Having the original artists come in and sing their songs was such a blessing during this conference. The Tim Hughes session before lunch was powerful. He was right, it is great to be able to not worry about anything else but singing to God. What a great challenge for us week to week!
So very much enjoyed Abe and friends--wow! What gifting and talent. Couple of things: I keep hearing about "worshipping worship"--well I understand what they're saying but there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with acknowledging gifting and talent--just keep it in perspective.
You guys do a fantastic job! High quality, much thought behind it. I really appreciate it. One thing I'm wondering...it seems that the media, specifically the words on the screen, have frequent trouble staying with the leader or adapting to a change. Also, from the section behind the sound board up high, where we usually sit, we can't see the words when they're only on the center screens. The lights block the top 3/4 of the screen, so all we see are the last lines. Any thoughts?
Well, this may come across terribly spiritually shallow, but the little gal who sang with Morris Chapman was such a distraction to me I couldn't get beyond the distraction and totally missed the blessing of the song!
I know that keeping up with the artis lyrics can be a challenge. At our church we have the Power Point Hogie. He does an amazing job. I am sure that he would give a lending hand if needed. What an enjoyable time. Thanks for an unforgettable experience.
I am a humble 40-something planting a church focused on 30-somethings (and anyone else who needs Christ!) listening to worship created by 20-somethings today and I just have to say: I love that worship is ageless. Because God is eternal our worship of Him is "timeless" in a sense and what I got from today was that musicians/singers/leaders that grasp that will more readily draw others closer to God during worship. While all of the worship was amazing today, the energy and joy of Generation Unleashed was particularly uplifting...loved it.
So I think Lincoln Brewster is a stud. Loved him. However I had a friend who thought he did too many guitar solos and it was just distracting for him. Did anyone else feel this way? What did you think?
I think the brewster definently did one to many tastey guitar licks. I was having a an awesome time being led during Surrender, but as soon as he played his scales again, I was distracted and disconnected from what God was doing in me at the time. I would like to ask Lincoln to perhaps explain his methodology to some of us that aren't caught up to the same page. I think the things he said we're encouraging and challenging, but I got lost in all the solos.
Good golly, Lincoln was up against the clock and even went over the time he was supposed to. I venture to guess that he would have loved to give us more time to reflect on his message (letting the Holy Spirit control our worship instead of our quality concerns) but he had to fit in his setlist too. I had no trouble with him wailing away as much as he did. That's his worship and I was truly moved.
It looks like the current topic belongs over in the evening concerts section, and bobby moved it over there. Good job Bobby!
My thoughts on Lincoln are...
1. He inspires me to be a better worship leader.
2. He shows me a great example of how to live in the contradiction and lead. Sometimes life isn't always perfect, but God is good. The Willow WA conference talked about that, and Lincoln is living proof that it's possible.
3. Worship comes in many packages. Instrumental, Vocal, Expression, etc... I still stink at some of them...
i thought it was inspiring and encouraging to see the actual artists come in and lead the worship sets. it was pretty cool. it's just amazing seeing all these people who i know many of us look up to as a leader in our life. maybe you guys can get more people to come in next time you guys do this. other than that, everything else was pretty cool.
While I enjoy learning new songs, I have to wonder if corporate worship is the best time to introduce them with the obvious assumption that we already know them. I feel left out. So teach me. Introduce it as special music or something. I guess I feel that corporate music needs to be more corporate, more familiar.
Isn't worship all about God? There are plenty of thoughts on Lincoln playing too many solos yet not one complaint about Abe and Friends which was basically an hour long solo.
Who are we to take issue with the way others worship? If don't like the way you're being lead then get off the train... there are plenty of others at the station.
Two things. One, I appreciate that this conference seemed to be aimed at me, the worship leader. But I sort of wish that there was more of an opportunity for me to learn how to lead different targets/groups of people. If your Sunday morning is a CROWD level event, how do you plan around that? Last year, I came to the conference and tried to learn what everyone was doing and then replicate that on a Sunday morning. Well, it wasn't the fit that our pastor was looking for. And I think he's right, because what I've done for the past year would have worked great for worship leaders. But since it was a CROWD level event, they just don't get it yet. (I lead in high school and junior high at my church.)
Two, my friends and I attended the Worship Leadership Training class and Lincoln did everything that the guy said not to do. He stopped in between every song, he talked in between every song, and he played a solo in every song. It was actually kind of funny. Now, I didn't mind all the soloing, but sometimes it was difficult to stay engaged in what God was doing in me when such a cool guitar lick was being played. But maybe I'm just too easily distracted. There were a few solos that helped me enter in, and that was good too.
@Derrick Logan: Abe and Friends? Was that the band wearing all white? During that time, I felt extremely creative, so I started making stuff on my MacBook, which was cool. But it made me think of what Rick said on the first day, that there is no Christian music, just Christian lyrics. And I didn't really hear any lyrics.
I hope this feedback is constructive, and not condemning.
-- ~JOSh-X ::: http://lightmanx5.livejournal.com Hold me accountable to this: Colossians 4:6 "Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone."
Can there REALLY be "too many" guitar solos when we're talkin' Lincoln Brewster??!! The child is ANNOINTED and SOLD OUT to Christ!! And ... actually ... while God was doing a great work in YOU,lightmanx5, he also created Lincoln's mind, hands and guitar licks to praise Him with! And God used THAT to bless me, too! It's all good my friend ... But I'm just a keyboard player, what do I know?
Lincoln was definitely a blessing, and so praise God from whom all blessings flow!
I'm really interested in thinking through this communally with my brothers and sisters in Christ... and I am open to being corrected on any point. I don't want to sound like I'm so set in my ways, you know? I really just want to know God more, and love Him better, Amen?
So, really, call me on it in love if my conversation isn't gracious or effective!
One thing I forgot to mention in my last comment...
We were presented with two different ideas...
The first was a worship leader (or more than one) on stage, and a room full of worship leaders/worshipers.
The second was a band/musical group that was putting on a concert for a room full of worship leaders/worshipers.
In the first case, the worship leader is designing an environment created especially for people to be able to enter in to worship. As we learned last year, "to enter in through the door (Jesus), before coming in through the door to worship God."
In the second case, the musical group (which may have worship leaders) is performing. I really agree that their performing can be worship, and I have no doubt that Lincoln, Abe, and/or Jonathan Butler were worshiping. Their personal worship was an encouragement to me. But their performance can be a distraction.
I think that in a concert environment we can all still worship God. But I don't think it was designed with that in mind. Going back to Abe and Friends "hour long solo" --- it was a great personal worship time for Abe and Friends. But it felt like such a show to me that I had to find my own way to worship God during that time.
In Deuteronomy 10:21, we have this verse that says (NLT), "He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes."
Like the song says, "I will give you all my worship, I will give you all my praise, You alone I long to worship, You along are worthy of my praise."
This idea that God ALONE is worthy of our praise... do we believe that?
I was thinking through this idea with my wife, and we thought of an example. When she cooks, I enjoy her meal. We pray and thank God for providing for our needs, and blessing us with an abundance of food, and sometime during the meal, I thank her for making it, and that it's so delicious. Am I praising her? And if I am, is that two-faced of me to tell God, "God, You ALONE are worthy of my praise," and then to turn around and praise the created thing?
In Luke 17 verses 7-10, Jesus says (MSG), "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'? Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him? It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'"
As my wife and I are striving to serve each other, we struggle with the idea of not getting thanks. Almost as though it doesn't seem worth it if we don't get thanks.
We think this idea is a bit radical, and so I'm just looking for some feedback on it.
But then on the other hand, I do believe that God ALONE is worthy of my praise.
So is it semantics to say, "Praise God for giving me this woman, and giving her such a great talent to create food that is both delicious and filling!"?
Thank you all for your time, and for the efforts you put forth constantly to serve God!
~JOSh-X
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
We've got to get past worship being only song and lyric. Worship (for me) is my response to God and all that He is. It's more than a song with a sweet hook or a guitar solo or lifting my hands or falling to my knees; it's an atitude of my heart.
As "worship leaders," it's our duty to lead people to that place, where our hearts recognize God. I'm a little surprised how much some of us rely on an ideal environment to worship in. If we rely so heavily on perfect songs, perfect transitions, etc., how much more will our churches rely on those things? If we become disconnected from worship because of a service element that doesn't float our boat, how much sooner will those we're leading become disconnected?
Notice I'm saying "we." I'm not claiming to be there yet, but I do think our conversations would better serve us if we kept the perspective that worship doesn't (or maybe shouldn't) just happen on Sunday mornings.
God bless you, each one!! I love this; a chance to speak with Believers who love the same Savior, same Spirit, same Father ... WAHOO! ... I appreciate what you all shared ... THANK YOU SADDLEBACK!
Derrick Logan said, "We've got to get past worship being only song and lyric. [...] it's an attitude of my heart. [...] I'm a little surprised how much some of us rely on an ideal environment to worship in." I definitely agree. "Worship is bigger than music," like Rick Warren said. I believe that worship is a lifestyle of love. Some verses to consider: Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 4:19, John 4:23-24, 2 Chronicles 16:9
On Thursday, Buddy Owens talked about eliminating unnecessary distractions and giving God our full attention. The Message puts Romans 12:2 this way, "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. [...]"
I think that, at least for myself, I feel like distractions can be like the waves when Peter walked on the water. He's got the Lord in his sight, but the waves draw his attention away from Him. Once I get distracted when I'm leading, or even in my personal worship time, I feel like I'm sinking.
My question would be, how do we work towards ignoring those waves? How do I keep my eyes transfixed on the prize? The Apostle Paul talks about running a race, and keeping your eyes on the prize... but too many times I feel like the hare, who wants to stop for a little while, and nap.
Quick question: Thursday AM corporate worship, right before Kay Warren spoke; Pretty brunette sang a song about "He carried me to the table"...who was she and where can I get a copy of that song?!?!!!!
That's a fantastic question, lightmanx5. I don't think it's one that's ever fully answered. It's a dangerous place to be when we think our resolve is so strong that we can longer be distracted. The goal (and I think Buddy Owens said this at the conference) is to minimize distractions.
We can do this two different ways: avoid things/people/situations that distract us. This includes resisting sinful temptation and being selective of the people whom we allow to have influence in our lives.
A lot of times the conversation ends there... it's all about escaping to those small, secluded places where everything in our world lines up perfectly... and there are no distractions. If they even exist for you, they're next to impossible to find.
But there's another way to escape distractions: refuse to be distracted by insignificant things. An example of this is worry; Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself...". According to Jesus, worry is insignificant, but worry (for a lot of us) is a distraction. So don't worry! If you don't worry, then a distraction is eliminated.
In a worship environment, it's easy for us to get distracted by a wrong note or wrong lyric sung. Like Job (Job 1:21), we need to praise God regardless of our circumstance. Life's situations can be inescapable, but don't let insignificance be a distraction.
Helen Lemmel said it beautifully in this song... familiar lyrics that you might view in a different perspective...
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth Will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace."
nvalentine.....I echo your thoughts on the young lady and the song. Through the whole thing I kept thinking "I HAVE to get this lady's CD". How disappointed was I when I found she didn't have one? She had one of those voices that just makes me shudder. Anyway, it was Leeland Mooring who wrote it. Go onto YouTube.com and search on "Carried to the Table" and you can see the song there. I believe it's on a CD as well.
I just had the conversation with my church team the week before the conference...can we worship even in the midst of an instrumental within a worship song. You know...verse-chorus-verse-chorus-instrumental-chorusx2. I love the solos & worship right on through them. The players need their slots to cut loose on their instruments.Many on my team agreed with some of my pastors that say people punch out during the solos. If they're not singing they're not engaged. I think it's important for us leaders to TEACH our people what worship is...every moment, every day, including the solos. Let the players play. Personally the worship highlight of the conference for me was Abe Laboriel & friends. What an awesome God to give such gifts to those players.
WOW! What can I say? The times of worship were awesome. It is wonderful, and necessary, to be able to sit under some great worship instead of always leading. It was a time of refreshing and renewal for me in God's spirit and I am grateful for the humble hearts that lead us in each session into the Throne Room of God.
nvalentine, Jon, THANK YOU!!! I came back in here just to ask about "Carried to the Table"!!! That young woman was SUCH a huge blessing to me, and I totally agree, PLEASE RECORD A CD!! And that SONG .. wow!!! Thank you Jon, I'm going to "YouTube" next!! God bless ya!
You guys rock, thank you SO much for the info about the song!!!! Come on now Saddleback people, somebody on staff has to know who the female artist is ; )
I have to echo what Janet said. I look forward every year to being able to sit back and be led instead of leading. It's always an encouraging time. I did feel like we had less time with Rick Muchow this year. He is a gift to Saddleback, but you need to share. :)
38 comments:
Having the original artists come in and sing their songs was such a blessing during this conference. The Tim Hughes session before lunch was powerful. He was right, it is great to be able to not worry about anything else but singing to God. What a great challenge for us week to week!
Tim Hughes...whoa..what a sweet time. Anyone catch that the video was the late preacher EV Hill during Awesome God?
So very much enjoyed Abe and friends--wow! What gifting and talent. Couple of things: I keep hearing about "worshipping worship"--well I understand what they're saying but there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with acknowledging gifting and talent--just keep it in perspective.
There's just something special about worshiping with other worship leaders... very special.
You guys do a fantastic job! High quality, much thought behind it. I really appreciate it. One thing I'm wondering...it seems that the media, specifically the words on the screen, have frequent trouble staying with the leader or adapting to a change. Also, from the section behind the sound board up high, where we usually sit, we can't see the words when they're only on the center screens. The lights block the top 3/4 of the screen, so all we see are the last lines. Any thoughts?
Well, this may come across terribly spiritually shallow, but the little gal who sang with Morris Chapman was such a distraction to me I couldn't get beyond the distraction and totally missed the blessing of the song!
I know that keeping up with the artis lyrics can be a challenge. At our church we have the Power Point Hogie. He does an amazing job. I am sure that he would give a lending hand if needed.
What an enjoyable time. Thanks for an unforgettable experience.
I am a humble 40-something planting a church focused on 30-somethings (and anyone else who needs Christ!) listening to worship created by 20-somethings today and I just have to say: I love that worship is ageless. Because God is eternal our worship of Him is "timeless" in a sense and what I got from today was that musicians/singers/leaders that grasp that will more readily draw others closer to God during worship. While all of the worship was amazing today, the energy and joy of Generation Unleashed was particularly uplifting...loved it.
Hey I loved some of the stuff that "Taffy" did and seeing the youth up there was awesome. Have they made any CDs?
I would also like to have the list of songs they did.
So I think Lincoln Brewster is a stud. Loved him. However I had a friend who thought he did too many guitar solos and it was just distracting for him. Did anyone else feel this way? What did you think?
I think the brewster definently did one to many tastey guitar licks. I was having a an awesome time being led during Surrender, but as soon as he played his scales again, I was distracted and disconnected from what God was doing in me at the time. I would like to ask Lincoln to perhaps explain his methodology to some of us that aren't caught up to the same page. I think the things he said we're encouraging and challenging, but I got lost in all the solos.
Good golly, Lincoln was up against the clock and even went over the time he was supposed to. I venture to guess that he would have loved to give us more time to reflect on his message (letting the Holy Spirit control our worship instead of our quality concerns) but he had to fit in his setlist too. I had no trouble with him wailing away as much as he did. That's his worship and I was truly moved.
It looks like the current topic belongs over in the evening concerts section, and bobby moved it over there. Good job Bobby!
My thoughts on Lincoln are...
1. He inspires me to be a better worship leader.
2. He shows me a great example of how to live in the contradiction and lead. Sometimes life isn't always perfect, but God is good. The Willow WA conference talked about that, and Lincoln is living proof that it's possible.
3. Worship comes in many packages. Instrumental, Vocal, Expression, etc... I still stink at some of them...
One of the best evenings ever!
WOW! Thank you for everything planned for corperate worship times. More RICK MUCHOW! PLEASE!
i thought it was inspiring and encouraging to see the actual artists come in and lead the worship sets. it was pretty cool. it's just amazing seeing all these people who i know many of us look up to as a leader in our life. maybe you guys can get more people to come in next time you guys do this. other than that, everything else was pretty cool.
While I enjoy learning new songs, I have to wonder if corporate worship is the best time to introduce them with the obvious assumption that we already know them. I feel left out. So teach me. Introduce it as special music or something. I guess I feel that corporate music needs to be more corporate, more familiar.
Does anybody know what the title and author of the song we did Tuesday morning with the words "holy Lord" "thank You for Your saving grace"????
It is a Muchow song.....you can find it on www.encouragingmusic.com.
I think the song you are refering to is "Healing Grace".... by Rick Muchow.
Isn't worship all about God? There are plenty of thoughts on Lincoln playing too many solos yet not one complaint about Abe and Friends which was basically an hour long solo.
Who are we to take issue with the way others worship? If don't like the way you're being lead then get off the train... there are plenty of others at the station.
Thanks for being you, Lincoln.
Two things. One, I appreciate that this conference seemed to be aimed at me, the worship leader. But I sort of wish that there was more of an opportunity for me to learn how to lead different targets/groups of people. If your Sunday morning is a CROWD level event, how do you plan around that? Last year, I came to the conference and tried to learn what everyone was doing and then replicate that on a Sunday morning. Well, it wasn't the fit that our pastor was looking for. And I think he's right, because what I've done for the past year would have worked great for worship leaders. But since it was a CROWD level event, they just don't get it yet. (I lead in high school and junior high at my church.)
Two, my friends and I attended the Worship Leadership Training class and Lincoln did everything that the guy said not to do. He stopped in between every song, he talked in between every song, and he played a solo in every song. It was actually kind of funny. Now, I didn't mind all the soloing, but sometimes it was difficult to stay engaged in what God was doing in me when such a cool guitar lick was being played. But maybe I'm just too easily distracted. There were a few solos that helped me enter in, and that was good too.
@Derrick Logan: Abe and Friends? Was that the band wearing all white? During that time, I felt extremely creative, so I started making stuff on my MacBook, which was cool. But it made me think of what Rick said on the first day, that there is no Christian music, just Christian lyrics. And I didn't really hear any lyrics.
I hope this feedback is constructive, and not condemning.
--
~JOSh-X ::: http://lightmanx5.livejournal.com
Hold me accountable to this:
Colossians 4:6 "Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone."
Great thoughts lightmanx5. Thanks for sharing. I didn't feel the same about it all, but well put.
Can there REALLY be "too many" guitar solos when we're talkin' Lincoln Brewster??!! The child is ANNOINTED and SOLD OUT to Christ!! And ... actually ... while God was doing a great work in YOU,lightmanx5, he also created Lincoln's mind, hands and guitar licks to praise Him with! And God used THAT to bless me, too! It's all good my friend ... But I'm just a keyboard player, what do I know?
Lincoln was definitely a blessing, and so praise God from whom all blessings flow!
I'm really interested in thinking through this communally with my brothers and sisters in Christ... and I am open to being corrected on any point. I don't want to sound like I'm so set in my ways, you know? I really just want to know God more, and love Him better, Amen?
So, really, call me on it in love if my conversation isn't gracious or effective!
One thing I forgot to mention in my last comment...
We were presented with two different ideas...
The first was a worship leader (or more than one) on stage, and a room full of worship leaders/worshipers.
The second was a band/musical group that was putting on a concert for a room full of worship leaders/worshipers.
In the first case, the worship leader is designing an environment created especially for people to be able to enter in to worship. As we learned last year, "to enter in through the door (Jesus), before coming in through the door to worship God."
In the second case, the musical group (which may have worship leaders) is performing. I really agree that their performing can be worship, and I have no doubt that Lincoln, Abe, and/or Jonathan Butler were worshiping. Their personal worship was an encouragement to me. But their performance can be a distraction.
I think that in a concert environment we can all still worship God. But I don't think it was designed with that in mind. Going back to Abe and Friends "hour long solo" --- it was a great personal worship time for Abe and Friends. But it felt like such a show to me that I had to find my own way to worship God during that time.
+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+
I have another question to think about...
In Deuteronomy 10:21, we have this verse that says (NLT), "He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes."
Like the song says, "I will give you all my worship, I will give you all my praise, You alone I long to worship, You along are worthy of my praise."
This idea that God ALONE is worthy of our praise... do we believe that?
I was thinking through this idea with my wife, and we thought of an example. When she cooks, I enjoy her meal. We pray and thank God for providing for our needs, and blessing us with an abundance of food, and sometime during the meal, I thank her for making it, and that it's so delicious. Am I praising her? And if I am, is that two-faced of me to tell God, "God, You ALONE are worthy of my praise," and then to turn around and praise the created thing?
In Luke 17 verses 7-10, Jesus says (MSG), "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'? Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him? It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'"
As my wife and I are striving to serve each other, we struggle with the idea of not getting thanks. Almost as though it doesn't seem worth it if we don't get thanks.
We think this idea is a bit radical, and so I'm just looking for some feedback on it.
But then on the other hand, I do believe that God ALONE is worthy of my praise.
So is it semantics to say, "Praise God for giving me this woman, and giving her such a great talent to create food that is both delicious and filling!"?
+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+=----=+
Thank you all for your time, and for the efforts you put forth constantly to serve God!
~JOSh-X
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
We've got to get past worship being only song and lyric. Worship (for me) is my response to God and all that He is. It's more than a song with a sweet hook or a guitar solo or lifting my hands or falling to my knees; it's an atitude of my heart.
As "worship leaders," it's our duty to lead people to that place, where our hearts recognize God. I'm a little surprised how much some of us rely on an ideal environment to worship in. If we rely so heavily on perfect songs, perfect transitions, etc., how much more will our churches rely on those things? If we become disconnected from worship because of a service element that doesn't float our boat, how much sooner will those we're leading become disconnected?
Notice I'm saying "we." I'm not claiming to be there yet, but I do think our conversations would better serve us if we kept the perspective that worship doesn't (or maybe shouldn't) just happen on Sunday mornings.
God bless you, each one!! I love this; a chance to speak with Believers who love the same Savior, same Spirit, same Father ... WAHOO! ... I appreciate what you all shared ... THANK YOU SADDLEBACK!
Derrick Logan said, "We've got to get past worship being only song and lyric. [...] it's an attitude of my heart. [...] I'm a little surprised how much some of us rely on an ideal environment to worship in."
I definitely agree. "Worship is bigger than music," like Rick Warren said. I believe that worship is a lifestyle of love. Some verses to consider: Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 4:19, John 4:23-24, 2 Chronicles 16:9
On Thursday, Buddy Owens talked about eliminating unnecessary distractions and giving God our full attention. The Message puts Romans 12:2 this way, "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. [...]"
I think that, at least for myself, I feel like distractions can be like the waves when Peter walked on the water. He's got the Lord in his sight, but the waves draw his attention away from Him. Once I get distracted when I'm leading, or even in my personal worship time, I feel like I'm sinking.
My question would be, how do we work towards ignoring those waves? How do I keep my eyes transfixed on the prize? The Apostle Paul talks about running a race, and keeping your eyes on the prize... but too many times I feel like the hare, who wants to stop for a little while, and nap.
Quick question: Thursday AM corporate worship, right before Kay Warren spoke; Pretty brunette sang a song about "He carried me to the table"...who was she and where can I get a copy of that song?!?!!!!
That's a fantastic question, lightmanx5. I don't think it's one that's ever fully answered. It's a dangerous place to be when we think our resolve is so strong that we can longer be distracted. The goal (and I think Buddy Owens said this at the conference) is to minimize distractions.
We can do this two different ways: avoid things/people/situations that distract us. This includes resisting sinful temptation and being selective of the people whom we allow to have influence in our lives.
A lot of times the conversation ends there... it's all about escaping to those small, secluded places where everything in our world lines up perfectly... and there are no distractions. If they even exist for you, they're next to impossible to find.
But there's another way to escape distractions: refuse to be distracted by insignificant things. An example of this is worry; Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself...". According to Jesus, worry is insignificant, but worry (for a lot of us) is a distraction. So don't worry! If you don't worry, then a distraction is eliminated.
In a worship environment, it's easy for us to get distracted by a wrong note or wrong lyric sung. Like Job (Job 1:21), we need to praise God regardless of our circumstance. Life's situations can be inescapable, but don't let insignificance be a distraction.
Helen Lemmel said it beautifully in this song... familiar lyrics that you might view in a different perspective...
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."
Tim Hughes is amazing. end of story.
-Brianna
@nvalentine: The song was written (at least in part) by Leeland Mooring. I'm not sure who the girl was.
@Derrick Logan: Thanks for your thoughts. I will be considering them! I greatly appreciate your time!
nvalentine.....I echo your thoughts on the young lady and the song. Through the whole thing I kept thinking "I HAVE to get this lady's CD". How disappointed was I when I found she didn't have one? She had one of those voices that just makes me shudder. Anyway, it was Leeland Mooring who wrote it. Go onto YouTube.com and search on "Carried to the Table" and you can see the song there. I believe it's on a CD as well.
I just had the conversation with my church team the week before the conference...can we worship even in the midst of an instrumental within a worship song. You know...verse-chorus-verse-chorus-instrumental-chorusx2. I love the solos & worship right on through them. The players need their slots to cut loose on their instruments.Many on my team agreed with some of my pastors that say people punch out during the solos. If they're not singing they're not engaged. I think it's important for us leaders to TEACH our people what worship is...every moment, every day, including the solos. Let the players play.
Personally the worship highlight of the conference for me was Abe Laboriel & friends. What an awesome God to give such gifts to those players.
WOW! What can I say? The times of worship were awesome. It is wonderful, and necessary, to be able to sit under some great worship instead of always leading. It was a time of refreshing and renewal for me in God's spirit and I am grateful for the humble hearts that lead us in each session into the Throne Room of God.
nvalentine, Jon, THANK YOU!!! I came back in here just to ask about "Carried to the Table"!!! That young woman was SUCH a huge blessing to me, and I totally agree, PLEASE RECORD A CD!! And that SONG .. wow!!! Thank you Jon, I'm going to "YouTube" next!! God bless ya!
You guys rock, thank you SO much for the info about the song!!!! Come on now Saddleback people, somebody on staff has to know who the female artist is ; )
I have to echo what Janet said. I look forward every year to being able to sit back and be led instead of leading. It's always an encouraging time.
I did feel like we had less time with Rick Muchow this year. He is a gift to Saddleback, but you need to share. :)
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