what God hears

Last week I attended a conference at the North Campus of Hickory Grove Baptist Church. This was the Seminars4Worship that is presented by Integrity Music. They offer 3-4 of theses conferences around the country, and I was excited when I learned that this was going to be so close. I would get the opportunity to listen to some excellent speakers on the subject of worship, and get to hear some really good christian artists perform their songs that we do here each week. I always approach these events with anticipation; what will I hear?; what can I learn from these people?; what can I take back with me?; what will I be challenged with?

One thing that I heard was from a statement by Glenn Packiam. Glenn is the Leader of the New Life Worship Institute in Colorado Springs, CO. He is also a songwriter for the Desperation Band, and we have sang a few of their songs. Anyway, I was in a small class setting where he was the speaker. In his talk he said that "Worship needs to be us hearing what God hears", and then he went on to tell us some things that God may very well be hearing. While he was giving examples filled with statistics, I kept hearing that statement over and over in my head, and kept asking myself......."what is God hearing?" (I'm not one to listen to a lot of statistics) So, what is God hearing? Do we hear the same thing? Are we getting His attention with our worship? Is He getting our attention? Sometimes I think that we may not truly understand what worship is. If we try to hear what God hears, we might not hear music.........we may hear suffering, we may hear the hurting, we may hear the needy. And if we hear the needs of people, what would our worship sound like? What would our worship look like? Our worship is a response. It is an outward expression of our inward desire to understand what God wants us to do. "Worship is designed to wake us up to the world, not insulate us from it." (Glenn Packiam) If we only worship when we are at church, what does that tell us about our worship. However, if the church responds in a crisis and meets the needs of the needy, then that speaks volumes about the worship of the church.

This new series, "Whatever It Takes", is giving us all the opportunity to respond to the needs of our community with our worship. All we need to do now..........is to be willing to listen and hear what God hears.........and respond in worship.

heaven's song

This "Fireproof" series that we have just finished up, has been amazing. God has had His hand on these four weeks from the beginning. The opening night of the movie; the church purhasing tickets for Firefighters and their wives to attend; the excitement of getting the stage put together; the props from local Fire Departments and friends; the messages that have challenged us all with a "love dare"; the stories from couples about how God has, or is moving in their lives. It has been like this constant increase in energy and anticipation each week to see what will happen next. And, to be honest with you, my anticipation was a limited one. Don't take that in the wrong way; I truly believed that God would do some amazing things here at HRCC with this series, but I was not prepared for how He would end this series.

Jon and I had talked about doing the song, "Love Is Not A Fight" by Warren Barfield, at the end of his message for this past weekend. It was planned as the "love dare" for couples to take this time to come forward and pray for each other.........out loud. I was very nervous. I knew Jon could sing the song; he has a great voice, but for me to play the song........on guitar........alone. That's called.....nervous. So, several times during the week I practiced. And I practiced. And I practiced. And every time I finished the song, I would want to play just a little longer........not the song, but just two chords over and over. I don't know why.......they just sounded good together; A and D2. Back and forth between the two chords; but only after the last time that I practiced the song. I don't know why. I would sit and play these two chords and drift away in my mind......close my eyes and just listen to the sound that these chords would make together. It was very comforting and restful.

Then, at the end of the last service on Sunday; Jon and I, along with Mike Reavis, play the song and couples come to the front of the stage, and they pray for each other........out loud. And as we finish the song......there is still praying going on; and I find myself playing A and D2.......and this amazing song happens; a song of music and prayers. If you were there, you heard it. You couldn't help but hear it........and feel it. It was heaven's song......prayers and tears and music.......joy and hurt and music.........love and peace and music.........love and peace ........ love......... God's love......... heaven's song. The most beautiful song I have ever heard.

a bowl of Trix

I wasn't even sure what time it was. I didn't really care. All I was focused on was what I was looking at out the window as we drove along Hwy 79. On both sides of the road was this blanket of color that covered the mountains of West Virginia. It is the second week of October, and the leaves are turning. I'm sure that I'm not the only person that likes this time of year. The air is a little crisper in the mornings; the sun seems to be brighter, without the glare; and the leaves begin this transformation from green to yellow, orange, red, and gold. Maybe its the "artsy" side of me (as Ray would say) that notices this so much. But, when I see the colors, I can't help but think about God as an artist, and He brushes over His landscape with such majesty and power, that even the trees respond. What were once quiet and green begin to shout with "Hey!!! Look at me!!! I'm changing!!!" Its like we see them for the first time. They've been there along the highways and roads all year, but now they've got my attention.
I remember being in college and going out on the Blue Ridge Parkway just to do some sketching, and sitting there lost in the wonder of all the color. The mountains with all this color looked like a giant bowl of Trix. (sometimes in college, you think about food.......a lot) I tried to sketch what I was experiencing, but it was useless. No painting could touch it. This was all done by the Master, and there was no need to even try and improve on it.
Sometimes, I sit back and look at the church, and I see the same artist applying His brush strokes to His canvas that we call HRCC. People attend here every week, but when God has brushed His hand across their lives.......we can't help but see a change. Someone who was once a quiet person, that would kindly smile as they passed by; now is excited about what God is doing in their life and it is as if they are shouting "Hey!!! Look at what God has done for me!!! He has changed me!!! I need to tell you about it!!!" When I am leading worship; I hear them. When I get the opportunity to speak; I see them. We are all different; just like the paint on an artist's palette. But, when used by an artist.........we become more than a bowl of Trix........we become His masterpiece. And every artist loves his work.