I am super-excited about the responses I have gotten about what we are doing on Wednesday nights. We are going through an introduction to Kats for Christ. (You can check out the notes on our class notes page.) People have been saying they like this class because it really lets everyone know where we are and where we are planning to go. This is encouraging.
Our first class was really cool with a ton of discussion. It was mainly because of the topic: our Church of Christ heritage. We talked about hot topics or issues that we deal with. I am thinking about doing something in this regard in the future, but we don't need to do this right now.
The Biblical basis for KFC also had good discussion. Many students contributed many good scriptures to contemplate as a guide for our ministry here. Right now we are still in the middle of talking about our mission statement. I like our thinking and the modifications that we are making as we go along.
The part of the class that I am really looking forward to is the one where students will be breaking up to brainstorm about our various ministries in a couple of weeks. This will also give students the opportunity to get plugged in and start trying out various ministries for themselves. That is what I am really about. Students would not otherwise be trained for leadership in the church in the future.
Thanks for the encouragement!!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Worship Renewal
How many drab, boring worship services have I been to? Well, how long do you have? It seems like church services do not naturally get me going in the morning like a good cup of coffee...or two...or twelve. Why is that? Well, I think I have caught on to something.
The most meaningful services I have been a part of usually come around the time when God seems to be doing something with my life. It is like God is working on me and then...wham!...his presence enters my heart while I am singing songs or listening to the sermon. It is like a light bulb goes off in my life (not my head)...ohh...that is how things should be turning around in my life...that is how I should be living for God...ohh...how could I have not seen this before?
Ever since I have been on the worship committee at church, I have been thinking about how I can bring people to a place where they can truly encounter the living Spirit of God through the worship services. Finally, after reflecting on my own experiences, I have come to a tentative conclusion that people encounter the living Spirit of God in worship services when they are encountering him through the way they live their life.
Worship is not something one does once a week; it is something that one does in every action. Now you can choose to worship in the way you live God or the many other gods this world has to offer. But we are encouraged by the Apostle Paul to not let sin reign in our mortal bodies to obey its evil desires. Rather, we are to offer ourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life. We offer the parts of our body to him as instruments of righteousness.
This speaks to those of us who have disconnected the rest of our lives from our time of worship. How can we expect to have moving worship on Sunday morning if God is not moving us toward righteousness the rest of the week?
The most meaningful services I have been a part of usually come around the time when God seems to be doing something with my life. It is like God is working on me and then...wham!...his presence enters my heart while I am singing songs or listening to the sermon. It is like a light bulb goes off in my life (not my head)...ohh...that is how things should be turning around in my life...that is how I should be living for God...ohh...how could I have not seen this before?
Ever since I have been on the worship committee at church, I have been thinking about how I can bring people to a place where they can truly encounter the living Spirit of God through the worship services. Finally, after reflecting on my own experiences, I have come to a tentative conclusion that people encounter the living Spirit of God in worship services when they are encountering him through the way they live their life.
Worship is not something one does once a week; it is something that one does in every action. Now you can choose to worship in the way you live God or the many other gods this world has to offer. But we are encouraged by the Apostle Paul to not let sin reign in our mortal bodies to obey its evil desires. Rather, we are to offer ourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life. We offer the parts of our body to him as instruments of righteousness.
This speaks to those of us who have disconnected the rest of our lives from our time of worship. How can we expect to have moving worship on Sunday morning if God is not moving us toward righteousness the rest of the week?
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