I was challenged once again to really think about the words I sing on a Sunday morning and during the week. It can be so easy to get over familiar with favourite tunes that somehow the words seem to wash over us. But there are some amazing biblical truths in the words we sing – and some big promises too! I know that worship songwriters work really hard to incorporate the truth of scripture in the songs we sing as congregations – even more so in the last decade as it has been discovered how little even evangelical Christians get into the Word themselves on a daily basis. So many people look to the songs to see what we believe that it is important the lyrics reflect the truth honestly and fully. It is a really hard job and I know many songwriters take it desperately seriously as they understand the responsibility of the role they do. But, in return, do we actually take proper notice of those words? Do we believe what we sing and do we live in the light of those lyrics? For instance, in the craziness that is today’s world (just take this last weekend – man, crazy!!), do we truly stand on the fact that ‘our God is greater, our God is higher than any other’ and ‘if God is for us then no one can stop us’? And what about lines such as ‘I’m giving you my heart, and all that is within’. I know we can certainly earnestly mean them when we sing them in church – but what about Monday morning when we are tired, don’t want to go to work and face certain deadlines or colleagues – are we still giving God our whole hearts, as that will have an impact on how we deal with others around us? I don’t think it is just the responsibility of the worship songwriter, or even the worship leader, to emphasise biblical truths and principles – it is our responsibility to live them out. And discover more for ourselves. DON’T just rely on being spoonfed the bible through song lyrics and preaches. Delve into it yourself and ask God to give you fresh revelations each time. You’ll find it takes your own personal worship onto a new level as a result…
Category: Worship as a lifestyle
What family is all about…
I reached yesterday evening tired but happy. It had been a wonderfully enriching day, full of worship, fun and friendship. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I would feel. As is my usual tendency, when discussing the fact that there were four of us in the church with birthdays the same week, I opened my mouth and suggested hosting a bbq at our house after church with very little thought. Once the idea had been seized upon gladly by others, and I was in the throws of organising food and chasing people up to find out if they were coming and what they could bring, I was beginning to regret my good idea! I knew it would be a mad rush after church too – we were leading worship and my husband was anchoring the meeting so we had a lot on. We are usually the last to leave the building anyway. So I started panicking about how I was going to get it all done. But then I started asking people for help – and discovered that there are many able and willing people out there with such a heart to help. I arrived at church feeling that things were now manageable, and the frustrations of the week faded away as soon as we started worshipping together. God came in a powerful way, our visiting speaker really challenged us and we all felt it had been a significant time.
As soon as the service was over my organising instincts kicked in and I scurried around like a mad person! Friends kindly brought me home and helped light the bbq in next door’s garden (they are also in the church, and it was his birthday too). Some arrived quickly and suddenly all the salads I was down to make were done as they set to work on them. They helped throughout the day. Others arrived with more tasty contributions and suitably summery liquid refreshments. As all the kids played happily in the garden, people popped in and out the gate in our fence that leads through to next door’s garden and others chatted in our garden I took a step back to admire the scene. I realised that this is what family is all about – those of us who feel we have a gift of hospitality opening our homes, but everyone contributing and enjoying spending time together. We had a wonderful afternoon. And I was truly blessed by those who stayed behind and cleared up with us too. My son helped me as well by slowing me down at just the right moment – I had hardly seen him all afternoon and he had been so busy playing he hadn’t had a nap. It was reaching 5pm and he was shattered. He simply came to find me in the kitchen and said ‘mummy sleep, cuddle on sofa’. I took one look at him and, encouraged by the others around me, scooped him up and sat in the lounge with him curled up on me. There he stayed for an hour – the friends who had worked so hard next to me taking a break and chatting with me too. As soon as we sat down, others arrived in the kitchen to continue the tidying. What a great church we belong to! 😉
Appreciating one another
Many of the thoughts that get me delving more deeply into my brain to ponder an issue occur when I’m doing something mundane. I guess that’s just a reflection of my life as a mum! I was busy dishing up dinner the other night when it suddenly dawned on me that I had probably already prepared, cooked and served up hundreds – if not thousands – of dishes since getting married and that there is no end in sight! We will have been married 18 years in August, our eldest will turn 6 in September, but I will still be clocking up the amount of meals I’ve prepared for us well after the time my husband and I retire! I started to get the hump – started to think about how many jobs a mother – and wife – does that go on behind the scenes, unnoticed. But then something in my spirit stopped me. And I started remembering all the times when my husband had sacrificially given of his time and I’d taken it for granted. And the times when my kids may have done something I’d been trying to teach them to do for ages and they suddenly ‘got it’ – but in my weary state I didn’t seem to praise or encourage them that much. I then started thinking about all the people there are in our church. A church doesn’t function without the help of its members and I wondered how often I’d thanked the welcome team for putting out the chairs faithfully each week for example. And, as I head up the worship team with my husband, I started thinking about all the musicians we are responsible for. How often do I take the time to check how each one of them is? I know I make sure to thank each one that plays alongside me on a particular Sunday, but what about all the other times when I’m not leading – do I still make time to show my appreciation? I know that it would seem forced to thank everyone every week, but I did get stopped in my tracks and just believe it is worth each one of us thinking about this. Do we truly appreciate those people who are around us day by day – the ones that we ‘do life with’? We could all do with some encouragement – why not tell someone how much you appreciate them today?
With pure abandonment…
I was at my sister’s 40th this weekend. She certainly knows how to throw a great party – the food was amazing, there were drinks aplenty, all sorts of games upstairs in the attic for the kids and even a live band in the sitting room! The latter had planned to be outside, but the changeable weather made that difficult. So there they were, 7 brilliant musicians in my sister’s front room. They weren’t crammed in, as she has a large house. But having a full band in your sitting room is slightly out of the ordinary. To begin with, it felt a little odd – the sofas had been pushed back against the walls and so people were tentatively popping their heads round to look at the band, then a few sat on the sofas and watched. Not the most responsive audience for the poor band! But then the frontman encouraged some dancing, and in whirled my sister with total abandonment, grooving away in front of us all, not caring whether we joined in or not. Now I’m not a natural party goer or dancer, so I was slightly embarrassed. It was my sister after all! Some people joined in – including my parents (heightened embarrassment!) – while others, including me, watched from the side. Occasionally I would allow myself a little bop with one of my kids – but I told myself that that was okay because I was doing it for them! Suddenly it hit me – I was using them as a prop to enable myself to join in without feeling awkward. How many of us have something like that – a comforter as it were – to enable us to engage in Sunday worship without stepping out beyond what we know? Do we stay within the bounds of what we normally do or do we allow ourselves to be caught up in heaven’s party? I really felt God check me in my spirit and told me to watch my sister – to look at her pure abandonment. He said that that is how He wants us to be when we come before Him. Totally wrapped up in what we are doing before Him, and not caring if others are joining in – or even if others are watching us with disdain. David danced before the Lord and his wife was mortified. Oh Lord save me from such cynicism and teach my heart to be reckless before you…
Cooking with a toddler in tow…
This morning I decided to utilise one of my favourite presents from last Christmas again – my slow cooker. For some reason I was feeling more relaxed than usual with my cooking, so I suggested my little boy ‘help’. Normally I’m cooking on the hop, taking a quick break from working, playing a game with the kids or one of the many chores that are piled up waiting and so I find it hard to cope with the extra time – and mess – that cooking with a toddler entails. I’m also a bit of a control freak (I graciously say ‘bit’ to describe myself now as having two small children has certainly forced me not to be quite so freakish about things!).
Stood on a chair next to me my son was ecstatic every time a new vegetable came out of the drawer. He gasped at the sound of the pork sizzling in the pan as I browned it off, found the steam that came out of the slow cooker when I then placed the meat in it fascinating and begged me to let him help me do some chopping. Taking the time to see things through his eyes really helped me focus too. I learned today that God really is with me in the mundane. He showed me how much pleasure can be found in listening to a toddler try and say ‘aubergine’ and ‘courgette’ for the first time. I looked around my kitchen, at the mess and pile of jobs left to do, but realised that slowing down, just for a few minutes, can make so much difference to my outlook for the rest of the day. Now to see how long it lasts – especially as my son is currently on my lap busy pushing keys and playing with the mouse as I try to write this!! ;D
Where is your focus?
In church yesterday we had a really powerful time of worship. It was especially poignant for me as it was only the second time I had brought a ‘spiritual song’ without being behind the comfort of my keyboard. But that’s not what this post is about. We sang the words:
You opened my eyes to Your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on earth is as beautiful as You…
Those words seemed to come alive to me afresh yesterday, but also caused me to question myself, and wonder about those around me too because I’m sure we are all very similar! We sing those words, and mean them from the bottom of our hearts (okay, at times), so how come – if ‘nothing is as beautiful’ – do we get so easily distracted by things, by ‘stuff’? That’s one of the points made in the first talk at the worship conference we went to. It’s a simple point, often made, but I might as well say it again here. If we’re not worshipping God, we are worshipping something, or someone, else. So, today, where is your focus?
Time out with God
The last few weeks have been what I can only term mind-blowingly hectic. Thanks to both our mothers we were able to go to two conferences, staying away one night. I enjoyed my first – yes, unbelievable to so many I met there it was in fact my first – Newfrontiers prayer and fasting conference. It was such a privilege to be amongst so many other leaders praising and praying. I was struck once again by the great care of our Lord. While no agenda other than seeking His face and praying His will was set, time and time again there were words about taking this time out to enjoy resting and being refreshed in His spirit. I was also struck again by the humility of our movement’s leaders. They are so approachable, so down-to-earth. It is great to be reminded of why I am so happy to be a part of Newfrontiers, and so relieved at how trustworthy our leaders are. It is true that submission isn’t difficult when those you are submitting to are doing what they are called to!
Invited
I am not a new convert to the idea that worship is not about singing songs on a Sunday morning – it is about our whole lifestyle – a heart issue. I’ve been to a worship conference and a prayer and fasting conference in the last couple of weeks (no small feat given the fact I have two small children!). Worshipping with a great throng is a wonderful experience but even in the midst of that God can still call us intimately. I was amazed at His grace and mercy afresh in both conferences – for different reasons, but some similar things were highlighted. We must remember to be confident in who He is, and who we are in Him – we are invited into His presence. Invited by Him!! And it is His presence that is the most important thing of all – we talked about corporate gatherings and leading worship times within them (there will probably be more on that later, as our worship team get together to feedback our thoughts on the worship conference this week). Stepping back from what we usually do week in, week out, it is easy to see how much we can be distracted. As someone I admire greatly said to a group of us last year, make sure you keep the main thing, the main thing. That is so true – if God isn’t there, what is the point of a meeting?!! Do we even notice if He’s there or not?