Psalm 12:6 ~ Turning to the Pure Source

S. Psalm 12:6
"And the words of the Lord are flawless.
Like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times."

O. There is no defect! God's Word is pure, without mistake - it is flawless. This is in stark contrast with the ways of the world... lies and deception (v2), flattering & boastful (v3).

A. When the filth of this world sickens us, we can turn to God and find purity. When we get distressed because of the decay all around us, we are reminded that we can turn to a God who is flawless. ~ and we find Him is his Word.

P. Lord, your Word is true. It feeds life to my soul. Thank you for your pure Word.

Psalm 8:4 ~ Macro God vs micro self

S. Ps 8:4"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

O. "I look at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, moon and stars mounted in their settings.Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us?Why take a second look our way? (from MSG)

Like David, I stand in awe of our great God. I think "who am I, Jesus, that You call me by name?"

A. It's good to realise "our place." God's awesome, enormous, glorious presence vs. our faint, vapour-like short existence. If we grasp this comparison, it enlarges our appreciation for such a great God to love one so small - like you and me.

P. God - I'm thankful for your enormous love. Thank you for being interested in the details of my small life.

Breaking Bread

In Luke 24, we read how Jesus had risen from the dead, and was appearing to his sceptical disciples (v.11). Unbeknown to them, He was in their midst, but they did not recognise Him (v.16), until...

S (scripture)
Luke 24:30-31 "When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it & began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him."

O (observation)
Jesus had been raised from the dead, and here He was sitting at a table with his disciples... but they did not recognise Him... until He broke bread. Their memories must have flashed back to the Last Supper, when He broke bread and poured wine.

A (application)
Jesus is still recognised every time we 'break bread.' The Lord's Supper is such a powerful reminder of who Jesus is and what He's done for us. In this passage, we read the disciples rushed to Jerusalem telling the others (v.34) "It is true! The Lord is risen..." (v.35) "then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when He broke bread."

P (prayer)
You are Lord! Jesus - You have risen from the dead and You are Lord! Thank You for what You've done for us on the cross. Your body was broken, and your blood was shed, all for me, a sinner. Now, because of your love and sacrifice, I am a part of your everlasting family!

That Worship Pastor Guy

P.S. For more on journaling using the S.O.A.P. method, see my blog titled Journaling S.O.A.P.

Journaling Sample

Here is an example of journaling using the S.O.A.P. method (see my previous blog for more info), after reading Psalm 56.

S. Ps. 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

O. This great , famed man of God (King David ~ writer of this Psalm,) who experienced so much of God's might & power... is afraid. He's "human" after all. But we also see how David deals with this fear... by trusting in God... relying on Him.

A. When I'm afraid, anxious, stressed - I can easily try to take matters into my own hands. I want to be in control... always! - And that's the problem. I can't always be in control - it's impossible. I have to look outside myself to someone bigger than I. I know fear - but I also know someone who is bigger than my fear. God! He helps me overcome my fear.

P. Lord - you are the great God, King of all Creation. Help my overcome those things in life that cause me to fear or to be anxious.

P.S. After I've finished journaling, I reflect back on what I just wrote, and come up with a title for this page. I called this one "Bigger than I." I write it at the very top with a page number, and also in my index at the front of my journaling book.

Hope this inspires folk out there to journal more.

Blessings

Worship Pastor Guy.

Journaling S.O.A.P.

As a song leader / worship leader ~ it's extremely important that you spend time in God's word. This can sometimes be hard going, especially if you're like me and reading is a discipline more than a hobby. I've tried many different ways of doing personal devotions, but finally settled for Journaling, using the 'S.O.A.P.' method. I take a bible book (like Psalms) and then do a chapter a day (actually, I journal often... not everyday.) And I also find that doing a chapter at a time motivates me to go at it more often, as it's doesn't take me too long to do.

S. stands for Scripture:
Read a chapter in your bible. Allow God to speak to you
though His Word. Underline any verses that stand out to you. When you are
done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in
your journal.

O. is for Observation:
What do you think God is saying to you in this
scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding. Paraphrase and write
this scripture down in your own words, in your journal.

A. is for Application:
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how
it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement,
revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area in your
life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P. is for Prayer:
This can be as simple as committing yourself to God,
asking Him to help you apply His word to your life.

I'll write out an example from my own journals next. Look for it under the title 'Journaling Sample.'

Till next time

Worship Pastor Guy

The Weekly Rehearsal

I remember a time when our church had no weekly rehearsals. For a while the only practise we got, was the hour before the actual service. Mind you, we had some very skilled musicians who somehow managed to pull things together at the last minute... but the hour before the service were mostly stressful and the songs were all done in the same old way as last time. No time to add any creativity.

Thank God we then shifted to weekly Tuesday night rehearsals. It was a huge step forward. From 7-8PM we rehearsed the AM service, then from 8-9PM, the PM service. To this day I can testify that many Tuesday nights are hard going. A lot of wrong notes are played, and the sound mix isn't always that good, and some vocal combinations don't work as well as we had hoped they would. But then, come Sunday, it's always a vast improvement from the Tuesday rehearsal. It's wonderful to see how much better things sound since everyone went home and practised their parts by themselves. Whenever we have a tuff Tuesday night rehearsal, I always tell the team; "Guys - this is exactly why we have Tuesday nights... so that we don't sound bad on Sunday."

We still use the hour before the service as a final polishing rehearsal. But after consultation with the group, we all decided to extend this to 'one and a half hours' before the service. This again was a step forward and helped raise the standard of the music.

Last year we introduced two more concepts to our weekly rehearsals: (1.)We got the music books out to the guys the Sunday before the week night practise. That way the team could look at the music before the first rehearsal. (2.) After a brainstorming session with the team, we decided to extend our Tuesday nights with 'half an hour.' This would allow us to have some "group time." - To listen to a devotional thought, sometimes to watch a related video clip, or break into smaller groups to share and pray.

The bottom line is this. Weekly rehearsals are essential to any church. It bonds a team together and it allows us more freedom to worship God with our instruments or voices, ~ because we've done all our preparation before the Service started.

Till next time

Worship Pastor Guy

The Blessing of Affliction

Psalm 119:71 "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."

This is so true... (not a nice thought, eh?) Human nature is such, when things go well with us, we feel invincible & sometimes we even become arrogant. We've got an answer for everything and an opinion on every matter.

Then calamity comes.

Affliction has a way of opening our "blocked ears" to hear His voice. (Now if only I'd sit still and be quiet, I might actually hear His voice.)
We would be wise to learn from our mistakes. In affliction, to draw nearer to God. In blessing, to celebrate His goodness.
Who remembers the words to this song from Hosanna Integrity? ~ "God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good!"

That gets an "Amen" from me!

A true worshipper worships God because of who He is, not just because of what He's done. And sometimes, like Job, we worship Him 'in spite of' our circumstances. Why? Because He is worthy. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).


One of the best songs that describe the reality of life and the call to praise God in the good times and the bad, is the song Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman. It's one of those songs that every church ought to sing.

Blessed Be Your Name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord

Worship Pastor Guy

Welcoming words ~ Ideas (1)

Have you ever wished you could think of something different to say when you welcome folk to the Sunday service? It's easy to fall into a trap where we say the same ol' words every time.
Here's a few ideas that I've used to add a bit of colour to the welcome part of the service.

1. Morning person: "Who here is a morning person? (ask folk to raise their hand.) Who's more of a night owl? Personally, I'm more of a night owl - so it takes me a little while longer to get going in the mornings. How about we get all the 'morning people' & 'night owls' to greet one another as we start our service. [said in humour] And remember, if someones not smiling - he's probably not a morning person..."
2. Glad to see you: "I've been greeted in some weird and wonderful ways in my life. But the one that got me thinking the most, was when I heard someone say; "I'm glad to see...[slight pause] - that you're glad to see me!" (it took me a moment to work it out.) Let's show each other how glad we are to see one another as we say hello."
3. Called to be a blessing: "One of the trade marks of Christianity is the calling we have to be a blessing. God wants to bless me so I can be a blessing! It's not for me to soak in the "blessedness," but rather to be a channel of blessing. Gen 12:2 [to Abram] "I will bless you... and you will be a blessing." Well, let's be a blessing to those sitting around us by turning and greeting each other with a smile."

That's just 3 ideas. One could expand the themes above by tying it into the 'Call to Worship,' and even the 'closing verse/blessing.'

1. "Morning person" ~ into 'Opening Prayer.' Then read Ps.121:1-4 (He... will neither slumber nor sleep...) *Then say something like "God watches over us through the brightest day, and through the darkest night. He never slumbers nor sleeps. Let's sing of His... [salvation / might/ power...]
One could even add this to the end of the service as a closing verse/blessing: Ps.121:7&8 "The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life; The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
2. "Glad to see you" ~ Prayer. Ps.122:1 (I rejoiced with those who said to me "let us go to the house of the Lord.") "So it is with gladness that we come before God today, to sing songs of joy & praise to Him."
3. "Called to be a blessing" ~ Prayer. Ps.84:4 (Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising You.) "We are blessed to be able to gather for worship like this - so let's give thanks to God by singing with one voice... [song title].
Closing verse/blessing: Num. 6:24-26 (The Lord bless you and keep you...)

Hopefully this will spark some ideas of your own. If you have any good ideas to add, I'd love to hear from you. (post a comment)

Worship Pastor Guy

First Impressions

Ever been to a service where you're told to "turn to you neighbour and tell him 'You're looking good today...'" ~ or some other sentence that the preacher or song leader wants you to say?
I've got to be honest... I hate it! It always makes me feel awkward when people put words in my mouth.

Ever been to a church where no one turns around to greet or talk to their neighbour, and everyone keeps to them self? I've got to be honest... I hate it! It makes me feel awkward.

If those two views are the extremes in my little world, then I'm glad to say we found a good compromise in our church. We've grown a "healthy tradition" where every service starts with a word of welcome, and then an invitation for folk to "turn around and say hallo" to those sitting close to/around them. It's amazing to see the smiles flare up all around the place. And saying hallo is a natural thing to do... and many times it leads to more conversation. Some wave, some shake hands and introduce themselves. Those who know each other look glad to see each other. It's the best "ice breaker" there is for any service (in my humble opinion...)
One of the things we often hear from people visiting our church is that "it's a very friendly, welcoming church." I like that! Saying hullo to a friend or a stranger always makes for a good first impression.

Psalm 122:1 'I rejoiced with those who said to me "let us go to the house of the Lord."'

Worship Pastor Guy

Another Sunday Complete

Man, Sunday's sure come around faster than I can sometimes keep up with.
Now I'm at home relaxing, looking back on two services that had gone really well. People's hearts were engaged and the Gospel was preached... I'm sure God was smiling.
And that's really what it's about, eh? Making Him smile... making Him proud... getting His nod of approval... because His opinion matters most of all.

The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, compared worship to a dramatic
production. In worship, it often seems as though the worship leader is the actor
and God is the prompter, whispering into his ear, telling him what to do next.
The congregation listen and, at the end, the 'applaud' if they like the way he's
led worship, or throw things if they don't.
But Kierkegaard said that's all back to front. In the reality, God is the audience,
the congregation are the actors and the person leading worship is the prompter,
simply keeping the production going. So when we come to worship, we come wanting
to please God alone, offering to him our very best.

That's why I like the words to Paul Baloche's song, "My Reward." (based on
Matthew 25:21)
I want to hear you say words to me - "Well done."
I want to hear you say "Good and faithful servant."

If you want to listen to this song, look for it in the list of songs under free resources at Paul's Web page : http://www.leadworship.com/index.html

Till later

Worship Pastor Guy

Keep Things Simple

If someone had to ask me, what's the one thing I can do to improve my effectiveness as a song leader, I'd give them this advice... "Keep things Simple!"

It's easy for creative folk to fall into the trap of getting 'bogged down with details' and going 'over the top' with creativity and the desire to be different, that we sometimes forget what it is we're actually called to do... ~ to invite people into God's presence through the use of music and the creative arts.

Sure, we should be excellent in everything we do, and be creative... but music and arts in the church is not there to impress people with our gifting or talents. Rather we use the arts and music as tools to engage the hearts of people in worship and adoration of our awesome God.

Be as good as you can be, prepare as much as you can, and mix in a good dose of creativity.

But once you've done all that, take a step back, see the bigger picture and keep things simple.

Till later ~ Worship Pastor Guy.

Psalm 144:1 "...who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."

David was a mighty warrior... and songwriter / musician. He was skilled in both these areas. And there is a symbolic crossover between the two sides.

Through songs and worship we wage spiritual war. David played his harp for king Saul and this calmed him. 1 Samuel 16:23

Through anointed music, hardened hearts are opened & broken hearts are soothed. As a musician in the church I look to God to "train my hands for war, my fingers for battle." I work, with Gods help, to improve the skill level of my "weapon" (for me that's singing and playing the guitar) so I don't fumble in the midst of battle. The battle could be those moments where God is working in people's hearts through a song, and you don't want to distract from the moment by fumbling or being unprepared.

As a worship pastor and song leader, I strive to model to the rest of my team the discipline of practise & continued lessons, longing to inspire them to grow and become skilled as well.

Worship Pastor Guy

Small Beginnings

My first (bitter) taste at leading a group in singing worship songs, was when the youth pastor forgot to bring his guitar. As a youngster, I gladly offered my guitar to him, but he somehow felt it's time for me to start leading. It didn't bother him that I knew only 4 chords (D, G, Em, and A). My attempts at protesting got me nowhere. So I gave it my best. After a silent prayer asking God for help, I strummed the first and second chord, but then realised there was another chord fast approaching and I wasn't sure which one it would be. There was no music sheets. Youth Pastor Guy always seem to play everything by memory.

I took a wild guess, and right there ruined the song and was unable to find my way out of the mess I created.

That totally ruined the rest of my week. I felt embarrassed and came close to dropping my guitar playing stint, longing back to the days when Lego-blocks were the most challenging thing to overcome in my day.

Well, that was 15 years ago. I kept on playing guitar, getting some proper lessons, asking lots of questions and learning ever since. I've come a long way, and learned so much, that it would be selfish not to share the "tricks of the trade" with other new and upcoming worship guitarists.

I'll be posting some write ups with tips and thoughts, and hopefully I'll get some links posted with actual video clips that demonstrate how you can enhance your guitar playing.

Till later

Worship Pastor Guy