Discovery Worship

Beside Still Waters

Living in the land of ten thousand lakes never gets old.  I love sitting on the deck at the cabin early in the morning as the sun comes up, listening to the loons on the lake, or canoeing through the reeds along some channel where the water is clear and quiet.  I drive past a few small lakes on my way to work each day, and I often enjoy seeing a Blue Heron or a few Canadian Geese in the water.

The lakes were particularly beautiful on my drive this morning.  The water was as still as I've ever seen it, smooth as glass, perfect and undisturbed.  The scene was so beautiful, I altered my route to work and got off on a small county road so I could skirt along the edge one of the lakes.  The water was so clear and still, I wanted to just stop and take it all in for as long as it would last.

The scene reminded me of the familiar words of Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures.
 He leads me beside still waters.
    He restores my soul.  -- Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)

I've always thought of this passage as a promise of rest, of refuge from the storms of life.  I imagine being on the boat with the disciples as the furious storm comes up on the lake.  Jesus gets up from his sleep to rebuke the wind and the waves and suddenly all is calm, the waters are still.

I know that Jesus can calm the storm, leading me beside still waters, and I hold tightly to the promise of these verses.  What I hadn't considered until today, however, was how the still waters testify to the glory of God.

Driving north this morning, with the lake to my right, the sun was barely up behind the trees on the opposite shore.  In a mirrored reflection, the trees reached down into the lake, taking the blue sky with them.  The reflection was more perfect and magnificent than any photo or painting could ever capture.  Taking in the scene, I realized this truth: still waters reflect the glory of God.

You may be facing storms in your life today, and you long for the promise of still waters. Know that God can deliver calm in the midst of your storm, and he can still the waters at his command.  And when the waves die down down and the wind ceases to blow, His glory will be revealed in all of its wonder. All He asks in return is for your love.

Jesus Loves Walmart People

Today was one of those divide and conquer kind of days. My wife took two of the kids to Grandma's house to do yard work, and I had the other two with me. My long list of honey-do's included a few errands, so the boys and I made our way to Walmart to pick up a several items and we hit Subway for lunch at the same time. Sitting in Subway at Walmart, watching all sorts of people file into the often reviled discount store, I realized the truth of the gospel in a new way.

Much has been made in recent months about a viral website featuring pictures of what many mockingly consider stereotypical "Walmart People". The only visibility I've had to this website is through a few news articles, soI don't presume to be fully knowledgeable of the content or intent of this website. You could say I've judged the book by its cover, and I'm okay with that. I'm not going to provide a link to the website here, and I'd encourage you not to search it out. That's not really the point.

It occurred to me, as I sat curiously watching the crowd, that some of these people could very well have already found their way onto a Walmart People type of website. It occurred to me also that it's just as likely I could end up being the "feature of the week" at some point. Yet despite how we may appear, we have more in common than you might think.

When I looked past appearances and met the eyes of each person, what I saw today was universal: Pain. Sorrow. Longing. Loneliness. But I also saw this: Joy. Hope. Love. Grace. I saw the banker from downtown. The farmer from south of town. The single mom with two little kids. The high schooler without a friend.

My point is this: no matter how we look on the outside, we are all Walmart People on the inside. We are all hurting and hoping, just trying to make our way through this world. But here is the good news: Jesus loves Walmart People. Jesus died for Walmart People. Jesus lives for Walmart People.

Judge me if you must, ignore me if you want, but we are the same. We are all Walmart People.

What Are You Doing Here?

Sunday mornings can be somewhat hectic for me.  I'm usually up early, reviewing the set list to make sure the songs for worship are just perfect, tweaking the key changes and transitions up until the last possible minute.  While the final set is printing off, I'm trying to eat a bagel and put on my shoes at the same time. Slipping the song set into my briefcase, I yell a "love you" over my shoulder to my wife and head out to the car with one or two of my kids in tow.

Arriving at the church building, someone is already prepping the songs for projection and the sound tech is checking all the mics.  I make copies of the songs while the worship team is warming up, then distribute the sets and sit down at the piano.  We pray, then dive right into practice.  We hit the highlights of familiar songs and linger over newer ones, ironing out the kinks until everything is smooth.

People start arriving and we wrap up our practice.  I'm off to find the senior pastor to review the announcements and talk to the greeters and servers to update them on any changes to the order of service.  I cue the a/v team to start the countdown for worship, then grab a glass of water and head back stage.  Two more minutes, and we'll be worshiping God, but I've got to catch my breath first.

When I finally sit down the piano, with the worship team in place and the countdown ticking off the last seconds, my mind sometimes wanders to a lonely cave on mountain in Israel, thousands of years ago:

     "And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
     He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
     The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." 
     Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 
     Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" "
     -- 1 Kings 19:9-13

What is most convicting about this scripture for me is not that God had to ask Elijah what he was doing there.  It's that God had to ask him twice.  Like Elijah, I don't think I always get it right the first time either.

"What are you doing here, Rob?"  I'm leading worship, God.  I put all the chord charts together and worked out the transitions so they were perfect, God.  And I rehearsed with the worship team and we sound pretty good, God.  And the sound tech and the servers and the preacher are all informed on how things are supposed to go, God.  I've got everything under control.

But it's not really about me, is it?  My worship, my prayers, everything I do to prepare, are meaningless unless God is at the center of it all.  My heart starts there, and I know it is true, but how easy it is to slip into habits of practice and start to rely on my own strength and power.  So God asks me again:  "What are you doing here, Rob?"

Next time you find yourself racing through life, trying to do it all on your own, starting to feel sorry for yourself for all that you've done that's gone unnoticed, stop for a moment to listen.  God's voice is there whispering to you, "What are you doing here?"  God created you for a purpose, and He has a plan for your life.  Listen to His voice, remind yourself of what is true, and pursue Him today.

In All These Things

Some people love making lists: tasks to do today, things to fix at home, bills to pay, plans for the weekend.  Some people are not me.  I am likely to endure lists at best, or to avoid them altogether if I can get away with it.  And as long as I am being completely honest here, let me confess that I sometimes catch myself skimming over lists in the Bible if I'm not careful.

I thought about this tendency (bad habit, actually) today when I realized I was yada-yada-yada-ing my way through the following verses:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)

I found myself reading, "shall trouble or hardship or yada, yada, yada..."  I know this verse.  I've read it hundreds of times already.  But wait...what was that?  "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors..."  I know the conquerors part.  I like the conquerors part.  What caught me off guard was the "in all these things" part.

I've never faced persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.  But trouble and hardship?  In today's unstable economy, trouble and hardship might not be so far away.  Unemployment is already at the highest point in decades, and company after company are laying off employees.  Just today, General Motors announced plans to cut another 47,000 jobs this year.

I used to think of conquering as rising above, that we would somehow no longer be subject to these troubles.  The truth is that the scripture promises we would be more than conquerors "in all these things", or as the New Living Translation puts it, "despite all these things".  The Message paraphrase says it this way: "None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us."

I could make a list of all my woes, and I may even be able to work hard and change some of them.  But no matter how uncertain the future, or how long we must endure things we cannot change, there is a greater promise at work in our lives.  If you find yourself in the midst of trouble or hardship, remember that Jesus loves us and nothing in all creation can separate us from that love.

"I know that you have a plan for my life, God, and that you are faithful no matter what comes my way.  I pray that you would always remind me of this truth: that you loved me and sent your Son to die for me.  Because of your love for me, I can endure whatever this world throws at me.  And I can be more than a conqueror in spite of trouble or hardship, because nothing can separate me from your love.  Thank you for your love, and for your patient endurance as I learn to love you in return.  I give you all the glory and honor.  Amen."

A Dangerous Shortcut

We all make mistakes.  I certainly make my share of them.  Anyone at Discovery Church on Sunday who saw the band smirking at me during the closing song would probably realize I was in the middle of a big mistake.

I had just accompanied Louise on piano for a song at the close of the message, after which we launched into the closing song.  The problem was I'd used the transpose function on the keyboard to put the song in a more comfortable range for the soloist and forgot to move it back up before starting the congregational song.  As a result, I was playing the song in one key - the wrong key - while the band was trying to play in the right key.

The band immediately realized what was going on and were able to adapt, so not many people knew what happened.  The experience, however, reinforced what I already knew to be true.  Shortcuts often lead to trouble.  We try to cut corners and save time and only end up hurting for it.

Bob Kauflin, the Director of Worship Development at Sovereign Grace Ministries, and author of the Worship Matters blog, posted a hirlarious video yesterday that hit home for me.  You can read his post here.  Bob reminds us that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians:

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Take it from someone who has learned by hard experience: avoid the shortcuts.  But if you do not, and if you fail, know that God's love for you will not waver.  He will lift you up and set your feet on solid ground, and put a new song in your heart.  Let's glorify the one who can use these imperfect vessels to do his work and draw all people to himself.

"God of love and everlasting patience, I praise you for your kindness toward me.  You know my weaknesses, and yet you love me.  You knew my sins, and yet you saved me.  Let your name be glorified in all that I do.  Even in my weakness, and even when I fall, you are strong and your purposes will prevail.  Show me the plans you've prepared for me, God, and lead me by the light of your truth.  I commit my life and my life's work to you for your honor and glory, forever.  Amen."

In Two Keys at the Same Time from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

Upgrade to First Class

I hadn't been looking forward to the flight from Minneapolis to Sacramento today, but I found the trip to be considerably more pleasant than I'd anticipated.  As the flight was preparing for departure, a man came down the aisle and asked if I would mind trading seats with him so he could sit next to his friend in the row across from me.

"I'm in seat 1-B," he said.

"You mean first class?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he said.

"Uh, sure... thanks." I said.

Well, who was I to prevent him from sitting by his friend?  It took me all of twenty seconds to collect my things and settle into my new seat.  A comfortable leather seat for the trip, a nice omelet for breakfast, and the three hour flight literally flew by.  (Sorry...couldn't resist the pun.)

As I was sitting in first class, I remembered something Wayne mentioned in one of his sermons recently about Albert Schweitzer, the philosopher, theologian, musician, and medical missionary.  A reporter once met Albert Schweitzer at a train station and was surprised to find him riding in third class.  The reporter asked the doctor why he rode in third class.  "Because there is no fourth class," was his reply.

Cruising somewhere over South Dakota at thirty thousand feet in the comfort of first class, it occurred to me that the Christmas story is the perfect example of the humility of God.  We worship a God who did not separate himself from us, but chose instead to send his Son to be born among us in the most humble of circumstances.  In a season when so many are drawn to the material temptations of this world, perhaps what we need most is a new perspective:

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 
Who, being in very nature God, 
   did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 
but made himself nothing, 
   taking the very nature of a servant, 
   being made in human likeness. 
And being found in appearance as a man, 
   he humbled himself 
   and became obedient to death— 
      even death on a cross!"
-- Philippians 2:5-8

Whether you find yourself in first class or coach, remember that Jesus willingly gave up the riches of heaven for the poverty of this world.  What will you willingly give up for him today?

"Lord of heaven, sovereign of all, I praise you for your everlasting love toward us, that you would send your son to live among us and die for the sins of the world.  Teach me to live like Jesus, humbly following the plans you have prepared for me.  Let me heart be content to serve you far from the spotlight of this world, and show me the way of righteousness.  I give my dreams and plans to you, and I trust your will for my life, for your glory and honor forever.  Amen."

Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

I was craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast this morning.  Odd, I know, but it got me thinking about some other classic combinations.  Cranberry sauce with turkey is a perfect pairing and a veritable Thanksgiving tradition.  Pepperoni is fine, but for my money you can't beat a ham and pineapple pizza.  And whoever invented breakfast for dinner is a genius - I'll take an omelet and hash browns over pot roast any day.

Why peanut butter and jelly?  Reading through the Psalms this morning, I came across another classic combination:

One thing God has spoken, 
  two things have I heard: 
That you, O God, are strong,
  and that you, O Lord, are loving.
  - Psalm 62:11-12

We worship a God that is all powerful and mighty, who spoke worlds into existence, who raised the mountains and carved out the seas.  This is a God whose voice echos from the deep, and who calms the storm with a whisper.  He brings both famine and flood, and sends the rain on both the just and the unjust.

Yet our God is also loving and compassionate.  This is a God who gave part of himself, his own Son, to live as a man among us and show us the way to heaven.  He is always patient, not wanting anyone to perish, and he pours out his grace on all people to draw them to himself.  Our God is mighty to save.

Alas, we'd run out of bread this morning, so I didn't have peanut butter and jelly for breakfast.  But as I head off to work today, I'll be craving something else instead.  My desire is to know the One whose combination of strength and love sustains me and guides me with each step.  My prayer is that you would know Him, too.

"Lord of all, I praise you for your vast creation, for the strength of your command, and for your power over this world.  You created all of this, and set my life in this world so that I would seek you.  And you loved me, and sent your son to die for me, even while I was a sinner.  Lead me by your love, lift me by your strength, and show me how to live like Jesus.  Amen."

Hanging Out With Jesus

We are entering a Christmas season that, for many people, is all about tradition.  We put up the tree with the ornaments we got from grandma, we hum the same christmas carols we sang as a kid, and we watch the classic Christmas specials, from Rudolph to Charlie Brown to "It's a Wonderful Life".  Many of us have heard the Christmas story so many times we could quote it from memory.

The irony in all this is that for all the trappings of Christmas, it is easier than ever to find ourselves going through the motions without actually connecting to the Lord.  We can quote the scriptures, but the words often roll off our tongue without registering their true meaning in our heart.

Reading part of the Christmas story during worship at Discovery yesterday, the idea of "God with us" hit me in a fresh way.  We often generalize this phrase as we think about how God came down as a man to live with "us", meaning all of mankind.  The mystery of the gospel, however, is that God can make his home in each one of us.

When my brother was very young, he told us that he wanted to pray "like the Jewish people did".  We weren't sure what he meant until he explained that he wanted to just talk to God as he walked around, like Tevye did in "Fiddler on the Roof".  The truth is, I think this is what God wants for us as well.

When God created Adam and Eve, he would come in the coolness of the evening to walk with them in the garden.  Then sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and separated us from fellowship with God.  It was at that time that God set in place a plan to reunite us with himself, so that we could once again have fellowship with him: "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son..." (Galatians 4:4).

As you put up your decorations and sing your carols and watch your specials this Christmas, remember that this holiday is about so much more than tradition.  It is about the love of a God who wants to be "with us", who wants to live in your heart.  Take some time out of your hectic schedule to just walk with him and you will experience the greatest gift of all.

"Thank you, God, for loving me, even though I am a sinner.  Thank you for sending your Son to live among us and show us the way to You.  I give you my heart, Lord, and yield every part of me to your will.  Walk with me, live with me, work with me, and draw me closer to your heart each day.  Keep me in your love until I see you once again in heaven.  Come quickly, Lord Jesus.  Amen."

One more note: In the middle of all the generic messages of Christmas joy on television, this little clip from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" always stands out.  Enjoy.

When You Don't Know What To Say

The good news is I've started several blog posts today, some of which might end up being really great.  The bad news is, I've struggled all day finding the right words to finish them and I've come up empty.  I was looking forward to being on vacation, thinking that it would be easy to sit down and share some thoughts about worship and devotion.  Maybe my mind is simply swirling with too many thoughts to keep them all straight.

As I started and abandoned post after post, I kept thinking, "I don't know what to say."  I may share with you some insights someday from a sermon I heard when visiting another church this past Sunday, but not today.  I will probably also write about how to worship when you feel stuck, or when you are stuck and don't even realize it - just not today.  Everything I started to write seemed helpful, I suppose, but it still felt empty.

I think this is how we feel sometimes when we come together on Sundays to worship God.  We sing the words and pray our prayers and listen to the scripture, but our souls are restless.  It's like when you call a friend and start talking when they answer the phone, only to realize you are talking to their recorded voice mail message.  "Hi, this is God.  Thank you for your worship.  To leave a prayer request, please press 1 now..."

This fresh struggle reminded me of this promise of scripture, as if it were written just for me in such a time of weakness:

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." - Romans 8:26-27

When you find yourself in a place where nothing seems to make sense, cry out for the Spirit of God to intercede with words beyond what our human minds can comprehend.  When your Bible reading is dry or your time of worship feels empty, let His Spirit lift you higher.  Sometimes when you don't know what to say, I think the best thing is to say nothing at all.

"Lord God, I praise You even when I feel I have nothing left to give.  You know my deepest thoughts and prayers, so I offer these up to you.  Though I cannot form the words, I praise you still, and I worship you in the Spirit.  I trust that you will fulfill your promise, though my human emotions betray me.  I lift up your name in a dry and weary land, and I pray that you would fulfill your will in my life.  Let it be so, Lord.  Amen."

The Coincidence of Answered Prayer

I learned a lot about the testimony of answered prayer from the same man that taught me to do a brake job and an oil change.  Working at Del's Auto Service throughout high school, I learned my way around the engine compartment and undercarriage of cars, all while having great conversations about life and faith.  Del was an elder in our church, the volunteer fire chief, and a regular at the coffee shop downtown.

Del's Auto was a small shop, and Del and I fell into a routine the summer before I left for college.  Each morning, Del and I would open the shop and go through the list of jobs for the day.  I'd get started on a couple of big jobs, order parts to be delivered, then start knocking off the oil changes.  Del would head down to the coffee shop and casually share his faith with lifelong friends over a cup of joe.

Del enjoyed sharing his faith, but thought that the best testimony was of a life changed by God.  He loved to share how he'd been praying about something and how God had answered his prayer.  Answered prayer is evidence of a living God, and Del would look for every opportunity to share what God was doing in his life.

I remember Del talking about one of his friends who was continually skeptical of Del's answered prayers.  "It's just a coincidence," his friend would say.  It was the same response each time Del would relate a story of answered prayer and God's provision.  In what Del later told me had to have been a prompting from the Lord, Del responded to his friend one day saying, "I tell you that God answered my prayers, and you say it's just a coincidence.  Well that may be.  These may all be just coincidences.  But I'll tell you what...I've found that when I stop praying, coincidences stop happening to me."

Del and I became good friends during the time I worked for him.  He was a trusted advisor in my ministry for many years.  A few years ago, Del was diagnosed with cancer, and he went home to be with the Lord not long after that.  I visited him in the hospital just before he passed away and reminded him of this story.  He told me how he still marveled at how God continued to answer prayer.  Life might be just a serious of coincidences, Del said, but he'd seen too many coincindences to believe it is just random.  Instead, he was ready to trust God by faith and meet the One who makes coincidences happen.

"I praise you, God, because you are the creator and controller of this life.  You put the stars in place and you direct my steps.  You knew me and had a plan for my life even before time.  I thank you for answered prayer, even before the prayers reach my lips.  You are faithful and true, and your plans for me are better than I could ask or imagine.  I give you praise and glory and honor for you alone are God."