I mentioned before that we've started a new service at LNPC. We've thrown together a blog if you're at all interested in keeping up with what we're doing topically, feel free to check it out.
www.theofferinglnpc.blogspot.com
Enjoy.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Genesis chapter 2
We're three weeks in to the new service, and I think I'm beginning to touch on something that I want to get a better grasp of ... I'll try to get it out.
The first night of the service was awesome because one lady was able to be vulnerable; she was able to say what God was doing in her life at that moment. We don't do that during church all that often. We do group prayers, and occasionally we remember someone that was ill or injured that has recovered. We seldom, however, rejoice together, as a body, over what Christ is doing in our lives. That's what I want to hang on to; I want to remember to give space for people to share the transformational moments in their lives.
If we don't give the space for those moments, then our worship is often limited by the praise we offer in song and the truth that is often a verbal proposition/proclamation with little practicality attached. That means we have the full capacity to completely miss any transformation. We can leave feeling like we've sung our praises and have a "truth" to try to apply to our lives, but we RARELY get a chance to hear whether anyone has tried to live it (let alone whether God has actually met anyone in it).
Isn't it those moments that our Christian forefathers used to build altars to remember? It wasn't the truth, but the transformation. Right?
Don't get me wrong, I see lots of worth in what DOES go on in a worship service ...
The first night of the service was awesome because one lady was able to be vulnerable; she was able to say what God was doing in her life at that moment. We don't do that during church all that often. We do group prayers, and occasionally we remember someone that was ill or injured that has recovered. We seldom, however, rejoice together, as a body, over what Christ is doing in our lives. That's what I want to hang on to; I want to remember to give space for people to share the transformational moments in their lives.
If we don't give the space for those moments, then our worship is often limited by the praise we offer in song and the truth that is often a verbal proposition/proclamation with little practicality attached. That means we have the full capacity to completely miss any transformation. We can leave feeling like we've sung our praises and have a "truth" to try to apply to our lives, but we RARELY get a chance to hear whether anyone has tried to live it (let alone whether God has actually met anyone in it).
Isn't it those moments that our Christian forefathers used to build altars to remember? It wasn't the truth, but the transformation. Right?
Don't get me wrong, I see lots of worth in what DOES go on in a worship service ...
Monday, January 09, 2006
It is good.
I had one of those weeks where, by the end, you just wish you could curl up in a ball and stay in that ball until ... well ... maybe springtime. It was humbling, hurtful, weird, and just plain tiring.
I'm still processing a lot of it, but I can say that the weekend made up for the entire week. Shannon Roark is here visiting (we're trying to talk her into staying, though), and the new worship service at LNPC kicked off. Krista, Shannon, and some others spent over 20 hours putting this room together, and it looked awesome. The night was supposed to be a dry-run before the actual kick-off next week, and we didn't expect many guests. There was, however, one lady, an angel if you ask me, that did show up.
She had walked past the partially decorated room earlier in the day and saw the decorations. Not knowing what was going on she checked around and found out what we were doing and when. So, she showed, and she cried. She spent most of the 1.5 hours crying ... just thankful for the worship. God was there, and her tears of joy were my healing. It's amazing how God works. After a terrible week, I found joy in a sisters thankful tears.
It is good.
Next week she plans to come back with her kids (in their pj's if necessary) and intends to bring some of her clients from her wholistic healing business. She thinks they might find healing during that time ... I sure did.
I'm still processing a lot of it, but I can say that the weekend made up for the entire week. Shannon Roark is here visiting (we're trying to talk her into staying, though), and the new worship service at LNPC kicked off. Krista, Shannon, and some others spent over 20 hours putting this room together, and it looked awesome. The night was supposed to be a dry-run before the actual kick-off next week, and we didn't expect many guests. There was, however, one lady, an angel if you ask me, that did show up.
She had walked past the partially decorated room earlier in the day and saw the decorations. Not knowing what was going on she checked around and found out what we were doing and when. So, she showed, and she cried. She spent most of the 1.5 hours crying ... just thankful for the worship. God was there, and her tears of joy were my healing. It's amazing how God works. After a terrible week, I found joy in a sisters thankful tears.
It is good.
Next week she plans to come back with her kids (in their pj's if necessary) and intends to bring some of her clients from her wholistic healing business. She thinks they might find healing during that time ... I sure did.
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