Lost Inhibitions

            Getting lost in the fantasy world of musicals has always been a source of relaxation and enjoyment.  While coasting through theater announcements I was thrilled to discover that Mary Poppins, the musical was coming to our city. In the world of Mary Poppins, being a chimney sweep, or a nanny becoming desirable careers, and a spoon full of sugar makes everything better. We booked tickets as close to the stage as we could and waited for the day when we could learn more about those 19 consonants and 19 vowels placed together in one crazy word.

            When the day arrived, we settled into our seats and enjoyed every minute of the performance.  At the conclusion of the play, everybody cheered with joyous applause as the cast took their bows. The play concluded with one more rendition of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. As the song began, a little girl, of no more than three years, could hold herself back no longer.  She pushed her way into the isle, where she sang and dance to the best of her ability. Though the cast was singing their swan song, hundreds of eyes were on this precious little girl who could not contain her joy.

           As I watched this little girl, I forgot that I was at the theater, and my mind transitioned to my faith in Jesus.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is a source of great joy. He produced boldness in the apostles, vibrancy in the church, and the conviction that a spoon full of grace made everything better.  I thought about today’s perfectly choreographed church services, practiced and timed to the minute to insure that everything flows perfectly. But, God’s swan song should have us dancing in the isles with unbridled joy.  Jesus Christ has died for our sin, freed us from bondage, and offered us life with him in the glory of a city paved with streets of gold. He has given us a new name, a new family, and a new purpose. He has made us heirs, and priests.

           How can we be so casual about our faith when we have been given so much? Is it any wonder that Jesus took a child, like that little three year old girl, dancing in the isle, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

            If you took this passage seriously, what would change in your behavior, your witness, and your faith? If we were so filled with joy that we could not contain ourselves, how would our world change? The world will not be won through casual observances by restrained believers. But, it will be won through people who cannot be silenced, people who say, “one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). It was unbridled joy that caused the woman at the well to leave her pots, run back to her own city and proclaim, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” Oh, how we need to be like that woman today.

Learning to Swim

          For many years, I took students to Catalina Island for a week. The island, off the coast of California, has rich and amazing marine life. Many of the kids had never experienced a camping trip, bon fires, kayaking, snorkeling, or even being away from home.

            One year, as we prepared for our first snorkel, a female student nervously informed me that she did not want to go with us.  She gave me several excuses why she did not want to go, but none of her statements impressed me.  I was determined that she was going with us.

            She gave in to putting on a wetsuit, but the nervousness continued to rise. Finally the truth came out. “I can’t swim, and I am terrified of putting my face in the water. Please don’t make me go!” I assured her that I would be there with her. We could take a paddleboard, and I would not let go of her. “Please come with me.  You need to experience this.”

            The wetsuits kept us afloat. Without them both of us would likely have drowned.  She held on so tight that it was difficult swimming for both of us.  As we moved through the water, the student began to relax, but she maintained the resolve not to put her face in the water. 

            With constant reassurance, she finally agreed to place the glass portion of her mask into the water. When she did, my young student became giddy over the marine vegetation and the beautiful fish that were swimming just out of her grasp.  Orange, blue, and silver fish captured her attention until the once fearful student’s head was completely submerged in the ocean waters.  The beauty beneath the water was far better than the fear above the water. Discovery was more powerful than fear, so she let go of me, and began swimming around on her own.  After a while, reality set in and my young student discovered that she was swimming in the ocean, with her head under water, all on her own. She received a precious reward by exchanging fear and apprehension for discovery and joy.

            Evangelism is the process of helping people to move from fear to discovery. So many stand on the shore, waiting for someone to say, “Come with me. You will be safe. I promise that I will not let you go.” The fact is that people have no idea what lies just beneath the surface of faith because they refuse to put their face in the water. But once they are led into the waters of faith, a whole new world of discovery opens to them.  They are blessed, and are blessed to watch fear melt away so that faith can take its place. 

Spiritual Enthusiasm

            Our youngest daughter was about to deliver our sixth grandchild, so Kim and I headed out to spend time with the kids.  One evening the family sat down at the table for dinner.  Will, our grandson, decided that this was the point when he needed to go to the bathroom.

            The food was hot, and the plates were loaded.  Everybody was ready to pray for the evening meal, but our grandson was lingering in the other room.  Finally it was decided to pray without him. “Dear Jesus, thank you for this food,” began our Emily, or granddaughter, as she began to pray for our meal.  But that was all she could get out of her mouth before the prayer was interrupted.

            “Wait!” came the insistent voice from the little guy in the bathroom.  “I want to pray too.”  With that, our grandson re-emerged with a big grin on his face, as he returned to the table and grabbed hands with the nearest family member to his right and left.

            Wouldn’t it be great if every believer shared the same sense of enthusiasm to be a part of the prayer circle? Paul wrote, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” Colossians 4:2). The clear encouragement of the New Testament is that pray should include thanksgiving as well as joy.  To the Philippian church, Paul wrote, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all” 

(Philippians 1:3-4).

            When was the last time you heard someone pray and wanted to yell, “wait, I want to pray too?” “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescues him, because He delights in him” (Psalm 22:8). Why should we rush to prayer? He wants to rescue you and be your deliverer. He delights in you and desires for you to be a part of his family. Grab hands with those on your right and your left. Take part in the joy of prayer. 

Making Your Own Shift

          Jerry Harris preaches to a remarkable church in Quincy, Illinois.  In addition, the church has a number of satellite Churches; each one is successful and growing. But, something hit Jerry one day.  He writes about it in his book Shifted: The Crossing Story.

            “If we look out on the faces of our congregations, how many actual disciples do we see? How many are personally convinced that they are disciples but are sorely mistaken? How many of them believe this fallacy because of the bar we have set them? Real Life (Real Life Ministries, led by Jim Putman) chose Matthew 4:19 as their definition of discipleship seeing Jesus calling His own disciples. “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” There are three criteria that help define discipleship in this divine statement. Am I genuinely following Christ? (follow me...), being changed by Christ ?(...and I will make you), and living life on mission for Christ ?(...fishers of men.) _This is the question I honestly wasn’t asking myself or confronting others with until this point. ”Are we making disciples”? The difficult truth for me was that with all my education, experience, and success, I really didn’t know how to mobilize a church to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The best I was providing was an environment for them to figure it out for themselves.” Jerry goes on to explain how they developed a Relational Discipleship approach at The Crossing.

            The statement that caught my attention was, “The best I was providing was an environment for them to figure it out for themselves.”

Is the development of a spiritual life solely the job of our preachers and the leadership at our church? Can we blame others because we are not growing?

Churches are constantly exploring new ways to maximize the growth of their members. But you don’t need to wait for the next great program to come along. The reality is that the body of Christ does create an environment where you can develop into a mature believer. There is no reason to sit back and wait for the next program to come along. Take hold of your own spiritual growth. Make the most of every worship opportunity and grow.  How?

            Worship is an art. It takes practice, and an understanding of how to worship is essential. The Art of Worship helps you understand how to make the most of your worship experience. This book is a must read for every believer.

            If you have ever been board with church, wondered if you were missing something, or felt like your faith has gone stale, then The Art of Worship is for you.

            Look for The Art of Worship, at the beginning April from your favorite book seller, and begin to make sense of your worship.

Worship is an Art

            What does it mean when we use the word worship? The answer seems to mean something different depending upon who is using the word. On Sunday mornings in sanctuaries and auditoriums all across America believers gathered for what they called worship. But worship was also taking place in schoolhouses, in the back of biker bars, and in storefronts. Worship services take place on horseback, and in empty fields.  The word worship is often used interchangeably with singing. But there is so much more to worship than just music. Worship is not confined to a single place, or accomplished in a single style. Worship includes so many different elements, and all of them are important.

            The last year of my life has been invested in studying all that the scripture has to say about worship. What things fit into the concept of worship? What behaviors are important to be able to say that worship is taking place? Does worship happen on Sunday only? Can our job be called worship if we aren’t in the ministry? These questions have resulted in a new book, due out early May, called The Art of Worship.

            Those who have previewed the book have called it an essential read for every believer, a textbook for those involved in worship ministry, keys to opening hearts. One of my readers has already assembled a list of people that they are buying this book for.

            Have you ever wondered if something is missing in your relationship with God? Are you putting yourself in the place where God can bless you? The Art of Worship will explain the total worship experience in ways that are easily applied.

           Worship is an art, which takes practice. With practice we grow in our understanding of worship, sharpen our ability to experience worship, and broaden our understanding of what worship means. As a result, our relationship with God grows and we discover deeper aspects of his love.

           What is your worship like? Is it possible that The Art of Worship might make your worship even better? The Art of Worship is coming. Watch for a great pre-order offer coming next week.