Step By Step

I subscribe to Max Lucado's daily posting, UpWords. For the past several weeks, the postings have come from his new book You'll Get Through This. Given the ups and downs of the past two years, these excerpts have been very good for me. Here is today's:

I like the conversation Bob Benson recounts in his book, See You at the House, about his friend who’d had a heart attack. For a while it seemed his friend wouldn’t make it. But he recovered.

Months later Bob asked him, “How did you like your heart attack?”

“It scared me to death, almost.”
“Would you do it again?”
“No!”
“Would you recommend it?”  Bob asked.
“Definitely not.”
Then Bob asked him, “Does your life mean more to you now than it did before?”
“Well, yes.”
“You and your wife always had a beautiful marriage, but are you closer now than ever?” “Yes.”
“Do you have a new compassion for people—a deeper understanding and sympathy?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you know the Lord in a richer fellowship than you’d ever realized?”
“Yes.”

Then Bob said, “So, how’d you like your heart attack?”

Deuteronomy 11:2 reminds us to remember what you’ve learned about the Lord through your experience with Him.  Do that, my friend, and your mess will become your message!

I can tell you, from recent experience, that as you look back at difficult circumstances, you see where God has carried you, provided for you, healed you and loved you. As God lets us experience His presence, our memories seem to filter out the bad experiences and we look back, gratefully, at the way God has loved us and stayed close to us. Sometimes the path to the top of the mountain seems tedious and strength sapping, but as we pause to look back, we thank God for His help in getting where we are and rejoicing because we can see the our goal, the mountain top. If you are in a tough spot today, join me, step by step - up.

Is There A Way To Bridge the Gap?

Kathy, two friends of ours, and I had the opportunity to lead praise and worship for a senior's retreat last week. The NoLimit 55+ retreat was held at Lake Williamson, home of the Illinois District Council of the Assemblies of God, and our home as well.

We chose some hymns, classic songs and a couple of newer worship anthems. After each session, we all received compliments and positive comments about the type of music we had chosen and the style in which it was presented. It was apparent in each session that we had chosen well, because the worship was full, sustained and transcended the music and touched the heart of God. My worship leading style has been to lead from a piano or keyboard, and I received a lot of nice comments about that. Several people said things like, "it's been a long time since we've heard piano playing like this, that helped us worship God together." Overall, it was a good experience, listening to great three part harmony from Kathy and our friends, and getting the opportunity to play some great worship and praise music. As we celebrated Communion at the end of the last session, we blended the old classic song O, the Blood of Jesus, with the fairly new song from Gateway Worship, O the Blood. As we worshiped God together, His presence touched each of us in a personal, and special way.

This morning I sat behind a young family in the church we have been attending in our small town. Father, mother and three boys, all probably in elementary school. Four songs were sung by the worship team. I had heard one of them on the radio, but had never heard the other three. I watched this young family during this praise and worship time. The mother tried to sing along, struggling to read the words on the screen and put them together with the melody. I felt for her, because I was trying to do the same thing. The young father and his sons didn't even try. They stood, very respectfully through all four songs. Each of us had to find other opportunities in this service to worship God. From many of the comments from the seniors that we met last week, the same thing happens in their church services.

I have determined that I need to find a way to help solve the dilemma of the gap in praise and worship, particularly for people who have been shut out because of their age. In thinking about the church we're attending, there are opportunities outside of the Sunday services where music style can be more eclectic. I suspect that is true in most churches. While it is possible, and necessary for each of us to have personal times of worship and intimate encounters with God, it is also necessary and encouraging to participate in group worship. Everyone, regardless of age or style preference should have that opportunity. We just have to get creative and figure out how to do it. I'll do my part...