Bob Kauflin of Covenant Life Church discovered his 2-year-old grandson had leukemia prior to Sunday services.

Here’s some of what he says from the experience:

I guess I could have struggled with the apparent dichotomy between my circumstances and the songs we were singing. Or ignored what my family was going through altogether and pretended that nothing was wrong. Or complained  about how hard life is sometimes.

By God’s grace, I actually drew great comfort from God through the truths we sang. So after the first song, which is based on Psalm 150, I shared a few thoughts not only for the church, but for my own soul.

The conclusion:

We don’t lead others out of a vacuum or a sanitized form of Christianity that bears no resemblance to normal life. It’s important that we take time to grieve, acknowledge pain, and confess our struggles. But when, not if,  you find yourself leading out of weakness, challenges, and trials, don’t minimize what’s going on or succumb in despair to your burdens. Lift your eyes, even as you lift the eyes of others, to the Father whose compassions never fail and to the Savior whose mercies are new every morning.

Whether God changes our trials, or more importantly, changes usthrough our trials, we praise him now in joyful anticipation of the day he will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4).

The whole post here.

…is all you need, according to Kevin Kelley:

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce.

They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

The hard part:

The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. They are giving you their support directly. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website, or they order your prints from Pictopia. As much as possible you retain the full amount of their support. You also benefit from the direct feedback and love.

Author/marketer Seth Godwin calls 1000 fans “a breakthrough opportunity” for artists and songwriters.

Consider:

1. What would it take for you to acquire 1000 ‘true fans’?
2. What are you doing now to make that happen?

A humorous post by Jimi Williams at the WorshipTogether blog says that your worship team structure probably falls into one of five catagories:

1. The Crowder
2. The Tomlin
3. The United
4. The Walker
5. The Kitchen Sink

Which is yours?

Any to add?

To only think of Jesus as a long-haired, gentle man in a robe and wearing sandals has devastating effects on the church.  This perception has permeated the attitudes of many who perceive Jesus as a weak character but a good teacher.

The world seems blind to the Bible’s description of the resurrected Jesus, full of power and authority.  This description is highly offensive to the world.  But to worship Jesus as the artists have portrayed him instead of as the Son of Man in all his glory, is nothing short of idolatry.

• Adrian Warnock, Raised With Christ (Crossway, page 68).

Read the book on-line here.

This is a great quote from this discussion between Bob Kauflin and David Powlinson.

Also:  A worship leader should never say:

• “Sing it like you mean it” (you should always mean it)
• “Let’s sing this great old hymn” (the great and the old are not important)

The connection between worship and counseling is intrinsic and remarkable.

View on YouTube below or click here.

HT: Justin Taylor @ TheGospelCoalition.org

Good advice here for seasonal choir rehearsals from Michael Smith (no relation) of Clearview Baptist in Franklin, TN.

He includes this ‘backbone of the worship choir rehearsal blueprint’:

• Begin with something familiar
• Put the hard work in the middle
• End with something familiar.

More here.

Thanks Mike!

It is imperative in planning the worship services that church leaders give careful attention to every element and make sure that the worship retains both integrity and purpose.

People come to church generally “beaten down” by the world of deceit, distraction, and demand.  There is an extraction of emotional and spiritual energy that brings them on “empty” into the community.

The church’s task is to so prepare during the week that it is collectively the instrument of replenishment and fresh energy of soul.  Even being in the presence of fellow believers in worship is a restorer of spiritual hope.

We so underestimate the power of a people in one mind and with one commitment.  Even a prayer can so touch a hungry heart that it can rescue a sliding foot in a treacherous time.

- Ravi Zacharias, A Mighty Evangel, RZIM

Read Ravi’s story on how God moved powerfully through prayer in a meeting with atheists, agnostics, and Marxists here.

HT:  Josh @ blog.worship.com

Too many Christians stand back and live half-hearted lives of partial worship & adoration.

They pray, read the books, sing the songs, enjoy the Lord, and cheer at the events, but when it comes to doing anything – getting their hands dirty, being involved with community, or serving others in need or giving generously, it’s like – I couldn’t, I was too busy reading books about the rapture, my hope is just to leave.

No.  That’s not how Jesus lived.

- Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church, Seattle.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Christianity Today has posted a good piece on social awareness and activism among evangelical Christian musicians.

It briefly chronicles the movement and also draws an important distinction:

…something more than endorsement is happening in contemporary Christian music.

Artists are directly immersing themselves and their audiences in missions to hurting people, whether they are six blocks or 6,000 miles away.

They are stepping to the forefront to address poverty, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other fatal diseases, taking personal responsibility to invest in grassroots work.

The piece talks about the Bono factor, how most are avoiding “the minefield of short-term missions,” and how the upheaval in the music industry aids musicians invested in missions.

Definitely worth your read.  Also see:

• Jars of Clay: Clean Water, Clean Blood
• Sara Groves: Less Charity, More Justice
• Steven Curtis Chapman: Beauty Will Rise
• Derek Webb: A Different Kind of Neighbor
• Third Day: Diversification Is the Key

To get your church involved in what God is doing to awaken mercy missions through music, click here.

In the first family, God was looking for true worshipers.

Between Cain and Abel, he found only one.  “The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering.  Cain became furious…” (Gen. 4:4-5).

Driven by religious jealousy, Cain murdered his brother.

Welcome to the Story of Worship.

- Gerrit Gustafson, The Story of Worship, Worship Corner blog