Worshipping In The Wilderness

Have you ever had someone asked you how your time with God was going and your reply was something to the affect of “Its ok, but I really need to be spending more time with Him. I’m just so busy.”

I know I have.

It is so easy to get so busy that we don’t have time for God.

I recently listened to a sermon by Francis Chan (podcast) that really convicted me about this. In it he quotes from 2nd Peter:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” – 2nd Peter 2:3

This says that God gives us everything we need to live godly lives. That includes time. So if we are “too busy” then we have no-one to blame but ourselves.

These days we live such fast paced lifestyles we leave no margin in our lives. We are so busy…yet what are we busy with? And why are our schedules packed? Why do we feel the need to over-commit and schedule out any time with God or His people?

Oftentimes, I know in my life, its pride. I want to please others and so I say “yes” when I should say “no”. I am guilty of pleasing men rather than pleasing God.

How about you? Why are you so busy? Spend some time praying about this and see what God answers.

Remember that “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17). A tight schedule that leaves no time to do the things you know you should is sin. However, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” ( 1Cor 10:13). And also, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5).

Therefore, ask God to give you the wisdom to say “no” at the right time. Ask him to help you with your schedule so you can prioritize time with Him. “Seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matt 6:33).

-Chris

One of the most useful and meaningful meetings I have all week is on Tuesday morning when I meet with Bo (my pastor) to discuss last Sunday and plan for the next. When we are unable to have this meeting, I feel as though the rest of the week is very disorganized and difficult. It brings me peace to know that the plans I have made line up with the plans Bo has made.

Our meeting starts off with a review of last week: What good things should we keep on doing? “The quiet guitar picking during the prayer really worked well.” or “The comments you made during the middle of that song really helped the congregation contemplate what Christ has done for us.” What things can we do better? “The volume on the vocals was too low.” or “There was too much dead time between songs, it would be nice to flow better between them.”  Then we proceed to plan for the next week (or two).

Bo and I are not the only ones in this meeting. We invite anyone on the team to participate if they choose, and we also invite others who we feel are able to give good feedback or contribute good ideas for the service. We recognize that we need others to offer constructive criticism and ideas.

The meetings have really made a difference in the quality of services we have each week. I would encourage you to meet with your pastor each week, or at least communicate via email or phone to discuss the previous week, and plan for the next. It has truly helped us.

-Chris

Last week I attended the National Worship Leader Conference here in Austin, TX. It truly was a blessing.

I started the conference on Monday feeling burned out and weary. By the closing night (Thursday) I felt so recharged and ready to lead worship on Sunday. That Sunday was by far, the most worshipful and God-encountering worship service we have had at our church so far. God truly used the conference to bring himself honor and praise.

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting on many of the things I learned in an attempt to help the few of you who read this blog to help your congregations draw nearer and nearer to God.

Here are the sessions I attended:

• Creating Flow in Worship: Leading a Journey – Paul Baloche
• Theology of Expressive Worship – Ross Parsley
• Licks, Tricks & Cheats for the Acoustic Guitarist – Andy Chamberlain
• Rehearsing Your Team – Tony Guerrero
• Creating a Culture of Worship – Buddy Owens
• Building Worship Teams for Small Churches – John Chisum

The two sessions I found most useful were: Creating Flow with Paul Baloche and Creating a Culture of Worship with Buddy Owens. They really changed the way I approached leading worship and choosing songs. I am excited to share what I learned in the next few posts.

Below is a picture of the closing night with Israel Houghton.

God bless you and His church!

-Chris