
I regret not bringing a journal. I’ve never been one to journal anything but I believe it would have helped me in my grieving process much easier had I done so. I have no way of re-living and re-capturing those momentary thoughts and experiences because I didn’t write them down. Instead I only have a few specific pictures and memories that I fear may fade with time.
I regret not having my wife with me. This was a little out of my control, but I really wish Catherine was with me to share this experience. Her heart is bigger than mine to begin with and her compassion for the poor would have built its own church. I promised her that the next time an opportunity like this comes up, we will do our best to make sure we can both go together.
I regret thinking Haiti would be a desolate place. If you base your opinion on Haiti from what you see on CNN, you (like me) are sadly mistaken. Yes, there is destruction, leftover rubble from 2010’s earthquake, and a city littered with waste and trash but the country as a whole is absolutely breath-taking. The countryside is beautiful, the mountains never end, and the sites are inspiring. Everything from the bustle of a local city market to the calm lakes and lofty mountains is awesome.
I regret feeling the least bit superior to the people. Even more beautiful than the scenery of Haiti are the people of Haiti. Their smiles are infectious, their demeanor peaceful, and the atmosphere of life is serene. Despite the physical surroundings of destruction and poverty, the attitude of these people is positive and joyful. He made my heart explode with envy.


Bringing Haiti Home:
Even though my teams' main purpose was to serve and help rebuild a Nazarene church in Saint-Raphael, I was hoping to somehow bring the prosperity of my N.A. culture to Haiti to somehow affect the lifestyle of a small community in Haiti. But, as the week flew by, I couldn't help but feel that Haiti was changing me and that it was affecting me more than I (or wee) was affecting it. There were things about the people and the way they lived that I wanted to bring to my country, my home, and my church.

The dedication service and Sunday morning services we had the pleasure to be apart of after completion of the church blew us away. The Spirit of God was evident in that church like none other I've ever experienced. Even through the language barrier, the Spirit of God was tangible and present among us and touched our hearts. The way they sang, prayed, and simply worshipped together as a house of God was so inspiring and I couldn't help but mourn for the North American (capitol "c") Church. What are we missing? Haiti's Holy Spirit seems to be much closer to the Acts 2 Holy Spirit we often talk about in our N.A. churches and that was something I'll never forget.

When we held our recap service last Sunday at my home church I couldn't help but close my eyes and envision myself in Saint-Raphael Church of the Nazarene while I sang and worshipped at Lutes Mountain Church of the Nazarene. I'm not implying the Holy Spirit isn't at work at my home church, but I couldn't help but feel God's presence both at my own church and in Saint-Raphael at the same moment in time. That's how awesome our God is.

Hope of Haiti:

Our Work & Witness coordinator, Frantz, suggested that Haiti gets a bad wrap; that she is misrepresented. "Haiti is a resilient and strong people". Even though our view from atop is skewed only by things we see on TV, we were assured that Haiti is so much more than that. And it is. Even though we spent a few days rebuilding a church in a small community of 5000, that church of 300 or 400 people can be so much to them. With Haiti's power to stretch a circumstance ("degaje") this small Nazarene church can be more than a place local congregants can worship in. This building provides a shelter for the community, provides a place to receive a clean water source (community well), provides a school building for child education, provides a center for adult literacy, and an epicenter for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to its surrounding area. The Hope of Haiti lies in its people. Sure, we North Americans can give our money, donations, and physically help in rebuilding efforts, but ultimately the hope of Haiti is in its people. So, most importantly, pray for the people of Haiti. Pray the love and hope of Jesus Christ keeps growing among the people and that He will empower them to overcome all obstacles and circumstances. As my friend Ryan (and fellow Team member) said in his blog recounting his own Haiti experience "...simply giving of your money is not enough to absolve you of your Christian responsibility".

I’ve given myself a week to digest my experience as well as given myself some time to recover from the Haiti-hangover. I was so affected by this country that I felt I needed to be released from its grasp on my heart. Part of writing this blog is part of that. I am no literary talent, no wordsmith, nor a special human being for even going on this trip. Frantz asked us to "tell our story" to family and friends when we return and I guess this is part of my way of doing that. So, on behalf of Frantz and his Haitian brothers and sisters, I implore all of us to examine our own hearts to see what God would have you do in helping Haiti. Maybe you can even join me on my next trip to Saint Raphael to see what God will do with His new church there.

Here's a brief video I slapped together from our trip. I can't imagine these images will stir your heart as much as they did mine, but I hope they at least stir a passion in you to pray for the redemption of Haiti.

Favorite Albums & Movies of 2010

Every year I like to compile a short list of my favorite albums and movies of the year. It’s not until now, almost two weeks into 2011, that I remembered to do so. So, for all 4 of you who may read this or may actually be interested in music and/or movies, here’s my favorite albums and movies of the year 2010.

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Favorite Albums of 2010:

1) Gungor – Beautiful Things:
this is one of those CDs that got played so much in my car that when I ejected the CD is came out like loaf of bread out of an oven. The self-proclaimed “liturgical rock” of Gungor is not only worshipful, but challenging and beautifully arranged. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard from the “worship” or “Christian” genres, though Michael Gungor hates to classify any music “Christian” or “worship”. Amazing album.

2) John Mark MacMillan – The Medicine:
I have to be honest and say that it took me multiple spins before this record really sunk into my soul. I, admittedly, only originally checked out this album because David Crowder Band did a cover of his song “How He Loves”. But, it was only after seeing JMM perform live at Crowder’s Fantastical Church Music Conference that I was most blown away. Not necessarily because of the live performance, but because I got to catch a glimpse of the lyrics and the heart of the performer together. That was an amazing experience. You have to hear this record if you haven’t.

3) Stone Temple Pilots – Self-Titled:
STP’s first record since re-uniting after taking breaks from respective supergroups “Army of Anyone” and “Velvet Revolver” did not disappoint me. It seems as though STP picked up from where they left off. The guitar work from Dean DeLeo is exceptional and the styles vary from samba to rock to post-grunge. I love it.

4) Seabird – Over the Hills and Everywhere Christmas EP:
What “favorite album” list is complete without a Christmas CD? I could have easily put Phil Wickham’s Christmas album here, but I was pretty impressed with Seabird’s 6-song Christmas EP. While, lyrically, not much changes on these Xmas standards, the melodies have all been changed into something that sounds just like a Seabird song. For those of you who want to hear Christmas songs done differently, listen to this EP. “Go Tell it on the Mountain” is the best version of the song I’ve ever heard.

5) Joe Satriani – Black Swans & Wormhole Wizards:
I tried my best to not put this album on the list (and any “shred/virtuoso” album period), but this album is unlike anything Satch has ever done. It’s not the mindless shredding and arpeggios that one might be used to, but rather it’s all off-the-floor studio work done by recording greats like Mike Kenneally (keys/guitars), Allen Whitman (bass), and Jeff Campatelli (drums). Everything from hard-rock to jazz, to pop-fusion. Great stuff for any guitar player to listen to.

6) Brooke Fraser – Flags:
This album also took me a few spins before it really grew on me. It’s significantly different than her previous release, Albertine, but the song-writing is just as potent and the themes are just as moving. Brooke puts in great attention to the instrumentation, rhythm, and thought of her self-produced release. Also has a few tunes co-written by Jon Foreman, Aqualung, and husband Scott Ligertwood which are no doubt all highlights.

7) Audrey Assad – The House You’re Building:
catchy singer/songwriter folk-pop at its best. She’s got an amazing voice with a penchant for great lyrics. “Restless” is hauntingly good.

8) Jesus Culture – Consumed:
as far as worship albums go, this might have been one of my favorites of the year. Although Jesus Culture’s 7 or 8 minute songs can get a bit monotonous, there is great passion and honesty in these live-recording albums. They always choose to do a few worship covers that sound great as well. Also, Kim Walker did much less giggling (that is, saying “HA HA” after each chorus) on this album than others.

9) Army of Anyone - Self-Titled:
no album got more spins this year than Army of Anyone's (only) album. Thing is, this album was actually released in 2006. But, it popped up on my speakers one afternoon and I listened tot he whole record over and over and over. Brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo (of Stone Temple Pilots) needed something to do while Scott Weiland was touring with Velvet Revolver so they formed a band with Filter singer, Richard Patrick, and drummer extraordinaire, Ray Luzier. Amazing riffs, guitar work, vocals, and rhythms. This is one of my favorite rock records ever made. Ever.

10) Starfield – Saving One:
The one thing I've said about Starfield for some time now is that every record sounds the exact same. Saving One isn't any different sonically from any other Starfield release, but I seemed to enjoy this one more. Maybe it was because they used a producer not named Ed Cash, but I just really dug this release musically, lyrically, and spiritually.

Favorite Movies of 2010:

1) Inception - if this movie isn't in your Top 5 movies of 2010 then you are either certifiable or you just didn't see it. Christopher Nolan is easily becoming one of the best filmmakers of this generation.

2) TRON: Legacy - I saw the original: hated it. I saw the sequel; loved it. Not only were the visuals amazing, but the 3D aspect of it was comparable to Avatar. Great acting, appealing action sequences, and far better than the original.

3) Toy Story 3 - I actually think this movie will do what no other animated film has ever done: win the Oscar for "Best Picture". I've always said that one of the only sequels ever made that was better than its original was Toy Story 2. That being said, Toy Story was the best of the 3 and closed the storyline down in amazing fashion.

4) The Other Guys - I realize many will disagree with this statement, but I think The Other Guys was Will Ferrel's funniest movie since Anchorman. I laughed so hard at times that I was in tears. Plus, I'm a sucker for anything Marky Mark is in.

5) The Town - you've gotta give Ben Affleck credit. We wrote, directed, and starred int his movie which was a poor man's "The Departed". It had all the aspects of a Scorsese film without the Leonardo DiCaprio... and Martin Scorsese. Best "bank robber" movie ever made?

6) True Grit - although this movie came out in late-2010, I saw it in 2011. But, this is my list, so I can add it if I chose. I didn't know what to expect from this film, but I really enjoyed this John Wayne throwback. Although the ending differed slightly from the original, it was funny, entertaining, and had some good ole Western shoot-em-up moments. I covered my eyes during the rattlesnake parts, though.

7) Unstoppable - It's a movie about a runaway train. Worth seeing in the theaters? Yes. Before seeing the movie, I thought this would be more of a renter. But I'm glad I experienced it with the big sound and big screen. It was a surprisingly suspenseful movie that kept building until the very end.

8) Iron Man 2 - I'm pretty sure movies that comes from Marvel Comics have a place in my "favorite movies" list every year. I watched this one on my iPad during a plane-ride to Waco, TX and I was glued to the screen for the whole 2 hours. Downey Jr is awesome, as much as I hate to admit it, and Jon Favreau keeps directing awesome movies.

In the process of being weaned

1 Samuel 1:1-28, 2:1-10

Many of us know the story of Hannah from the Old Testament. She labored and toiled over the fact that she couldn’t bare children; the Lord had “closed her womb” (v 6). Though her husband, Elkanah, did not blame her and loved her very much, he didn’t understand her. I guess that’s pretty typical of men, right ladies? Even Elkanah’s other wife (back when polygamy was cool), Peninniah, made fun of her and rubbed in the fact that she had her own children. That’s not nice. Verse 11 says Hannah then “vowed a vow” and this was her heartfelt prayer:

"O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

It wasn’t until Elkanah saw her break down in tears on her hands and knees and pray this prayer through muttering lips (v 7) that he understood her distress. At first, he thought she was drunk and accused her of not loving him as much as she should (v 8, v 12-14) but she explained to him the shame and trouble of her heart. He felt for her and blessed her for her honesty and fervent prayer (v 17).

The text says that they rose early the next morning and worshipped. After that, “Elkanah knew his wife” (which is to say they… well, you know) and “the Lord remembered her”. They conceived a son and when he was born she named him Samuel because she had “asked the Lord for him”. Not long after she weaned him, he was ready to be taken to the temple to be given over to the Lord and temple officiants.

Normally, a baby might be weaned off of breast-milk anywhere from six months to a year (assuming mothers weaned the same length of time as most mothers do now). If we can assume this, Hannah didn’t have her own child in her possession for very long. She simply wanted to experience the love of a child and the feeling of having her own son do the work of the Lord. So, she knew she wouldn’t be in charge of him long before she gave him over to the Lord’s service. Most importantly, in all of this Hannah made sure not only to deliver the promise she gave to God (to give her firstborn son over to the Lord) but she first praised God for His goodness and answering her plea. Hannah’s prayer, found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 is a great example of a prayer of complete thankfulness, faith, and joy for God’s goodness and salvation

I can relate to Hannah’s situation. My soul has often toiled over my place in God’s will. My soul has been troubled over what He wants of me and how I can live my life as a servant like Samuel did. I've often replaced the words "son" in Hannah's prayers and pleas with the words "will" and "vocation". I was reluctant to accept God's call of church ministry on my life, but I've since prayed in like Hannah, "...forget your servant but give my your will, your vocation for my life, then I will give it to the LORD for all my life." I believe that I've accepted a particular call on my life and I'm in the weaning process. The space between the Lord's call and fulfilling the Lord's call is upon me now. I'm in the stage of God's call where I've vowed to give it over but am not ready to be taken to the temple.

I've been enjoying this last year where I've really been able to soak up a lot of worship experiences, practices, and lessons and it's all preparing me to take on God's call in my life. It's exciting. Much like Hannah (I'm sure) cherished every moment of time with her son before she brought him to the temple, I am cherishing every moment of blessing before I "move on" to the next thing in life. On the other hand, than there's all the waiting involved...

I am in still being weaned in preparation for greater things.

Speaker notes from @dcbfantastical conference

Late last night I returned from David Crowder's Fantastical Music Conference in his hometown of Waco, TX. Situated on the beautiful (and large, if you’re walking) campus of Baylor University, the Fantastical Conference was absolutely (ok, I’ll say it this one last time)… fantastical. From the selection of musical artists, to the fold-out-conference-information-kit-in-an-Altoids-can, to the keynote speakers, it’s near impossible for me to relay the awe, wonder, and inspiration this conference put in my heart and mind. But i'll try my best.

Since the main auditorium we participated in did not have wifi (and I wasn’t willing to pay insane 3G roaming charges), I wasn’t able to tweet the most interesting tidbits of information as they came to us. Instead, I opted to take as many notes as I could on my iPad and share them as a whole later on. So, here are some (certainly, not all nor the most inspiring) of the main points of my favorite 3 keynotes speakers: Francis Chan, Rob Bell, and Louise Giglio. Please keep in mind these aren’t exact quotes, but certainly the gist of what I thought they were speaking to me and my own experiences:

Chan:
- After reading the account in Exodus 15 where the people praised after the Red Sea miracle: “imagine the affection the people of God would experience is we witnessed a miracle of such extravagance in front of our own eyes today."
- ”The goal is not that we leave church feeling that our worship experience was “good”. The goal of a worship experience is God looking down to us and saying "that was good"
- Just because we cry out to God in our worship doesn't mean he's listening; our lives and relationships must be right as well (directed us to Acts 5)
- God wants us to sing in unity and encourage one another. When we can march side by side in unity, that’s when people will know our salvation.
- If we put ourselves and our story in the bible how would it look? Radical? Normal? Tame? Are our churches congruent with New Testament living?
- If we take care of the poor, oppressed, and needy as part of our worship God will answer us immediately.
- Repentance is important for the spiritual life of an affective worshipper

Bell:
- Rob Bell’s speaking was based around the importance of words. The worship leader places particular words on people’s lips; guiding the breath and stops/starts of people’s voices. Words are breath put together create a magnificent space
- Bell had a very interesting concept saying we should approach the bible more literately, not literally. The importance of metaphor in our worship language is used to explore our feelings and puts forwards our thoughts in a more concise manner.
- we need to have our worship experiences & art reflect the feelings, culture, & emotions of our culture; people can understand the gospel easier is they understand it in a way that is understandable to them (much like Jesus did using parables)
- Bell says there are three kinds of biblical language:
1) atonement language (to be biblical is to be an acute observer of the world around you using images, metaphor, and experience) – as leaders, we need to come up with new metaphors and images that speak to the wolrd around us
2) enthronement language (that language of Christ as kind, majesty, splendor, drown, etc.) – may be difficult for non-Christians to understand this language because royalty is unfamiliar to us
3) three-tiered universal language (putting value on the omnipresence of God; up/down, above/below, grave/depth, etc) – these are the kinds of metaphors we want to replace to make the Word understandable to people around us; in/around, oxygen, on, with us, etc.
- Be careful not to stifle the people who are using current experience, language, and image that can reach the unsaved, unchurched, and unsure. Letting the world know “WE ARE GOING TO BE FINE” is the sacred task ahead of us.


Giglio:
- we are cosmologically insignificant yet divinely prized
- “Creation literally sings and boasts of God's wonder”. Giglio showed a great example of this by displaying sights and sound sounds/noises that created objects like stars and flowers make. These objects were spoken into existence by a creative and beautiful God.
- So, we should sing because we are part of God's universe. Why not join with all creation when it sings?
- We operate on such a thin line of worshipping a creator/maker though everything around us worships Him right now.
- “I sing because I live in god’s universe.”
- “Why not join it?”

Worship & Priorities

This afternoon I was driving my forklift at work (yes, I have a forklift license) and while I would normally drive the lift with two hands, ten-and-two, I was also sipping from my Tim Hortons’ coffee. When I went to take a sip from my cup, I (unconsciously) swapped my coffee from my left hand to right hand because it made the coffee easier to drink. Don’t ask me why, but I immediately asked myself (not out loud, that would be crazy) why I had made the coffee more important than driving a 3500 pound machine through the narrow halls of my warehouse. Without even thinking about it, I made drinking my coffee a priority over the safety of myself and the individuals running around the warehouse.

Since I also had been thinking about my future in ministry (I do my best thinking on forklifts) it was the insignificant thought of my coffee priority that made me think about priorities in my own worship experiences. Often my weekly worship habits can seem stale so I began to think of ways I can change my worship from driving left-handed to right-handed. Maybe I should do what Carrie Underwood does and just let Jesus Take the Wheel, but I digress…
These were just a few of the thoughts I had about my own experiences. maybe they won't ring a bell with anybody and maybe they'll ring very loud for others but these are simple things that I've been trying to teach myself as I try to sculpt and follow my own journey into full-time minstry.

Spiritual Connection over Musical Perfection: although I play a few different roles/instruments in my church’s worship ministry, when I’m acting as worship leader for a particular week I’m known as the “long practice” guy. In rehearsals, I’m the leader (there are three of us who volunteer to lead) who likes to make sure things sound good, transitions well, and the music is as tight as it can be. This often makes for a longer rehearsal time. I know the music will never be ‘perfect’ but I want it to sound its best. That, however, shouldn’t be my priority in rehearsal. The message, truth, and spirit behind the words of our worship should be what is most prominent in our songs. As a worship leader, if I’m so pre-occupied with thinking how sloppy my drummer is playing (or how sloppy I'm playing the drums), I’m probably not worrying too much about connecting to my God or directing the congregation toward giving any glory to their Creator.

I'm certainly not saying that musical integrity isn't important because it is. In the OT, even David & Solomon sent forth musicians ahead of their armies (1 Chronicles 25, 9:33) and had them present for some of the most important duties and events (2 Chronicles 5). I imagine those musicians took some time to work on their chops to play before their earthly kings. Playing excellently for the Lord doesn’t denote excellence in trade. It simply means giving over our gifts to the Lord with the best of our ability. That is what truly pleases God.

Christ-Centered not Listener Supported: Sometimes playing the same old songs can get a bit dull. Sometimes it’s nice to try and breathe new life into a tune that you’ve played a million times or rearrange a song you’ve only ever played once. Sometimes changing the cadence, feel, or groove of a particular song works really well; sometimes not. Either way, when you’re breathing new life into the musicality of a song make sure that you’re not sucking the life out of it. I’ve caught myself multiple times hoping to impress someone in the congregation by trying too hard to make a song sound cool, trying to over-arrange a song, or contemporize an older song to appease the grey-hairs in the pews. I sometimes need to remind myself that making folks in the congregation happy with the style/genre/volume of a song does not take priority over the depth of its message. The song isn’t about what I think people want to hear. Rather, the sweet sound it makes in God’s ear.
“In writing or leading worship songs, we should never sacrifice clarity on the altar of creativity.” – Bob Kauflin (@bkauflin)


Meaning not Weaning: I think it’s almost essential to have at least one hymn in every set. Just because the song is found in a dusty old book in the pew doesn’t mean it’s outdated. In fact, most hymns have more meaning to our culture now than they ever have! At my own church, it sometimes seems the older songs (particularly a lot of hymns) need a Red Bull or two to sound applicable to the rest of the set. For example, I once heard a (very poor) reggae version of "Tis So Sweet" right after a slow worship song. So, while adding some energy or creativity to an old chorus or hymn is useful at times, it’s important not to take away from the true, pure theology that the songs contain and the heart-felt worship it stirs.

I never want to try and wean the church off the tradition found in the Church’s hymns. Their meaning is so vital to our history, both spiritually and musically, that we need to remember it’s not the sound of the song that takes the priority… it’s the profound statement it makes.


Written Word over Verbal Turd: As a worship leader, I’ve often tried to fill the gaps between songs with verbal tidbits and pieces of self-taught wisdom. At times, this has become more a case of verbal diarrhea more than anything of spiritual relevance. I read another tweet by Bob Kaughlin once saying “The word of God evokes the worship of God”. I took that one to heart and made it a priority to read from God’s Word over anything (un)interesting I have to say; God's words are much better than our own. Make it an important part of your worship ministry to encourage and strengthen worshippers from the mouth of the One they’re singing to.


Count the Cost not the Number of Raised Hands: I often make a judgement of my own abilities of leading worship by the number of raised hands in the congregation. That's not a good thing to do. Whatever instrument/role I have on Sunday morning, I'm most downward to my instrument or upward to the posted lyrics on the back wall. While I don't entirely depends on doing this to play competently, I sometimes also look for the reactions of the worshippers below. Are they clapping? Are they raising their hands? Are they playing their Nintendo DS? In a previous post froma few months ago I drew attention to the sacrifices we need to make in order for our worship to be honest. we're probably not being honest with ourseleves and to God if we're preoccupied to the worship of others.


I realize there are more issues out there but am I missing anything obvious? Are their other priority changes worship we, as leaders, need to make?