What a great time we are in the midst of! So many things are going on right now and it’s pretty amazing. For me, tacked on the end of Christmas and the new year and my daughter’s 6th birthday, I’m in the middle of helping to plant a church. Life is super busy. But as another month wraps up and we look forward to what’s ahead, I want to do my best to focus on Christ. It wasn’t easy to do this past weekend with all of the super amazing sales that were out there. I did a pretty good job of not getting wrapped up in the craziness that this holiday has become. I’m looking to dig in my heels and focus on who God is in my life and for my family.

We have this scheduled time in our calendar called Advent that, until a few years ago, I could care less about. But it’s all about the anticipation and waiting for the arrival of Christ. The real gift. The Savior of the World. This is my act of worship for the month of December. Anxiously waiting for Christ to come. And when the time comes, I will rejoice.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lowly exile here, until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel. Shall come to Thee O Israel.

I couldn’t decide if I was going to write anything about Thanksgiving or not. I waited so long that I didn’t end up writing yesterday. Oh well. I’m still thankful today. There has been so much going on in my life lately that I haven’t taken much time to sit back and really enjoy everything that God has done for me. Even with all of the ‘stuff’ going on, I’m simply thankful for my family. My family puts up with me and I’m so thankful for them. I am always running and I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I would like. But it doesn’t matter how much I have to do or how busy I get, I’m still daddy and husband at the end of the day. For that I am thankful. That is all I have to say today. Have a great rest of the weekend!!!!

I just want to start out by saying I don’t like this phrase. I was trying to think about why I don’t like it, and I think it’s because I can’t use it. I mean, I COULD use it. But in my own heart and mind, I can’t use that phrase. I was reading on the Internet this week when I ran across another celebrity divorce upcoming that used that as their reasoning for the break up. Now, I don’t have any real ties to that relationship so it doesn’t really matter to me in that sense. But I do wonder what it is in us today that allows us to so easy walk away from things when we don’t like them. That brought me to this idea…

Is this the mindset we operate from when it comes to church as well? What about worship music? The pastor? I see this very easily being something that people use without realizing it. Sometimes we will be involved in a situation and when it starts to not look like we want it to, we start to find ways to justify our disdain. One of my favorite people, Kevin Hughes always says that when someone comes to his church because it’s ‘perfect’ he already knows that they won’t be around long. Eventually that new church smell will wear off and they will begin to see all of the imperfections of the church and get disenchanted and leave. Whenever I hear about these things happening, I wonder if we ever get to a point that we look inward. At what point do we decide that the irreconcilable differences don’t come from the church, but they are within us? Are we not willing to reconcile the problems in our own hearts? Are we not willing to make the hard changes when we are forced to look at them? Are we not willing to say that we are getting older and even though it’s not bad, the new music is just something we need to get used to? Can we accept that the pastor isn’t perfect and sometimes he will say things that we don’t like? Do things that we don’t like? Not call me back as quick as I would like because he probably has other stuff going on as well?

I am from the school of thought (and I may be alone in this) that says that it’s not always the other person’s fault. Sometimes I have to look at myself no matter how hard that may be and no matter what I might find and know that I may have to make some changes. What are some of your ‘irreconcilable differences’ that you may need to take another look at?

I may or may not have already written about this. To be honest, I didn’t check before I started writing this. But I don’t care. I have spending some quality time with some quality people lately and it has gotten me thinking about a lot of things. I have a slew of people who are going to be coming to this neighborhood on a regular basis once this church gets going. What am I going to do to connect with them in a real way once they get here? We are getting ready to host a meeting for the block captains in this neighborhood, most of which I have never met before. What happens after the meeting ends on Thursday? Do I ever see these people again?

I guess I’m asking all of this because I have been talking for years about how I love spending time with the people around me, but in reality, I haven’t done a great job of that lately. God called us to be in community and I’m doing a sucky job of it. This afternoon at lunch I was able to sit and talk with two people that I really respect. It meant a lot to me to listen to them talk about life and share real things. It gave me ways that I could pray for both of them when I walked out the door. The question I asked myself on the way home was, “Why don’t I do that more often?” I don’t have a real answer. Which means that I need to do a better job of that. I need to be more intentional about being in and staying in community with people in my life and starting new relationships with the people that are RIGHT close to me already.

Do you have an opportunity to do that? Have you gotten too busy to spend time with the people around you? I’m just asking…

I will contribute the writing of today’s blog to my friend, Kelsey Kocher. She’s a great girl and I’ve been teaching her piano lessons for awhile. We were talking today about what songs actually mean and we got into a GREAT conversation about the song ‘How He Loves’. I personally haven’t been a fan of that song until after today. After today’s conversation, I saw a visualization of that song that I had never seen before. If you want to know, you can always ask me later.

Anyway, the next question was how to get people to think about the words of hymns. At that point we got into a conversation about how to get people to think about what they are playing and singing. I had to admit that I am guilty of just playing through a song set without thinking about what I’m singing or leading people in. Today I took some time to think. Let me tell you, it was a great thing. It had been quite awhile since I really visualized what a song was trying to say. To sense the story that was to be told by the writer.

Sometimes we just have to stop and think about what it is we are singing. I think we’d find out just how good God is. Scary, huh?

Sometimes this job is not always fun. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do. However, sometimes it’s that thing that allows you to help others. Doesn’t make sense, I know. But trust me.

I had a conversation with a good friend of mine this week about something that happened in their service. I was a little confused by something that happened and was quite distracted as a result. You never want to go to someone and tell them that something they spent time putting together didn’t quite hit the mark. I was worried about making that call, but I found that after making that call I was able to share freely and even find out how I could be praying for the situation in the future.

I believe that I have a responsibility to share with my friends ways to continue to improve the flow of worship if something stands out. I would love if they came to me in the same way, and I have friends and people close to me that do that. It challenges me to keep growing and keep trying to get better at what I do. That being said, it’s not easy being on either side of that conversation. Today I am thankful for people around me that keep me going. I only hope I can be an encouragement to them as well.

Let me first say that I’m thankful for my new job and I am loving the people that I get to spend time with on a regular basis. Let me say second that waking up early is not my ministry. So I would have to say that these past few weekends along with the weekends coming up may fall under the ‘push’ category. I love the progress that is being done on our building. Things are coming right along, and some big things are starting to take shape. This weekend, more painting, getting things ready for the floor cleaner guy for the offices, marking the places where the electricians will put in new boxes, making the marks for the new sound booth, rehanging our front screen in its new location, a host of other things and the weekly doughnut from World’s Fair. I hope to put some pictures up so you can see where we started to a finished project. Have a great Saturday!!!

As I’m writing this, I’m almost ashamed at the fact that I used that as a title. However, I think it’s worth stating because that statement is at the heart of who I am. I have always loved music. I grew up in a Motown family so I have people like Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and others in my list of favorites. I love voices that don’t make sense which is why I love people like Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston. My love for instrumental music and voices different than my own bring me to a love of people like Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire and Hall and Oates. I love lyrics and classics so I love The Beatles. I grew up in an interesting time and so the mix in my brain is so intense that includes the likes of Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Common, Mos Def, John Mayer, Audrey Assad, Hillsong, DeBarge, Anita Baker, Paramore, Sting, The Spinners and the list goes on and on and on…

I also have developed a love for music that isn’t quite as widely known, but still simply amazing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that one of my favorite groups today happens to be from St. Louis called the Fundamental Elements. I was also introduced to a group called Paper Route that I had never heard of before that rocked my socks at a concert. I’ve broadened my musical horizons in church hearing songs like Different from a group called Acceptance. I’m always learning more about music every day and hearing some of the best lyrics ever just by doing a little digging.

One of the things that I’ve come to realize is that music brings people together more than anything I’ve ever experienced before. I know that’s not a revolutionary statement, but I feel that it’s worth repeating. Most of the people that I’ve been blessed to know in my life come from a general love for music whether it be playing and singing it or listening to it and picking it apart in a way that only musicians can. I am learning that this gift that God has given us is something that can be used to His glory unlike anything else. I also see that even if it’s not billed as “Christian” music, that can still be accomplished. Case in point, I am doing a show at a local coffee shop in the Tower Grove area and the whole goal is for our church to reach out to the community and let them know that we are there. However, one of the main points that was made in planning this from our end is that it wasn’t going to be a worship concert. I’m glad that we have that mind. We just want to build relationships with people. I think this will be a super great way to pull that off.

A huge reason that I’m writing this entry right now is because I’m having my ears caressed by the lyrics and vocals of my friend, Seth Primm. He has always pushed me to want to be a better vocalist because he’s always been amazing in the 10 years that I’ve known him. I honestly can’t believe that I’m listening to this voice and know the person that goes with the voice. That makes it that much better. He and his beautiful wife are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia and have written a collection of songs as a prayer, speaking life into this little girl before we even know who she is. I’m overwhelmed by this project not only because these are true friends of mine, but because of what it stands for. Even more, it reminds me why I love music. Pure. Simple. Right. Music. Thanks guys, for reminding me why I do this.

Have you ever just forgotten what you were doing while you were in the middle of doing it? I hate to admit that I’ve done that way to many times. I get so focused on what I’m doing and trying to get things accomplished that I will forget what it is I’m actually trying to do and even worse, WHY I’m doing it. I can get really task oriented and get obsessed with marking things off my list. Unfortunately I do all this to the detriment of reason and meaning and will look back on my day and wonder where it all went.

How many times do we do that in our Christian walks? We get so focused on the whats of religion and overlook the whys of the relationship with Christ and the people He told us to minister to. I learned that in a REAL way about an hour ago. A woman stopped at my table here at Bread Co and just started talking. She was on a roll and I can’t even remember all the things that she said. At first I was upset because she broke into my work time. However, she was so happy that we took the time to talk to her and it really made a difference. I was convicted because I was thinking about moving forward and was so upset about having to stop. I had to step back into the moment and learn how to enjoy this woman’s company. “Let’s go meet in a place where we don’t mind being interrupted…” -Wise words from Pastor Keith

I, Harry Ernest Walls, IV is attempting to be a full time blogging person again. I keep trying to get back into it, but when you’ve been out of it as long as I have I’m having trouble starting back up. However, I have some many things to share and so many things to get back to writing about. So, my best bet is to start back writing again. it’s not like I’ve stopped thinking about worship, I just haven’t written about it.

For those of you that don’t know about it by now, I have started a new job at a church in the city that I’m super excited about. I can’t believe this is real sometimes. I’m sure that it is though because they pay me. That makes me happy. Anyway, there are quite a few things that are starting up and I’m pretty happy to be a part of it all. One of the things that scares me to death is the upcoming show that I’m doing.  On Saturday, December 4th I will be playing at Hartford Coffee Company on the corner of Roger and Hartford in South St. Louis City. It is a part of my new church, The Word at Shaw, reaching out to the community. I will be playing music there in a fun coffee shop setting. I’m excited but at the same time I’m scared out of my mind because small crowds freak me out. Seriously. However, I still agreed to do it and I am sure it’s going to be fun.

One of the other things that is quite exciting is the fact that we are working hard on getting this church up and running. Christmas Eve is rapidly approaching, but I’m thinking that we will be ready. If you want to get a feel for what this thing is gonna look like you should come check out our sample services. You can also take a glance at our website, www.thewordatshaw.org or you can look us up on facebook.

I’m so glad to be jumping back into this. Let’s see where it takes us. Join me again on this journey.