Strength of our Worship Teams

Psalm 19:9-14:
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Even though my church is relatively small (about 125 people on average), we're lucky to be blessed with a number of talented musicians. Their talents are not only a blessing to the music ministry, but their lives and Christ-like attitudes are what make our music ministry great. In a word, we're "perfect". Ok, well, maybe not. We are still human... I think.

I hope!

I digress.

We’ve heard it said many times before that when a ministry is really starting to succeed and do its best work, that is when the Devil also exerts his best work. That is, in a ministry's greatest time of growth comes Satan’s greatest moments to destroy. We need to keep ourselves aware of that. We are an imperfect people; myself included. That is why we also need to be keeping ourselves away from sin, distraction, and situations that can cause wrong-doing. In order to have strong worship ministries, we need to have strong worship ministers.

I believe that sometimes there are issues in each one of our lives that we bring with us to the stage when we worship, sometimes even unconsciously. It happens. If I'm being honest, there are Sunday mornings where I do not feel like leading worship (for whatever the reason). Maybe a fight with my wife, maybe I’m upset with someone who hurt me, maybe my spiritual life had been crappy that week, maybe I'm not feeling confident in my abilities. Satan uses these thoughts to fool us. Maybe he will have us think we’re not playing well, or that we aren’t good enough, or we aren’t worthy enough. Those are called lies. But, all these things are not what worship is about… they are what worship is for. Worship is about laying aside ourselves and our “stuff” for an hour or so and leaving it with God, praising him in the good times and the bad times. Either way, Jesus wants to take our burdens from our shoulders and replace them with blessing.

Furthermore, it’s also important that we be a people that seek to be holy both on and off stage, whether at rehearsal or on the stage on Sunday morning, whether at the local pub or at our workplace. That’s not always easy but we can make sure we are doing our best as Christians to be “clean”, “true” and “righteous altogether” (v. 9). For in acting in such a way, “there is great reward” (v. 11). For our ministries, it means that whereever we are, we need to make sure we are being the same people on-stage as we are off-stage; striving to be like Christ. That means keeping our language and actions clean, respecting our spouses in every way, respecting our leadership in every way, respecting each other in every way. Doing these things is respecting God in every way. The things we say, the jokes we make, the thoughts we have, and our actions must be pleasing to God (v. 14) in order for us to succeed; in order for the Devil to fail in destroying all that our churches and ministiries have worked so hard for.

I am not writing this to point judgment at any person, any church, or any ministry in particular. I’m just as guilty as the next person. I am not immune to any of this. None of us are. As leaders of a significant part of our church culture we need to make sure we are living the way Christ intended us to. And if we’re not living in such a way, He is there to help us through and get us to where and who we need to be. So how do we do that?

Hebrews 13:1-6:
1Let brotherly love continue. 2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6So we can confidently say,
"The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?"

In order to keep our worship ministries running successfully (whatever that means) we need to be accountable for each other and ourselves. I've been struck with something as I've lead our teams over the past few weeks. The more I dig into God's Word, the more effective I am as a leader. Sure, that statement isn't rocket science but since I've been intentionally looking to God's word for guidance and direction in my life and the life of my church's music ministry, the more I've felt the Spirit lead through me and for me. I'm not saying that I've been perfect, without sin, or cleaned up my act (though I'm trying), but the Lord is starting to make me more aware of the power that His spirit holds on us and the great things that can be unleashed through it. The onus is on us to follow suit.

What Does Your Worship Cost?

I recently bought some fencing for my backyard through a connection at my work. My company supplies industrial parts for a local fencing company and I asked if he might be able to get me a deal on a 25 foot length and a gate. He said to me, "Of course. I'll see what we have lying around and put something together for you." Maybe I'm just naive, but by his tone of voice and the "wink-and-gun" he gave me, I thought that meant "free fence". The next day I got a quote. Now, I did get a good deal and still have the laborious task of putting it together, but it was not free. It cost me money. The old adage "nothing in this life is free" certainly applies here and for most aspects of our lives. This includes our worship which I've come to discover by reading 2 Samuel 24:18-26 (NIV).

David disobeyed God's orders 2 Samuel 24:1-9. To atone for that disobedience, God gives David three choices of punishments. Behind door number one, three years of famine. Door number two, three months of "fleeing from your enemies". Door number three, three days of plague on the local Israelites (24:13). David pancaked at the choices and God chose to be swift and sent a pestilence across the land for three days. 70,000 people died. Basically, my whole hometown of Moncton disappeared over under the wave of an angel's hand. Gone.

God ordered the calamity to be stopped just as the Angel was reaching Jerusalem, at the threshing grounds of Aranuah the Jebusite. A threshing floor was an open area outside a city where the edible part of a grain (or other crop) was loosened from the stalk or chaff that surrounds it. When David was asked to make a sacrifice on behalf of the people to stop the pestilence on the land, Aranuah's threshing grounds became the site of the burnt offering.

Aranuah, both surprised and excited to see the king coming to his workplace, bowed and greeted the David with astonishment:
"Why have you come here of all places?"
"To buy your stuff so I can make an appropriate sacrifice for the people."
"Pffft. You don't need to buy it. Just take my threshing floor, my tools, the oxen for the burnt offering, and wooden yokes for making a fire. They're yours! Free of charge."
Then David said something that has really stuck with me lately:
"No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them" (v24).

I will not offer anything to God if it costs me nothing.

David could have easily accepted Aranuah's gift of items for the offering. Instead, David knew that God required more than just free stuff to ward off the plague that decimating the people. There wouldn't have been any honor, price, or sacrifice in burning somebody else's precious commodities. Instead, he declined the gift and gave 50 shekels of silver for the pieces necessary for proper sacrifice. King David likely had everything he's ever needed. He was given all prestige and respect by his people. Yet he was humble enough to know his own King, God, deserved more; a true offering of value that costs something.

Not only have I been trying to live that out in my life, but I've been really trying to live that out as a worship leader. Whether you're leading a congregation in worship or you're a part of the band, what does it cost you to worship your God? I'm not talking about the cost of that cool guitar pedal or preamp you just bought. Ask yourself...
What is my sacrifice as I lead today?
What am I leaving behind as I lead others?
What am I leaving out as I lead others?
What is it that I've been wanting to add to the worship experience that I've been scared to do before?
What do I really want to say or do as I worship?
How do I honestly feel about my God this morning?
How can I challenge myself or the congregation?

It's so easy for leaders and musicians to strap on their instruments each week and just play. I've done it for many years. Last Sunday, I decided that I wasn't going to let my self-consciousness or my pride hinder what I do as a leader. I wasn't going to follow the service order. I wasn't going to be distracted by what people thought of my vocals. I was not going to let how others were (or were not) worshipping affect that way I worshipped. I was going to play guitar like it is the gift that was given to me. Because I did that, something cool happened. I felt the Spirit work through me. The Holy Ghosts became a tangible presence to me. My worship felt true and accepted. That felt awesome and it didn't cost me a cent; just some possible embarrassment and my pride. As a Mastercard PR might say, my experience was "priceless".

What sacrifices are you making when you lead? What does your worship cost you?

Being the Fathers' kind of father.

Two years ago (and add another 9 months or so) I would have told you that I wasn't ready for kids, that I was too young for the responsibility of taking care of another human. In fact, at that time, I was probably still learning how to take care of myself and a new 5-months old puppy. Fast forward 35 months, Catherine and I are watching a "Thomas the Tank Engine" DVD with my 2-year-old son, Noah. We're coming off of the (sugar) high of another birthday and the low of stepping into the inevitable "terrible twos".

I couldn't be happier.

Now, if you would have asked me 9th months ago about having a second child I would have laughed and said we were going to wait until Noah was starting school. Fast-forward 3 weeks and we'll be welcoming a new baby boy into our lives... again. We're praying for a healthy, safe delivery for both Mommy & Baby and Noah is getting excited with the thought of having a brother. It's really quite nerve-wracking, the thought that God has entrusted us with another human. We must be doing something right (other than successfully closing the deal on conception, of course). Everyone says that "everything changes" when you have the second child. I don't doubt it. Things changed with Noah and they'll change with our new son three-fold.

I could be more excited.

For the past few weeks, our small-group has been watching/talking about a series on Jesus' Prodigal Son parable. Save God's own image and example of being "Father" to all, the father in the parable is whom I want to strive to be. Maybe not now. My son is still trying to make coherent sentences, let alone decisions to take his inheritance and waste it on booze and hookers. But when my boys are old enough to make those kinds of decisions, I want to be the father who loves them anyway; no matter what. Like Isaiah 38:19b: "fathers tell their children about (God's) faithfulness".

When I think about being that father, I look at my own life and wonder if what I'm doing, who I am, and where I'm going is consistent with my abilities to be a good father, husband. That's when I really want to change the way I do things. I guess you've got to learn to love yourself before you can love others. When my kids are old enough to understand and live out the life of a Christian, I want make sure I've got my own spiritual things in order. I want to know I am intentionally wanting to learn more each day from God's word. I want to know that I am following God's will for my life. I want to know I'm using my gifts & abilities in the way He wants them used. I want to know my life is daily being thrown on the alter as an offering for him. I want my life to exemplify the life of the Father with the two lost sons; willing, ready, and able to love both no matter what.

Being that kind of Father is difficult. Consistent. Devout. Serving. Set. Wise. Firm. Accountable. Dependable. Loving. Nurturing. Strong. Patient. But, it's possible.

I guess I better get to work, huh?

Speaking to the Deaf

Today at work, I served an older deaf man whom came in to my workplace looking to buy some bearings. The man came in, unloaded some broken pieces and parts of whatever he was working on onto the counter and started pointing. At this point, I didn't know he was deaf (deaf people don't look any different, apparently). I started to ask some questions about what exactly he wanted and he continued to glare at me and point at broken pieces. This went on for 30 seconds or so until he angrily grunted, whined, and frantically shove pieces together in an attempt to show me what he needed. I still didn't understand what he wanted at this point, but I did then realize he was either mute, deaf, or both. A few moments later, his friend walked in and tried to translate for me. However, there was more communication breakdown as I found out the deaf man didn't read lips, didn't know sign language, and both gentlemen spoke very little English. After much deliberation, I found the parts the man needed, but didn't have them in stock. The deaf man probably left as frustrated as I was.

I went back to my desk and complained to my associate about the deaf man's inability to communicate despite his aural disability. I then began to think about my own communication skills and what the man might have thought about my attempt to find the man's needs. I can't imagine I was any more sympathetic to him than he would have been to me. Was I being a good listener? Despite several frantic attempts to get my attention, we never quite ended up on the same wavelength nor was I able to help him in an efficient manner.

Then I began to wonder if God gets that easily frustrated with us. We point to the broken pieces in our lives. We stare at an invisible God with glazed eyes and frantically show Him what we want. We ask simple questions. We mumble our prayers. We don't read God's mind and sometimes we don't even speak His language. Sometimes, we are a deaf people, quiet to our own God's ears. Sometimes it feels our message just doesn't get through.

Yet, God is not deaf. He speaks our language. He hears our prayers. He answers our prayers. That's when we need to realize that God doesn't need to be told what our problems are; he knows them. He doesn't need us point our fingers; he knows where the problem really is. He loves us that much. God sent His son Jesus to understand us better; to feel and experience exactly what we do. Think of Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. He struggled to make sense of his story. He assumed the beatings, the humiliation, the pain, the death and practically begged for their to "be another way". But, there wasn't. Though Jesus wept, prayed, pointed fingers, struggled, His voice did not go unheard. His Father heard every word, but Jesus' story went on.

His story = history.

And so does ours. We're not always going to get the results we want. We are not always going to get the answers we want. We cannot demand or expect anything from God. Rather, he demands and expects from us. Unanswered questions, unaccomplished attempts at our own dreams, and unfulfilled situations are all a part of our story. We're called to be a listening people. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Though God wants to hear our requests from our own lips, He knows our real needs, desires, and answers. We will not hear His word to us if we're always talking, asking, inquiring, and demanding from Him.

This is where the Holy Spirit comes in handy. The Spirit is the fine line between asking and demanding; talking and listening. I didn't have a "spirit" or interpreter between the old deaf man and myself. If I did, things would have been a lot smoother. But God gives us the Holy Spirit as a catalyst for communication with Him. Not only does the Holy Spirit send our "message" to God, but t also returns the favour.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).

So when we're fighting or struggling with an issue, talk it out with God but don't forget to let Him speak back. Because if we're doing all the talking and not listening for any of His wisdom, we might as well be speaking to the deaf.

My Favorite "M"s of 2009: Movies, Music, Memories

Wow, it's been October since I last blogged. That's a long time. My apologies. I've either been really boring, had nothing to say, or have wasted all my thoughts and happenings on Twitter. Actually, all of the above apply but I figure what better way to end a year of incessant blogging with my annual "Best Of..." blog where I tell you all about my favorite movies, music, and memories of 2009. So, let's go:

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MOVIES:

Favorite Movies of 2009:


STAR TREK - I'm not a Star Trek fan, but this movie was pretty spectacular. And, loving anything JJ Abrahms does helps a lot. casting was great and was far from "geeky".

Avatar - I wasn't gaga over the storyline (since it's one we've all seen before), but the visual "experience" in the theater is amazing. It's like Jurassic Park, Pocahontas, and Star Wars in a blender... in HD... and 3D.

State of Play - great acting, great story, and great twists. Definitely a drama you've gotta catch if you haven't seen it. The ending was really good.

Inglorious Basterds - in my opinion, Tarantino's best work. It read like a novel (that you watch) and had amazing dialogue (though there was often too much of it). I had no idea what would happen next and was not disappointed.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - well, I've got a soft spot of Marvel Comics, and although Wolverine is one of my least favorite of the x-Men, the story was great and tied in nicely with other Marvel universe stories and characters. Can't wait for X-Men Origins: First Class

The Hangover - this was funny. If not for the dirty pictures/scenes during the closing credits, I would have loved this movie, but I found them uncalled for. It would have been better if we were left not knowing what happened during the bach party. Zach Galifianakis is freakin' hilarious.

The Reader - although it was nominated for multiple awards in last tears' Oscars, it was still released in 2009. Kate Winslett had an amazing role and the story was excellent.

Honorable Mention:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I Love You, Man
The Road

Worst Movies of 2009:


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - I don't even want to talk about this one. It was terrible. Terribly terrible. Even Megan Fox was terrible in every way. I still Ike Shia Labeouf, though.

Knowing - any suspense/action movie that Nicolas Cage is in is almost always terrible. the ending was really bad.

Adventureland - what I was hoping would be a funny flick turned out to be a depressing, annoying lump of coal.

Yet to See:
Up
Public Enemies
The Informant
2012
Up in the Air
Bad Lieutenant
Crazy Heart

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Music

Favorite Albums of 2009:

Seabird - 'Til we See the Shore
Though none of these categories are in any particular order, this was easily my favorite album of the year. Like a non-depressing 'Copeland", Seabird have fantastic melodies, groove, and catchy pop-tastic songs... all lead by piano. The title track is on non-stop on my iPod.

Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome
I will admit it. Derek Webb's twitter ramblings about this new record had me scouring to follow its release over the net. Yes, it was self-hyped but I still love it and is unlike anything he's put out before. Derek Webb is constantly changing his sound, and this one was particularly welcome.

Future of Forestry - Travel: Vol. I & II
FoF released two 6-song EPs this year so I'm counting the first two of the 4-volume manifesto as one record. I followed the process of this record and it's seriously great. Especially since The Myriad hasn't released anything in what seems like forever.

MuteMath - Armistice
awww, the long-awaited followup to MM's self-titled release. I wasn't disappointed. Production is great and although their style may have sightly changed, the sound didn't and I love this record.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon
It's U2. Have they ever put on out a bad record? Yes, I'm including POP. I loved POP. It took me a while to dig this album, but once I did, I had to go see them live. So I did. It was awesome.

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
I though Paramore's record would be more of the same pop-punk from RIOT!, but they added some styles and sounds you wouldn't find on any other Paramore release. It's a good'un.

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
The production on this album is fantastic. And while it's not as good as 'Breakaway", it's leaps and bounds better than "My December"



On the Fence:


John Mayer - Battle Studies
it's not that I don't like this album, it's just that's it's so much different than JMs other records. It's a lot less blues/rock and a lot more 1970s rock/pop/ballad. Most notably, it's a lot less memorable for me. There are still some tasty tracks, though.

Christy Nockels - No Not One
I like half of the album. The other half I dislike. A few choice songs, Nathan Nockels' production value, and Christy's amazing vocals save this album from being a complete disaster

David Crowder Band - Church Music

Let me say that I don't hate this album. but I don't love it either. There're a few tracks I really dig but there are just more tracks that I disliked. I found it over-produced. DCB overuse a lot of sounds, tracking, and loops which take a way from Crowder's strong worship writing and instrumentation. I was hoping "Church Music" would explore a biblical or historical view of chruch music throughout Christendom. Rather, they just tried to make a record to please a few ears.


Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Most will agree that Switchfoot's best release was "The Beautiful Letdown" and while no one else seemed to like "Oh, Gravity" as much as I did., Swicthfoot's latest release didn't live up to either, in my opinion. That being said, it's the next best thing and there're some stellar tracks that I really dig.


Most Dissapointing (but not terrible) Albums of 2009:


Metallica - Death Magnetic

Metallica tried to get back to the "classic" Metallica sound/arrangement. They were close, but not as good as past releases. However, it's still far better than Some Kind of Monster. Far Better.. Lars turned his snare drum on and may have used a click in some parts.

Thrice - Beggars
I also followed the recording of this record via blog, but I wasn't pleased with this self-produced/self-engineered project. I especially hate some of the drum sounds and the song-writing has seemed to lose some edge to it.

Muse - The Resistance
Again, I don't gate this record, but if I wanted to hear orchestral music, I would have bought something else. Though I understand the musical genius of Matt Bellamy and Co., I just didn't "get" this record. Half of it is classic Muse sound while the other half is Bellamy showing of his classical piano chops and orchestral arrangements. I imagine it'd still be quite the sight to see live, though.

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Memories

- this year I got to see a lot of great concerts which included my first U2 experience, seeing rock-and-roll pioneer Paul McCartney, my favorite guitar-virtuoso Joe Satriani in his supergroup Chickenfoot (which, while kind of lame, also included RHCP drummer Chad Smith), and one of my childhood favorite bands in Stone Temple Pilots. I also saw OLP for the 4th time, Finger Eleven for the 5th time, and Sloan for the 2nd time.

- watching Noah grow from a baby to a toddler has been a cool experience for Catherine and I. He's a brave little boy and his vocabulary is amazingly extensive at this stage in his life; he's almost putting together coherent sentences. Almost.

- although the news of having another baby was initially frightening to Catherine and I, we made it a point to make sure we saw this as a blessing and something that God has intrusted us with. Though Noah is sometimes too full of energy, has his odd tantrum, and still has some issues with sleeping through the night, he's becoming more and more joyful to teach and parent each day. He's such a joy to us and we can't wait to have more of that in our lives as we await the arrival of another boy at the end of March.

- I'm still trying to come with grips as to why I'm still stuck at the same job after nearly 5 years. I still truly believe that God has a ministry and/or vocation for me on the horizon but I have yet to know what that is. Trusting and awaiting God's will for my life becomes the most difficult thing in my Christian walk, yet I see the foreshadowing in small ways on a daily basis. This year, I was really hoping God would provide me with a musical outlet that I'd be able to express myself with; unfortunately, that hasn't come. Although JSB has been a tiny bit more active then in years past, I still long to find a musical outlet God can use all of my abilities and gifts.

- In November, we moved into our first home and that was a story of God's timing, will, and love for us. Although it's hard to see some months where the mortgage payment will come from, we believe that God would not provide us with such a wonderful home and not provide us with a means to afford it. We found a home that met all our needs and wants in a home and for a price that only He could have blessed us with. The whole process was smooth and the situation was absolutely laid out by God's hand for us. We're always grateful for a roof on our head, but having one you own is that much more gratifying.

- our church has seen some great growth, both spiritually and numerically, which has been really needed and gratifying. The work our Pastor and leadership have put into making Lutes Mountain Nazarene a small thriving church is amazing. Though the church is in a financial tough spot, God continues to bless it in other ways and the church remains faithful to wherever He leads. We're looking forward to serving again this year and see what God has in store for us next.

- my dad retired from the Royal Bank after 37 years of work. That's quite a feat, espeically while doing it at only 57 years of age. To celebrate the momentus occasion Dad and I made a whirlwind trip to Toronto to watch a hockey game (his Leafs versus my Flames), visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, and eat at my favorite Toronto eatery, RichTree. It was a great weekend and I'm happy we got to spend it together. Dad was very honoured by our gift and had a great time.

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so that's my year in review. stay tuned for some more blogs soon, likely about Christmas and other goodies. I promise to do this more often. It's fun and helps waste a few minutes at work when it's not busy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Cambers family.
Jamie, Catherine, Noah, and Morris.