The Greatness and Goodness of God

When it comes to relating to God in the Old Testament, a prevalent theme is that of awe, mixed with a bit of fear. In Genesis 28, Jacob has a vivid dream of God. When he wakes, he is strongly aware of God's presence, and his reaction is awe and fear. Why?

The wonders and signs of God are sort of unimaginable. Through our 21st century lens, we view stories in the Bible—of a flood that covered the earth, or an army bringing down the walls of Jericho with a loud shout, or a man healing the blind, or raising another man from the dead—with skepticism. If these stories are true, then it changes our reality: what we thought was impossible is possible by the greatness of God. For the people who witnessed these events first hand, the same shift must surely have occurred, and they must have felt a sense of fear. We hear them ask questions like, "Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Exodus 15:11)

The same God, called mighty and awesome over and over in the Bible, is not only a great God, but also a good God. We see God working good in the life of Joseph for Jacob's family in the midst of some pretty dire circumstances (Genesis 37-50). Over and over again, God blesses, leads, sustains his people. Again, some of the stories—of God leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, or providing miraculous food for a woman and her son, or rescuing the disciples from a storm at sea—we view with skepticism. If God is this good, then it may challenge our reality: it's easy to see the darkness and pain around us and wonder at this great God. It might bring comfort to know that the people of the Bible often wondered the same thing. We read questions like, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" (Psalm 22:1)

When we find ourselves asking these questions, we must always look at Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). He encompasses the greatness of God, in the miracles he performed and his resurrection from the grave. He shows the goodness of God, in the compassion he shows the widow, the child in his presence, and the outcasts of society. In Jesus the Church—the people of the kingdom of God—grows and shares the good news with the nations. Followers of Jesus have throughout history shown God's greatness and goodness: through founding hospitals, establishing relief organizations, rescuing women from sex trade, serving soup to the homeless, crossing the street to a neighbor in need. These things, big and small, show forth God's goodness and greatness, and prove true the miracles we see in the Bible.

When we sing songs of God's goodness and greatness, as we have the past two weekends, may we remember. May we be in awe, may we let God shift our reality. And may we live through that lens, letting God guide us to a world that needs Jesus more than ever.

Proclaim His Name

​​​​​​​"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

            make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him;

            tell of his wonderful acts." - Psalm 105:1-2

As I mentioned Sunday, Scripture connects the dots between praise and proclamation. When we sing praise to God, we proclaim to the world that He is worthy! Everything we do has the potential to proclaim the power, love, majesty, grace, and peace of Christ. And the world needs us to proclaim Jesus more than anything.

So let's review a few things that elements of Sunday morning's worship proclaimed.

The welcome and reading of Psalm 105:1-4 proclaimed that we can enter God's presence, which is no small thing. God is the Creator of everything, and yet because we believe in Jesus we can boldly come before him, to pray, to praise, to listen, to speak.

Our opening song, "For the Sake of the World," proclaimed that we need Jesus to transform us. We can't do life on our own: we want the Holy Spirit to move in us in a way that the world sees and responds. It also proclaims that God loves this world, and so do we. We want everyone to know Jesus is King in our lives, that we put Him first.

The song "At the Cross (Love Ran Red)" proclaimed that because of Jesus' death on the cross, we have forgiveness of all the wrong we've ever done instead of the death that we deserve. We proclaimed mercy, hope, repentance (turning back to Jesus), and God's great love. And we proclaimed that we surrender our will to Jesus, because we believe God knows what's best for us.

The song "Christ In Me" proclaimed that the power of God, the power that resurrected Jesus to reign, is living in us as the Holy Spirit. We proclaimed our own weakness, that it's hard to believe this truth. We proclaimed that when we turn to Jesus, we lay down worries, we see that God is in control, we can make our entire life an offering of praise.

The song "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises" proclaims the Gospel in a nutshell: Jesus lived, died, rose from the grave, and promised to return, to rule and reign. And it proclaimed that Jesus is where we put our hope for the future.

The prayers for Parkland, FL proclaimed that we trust Jesus, and we want Him to be light in the darkness of our world. It proclaimed our sorrow at the destructive forces of Satan.

The video of our international outreach proclaimed that we believe our time, talent and treasure is worth giving up to share the news of Jesus with those very different from us.

The testimony of our Global Team in serving a local refugee family proclaimed that Jesus calls us to love our neighbors, to love the foreigners among us. It proclaimed the love and care and hospitality of Jesus, which is a radical message in a world of xenophobia, racism, and nationalism.

The upcoming activities of New Cov proclaim the power of community: we need each other, and we can encourage each other.

Everything we do can proclaim Christ! So how are you proclaiming Christ today?

Praise the Lord, My Soul

On Sunday we opened the service with Psalm 103:

"Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—" (v. 1-2)

Isn't it interesting that David, who has followed God since he was young, first must rouse his soul to praise God? He prompts himself to worship. He attends to his inner life and exhorts himself to praise God. I don't think he's revealing a heart that doesn't praise God in any way. After all, he's writing the music, he's playing the song. Instead, I think he's meditating and preparing his heart, encouraging himself to praise God in every way. David wants to make sure he is wholly focused on praising/blessing the Lord.

David does this often: he prepares himself to worship. It makes me feel more comfortable, because there are times when I'm not ready to sing God's praise at the start of service. My mind, or my heart, or my soul is elsewhere. It takes intention and sometimes a laying aside of myself in order to fully praise God. If I'm focused on how my coffee is too cold, or what I'm doing later in the day, or my family, or my friends, or anything other than Him, then I'm not fully engaged in worship. Praise the Lord, my soul. Put your attention and your hope in God.

Then David gives himself a little more direction, pointing to all the ways God blesses him:

"who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (v. 3-5)

Every day, every moment, we are reaping the benefits of a loving God. In Christ, we know complete forgiveness of sin: past, present, and future. In Christ we know redemption; more than that, we are crowned in Christ with love and compassion. In Christ we have our needs and even our desires satisfied with good things. God is so good to us! Praise the Lord, my soul.

He goes on to recount God's deeds of the past, God's character. And then, with the fullness of what God does and who God is resonating throughout his whole self, David turns to the rest of creation, exhorting everything to praise God:

"Praise the Lord, you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

who obey his word.

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,

you his servants who do his will.

Praise the Lord, all his works

everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul." (v. 20-22)

David attends to himself before he calls on creation to worship God. If we want the world to change, we must first work to change ourselves. If we want every nation, tribe and tongue to worship God, we must first attend to our own worship. Are we going to live a life that is half-heartedly following Jesus? How will this be seen in the world? We must drink of the living water and remember how Jesus satisfies. Then, from the deep well of knowing God's goodness ourselves, we can give a drink to those around us. Praise the Lord, my soul.

When We Respond

One of my favorite moments of Sunday morning was our time of prayer at the end of the song "Great Are You, Lord." There are times when everything clicks together perfectly, in a beautiful expression of the heart of our church as we worship God. We sang together "And all the earth will shout your praise, our hearts will cry, these bones will sing, 'Great are You, Lord!'" Then members of the Global Team directed our prayers for the people of India, refugees in Nebraska, schoolchildren in the UAE, and international college students in Lincoln. The song helped focus our prayers like a strong melody or lyric can do, and the prayer brought the song greater relevance and urgency because this is where we are as a church. These are the people we are in contact with, and these opportunities are given us for a reason.

Whenever we sing, my hope and prayer is that the song will prompt us all to worship in some way. It might be a conviction of the Holy Spirit to do something more, to take a step of faith, to rearrange priorities, to make that difficult phone call, to prepare a meal for our neighbor, to give above and beyond, or to pray for that one person you met last week. We only have an hour together most weeks in corporate praise: I want to make sure those songs count for something, if we're going to spend time singing them. More than catchy melodies and memorable lyrics are the moments within a song when we hear from God and respond from our hearts. And when we are open to God's prompting, and obedient in our response, then will we be able "to transform our world through Jesus by connecting, developing and mobilizing people for God's glory."

What songs are God prompting in you this week? How are you responding? May we respond together, that all the earth would shout God's praise!

May My Tongue Sing of Your Word

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, at 176 verses. It's crazy. The Psalm is fascinating for many reasons. It was written as an acrostic on the Hebrew alphabet. The first 8 verses start with the Hebrew letter 'Aleph,' the next 8 verses start with the Hebrew letter 'Beth,' etc. It's also very focused on one topic: God's word. The Psalmist sings of God's commands, precepts, way, law, decrees, etc.

So it's word play in lyric form about God's word. It's like a BC crossword puzzle poem! I love it.

Verse 171-172 says,

"May my lips overflow with praise,

    for you teach me your decrees. 

May my tongue sing of your word,

    for all your commands are righteous."

I love this idea: that we would sing of God's word, or even sing God's word. Is there anything more helpful to our spiritual formation than to learn to sing God's word? You probably can sing from memory songs you learned in grade school: music and rhyme are powerful tools for memorization. Plato once wrote, "Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its law."* Music is a powerful teacher.

That's why, in case you've ever wondered, we try to put songs through a rubric of questions to make sure it's worth our time singing on a Sunday. The basic question: "Is this song among the best for New Cov to sing?"

We look at 3 areas:**

1.Theological Strength - Are the lyrics true? Do they represent the Bible? Do they tell the story of Scripture well?

2.Lyrical Strength - Is the text well constructed? Is it poetic? Does it connect with our imagination? Does it inspire?

3.Musical Strength - Is it singable? Is the melody memorable? Does the tune fit the text well?

Some songs will be stronger in some areas and weaker in others. But this gives us a method of evaluating any songs we include to sing on a Sunday morning. The closer we get to putting the words of scripture in our praise, I think, the better opportunity we give God to form us into Christlikeness through worship.

* I've also seen this quote attributed to a contemporary of Plato, Damon of Athens, and to Andrew Fletcher, a Scottish philosopher of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

** I learned this method from a book called The Worship Architect by Rev. Dr. Constance M. Cherry. The book has been invaluable for me as a Pastor of Worship.

Edge of Heaven

One of the songs we sang Sunday morning was "Edge of Heaven," by River Valley Worship. I love the song, because it's a pretty great characterization of the time in which we find ourselves as the Church: Here we are, living on the edge of Heaven, clinging to Your holy presence, longing to be where You are. It got me thinking about something I first learned a few years ago. Scripture shows that we live in a tension, between the "already" and the "not yet."

It is true that we long for Jesus to return. We long to be with Him fully, face to face, as described in Revelation 21, when he will wipe every tear from our eyes (v. 4), for Jesus to reign eternally (22:5), and to reign with Him, for God to dwell among us (21:3), and for all the blessing that is promised to accompany God's reign on earth (all of ch. 21 & 22). In Jewish thinking, this was known as "the age to come," and as they watch and wait for the Messiah, they believe we are currently in "the present age," characterized by injustice, sin and death.

Since we proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, we have to look to his words to understand when we exist in God's story. Are we in the present age? We certainly see the effects of sin and death around us. But according to Jesus, we are also in the age to come:

• "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:17)
• "The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)

Paul grabs hold of this idea, too, proclaiming that in the resurrection of Jesus the kingdom has come:

• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

The more we look, the more we see this idea supported: the kingdom of God has already come in Christ, and it is coming in its fullness. That's where we live: on this edge of Jesus' return, proclaiming that the kingdom is available to any who put their trust in Jesus.

This is a message of hope for us. We are no longer ruled by sin; we are blessed by grace. We are no longer alone; the Holy Spirit is with us. We are no longer afraid; we have the God of angel armies on our side. Nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39).

And this is a message of hope for others. They can know God's kingdom right now, and we can share that with them. As you go through this week, look for opportunities to share the hope that you know in Christ: yes, Jesus is coming one day, but also yes, Jesus' kingdom is here!

Deus in adjutorium meum intende

I might not have pronounced it correctly Sunday, but hopefully I made some sense sharing this brief prayer with you. The Deus in adjutorium meum intende is a prayer based on the first line of Psalm 69, which translates to "O God, come to my assistance." The response, Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina, is a prayer based on the first line of Psalm 70, which translates to "O Lord, make haste to help me."

This early prayer was the introductory prayer for the Office of the Hours in a number of ancient prayer books. In a book called The Prymer: The Prayer Book of the Medieval Era Adapted for Contemporary Use, author Robert E. Webber simplifies the translated prayer to what we said Sunday morning:

God, be my help;

Hurry to help me!

It's remarkably simple, and when we focus on the words, and speak them with intention, we rightly orient ourselves in a place of humility. We express our need of God, and cry out to our best and truest Source of help.

It's also a reminder that the words of Scripture lead us in the most powerful prayers. Lately I've been reading Scripture (nearly) daily through the ReadScripture app. After reading through 3-5 chapters, the app directs me to "Move into a time of prayer and meditate on the following Psalm." I'm amazed how well the Psalms frequently fall into a fitting prayer for my day. Not every verse is perfect, of course; I don't typically pray for my enemies to be destroyed (Psalm 143:12). But consider how praying—or being led in prayer by—the following would help you know God's presence and worship him:

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night..." (Psalm 92:1-2)

"Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy." (Psalm 86:1)

"Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry." (Psalm 88:1)

"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the 'gods' I will sing your praise." (Psalm 138:1)

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the  mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:1-3)

Consider making the Psalms part of your prayer life. There's something beautiful about receiving God's word, and reflecting it back to Him in prayer.

Give Me a Song to Sing

Worship is the work of the people. It is the expression of our faith community – from the songs we sing, to the ways we share Jesus with those around us; from our prayers in private, to the service we offer to others for the sake of Christ.

Our Sunday gathering is designed to both reflect our worship, and shape our worship. It is a time when we express our devotion and love for God, and when we are changed by God's story, by His Word to us, by the Holy Spirit moving in us...

Which is why selecting songs can be difficult sometimes. New Cov is made up of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, interests, and careers. We are young and old, new members and longtime members, male, female, hurting, recovering, glorifying God together. How do we find songs that unify us and help us raise our voices together as the one body of Christ?

We typically have time for just 4-5 songs to sing as a congregation on a Sunday. Songs both serve a purpose (praise, prayer, proclamation, exhortation, call-to-action) in our spiritual formation, and must express our voice as a congregation.

Right now, our corporate expression, based on our vision for the next two years, is one of evangelism: sharing Jesus with those around us. I will be looking for songs during this time that help us express the joy, strength and peace of knowing Jesus as our Savior. When we sing those songs together, we are better equipped to share our faith with those we encounter through the week. I'm excited for the song we introduced Sunday, "Glorious Day" by Kristian Stanfill. When we remember the joy and newness of life Lazarus (see John 11) must have felt coming out of his grave, we are reminded that in Jesus we have new life! We are free from the shackles of sin! What incredible news! What a message to share!

Of course, it would make little sense for us to sing only songs like "Glorious Day." Our congregation, and our expression of faith, is more complex and variegated. So what are the songs, or even the words, your heart is singing these days? And what are the songs you need to learn, to more closely walk with Jesus?

Closing Words

The phrase, "what a time to be alive," is thrown around a bit cynically these days to point out how ridiculous the world around us has become, especially with the advancement of technology into sometimes worthless areas. For example: there's a video on Youtube that compiles several dozen movie clips. All of them are phone calls, probably from scenes you recognize. And they all have one thing in common: no one says "goodbye" before hanging up. Someone actually created this compilation. What a time to be alive.

The video brings up a good point, though. It is a little weird to hear and watch hangup after hangup without so much as a "see ya." (This phrase is used in one clip in the above compilation, granted.) It seems impersonal. Imagine yourself on the other end of these calls, some of which are between people who are obviously romantically involved. This is not the way to close a conversation.

Once I was made aware of this moment that's common to many movies, I can't help but see it all the time. And it interrupts the movie for me.

Which is why, when someone asked me about the way I close the worship service, I realized I had to make a change. A change for the better, of course. Most often, I will close the service during the final song by saying something like, "Have a wonderful week. You're dismissed." Someone pointed out that the word "dismissed" is most often used by teachers in a classroom. Suddenly, the phrase sounded awkward, out-of-place, even inappropriate.

The conversation with this person reminded me of something I know to be true, but which I forget too often: words are important. The background, current context, and delivery of words can really skew their meaning. Not only that, but if the worship service is a spiritually shaping event, then we owe it to ourselves to make sure we're using better words in the moments of the worship service, even the closing.

There's no blueprint for closing a worship service in the Bible. But there are many examples of closing words. And when we use these words in a worship service, we are pointing to the Bible, to its relevance. We are pointing to the truth of the gospel, to the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us. Consider these powerful closing words...

• Moses blessed the tribes of Israel before his death. (Deuteronomy 33:1-29)
• The last 5 Psalms end (and begin) with the same phrase: Praise the LORD. (Psalms 146, 147, 148, 149, 150)
• Jesus gave the great commission to his disciples before leaving them. (Matthew 28:16-20)
• In Mark's gospel, some manuscripts have Jesus giving a similar charge to his disciples. (Mark 16:15)
• Consider how Paul closed his letters. (Romans 16:25-27, 1 Corinthians 16:23, 2 Corinthians 13:11-14, Galatians 6:18, Ephesians 6:10-24, Philippians 4:23, for examples)
• Consider how Peter closed his letters. (1 Peter 5:10-11, 2 Peter 3:18)
• Consider Jude's closing praise. (Jude 24-25)

I'll make a confession that I've found true in my work, and I've learned is true for more pastors than I would have guessed... sometimes I spend so much time working on songs, and service order, and announcements, that I forget some of the most important words in the service: the opening, the prayers, the closing. All of these are opportunities to point us to God's word and remind us of God's presence.

The last words we say together should be words that affirm God's sending us into the world. Whether they speak grace and peace, or remind us of the Great Commission, or praise the God who sustains us, the words mark a transition back into the world around us. It's not just a time to slip on our coats and start to make lunch plans. It's a time to remembering with joy that God blesses us and goes with us.

Confession

"Will Your grace run out if I let You down?
'Cause all I know is how to run

Will You call me child if I tell You lies?
'Cause all I know is how to cry

I am a sinner, if it's not one thing it's another
Caught up in words, tangled in lies
You are a Savior and You take brokenness aside
And make it beautiful, beautiful"
     - Brokenness Aside, All Sons & Daughters

Confession in worship is the art of proclaiming something true, resulting in a better knowledge of Who God is, and who we are in light of Jesus. Sometimes this can be humbling, heart-wrenching. Sometimes it can be encouraging, heartening. In this song from Sunday morning's service, we have both heart-wrenching and heartening confession.

Why is confession humbling or heart-wrenching? In a word: pride. Pride is perhaps one of the deadliest sins because it has the power to slowly isolate us from others. Pride separates us from the rest, because pride puts us above the rest. It says: I am better, I am smarter, I am more worthy than the rest. A prideful person has difficulty admitting they're wrong, apologizing, and of course, confessing. Confession is essentially conceding. It is giving up on our own truth fortified by pride, and exchanging it for another truth, fortified by the grace and sacrifice of Christ. When we sing, "I am a sinner, caught up in words, tangled in lies," we are admitting that we are powerless to help ourselves. In this way, confession is difficult. It requires us to humble ourselves, to admit the lie of pride... we don't have it all together. We are needy.

Why is confession encouraging or heartening? In a word: truth. When we confess our Savior Jesus is Lord over all--over Creation, over time, over the church, over our families, over even death--we are reminding ourselves and each other of powerful truth. We may not be in control, but the One in control is a God of grace, sacrifice, forgiveness, love. When we sing, "You are a Savior, and You take brokenness aside," we remember that Jesus paid the price for our sins long ago. All of the ugliness, the stain of sin, is washed away. Our sin was crucified with Christ, and now Christ lives in us and shines through us.

If you've ever told someone else you're sorry, and really meant it, you know the power of confession. Speaking the words that kill your pride is difficult, but those same words can proclaim freedom for our souls. As we experienced together on Sunday, confession that we are sinners and that Jesus has saved us, opened us up to praise God, our Redeemer.

Praise God: He is making us beautiful.

Every Tribe, People, Language

Worship is spiritual formation. Every Sunday, when we gather, we are being shaped and molded by the message, the songs we sing, the order of the service, the announcements, the prayers, standing, sitting, closing our eyes, raising our hands... everything we do together on Sunday helps us yield more of ourselves to worship Jesus Monday through Saturday.

This week I was particularly excited for our worship service because I asked Elba and Danielle, both from Brazil and both of whom speak Portuguese fluently, to sing parts of "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" in their native language. I was inspired to have a foreign language reach my ears and heart as we worshiped God together, for several reasons:

1. It gives us perspective.
It's easy to get focused inward and only see our small corner of the global Church. The Church--capital 'C' denotes the universal collective of Jesus followers, from the first disciples of first century, to the expanding Church of today, to the believers that will follow us, until Jesus' Kingdom comes--is so much bigger than we usually imagine! When we remember this truth, we are prompted to celebrate and thank God for those who have gone before, to pray for those under persecution today, and to commit to God those who will believe the Gospel tomorrow.

2. It tells the Biblical story.
Acts 2 has this great scene where tongues of fire fall on the gathered disciples of Jesus, and they begin speaking in foreign languages. As a result, people overhear the praise of God in their own tongue, and it sets up a moment of witness: many put their trust in Jesus.

Likewise, the New Testament gives us a picture of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures coming together under the banner of Jesus. Sometimes this leads to friction, but God's invitation is clearly open to everyone, no matter their background.

Likewise, Revelation (John's vision of heaven and Kingdom come) portrays God's throne as a place where people of every tribe, nation, people, and language are gathered in eternal praise. When we hear/sing in different languages, we get a sense of the diversity of believers, and the diversity of heaven.

3. It opens our doors wider.
I know from conversations with people over the years that visiting a church can be intimidating, especially if there is a language or color barrier. I pray our church can be a place that welcomes everyone. When we include diversity in our leadership, in our songs, and in language, we practice hospitality.


For the sake of the world, and for our sake as worshipers, let us be people who celebrate the diversity of language, tribe, nation and people who make up the collective Church of Jesus Christ!

The Gentle Whisper

There's a great encounter between Elijah and God in the book of 1 Kings that has always fascinated me. Elijah is fleeing for his life from King Ahab and Ahab's wife Jezebel. Elijah finds himself in the desert, nearly starved but for the providence of God. After 40 days and nights in the desert, Elijah rests in a cave, and the Bible tells us that the word of the LORD comes to him. God seems to ask Elijah about his purpose: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Elijah responds by describing his zeal for God. God responds with this proposal:

"Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." (1 Kings 19:11)

So Elijah does this. And a great wind comes through. It was powerful enough to tear into the rocks and the mountain! Can you imagine? I picture weather reporters knocked down by hurricanes, but I still don't think that expresses the strength of the wind. It must have been awesome, and terrifying, to behold. Such a picture of God's power.

But, says the passage, "the LORD was not in the wind." (v. 11)

Then an earthquake happens. Do you remember the small earthquake we had about a year ago? The epicenter was in Oklahoma, but it was felt as far north as Sioux City. I remember sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee. One moment everything was normal. The next moment I felt I was falling but I hadn't moved from my chair. The hanging light over the table wobbled. A cabinet door rattled. It was extremely disorienting. As minor as it was, it made me feel small and out of control.

But, says the passage, "the LORD was not in the earthquake." (v. 11)

After the earthquake comes a fire. Growing up as the son of a Game & Parks Wildlife Biologist, I've had a few opportunities to be around for a "controlled burn." One in particular I remember. A fire break was plowed around a small field of dried invasive grasses and weeds. Men positioned themselves in a few places around the field to make sure the fire didn't escape, then a couple of men went around the edges with a small gas torch to light the grass. Slowly at first, the fire consumed a blade of dried grass, then a few, then a larger weed, then another, then it spread faster. Near the end, as the fires set in several places converged to the middle of the field, it formed a small fireball that rose quickly into the air. The heat was immense. I could hardly stand to be near it. Such is the intensity of fire up close, that you want to hide your face from it because you know it could consume you.

But, says the passage, "the LORD was not in the fire." (v. 12)

After the awesome power of the wind, the overwhelming bigness of the earthquake, and the intensity of the fire, Elijah must have been shocked to hear a gentle whisper. On the other hand, what else might coax him out of the cave? Had God shouted to Elijah to come out, Elijah might have fainted of fear. No: it had to be a whisper, a reminder that although God is powerful, and mighty, and holy, God is also love.

I love the songs we sing at New Cov. I love the music we use to join our voices in worship of our God. When we make a joyful noise, with loud voices and clapping and shouting, I am blessed by the reminder that God is miraculous, and bigger than any of us or any problems we might face. And I am blessed to see Him working in our hearts and in our midst, even as we worship.

But other times, I am blessed by the gentle, unassuming sound of voices, acoustic instruments, and moments of silence. I am reminded that God drew near to us in Jesus, so that we could draw near to Him forever. I am reminded that God is near. We can raise our voices loud to shake heaven, but we don't need to, because God is present. He's a God of intimacy. A God who restores. A God who gives second chances. A God who wants you, and me, to have our comeback. And he's in the gentle whisper of each moment of every day. Make time and seek ways to listen for Him.

Amen.

For the Sake of the World: Yesterday and Today

As we were putting together the photo mosaic last week, I came across a lot of great pictures from New Cov's history. It's encouraging to look through images showcasing where our church has been. It reminded me that He has done great things in us and through us. We have served and shared Jesus with people in Lincoln, many states, and in several countries (Ireland, India, China, and the UAE come to mind). And knowing that He has still calls us "for such a time as this," I look forward with faith to where God will lead us next.

One picture I came across showed me with more hair than I now have, strumming my old black Takamine G Series, and looking east into the morning sunlight. Longtime New Covies will remember our involvement at downtown Lincoln's Ribfest. I remember this particular moment well (though I'm not positive the year... 2002?). We were given the opportunity to hold a church service at Ribfest on the Sunday morning of the event. We pulled out all the stops: dance, drama, music. Worship Pastor Bill Sloan had asked me to sing a song called "I Am A Christian," a proclamation of faith. The lyrics were nice, but I remember thinking the tune was a bit melancholy. I offered to write a new melody to some alternate chords. I chose the key of E (which is significant as you'll see in a minute) because I like the open chords and droning strings the key allows. I can still hear much of the melody in my head, but I'm not sure I have it printed anywhere any more.

Yesterday morning we sang together a prayer for God to do a work in us. For the sake of the world, burn like a fire in me / Light a flame in my soul for every eye to see / For the sake of the world, burn like a fire in me. We must share Jesus with those around us. It is urgent, important work: our world is wrecked every day by the consequences of our sin. But in Jesus we find hope—eternal unchanging hope—for forgiveness of our sins and for the redemption of the world. All of creation groans in expectancy of Jesus' return. In Christ, we have the opportunity to join in the work of redemption. We have chances—every week, every day, even every hour—to share this hope we have with others! We just need to embrace our place and look for the opportunities around us. Someone you know might be desperately searching for hope, or meaning, or truth, or freedom from the bondage of sin, or peace. You and I can bring that to them by the Spirit at work within us.

As I sang "For the Sake of the World," it occurred to me that I was playing many of the same chords, in the key of E, that I had played for "I Am A Christian" some 15 years ago. 

I was struck by two things as we worshiped and sang that prayer to God yesterday.

First, I play a different guitar these days. I have less hair on top and more on my face. My priorities have changed to include kids, new friends, new seasons. Such is the difference between being 24 and being almost 40. But God's call on my life remains the same: to share Jesus, for the sake of the world.

Second, our church might not be part of Ribfest anymore. Where we once sent mission teams to China we now look to Ireland and India. We serve in new and different ways. Our vision changes, and we follow where God points us. But God's call on our church also remains the same: to share Jesus, for the sake of the world.

How will we respond to God's call? Let's spend our time in prayer and thought this week on that question...

For the sake of the world.

Surprised By God

Troy's message on Sunday had me thinking the rest of the day. We are loved by a God who loves to surprise us. Just think about Mary and Martha in John 11. As Troy pointed out, they couldn't even conceive what was about to happen. If you had been here, they told Jesus, you could have healed our brother. In their minds, the chance was lost. Lazarus, their brother, was dead, and that was the end of the story.

But they were wrong.

With Jesus, the end of the story is just the beginning of something new, unexpected, surprising.

I love movies with big plot twists. I like realizing I was watching an entirely different plot unfold, just hidden from view. When the twist suddenly comes to light, I want to watch again, to find the clues scattered through the film. There's a new joy in seeing the movie with new knowledge. Think of the first time you saw M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, or Christopher Nolan's The Prestige. Suddenly all the throw away lines and moments that seemed insignificant are revealed to be telling their own story. I love watching these movies over again to see the new story just beneath the surface.

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 reminds us that God loves to surprise us. When we were helpless in our sin, when we couldn't help ourselves out of our situation, when we thought all hope was lost, that's when God surprised us: it is finished. 

The price is paid. Our sin has been atoned for. And God did it for us. He came and willingly went to the cross on our behalf. That's how much He loves us. If that isn't surprising, I don't know what is. With Jesus, the end of the story is actually the beginning of redemption, sanctification, new life, pointing always to the day when He will return for us. When we realize that plot twist, we see the real story just under the surface. 

(Side note: my daughter and I have been reading through The Jesus Storybook Bible. It's a great way to read the story while also seeing the bigger story of Jesus within all the smaller stories of the Bible. I highly recommend it.)

When was the last time you recognized being surprised by God? It happens all the time, if you look for it. In the light of knowing the plot twist, that God loves you so much that He would do everything to be with you, look at your story again, and see God's story just under the surface...

You are loved.

You are His.

You are part of the greatest, the best, story.

Avoid Burnout

This is less a takeaway from Sunday, and more some thoughts that have come up this week. This weekend I was away in Illinois on an annual trip with friends from high school and college. This is the only time each year I see some of them, and it was great to catch up and have some fun. We stayed in a huge vacation rental, saw some sights in the area, played cards and other games, watched the boxing match, and ate some great meals together. One night we realized we needed some more food for dinner, so one friend and I jumped in the van to run into town. On the trip, we talked about matters of faith, and he confessed he hasn't been to church in a long time. I told him he should never feel guilty about that. He also said he wanted to make it more of a priority and find a church. I encouraged him to go with his work partner, or another friend, even if it's weird or unfamiliar at first. I said I think he'd benefit from finding a faith community. He agreed, but he knows it's going to be hard.

We are creatures of habit: good and bad. Generally, we fall into bad habits. When left to ourselves, we slide into habits that don't really help us much. They don't require a lot of effort, they are usually self-centered, and so they are easy to get into. Generally, we also work our way into good habits. They require effort, sometimes encouragement from others, and they benefit ourselves and often those around us.

But there's also a case where we get so focused on a good habit, or make it a much bigger part of our life than it should be, that it becomes bad for us. Sometimes you can get too much of a good thing. Take involvement in church, for example. In the latest issue of Relevant Magazine, I read an article by Bonnie Gray called "A Real-Life Guide to Not Burning Out From Church." It had some great insights. Because we are passionate about our faith, or serving others, or outreach, or discipleship, we put a lot of energy and effort into those things. Before long, we can find ourselves overwhelmed or just worn out. Suddenly the joy and fellowship of a church feels like drudgery.

Gray highlights a few ways to prevent you from getting burned out from church. If you are concerned you're heading for burnout, consider these:

Pay attention to your attitude and heart. Sometimes we do need to power through in obedience in ministry, but if that attitude becomes the norm, we need to let others know. Set boundaries in relationships, and communicate your needs if you're worn down.

Consider the time stress of church. We face so many pressures from activities, time with family, work, time with friends. Sometimes it's hard to see the value of an hour with our community of faith. Rather than withdrawing, though, share this with others. Your story, and your struggle, is valid.

What is it you need most in this season? You don't have to love every aspect of church all the time. There will be seasons where worship is what you need most, or discipleship, or serving alongside others, or small group fellowship. Be honest about what you desire, and find people pursuing the same things.

Take inventory. If you're constantly feeling stressed or tired, you might want to take some time to discover the root of your stress. List your activities: are they making you happy? Sometimes we have slowly worked ourselves into a pattern of pursuing more money and more stuff, and it's crowding out the life-giving activities like involvement in a faith community. If this is the case, make some bold moves to realign.

Take a break. You may need to stop doing some good things at church in order to find rest in Jesus. Sometimes the church can add to the treadmill of life. You may need to let go of something.

You may have noticed there's a pattern here: honesty. Be honest with yourself and others before you get to the point of throwing in the towel on church. Jesus came to bring full and abundant life. Church involvement can be a revitalizing and rewarding part of that abundant life. But if we're not honest about why we're involved and what we need, we may find ourselves on the road to burnout. Slow down and speak up before you hit the dead end.

Creativity -- Connecting Ideas -- In Worship

Last week several New Covies attended the Willow Global Leadership Summit. It was truly inspiring, and one of the more powerful Summits I can remember since I started attending them 12 years ago. Every session was either full of ideas and insights, or emotionally stirring and convicting. We heard from a pastor creating an exit strategy to leave his church under good leadership when he leaves... A woman who miraculously survived the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994... A Facebook executive who lost her husband suddenly and talked about how to help others through grief... A lawyer with staggering statistics on incarcerations, and a call for the Church to move toward those who need the gospel desperately...

My favorite "thinking" session was by Fredrik Härén, author of The Idea Book, who presented some great concepts on creativity. "Creativity," he said, "is simply connecting what has already been created. No one has the ability to create, but God." Creativity is unlimited, not because we create, but because we form new combinations. Every person brings a unique perspective and is able to use their knowledge and new information to find new connections, to combine things in new ways.

This rang true in my mind Saturday night, when I was in a funk after watching evil manifest itself in the attacking of others in Charlottesville. My mind started to wonder about Sunday morning's service. I felt the familiar prompting of the Holy Spirit, leading me to consider some changes. I prayed about our plans, and realized we needed to make some adjustments to the service order, and started combining some things in new ways, with Tim's help.

"Awesome Is The Lord" became a lament, because many of us mourned the truth that the entire world doesn't know the peace, love, grace, and acceptance found in Jesus.

We replaced "Great Things (Worth It All)" with a responsive prayer, because many of us needed to affirm that racism and white supremacy is a sin and that we all need Jesus. The prayer was written by Rich Villodas, a pastor in Queens, New York City. As I went over the prayer, and chords that might move underneath it as we prayed, a melody formed for the congregational response, "Oh Lord, only You can make all things new."

Thank God for his Holy Spirit! Sometimes He moves in surprising ways, and sometimes He gives courage to help us move in a way we've already purposed. I was surprised and encouraged by Sunday morning, and by the conversations that followed: God's people will not stand on the sidelines while evil advances. I pray He continues to prompt us to action for his glory and his Kingdom.

What I want us to remember from Sunday is that our Creator God has gifted each of us with the ability to creatively connect that which we know from individual experience with that which we learn from others. You are a creative person. You are made in God's image, and while you might not be able to make something from nothing, you can connect ideas in ways never before seen. Creativity is not the mantle of the musician, the painter, the photographer, or the poet: it is part of who we are as image-bearers of God. 

Make a Joyful Noise

Our all-in service this past Sunday was moving. Institutional church often drifts toward tradition and rote: we do things the same way over and over, and before long we do those things with little regard for the meaning therein. Words, actions, postures, symbols... whatever we use to worship can be full of meaning, or it can be devoid of life. It doesn't matter if our worship is "traditional" or "contemporary," "liturgical" or "emergent," or even "contemporvant" (ha ha). Any style of worship can be thriving and engaging, and any worship style can be lifeless and boring. Vitality in worship comes down to two things: God's revelation and our response. God's revelation is found in the resurrected Lord Jesus, our Messiah! You don't get closer to vitality than that. Our response is up to us. The exciting part of Sunday was seeing us respond in so many beautiful ways: from celebrating what God is doing in the hearts and homes of foster kids to hearing Alisanne's thoughts on Deuteronomy 33:12, from the peace of Psalm 3 to the joyful noise of instruments and singing.

Speaking of "joyful noise" (see Psalm 98 and 100 in the King James Version, by the way), I mentioned Sunday that many instruments referenced in the Bible are percussion or stringed. And it's true. Instruments specifically mentioned in the Bible include wind instruments: trumpets (see Exodus 19:16), flutes/pipes (try Matthew 9:23), horns a.k.a. shophars (like in Psalm 81:3); stringed instruments: harps (see Revelation 5:8), lyre (in Psalm 144:9), and general stringed instruments found in the introduction to several Psalms (4, 6, 54, 55, 6, 67, 76); and percussion instruments: tambourines/timbrels (referenced many times, including Judges 11:34), cymbals (check out 1 Chronicles 16:5), and sistrums (found only once in 2 Samuel 6:5). Some passages mention many of these instruments used together in worship, like 1 Chronicles 13:8. Other passages mention the use of choirs (1 Chronicles 15 and Nehemiah 12). In fact, music is mentioned over 1,100 times in the Bible! It was a crucial component of worship, expressed in a variety of ways that were culturally relevant.

Here's a question for us: are the instruments listed prescriptive, or descriptive? If the Bible is prescriptive in this, then we should only be using instruments found to be used in worship in the Bible. But I don't think that's the case. These instruments are found in scripture because they were instruments of the time. Being bound to this list of instruments for true worship to exist is legalistic and confining; Jesus came to set us free. Instead, I think the Bible is descriptive: these instruments describe the form of worship. So what do they describe?

Well, worship was often loud. It was clanging. It involved motion and dance. Timbrels must be hit! Lyres must be strummed! Shophars must resound! When God's people gathered, they made some noise.

Worship was organized and rehearsed by those leading, but it also involved everyone. Some people took up instruments spontaneously (like Miriam in Exodus 15). But other times choirs were formed to lead singing, and skilled musicians were recruited to play. But their task was to prompt. True worship involves everyone. It is the work of (all) the people, not a select few.

Worship was most often celebratory, as we can tell by the context of the passages mentioned above. It celebrated something God was doing or had done. Of course, worship can also be lament, or prayer, or silence. All of these are still responses to God. Most often, though, worship in the Bible celebrates.

Our instruments may have changed a bit in the past 2,000-4,000 years, and we might not be gathering in a temple or tabernacle since Jesus fulfilled the Israelite system of worship, but we can still loudly praise God. We still want everyone to come, no matter age or background. We still want to celebrate what God is doing around us, and what He has done through Jesus, retelling God's story over and over again until He returns. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!

How Marvelous

The Lord's Supper is a powerful sign act of worship. It was initiated by Christ just before his crucifixion, and it is practiced regularly in Christian churches worldwide to this day. I would argue that it is the most spiritually formational thing we can do to remember who we are in Christ. It tells the story of God better than any single moment in the worship service. Consider all that the Lord's Supper communicates...

It remembers how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt. Jesus first broke the bread and raised the cup as part of the Passover meal (see Luke 22:7-14). The Passover was celebrated annually by Jews, including Jesus. It's no coincidence that Jesus used this moment to initiate communion. It represents how God saves, whether from the oppressive Egyptians, or from the bondage of sin.

It represents grace. When Jesus said the cup is the new covenant in his blood (Matthew 26:28), he replaced all the covenants made before. In God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses, mankind was charged with fulfilling their end of the covenant agreement. But in Jesus, we are freed from sin entirely by the obedience of Jesus. In Jesus, we are covered by God's grace.

It shows forth Jesus' presence. In Luke 24, the disciples, who have walked the road with the resurrected Jesus and invited him to dinner with them, only realize it's actually Jesus when he breaks the bread (v. 31). The bread and the cup powerfully remind us that Jesus is with us.

It looks with hope to the end of God's story. Jesus says in Matthew 26:29 and Luke 22:16 that he won't eat the Passover again until it finds fulfillment in God's Kingdom. There will come a day when we will sit with Jesus, face to face, and enjoy a celebration feast—a wedding feast—because Jesus has returned, the Kingdom has come in its fullness, and death and sin will be things of the past. What joy! What peace! What freedom to live eternally in perfect communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

In addition to these, the Lord's Supper represents the crucifixion, the sacrificial system of Israelite worship, the priesthood of Christ, the subversive act of following Jesus, the unity of believers, and on and on and on...

The Lord's Supper is the ultimate telling of God's story. No matter how often we celebrate it, the Lord's Supper can be a fresh reminder of all that Jesus has done and continues to do in us and in our midst.

How Great You Are

In 1885, coming home from a church service in Kronobäck, Sweden, Carl Boberg observed a quickly growing and advancing thunderstorm. The lightning, the thunder, the winds and rain that came, were awesome to see and experience. After arriving home, Boberg opened his window to the clear sky that followed the storm to hear a thrush, as well as funeral bells tolling in the distance. The stillness of the nearby water, and the warm air following the rain, were powerfully beautiful. That evening, inspired by all he experienced, he wrote the song "O Store Gud" (O Great God).

In the 1930s, British missionary Stuart Hine first heard a Russian translation of the German version of "O Store Gud" in the Carpathian Mountains (Ukraine). Inspired by the song, he paraphrased it into English under the title "How Great Thou Art." He added his own verses to Boberg's. The third verse ("And when I think...") was written after Hine and his wife entered a Ukrainian village just in time to witness the repentance of several villagers, the result of Hine giving a woman in the village a Bible several years prior. The fourth verse ("When Christ shall come...") was written following World War II, when Hine met an exiled Polish man separated from his wife, who knew he would probably never see her again on earth, but joyfully looked forward to their reunion with Christ in Heaven.

And centuries before Jesus was born to Mary, the psalmist praised God as Creator of the many wonders around him in Psalm 104. On Sunday we read just the opening and closing of Psalm 104, but if you delve into the interior verses, you'll discover the psalmist gushing over it all, from mundane and practical vegetation (v. 14) to the vast and terrifying sea (v. 25-26). He marvels at darkness and the creatures hidden within (v. 20-21). He beholds the powerful cedars of Lebanon, home to the birds and storks (v. 16-17). He takes joy in wine, and oil, and bread (v. 15).

The message of Psalm 104, and of "How Great Thou Art," is to recognize God's greatness displayed all around us in his creation. Have you done that today? It may be hot out... isn't the life-giving sun amazing? As you prepare dinner tonight... thank God for the goodness of food and drink! When you are talking with your friend... isn't it incredible how God intertwines our souls with others?

Take a moment as often as God prompts you to look, taste, touch, listen, or smell the world around you, and praise God for it. See his creativity in everything from the scent of the morning dew to the beauty and diversity of music.

Worship is found in these moments.

When we allow God to speak into them, we see his glory, and we can respond with praise.

"May my meditation be pleasing to [God], as I rejoice in the LORD." (v. 34)

Experience the Story

Worship is our response to God.  The worship service is a retelling of God's story, so that we may experience part of it. 

Did you experience it this week? 

If you've ever been to a movie that has your heart racing, or a wedding ceremony that brought a tear to your eye, or a concert where the songs and visuals form a moving narrative, you know the difference between just hearing a story and experiencing a story. God's whole story is important each week, but in the worship service we tend to focus on a particular scene. Some weeks we need to experience God's grace. Some weeks we need to remember He has forgiven our sins. Some weeks we need to shout for joy and thanksgiving.

I want to invite you to simply meditate on this week's story below. I'll use the language of Zephaniah 3:17, the songs and prayers from Sunday's service at New Cov, and Tim's message. May this meditation help you experience the story and prompt you to live it out this week...

Brothers and sisters... I get it. You are hurting. You feel the heaviness of worry that comes with this life. Like each step is a chore. You have trudged on and on with some burdens. Not only that, you regret some of the steps you've taken in life. The mud and filth of it all stained your feet, and you worry there's no way to be clean again, no way to enter into the comfort and security of God's home for you.

But, look: Jesus has removed the stain. Permanently. He has taken up the burden so you can let it go. So come to the altar. Jesus is calling you home, and the Father's arms are open wide to welcome you. What a Savior we know! Isn't He wonderful? He gives us his Name: we belong to Him. And that Name is a place of shelter, healing, protection, strength, might, salvation. When we dwell in Him, we are brave. Braver than we ever knew was possible, because nothing is impossible with Him! He calls us out of the boat like Jesus did with Peter, out onto the stormy waves. When you think of all Jesus is... it's better to be with Him in the storm than without Him in the boat! No matter what you are facing, Jesus is there with you, calling you to trust him. His promises are true, His hope is eternal, and His help is yours. Ask, and receive. Seek, and find. Pray, and know that He hears.

Isn't this love of God we find in Jesus amazing? He breaks the power of cancelled sin! He has triumphed over the grave! He is life, and health, and peace! All glory, honor, praise and love to Him from saints above and below! May God help us proclaim his glory and honor. Let our anthem of praise be loud enough to resound throughout our world.

Listen to what God tells us through his prophet Zephaniah: "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." Remember his presence, his power. Know that He is proud of you, He praises you with singing. Rest in his peace. Go into the world and bring the Gospel to everyone you encounter! May we go through our week changed: the LORD our God, the Mighty Warrior goes with us!

Amen.