Every tribe, tongue, and nation...

As most of you know, Christy and I recently attended a conference in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The conference was conducted by an organization called The Voice Of The Martyrs (VOM) and it focused on the persecuted church worldwide. Christy and I both agreed that it was the best conference/convention that we had ever attended. While there are many reasons that I feel this way, I want to share just one of those reasons with you now.

As I walked into the auditorium for the first time and looked at the stage, I immediately noticed something. There were no drums, no keyboards, and no bass guitars. There were simply two microphones, an acoustic guitar, and a harp. Yes, a harp.

At that point I had a feeling that whatever was going to be happening on that stage, whether it be leading worship or a performance, was not going to be "my kind of thing."

I was wrong.

I had never heard worship led by a harp and guitar. It actually sounded amazing. But what was even more amazing then the sound of the instruments and vocals was the Spirit that filled the room.

Maybe it was because people from all over the world were in that room. Maybe it was because many of the people there were speaking in their own languages. Maybe it was because people from many different denominations and church backgrounds were in that room. The diversity of that crowd was off the charts. I couldn't help but think that this was just an incredibly small example of what heaven is going to be like.

All I know is that the Spirit was there and He was moving among us.

I am not sure that I've experienced a more powerful worship experience in all of my life. I've always believed it, but at that moment it really dawned on me that worship has very little to do with music style, instrumentation, or location. I think that God can (and does) work through all of those things, but what we should really all be experiencing is a bit of heaven.

The good news is we can experience that whenever we gather together to worship Him. The same Spirit that moved among the people in the auditorium at the VOM conference can move among us every Sunday at Williamsburg High School, no matter what the circumstances are!

At the VOM conference, I was "tuned in" to the Spirit. It was probably because of everything that I was seeing and hearing. Why am I not "tuned in" like that all the time? I think all of us probably could ask that same question for our own lives.

The point is this...we need to be "tuned in." Pray. Read the Bible. Show love to others. Be compassionate. Look outside of yourself at the hurting world around you. Do something!

I believe that these things help us to stay "tuned in." Then, when we gather together, our eyes will be opened and every Sunday we will say, "All we know is that the Spirit is here and He is moving among us."

What is God doing?

In his book, Thriving as an Artist in the Church, Rory Noland writes,

"Sometimes we're oblivious to the work of God in our midst because we're so focused on the task. When God is in the picture, music is more than just notes on a page, drama is more than just lines in a skit, and mixing sound is more than just turning knobs or moving faders. When my passion wanes it's usually because I've lost sight of God's big picture. Philippians 2:13 says that God is working in the lives of people all around us all the time. Don't miss it."

I think the reason that I like this paragraph so much is because I can relate to it so well. When I really step back and think about it, though, I am blown away by its truth. How often do we step back and think about the fact that God is working in our midst? We do become oblivious to that fact and in turn, miss the work that God is doing.

I don't want to miss it any longer.

Here are a couple questions for you:

1. What do you think God is up to in the lives of the people you know?
2. What do you think God is up to in your church these days?

Noland suggests these personal action steps...

1. After prayerful consideration, write down how you think the Lord might be working amid your ministry team or in your church. Then record what you believe the Lord might be doing in the lives of your family, friends, and any non-Christians in your life.

2. Write down what you can do to help out and be a part of God's work in each of the examples above.

Feel free to share any thoughts you may have!

Not just surviving...

Welcome to the all new TLC Band blog!

In 2008, our goal is to Thrive. We want to thrive as worship leaders, as musicians, as vocalists, and as servants. But, most importantly, we want to thrive as followers of Christ.

One way to accomplish growth in all these areas is to focus our hearts and minds on God through prayer, Bible study, and discussion. I thought one great format for those things to happen would be this new blog.

From time to time, I will post things such as scripture, prayer ideas, devotional thoughts, or interesting quotes on this blog. As you read the posts, you can then add your own comments and thoughts to what you read.

The goal is simple. I hope that this blog will inspire all of us to dig deeper into the idea of worship. I hope the posts will encourage you to study and pray about how you can best serve and how you can best use the amazing abilities that God has given you. I hope that this blog is an outlet for us to begin discussions on topics that will cause us to grow as ministry and as followers of Christ.

I look forward to Thriving in 2008!