surprises

Don't you just love surprises? I am a big fan of surprises; and this past week was filled with surprises for me. On Wednesday, November 5th, I celebrated a birthday. I guess I could have stayed at home and taken the day off, but Karen was planning on helping at the church that day; and I would rather spend my birthday around her. Anyway, I am busy in my office, when Karen steps in and tells me that there is someone in the lobby to see me. This is not something unusual, since people do stop by from time to time. I walk to the lobby and there is my daughter, Kristen, from Asheville. SURPRISE!!! After a hug (yes, a hug), and a "What are you doing here?" from me, I find out that this had all been planned as part of a birthday surprise for me. Did I say that I love surprises? Kristen stayed at the church with her mom and me, then we were planning to go out and eat.........also part of the birthday plans. This happens at our birthdays all the time; the going out to eat part. Then, another surprise. We end up at my parent's house for hamburgers. There is just something about the way my mom makes hamburgers, and steams the rolls, and the mayonaise slaw.....SURPRISE!!!
Kristen's plan is to head back to Asheville, Thursday evening. She is going to a Bible Study, and Karen and I are getting ready for Small Group at home. I have had a great time with my daughter being home for my birthday, and as the day is coming to an end......the kitchen door opens, and Joshua, my son, comes in from Lynchburg. SURPRISE!!! Are you kidding me?!? All this is part of the plans that Karen has put together for my birthday. Amazing.
I am so blessed to have a wife that likes to surprise me; children that would drive 2-2 1/2 hours just to say "Happy Birthday"; parents who love me; brothers and sisters who send cards, and call on my birthday. And, one thing that I have learned over the years, is that surprises are what makes life so exciting. Without them.......we just live a day-to-day life. We were given life to enjoy it, and to enjoy it to the fullest.....fill it with surprises.

songwriting 101

I have always had a desire to write some kind of song. I can remember growing up and pretending to be some famous songwriter, and I just knew that one day my songs would be on every radio station, or on an eight-track tape (classic). I would convince myself that writing a song couldn't be too hard. Well, I have learned that writing a song is not easy for me. There have been times that I could sit down and play the guitar, and it seemed as though all the words would just jump out of my mind and onto the paper. Then again, I can sit and strum for hours, and not have a thought. The next "great song" wasn't there.

When I attended the Seminars4Worship conference in October, I had the opportunity to take part in a songwriting class. We didn't compose any songs in this class, but I learned a lot about how hard songwriting really is; and steps that I can take to help some of these thoughts in my mind make it to paper, and eventually sound like a song. I listened intently as Paul Baloche, Joel Auge', and Mia Fields explained the processes that each of them go though to create a song. And not just any song.......but a song that would be good enough to replace a song that has become part of the church's "songs". Those songs that are loved by the church; those songs that have stood the test of time; songs that bring joy, smiles, tears, and a sense of community. (This songwriting idea is beginning to take on a responsibility I hadn't thought of.) I do remember one of the things that Paul Baloche said, "Always have pen and paper handy." He mentioned that there are times that he hears something in the message his pastor is sharing, and it catches his attention as something that he needs to write down; and he does. He also talked about other times when he writes things, ideas, as they come to him......(always have pen and paper handy). But, the reason I mention his illustration about listening to his pastor speak; is that I heard something in Jon's message this weekend, and I had to write it down.

I listened to Jon deliver the message, "Oil Sale", five times this weekend. Friday was critique day....when he have a practice run to help us prepare for the services on the weekend. Anyway, Jon spoke this message five times, and only once did he make a particular statement that caught my attention; and when I heard it, I turned the page in my notebook to a blank page, and immediately wrote it down. I don't know if it will ever become a song, but I do know that it spoke to me. It has been 12 hours since Jon made this statement, and it is still in my mind; and it is on paper; and it has grown from the three lines that he said, to ten lines to try and capture what the words sparked in my crazy, artsy mind. Jon simply said.....

There is hope in His cross...
There is peace at the cross...
There is joy in the cross...

Thanks Jon..........I needed this.

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.

chasing rabbits

Small groups are fun, aren't they? I know the one that Karen and I attend is. I enjoy it because I get to sit and listen to what others think when it comes to talking about a passage in the Bible. I enjoy the laughter (and there is a lot in this group), the food (most excellent), the prayers, and the discussions. Most of the time David will read a passage, help us to understand what the writer was trying to get across, and then the group starts to ask questions and we begin to see how this passage relates to all of us; sitting around in someones house. This small group is not any different than other small groups. I'm sure that if I were to ask each person that attends one of these groups, I would hear some familiar tales. Everyone would probably talk about the "food", "fun", and "fellowship"; and all that is great. But, I was reminded by my small group the other week about something very important that happens within a small group......this is a place to be encouraged.
Our group is going through a study of Proverbs, and during one of our "rabbit chases" through the scripture, they stumbled across a moment that lifted this time of study to a time of reflection, remembrance, and encouragement. I really don't know what started the "rabbit chase", but I enjoyed every minute of it. We were going from one thought to another, and before you could catch your breath........the "rabbit" headed in another direction. Everyone was in on the "chase".....incredible fun, and total encouragement for me. Somewhere during the "chase", the topic shifted to remembering the first time each person stepped foot into HRCC. They would all share about how they can still remember what Ray was speaking about; how he would sit down beside them and talk to them before the service; how welcomed that they had felt that first time.... and how they still feel that way. The "rabbit" led them to tell about how much they each love the church, and how real the presence of God is in the services and with the people, and how excited they all are in seeing the church moving forward, and it went on, and on........and my heart........ my spirit........

The best part of blogging is that you can't see me while I am reliving that night in my head, and trying to put it on a screen. You can't hear my heart pounding, nor do you have any idea how blurred this page is to me right now. I would just like to thank my small group for a time of encouragement that could not have come at a better time. This was one time of "chasing rabbits" that I will not soon forget.
And I am sure, that if you are reading this as a member of HRCC, you probably can remember when you first came here to a service; the greeters; the welcome; the music; the message; the volunteers; the Kids Club; the skits; the videos; the props on stage.............and if you are like me............there goes a "rabbit".

questions

This past Tuesday I had the privilege of speaking in a Chapel Service at North Hills Christian School. Mrs. Richards had contacted me through the church, and had asked if I would be interested in coming to their school. They have pastors from area churches to come and speak to their students during the year. I wrote back and told her that I guess I could do that, and asked her to send me some dates to choose from. The next thing I know, I'm marking on my calendar, September 9th at 1:30. No big deal......til Monday, September 8th. What am I going to talk about? What do they expect from me? Who am I to be speaking to students attending a "Christian" school? Will they ask me questions? Will I have the right answers? I am not ready for this.
Monday morning I call the school to see if I could just drop by and get a chance to see the Chapel; maybe even talk to some of the staff there. It is a pretty neat school. Not very big. Kind of quiet, as schools go. This might not be too bad. I think I can handle this. I leave the school feeling a little more at ease about speaking the next day.
I decide to show up a little early the next day to get myself ready for Chapel. I had decided to bring my guitar, and lead them in a little worship time before I speak. At 1:20, the students start coming in, and I begin to get a little nervous. At 1:30, the room is packed. I don't know about you, but a room full of middle school and high school students should not be as quiet as that room was. I am beyond a little nervous. Now, add to this the fact that a 6th grader sitting on the front row, sees the first slide of a song we are about to sing; opens his Bible and asks me, "What passage of the Bible is that statement from?" We haven't even started, and he's asking a question that I can't answer. Can you feel my palms starting to sweat? The next 40 minutes...........was cool. Not because of what I said, or sang, or how the students responded; but it was cool because God had used a question from a young man to help me see that He wants us to ask questions. He wants us to have a heart and mind that hungers for more of Him. So..............my challenge to the students was for them to continue to ask questions, especially when it came to reading and studying the Bible. I mentioned to them about how that students in Jesus' time could only continue their education with a Rabbi "if" they could answer a question from the Rabbi, and then ask him a question. If the Rabbi said to them, "Come, follow me", they would be able to continue their education and one day become a Rabbi themselves; which was a highly revered career path. A student longed to hear those words from a Rabbi. If the Rabbi did not feel that the student was "hungry" enough for knowledge, them he would just turn and walk away. Their education.....quest...... journey.......was over.
Isn't it amazing that those are the words that Jesus said to his disciples when he selected them. And, they called him "Rabbi". They also asked a lot of questions. If we continue to ask questions; have a hunger for God; we will hear, "Come, follow me" every day. I guess that is why we are known as "Christ followers."