I know, I know… More Whitney Houston. But I ran across this video on the internet. It is of the isolated vocals on How Will I Know. She is perfect. It’s unbelievable. Back when singers could actually… sing. Enjoy!
Are You The Guy I Bought My Taylor GS From?
As a fledgling worship leader and would-be blogger, I’ve been perusing other worship leader blogs. This helps in a variety of ways, as I have been learning about awesome new tools that I wasn’t aware of, as well as picking up logistical tips for coordinating a worship team.
One blog that has been particularly helpful lately is the blog of Chris From Canada. He has been posting a worship leader’s toolkit series that has given me some great ideas and resources so far.
However, the most interesting thing that happened, occurred when I posted a comment on his blog.
There was a resource I was not previously aware of that looked to be very useful for my church, so I wrote to say thanks. Not expecting to hear back, I went about the rest of my day. Not to long after my comment I got an email and Chris was asking if I was the guy that sold him the guitar he plays now.
Curious, I went back to my really old emails, and sure enough back in 2007 I sold him a Taylor GS!
It was one of those strange, small world experiences. I’ve sold a ton of music gear, so I pretty much forget about it once it’s done, but I was happy to know that 4 years later, he is still getting good use out of the guitar I sold him, and using it in service to God to boot!
Goal for 2012: Start a Bible reading plan and finish it
I think it was last year that I made an elaborate set of goals and resolutions for my business to bring in the new year. Within the first couple of days, through no action of my own, my plans were already in the process of being torn down. I think God was laughing at my plans that particular time! In retrospect, that could have been an example of me thinking that I was entirely responsible for my success or failure, and it was a humbling that I needed (and still need, every hour of every day!)
That said, we still need goals in order to focus our efforts at what we are trying to accomplish. I can go out on a limb and say that you won’t accomplish much of anything that you don’t have a concrete, measurable, timely set of goals for.
One of my goals is to read all the way through the Bible. 32 years old, and I’ve never done it. Now I’m in a quasi-leadership position at church, and while reading through the Bible won’t automatically make me a better or smarter leader, it’s something I need to do for myself as well.
After reading about Professor Grant Horner’s 3650 Bible Reading Plan. I’m really excited about this plan because of the way it guides you through the Bible and the way that you read.
Here’s Professor Grant Horner’s explanation of the plan:
Each day you will read one chapter from each of ten lists. That’s right — ten chapters per day!!! Use ten bookmarks or sticky notes with the individual lists on them to keep track of your locations. Or use the set of bookmarks provided on the last page of this document.
On day one, you read Matthew 1, Genesis 1, Romans 1, and so forth. On day 2, read Matthew 2, Genesis 2, etc. On day 29, you will have just finished Matthew, so go to Mark 1 on the Gospel list; you’ll also be almost to the end of 2nd Corinthians and Proverbs, you’ll be reading Psalm 29 and Genesis 29, and so forth. When you reach the last chapter of the last book in a list – start over again. Rotate all the way through all the Scriptures constantly.
Since the lists vary in length, the readings begin interweaving in constantly changing ways. You will NEVER read the same set of ten chapters together again! Every year you’ll read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OTwisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OTHistory and Prophetic books about 1 12 times. Since the interweaving is constantly changing, you will experience the Bible commenting on itself in constantly changing ways — the Reformer’s principle of ‘scriptura interpretans scripturam’ — ‘scripture interpreting scripture’IN ACTION!
After you’ve read any particular book once or twice, your speed in that book usually doubles or triples because you’re familiar with it and can move quickly and confidently — because you are no longer merely decoding the text but thinking it through in the context of all of the scripture!
Even an ‘average’ reader, if focusing on moving through the text, rather than trying to figure everything out, can usually do this in about an hour a day – 5-6 minutes per chapter. Many people report moving confidently through the ten chapters in 35-40 minutes. If it is taking you longer, then you are ‘reading wrong’ – stay relaxed, focus, and just keep it moving. Moderate but consistent speed is the key. This is “gross anatomy” — looking at the whole body; you’re not closely studying organs or systems or tissues or cells — it is not microbiology.BUT — microbiology and the study or organs makes more sense when you know what the whole structure of the human body is like, and how all the parts, large and small, relate in perfect interdependence.
After just a few days the reading gets much easier; in a month it will be a habit, and in six months you’ll wonder how you ever survived before on such a slim diet of the WORD. And then — you’ll tell others to start the system!
I began in 1983 as a new Christian and have now read (most of ) the Bible hundreds and hundreds of times. You also need to get ONEBible, keep it, and do all your reading in it, so you learn where everything is. I’ve had the same Bible since 1983 and I know it intimately. If you keep switching Bibles, you ‘lose’ this intimacy with the text. Find a translation and format you like and stick with it. THISIS CRUCIAL.
Your Bible is the only thing on Earth that, as you wear it out, will actually work better and better.
So maybe the 3650 challenge would be just the thing for you as well! I’ll post some links below that lead me to this particular plan.
Enjoy!
Resources for the 3650 challenge (from Challies.com, where I learned of the plan)
Death In His Grave – John Mark McMillan
We’ve been so crazy busy I’ve neglected to post here since we announced the new worship schedule!
In that time we moved into a new house (Amy and I), proceeded with the pregnancy and had Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Here’s one of my new favorite songs (courtesy of Relevant Magazine’s YouTube Channel):
New Worship Schedule at Aldersgate!
After almost a year of discussion and exploration, we’ve finally announced a change to our worship schedule at Aldersgate.
Recognizing that a 10:50 contemporary service that ran alongside the 11am traditional service, and an 8:30 service that had a fraction of the attendance of the 11am was not the best setup, we are moving to something new and different…
10am Traditional worship
and
12:30pm Contemporary worship
I, for one, am extremely excited about the possibilities for this new schedule. I think the traditional service time is somewhat unique and gives a chance for all traditional worshipers to come together in one group.
It also gives the contemporary worship a time of it’s own and the freedom to play around with the structure of the service as well.
Not to mention no more pastor switches in the middle of the service!
I’m really looking forward to this new schedule and hope other folks at the church are too!
New John Mayer!
Want more video-related excitement? Here’s a live video of a new John Mayer song:
And a quote from an interview with legenday keyboardist Chuck Leavell (hit the link to see Chuck’s website and a list of all the luminaries he’s played with.):
R&B: Well let’s talk a little bit about your music. You’ve worked from band to band, and now you’re working with John Mayer up in New York?
CL: Yes I have been working with John on-and-off since last December. I can tell you that it’s going to be an extraordinary album. Just wonderful, he’s one of the most talented people out there I think in the rock ‘n’ roll world and pop world. We have definitely finished all the basic tracks, John has moved the whole setup to L.A. now, and I believe it’s just John and Don Was — Don is co-producing.
The two of them are in L.A. now just to do final touches— John’s vocals, any other guitar overdubs he might want to do. I think market date is sometime in October for the release of the record. You might even see a single out before then I’m not sure, they’re still working on logistics right now.
I can just tell you that I am thrilled to be working with John. I will be touring with John starting late October and going through early December. And then we will continue to tour next year starting in January and going through part of March. And beyond that, it’s unclear exactly what his plans are, but I can tell you we will be working together at least through early March of next year and I really look forward to it.
cross-posted at Mattierocks.com
Book Review: A Meal With Jesus
Luke 7:34 – “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking…”
I just finished the book A Meal With Jesus by Tim Chester. The book revolves around the idea of how meals and food can be a reflection of our theology.
The book is broken down into 6 chapters focusing on different parts of the Gospel of Luke.
Chapter one is called “Meals as Enacted Grace.” This chapter focuses on how meals actually served as a way of dividing society. Invitations to meals and seating arrangements gave a clear picture of one’s station in society. The poor, the outsiders, the sinners were not invited to the table and cleanliness laws made it impossible for Jews to dine with Gentiles.
Jesus turned the whole concept upside down by eating with sinners like the tax collector Levi and ignoring the cleanliness laws. Jesus used meals to demonstrate grace with the people he invited to the table and the parables he shared with everyone.
Chapter two is “Meals as Enacted Community.” This chapter deals with how meals bring people together, and again Jesus welcomed sinners and as well sinners welcomed Jesus (even more than the “righteous” Pharisees). Meals are one of the more significant ways that we demonstrate hospitality.
Chapter three is “Meals as Enacted Hope.” The feeding of the 5,000 is in this chapter, demonstrating that Jesus once again used a meal to communicate a message. In this case, he used a miracle to provide hope to God’s people.
Chapter four is “Meals as Enacted Mission.” This is probably my favorite chapter. Through parable, Jesus says the poor, crippled, blind and lame will all be invited to His Father’s heavenly banquet. And so, we are to reach out to those folks in our world as well. But Chester goes farther in his analysis, pointing out that Jesus not only served, but actually ate with all these “outcasts”.
The author says “Think how different the dynamic is when we sit and eat with someone. We meet as equals. We share together. We affirm one another and enjoy one another.” This is very different from merely serving someone. As Chester says, “We think we’re enacting grace if we provide for the poor. But we’re only halfway there. We’ve missed the social dynamics.What we communicate is that we’re able and you’re unable.”
In a missional setting, meals provide the opportunity not just to serve, but to actually get to know the people you are reaching out to. It puts you on the same level. I’ll never look at these type of meals the same way again because of this book!
Chapters five and six are “Meals as Enacted Salvation and Promise.” Manna from Heaven, Passover and Communion figure prominently in these chapters.
This was a truly excellent book. It was very interesting to find a read focused on the theology of food. While I suppose it could be easy to drift into the silly or ridiculous, Tim Chester completely avoids this, providing Biblical lessons and providing us a new way to look at the meals we consume everyday.
Definitely recommend!
Another (affiliate) link to buy here.
