In the mean time, I will continue to cheer on my boys and hope they bring home that 11th championship in 2011! LET’S GO CARDS!

I am intrigued at how technology infiltrates the church as well. Because of the many levels of technology, it seems like you can go to may different churches small to mega and see technology used in all of them. You can go to my dad’s small church in University City (for my St. Louis dwellers) and he runs his service off of a laptop using PowerPoint that runs, very visibly might I add, to 2 televisions hanging from the ceiling. It works for them. You can come to my church and see a couple screens and lights and all this stuff on the stage and a small but effective tech booth. It works for us. I’ve been to a couple churches that have multiple screens on the stage, some of which don’t do anything more than extend the screen background across the stage. Then I’ve seen churches with 60 foot LED walls. Awesome technology and really cool stuff. In all of these situations churches are using technology to enhance the worship experience that people receive when they walk through the doors. Some of the larger churches have the ability to keep up with technology and stay ahead of the game, which is something I believe churches really should strive to do. However, that’s another blog for another time. But my question to worship leaders, church staff and whomever else is this: when do you feel like there’s too much? Have you ever been distracted by the technology in a worship service? It is because of too much or because something doesn’t work? I’m curious because I’ve been having this conversation in my mind for a while and thought I’d get it out of there and share my thoughts with the world. Tell me what you think.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me

John 15:1-4

There is so much truth in this entire passage, but I like to focus on one particular point, especially when I’m feeling really extra good about myself. I remember when this concept first made sense to me. It actually wasn’t that long ago, but it has been pretty life changing ever since. It’s there in verse 2. The first part makes total sense. The branches that aren’t producing get cut off. But it’s the next part that got me. Branches that bear fruit get cut so they can bear MORE fruit. One day I was reading this and it hit me; no matter what I do or how good I am or how well I sing or play piano, I’m gonna get cut, too. That was a big revelation for me. Once I thought about it in the context of being a gardener it made total sense. Even when a plant is doing well and growing, a gardener has to come in a cut some of the plant back to help it flourish and be the most fruitful. Pruning helps a plant get out of its own way. The same thing happens with us. We could be doing well and feel like things are moving right along. Our marriage is great. Our kids are behaving. Our job is good. We are going to church. We might even give a little money. But maybe in all of that we have filled our time up so well that we aren’t really spending time in the Word. We may think we are doing great by fulfilling our weekly duty to attend church. But then something happens that rocks us off the happy boat that we’re on. All of that good stuff is getting in the way of some real growth and even though it all looks good to our eyes, something has to be cut away.

It’s easy to look at a situation where things are going wrong and be able to say what needs to change. That’s way easy. The more difficult cuts happen when things seem to be all good. That’s when the master gardener has to come in and look at things and diagnose what cuts are going to be most beneficial for the plant to continue its growth pattern. For me, it is quite humbling to think about the fact that no matter what happens I’m not above being cut to make room for something even better. I’m never going to be so holy or so righteous to where God will decide that I’m good enough to let grow on my own. However, it helps me to understand my whole place in this situation. I’m not the one in control. And that is totally okay with me. I think about what would happen if I worked at the Missouri Botanical Garden doing this job. Even I can spot something bad and get rid of it when the time comes. But when I go and see something that looks pretty and is growing well, I’m not going to know which ones need to be pruned. I just see pretty colors. But the people who work there know those plants intimately and know exactly what they need to grow and flourish.

The same thing goes for our Father in heaven. He knows exactly what we need to grow. He knows when it’s time to make a cut that will weed out the decaying parts of our lives as well as the parts that are growing well but need some help to be more productive and fruitful. In the end, the thing that meant the most to me manifested itself in this way. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, you’re going to get cut. Sometimes it will be meant to root out some of the difficult and useless things in your life. Sometimes it will be meant to help better direct the fruit that you are bearing. But no one is above the shears. No one. And I like it that way.

Some of you will say, “Hey, record the first set of songs”. To you I will say, “I’m doing that next month”. But that doesn’t take away what’s naturally inside of me, and that is to write about life through the eyes God has given me. As always, I like help. So I’m reaching out to some of my friends to see what we can come up with. I guess if I start now I can be working on a solid follow up album to the one that I’m going to be working on soon. I love this part of my life. I can’t wait to see what God has to say.

I am going to be working with a couple of the ministry groups on campus at Missouri Baptist this year. I spent some time with someone who has always been in my corner this afternoon and he presented this opportunity to me. I must say, I’m totally elated that I get to use the abilities that God has given me to help train and teach others.

Before you ask, it’s not a paying thing, but I am gaining some real experience working in a school AND I’m getting some exposure on campus as someone other than a student. Who knows what will come of this? I don’t know… but I do know that I’m going to have some fun and really pour myself into this while I have the chance.

In other news, if I had money I’d go into the studio. If we can figure that out, I’ll start recording. That’s my plea for help. LOL!!!!

If I haven’t said it in awhile, thanks SOOO much for continuing to check in and read this blog. I appreciate you. You keep me going. Be blessed!

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name…”Beth & Matt Redman

I shared this yesterday during the worship gathering at Grace Community Chapel yesterday. I don’t think I had really though about it until then, but this is how I’m feeling right now. This is a trying time for me and my family. We are trying to stay focused on what God has for us, but it seems so far away that we don’t really know what we’re focusing on right now. This has been a really tough road for us. For me, it feels like Sunday mornings that we get to worship with others fall within the streams of abundance and the sun that’s shining down. It’s the rest of the week that feels like the wilderness. That’s when we are at home trying to make a couple dollars stretch to pay tons of bills. And when we are doing all we can to keep the hope and faith that God is going to do what He said.

I would be lying completely if I said that this was not a scary time for the Walls’ family right now. However, I can say that we are trying our best to say Blessed be the name of the Lord in all times. We are SOOOOOOOO grateful for the amazing time we experienced with the GCC family yesterday. God really did some powerful things during that service and touched a lot of people. I was impacted as well by the response that the congregation showed us. So thanks, GCC for sharing your love with me and my family yesterday.

Lastly, I would ask all of you to continue to pray for us. As of right now, we don’t have the line up of churches to play for in the month of August as we did for June and July. We will be leading at First E-Free on August 2nd. After that, I might just start holding worship services and concerts in my living room. Who knows? Have a blessed day and week friends. There are a few things in my head, so you’ll more than likely hear from me again this week…

I consider it to be a blessing and a curse that I have this ‘condition’. It’s a blessing because I truly believe that there needs to be people in the church setting who consider all the inner workings of the time. It’s sort of like being a creative director as well. However, I’ll be the first to say that I’m not really good at the visual creative things. With that being said, I’m so glad that God has wired me this way because I notice the things and people around me while I’m a part of a gathering. I take in sights and sounds and people’s reactions and incorporate them into my own worship experience. The flip side of this, or the curse, is when I let it distract from what’s going on. Sometimes I get SOOOO wrapped up in the details that I completely overlook what God is doing or saying at any particular time. It gets so easy to start thinking about the external aspect of the Sunday morning time, and I can start to overlook what God is doing internally; not only in me but what could be happening within the hearts of others.

Something that I’ve realized is that this is who I am. That is not going to change because that’s the way God made me. The only thing I can do is learn what this means and make the most of it for the kingdom. As I’ve said before, it’s easy to see how this could be distracting in a worship setting. If I spend all my time (and I have) wondering why the lights are the way they are and why that person is singing the wrong note, I’m not concentrating on the beauty of who God is and why He deserves this praise. But when I am able to focus on the task at hand, then this is a lethal weapon as a worship leader. If I can give all my attention and brain power to who God is and what he wants to accomplish, the attention to detail becomes crucial in the overall outcome of what happens when we come together in worship to our heavenly Father. So pray that I can curb my WLADD, because when I do it’s a great thing. But when I don’t….

Anyway, I’m asking for your prayers as I attempt to step out of a comfort zone that has been there for a really long time. I’m quite scared, but I want to be obedient to God. Pray that I can listen to God AND respond the way I’m supposed to. That’s been the big issue for me. I have been running from some things because I’m scared of the outcome because I can’t see it. I need to start following God’s lead. Believe it or not, I’m not that great a leader…

I am called to lead people in worship. I am called to minister to people through song. I am called to be a servant. I am called to be a leader. I am called to help people unite their hearts with Christ. I am called to help people turn away from the distractions of life and focus on the God that saves and sings over us.  I can’t do any of that while I’m looking backwards and holding on to my fears. I can only do that if I turn around and begin to move forward. So lead the way, God, lead the way…

I’m a sports fan. Whenever you watch sports news or interviews, people are always talking about chemistry. It’s not only what happens on the field, but it’s the relationships and ‘life’ that happens off the field. The most successful teams always talk about how much they were like a family. Yeah, things got tough and I’m sure they fight, but they were family. The things you don’t see highly affect what you see on television or in the stadiums. What’s in the heart comes out on the field.

How does all of this apply to corporate worship? I’ve read and talked to people who have said they feel like something is missing on Sunday mornings. When you ask them about it, they feel disconnected to the people around them. Church becomes more like a concert or a conference. It is easy to get lost in the crowd and then you begin to pick and choose the things that you like and don’t like about a specific church. Then it becomes more and more about you. It makes it easy for you to choose one place over the other and jump from church to church.

We can begin to experience deeper, more intimate worship when we know the people around us that we are worshiping with. What relationships do you have with the people around you on Sunday morning? Do you really know them? Do you have any community within your church body? If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that people need community. Churches need people in community. Worship needs people that are in community. Think about what the worship in your church could look like if the people worshiping together actually KNEW each other? I don’t think I’m quite done with this thought, so there may be a part 2 to this one in the near future…

I have no idea what it is that God is doing right now. The more that God does, the more I realize I don’t know what He’s doing. I do know that there is a plan and this is what I have up until now…

So I was hanging out with a friend (I’ll leave him anonymous until the linear notes of the CD) last night and we were talking about this idea. As we talked and shared and let God work, we came up with the idea of worship180 being the overarching theme of this ministry. We then started to put some things together graphically and it started to come together a little more. The scripture that stuck out after awhile was 1 Corinthians 13:12. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. I won’t go into all the nerdy details that we came up with as far as how we will make that look in the future, you’ll have to wait for the website for that. However, it’s fitting that the passage comes from the “Love Chapter”. When we are dealing with worship, we are expressing our love for the Master. We want to show Him how much we love Him, but we don’t know truly how to love Him. We don’t know how to love Him fully because we don’t know Him fully. The desire of the ministry is to help us look at the gospel, which will help us to see Him a little more clearly.
From a ministry front, we don’t totally know what God is doing yet, we see through this mirror very dimly right now. The hope is that as we continue to look to Him for guidance and direction He will continue to clear the glass out a little. Stick close, this is getting good…