It's a mystery

I was at a training event once for youth pastors and the leader of a particular seminar was talking about sacraments particularly baptism. When he finished he asked for questions. I have always wondered about infant baptism. I asked several different question and was never satisfied with the answers because the answers never quite answered my question. I am certain this leader was getting annoyed. The last question I asked led him to reply,"that is the mystery of baptism. I was very unsatisfied, actually I was angry. I wanted answers and I felt like he was side stepping my questions. I know we don't get all the answers as Christians and that would have been ok for him to say I am not sure.
Since that time I have realized that there are several mysteries surrounding our christian faith. What really happens at baptism? Why did God not make Adam on the first day so we could avoid the controversy over evolution? How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? Or my current mystery of choice: Why does God fill us and bless us when we show up to worship him.
Our worship is suppose to be His time. He is the one who is to get the attention of our worship. If is is true worship that means it is for Him. Some how in that moment we are poured out on by God's spirit. We are blessed. We are encouraged. We are strengthened for the week ahead. The opposite is true if we are not there to worship him. Many of us just go through the motions stand up, sit down, bow your head, listen, stand up, shake the pastors hand, and go home. We have it down to a redundant song and dance. On those Sundays we find ourselves depleted, not inspired, and not prepared for the struggles and pit falls that lie ahead.
The mystery I am most thankful for is the one where the God of the universe sees my small effort of worship and pours out a big hunk of power and strength just for me. Why? Better yet, why ask why? Just be ready to worship when you show up at your church this Sunday.

Psalms 115:1 "Not to us oh Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness."

The Cokesbury Hymnal

I have grown up in church all my life. In all of my childhood, we sang out of hymnals. Man I loved some of those hymns. The church I have attended for the last 5 years is very modern we have projectors and screens and stuff like that. We have guitars and drums singers leading us in our worship time. But back in those early years we had a choir director and hymnal. I will never forget Sunday evening services in Pelham, GA. My dad (the pastor) would stand in the pulpit and ask for song selections from the audience and our piano player would be ready to flip to whatever and play whatever was called out. I loved that time. My dad would have to ignore me for most of the service because I would constantly have another song I wanted to do. "Old Rugged Cross", "His Eye is on the Sparrow", "Whiter than Snow"(current weather leads me to this entire thought) , but nothing was better than number 85 "Onward Christian Soldiers" That is without a doubt my favorite hymn of all time. I would call out that number each and every week and often time we would sing it and I would be glad. I am certain that old hymnal in that old church is a big reason I find myself still leading worship today just as I did in Pelham, GA with the assistance of my father the pastor and the piano player.

"At this present time we must hold onto the past to better appreciate the future." Who I am now has everything to do with who poured into my life in those early years. Whether it is music, or scripture, or service, or love that is poured in, it will come out.

"Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

New Starts

A few years ago I wrote a song called a new day. It was a peppy little song that one should sing really loud in the early morning hours to encourage others to join you in your happiness. On a serious note this song was birthed from my extreme affection for new starts. I love each new morning. I love a new year with new resolutions. It is as if we have been granted passage from the horrific year we were trapped in. I have never gotten to a new year and thought it would be a horrible year. I always welcome the new start. Many of us however do not welcome the the new start that comes by the grace of God, found in Jesus Christ. In Jesus we all have this incredible re-do. My prayer for all of you this new year is that you will embrace and experience the love, grace, and mercy of a God who loves you this year, last year, and forever.