I don't know what I was going to do if I had to go home and sit in the dark one more night following the roar of Hurricane Ike through central Ohio. It's awful having to do your hair and make-up in the restroom at work. But the house is standing and sustained no damage. The grocery store was bare of dairy items last night but it was full of all other items. Friends of mine waited in line for 45 minutes at McDonald's for dinner one night but they did not have to stand in line for hours just for a case of water. We had to throw some food out of our refrigerator but we did not lose everything of importance to us. Weather in Ohio has been moderate this week, not sweltering at 90+ degrees as it is in Texas and Louisiana. We had jobs to go to each day; many do not. And instead of my husband working on his computer in one room and me on mine in another, we actually had to sit in a room together and talk over the candelight.
There is value to sitting in the dark. It is may not be pleasant at the time but the end results can have a tremendous impact on our lives. We learn to come together and share as family, friends and community. We will have stories to share to the next generation. We learn to share and to empathize with others who are less fortunate.
There have been times in my life where I was sitting in a darkness that was overwhelming. But the Lord was always there, even at the darkest moments. And as I emerged from darkness into the light, I found strength - a strength that has never left me. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2: 9-10,
" 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (NIV)
For when we leave that darkness, we know that we are with God for it is only through Him that we can escape the darkness. And because he has guided us out of that darkness, it if for us to praise His holy name!
This is one of my favorite songs, Here We Are to Worship (Michael W. Smith).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP04GjifMPk
Our hearts and prayers go out to all those who are suffering from the hurricanes. May you find the hand of God as He leads you through this struggle. He IS with you.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
It's Christmas time
Already? But it's only September! There aren't even decorations in the stores yet - it can't be time to think about Christmas time!!
Well, while all of you have been thinking about BBQs, picnics and preparing for back-to-school, I, like my fellow music directors, have been busy making plans for our Christmas program. I really want this year to be different. We are a small church, less than 100 people in attendance, but I feel that God is calling us to reach out to our church family and our community in a special way. I know that we can't compete with the Christmas spectaculars put on by the mega-churches in and around our community but there has to be a way that we can offer our friends a program that is warm, inviting and intimate - something that will make their Christmas season extra special.
We don't have professional singers hired specially for the program, camels/sheep/donkeys, or 30 piece orchestra...we are just a small choir singing to a sound track. But we do things that are very unique for a church of this size. We have liturgical dancers and a youth sign choir that add a very visual interpretation of the message in music. We have people with excellent speaking ability who can add warmth to narration. And I am counting on people within the congregation to help by sharing their God given gifts of hospitality, child care, creativity and organization to help with all the many other tasks that need to be done.
There is no charge for admission but my hope is that we can ask each person to bring a gift for the community, specifically items that can be provided to those in need through Westerville Area Resource Ministry.
Please pray for us as we engage in this program. May we be blessed individually, as a family, as a church and as a community. May this be one step in the process of becoming "the Lord's beacon on Oak Hill."
Amen!
Well, while all of you have been thinking about BBQs, picnics and preparing for back-to-school, I, like my fellow music directors, have been busy making plans for our Christmas program. I really want this year to be different. We are a small church, less than 100 people in attendance, but I feel that God is calling us to reach out to our church family and our community in a special way. I know that we can't compete with the Christmas spectaculars put on by the mega-churches in and around our community but there has to be a way that we can offer our friends a program that is warm, inviting and intimate - something that will make their Christmas season extra special.
We don't have professional singers hired specially for the program, camels/sheep/donkeys, or 30 piece orchestra...we are just a small choir singing to a sound track. But we do things that are very unique for a church of this size. We have liturgical dancers and a youth sign choir that add a very visual interpretation of the message in music. We have people with excellent speaking ability who can add warmth to narration. And I am counting on people within the congregation to help by sharing their God given gifts of hospitality, child care, creativity and organization to help with all the many other tasks that need to be done.
There is no charge for admission but my hope is that we can ask each person to bring a gift for the community, specifically items that can be provided to those in need through Westerville Area Resource Ministry.
Please pray for us as we engage in this program. May we be blessed individually, as a family, as a church and as a community. May this be one step in the process of becoming "the Lord's beacon on Oak Hill."
Amen!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Amazing Grace
This article is from The Columbus Dispatch on 8/22/2008. I found this to be of tremendous inspiration and encourage you to use it as a devotion for your family. I pray that this young man comes to realize what a witness his life is to the world. May we all reached out to young people as did the people of DeSales community. I thank the writer, Kristy Eckert, for bringing us this message and the editors of the The Columbus Dispatch for allowing it to be published.
Amazing grace
Sixteen-year-old Tyler Jones has dealt with more than his share of death.
For the St. Francis DeSales High School sophomore, faith and football
have been integral to his recovery. As a new high-school gridiron season
starts tonight, the healing continues.
Friday, August 22, 2008 3:17 AM
BY KRISTY ECKERT
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Tyler Jones was 12 years old when his mother's weakened
body could no longer bear chemotherapy.
For more than six years, he had watched as back and
brain cancer tormented her.
Now, with him holding one hand and his father the
other as she rested in bed at their Gahanna home, Tracy
Jones was ready to surrender.
"I was praying, praying, praying, praying for my mom
to get healed," Tyler recalled recently, "and she didn't."
Witnessing her last breath on that day in February
2005 rattled the boy's Christian faith, long nurtured by
his parents.
He was hardly pleased with God.
Show me who you are, he remembered insisting, or
I'm not going to believe in you.
That same evening, as he and his father took a walk
through the neighborhood, the sky boasted a brilliant
swath of purple and pink.
The sight proved comforting. Just maybe, Tyler
reasoned, God had taken his mother to a better place.
Seeing the colors as a heaven-sent gesture as well,
Larry Jones tried to reassure his son.
"Everything's going to be all right."
September 2007
Sports were often the talk of the Jones house, where
Larry Jones shared a passion for football with his son
while turning his daughter into a softball star.
On this particular evening, though, Tyler and his dad
sat in the kitchen discussing life.
In the 2 1/2 years since his mother's death, the boy had
blossomed into a mature teenager with a dry wit,
impeccable manners and an increasing devotion to God.
And, he'd found a special girl.
He was telling his dad how he thought he might
eventually marry Jessica Jivanjee. They were young, he
knew. Maybe, though, they'd someday attend West
Virginia University together, as his parents had.
When the conversation ended, Larry Jones stood and
walked into another room to make a phone call. Before
dialing, though, he turned back to his son with some
advice Tyler didn't quite understand.
"When the unexpected occurs, that's when you're going
to know if you're a man or a boy."
Sept. 28
A devoted fan of the West Virginia football team, Larry
Jones wasn't sure whether his undefeated Mountaineers
could pull off a win over South Florida on the final
weekend of September.
"I'm going to give you a prediction by Friday," he told
Tyler during the week. "Friday night."
When Friday arrived, he drove his son to school at St.
Francis DeSales on the North Side, hugging him before he got out of the car.
"Have a good day, Champ," he said. "I love you, Son."
Although raised a Baptist and attending a Lutheran church, Larry Jones had encouraged
his son to attend the Catholic school for its faith-based education and academic reputation.
Playing on the freshman team for a high school rich in football tradition, Tyler said, was a
bonus.
After classes that afternoon, as he and his teammates enjoyed an easy walk-through, Tyler
(missing text...)
"There's an officer here who wants to take you to the Gahanna Police Department,"
Garrick told him. "Your father has been in an accident."
The truth, though, proved worse.
At the police station, Tyler learned that Kelsie, his younger sister by a year, had returned
home from Gahanna Middle School West and found her father lying unconscious on the
floor.
At 50, Larry Jones, a safety engineer for Ohio State University, had suffered a heart
attack.
He was gone.
"No!" Tyler yelled, crying. "No! No!"
Knowing that Kelsie sat waiting in a nearby room, the officer told Tyler, "Now it's you.
You've got to be the rock."
He was 15 -- and without parents.
Why? he wondered. Why did this happen?
Instead of questioning God this time, he leaned on him.
And God, he said, seemed to reply: Your dad did everything he could to help you and
Kelsie. Now it's your turn to help yourselves.
With that, Tyler went to his sister, took her in his arms and promised:
"Everything's going to be all right."
Oct. 2
Tyler stood beside his father's open casket in a West Virginia funeral home, hugging,
shaking hands with and graciously accepting sympathy from people he hardly knew.
He was in Weirton, a steel-mill city 2 1/2 hours from Columbus where his parents grew up
and his three living grandparents still live.
Outside, his girlfriend was comforting his sister when a school bus rolled up Main Street.
The doors opened and out poured the freshman football players, cheerleaders, coaches and
others from DeSales.
Dressed in their purple-and-white jerseys, the players worked their way into the
visitation, circled Tyler and prayed.
Some patted his back or embraced him. Several sobbed.
The sight moved Garrick, who organized the trip.
"There was just a tremendous bonding," the principal recalled. "In my 20 years of
education, I've experienced children losing a parent. But I've never experienced a child
losing both parents in such a short period of time."
John Rothwell, a freshman coach, teared up when Tyler used the moment not to focus on
himself but to pump up his teammates.
"He's such a great kid," Rothwell said. "We were getting ready to play Watterson, and he
told everyone he wanted them to think about the game and beat Watterson."
Until that day, Tyler, who'd attended middle school in the Gahanna district, wasn't
completely comfortable at his new school.
But at that moment, his feelings changed.
"When they all came, I knew that's where I belonged," he recalled. "DeSales is a family to
me."
Mid-October
As word spread that Tyler and his sister had no relatives in Columbus, the DeSales
community responded en masse.
Some raised money, sent gift cards and provided rides to and from school and football
practices. Others offered to become foster parents.
Tyler and Kelsie, however, wanted to stay in their home.
For two weeks at a time, the children's paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother
took turns commuting from Weirton to Gahanna to stay with the kids.
Brandie and Jamal Jivanjee, the parents of Tyler's girlfriend, gladly ferried him as needed
and, through prayer, provided emotional support.
"We were devastated," Mrs. Jivanjee said, "because we knew they were still grieving for
their mom."
Some days, Tyler admitted, he didn't want to get out of bed.
Longtime friend Jamel Morris sensed his buddy's depression but said Tyler rarely showed
his pain.
"He still acted like himself," said Jamel, 15. "Tyler is a good friend. If you want to talk to
somebody, you can talk to him. If you want to depend on somebody, he's dependable."
Tyler, meanwhile, found comfort in his new school.
"I think Tyler's doing fine, and I would give a lot of that credit to St. Francis DeSales," said
Janet Jones, Larry's mother, who recently began caring for her grandchildren full time.
At 74 and with a husband fighting Parkinson's disease, she finds the new role challenging
-- all while she still mourns the loss of her only child.
Yet she, too, believes that God has a plan.
"You have to have faith."
Tyler's spirituality, Garrick said, has been a lesson for all of DeSales.
"He's been a great example of dealing with adversity with grace. His faith is just so refined
for a person of his age."
Early January
The players in blue and gold were running all over the highly favored opponent from
Oklahoma.
The roar of West Virginia fans stretched from the packed Fiesta Bowl in Arizona to the
hills and hollows of the Mountain State to the Gahanna basement where a teenager sat
alone, hollering for the team he and his father loved to cheer together.
Tyler grew up in a sea of scarlet and gray, engulfed by Buckeyes, but his loyalty hasn't
wavered from the school where his parents fell in love.
By the end of the bowl game on Jan. 2, the Mountaineers had won big.
A text message from a friend of his father's trumpeted the victory as West Virginia's
greatest ever.
Tyler had but one thought.
I just wish my dad could have seen that.
June
With his second season of DeSales football set to begin June 9, Tyler arrived before 8 a.m.
for the first conditioning session.
From giant photographs on the weight-room walls, previous state champions peered at
the newest crop of players as the guys strained and sweated and grunted their way through
lifting.
Later, outside, they lunged, skipped, jumped and sprinted, gulping down water and
stripping off soaked shirts.
"The only way to get in shape," varsity head coach Ryan Wiggins hollered, "is to bust right
through it."
Shortly before 10, the players were asked to run one final lap.
As the first wave of runners closed in on the finish line, the vomiting began -- on the track,
the grass, the concrete.
Tyler missed his goal time by about five seconds but kept down his breakfast.
Drained, he left practice wishing he could talk to his dad.
The two had made a habit of discussing drills and plays and how things work in football --
and he longed for those conversations.
"Obviously, the kid's got a lot of heart and determination, and obviously, a strong
personality," Wiggins said. "We tell our players: You point to your heart, and you point to
your head. If you've got it there and you've got it here, you've got a place in this football
program.
"And he has both."
Although not expected to start when the junior varsity opens its season Saturday, Tyler, a
wide receiver and cornerback, has a tremendous work ethic, the coach said.
With his father gone from the stands, Tyler feels a sizable void. Still, he says, football gives
him solace.
"In the game, I feel more at peace with myself -- (rather) than being in the real world and
worrying about my situation."
July 10
With the summer sun beaming in a bright-blue sky, Tyler wandered awkwardly through a
maze of tombstones, scanning the names.
Not having visited Chestnut Ridge Cemetery since his father's funeral in Weirton, he (missing text...)
He eventually saw the granite slab marking the site, headed toward the stone -- his
father's had yet to be placed -- and squatted.
TRACY M. JONES
He smoothed away a piece of grass just above the "C." Then, with a nail, he worked to
clean dirt caked in the carved-out letter, scraping, scraping, scraping.
A few minutes later, he stood, wandered away, then returned.
Squatting again, he put his fingers to his mouth, puckered his lips, then gently tapped his
hand on his mother's name -- giving her the only kind of kiss he could.
Riding home, Tyler smiled.
"I know they're looking down on me."
August
Tethered by their hands instead of their cell phones, Tyler and Jessica -- together since
the eighth grade at Gahanna West -- strolled into the Crosswoods theater on a Sunday
morning.
In one of the small theaters, Cornerstone Community Church holds a weekly
nondenominational service -- gatherings Tyler relishes.
Someday, he imagines, he might be the person addressing the congregation.
Until then, though, he was content that day to settle into a cushy seat next to the girl he
adores and her parents.
Earlier in the week, at the request of Jessica's father, Tyler had spoken to sixth-graders
attending a vacation Bible school in Gahanna. He talked about his parents' deaths, the
importance of faith and his "best friend" relationship with God.
The children clung to every word.
"I think he's going to change the world," Mr. Jivanjee said. "Everybody who comes into
contact with Tyler will have to face their life."
Tyler's sister, who this week started her freshman year at DeSales, appreciates the role
model she has in her brother.
A reluctant driver, Tyler has promised that if she plays softball in the spring, he'll work to
get his license so he can drive her to practices.
Kelsie also admires his spiritual resilience.
"His faith, it's good," she said. "I feel like I need someone like that to help me through
things."
Next month, Tyler's girlfriend and her family will move to Nashville, Tenn., where her
father will work for a new church ministry.
Tyler refuses to let the prospect of another loss demoralize him. God, he believes, is
shaping him.
"People like me have got to have that ... that 'it' factor -- that 'I'm going to make it no
matter what.' "
Some days, Tyler makes it by sweating in pads and helmet, on a grassy, worry-free oasis.
Other times, he makes it while standing in a church service, singing softly to the
strumming of an acoustic guitar.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyFxArMeRDI&feature=related
The past year has brought clarity to the words his father spoke only days before he died:
Unexpected events, Tyler now understands, are what shape a person's soul.
At 16, he doesn't think he's anywhere close to being a man.
But Tyler Jones certainly doesn't feel like a boy.
Amazing grace
Sixteen-year-old Tyler Jones has dealt with more than his share of death.
For the St. Francis DeSales High School sophomore, faith and football
have been integral to his recovery. As a new high-school gridiron season
starts tonight, the healing continues.
Friday, August 22, 2008 3:17 AM
BY KRISTY ECKERT
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Tyler Jones was 12 years old when his mother's weakened
body could no longer bear chemotherapy.
For more than six years, he had watched as back and
brain cancer tormented her.
Now, with him holding one hand and his father the
other as she rested in bed at their Gahanna home, Tracy
Jones was ready to surrender.
"I was praying, praying, praying, praying for my mom
to get healed," Tyler recalled recently, "and she didn't."
Witnessing her last breath on that day in February
2005 rattled the boy's Christian faith, long nurtured by
his parents.
He was hardly pleased with God.
Show me who you are, he remembered insisting, or
I'm not going to believe in you.
That same evening, as he and his father took a walk
through the neighborhood, the sky boasted a brilliant
swath of purple and pink.
The sight proved comforting. Just maybe, Tyler
reasoned, God had taken his mother to a better place.
Seeing the colors as a heaven-sent gesture as well,
Larry Jones tried to reassure his son.
"Everything's going to be all right."
September 2007
Sports were often the talk of the Jones house, where
Larry Jones shared a passion for football with his son
while turning his daughter into a softball star.
On this particular evening, though, Tyler and his dad
sat in the kitchen discussing life.
In the 2 1/2 years since his mother's death, the boy had
blossomed into a mature teenager with a dry wit,
impeccable manners and an increasing devotion to God.
And, he'd found a special girl.
He was telling his dad how he thought he might
eventually marry Jessica Jivanjee. They were young, he
knew. Maybe, though, they'd someday attend West
Virginia University together, as his parents had.
When the conversation ended, Larry Jones stood and
walked into another room to make a phone call. Before
dialing, though, he turned back to his son with some
advice Tyler didn't quite understand.
"When the unexpected occurs, that's when you're going
to know if you're a man or a boy."
Sept. 28
A devoted fan of the West Virginia football team, Larry
Jones wasn't sure whether his undefeated Mountaineers
could pull off a win over South Florida on the final
weekend of September.
"I'm going to give you a prediction by Friday," he told
Tyler during the week. "Friday night."
When Friday arrived, he drove his son to school at St.
Francis DeSales on the North Side, hugging him before he got out of the car.
"Have a good day, Champ," he said. "I love you, Son."
Although raised a Baptist and attending a Lutheran church, Larry Jones had encouraged
his son to attend the Catholic school for its faith-based education and academic reputation.
Playing on the freshman team for a high school rich in football tradition, Tyler said, was a
bonus.
After classes that afternoon, as he and his teammates enjoyed an easy walk-through, Tyler
(missing text...)
"There's an officer here who wants to take you to the Gahanna Police Department,"
Garrick told him. "Your father has been in an accident."
The truth, though, proved worse.
At the police station, Tyler learned that Kelsie, his younger sister by a year, had returned
home from Gahanna Middle School West and found her father lying unconscious on the
floor.
At 50, Larry Jones, a safety engineer for Ohio State University, had suffered a heart
attack.
He was gone.
"No!" Tyler yelled, crying. "No! No!"
Knowing that Kelsie sat waiting in a nearby room, the officer told Tyler, "Now it's you.
You've got to be the rock."
He was 15 -- and without parents.
Why? he wondered. Why did this happen?
Instead of questioning God this time, he leaned on him.
And God, he said, seemed to reply: Your dad did everything he could to help you and
Kelsie. Now it's your turn to help yourselves.
With that, Tyler went to his sister, took her in his arms and promised:
"Everything's going to be all right."
Oct. 2
Tyler stood beside his father's open casket in a West Virginia funeral home, hugging,
shaking hands with and graciously accepting sympathy from people he hardly knew.
He was in Weirton, a steel-mill city 2 1/2 hours from Columbus where his parents grew up
and his three living grandparents still live.
Outside, his girlfriend was comforting his sister when a school bus rolled up Main Street.
The doors opened and out poured the freshman football players, cheerleaders, coaches and
others from DeSales.
Dressed in their purple-and-white jerseys, the players worked their way into the
visitation, circled Tyler and prayed.
Some patted his back or embraced him. Several sobbed.
The sight moved Garrick, who organized the trip.
"There was just a tremendous bonding," the principal recalled. "In my 20 years of
education, I've experienced children losing a parent. But I've never experienced a child
losing both parents in such a short period of time."
John Rothwell, a freshman coach, teared up when Tyler used the moment not to focus on
himself but to pump up his teammates.
"He's such a great kid," Rothwell said. "We were getting ready to play Watterson, and he
told everyone he wanted them to think about the game and beat Watterson."
Until that day, Tyler, who'd attended middle school in the Gahanna district, wasn't
completely comfortable at his new school.
But at that moment, his feelings changed.
"When they all came, I knew that's where I belonged," he recalled. "DeSales is a family to
me."
Mid-October
As word spread that Tyler and his sister had no relatives in Columbus, the DeSales
community responded en masse.
Some raised money, sent gift cards and provided rides to and from school and football
practices. Others offered to become foster parents.
Tyler and Kelsie, however, wanted to stay in their home.
For two weeks at a time, the children's paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother
took turns commuting from Weirton to Gahanna to stay with the kids.
Brandie and Jamal Jivanjee, the parents of Tyler's girlfriend, gladly ferried him as needed
and, through prayer, provided emotional support.
"We were devastated," Mrs. Jivanjee said, "because we knew they were still grieving for
their mom."
Some days, Tyler admitted, he didn't want to get out of bed.
Longtime friend Jamel Morris sensed his buddy's depression but said Tyler rarely showed
his pain.
"He still acted like himself," said Jamel, 15. "Tyler is a good friend. If you want to talk to
somebody, you can talk to him. If you want to depend on somebody, he's dependable."
Tyler, meanwhile, found comfort in his new school.
"I think Tyler's doing fine, and I would give a lot of that credit to St. Francis DeSales," said
Janet Jones, Larry's mother, who recently began caring for her grandchildren full time.
At 74 and with a husband fighting Parkinson's disease, she finds the new role challenging
-- all while she still mourns the loss of her only child.
Yet she, too, believes that God has a plan.
"You have to have faith."
Tyler's spirituality, Garrick said, has been a lesson for all of DeSales.
"He's been a great example of dealing with adversity with grace. His faith is just so refined
for a person of his age."
Early January
The players in blue and gold were running all over the highly favored opponent from
Oklahoma.
The roar of West Virginia fans stretched from the packed Fiesta Bowl in Arizona to the
hills and hollows of the Mountain State to the Gahanna basement where a teenager sat
alone, hollering for the team he and his father loved to cheer together.
Tyler grew up in a sea of scarlet and gray, engulfed by Buckeyes, but his loyalty hasn't
wavered from the school where his parents fell in love.
By the end of the bowl game on Jan. 2, the Mountaineers had won big.
A text message from a friend of his father's trumpeted the victory as West Virginia's
greatest ever.
Tyler had but one thought.
I just wish my dad could have seen that.
June
With his second season of DeSales football set to begin June 9, Tyler arrived before 8 a.m.
for the first conditioning session.
From giant photographs on the weight-room walls, previous state champions peered at
the newest crop of players as the guys strained and sweated and grunted their way through
lifting.
Later, outside, they lunged, skipped, jumped and sprinted, gulping down water and
stripping off soaked shirts.
"The only way to get in shape," varsity head coach Ryan Wiggins hollered, "is to bust right
through it."
Shortly before 10, the players were asked to run one final lap.
As the first wave of runners closed in on the finish line, the vomiting began -- on the track,
the grass, the concrete.
Tyler missed his goal time by about five seconds but kept down his breakfast.
Drained, he left practice wishing he could talk to his dad.
The two had made a habit of discussing drills and plays and how things work in football --
and he longed for those conversations.
"Obviously, the kid's got a lot of heart and determination, and obviously, a strong
personality," Wiggins said. "We tell our players: You point to your heart, and you point to
your head. If you've got it there and you've got it here, you've got a place in this football
program.
"And he has both."
Although not expected to start when the junior varsity opens its season Saturday, Tyler, a
wide receiver and cornerback, has a tremendous work ethic, the coach said.
With his father gone from the stands, Tyler feels a sizable void. Still, he says, football gives
him solace.
"In the game, I feel more at peace with myself -- (rather) than being in the real world and
worrying about my situation."
July 10
With the summer sun beaming in a bright-blue sky, Tyler wandered awkwardly through a
maze of tombstones, scanning the names.
Not having visited Chestnut Ridge Cemetery since his father's funeral in Weirton, he (missing text...)
He eventually saw the granite slab marking the site, headed toward the stone -- his
father's had yet to be placed -- and squatted.
TRACY M. JONES
He smoothed away a piece of grass just above the "C." Then, with a nail, he worked to
clean dirt caked in the carved-out letter, scraping, scraping, scraping.
A few minutes later, he stood, wandered away, then returned.
Squatting again, he put his fingers to his mouth, puckered his lips, then gently tapped his
hand on his mother's name -- giving her the only kind of kiss he could.
Riding home, Tyler smiled.
"I know they're looking down on me."
August
Tethered by their hands instead of their cell phones, Tyler and Jessica -- together since
the eighth grade at Gahanna West -- strolled into the Crosswoods theater on a Sunday
morning.
In one of the small theaters, Cornerstone Community Church holds a weekly
nondenominational service -- gatherings Tyler relishes.
Someday, he imagines, he might be the person addressing the congregation.
Until then, though, he was content that day to settle into a cushy seat next to the girl he
adores and her parents.
Earlier in the week, at the request of Jessica's father, Tyler had spoken to sixth-graders
attending a vacation Bible school in Gahanna. He talked about his parents' deaths, the
importance of faith and his "best friend" relationship with God.
The children clung to every word.
"I think he's going to change the world," Mr. Jivanjee said. "Everybody who comes into
contact with Tyler will have to face their life."
Tyler's sister, who this week started her freshman year at DeSales, appreciates the role
model she has in her brother.
A reluctant driver, Tyler has promised that if she plays softball in the spring, he'll work to
get his license so he can drive her to practices.
Kelsie also admires his spiritual resilience.
"His faith, it's good," she said. "I feel like I need someone like that to help me through
things."
Next month, Tyler's girlfriend and her family will move to Nashville, Tenn., where her
father will work for a new church ministry.
Tyler refuses to let the prospect of another loss demoralize him. God, he believes, is
shaping him.
"People like me have got to have that ... that 'it' factor -- that 'I'm going to make it no
matter what.' "
Some days, Tyler makes it by sweating in pads and helmet, on a grassy, worry-free oasis.
Other times, he makes it while standing in a church service, singing softly to the
strumming of an acoustic guitar.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyFxArMeRDI&feature=related
The past year has brought clarity to the words his father spoke only days before he died:
Unexpected events, Tyler now understands, are what shape a person's soul.
At 16, he doesn't think he's anywhere close to being a man.
But Tyler Jones certainly doesn't feel like a boy.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
When Answers Aren't Enough
Are you being faced with a new challenge today? Just when we think we have overcome one hurdle in our life, another this thrown at us. Why God? We know that God is with us; He WILL comfort us in our sufferings. And there will be an end to our suffering.
The verse below from 2 Corinthians also sheds some light - that our sufferings may also be used to comfort others who may not know the Lord. By being able to empathize with others, we can share our sufferings, establish a bond to another person, and provide a witness as to what the love of Jesus Christ can do. What the love of Jesus has done in our life.
2 Corinthians 1:4-6 (New International Version)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
Here is a song that I played during the prelude music today. It was new to me but the words are ones of comfort. May they offer you comfort today, too. And for those that prefer to hear it, here is a YouTube version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykS74UTb1AI
When Answers Aren't Enough by Scott Wesley Brown
You have faced the mountains of desperation
You have climbed, you have fought, you have won
But this valley that lies coldly before you
Casts a shadow you cannot overcome.
And just when you thought you had it all together
You knew every verse to get you through
But this time the sorrow broke more than just your heart
And reciting all those verses just won't do.
Chorus:
When answers aren't enough, there is Jesus
He is more than just an answer to your prayer
And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge
When answers aren't enough, He is there.
Instead of asking why did it happen
Think of where it can lead you from here
And as your pain is slowly easing, you can find a greater reason
To live your life triumphant through the tears.
The verse below from 2 Corinthians also sheds some light - that our sufferings may also be used to comfort others who may not know the Lord. By being able to empathize with others, we can share our sufferings, establish a bond to another person, and provide a witness as to what the love of Jesus Christ can do. What the love of Jesus has done in our life.
2 Corinthians 1:4-6 (New International Version)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
Here is a song that I played during the prelude music today. It was new to me but the words are ones of comfort. May they offer you comfort today, too. And for those that prefer to hear it, here is a YouTube version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykS74UTb1AI
When Answers Aren't Enough by Scott Wesley Brown
You have faced the mountains of desperation
You have climbed, you have fought, you have won
But this valley that lies coldly before you
Casts a shadow you cannot overcome.
And just when you thought you had it all together
You knew every verse to get you through
But this time the sorrow broke more than just your heart
And reciting all those verses just won't do.
Chorus:
When answers aren't enough, there is Jesus
He is more than just an answer to your prayer
And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge
When answers aren't enough, He is there.
Instead of asking why did it happen
Think of where it can lead you from here
And as your pain is slowly easing, you can find a greater reason
To live your life triumphant through the tears.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sorry I've been silent
I didn't realize I haven't made a post for a month - boy how time flies! I have been busy focusing on the service I conducted yesterday. For those of you who attended, I welcome your comments. For those of you who were not able to attend, I will be posting it to this site - once I get my file sharing site to work again. I particularly want to thank Bob R, Denise, Bob M and Troy for all your help! Bob R and Denise, thank you for your willingness to participate despite your pain and discomfort!
There is a correction that needs to be made in my message. My comments regarding John Kerry were meant to be John Edwards. Don't know where that one came from!
But I do know that I could not have done this service without direction and support from God. I struggled with the context of this message but somehow the words and the music all fit together. But I do hope for more prep time if I do this again. There was much more I wanted to do but was not able to do because I ran out of time.
Thanks to all of you that prayed for me through this process.
There is a correction that needs to be made in my message. My comments regarding John Kerry were meant to be John Edwards. Don't know where that one came from!
But I do know that I could not have done this service without direction and support from God. I struggled with the context of this message but somehow the words and the music all fit together. But I do hope for more prep time if I do this again. There was much more I wanted to do but was not able to do because I ran out of time.
Thanks to all of you that prayed for me through this process.
Friday, July 18, 2008
If My People
We will be focusing on prayer in our August worship services. Jimmy Owens’ song, If My People Will Pray, came to mind. The song is based on text from 2 Chronicles 7:14, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. There is a lot of richness in the passage.
But my attention was also caught by the message of the entire chapter that talks about the dedication of the temple that Solomon had built. The dedication began with prayer after which “the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” Then everyone worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord. Next came sacrifices; then the music started.
There’s a whole sermon in this passage (maybe for another day) but I was struck by music’s role in the dedication service. Verse 6 says, “The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, ‘His love endures forever.’ Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.”
When we pray in a manner that we are truly communicating with God (where we not only speak to God but we are also open to hear His response), our souls become overwhelmed. Just as the Israelites were awestruck by the presence of the Lord in the temple, we too can become awestruck as the Holy Spirit is welcomed into the presence of our temple. Sometimes that temple is our church; other times it is the temple of our body. So how do we express this awesomeness that we feel? Many times words are not enough. But music is.
Imagine what happened in the temple that day when those instruments began to play and the trumpets began to blow. The scripture say that ALL the Israelites were standing. And though it does not specifically say it, I imagine that they were also swaying with hands lifted up. How could they not be when in the presence of God?
As church musicians, our responsibility is to provide music that will allow our worshippers to express the awesomeness they feel as they experience God’s presence. This is difficult because everyone feels something different, at different times, in different ways. So we are attempting to bring the church a blend of music that the Holy Spirit can use in his way and in his time. But we can’t forget to circle back to the beginning – to pray and humble ourselves and seek His face so that God will hear us from heaven and heal us and our land.
But my attention was also caught by the message of the entire chapter that talks about the dedication of the temple that Solomon had built. The dedication began with prayer after which “the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” Then everyone worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord. Next came sacrifices; then the music started.
There’s a whole sermon in this passage (maybe for another day) but I was struck by music’s role in the dedication service. Verse 6 says, “The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, ‘His love endures forever.’ Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.”
When we pray in a manner that we are truly communicating with God (where we not only speak to God but we are also open to hear His response), our souls become overwhelmed. Just as the Israelites were awestruck by the presence of the Lord in the temple, we too can become awestruck as the Holy Spirit is welcomed into the presence of our temple. Sometimes that temple is our church; other times it is the temple of our body. So how do we express this awesomeness that we feel? Many times words are not enough. But music is.
Imagine what happened in the temple that day when those instruments began to play and the trumpets began to blow. The scripture say that ALL the Israelites were standing. And though it does not specifically say it, I imagine that they were also swaying with hands lifted up. How could they not be when in the presence of God?
As church musicians, our responsibility is to provide music that will allow our worshippers to express the awesomeness they feel as they experience God’s presence. This is difficult because everyone feels something different, at different times, in different ways. So we are attempting to bring the church a blend of music that the Holy Spirit can use in his way and in his time. But we can’t forget to circle back to the beginning – to pray and humble ourselves and seek His face so that God will hear us from heaven and heal us and our land.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The New Baptist Hymnal - Review
I was at the local Lifeway store today and bought the new Baptist Hymnal. All I can say is, "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! They got it right this time."
It's a wonderful mix of contemporary Praise & Worship and favorite hymns. And it includes ways to create a bridge between the two. They even brought back some old gospel favorites like His Eye is on the Sparrow and When the Morning Comes. But they still left out my baby boomer favorite, Pass It On. :-( In addition, it does not have the world music that many other denominations (like EVLA) are incorporating in their new hymnals.
Like many Baptist churches, we have been struggling with creating a blend between contemporary and traditional music. This is the perfect hymnal for us. It contains both our favorite Praise & Worship music as well as our favorite standard hymns. And for our church, if it's in the hymnal, it's ok to sing!
Now the problem...we're a small church with a limited budget. We were purchasing copies of the 1991 version as recently as 3 years ago. Our music committee is trying to figure out how we can purchase a few of the new ones at a time and just slide them in...
Suggestions?
It's a wonderful mix of contemporary Praise & Worship and favorite hymns. And it includes ways to create a bridge between the two. They even brought back some old gospel favorites like His Eye is on the Sparrow and When the Morning Comes. But they still left out my baby boomer favorite, Pass It On. :-( In addition, it does not have the world music that many other denominations (like EVLA) are incorporating in their new hymnals.
Like many Baptist churches, we have been struggling with creating a blend between contemporary and traditional music. This is the perfect hymnal for us. It contains both our favorite Praise & Worship music as well as our favorite standard hymns. And for our church, if it's in the hymnal, it's ok to sing!
Now the problem...we're a small church with a limited budget. We were purchasing copies of the 1991 version as recently as 3 years ago. Our music committee is trying to figure out how we can purchase a few of the new ones at a time and just slide them in...
Suggestions?
Worship - It's all about me!
My original title for this was going to be Worship – it’s NOT all about me. Then as I wrote this, I discovered something different. Please read on…
Are these your thoughts/words during/after a weekly worship service?
Are these your thoughts/words during/after a weekly worship service?
- I hate that song / praise music / musical rendering…
- The pastor’s sermon is too long
- The announcements take forever…we can read the bulletin, you know
- Save a tree – reduce the number of the bulletin inserts
- Are they ever going to get through the prayer?
- They’re asking for more money…again!
- Did you see what so&so was wearing?
- Did you hear what so&so did/said
- Somebody took my seat!
I admit that some of these thoughts go through my head as I sit in church. And these thoughts limit and stifle my music ministry because all I can think of is, “How many people am I going to offend today?” I often feel nothing but spitefulness from the church people around me. And that’s probably a reflection of my feelings toward them.
I can’t change the church, but I can change me. So how can I change my attitude?
I believe that if we go into our worship service with the right attitude, then we will leave with the right attitude and be uplifted in ways we did not expect. If we go in EXPECTING to get something from the worship service, then we won’t. And if we only worship God once a week in church, we only feel more exasperated when we leave and our expectations have not been met. (See comments June 20th)
Therefore, we should enter our worship service with an attitude of giving. Here are questions that we should ask ourselves before we enter the door of the church:
- How are I am going to give myself to God today?
- Is my heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit for His purpose?
- What am I going to share with one of my brothers/sisters in Christ?
- How am I going to reach out to the stranger beside me?
- Am I going to make a difference to someone today?
We all know the adage, “it is better to give than to receive”. We have all experienced that wonderful sense of warmth and pleasure when we see someone’s face light up when we give them the perfect present. So let us give our church a present every time we enter the building. If we think of ourselves as a gift to our church then imagine how faces will light up around us in pleasure – not only by what we do, but what God is able to do through us.
Worship is not about the music, the sermon, the music, the pews, the building...instead it IS about me – me and my relationship with God and my willingness to be open to Him. God gave me the gift of His Son; I need to be a gift to God.
My prayer: Lord, help me to be a gift unto you. Let me walk into your church with an attitude of giving. Let me be open to the work of the Holy Spirit. Let me reach out and bear a gift to my brother/sister. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Prayers Needed
I spoke to a co-worker this week who lives in Cedar Rapids, IA. Even though her family was not directly affected by the flooding, she told me of the despair that is prevalent in the area. There are 25,000 of 120,000 people without work. Government assistance is lacking. More volunteers are needed.
Please pray that these people get the help they need and that the Lord will provide them with the courage to move forward. Thank you!
Please pray that these people get the help they need and that the Lord will provide them with the courage to move forward. Thank you!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Worship – It’s not just an adult thing
Several weeks ago a young girl of our church sang “This is My Father’s World” during our morning worship service. I was touched not only by her talent but also by the way she presented herself to the Lord. Last Sunday I was visiting another church and was blessed by a duet of “I Love You, Lord” by another young girl and an adult. This was another instance where I saw a youth sharing herself with the Lord, not just with the congregation.
Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14 NIV) I believe that the ability and the knowledge of how to worship God are inbred in each one of us; they are part of our very being that God created. And as adults, it is not our place to teach children “how” to worship; instead, we need to provide the opportunities for children to participate in worship. Then we need to sit back, watch them, and learn from them - learn to worship God as one of His children.
As I get older, I find I bring more and more of my “baggage” with me as I worship God. Many times I focus too much of the “hows” of worship rather than just on the act of worship. That has to do with the fact that as a church musician I have a responsibility for putting together and participating in the actual worship service. But that’s my excuse, what about yours? Because I don’t think I am alone in this problem….
For this week, let’s make a conscious effort to worship God as we did when we were children. To help, I have provided a list of some of the songs that I learned as a small child. If you know these, sing them to yourself throughout the week. Smile, clap you hands, stomp your feet, make the motions, do whatever it was you did when you sang these songs as a small child. Then lift up your hands to God and say, “Thank you, Lord, for making me one of your children. I love you and I lift myself up to you. All praise and honor go to you!”
Now you have worshipped as a child…..
Here are the words to some of my favorite children’s songs, just in case you forget them. Please share one of your own favorites via a comment to this blog.
Father Abraham http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/f033.html
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/h005.html
Jesus Loves the Little Children http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/j007.html
Jesus Loves Me http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/j008.html
Lord I Want to be a Christian http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/l098.html
Rise and Shine http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/r024.html
This Little Light of Mine http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/t030.html
Hallelu Hallelu
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord!
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
If You’re Happy and You Know It
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “AMEN!”
If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “AMEN!”
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “AMEN!”
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, AMEN!)
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, AMEN!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, AMEN!)
Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14 NIV) I believe that the ability and the knowledge of how to worship God are inbred in each one of us; they are part of our very being that God created. And as adults, it is not our place to teach children “how” to worship; instead, we need to provide the opportunities for children to participate in worship. Then we need to sit back, watch them, and learn from them - learn to worship God as one of His children.
As I get older, I find I bring more and more of my “baggage” with me as I worship God. Many times I focus too much of the “hows” of worship rather than just on the act of worship. That has to do with the fact that as a church musician I have a responsibility for putting together and participating in the actual worship service. But that’s my excuse, what about yours? Because I don’t think I am alone in this problem….
For this week, let’s make a conscious effort to worship God as we did when we were children. To help, I have provided a list of some of the songs that I learned as a small child. If you know these, sing them to yourself throughout the week. Smile, clap you hands, stomp your feet, make the motions, do whatever it was you did when you sang these songs as a small child. Then lift up your hands to God and say, “Thank you, Lord, for making me one of your children. I love you and I lift myself up to you. All praise and honor go to you!”
Now you have worshipped as a child…..
Here are the words to some of my favorite children’s songs, just in case you forget them. Please share one of your own favorites via a comment to this blog.
Father Abraham http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/f033.html
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/h005.html
Jesus Loves the Little Children http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/j007.html
Jesus Loves Me http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/j008.html
Lord I Want to be a Christian http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/l098.html
Rise and Shine http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/r024.html
This Little Light of Mine http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/t030.html
Hallelu Hallelu
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord!
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Praise, Ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
If You’re Happy and You Know It
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “AMEN!”
If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “AMEN!”
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “AMEN!”
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, AMEN!)
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, AMEN!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, AMEN!)
I would love to hear from you!
I would enjoy receiving your feedback and comments. Just click on the comments field below the post. Thank you!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Worship - Not Just a Sunday Thing
Even though this was many years ago, I still remember walking through the campus of Miami University (Ohio) on a spring day and having a sense of awe overcome me - the day was sunny, the trees were in bloom, the air was fresh and all of that was a gift of God to me. I wanted to cry and shout to Him for all that He had given to me.
Now I am busy with work, church, home, school, family....whatever. And many times I find it hard to recognize all that God has provided me. Yet, once in a while, I still see His glory in a moment. It can come in the words that someone says, it can be seen in people agreeing to disagree but yet respecting the other person's opinion, it can be seen on the face of someone as they ask for prayer, or it can be in the small child that reaches out to a stranger to bless her with a hug...
God does not want us to limit ourselves to an hour of worship a week. He wants us to worship Him every day, in all things. For those things are provided to us by Him. Our time in church each Sunday should be our time to share our other daily worship time with others - to show those around us how we have experienced God's love in our lives since we last saw them and to praise Him for those gifts He has bestowed upon us. It is time for us to pray for and with those who may not have been so fortunate as ourselves.
Jesus told the woman of Samaria that "...when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4: 23-24
God also tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, to not be conformed by the world but to be renewed of our minds so that we may discern the will of God. This is to be reflected in the way we live our daily lives, not just how we present ourselves in a church service.
Please pray: Lord, help me to worship you in all that I am and all that I do, every day, in every way. Help me see your wonders in all that is around me and to see your glory shine. Amen.
Now I am busy with work, church, home, school, family....whatever. And many times I find it hard to recognize all that God has provided me. Yet, once in a while, I still see His glory in a moment. It can come in the words that someone says, it can be seen in people agreeing to disagree but yet respecting the other person's opinion, it can be seen on the face of someone as they ask for prayer, or it can be in the small child that reaches out to a stranger to bless her with a hug...
God does not want us to limit ourselves to an hour of worship a week. He wants us to worship Him every day, in all things. For those things are provided to us by Him. Our time in church each Sunday should be our time to share our other daily worship time with others - to show those around us how we have experienced God's love in our lives since we last saw them and to praise Him for those gifts He has bestowed upon us. It is time for us to pray for and with those who may not have been so fortunate as ourselves.
Jesus told the woman of Samaria that "...when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4: 23-24
God also tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, to not be conformed by the world but to be renewed of our minds so that we may discern the will of God. This is to be reflected in the way we live our daily lives, not just how we present ourselves in a church service.
Please pray: Lord, help me to worship you in all that I am and all that I do, every day, in every way. Help me see your wonders in all that is around me and to see your glory shine. Amen.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thoughts on Worship
I have been attending church worship services, well, since forever that I can remember. My Mother was a Sunday School teacher. My fraternal grandparents attended that same church every Sunday. So I really don't remember, with the exception my college years, not being in church almost every Sunday morning.
However, as I have been re-evaluating my role in the music program of The American Baptist church of Westerville, I found that I really didn't have a good idea of what "worship". It's just something you do once a week, isn't it?
Michael Morrison, of the Worldwide Church of God, wrote a paper entitled, "What Is Worship? A Survey of Scripture", that I found very enlightening(a). In it mentions that worship has three
components, 1) upward - giving God all glory and and honor, 2) inward - listening for instruction and obeying God's direction as His servant and 3) outward - carrying out His instructions to the world around us. In Nehemiah 8:6, Ezra leads the Israelites in worship and "Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands (upward). Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (inward). And in verse 10, Ezra tells them to enjoy their meal but to share it with "those for whom nothing is prepared" (outward).
As I read this, as well as other books/papers, and began to study the scriptures, I began to see worship in a much different light. I plan to share my "awakening" in my next several posts that will include:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPWq8eM4lu8
(a) (www.wcg.org/lit/spiritual/worship/worship1.htm)
However, as I have been re-evaluating my role in the music program of The American Baptist church of Westerville, I found that I really didn't have a good idea of what "worship". It's just something you do once a week, isn't it?
Michael Morrison, of the Worldwide Church of God, wrote a paper entitled, "What Is Worship? A Survey of Scripture", that I found very enlightening(a). In it mentions that worship has three
components, 1) upward - giving God all glory and and honor, 2) inward - listening for instruction and obeying God's direction as His servant and 3) outward - carrying out His instructions to the world around us. In Nehemiah 8:6, Ezra leads the Israelites in worship and "Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands (upward). Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (inward). And in verse 10, Ezra tells them to enjoy their meal but to share it with "those for whom nothing is prepared" (outward).
As I read this, as well as other books/papers, and began to study the scriptures, I began to see worship in a much different light. I plan to share my "awakening" in my next several posts that will include:
- Worship - Not Just on Sunday Morning
- Worship - It's not about me
- Worship - It's not just an adult thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPWq8eM4lu8
(a) (www.wcg.org/lit/spiritual/worship/worship1.htm)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Children of the Heavenly Father
1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this; when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. (NRSV)
Take a minute to reflect on a moment in your childhood when the world was a magical place - you were a dancer, a superhero, a cowboy, a princess. Or spend time with your children, not just watching them, but instead looking through their eyes. There is nothing a child cannot do.
The same is true as adults. We never stop being children of God. He stands beside us, in good times and bad. He guides and nourishes us. He has a path for us, a path that will be revealed to us in His time. As part of your family devotion today, gather together and spend time thinking magically. Ask your children to share the wonders of their world. Share with them the wonders of your world.
Pray together: Lord, help us see the world through the eyes of a child for we are indeed one of your special children. Help us be all that you want us to be. We know that you are always with us. To you we give all praise and glory. Amen.
Click on "Child of God Medley" in the side bar to listen to my arrangement of two songs - Children of the Heavenly Father and A Child of the King. This arrangement is written in 4-parts for C instruments. To receive a copy of the score, please send a request to lc5419@yahoo.com. I have also included links to the lyrics and history of both songs below:
Take a minute to reflect on a moment in your childhood when the world was a magical place - you were a dancer, a superhero, a cowboy, a princess. Or spend time with your children, not just watching them, but instead looking through their eyes. There is nothing a child cannot do.
The same is true as adults. We never stop being children of God. He stands beside us, in good times and bad. He guides and nourishes us. He has a path for us, a path that will be revealed to us in His time. As part of your family devotion today, gather together and spend time thinking magically. Ask your children to share the wonders of their world. Share with them the wonders of your world.
Pray together: Lord, help us see the world through the eyes of a child for we are indeed one of your special children. Help us be all that you want us to be. We know that you are always with us. To you we give all praise and glory. Amen.
Click on "Child of God Medley" in the side bar to listen to my arrangement of two songs - Children of the Heavenly Father and A Child of the King. This arrangement is written in 4-parts for C instruments. To receive a copy of the score, please send a request to lc5419@yahoo.com. I have also included links to the lyrics and history of both songs below:
Children of the Heavenly Father: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/cofthehf.htm
A Child of the King: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/h/childkin.htm
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
More on The Servant Song
I found this information on the American Bible Society website. Wow! When I began this project, I didn't know fully where it was leading me. Ask for direction and the Lord will provide. It will be an interesting journey...
http://www.americanbible.org/brcpages/servantsongsinisaiah
"Four passages in Isaiah are often identified as "the Servant Songs" because they focus on the call and work of "the Lord's servant" (or "God's servant"): 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13—53:12. These songs (or poems) describe the servant as the one God chose to "bring justice to the nations" (42:1) and "to lead back the people of Israel" to God (49:5). But the servant will also be "a light" so that other nations will recognize God's "saving power" (49:6). Unlike others in the Jewish Scriptures who are called the Lord's servant (for example, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses), the servant in Isaiah suffers physical pain and humiliation (50:6; 52:14; 53:3-5,7) in the work the Lord called him to do. The last of these songs, however, recognizes that the suffering of the servant will help accomplish the work he was called to do. In other words, his own suffering will ultimately take away the sins and guilt of others (53:4,5,10,11), and the Lord will reward the servant for sacrificing his life for others (53:12).
As the early followers of Jesus read the Servant Songs, they clearly connected "the servant" with Jesus the Messiah (Christ). For example, Matthew states that the predictions of Isaiah 42:1-4 were fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus (see Matt 12:18-21). Similarly, the early church leader Philip explained to an Ethiopian official that the words of Isaiah 53:7,8 referred to Jesus (Acts 8:26-35). Jesus identifies himself as the servant who will "give his life to rescue many people" (Mark 10:45) and offers his work as a model of servanthood for his followers to imitate."
http://www.americanbible.org/brcpages/servantsongsinisaiah
"Four passages in Isaiah are often identified as "the Servant Songs" because they focus on the call and work of "the Lord's servant" (or "God's servant"): 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13—53:12. These songs (or poems) describe the servant as the one God chose to "bring justice to the nations" (42:1) and "to lead back the people of Israel" to God (49:5). But the servant will also be "a light" so that other nations will recognize God's "saving power" (49:6). Unlike others in the Jewish Scriptures who are called the Lord's servant (for example, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses), the servant in Isaiah suffers physical pain and humiliation (50:6; 52:14; 53:3-5,7) in the work the Lord called him to do. The last of these songs, however, recognizes that the suffering of the servant will help accomplish the work he was called to do. In other words, his own suffering will ultimately take away the sins and guilt of others (53:4,5,10,11), and the Lord will reward the servant for sacrificing his life for others (53:12).
As the early followers of Jesus read the Servant Songs, they clearly connected "the servant" with Jesus the Messiah (Christ). For example, Matthew states that the predictions of Isaiah 42:1-4 were fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus (see Matt 12:18-21). Similarly, the early church leader Philip explained to an Ethiopian official that the words of Isaiah 53:7,8 referred to Jesus (Acts 8:26-35). Jesus identifies himself as the servant who will "give his life to rescue many people" (Mark 10:45) and offers his work as a model of servanthood for his followers to imitate."
Monday, June 9, 2008
Why Am I Doing This?
You know how there are things that once they get into your mind, they just won't go away? A month or so ago I thought it would be nice to put together a website on which I could share my calling to a music ministry for the Lord. I wanted to have a place that I could post some of my music, create devotions, and share ideas I have for music within a church. But I kept getting so distracted by my work, church, and home responsibilities that I couldn't find time to make this happen. Last week I attended a class, Building a Parish Music Ministry, at Trinity Lutheran Seminary http://www.trinitylutheranseminary.edu/ and am required to complete a class project. This is the result. Let's just say that when the Lord lays something on your heart, He really does remove all obstacles. Thanks to May Schwartz for her encouragement. She is truly one of the Lord's instruments.
When setting up a blog, the first thing you need to do is to give it a name. Most of the common names that came to mind were not available - Now Sings My Soul, Music Ministry, etc. So I got out my hymnal to look for inspiration and was drawn to a song that I have used numerous times in church over the past year. I am intrigued by the melodies from The Sacred Harp as well as Southern Harmony and the words written by Richard Gillard to this Beach Spring melody speak to the calling I have in my heart.
(For more on the history and background of The Sacred Harp, go to http://www.his.com/~sabol/SHhistory.html)
Title: The Servant Song
Tune: Beach Spring
Music: The Sacred Harp 1844
Words: Richard Gillard, 1953 -
We are trav'lers on a journey,
Fellow pilgrims on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
Sister, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.
Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.
I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
Till we've seen this journey thro'.
When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.
(Recommended piano arrangement: Mark Hayes, Glory, Honor and Praise, Genevox ISBN 0-6330-1495-8)
Prayer: Dear Lord, we are your instruments. Allow us to open our hearts so that we may hear your calling for us. Remove the distractions. Keep us focused. Give us direction. We give you all honor and glory. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
When setting up a blog, the first thing you need to do is to give it a name. Most of the common names that came to mind were not available - Now Sings My Soul, Music Ministry, etc. So I got out my hymnal to look for inspiration and was drawn to a song that I have used numerous times in church over the past year. I am intrigued by the melodies from The Sacred Harp as well as Southern Harmony and the words written by Richard Gillard to this Beach Spring melody speak to the calling I have in my heart.
(For more on the history and background of The Sacred Harp, go to http://www.his.com/~sabol/SHhistory.html)
Title: The Servant Song
Tune: Beach Spring
Music: The Sacred Harp 1844
Words: Richard Gillard, 1953 -
We are trav'lers on a journey,
Fellow pilgrims on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
Sister, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.
Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.
I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
Till we've seen this journey thro'.
When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.
(Recommended piano arrangement: Mark Hayes, Glory, Honor and Praise, Genevox ISBN 0-6330-1495-8)
Prayer: Dear Lord, we are your instruments. Allow us to open our hearts so that we may hear your calling for us. Remove the distractions. Keep us focused. Give us direction. We give you all honor and glory. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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