the problem with...

Having been at a church for over a year as a full time pastor, I have learned that there is one thing that the older generation (meaning 55+) really have gotten set in their way. What am I talking about? Worship of course. Last Sunday I sang 5 "newer" songs that the reason people didnt like because they didnt know them. Well, as it later hit me...it was really just another excuse for them to be stubborn and for everyone else to say" well that's just the way it is". 3 of the songs were in the CHURCH'S computer, which means that they are not new. Another song we had sang less than a month ago which leaves only 1 song that was NEW. So it comes down to them simply not LIKING the songs we sang.

Isnt it about time for us, not to call them on their opinions (which is why we love the music we love), but rather on their inability to "worship" in any other style they dont like? If it was in any other area, we would call it as we see it, sin. It comes down to both groups being stubborn and selfish. Still, I dont here many people going up to their Senior Pastors and telling him that they didnt like worship this morning because it was all hymns. Do you? Am I just taking my criticism too personal? Maybe. Are the elders of the church given a free pass to be stubborn and judgemental about the music? I think so.

The biggest thing here is who we are worshipping not how we are worshipping him. Worship leaders shouldn't have to pick songs for the congregation. They need to choose songs to worship God. I'm done, I promise.


Good Day.

DBMD ...oh joy

Lets hope they were all dead :)



Today is my yearly trek to Marion for my District Board of Ministerial Development meeting. It should be interesting to see what they want to talk about because I have been one of them for a year now and dont know what they will be asking me...anywho...it should be interesting to say the least...

44 Days!!!

44 Days until DOD!!!

Puking and dislocated fingers

With all that happened Sunday morning, I forgot to tell you about our overnighter. It was really fun and painful at times. First, we went on a scavenger hunt in Plymouth. I had the kids going around to 20 different stores. The only bad thing was that the cops stopped some of the kids because their had been a gang fight and the kids were running around in groups...didnt look good.

Then, we did a Happy Shake...we got a Happy Meal with Chocolate Milk and blended them up. One of our kids tried eating/ drinking/ shoving it in your mouth with fingers and he puked!!! Thats awesome!

Then, we had a dodgeball tournament. A pretty athletic girl was trying to dodge the ball and went to the ground and popped her finger out of joint!!!

Other than those things, the night went really well. Until I tried showing the Goonies, which by the way is rated PG, and had in the first 10 minutes: 2 sexual conotations, 5 or 6 curse words and some uses of Gods name the wrong way! Boy was I embarrassed. I hadnt seen the movie in like 6 or 7 years! Oh well, life goes on.

Good Day.

Name above all names

This morning, as I got ready I was playing some "worship" music and one of the songs had that line in it...name above all names. We talk about people having a good name and how much brand names mean to consumers. It is one of the first things that we get when we are born. Some go by just one name and others have 4 or 5. We have nicknames, surnames, aka's and married names. Still, how great is the God whose name is above ALL names? Above every person that has done anything ever...as humans we love to see something before we believe it. Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens declare his glory and his voice goes out all across the earth. This morning, amid the mean undercurrent that comes with being a pastor, I am glad to be serving Christ...preaching for him, teaching for him, loving for him, and yes...worshipping for him. Let us never forget who we worship and why we worship him. Worship leaders shouldnt have to pick songs because that is what the people want...that is wrong. Still, with all of that and the behind the back talk...I love being a pastor and serving Him...his love is extravagant and has captured my heart again.

I need forgiveness

My friend Terry came up to help me lead the worship yesterday morning for service. I had it all prepared and had selected the songs and made the order of worship...nothing different than most sunday's. We sang some "contemporary" songs that a majority of the people over 45 wouldnt know (that is a different story though)...as I have written in previous posts, I have found it hard to simply worship during services where I was doing a part of the service. I would be too worried about the congregation liking the music or getting them involved like that was my job!!! Then, about half way through, it happened. It was like God hit me with a DUH stick right across my forehead. It seemed to me as he said " Andy, you arent singing these songs for these people are you? Andy, you arent picking them out for their approval are you? Andy, you arent singing them about the congregation are you? Then, I had realized that I, like the writer of Heart of Worship had been doing everything wrong. Yes, I had been picking the songs for those people, and yes I had been seeking their approval and yes I was just singing to those people. God took my frustration with the whole issue of music and in one fell swoop evaporated it into thin air. I needed forgiveness as a Pastor, as a Youth Pastor, and simply as a Christian. My heart was in the wrong place...it was a God thing that he did that when he did because I dont know what I would have done if that had not happened before I was "talked to" after service by a "saint" of the church...more on that tomorrow...

my point is this: I needed to refocus my life to realize that as Paul put it in Colossians 3:23...whatever I do needs to be done for the lord and not for men because we know that our treasures are heaven treasures and not some earthly, temporal cracker jack treasures....


Good Day

Friday

MMMM...i sit here needing to go take a nap...we have an overnighter tonight and I need to go get some sleep. I am so thankful for the blessings God puts in our lives at just the right time. Little things that most of us miss and never really thank him for. There is a song that says, "every blessing you pour out i'll turn back to praise. We need to work on this. God wants to bless us in and has great things in store for us.

Keep me in your prayers as we have the overnighter tonight!!!

Good day.

wednesday

Good morning...yesterday I was reminded that God is always watching over us. Pastor John and Beth were watching a movie monday night when a couple of teens who, swerved to miss a deer, clipped the tree in the front yard, hit the front porch and then hit Beth's Ford Escape!!! Now, if they wouldn't have hit the tree to slow them down, they probably would have went straight for the picture window which Beth was sitting right in front of! God is an amazing God. His love for us is extravagant. I am so glad that I am a friend of God.


I think our culture is going a bit far with the self help techniques.







Good Day

T minus...

52 Days and counting...

Give it to God

This past Sunday I talked to the kids about spending time with God in quiet and listening to his voice. In Isaiah, we find Isaiah looking for God in the earthquake and wind and fire but when all of that passes, he finds that God comes in a still small voice. Thats what I wanted the teens to find...thats what I need to find. So most of yesterday I was straining to hear some mind blowing sentence from God and all that I felt he was saying to me in my spirit was, "give the young adults and youth group to me". Huh? What did you say? Give those two things that are, or so I thought, in his control anyway back to him? I guess I have been so caught up in "doing" something and preparing something that I whiffed on a thought that wasnt new to me. Letting God do the ministry through me. It isnt me doing the ministry through him, it is him doing his work through me. I am a vessel that he is trying to steer yet I keep trying to grab the wheel. So what if we fail just as long as God was in control. So what if we don't get something done our way as long as it gets done! We need to let God work in us to be able for him to work through us. Simple thought from a simple mind today.


Good Day.

T.V. head...

No more whining this week…I promise. The dark cloud that was last week is gone and I feel a lot better…spiritually and mentally. Last night I talked to the youth group about spending time with God. Sounds simple enough right? I asked them how many hours last week they spent watching T.V. or listening to the radio…average in the group: 70 hours!!! How many of them spent 25 or more hours playing video/computer games: at least 10 of the 25. How many hours online, on the phone: most spent 20-40 hours last week. Then I asked them how many spent more than an hour and a half reading their Bible: 0. Zip. Nada. Nobody had read more than an hour and a half or prayed or just spent time with God. This scares me. Does it scare you? Your friends, your children, your nieces, nephews, grandkids are spending multiple times over more time playing games, watching T.V, entertaining themselves than spending time with God. Hmmm…where did we go wrong? We, meaning everyone that is not a teenager, still struggle with this don’t we? Are we brave enough, strong enough to do anything about it? Could we give up one more hour this week for God? Most of us would probably say yes, but would we do it? What do you think? Am I being too “old-fashioned” in my thinking? Does it really matter if we spend more time entertaining ourselves than doing anything that is God-centered? Maybe I just grew up in a time capsule and should have been born in the 40’s. Still, I didn’t and this is something that bothers me. Does it bother you, or is this something you can just blow off to the culture?




Good Day.

Duh...

Ever feel like this? If that was me my suit would be brown and smelly...and I wouldn't be moving towards the stupid thing!










Ever think my fear of sharks is insane? If you can show me a picture that is scarier than this one i'll put on a straight jacket!






Good Day

Day off of what?

Yesterday was my weekly day off...still it was no day off at all. I had to: finishing cleaning out my apartment so that I could get my deposit back (which I found out that even if you dont clean it you will get your deposit back in full UGH!!!) , take my old keys to the office, get a paint brush and tarp, cash my check, get a drill from Pastor John, paint my two bar stools, and play basketball...well the last one was a stretch but you get the idea. Anyways, this is what is on my mind today...I am wondering if most pastors feel like they are not doing enough. Because that is how I feel most of the time. I feel that I should be doing more...like things would be smoother and get done a lot faster if I just did more. This thinking comes after I was lying in bed mulling over my sermon for this sunday morning...letting God be your power source and not trying to be the vine and just be a branch of the vine!!! Boy, I need to start working on practing what I preach!!! ;)

I can smell IU basketball...

Wednesday morning blues

I really dont care for Wednesday's at all. I think it is because of the few number of teens that were coming throughout the summer. But anywho..it still remains a downer day. I feel like I cant get clarity on much lately. There are things I need to do and things that need to be done and it is all a big blur right now. But, you just keep moving along and things will pick up and clear up.

You know what makes my day? Yep, a tasty McGriddle. I absolutely love those things. Just thought I would share.

Good Day.

The church

I have grown up in, around, beside, near and literally lived in a church. Church has been and always will be a major part of my life. I have heard excuses about this and problems about that. This week, I am struggling a little bit with church. First, I hear it from someone that an older lady that works with the children in our church told some of the teens that "Andy isnt a good teacher because you have too much fun". Interesting and laughable...literally. Then, some of the childrens workers and unnamed other "elders" of the church told Pastor John that the service should not really go over 11:30 because they only have so much to teach and the other people have reunions and things cooking on the stove!!! Oh brother...do I even need to talk about this any longer!? That is just ignorant and such a reflection of our culture creeping into the church...enough said...

Good Day

Waiting to fail...?

In my Church Leadership class we discussed different models of leadership. Over the course of the past year many have come back to mind. However, one is coming back to mind more often...daily even. It is called Competence Failure. The idea is that the more competent you are, the greater your chance of failing. The main point is that most of the work goes to the people that can do it until that person fails. THAT is exactly where I feel I am at right now. I have talked to many different people about starting this or doing that...and who ends up being in charge of it? Well, in a smaller church the Pastor is usually the one that does it. So you think, "boy, andy is whining today!" Well, maybe I am. Just wanted to get it out...thanks for listening

Oh boy...

Do you ever feel like you are just treading water? Like you are taking in some water but you aren't about to sink? That is where I am at today. I feel like, and I really do have, a dozen or two things on my brain that need to get done. The biggest problem with all of that is that I don't want to fail at anything. Still, I know that eventually something that I do will bomb and stink like the stuff I made the kids eat at the Kick-off. But until that happens...I am still treading water and doing the best that can be done by me today...hopefully.

The NFL starts this weekend. MLB is in full pennant mode and I can smell college basketball!!! Here is a pic from our youth groups last overnighter. I was doing my best impersonation of Alicia Keys' "If I don't have you"!!!

What about them...

This past Friday I went with Sarah to visit her Dad's mom in her nursing home. She was in the Alzhiemer's unit. Sarah warned me going in that she says a lot of different things to different people and told me not to get offended by anything she says. Good start huh? Well, we get in there and she has a good grasp on reality today. She was sitting in the dinning area with the other people and we began to talk with her. About 10 minutes into the conversation, after me thinking to myself, "boy, this would be horrible if it happened to me" and "what does God do with people that have lost part of their sanity", the group began to sing. "Holy, holy, holy. Lord God almighty...then came the second verse..."though the darkness hides thee" it hit me that God had not forgotten any of these people. He STILL knew them by name and they were his children. Shame on me and shame on America for having similar thoughts about our elderly. Growing old doesn't mean that we lose our importance. It only means that we have lost some hair, some memories and maybe our teeth!!! No, but seriously, it should bring peace to our souls to realize that what Jesus said is still true in September 2005...God will never leave us or forsake us!!! How great is our God


Good Day

It's not mine

As I was driving to work this morning I heard a song that I had heard a hundred times. The words can and are sometimes sung by heart without thought of what is being said. Maybe you’ve heard of it…it goes something like this…Give us clean hands …give us pure hearts…let us not lift our souls to another. Simple song. Simple words. I grew up thinking that I had to do something or wear this style and length of clothes. I grew up waiting for God (who surprisingly looks a lot like Ariel’s dad in The Little Mermaid) to strike me down if I messed up. It was a childhood of fear and anxious times. I guess you could say that I was a fearful, anxious Christian. Still, even after seeing that God wasn’t like the guy that was painted for me, what hit me this morning never had occurred to me this plain. We cannot work for ANYTHING that God can give us. The song was asking God to give us clean hands and a clean heart and to not life our souls to another. It didn’t say, as I clean my hands and work at cleaning up my heart please help me. NO!!! God does the work and we just have to be willing to let him.
We, as Americans, have become so self reliant and self assured. Take for instance when someone loses a leg or an arm or gets disabled. They feel helpless and sometimes a burden to others. Just look at what we do with our elderly!!! In other cultures the elderly are taken care of without a thought of self or the work that comes with it. What do we do? Send them away to live in a home where they know no one and visit them monthly or bi-weekly. We must realize that as Christians, we must come to him humbly and let him do the work. I think this is why most of us have problems and ask God why this or why that. He wants to help us in every situation possible. BUT he cannot do anything until you give him the issue or problem. I am definitely guilty of this. I think this is probably why I get discouraged sometimes about the youth group and discouraged about being a pastor in general. I need to remember that it is his ministry, not mine. His church not mine. His children not mine. His strength not mine. His money not mine. His life not mine.


Good Day

Gas Prices to hit $10 this winter!!!

Can you believe that? Neither can I. What is making me righteously angry this week? In the wake of Katrina, the worst natural disaster in American history, our neighborhood is buzzing. Not about the Blueberry Festival...not about the first weekend of college football...and NOT about Katrina. What are we whining about? Gas prices. Where I live it is $3.29. While I will concede that the price is crazy, I think when we feel angry or whatever emotion it is that comes with this, I want to remind us that we didn't lose our house, our families, our livelihood. We didn't lose our precious cars, or our pets. We also didn't lose every memory that we had in our homes. There aren't people running around Plymouth and looting Kroger (even though with Blueberry and 500,000 people here it might look as much). There definitely aren't corpses lying around anywhere in Marshall County. So can we all just thank God for our safety and pray for the tens of thousands that are without shelter and food and electricity and their medicine and their loved ones that were swallowed up by Katrina. Like I heard a man say on CNN, now is when the true fiber of humanity will show through. What are we showing....

Lord, please protect the helpless. Give shelter to the homeless and food to the starving. Bring about help so that your name can be praised. Dry up the waters and create life again. Amen.

Good Day