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Songs are Prayer and Life is a Mission of Love

Here it is after midnight and I can’t sleep, I have to get up in a few hours… to start a new day in prayer , in study, in mission and worship of God through work and other stuff. I can’t sleep because my heart is just so full right now I have all these things racing through my head, mainly, Jesus. I long so deeply to be near him. A couple friends and I, Larry and Kelly, as is our custom, went to Patti’s Retirement home tonight, we sang, we prayed, and we just “loved” in such a powerful way. My friend Kelly came along for the first time and we just had some great conversation about God and mission which I will share more of a little later here. But first I want to talk about how God spoke to me when I got home and tied today’s experiences together.

We sang over twenty five songs tonight. Something I just love doing. I never really thought about it, except to say that I just love to sing songs to God. When I sing I feel pain, when I sing I feel warm arms, when I sing I feel love and when I sing I feel close….to Jesus. Not just tonight, but at our worship gathering on Sunday too. When I play bass, or when I am in the audience singing, I feel all these things. I look at people around me occasionaly and I see many with deep expressions on their faces, sometimes tears in their eyes, arms raised toward God. I did not come from this tradition as I was growing up. I also see others standing there just kind of singing, with very little emotion, I am sure they also did not come from that  tradition (Note: this is not a critiscism on anything or anyone).

Okay, tonight……….tonight as we sang these songs, as I felt the presence of God around me, as I heard the responses of joy in some of the elderly residents we were singing to as we performed…..it just filled my heart. Now, here is where God started talking to me……it is so great to have God in my life where we share a deep relationship….I talk to Him and He talks to me….and we just feel close. Anyway, I am studying James chapter 5 right now I when I got home I was on verse 13. It is so awesome when God speaks! Listen to this:
     James 5:13 (The Message version) “Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing.”

Short, and to the point….but wow, it explains so much to me! Back to where I was before, looking at the people around me, looking at my self and wondering why, as it has not been my tradition most of my life, why I feel such a connection with God when I sing, why my arms are in the air, why I often well up inside. Our singing is directed TO God. As I sing words of love, of praise, brokenness, and adoration……I’ve been praying and lifting my heart to God. I have found that I often sing with my eyes closed as much as possible, I lift my voice to Jesus…..and Jesus smiles and touches me……..I think that is why I have broken with my tradition. That is so much why I feel free and unshackled. That is why as I see singers like Christi come off that stage, she often has tears in her eyes or is on the verge…it’s because as she has been singing she has been sharing her heart with our Lord and He is right there in her midst reaching out and embracing her with a smile. Our songs are prayers, that’s why we lift them up, that’s why we often feel so deeply as we sing, that’s why it’s great to well up inside to dance with the Lord in our hearts. Oh, if we all could see that our songs are prayers, not just words and melody……..

Another neat thing happened to me today. As Kelly and I were returning home we were talking about my ministry at the retirement homes, I was sharing why I do it, and I was sharing that God called on me to do it. Kelly coaches young boys in football, younger than middle school age. As we contemplated these things that we do we realized that this is what Jesus has told us ALL to do in so many ways…..COACH FOOTBALL….no, just kidding……Matthew 25:34-40 came to my mind here, Jesus speaks telling us

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Okay, so why did Jesus call Larry and I to spend years singing and playing songs for the elderly and my friend Kelly to volunteer to coach young boys in football? Because we are each to use our gifts, our talents, our passions, to reach OUT to someone. Because there is a need, because this is obedience, not in the legal sense, but in the real sense. Oh, what a ministry, to teach young men that someone cares enough for them to give of there time. Someone cares enough for them to teach them real life’s lessons of teamwork, of caring for each other, of doing their small part to change the world (or at least win the game…isn’t that the same thing?). And what’s most important here is that Kelly has it in his heart to teach them to play with a rightous heart, not to cheat, not to hurt, not to do the wrong things to achieve their goal. He’s affecting young hearts for Christ. Maybe he’s not preaching Jesus directly all the time but he is certainly teaching Jesus principals…..and when he has the opportunity, he introduces them to the real coach…..Jesus.

I’ve gone on long enough. If anyone reads this to the end, thanks for joining me. If this is the only part you’re reading (the beginning and the end) that’s cool….it is pretty long   

We have a world to change…..one person and one situation at a time. We have disciples to make, and we have a God who loves us passionately and smiles when he see’s us “gettin it”, just like we smile when our children, “get it” and do awesome things.

We have hundred’s of thousands of people who have been affected by a terrible natural disaster, Katrina, and there are allot of needs……..‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

God Bless!

RETHINKING OUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP BIBLE STUDY:
Okay, while in some way’s I’m going out on a limb here, in other ways, my heart tells me this is what we should do. I have been putting allot of thought to our community group, the elements of our gathering each Wed. and what it should be. It should be a worship gathering not unlike our Sunday church gathering only more intimate and on a smaller scale. We are already almost there, but I feel we should focus our hearts:

Our focus should and always will be Christ! Everything we do should be an interactive form of worship and praise.

– We will start with Songs of praise. To facilitate everyone joining in and singing, I will insure we have lyric sheets. I will encourage others in the group to suggest a song that speaks to their heart or to work on a song to present to our gathering in praise.

– Our study and discussion time will stay pretty much the same. We study straight from the scripture. One chapter at a time. Very interactively.  Currently we are in James 5 and will soon go on to the book of Acts. We always encourage the application of scripture in our lives.

– I want to encourage others to use their gifts to create as a manner of worship. It might be a special dish they create for the group (of food, yeah, we love food), or a song to sing, or a photo they took, a picture or drawing they made, a sculpture, anything that is created as an act of worship to share with God and the group as well as our larger worship gathering on Sunday.

– I want to encourage members to serve in obedience “the least” of those around us, the elderly, the sick, the infirm, the poor. We can do this individually as well as collectively. Many of us already serve in ministry weekly singing and taking God’s word to retirement homes in the area.

– I want to encourage each other to share in the lives of others through occasional fellowship events like cookouts, pool parties, etc. (we already do this occasionally).

– We already are very involved in each others lives by helping each other and praying for each other throughout the week.

– Our usual closing prayer usually consist of me writing down the prayer request of each person and then me and maybe someone else praying for these request and the group. I want to quit making a list, spend more time on our knees before Christ and each talk to Christ ourselves in our prayer, either audibly or silently. But encouraging the sharing of our prayers and praises audibly with the group and God.

– Once a month I want us to experience the Lord’s table using goblets of juice and loaves of bread. We can partake in communion just before our study and have fruits, cheeses and meats on the table to snack on throughout the study.

The main focus is that our gathering is in worship not just fellowship among ourselves. It is the act of adoring and praising God, expressing our love and praise to Jesus. My hope is that we will then take this “worship” beyond our gatherings and into our homes, or workplaces, our schools and the lives of others. Our entire lives are spiritual acts of worship!

(“Emerging Worship” by Dan Kimball)

Worship is life. Life is worship. God is my Father, Jesus is my Savior 24/7.

What do you think?

This is something we all should read…….

Relevant Magazine Article: “Indicted by Katrina”

My friend, Stephan (ToxUThat) had a wonderful; post that got me thinking. I just felt like sharing these thoughts on my own site also

Ambition….it can have a negative connotation, why, because it is often associated with people who will do or say anything to get ahead, people who will hurt others just so they can get what they want. However, Jesus teaching often comes to me when I think of this subject, His teaching on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). God wants us, no….more than that, God calls us to use our gifts and talents in a way that is pleasing and worthy of Him. He clearly does not want us to just “sit” idly by and not use our gifts (Matthew 25:24-28). But the ones who use their gifts and multiply their gifts….those……God wants to bless and multiply their blessing (Matthew 25:20-23). Ambition is only bad if we hurt others for our own gain. God calls us to use the gifts and talents that He has graced us with in a way that will will multiply and grow.

Will people see “ambition” in us? Or will they see God’s blessings on people who multiply what has been given them through God’s grace? What do you think?

This is my piggy bank
after I bought gas today……

( Thank You UKGIRLDML )

I WITNESSED A CHILDREN BEING BORN

I would have never expected to see a child being born in a room full of men!

I have little time as I am off for the second day at Promise Keepers, Orlando. But last night I witnessed over 400 men, arm in arm with other men, give their lives to Christ. Over 400 children in Christ were born right there in front of me. The speaker was Dave Roever, a wounded Vietnam Veteran that, while he lost much on that day in Vietnam, he gained so very much more! It was an amazing site, tears filled my eyes as at the very beginning of the event, I witnessed the Spirit of God in a hall of men from all different backgrounds and denominations. Over a thousand children were born last night……….pray for them as they embark on this incredble journey, as they embark in a relationship, a passionatly loving relationship with the Living God!

Well, I’m off, to the Awakening……………..day two…….

I haven’t blogged in awhile…….I’ve been a “lurker” <smile>. Lately I have been a little dry, a little sad, a little disconnected in many ways. But tonight God spoke to me in ways only He can do. This blog may be long and boring, I don’t expect many to make it to the end. But this evening has been a journey for me that has reaffirmed God’s love in my life, it’s given me strength and caused me to truly reflect the blessings we have in Christ and the love that we share. My friend Larry is 96, soon to be 97 (Oct 23) and he has been in the hospital now going on three weeks. We hope he will be out soon and back home. The hospital staff is great, but there is nothing like the love one gets at home. Larry lives in a retirement home in Altamonte Springs, one of two I play and sing at. Anyway, I went to the Maitland retirement home tonight to sing and I was, well, I was parched spiritually as I entered. I had a thirst for God’s presence but have been moving so fast that I was missing the call to slow down and just commune with Him.

As is my custom, I walked around and talked to all the residents before I sat down to play. I held their hands, entered their lives and felt their smiles enter my heart. I sat down and picked up my guitar and sensed that some songs of hope were needed, not only for them but for me. I started with a song my wife wrote during church one day day in September as the preacher (Steve) was delivering his message called “My Surrender Is Yours”. When I was done and I opened my eyes, I saw hearts that were so very much like mine all throughout the room. I next played a song called “I will Overcome” by Charlie Hall and dedicated it to my friend Richard in Drug Rehab, I think we all needed this song tonight……”O Lord I’m Strong in You, O Lord I’m wise in You, O Lord I can see in You…..So I will overcome”. We talked a little about struggle……at the age of 80 and 90, struggle becomes something that is very prevalent in your life sometimes. Next I played a song for my dear friend, Lena, “I Saw The Light”. She is a tiny woman with a huge warm smile. While she can’t walk she can tap her feet in a dance that can only be with the Lord. “Just like the Blind man I wandered alone, worries and fears I claimed for my own. Then like a blind man that God gave back his sight….Praise the Lord, I saw the light!” About this time we were rockin! I brought it back down with a song that is on our new CD. Christi, if you read this, this is for you: “Song of Love” by Rebecca St. James. Every time I hear Christi sing this song I have to close my eyes in prayer because the words speak so much to my heart….I think they spoke to many hearts tonight…..”The Heaven’s declare You are God and the Mountains rejoice! The Oceans cry Alleluia as we worship You Lord………….for this is our song of love.” And it was our song of love tonight! I felt God’s presence in the room and could see His love in the eyes of all these people that long for His comfort in their lives. We smiled and talked some about the awesomeness of the God we serve and who loves us so much, which naturally lead into an old standard that everyone loved…..”The Old Rugged Cross”.  As I sang these words I could hear a chorus of voices lifting up to the heaven’s in this tiny room, “So I’ll cherish the Old Rugged Cross, till my trophies at last I lay down…..I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross, and exchange it some day for a crown”. This led to a song by Marie Barnett that I simply love……because as I contemplate the Cross and the sacrifice that was made for us, the agony, yet the glory………Jesus becomes the air we breathe. I sang “Breathe” and could feel not only in my heart by the hearts of many of my friends the humble but joyful desperation of that need to be near God. The words that speak most to me here are, “Your Holy presence living in me……….I’m desperate for You……I’m so lost without You…..” As  I opened my eyes after this song I could feel the longing in many of the hearts near me for Christ. I decided to continue on with an appropriate song of hope written by Nigle Briggs, “I will Hold On”. No matter what age we are, I find that one of the most comforting things in my life is letting go, just trusting in Christ’ leading…….”My times are in your hands, I know I’ll never understand…..but I’ll trust in You. Sometimes my heart grows cold, I’m sorry when I take control….but I’ll trust in You……..even when I fall….You help me stand…..even when I’m lost….You take my hand…….I will old on….I will hold on….I will hold on….yes, I will trust in You….” Oh how these words speak to my heart! Next I picked it up with a song by Paul Oakly, “Here I Am”. I play it in a country flatpickin’ style and we were rockin! I heard hands clappin and hearts singing, especially on the chorus: “And I will always love Your name…..and I will always sing Your praise!” We talked about thanking God in our lives and shared with each other smiles and hearts on fire! I continued on with “Amazing Love” and “Apart From You” and probably a few others……. and the evening was over. We prayed, God smiled, we all laughed and I held each hand before I left. I left with  a full heart, with a qunched spirit and a smile.

Next I stopped up at the hospital to see my friend, Larry. When I arrived he was uncovered (and I’ts cold in the hospital!) and lying in bed. I sat on the edge of the bed, held his hand tightly and we talked, well, mostly I listened <smile>. As I held Larry’s hand I could not not help but feel humbled to hold the hand of a man that at almost 97, has given so very much of his life to loving others and sharing the gifts that God gave him to bring smiles to hearts and Christ in lives that were in need of a loving touch. At 94, Larry still drove his car…..he not only played organ at his church on Sunday and Sunday evening, but he played at a retirement home, Village on the Green each week, for his lodge each monh and he led a kitchen band every week at another home. Larry has no family…….but God has blessed him with a network of friends that looks out for his needs and who themselves are blessed by his presence and his love for others. Many times I would sit with him at his home and we would chuckle about his accidently showing up at church on a Wed morning thinking it was Sunday….or we would sort through his mail. At 94, he would insist on helping me when I came over to mow his grass or weed the back yard. He would shuffle while dragging the trash can behind him of grass clippings…and we would laugh….those were days that I often miss <smile>. We had allot of fun together. Sometime I will tell you about the frog that got into his house………well, suffice to say that I don’t like picking up frogs and had to get my wife Kelly to come over to rid his bathroom of his new friend! Anyway, tonight I sat and spent time with my friend, we talked, we chuckled and we prayed. He is so weak and frail right now, but I can see his heart shining through his eyes. While I am sad for him, I realize that he is truly blessed with many people in his life that love him….and we are all blessed by knowing him. It’s funny, many of us only barely know each other…but it’s like we’re on a team that God put together….we serve an awesome God! So here I am…….started out dry, and thirsty…………but now…..now I am back to that song by Rebecca St. James……..”Song of Love”: “Jesus….I am in awe of the love that….You have shown. Jesus….how precious You are to me…..to me…..”. I am just thankful…for so very much.

If Jesus is walking and you’re standing still, what’s happening?