SWEET SIXTEEN
A study of the core values of the Worship and Arts Ministry of Hope Church—Mason, OH
Know the Word.
Stay intimate with God.
Handle with prayer.
Build up the Body of Christ.
Find common ground with the seeker.
Stay healthy.
Keep short accounts.
Strive for excellence.
Blend the generations.
Celebrate diversity.
Honor meaningful traditions.
Encourage freedom of expression.
Stimulate creativity.
Remain culturally relevant.
Reproduce the next generation of artistic leaders.
Always be loving.
Value 1 | Know the Word
The Bible clearly teaches that people who desire to lead others in their Christian experience must themselves be people of the
Word first. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
Paul also reminds us that it is not enough to promote feelings and passion for God without undergirding ourselves with knowledge.
He writes to the church at Rome that a certain faction in the church is big on passion and low on revealed truth. “For I can testify
about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” (Romans 10:2) It is not unlike studying a skill
such as playing football for an NFL team. Would you rather learn from a seasoned coach who is thoroughly familiar with the game,
knows the playbook backwards and forwards and has earned the respect of his colleagues, or take the advice of an ardent fan, who
is mainly full of excitement and his own opinions?
This is one reason why we in the worship-leading community must carefully steward our role as leaders. We must take seriously
the call to let God saturate our souls and lives with His Word. One great starting point for a budding worship leader is to live in the
psalms—most were written by a man after God’s own heart who loved to worship. But don’t stay there! Remember, David was
B.C.—he could only imagine the One who would come after him and lead God’s people as the perfect King. He was also pre-Easter
and pre-Pentecost.
Know that the more you know, the more there is to know. Even “the disciple whom Jesus loved” completed his gospel with this
staggering admission: “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that
the world itself could not contain the books that could be written.” (Jn. 21:25) One starting point for you and me? Earnestly digest
the Book that was written. You will minister with more joy, assurance, and authority because of it.
Value 2 | Stay intimate with God
If we loosely define being intimate as being relationally close to another, it becomes apparent that intimacy with God has less to do
with what we know to be true about Him and more about really knowing Him…relating to Him, talking and listening to Him, loving
Him.
Imagine, for a moment, the difference between sitting around your table on your birthday and having your closest friends and/or
family members enthusiastically (sometimes humorously) singing happy birthday to you. You are aware that beyond their singing
skills and the familiar words are numerous shared experiences which over time have yielded a closeness and intimacy with them
that transcend this simple tradition.
Now imagine dining out at your favorite restaurant on your birthday and having total strangers surround you—your waiters and
waitresses who have been conscripted by their boss to acknowledge your special day with some local version of Happy Birthday.
First, if you’re like me, you are feeling awkward or, worse, dying inside of embarrassment, and secondly, you are aware that these
well wishers had little choice in the matter…it’s part of their job.
Sometimes we as followers of Christ can fall into patterns of “doing our job” as the worship leaders at Hope…going through the
motions, even saying and singing the right things, but feeling empty inside or at least a bit disingenuous. I have even heard
teammates confess that they feel hypocritical when they sing worship songs because their personal lives or walk with Christ have
hit a rough patch or even flat-lined.
It is at times like these that we can do a quick inventory, asking a simple question: “If God seems far away from me right now, who
moved?” It is even in the dark and desperate times that God reminds us “Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you.” (James
4:8) For His part, He never stops calling, never stops wooing, never stops pursuing us. Just move toward Him.
There is also an urgency to God’s invitation to stay close to Him when He warns: Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him
while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6) Yes, He promises to never leave us or forsake us, but there is something about delaying or postponing
getting close to God for a more convenient season that becomes less likely the more time passes, and we grow comfortable with
the distance.
My encouragement to each of you is to have at least one other person in your life who routinely asks you how you are doing in this
area. Close, personal brothers and sisters in the faith can help us fan the flames of our passion for God before we find ourselves
running on spiritual fumes. Fumes are more like the remnants or even memories of former days when we really walked hand in
hand with our God. Let’s make a covenant in the worship ministry to lovingly encourage and challenge each other to keep the main
thing the main thing. As a worship leader, it is the sweetest gift we can give to the Body…and to the Lover of our souls.
Value 3 | Handle with prayer
Let’s start with the basics: what is prayer? Google the word and you get soup to nuts. Among the entries: “a devout petition to god
or an object of worship, spiritual communion with God or an OOW, a formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for
praying (i.e., The Lord’s Prayer), an earnest request or wish, a petition; entreaty, a negligible hope or chance (“tried hard, but didn’t
have a prayer of getting that job”), or a religious service consisting chiefly of prayers.”
Prayer is that act which enables the believer to express a broad range of thoughts and emotions in his response to God, including
praise, thanksgiving, loving adoration, confession, lament, communion, petition, the making of a vow or commitment, and
intercession. The ultimate object of prayer as expressed throughout scripture is not merely the good of the petitioner but the
honor of God’s name.
Speaking personally, some of my earliest influences regarding prayer appeared in a variety of forms—a wall plaque here, a miracle
there. In our dining room, a small, insignificant wall hanging dangled precariously, displaying a simple message: “Prayer Changes
Things.” I couldn’t eat a bowl of Cheerios or down one of Mom’s store-bought fish-sticks without being reminded that life had a
bigger purpose and that, unlike my chores and bedtimes, not everything had been pre-determined.
Most of my childhood prayer life was of the ritualistic variety. Meal prayers, nighttime prayers, church prayers—most everything
was some memorized recitation topped off with the Uber-prayer, the Our Father. That all changed when my mom announced one
morning that God had answered her prayers and healed my brother Mark of deafness in one ear (the other one worked fine). It
was, as I recall, the first time I really began considering that prayer changes things. What exactly it changes remains a subject of
large debate.
In the movie Shadowlands, for instance, based on the relationship of C. S. Lewis and his late-in-life love-of-his-life Joy Gresham,
Lewis is portrayed as a man who prays a lot. When Joy discovers she has cancer, Lewis prays even more. When her cancer goes into
remission, Lewis’s pastor tells him, "God is answering your prayers." Lewis replies with fervor: "That's not why I pray--I pray because
I can't help myself--the need flows out of me. It doesn't change God; it changes me."
In the case of my brother Mark, one of the results of my mom’s prayers was a dramatic change in his physical condition. In
observing Mom’s enthusiasm over this new discovery, I concluded that prayer had changed her as well. Throughout the Bible, we
are given examples of God’s activity and intervention in the lives of people as a direct result of their crying out to Him.
In one of his most compelling treaties on prayers, Jesus encourages us to "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will
be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If
you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good
things to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:7-11). The apostle James puts it in the negative form: “You don’t have because you don’t ask
God. And when you [do] ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your
pleasures.” (James 4:2,3)
As a community value, we acknowledge that we must handle our ministry with prayer, or it quickly grows impotent, lifeless and
stale. Consider a prayer life that we could embrace as a community that would transform who we are, what we do, and how we do
it.
Adoration
Confession
Focusing all of our ministry of song to the praise of His glorious grace
Humbling ourselves before God and one another, admitting when we hurt each other, extending
forgiveness to those who have inflicted the wounds
Thanksgiving
Never growing complacent about the mighty ways God is working and moving among us…always giving Him
the credit He deserves
Petition/Supplication Admitting and speaking forth our utter dependence on Him every time we gather together; being specific in
our prayer requests
Lament
Allowing our hearts to be broken over what breaks God’s heart
Intercession
Being the mouthpiece and hedge of protection for those among us during times when they are too weak,
blind or discouraged to cry out to God for themselves
Commitment/Vow
Intentionally responding to God and surrendering to His Spirit, even when it moves us out of a zone of
comfort or familiarity
One of the most glaring omissions from the life and ministry of Jesus recorded in the gospels is a listing of any kind of resource
library from which He drew all his amazing insights. You and I will spend hours (literally years) of our life reading books, going to
seminars, watching videos to glean a bit of wisdom in an effort to help us navigate this mysterious journey we call life. Where did
Jesus go? To the word of the prophets and to His Father’s heart in prayer. The result? A singular life of unparalleled joy, purpose,
and accomplishment. In the history of the world there has been none like Him, nor will there ever be. Does prayer matter? We
might want to consult the expert.
Value 4 | Build up the Body
To build up the Body (Christ’s church), we are encouraging the intentional practice of saying and doing the kind of things that edify
each other. There are really two angles here, one which gets at what TO DO for each other, and the other what NOT TO DO to each
other.
On the “to do for each other” side, we only need look at what God already says on the subject in His word. One of my favorite
passages is from Hebrews 10:25 which exhorts us not only to encourage each other, but even to be creative in the process: “Let us
consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day (of Christ’s return) approaching.” Eugene
Peterson’s paraphrase of this section is found in The Message: “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping
out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do, but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” The
implication is clear—we all need encouraging, and as times get tough, we need it (and each other) even more.
On the “what not to do to each other” side of the equation, remember even something as potentially helpful as telling someone
the truth is to be done in love (Ephesians 4:15). And Paul goes on to say, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your
mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Again,
Peterson paraphrases: “Say only what helps. Every word a gift.” If I really want to speak into another person’s life according to
their needs, then I really need to pursue a relationship with them in order to know who they really are.
We all know that the opposite of building up something, whether it be a wall, a house, or a reputation, is to tear it down. Think
back in your life to those who have most profoundly influenced you, whether it was a teacher, a parent, a friend or personal hero.
My guess is that the ones who had the most positive influence on you to help you grow and achieve and feel safe did it through
loving encouragement. And conversely, the attitudes and feelings you hold about yourself which have bound you and caused you
to shrink in confidence were begun or reinforced by negative, discouraging and even abusive influences. Unfortunately, those can
often come from people who supposedly know us and are supposed to love us...even from our family of faith.
Do you wish to break the cycle? Then agree with me that we will begin, by God’s Spirit, to construct a ministry family which is safe,
encouraging (remember, be creative!), and loving, even when having to deliver tough words to a brother and sister. And also agree
with me to be vigilant in calling out behavior and speech which tears down the very temple God is building, with each of us a living
stone.
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
Value 5 | Find common ground with the seeker
This is a clearly taught value throughout scripture, both for us individually and as local communities of faith. The apostle Paul
reminds us in his letter to the church at Corinth that “though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to
win as many as possible. To the Jews I become like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law, I become like one under the
law, so as to win those under the law.” (1 Cor. 9:19, 20)
As we look at growing further this week in our sermon series, and even more so as we celebrate World Weekend next week, it is
clear that God intends for His kingdom be forever expanding and growing. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” after
all, and the last time I checked that pretty much extends to everyone on the planet with a pulse. But how do we get started? How
do we take that first step to walk across the room and begin to build a relationship with those outside the faith?
Twenty years ago, we were taught to share the 4 spiritual laws with anyone and everyone who would give us the time. Or we were
encouraged to ask a couple of probing questions, like “If you died tonight, where do you think you would go?” and “If God were to
ask you, ’why should I let you into my heaven,’ what would you say?” With our post modern culture becoming more and more
secularized and increasingly skeptical of authority, biblical or otherwise, we followers are being forced to look at different entry
points to the discussion.
Rather than the approach of “I know something you don’t” being the opening salvo to a total stranger, Paul suggests we start by
incarnating or identifying empathetically with the culture in which we find ourselves. For some that could be your work culture,
your neighborhood, your family, even your recreational buddies. But the bottom line—start with something you share in common,
NOT what separates you. Jesus did it constantly in his ministry. He hung out with sinners, told stories to which they could easily
relate, asked lots of questions, and demonstrated that he understood their inner longings before trying to fix them.
A perfect example was his conversation with the woman at the well in John 4. He could have begun with, “What’s a (bad) girl like
you doing in a place like this? Don’t you know that you’re talking to the holy Son of God?” My guess is the temple scribes were not
into publishing religious tracts back then, but even so I doubt that would have been Jesus’ method of choice in this encounter
either. Instead, He found the common ground. Not of ethnicity, not of age, not even of religious pedigree. He started with what
unites us all—we get thirsty. “Will you give me a drink?” He started by admitting He needed something from her! Simple, but it
provided Him entry into her world. And he took time to listen.
For you and me in a worship and arts ministry, the outside world may not understand exactly what or why we do this worship thing
on Sunday morning, but they do understand people’s fascination with the arts. It touches us all. One of my goals (to which I invite
you to hold me accountable over the next months and years) is to build relationships with the music directors, not of other
churches first, but of our public schools, believers or not. I hope to seek artistic advice from them, offer support and even church
resources to them if it would help, and maybe even to pray for them if they desire. It will take time, but I believe it really is the
fulfillment of “to the Jew, become a Jew.”
Will you join me as our ministry area begins to discover ways to open its doors and hearts to people unlike us in their faith
experience, not as fellow worship leaders, but as fellow artists on various endeavors and projects which can help us build a bridge
to their world. May I challenge you to pray for wisdom and creativity as we begin to walk across the room to those in our sphere of
influence.
Oh, and one final reminder of how you can find common ground with the un-churched this weekend: get on their schedule and set
your clocks back one hour before heading for bed Saturday night. If you forget, you may just be singing an (unauthorized) solo
come Sunday morning.
Value 6 | Stay healthy
On face value, this core value seems to be just one more call to getting in shape. If it’s not Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, it’s LA
Fitness or the Y reminding us that fitness, bordering on body worship, is quite in right now, if not downright chic. Add to that the
pressure placed on us by insurance companies to stay (or get) healthy or pay big time, and suddenly we feel motivated. Their
argument seems fairly plausible: if you choose to neglect or abuse your body, you should pay for the consequences. Unfortunately,
though, it rarely stops there. No man is an island, and no one’s health is his own little problem. The recent H1N1 pandemic,
discoveries of the effects of second hand smoke, fetal alcohol syndrome, or the devastation of AIDS are but a few examples of what
society learned long ago: my health issues can have serious consequences on you. And so far, we’re just talking about physical
health.
What about our soul—our mind, that inner part of us that makes up our personality and expresses our uniqueness. Anyone who
has studied family systems knows how positive or negative the effects can be of one’s emotional environment in developing selfesteem, self-discipline, a sense of nurture, or the ability to love and care for others. The term dysfunctional family grew out of the
awareness that God’s design is for individuals, families and communities to function in a proper, healthy way. To violate certain
principles often leads to recycled un-health from generation to generation.
And as followers of Christ, we also recognize the role of our spiritual nature in transforming us to be more like our Maker. Tending
to our spiritual needs, appetites and “muscles” is God’s way of helping us overcome the ravages of sin, bad habits, addictions and
abuse, so that rather than hurting those around us, we actually can contribute to our family’s and community’s well-being.
Over 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica (chapter 5, verse 23): “May God himself, the God of
peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” Staying healthy is more than just keeping the body working properly. It
includes pursuing emotional and spiritual wholeness as well.
In this one little verse, Paul is packing a lot of truth. First, be reminded that you are the creative work of God Almighty, the God of
peace, who desires to make you complete and set apart from those who do not know Him. Secondly, make every effort to attend
equally to every part of you so that what you offer to God is the whole of you. And finally, it is ultimately God in you that will
accomplish this; your role, your “effort” is simply to cooperate and agree with Him.
I shared at our retreat this fall about a friend of mine who was the Director of Care and Counseling at my church in College Hill years
ago. She was asked by some of her “flock” what they could do for her? Her response was simple: “Take care of yourselves.” At
first, it sounded like she was abdicating her role and responsibility as a care-giver. Rather, she was implying “before you reach the
crisis stage and need me for intervention, pay attention to your own personal well-being and growth in every area of your life. I’ll
be there if you do fall or get off the track, but minimize my role in your pursuit of health by paying attention to the warning signs of
un-health on the horizon.”
In each area that Paul mentions, spirit, soul (mind/emotion), and body, God has given us ways to recharge those batteries when
they are running low. But we must recognize the signs. Sometimes we assume our weariness (call it fatigue, even burnout) is
overall stress, when in fact it is little more than a physical need for more rest or exercise. Maybe we need to learn to say no to
certain things, and ask God’s spirit to direct us if and when to say, “Sorry, I can’t do that.”
If you find yourself emotionally spent by giving out to others in care and compassion, don’t forget to recharge your emotional
batteries with activities which energize you (reading a book, attending the symphony, going to a high school football game, etc.) In
other words, don’t forget to have some fun.
And if you sense you are growing weaker spiritually, take inventory of how much time you are allowing with God in your day. If that
time is becoming less and less frequent, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and start back with baby steps. Or be more intentional in
carrying on a conversation with him throughout the day—while driving your car, raking your lawn, or walking for exercise. He
certainly will meet you wherever you show up, just do it.
In summary, like my friend from College Hill, I want to remind you that regardless of where you find yourself, I and the pastoral staff
of Hope want to be here for you. Your gift to me and to us can be to care for yourselves—your bodies, souls and spirits, by the
power of God’s spirit. The inevitable crises will come—we are human and we live in a fallen world. But maybe, just maybe, we can
reduce their frequency and severity by each of us staying healthy.
Value 7 | Keep short accounts
This week we are reminded that in healthy organizations and communities, relationships depend on honesty, openness, and
remaining current in expressing our feelings toward one another. The familiar passage in Matthew 18:15 and following reminds us
what to do when things do break down and we begin feeling at odds with each other: “If another believer sins against you, go
privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are
unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three
witnesses.”
The issue is not getting even or even getting something off our chest—the goal is restoration of the relationship. And in cases of
the heart, timing is everything. To delay the direct approach often leads to suppression of feelings which give way to anger and
resentment, or worse, we begin to “triangle” the relationship by sharing with a third party how we are feeling about the second
party. This is usually less threatening to us personally, but also almost always more destructive.
(By the way, if you are ever tempted to enter into one of those tri-angled conversations, remember a good question to ask is, “Is
what you are about to share with me about so and so going to make me think less or more of that person? In other words, praise
anyone to the hilt with others, but if you have a beef with someone, start with them!)
This concept particularly rings true for those involved in upfront leadership. Many passages remind us that we can’t love God and
hate our brother, what we do to the least of our brothers we do to HIM, and (my favorite) “if you are presenting a sacrifice at the
altar (public worship)…and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar.
Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and [worship] God.” (Matt. 5:23) If we are to have credibility as lovers of God, we
must also do all in our power to remain connected and “clean” with each other.
One final note: keeping short accounts means no sandbagging. What does that mean? Simply this—rather than collecting dirt (or
hurt) on someone over a long period of time, only to erupt when the bag bursts with a laundry list of wounds and offenses, try
staying current. When someone says or does something to hurt or offend you, gently approach them right away. Use “I feel”
statements rather than “you did…” or “you always…”
Another way to approach a hurtful incident is to ask the (offending) person to “help you understand why he(she) did such and
such.” The key is to live in a posture of humility and forgiveness, realizing how much God through Christ has forgiven you. To
ignore these principles may make you feel more comfortable momentarily, but you will end up breaking the heart of God and losing
a brother in the process. Will you, members of Hope’s worship community, join me in seeking to keep as short accounts as possible
with one another? If the God who is holy is able to remove my sins as far as the east is from the west and to toss them into the sea
of forgetfulness, who am I to keep score? Can I get a witness?
Value 8 | Strive for excellence
Webster defines excellence as “the quality or state of being outstanding or superior” whereas the term perfection implies “the
quality or state of something that is as good or suitable as it can possibly be.” I have worked with many an artist whose primary
preoccupation was with “getting it right,” never making mistakes, chasing the elusive, “flawless” performance. I can identify. As a
young organist in my dad’s church growing up in Dallas, I was routinely evaluated by my mom at lunch each Sunday, which included
her estimate of how many mistakes I had made that morning. (Bad Mommy—she had many other fine qualities!) Thank God for
therapists!
But the pursuit of excellence in our ministry is not the same as seeking perfection. I remember years ago reading the motto of a
music ministry at a very large, nationally known church in south Florida. It was simple but memorable: Excellence in all things and
all things to God’s glory. Be excellent. Glorify God. On the surface, it seems fairly non-controversial. But in my experience with
numerous worship ministries throughout the country, I believe that some “church musicians” seem to believe these two concepts
are mutually exclusive.
Some would argue that the moment you begin to pursue excellence in your art, you quickly move to self-gratification or
glorification. After all, the proponents of this viewpoint are quick to point out, the Bible says to make a joyful noise, doesn’t it, so all
that matters to God is what is in our heart? The psalmist reminds us in Psalm 115 that at the core of our craft should be this
attitude: “Not to us, O Lord; not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.” And the apostle Paul
writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that the pursuit of glorifying God should touch every phase of our life: “So, whether you eat or drink,
or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
On the other side of the coin, it could be argued that we were made to exhibit excellence. After all, we were created in the image
of God, the Original Artist, and that since He only created that which was good or very good, should not our creative pursuits be
characterized by excellence as well? The scriptures are pretty clear that those who are chosen to use their art to lead God’s people
in worship should do so with diligence and excellence, not just a pure heart. Psalm 33:3 reminds us to “sing to the Lord a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”
1 Chronicles 25:6 describes a musical family which was assigned responsibilities for worship leadership, with this interesting
emphasis: “they were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for
the service of the house of God. The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to the Lord, all were
skillful, was 288. And they cast lots of their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.”
Again, Paul in the New Testament reminds us that the focus of our lives should not be on the adequate or the ordinary but rather
the highest and best, when he writes “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(Philippians 4:8)
A final rationale for Christian artists and worship leaders pursuing excellence is that we in America are trying to reach a fairly
sophisticated listener when it comes to the music and art available to our members and guests every day of their lives. If the arts
are considered a language through which we can communicate the gospel, that language must be clear, precise, and relevant to the
culture around it.
So which way do we go? Do we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”, as the Psalmist encourages, or do we reinterpret that
verse to say “worship the Lord in the holiness of beauty?” Do we seek the beauty and glory of God through worship, or worship
God through the achievement of creative and artistic beauty?
My question is, why must it be an either/or? In every area of this ministry, we can be moving toward higher ground. Spiritually, we
must agree with Paul that we “have [not] already attained [spiritual] perfection, but I press on to make it my own because Christ
has made me his own.” (Phil. 3:12) Artistically, we are entrusted with certain gifts which can always be improved upon, sharpened,
and honed (Parable of the talents—Matthew 25:15ff).
When we view “excellence in all things and all things to God’s glory” as two sides to the same coin, we see ministry for what it is: a
high calling which is at once a free gift and that which demands my life, my soul, my all. What about it, Hope Church worship team?
Can we dare to become the church arts department that gets it…and gets it right?
Value 9 | Blend the generations
True confessions? I’m a big believer in inter-generational worship. But I’m also a big believer in intergenerational life. I am highly
suspicious of the trend in American culture to isolate us into age-appropriate groupings, niches, interest groups and musical styles,
and I fear this trait has strongly seeped its way into the church. Truth is, I have served in churches where the worship service was
ADULTS ONLY while the kids and youth were farmed off to some other place on campus to experience age-appropriate worship.
My conclusion was that in such an approach, each generation was the loser. Gone was the creative energy and boundary-pushing
excitement of the youth, as well as the simple, trusting, and sometimes noisier responses to God of little children. Oh, the services
were more orderly, more predictable. Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z. You get the point. Worse, the kids and youth were off somewhere learning to
have a fun time with God, but only if it was done in their style and their way. They rarely got to see Mom or Dad lost in the
presence of God, with eyes closed or hands upraised. I wondered if Paul might not have been speaking to this kind of trend when
he warned in Romans 12, “do not let the world squeeze you into its own mould.”
If the value of bringing generations together is to be embraced as not only a nice option but an actual mandate from God, we must
first start with the Owner’s manual—the Word of God. Before it mentions a word about how to pass on the theology and practice
of worship, it clearly speaks to sharing life itself between generations. God, through the prophet Moses, commands His people to
“fix these words of Mine in your hearts and minds. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deut. 11:18, 19) To paraphrase James Dobson, our life
values are more caught than taught, but, in fact, we need to do both. And, surprisingly, this process is not just the older to the
younger. At times it works vice versa (are you listening, parents and grandparents?).
The apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé, “[Timothy,] command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you
because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1Timothy 4: 11, 12) In
other words, Tim—let them, older and younger alike, catch what you have. And don’t stop teaching the truth simply because you
lack life experience. What’s the point? We need each other!
When it comes to the specific area of worship and music ministry, again the scriptures give good examples of the heart of God. Let
the generations learn alongside each other. Consider the reference I used just a few weeks ago in regard to developing skills for
leadership. 1 Chronicles 25:6 describes a musical family which was assigned responsibilities for worship leadership, with this
interesting emphasis:
“They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house
of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God.
The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to
the Lord, all were skillful, was 288. And they cast lots of their duties, small and
great, teacher and pupil alike.”
I can think of many of you in our ministry who learned your craft or love of the arts from your parents, some of which still play or
sing with you today. Similarly, some of you have had the rare pleasure of watching your own kids and grandkids grow to use their
gifts in ministry, perhaps primarily as a result of your example, coaching, or encouragement.
On a personal note, it has not only been a joy for Debby and me to see all three of our children involved in worship ministry on
some level, but as they grew in skill and creativity, we have also sought to learn from them. We have discovered what God’s word
suggests. Those with open hearts to God and transferable life experience have much to give to the younger generation. And we as
an older generation must come to appreciate the energy, creativity (think about technology alone), and new thing that God is
bringing to the church through the young.
Isaiah 42:10 reminds us to Sing unto the Lord a new song, and 43:18,19 says: “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!” What is implicit in these verses is discernment. Learn how to major in the majors. But know that
God is both faithful, consistent and constant, and at the same time dynamic, creative, and even, sometimes, unpredictable.
The Word says that each of us—young and old alike—has been made in the image of God. It also says that all who have called upon
the name of the Lord are, in fact, the light of the world. Want a big dream? Then imagine Hope church being known as a place
where young and old alike worship together, demonstrate a growing love for each other and an increasing respect for one another’s
life view. It definitely is not the way of the world. But it is, I truly believe, the way of the Word.
Value 10 | Celebrate diversity
Two words. One a verb, an action word. The other a noun, a person, place or thing. Put them together and they give us a
compelling, God-pleasing formula for building up the body of Christ through the arts.
Start with celebrate. It suggests an act of intentional affirmation, to hold up or play up in a public way, to honor or value in a
deliberate way. What is does not imply is tolerating or observing in a token, even patronizing way. It is, as we have said,
intentional, deliberate, public.
Then there’s the current cultural buzzword: diversity. Try obtaining a corporate or educational grant these days without a boatload
of evidence that you are culturally diverse, and you may as well try to convert the pope. But how does one define diversity? I know
the government must have a definition. But what is helpful in constructing a ministry which reflects the heart and mind of God?
Paul writes to the church at Corinth: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but
the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. “ (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) Our
first clue as to what will characterize a healthy church is that it allows and recognizes differences. You all know the old adage that
there are no two snowflakes exactly alike. How does that apply here? God isn’t into cloning. He likes originals, not copies. In
musical terms, He knew unison gets old, so He created harmony.
So what are some examples of diversity in the church which we should be witnessing to celebrate the diverse nature of God? Start
with the obvious in the contemporary church in America. How about different styles? I remember the days when what separated
us from the church down the block was mainly doctrine. Today, we have created niche churches to appeal to a plethora of style
preferences.
A recent church sign I passed actually bragged “We Still Sing the Good Ol’ Hymns.” So who is right? The traditionalists or the
contemporaries? The Bible actually mentions very little about the “how to’s” of corporate worship, choosing to use descriptive
language rather than definitive. Check out Psalm 150, I Corinthians 14: 26ff, Ephesians 5:19-21, and so on. Paul’s summary
statement that “there are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” suggests that God can actually
be expressed through more than one style or language. We needn’t fight over it or form new fellowships around it.
Other forms of diversity in the body which can find expression through the arts: Cultural history (also usually associated with
musical styles). How we dress. (Before you complain about the casual dress of the younger crowd, don’t forget your grandma who
got upset when you stopped wearing hats and suits to worship.) Different types of instrumentation (Do you know that when the
organ was first introduced to the church in Europe, it was considered a godless, secular instrument? So also, the drums, guitar,
synthesizers in our day). Use of the body in worship. Clappers, hand-raisers, kneelers, those who prefer a more stoic, if not statuelike aspect. Expressions which speak more to the thinker. Ditto for the feeler. Singers and non singers. Artsy types who love
pushing the envelope. Traditionalists who get nervous when everything appears to be changing. The lovers of the loud. The rooters of the reverent. And on and on it goes.
Can we begin to hold a big enough view of God and a loving enough attitude toward one other that we actually can celebrate our
differences. It will say to the world that the God, in whose image we are made, has many facets to His beauty, and we who reflect
His glory desperately need each other.
Value 11 |Honor meaningful traditions
I can still hear it ringing in my ears—the lyrics of a song from one of my favorite musicals, Fiddler on the Roof. Tradition, tradition!
Tradition!, sung by (who else?) the Papa—Tevye. It was a comic and, at the same time, touching cry for keeping life the same,
honoring the past and not messing with it, so to speak. What became plain from the song and served as the storyline’s principle
conflict, was that what was meaningful to Tevye was not necessarily a universally held view.
For Papa, his role was clear: scramble for a living, say his daily prayers. And, as master of the house, his word was final. After all, it
was tradition.
What about Mama? Her assignment? Know how to make a proper home (a quiet, kosher home), raise the family and run the
home. Why? So Papa could be free to read the holy books. After all, it’s tradition.
As for the sons, pretty simple stuff: start school early, learn a trade, hope those who pick your bride for you find someone who is
easy on the eyes. And for the daughters, the formula couldn’t be simpler: learn to mend and tend and fix while you wait for the
bloke that Papa picks.
It all made for a humorous tug of war between two generations, but in the end the tension wasn’t so much about having traditions,
but what makes them meaningful?
So it is with the family of faith when we seek to pass on what experiences should be universally treasured, as opposed to what is
valued by certain individuals. In some churches, traditions are maintained that were, at one time, valued by the vast majority, but
now are recycled simply because “we’ve always done it that way.” Contrast that with the fellowships which never do the same
thing the same way twice, simply because of the fear that “if it’s not new, it’s irrelevant.”
Coming from a very traditional, ritualistic even, church background, I understand this concern. There is a commonly held axiom in
communication that to the extent that something is familiar, it loses its impact. Said another way, the more we know what’s
coming, the less intently or expectantly we receive or anticipate it. I still recall singing portions of the liturgy (the repetitious and
routine parts of the worship service) as a child while, at the same time, looking around the room, waving to late-comers, or
wondering why I had worn one brown shoe and one black. Imagine the impact of the words, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy,
on my heart, while I am simultaneously winking at the cute girl across the aisle. Talk about your multi-tasker!
But let’s not throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. While Jesus warns us against vain repetition (Matthew 6:7), he
does not advocate never repeating anything. Indeed, that is what traditions are: determining those events, occurrences, and
corporate experiences which are repeated, whether it is weekly, monthly, annually or otherwise. This is suggested in the Old
Testament in the book of Numbers: “Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to
sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God.”
(Numbers 10:10) This wasn’t just a Hebrew thing, it was a people of God thing, suggesting that part of trusting God for our future
was remembering our past. And part of retaining the identity as a unique work of God’s hand was to replay, occasionally, our
unique story.
In watching other faith communities on TV (actually I t-vo them since I am usually indisposed on Sunday mornings), I notice various
traditions, not all of which are meaningful to me personally, but which have found value in their local settings. One famous TV
church encourages its members to turn and greet each other with the phrase “God loves you, and so do I.” The cynical side of me
quickly goes to the bumper sticker I once saw that admitted, perhaps more honestly, “God loves you, and I’m trying.” Another
televised mega-church begins its program with everyone holding up their bibles and making a pledge to its authority.
Some churches enshrine everything from passion plays, Christmas musicals, last supper reenactments, foot-washing ceremonies,
July 4th blow-outs, to Boar’s Head festivals (OK, you may have to Google it), Easter vigils, or church picnics. Regardless, the point is
that honoring meaningful traditions helps keep us, as the transforming people of God, anchored in our spiritual and cultural roots.
If we find, in this contemporary American culture which seems addicted to the new, that nothing we do seems worthy of repeating,
then maybe it wasn’t worth doing in the first place. And the day we allow the priority of our fellowship to become the mere
perpetuation of empty traditions, we may as well join the cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye’s backup singers.
Dream a dream with me that, in Hope’s future, there will always be those times of the year and commemorations which are part of
our DNA as a unique people of God. My question to you, especially those with some history with Hope: could you name a few? If
not, let’s begin to create them…together.
Value 12 | Encourage freedom of expression
If you’re like me, you love sweets. Try digesting this from John 8:36: “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” Pretty sweet,
huh? There is something about becoming a child of God which ultimately releases us to finally pursue our true identity and to shed
the need to be conformed to others around us. I believe this speaks to how we relate to others both inside and outside the Church.
We all know how strong the world’s collective voices can be to define success and value for us. Likewise, in the Body of Christ, we
can often fall victim to a cloning process which attempts to make all Christians think, talk and act alike.
This seems even true in the area of what is considered appropriate and valuable in our times of corporate worship. Certainly, some
non-negotiables come into play here, when we use clear passages of scripture to hedge certain speech, conduct, and practices. But
often what begins as the application of universal truth deteriorates into a whole set of prescribed behaviors based more on cultural
preference or even the will of the most powerful influences in the local church than on God’s Word.
We hear phrases like, “we don’t do (allow) that in our church,” or “that’s what they do in such and such a church.” My question is
“who determines these boundaries or limits we place on the work of the Holy Spirit, especially when we usually begin our services
in Jesus’ name and invite the Spirit to work among us?” Paul says in Galatians 5 that [since] Christ has set you free, make sure that
you stay free and don’t get tied up again to the law (man’s rules and rituals). Obviously, this is not merely an issue with the
contemporary church.
Consider a couple of scriptural examples.
”Then King David was told, “The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So
David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. And David
danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of
the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
But as the Ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw
King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she was filled with contempt for him. When David returned home to bless his own
family, [she] came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing
himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”
David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as
the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this,
even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” So Michal, the
daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.
Or consider the indignation which greeted this public act of worship by a woman who had been set truly free by the Guest of Honor:
“
Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the
dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a
twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair.
The house was filled with the fragrance.
But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold
and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’
money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.”
Finally, consider this gem from the earliest local congregation. Acts 3:8 records that a man who was lame from birth and spent his
days outside the temple begging, responded to his miraculous healing by “walking, leaping and praising God, and then “went into
the temple with them (the disciples who prayed over him). Are we to conclude that the celebration stopped the moment he went
inside?
Well, if this incident were to have happened in 21st century America, it probably would depend on which church he went into. Paul
exhorts us, however, to resist the cloning process in our local churches, do not quench the Spirit’s work among us, and reminds us:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
I find that most Christian churches are so far away from the “out of control” freedom of expression that they fear in public worship
that it makes me suspicious the Deceiver is more at work in this than we think. My suggestion: let’s venture into the area of
encouraging freedom of expression which is orchestrated by the Holy Spirit in our public gatherings and see if we don’t experience
more salvations, healings, power for daily living, and transformed churches. Then we will no longer need to remind people that
Hope is EV-Free. They will already sense it.
Values 13-16 (Final Four) |
Stimulate creativity
Remain culturally relevant
Reproduce the next generation of artistic leaders
Always be loving
As we conclude this series on our core values, I am going to attempt to cover the final four all at once. Call it “killing four birds with
one giant boulder.” Since I readily understand that this quartet might be less familiar to you than, say, the four spiritual laws, here’s
a quick review of our Sweet Sixteen:
Know the Word.
Stay intimate with God.
Handle with prayer.
Build up the Body of Christ.
Find common ground with the seeker.
Stay healthy.
Keep short accounts.
Strive for excellence.
Blend the generations.
Celebrate diversity.
Honor meaningful traditions.
Encourage freedom of expression.
Stimulate creativity.
Remain culturally relevant.
Reproduce the next generation of artistic leaders.
Always be loving.
One common theme in the first three of these remaining values is the idea of thinking ahead. Living things are growing things, and
nothing says a church is alive better than newness of life, whether it is new converts, a renewed spirit in worship, new ideas for
communicating old truths, even just new faces. The first chapter of the book of Genesis says that God created the heavens and the
earth. Later in the same chapter, it says that God made us in His image. Part of being image-bearers of the One who made us is to
exhibit creativity ourselves. I once heard it said that people often choose to live in either one of two places: their memories or their
imagination. The issue is not whether or not we retain our memory, but rather, do we camp out there, pitch our tent there, so to
speak. Sadly, the local churches that exist mainly to perpetuate their own tradition have made that choice.
The problem with this approach can be illustrated by driving a car. As you sit in the driver’s seat and survey all the potential choices
before you, there is always that little rear-view mirror which could occupy your time and attention. But it was actually designed to
provide you a reference point and a reminder of what is behind you. Organizations which become preoccupied with maintaining
their heritage, reputation, or even their buildings (call it the edifice complex), have little time to dream, imagine, or create. The
result is oftentimes a loss of credibility and relevancy within the larger culture or community they attempt to engage.
Think about the world of recorded music in our culture. Forty years ago you had only a few AM stations, a handful of accepted
musical styles, and products to reproduce music like LPs and 45s (as they were called). When I was growing up, I could not have
imagined the number of options which might be available to me even within my own lifetime. What changed? The culture,
technology, people’s free time, you name it. And with that evolution, the language of the arts moved to keep up.
So it is with the worship community of any local church if it is to remain sensitive to and reflective of the culture it endeavors to
reach. The message needn’t change but the medium must. Bible translators know this. Church architects certainly know this.
Those involved in the arts and technology definitely should realize this. Not staying current with these trends is like traveling to a
foreign country and assuming all American customs and language are completely transferable. If the message is to be understood,
its presentation must relate to its surroundings.
What can help us keep up with this “warp-speed” revolution? I believe it requires our raising up the next generation of leaders in
this area. To do this, we must first be willing to listen to our youth and young adults. It will involve engaging them in open-minded
dialogue about the way their culture learns and experiences things. And it must include providing them opportunities to actually
teach and lead us in these areas. It can be yet another testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit in a church when there is a
discernable, intentional passing of the baton to the next generation in full view. No one promises it won’t be messy at times, or
never need tweaking or correction. But it is those very times when the love of God, like fine cream, rises to the top and displays
itself. And that is exactly where we land…on our final, but perhaps highest, value—always be loving.
Church cultures whose unity sounds more like unison don’t require a lot of love. In fact, in those kinds of environments, when
someone starts singing slightly out of tune, or even a different tune, members simply withdraw or, worse, begin the dismantling
process of the fellowship. The agape love of the first church was tested early on. It had to intentionally set aside the need for
ethnic (cultural) “purity.” They did, after all, start out “all Jewish—all the time,” remember? (Acts 10). Agape love also meant
stepping out in faith, being willing to be lovingly corrected by their spiritual leaders, and, at times, even risking death. But as Pastor
Alvin reminded us last Sunday, their true mark on the world, the distinctive which ultimately turned that world upside down, was
not their great faith, not their gifts, or creativity, not even their open-mindedness. Rather, it was how they loved each other.
Imagine, if you will, two piles of bricks standing side by side, one with mortar and the other without. Now think of the love of God
as the mortar connecting the one stack of stones which He is using to build a beautiful temple of worship. When viewed side by
side, the two stacks neatly piled on top of each other really don’t look all that different. But let the first quake of adversity or
division hit, and one thing becomes clear. Without that love, without the connective adhesive of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will
not stand. Our mission is lost. And God moves on.
As we conclude what has been a glorious year in ministry both to the Lord and His people, let me thank you personally for your
sacrifice, your faith, your hard work, but mostly for the primary evidence of His work in you…His love. Until we begin again this
summer and next fall, “Love with His hands, see with His eyes. Bind it around you, let it never leave you, and they will know us by
our love!”
-tad