essentials blue final project February 11, 2009

I’m really glad that Dan relieved the anxiety of creating a masterpiece for this project.  I’ve been absolutely struggling with it all week.  Posting this is a huge leap of faith for me since I am not well versed in the art of songwriting – at all.  Actually, this is the start of maybe three that I’ve ever actually written down.  But other ideas that I could have done just kind of slipped out of my brain.  So here it is.  This “seed” of something is inspired some of by what we’ve discussed in class but also from our community.  We have been talking a bunch about being a missional community and meeting the needs of people around us in a creative way.  My own small group is starting to particularly be stirred up about this.  So in my effort to ride the wave of what God is doing and with what has been in my heart, this is what has come out so far.  (I welcome any and all feedback!)

 

If you bent down to pick up the hurting,

If you ended a thirst with a drink

It’s not always easy, not plain to see

For the least of these, you do it for me.

 

            Jesus, the rescuer

            The only saving one

            Heal our land

            We look for you to come

 

Where is the God who said he would be

Here to help in our agony?

Who will come now and ease this pain?

Who will get up and come to our aid?

 

To the child who doesn’t see that he is living in tragedy

To the man, just trying to stand, never knowing where he’ll land

To the widow all alone, she rocks and sings a forlorn song.

           

worldview statement… February 11, 2009

God is the one God and the creator of our universe.  He created the universe out of nothing and put everything in order to create that which is called earth.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit join in a beautiful, circular relationship as they make up the Trinity.  In God’s perfect way, he made the earth and everything in it to live in perfect harmony.  Human beings were created to bear his image to the world, to create using the world around us, to live in right-relatedness with God and fellow humans, and to tell the saving story of Jesus.  As we do these things, we get to express gratitude and selfless adoration to our Father, the Creator.  All of creation and humankind joins together, expressing praise to God the King with all that we are.

 

After God created humans in his likeness, humans chose to step away from right relationship with the Trinity, within which we were whole and complete beings.  When our wholeness was traded for brokenness and death, God the Father lovingly pursued us in his overwhelming passion.  The rescue plan of the Father meant that he had to step into the world and into the “space” of the humans.  God’s only Son, Jesus, came to the earth to create a way of restoration for us through his death and resurrection.  Because of God the Savior, we are welcomed back into the perfect relationship with God that was meant for us all along. 

 

We are still living in the story of the rescue plan of God.  He is still saving creation from brokenness and rebellion.  Right now, we get to step into the story and live as fully alive humans.  God has put his image in us and so, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are a part of how his plan gets carried out on earth.  The Kingdom of God collides with earth as we continue on towards the final chapter in the story.  Using our gift of creativity, we are set on course to work out new ways of retelling the whole story in a way that is relevant to our time and culture.  God’s end to the story is the complete restoration of creation and humanity, where everything is put right again, we will live in harmony with our Father God.  Amen!

pondering worship (Essentials Blue) February 6, 2009

For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt

I’m thinking about worship tonight.  I’m thinking about how I can absolutely feel it, down to the deep parts in me, that I was created to worship.  And it’s not just the singing and dancing type of worship.  In reading Dan Wilt’s Essentials in Worship Theology: The Nature of Worship this week, he talked about the definition of worship, taking it out of the Christian context.  “Worship is the ascription of ultimate value and worth (the act) to a person, place or thing (the object) by the focusing of all activities of the human spectrum (the activity) on that object’s value and honor (the reason).” [1]  It’s so natural to give value and worth to something or someone and to do it in an extreme sort of way. 

I was just thinking today at the elementary school where I teach, about the “fads” that the kids (and not just kids…) get into.  Pokemon cards, High School Musical, anything Disney Channel, video games, clothing brands, sports teams, etc.  are the things of worth to many of these.  Pretty much harmless, yes, but our natural human desire is to just latch on to something.  This leads to acquiring all of the paraphernalia that goes with the fad (i.e. EVERYTHING has to be Hannah Montana…)

I’m so glad that, if we choose to let him, God switches us out of this and turns our focus to him.  It’s a relief to me when I know I’m putting my attention on One who absolutely deserves my gaze and my time.  And although I constantly battle the other things that take up my time and attention, I pray that I would keep my worship on Jesus.  That my LIFE would be worship to Jesus.  It’s the only good response I can give for God’s pursuit of me.   

“Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?  to be out of your sight?  If I climb to the sky, you’re there!  If I go underground you’re there!  If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute – you’re already there waiting!”    -   Psalms 139: 7-10 (The Message)

[1] Wilt, Essentials in Worship Theology: The Nature of Worship, 40.

taking it all in (Essentials Blue) January 30, 2009

For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt

Right now, I feel like I just have to let this course, study, and most of all, what God is doing, just wash over me.  I have never been “forced” to dig into these topics like this before, much less be asked to express myself in writing into the virtual invisibility of the Internet to a host of people I have never met and who have never met me.  It’s all quite unnerving actually.  I would much prefer to sit across the sofa with any of these amazing people in our class and discuss these deep soul searching things over a bowl of popcorn and hot chocolate.  But alas, I write again into the great unknown…

I think the topic of this week continues the trend of digging deeper into this worship thing.  What does it mean to be human?  Why are we set apart?  Who are these beings who worship God in this way?  I found it very encouraging to read people’s posts and reactions as well as the various readings this week.  I especially liked the interview with Dr. Peter Fitch, as he discusses a different perspective on the spiritual disciplines.  I had a small bit of “water-walking” just this week in worship.  I had planned to play the flute during a few of the songs and at one point, I thought the singing was going to continue and I would just add a few little phrases in, but instead, there was no singing and I just played.  I wasn’t expecting it, but I just let go and let the music come out – a marvelous feeling!   God wants more time like that, when we have to depend on him to play through us instead of just us trying to play ourselves. 

I love hearing the “defining” things about us humans.  It reminds me that I’m ok, that I belong here and I have a community that agrees.  We are created in the image of the creative God of the Universe.  As Subcreators, we innately desire to build and create something out of what already exists.  We long to be loved and to love others.  We are unhappy about the injustices we see around us and we long for something more beyond the world that we see.  We are only partially complete here on earth and as spiritual beings, we get to belong in the heaven part of right now too.   

So as I continue learning and connecting all that we are reading and talking about, I’m going to give myself the space and time to “take it all in”.   This suddenly relaxes me as I think that God has this all planned  out.  I pray that I will take from each week the nugget that I’m suppose to chew on this week.  I think I got one.  There are so many more out there right now, but just realizing that I’m in good company with all of these humans around will be enough for me this week.  Next week, we’ll go for another one…

thinking about the Power of GOD (Essentials Blue) January 23, 2009

For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt

The Power of God:  do we even know what “power” means?  Even the dictionary has a hard time making up it’s mind, boasting 32 different definitions!  Dan Wilt talked about the power of God as he brought his video to a close this week and what struck me was the total and absolute POWER that God has – over creation, over death, over human kind, over time, and the list goes on.  It’s completely awesome that we get to be the image bearers of this powerful God!  It reminds me of the responsibility I have as a human, but also of the dependancy that I have to have on this God in order to bear his image to the world. 

One of the things I think we have to seek out in the power of God is our response to creation.  If God created it, it is good.  Therefore, we need to take care of the goodness that he’s made.  It pains me to think of the wasteful ways that we have lived with for so many years and have now ingrained into our lives.  From running our showers to throwing the plastic container into the trash instead of recycling, I know there’s more that I can and should do to help our earth.  Recently, I decided that I want to start a tradition of planting a tree on an important event (event yet TBD…) and I want to be more mindful of  the water that I pour down the drain.  Maybe bucket baths could be the way of the future…

AsI think of these things, and how I can try to do my part, I also think of how hard it is to change the direction of least resistance.  I won’t be able to change me without the power of God to motive and drive me.  And one person makes a difference but more people make a bigger difference.  What can I do to spur others on towards good stewardship of the land around us?  How can our worship songs develop a sense of awe and responsibility for our God-given creation?

Being an artisan and craftsman… (Essentials Blue) January 17, 2009

For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt

In Dan’s video about worship leaders being artisans (i.e. craftspeople) I’m quite drawn to the thought about craftspeople.  They are people with skills who use materials at hand to create something useful in the physical, present world to leave a legacy.  That is so cool when I place that into my worship leader schema! 

My husband’s grandfather is a master craftsman.  And he will argue up and down that he is NOT an artist.  We went to visit him in Phoenix during Thanksgiving and literally, covering his house were various projects that he’s done over the years as a welder and tool maker.  INCREDIBLE things that he’s made – a stainglass representation of the mountain range “4 Peaks”, a 3 ft. wine holder he welded from a photograph, various stainglass lamps, etched bottles, a wooden wine glass holder, and the list goes on.  At one point, he took us out to his workshop and gave us a short tour of his tools.  As a tool maker, his imagination was the limit.  Whatever it was that he wanted to make as a final project, he could make a tool for.  It was amazing!  I had never seen anything like it before.  I tried to imagine a life of working with metal and tools and my hands…I couldn’t get very far.  I kept thinking about his avoidance in calling himself an artist and rather, a craftsman.  Yes, I agree completely with him as a craftsman, and with Dan’s definition of a craftsman, I whole-heartedly agree.  But the title “craftsman” absolutely HAS to go alongside the “artist” or the “artisan”.  One cannot exclude the creativity that goes into what I saw in Grandpa – his knowledge, skill and experience far exceeds the common tool maker (do we even have many tool makers anymore?) and he is the stuff legacy is made of.  I’m so extrememely grateful to have spent that him with him and his wife.   It was truly inspiring to be with a master…artist… of the time.

As a worshipper, a craftsman, and an artisan, I’m inspired.  Dan said in his video, “The Rise of the Worship Artisan” that we should study our theology of worship and know our history.  After that, he talks about using the skills of a worship leader effectively.  I really look forward to diving into the study of the history and theology is of this worshipping thing that I’ve been doing for years and know I’m created to do, but haven’t had the back up info to know where it’s come from or where it’s going.

a brave new world… January 16, 2009

Today marks my launch into an uncharted territory in my life…the blog.  I have to admit, I’m a little intrigued by the possibilities that lie ahead.  Will I really get into this and actually keep “my life” posted here?  or will I only keep this up while working through this awesome worship class?  Honestly, I’ve never been one to search for blogs, much less dream of creating my own.  But I’m up for a challenge:  Here I go…