Accountability Part Two: The Team

Here are the clichés we’ve all heard, but they are true:
* There is no “I” in TEAM
* A Team is only as strong as its weakest link
* TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More
* A job worth doing is worth doing together

But let’s face it: Sometimes it’s a challenge to be a part of a team. Especially one where there are so many different backgrounds and abilities. Sometimes, we begin grumbling toward one another, or wonder why so and so gets more spotlight than we do, or wonder why we weren’t asked to do a solo. Or, sometimes, we may feel like when there are so many people, why are we important? Maybe you’ve felt like nobody would even notice if you weren’t there.

Last week, I heard this story (don’t worry—all my stories aren’t going to be about football, but bear with me through one more):

There was a coach on a local pee-wee football team. He had led a team to a city championship. There was a star athlete on that team – we’ll call him Joe. Joe had breakaway speed. He was a natural…a star! Once the team won the championship, other higher level sports divisions were looking at Joe, and recruiting him. Joe went to one of those teams. The next season, that championship team didn’t win the championship, but grew together as a team. This season, Joe came back and wanted to play for the original team again, but he didn’t want to practice with them, didn’t want to go through all of the conditioning. He just wanted to come in and play and win. With his breakaway speed, he could win for the team—maybe even lead them to another city championship. The coach told him that if he didn’t come to practice and didn’t condition with the rest of the team, he wouldn’t play. Joe told the coach that there were plenty of other teams recruiting him. The coach told Joe to play for one of those teams. In essence, he said, “I’m not a star-maker. I’m a team builder.”

Here’s what Romans 12:3 “The Message” has to say about our team – “the body” and our role in it:
3I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

I love the statement that each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of HIS Body. It isn’t something that we do, but something that He does. Continue reading verses 4-6:

4 -6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

What He asks of us is simply this: Be yourself, be satisfied with who God made you to be and your role in His Body, and don’t miss out on being a part of the whole.

The chapter opens with this statement:
1 -2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

He just wants us: ordinary, everyday, sleeping, eating, going-to-work, walking-around people. He desires to cultivate us into one body. But, even though we are ordinary, we are incredibly important. Each of us is called to serve a function of the body. The body is incomplete without us in our place. Isn’t it incredible—the God of the Universe desires US to be a part of His great plan? He wants to use us—broken and imperfect as we are. He doesn’t need us…he WANTS us. And we NEED Him and each other—that’s how He created us to be.

So, the next time you feel like your voice doesn’t really add to the choir, or you won’t be missed in a rehearsal, remember that you are a part of the whole. The next time you feel a twinge of jealousy, remember that our purpose is not about any individual, but about glorifying God. You are a member of this team—His team. We’re not here to produce stars – the God of the Universe is the star of this show. We’re here to develop co-laborers in the journey! You are an important part of that.

Lord, help us to be accountable to one another. Help us to realize the importance of our role in this wonderful plan. Help us to be faithful to who You made us to be, to our calling, and to those around us that You have placed us in service and fellowship with. You are the Master Designer. You know that we aren’t happy until we’re a part of Your plan and Your Kingdom work. Increase that desire in us daily. Help us to grow deeper—to move from the superficial into the deep waters. Help us to give you every part of our lives—even the ordinary and mundane. Use it to Your Glory!

Joy in the Journey

I wrote on accountability last week as a Part 1, and plan to write on Part 2 again next week. But this week, I want to address something a little bit different.

We had an all-day staff meeting this week, and it was a great reminder of our purpose: To glorify God by living the Jesus Way. That’s our theme. That’s our lifesong! When I pray, you’ll often hear me end a prayer saying that I want to glorify Him in all that I do. That is truly my prayer. It is a difficult thing to do—especially during tense times or times of uncertainty or stress.

We are getting ready to do a recording project over the next couple of weeks. For some, they are enjoying every moment of it. For others, they are anxious, and it seems to be coming up really fast. I want to start by saying nothing in the recording studio is more important than worship in our hearts every week – corporately and personally. So, as we gear up for this project, I just want to clarify a couple of things about its purpose.

I am excited about this project. It is one of the projects that make us better and stronger. People ask me often why we record. There are basically two purposes:
1. To present a product that glorifies God and can be a tool to draw people to Him.
2. To make us better -- it sharpens our skills. It helps us listen differently. It simply makes us better.

A lot of times, I fail to clearly lay out the expectations of something. Here they are:
1. Do the best you can. I'm not expecting perfection -- just each individual's best. (Plus, remember—I’m Paula in the studio – Barry’s the Simon!!!).
2. Don't do anything that causes your heart to drift from that #1 purpose listed above: Glorifying God. I want us to focus and deliver a musically excellent project, but it's not because I want the glory or for people to say “Look what FBC Worship Ministries is doing”. It's because I want people to be led to the God we serve! I want them to be drawn closer to Him through everything we do.
3. Have fun -- we're in crunch time right now, so the next two weeks will be a little hectic. But when we enter that studio -- HAVE FUN!

My son came home from football last night. It was a really rough practice. He got yelled at by every coach on the field. He got kicked in the head. His equipment didn’t fit quite right. He got trampled on. He got knocked on his rear. It was a hard practice for a mama to watch. But, I watched it and at the end, he came off the field with a smile on his face. I asked him if the coaches yelled at him. He said, "Yes." I asked him if he felt like he was getting better. He said, "Oh yes...a lot better." Then, I asked him if he was having fun, and his smile literally spread from ear to ear, "I love football. I'm having a blast." He likes the challenge. He likes the conditioning. He knows it's making him stronger, faster, better. He understands that you can’t base the entire journey on one practice or one “crunch time”. He also knows the joy of fulfilling the goal of a city championship—he knows what that feels like to hold that trophy in hand, and knows that it takes a lot of work to get there.

What we are doing is so much more important and so much less finite than a city championship –it’s eternal! So, I want to encourage each of you to keep the joy even in the midst of the workout! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Enjoy the ride!

I love the Message version of Philippians 3:12-21. It’s a little long, but worth the read:

12 -14I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
15 -16So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
17 -19Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
20 -21But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Accountability -- Part 1

Accountability: Part 1 –Corporate Worship

Confession: When I was a youth, I was a part of the charter church orchestra here at First Baptist Church. I started playing in the 7th grade. I remember sitting next to people who helped to make me better. I was really just a screechy beginner, but there were people sitting around me who were much better than I was, and they mentored me. When they heard my bad notes, they didn’t scowl and tell me not to play so loud. They offered advice – “Try shifting here.” Or “Let’s work on that passage slowly together.” If I couldn’t make it to practice, there was a dedicated violinist who wrote in the fingerings for my music and sent it home with my Mom. Can I just say, I was a spoiled brat, and didn’t realize what a blessing this was at the time!!! As I grew older in the youth group – and better as a violinist – I didn’t model their attitude. I thought I was pretty hot stuff, and didn’t want to be rehearsing when I could be with my friends. Part of that was growing up. Part of it was taking for granted the incredible opportunity that was before me. But, the people around me loved me and grew me up in spite of my shortcomings.

Growing up with that kind of modeling, I discovered through time was that it wasn’t so much about what I got from serving, but it was about what I was able to give. Through that, I discovered an inexplicable joy that comes from serving in these Worship Ministries week by week.

I have had the privilege of playing in some of this country’s greatest concert halls—Carnegie Hall, the Myerson, Bass Hall, Symphony Hall in Boston, Walt Disney Theatre in Los Angeles and many others. It has been amazing. But each time I played, it was just a performance judged on how “perfect” the music was or how pleasing to an individual ear it was. I always struggled with nerves, because I knew that I would never be able to please everyone in that audience—there were always critics.

When I play for God, when I serve in my church, when I worship in the privacy of my own home, I can’t begin to tell you the pure JOY that comes from playing for GOD – my audience of One! He is examining my heart – not my shifting or tuning. It’s truly an amazing thing. He’s not there to critique me, but to sharpen me, to fill me up with His thoughts and His truth, and to mold me as His child. It fills me up week by week, and I’m grateful for every opportunity I have in this place to worship Him corporately, and hopefully to encourage others as they grow in their worship expressions to Him.

I have spent a lot of time this week in the Psalms this week. David needed his time with God. He needed that time of worship, that time of petition, that time of supplication, that time of praise. So do we. We worship a MIGHTY GOD – THE Mighty God! As you prepare for Sunday morning worship, join me in meditating on His Word from Psalm 99:

The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name – He is holy. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.

This Sunday, we have the opportunity to come and worship Him corporately in a time of celebration. As you come, notice those around you that need encouragement. Fill your place—whether you are one that needs a lot of training, or whether you’re one who can help mentor someone else. Give Him all that you have! Ask Him to give you His ears and His heart, and let’s worship Him in His Majesty and Authority. He is Holy!

Be Still

Wow! What an incredible week it's been.

In the midst of preparing for a mission trip this past week, my son, Ben, got VERY sick. Many of you know that , he was bed-ridden for several days with an unknown illness. He had to have two IVs put in and was a very sick little boy. It couldn't have come at a busier time for us...or so we thought (in our selfish minds). We were so busy filling our lives with worry and anxiety that we almost missed God's blessing in it all.

You're probably saying, "What could possibly be the blessing in a sick child?"

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God."

We were forced, as a family, to be still for an entire week. This didn't hit me until 12:30 a.m. Thursday after 3 days of no sleep, when Ben was finally resting. I had slept (I use that word sarcastically) outside his room on the couch for 3 nights. Abby came in to where I was on the couch, and wanted to chat....at 12:30 a.m.....when Ben was asleep...when I had a chance to sleep. But, I knew it was important.

She began to talk to me about her friends and how she just couldn't be friends with one of them anymore. I asked her why not. She said..."We're just too different." I said, "Abby, you're in all the same classes, you go to the same church, you're in every activity together...how are you different?" She said, "Well, he's a baptized Christian and I'm just a plain old Christian." That opened up a wonderful conversation between the two of us. She asked some incredible questions, and we sat down and discussed very simply the Gospel story. It was one of the sweetest moments as mother and daughter that we've shared. We prayed at the end, and we're going to continue to seek where God is leading her. She doesn't have a full understanding yet, and is not ready to be baptized. But in that stillness, He opened her heart to a sincere search for understanding.

That night, Ben slept soundly, we all slept 6 hours, and he was "on the mend" thereafter. He's going strong and is a part of our Monterrey Missions team this weekend--something he's worked to earn the privilege of going on all year long.

God is good. His people are pretty okay, too. Thank you for all of your phone calls, emails, prayers and concern for Ben. The nurse that administered the IV said she could tell that he was being lifted up in prayers and just reminded me that when we lift up a patient in prayer, we're also lifting up the doctors and nurses. So, she felt your prayers, too.

This week, 29 of us are headed out of the country on Mission. Please continue to pray for us, specifically for the following things:
1. Focus and Unity--that we will accomplish what God has in mind.
2. Open hearts -- we will be ministering to children in a children's camp, prisoners on death row, and we have a team painting a beautiful mural that will be a witness to the community surrounding the church.
3. Safety and good health.

Thank you for your prayers, and for all that you give week by week, not only in Worship Ministries, but in everything you do in the church and in lifting up others.

With great joy,

Emily

P.S. One more thing. I discovered one very interesting thing in my conversation with Abby that I want to share especially with her Sunday School teachers (two of whom are in the choir). She told us about her Sunday School lessons about Saul (Paul) and how Saul "saw Jesus on the road to Massachusetts." ... oh, and her "lie-ing days are mostly over".

Monterrey Devotion 2008 Day 5: Worship

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

We are just hours away from our final corporate worship time together with our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Monterrey. Aren’t you thankful for this time we’ve had? Just spend a moment rejoicing in what the Lord has done. Be specific.

Read Philippians Chapter 4: 3-20. I love the way that Paul closes this letter with this chapter. He rejoices in verse 4. He encourages in verse 6. In verse 7, He shares the peace (a wonderful tradition in other denominations—a time in each service where you turn to your neighbor and simply say “Peace be with you.” And they reply, “and also with you.” It’s really a very meaningful part of some liturgies).

Then, here’s what he says in verses 8 and 9:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

I love that Paul leads by example. We can learn from the example of our brothers and sisters here in Monterrey. Weren’t you overwhelmed by their hospitality? How about their joyful spirits? The warm welcome? The light in their eyes? Think about those things listed in verse 8 –true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Does it remind you of anything?

Turn to and read Psalm 19. Do you find a similar list?
Starting in verse 7, the Lord is perfect, true, right, radiant, pure, sure, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey. Meditate for a moment on His goodness and His radiance. Just bask in His glory. May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Finally, flip back to Philippians 4. Just before Paul’s final farewell, he says in verses 19 & 20, “And my God will meet ALL your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Remember on the first day, how I said John was my favorite book? Read this beloved disciple’s and fellow worshiper’s account in Revelation 7:11-12 where he visions what Paul says, “All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

Today is a day of worship. Today is a day where we simply come before His Throne. We join with the saints that have gone before, present worshipers around the world, and as John shows us Heavenly worshipers truly in the midst of God’s glory. Lift up your eyes to Him, and lift up your voice with praise to our God forever and ever. He is worthy!

Alleluia!
For the Lord God Almighty Reigns!
Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord, God Almighty.
Worthy is the Lamb.
Amen!

Monterrey Devotional Day 4: Endurance and Purpose

Though I’m writing this in advance of the trip, today (day 4) is most likely going to be the hardest day of this journey. We’ve performed the concert, we’ve painted, we’re on the last day of the Children’s camp. We’re trying desperately to complete the painting and tasks we’ve come to accomplish. It’s hot. We’re ready for our own beds and the remote. We’re ready to hug our loved ones that have been left behind. It’s a tough day. Today, we need to pray diligently for endurance.

Philippians 3:12-14 says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Our task today is evangelism. There is a message to be sung and lived out. People are watching you even today. You are a witness at the hotel, among the church members, with the parents and children, prisoners, cashier at the Home Depot, etc.

I have a confession to make (which probably won’t come as a surprise). I am a terrible evangelist! Evangelism is not my spiritual gift. I do music missions because I feel called to discipleship—teaching others and building them up in the faith. But, when it comes to evangelism, I get scared. I stumble over my words and thoughts. I think it’s because I’m so passionate about it that I try to overcomplicate it. The Gospel is so full of mystery and seemingly complex (because it blows our mind that God would humble Himself on our account), but it’s also so simple. It transcends every language, culture, walk of life, age, gender. It’s amazing.

So, today, be bold. If you are going to the prison—sing with Jesus spilling out of your mouth and on your face. If you are shopping, hand a ticket to a salesperson or someone even on the street. If you are at the hotel, invite a hotel employee to the concert tonight, or to church tomorrow. Be bold. God will give you the words to say. More than likely, it will come much more naturally than you think.

Meditate on this promise:
Isaiah 55:8-11 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, SO IS MY WORD THAT GOES OUT FROM MY MOUTH: IT WILL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY, BUT WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I DESIRE AND ACHIEVE THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH I SENT IT.”

All we have to do is proclaim. He transforms. All we have to do is plant. He brings forth the fruit. His Word WILL NOT COME BACK VOID!

Last Sunday, in the 2nd service, the choir and the orchestra were singing their anthem. We had a monitoring issue in the orchestra area (not anyone’s fault…just one of those things that sometimes happens). In the middle of the anthem, the orchestra and rhythm were exactly 1 beat behind the choir. That meant they were one beat off on every chord changes. All the sudden, for about 20 measures, instead of “I Still Cling to the Old Rugged Cross”, it sounded like The Gaithers meets Screamo (well maybe not quite that bad, but that's what it felt like). But, the soloist and pianist hung tight and managed to get us all back together, and we ended fine. But, I was upset because I thought that I had ruined worship (how egotistical!!!). But, at the end of the song, I was amazed—everyone clapped. People responded to the Gospel message that the soloist and choir sang. God’s Word did not come back void, but rather touched the hearts of His worshipers.

You see, we are flawed messengers, but we are delivering a perfect Message. A perfect, protected Message.

So, be bold. Allow God to use you. He will amaze you…that’s just what He does!

Lord, how sweet it is to be in Your presence. We thank You that You can use us—imperfect, damaged individuals. We thank You for trusting us to be Your messengers of Your Gospel Truth. Help us to step out of our comfort zones today. Reveal to us in an undeniable way those who need to hear about You. Help us to boldly respond. Use us. We love You, and count it all joy that we have this opportunity to serve You today!