Climb a Tree

Luke 19:1-5

 A gathering can be chaotic. I’m not talking about a spontaneous riot, protest, or sale at a department store.  An organized, scheduled, and purposeful gathering can have distractions that disrupt its focus and cause us to miss the reason for meeting. A live sporting event with thousands in attendance is a good example of a gathering that has many distractions.  

My dad took me to my first professional baseball game when I was about 12 years old. I had watched baseball on television but had never seen the pros in person. The Minnesota Twins were playing and I wanted to see Hall of Famer, Harmon Killebrew. 

It was a night game and under those lights, the grass seemed greener next to the orange clay of the infield. I could smell the popcorn and hear the venders calling out their wares.  I could hear the crowd around me talking about the game, politics or yelling at the umpire. All the “live” sights and sounds of the event were overwhelming. It was challenging for a 12 year old to stay focused on what was happening on the field. I remember having to work to stay focused, so I could see “Killer” Killebrew’s every move.

Corporate worship also has its distractions. A tongue-in-cheek lament of many pastors is, “Christian ministry would be great, if it weren’t for the people”. So it might be said of worship gatherings. Worship can be messy. “When two or more are gathered, there are distractions” (4 John 1:1). Worshipping alone is simple. Worshipping as a group gets complicated. The gathering can become more an obstacle than an enhancement. I believe we have forgotten how to worship together.

We need to work at worshipping together.  (See my post, Why Worship Together?). Too often we approach worship casually, waiting for a spiritual tap on the shoulder to remind us why we are there. It is little wonder many will leave a worship venue with a consumer critique such as, “I didn’t get anything out of that”. 

Zacchaeus joined a throng that came out to see Jesus. He could have settled for a glimpse or second hand account of the event but instead he, 1) ran out ahead, and 2) climbed a tree, so that he could see Jesus.

We are missing the activity of God in the midst of worship because we settle for the cheap seats when we could run out ahead and climb. This Sunday, work at worship. If  Jesus sees you spiritually perched and watching Him, most likely, He will go home with you.  

 the friar

What Are You Expecting?

What Are You Expecting?

John 2:1-11

In earlier posts I have talked about the characteristics of gatherings in general and how they relate to worship gatherings. There are roles we assume at gatherings. Within those roles are expectations. For example, we go to a wedding and expect to see a bride and bridegroom. We go to a circus and we might expect to see lions and tigers or trapeze artists. If we are a leader at a gathering there is a certain degree of cooperation we might expect from the audience. For instance in the theatre we might expect the audience to sit and behave in a certain way; respectfully and attentively.  We come to gatherings with expectations. 

Sometimes our expectations are limited. It might be our first time to the circus, or our first meeting of a support group and we are unsure what to expect. We might attend a gathering and have little or no expectations. We might be surprised by some gatherings and come away saying, “that was not what I expected”.

So it was with the wedding celebration Jesus attended in the account referenced above. The headwaiter, bridegroom and other wedding attendees had expectations. They were expecting the best wine to be served at the beginning of the party and as the day slipped away, so would the quality of the wine.  Due to a miraculous intervention by Jesus, the wine took a turn for the better at a time when the party was facing an embarrassing crisis. That was not what was expected.

I recall the very first New Year’s Eve party I attended. When I was about 9 years old, my parents allowed my 7 year old sister and me to stay up and wait for the New Year. My parents had some friends over and my sister and I “camped out” in my room with a few snacks to sustain us through the evening. As I recall, a stuffed dog and doll were also in attendance. With clock setting nearby, we ate and waited for the New Year to arrive.

I have had disappointments in my life, but this one surely left me flat. Midnight came and nothing happened. It was well past my bedtime, so it is safe to say I was tired and my head hurt. I remember lamenting to my parents, “So that was it?”, “Nothing happened!” They answered with an  insightful question, “what did you expect?” Well, I didn’t know exactly. I don’t remember having any expectation.

As you prepare to worship this Sunday, what are you expecting?  Will you be like I was on that New Years Eve long ago and simply endure the event with little or no expectation, or will you be involved enough to notice the wine changed.  Just as Jesus was at the wedding, He will be at your worship gathering.  Will you notice what He does? Oh, and by the way, He comes with expectations also.  What do you think He is expecting?

the friar

How to Sing a Hymn

How to Sing a Hymn

Psalm 96

In many worship gatherings singing has become an option. We may pray, read scripture, bring offerings and speak words of praise, but some folks don’t sing. Over the years, I have heard many reasons for this. Of course the most common explanation is, “I can’t sing” or “carry a tune”. In conversation with some I have learned some have been told they can't sing. In several instances, I have witnessed someone being told they did not have the ability to sing. I have tried to undue this tragic event by assuring someone they most certainly are able to sing. Granted some can sing differently or better than others, but I have never met a person who could not sing. God has blessed us all with this fantastic ability to take spoken words and give them a whole new sound, emotion, and expression by adding a texture we call song.
I believe some of the decline in singing during worship is because many have not learned how to sing a hymn. As in most activities, when one does not know how, they don't try. They step to the side and let others who have more training and know how enjoy this precious gift from God. The novice misses the blessing of singing and becomes the wallflower. They miss the dance. They never learned how to sing a hymn. I am not referring to the technical aspects of voicing a song from the screen or hymnbook, but a more soulful part of this worship ingredient.  I have found an approach that is a tried and true technique that conquers all obstacles to lifting a great song to praise to God.

One of my first remembrances of worship is standing on the pew next to my dad, before I could read. Though the boost from the pew still measured me short to his height, he would let me hold the hymnbook between us as everyone sang. I couldn’t read all the words, but I would pick up a line or two from the chorus and join in. God had gifted me with an “ear” for music and I began to pick up on the tune at an early age. As I listened and learned I began to notice that the congregation was singing one tune and my dad was singing another. Before I was taught that questionable truth, “somebody was off”,  I remember thinking, "wow, my dad has his own song!" As everyone else was singing, he joyfully lifted up those same words to an entirely original tune. It wasn’t until a few years later, that I realized that he was not able to match pitch with the piano, or congregation, but he sang. He sang his own song. He sang a new song. He had made the song his own.

It took me about 30 years or so to figure out the secret to singing a hymn. Take the first step of becoming a singer by reading the hymn text. Reading it (it was a poem, first) gives it another sound that brings out phrases and thoughts you might have missed while following a measured rhythm in a congregational setting. Before you sing it to God, make it your own song. Identify with what the writer is saying. Remember those times in your life you walked the same path as the poet. When a hymn becomes your praise to God - your offering to Him - you will be surprised at how well you sing. Much of that self-consciousness disappears when we look up to Him. Don't worry about getting it "right"; it's yours, it's not going to sound like everyone else's. The secret to singing a hymn is to sing a new song; your song.

the friar

Who is Coming to Worship?

Psalm 139:1-12

I do not remember the first time I daydreamed during school, but I do believe I did more than my share. I remember the teacher calling out my name (I am not sure how many times) to bring me back into the moment. Teachers and students alike will remember the familiar call, “Earth to John, or how many thousands of miles away are you?”  I was not sufficiently embarrassed by these incidents because it wasn’t long until my mind had taken me out of the classroom again. It seems we have the capacity to be present in body, but absent in mind and spirit. This is sometimes good and sometimes bad. I will let you be the judge of each.

In the first part of Psalm 139 the writer is explaining the omnipresence of God. That is, God is everywhere and sees us all the time. The psalmist realizes that God knows us better than we know ourselves (v. 4-5). He is always where we are. When we go, when we stay, when we try to hide or when we seek God, He is always there.

God is always there when we gather for worship. I am disheartened when I hear believers remark that God’s presence varies from Sunday to Sunday. People will say, the Spirit moved, or God showed up, or what a great time of worship compared to other times. In some sense they are rating the worship time based upon a qualitative presence of God.  I fear they are assuming the role of audience or consumer in worship and are implying God’s presence varies from Sunday to Sunday. Psalm 139 and other passages reflect an ever present God.

My own words grabbed me one Sunday morning when I was taking my place in the choir. After getting situated in the loft, I looked up and noticed tripods, telephoto lenses, cameras of every shape and kind lining both sides of our worship place. With little thought, I nudged a fellow choir member beside me and said, “wow, I guess someone important is going to be here today.” He pointed to our worship guide (the ever present bulletin) and said,” it’s the children’s choir”. As I began to recognize the parents who were there to record a moment of their child’s life, I also realized the irony of my words. Had I forgotten that God is there each Sunday? In that moment  I wondered if the media would overwhelm our auditorium on a Sunday if we announced that Jesus would be the guest speaker. I think we forget that God is present and is totally, completely and anxiously prepared to see and hear our worship.

I believe God blesses us with His presence 24-7, but do I anticipate His presence in worship, and as my grade school teacher said, am I there?

The Friar