I’ve been thinking about the subject of worship (big surprise, that) and the role that we, the Body of Christ, should play.  Sincerity in worship is of great concern to me.  I frequently examine, as a matter of discipline, the way I worship.  I desire to always be honest in my worship as I serve my King.  Being paid to lead others in worship puts me in danger of sliding into a state of hypocrisy, a state of play-acting.  Fake.    Worship music in the...

I don’t know if you heard, but I’ve been really sick.  I literally spent 7 full days in bed, under the covers, shivering with fever.  There were questions as to whether I had pneumonia, or simply a severe case of bronchitis.  After a chest x-ray, pneumonia was ruled out, thank God.  Bronchitis is bad enough!     It’s times like these that afford the Church a great opportunity to function the way She was intended.  For me, support came in many ways.  Hector Roldan stepped up and led...

"I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.  Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live....The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, He saved me."  [Psalm 116.1-2,6]     This verse reminds me of the need to be simplehearted.  Having a simple heart is not something that comes naturally to me.  I'm complicated.  Emotions and logic interact in a unique way somewhere between my ears.  I tend to focus on things that...

“You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way.  He who comes from heaven is above all. [John 3.28-31]”...

I am reminded that our God is a jealous God.  (Ex. 34.14)  His command to “have no other gods before me” includes anything that can rival our single focus on Him.  Nothing is out of bounds—anything can become an idol when it supplants God as our first priority. I often have to discipline my children.  Kids get excited and rambunctious.  It’s hard to get them to focus when they’re in that energetic play-state.  What I do to focus them in is to have them come to me, put their hands in mine,...

Who’s the boss?  I sometimes harbor the illusion that I am.  Inevitably, I am proven to be mistaken.  I was recently relating one of the more rewarding aspects of my role in ministry at Parkridge—Youth Worship.  I see young people develop and use their gifts every day.  Sometimes it’s the reason I get out of bed in the morning.  When I was in college, my aspiration was to be an orchestral French Horn player.  I was very good.  I was principal horn for the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, the...

I’m eating soup right now.  Baja Chicken Enchilada soup.  My response to my first spoonful was, “This soup is awesome!”  Please note that I was not forced to stand in stunned silence in response to its remarkable savour.  The soup wasn’t jaw-dropping, life-changing, or mind-altering.  In short, the soup was not awesome.  Neither is fried chicken, pizza, ice cream, or sushi (feel free to substitute your own delicacy here).  A football game is not awesome.  A car is not awesome.  When you think...

Serving sometimes means dealing with the uncomfortable.  Watching people blindsided by grief and loss is a major challenge, one that only the power of God can handle.  Visiting someone that is sick in the hospital makes me feel helpless, at first.  I strive to be empathic, in short, to put myself in their shoes.  This inevitably causes me to stir up my faith and trust in the One who is constant through all of the vagaries of life. I find the Source of encouragement in...