We Do This Well

I've seen some worship services like this. This is one reason I really enjoy the Churches of Christ. We are very participatory in our worship. For the most part, our church is the choir!

Worship Preferences

Here's another great cartoon about worship preferences. Of course, for those of us in the Churches of Christ, we would need channel #4 - Stamps Baxter.

Mother's Day Sermon

May 10th was Mother's Day (yes I'm behind). I'm immensely grateful for my own mother and for Dixie who mothers my children. They both have calming, generous spirits, which I admire. I always try and fail to emulate Dixie's patients. I am blessed to have both of these mothers in my life.

At church that day, our preacher, Jerry Neill was out of town, so I gave the sermon. I'm not the best preacher in the world. I definitely feel more in my element leading worship than I do when I preach, but considering I've had relatively little experience preaching and I can mark improvement each time I preach, I think I'm moving in the right direction. I'm thankful that Meadowbrook graciously endures my preaching and encourages me along the way.

I called the sermon, "A Nurturing Nature." I collected some artwork from the artists at Meadowbrook to use in the sermon. Here are the pieces you can look at as you listen to the sermon if you'd like to listen to it.

Tye Stricklin, age 5:


Hunter Adcock, age 9:


Ashton Martin, age 12:


Gayle Reaves, "Mother and Child":


Ton Rietvelt:


Gayle Reaves:


Larry Stowe:


Larry Stowe's childhood hand imprint:

A Commentary on Contemporary Church Music

Worship Culture

This Sunday, Jerry Neill and I are beginning a new class at church called, Worship Culture. This is not a study on the influences of American culture on our worship, or vice versa. Instead we are going to look at the actual culture of our worship.

What types of symbols, deep grammar, rhythms, and rituals make up our gathering times? What purposes to our gatherings serve? Through dialogue, liturgy development exercises, refocusing on worship elements, Scripture, and the Spirit's leading of our communal discernment process, we hope to more fully develop a healthy theology of worship for our congregation. If you're in the Jackson area, we'd love to have you each Sunday morning at 9:30. Bring your perspectives and God-hungry heart to the discussion!

Here's a short video we showed last Sunday to help intrigue some folks.

Arise

Last week was Meadowbrook's summer camp for 3rd through 12th grade. I'm still tired and sore, but it was a great week of fun, worship, and faith building.

We looked at the story of Nehemiah. Our focus was on Nehemiah 2.17-18, where Nehemiah exhorts God's people to arise and rebuild the city walls. The people respond in kind by rising up and fulfilling their roles.

We too, are people of God with a calling. All of us have a unique purpose and role to play in God's grand narrative. We must arise and become the people we were meant to be.

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On Monday we head to the beach with my sister's family. We're really looking forward to the rest and relaxation. This will be the first real vacation (not counting trips to visit family) we've had in about 4 years so we're excited!

Happy Easter!

Hope you had a great day of worship and celebration of our Risen Lord! At Meadowbrook this morning we were blessed with a wonderful time of celebration. Our Chorale sang a couple of beautiful hymns and then we spent quite a bit of our time together in praise. The praise team sounded great as did the whole congregation! We also spent time gathering at the Table - celebrating the resurrection and eating with our Lord.

Our time together centered on Revelation 3.20:
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Our God who fulfills his promises is so good. We definitely got to eat in the presence of the Lord this morning. It was good.

He Is Risen!

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I made it safely to Nashville. I have to get up in 5 hours and head to Lipscomb for class. Dixie made sure I have all my glue sticks, glitter, and crayons. Should be a fun first day of school!