Wait for the Lord

Omgoodness, patience is not one of the *easier* fruit of the Spirit for this girl. Just today I was worrying about something (well, for a few days now) and as I was jogging (8kms today – woot! woot!) I was *gently* reminded that it wasn’t mine to carry. God is constantly re-reminding me to trust Him; He’s good for it. He delivers. BUT… why can’t I just remember that in the first place?? He’s faithful – check. He’s good – check. Relax – check.

Freewill Offerings 2.0

Just reading the Bible this morning and I noticed a theme so I thought I would share. In my on-going study on worship it is my desire to worship God ‘biblically’. As a worship leader it is definitely a hope of mine to lead people in Christ-centred, Biblical worship. Not my own thoughts, but God’s. Not my ideas, but God’s.

As worshipers we probably all struggle from time-to-time to know what *exactly* worship looks like every day, and as leaders, worship teams, etc. we should know what the Bible is saying. We should know what God is saying. I guess if we want to know what worship looks like, the Bible is the best place to start, because it’s full of worship. God-worship.

Let’s look at this together. Based on Psalm 119:108, Psalm 54:6-7, Psalm 56:12-13 and Psalm 66:13-15 (definitely pull your Bible out and have a look at those verses), here is in-part what our worship should include. Or another way of saying that would be, here is what our worship services should look and sound like; as worshipers, this is what our times of worship should be full of; Our songs, our hearts, the words out of our mouths should have this purpose:

1. Looking forward to continued enjoyment of God’s presence
2. Celebrating God’s goodness
3. Confidence that if “God is for us – it is as good as done”
4. Celebrating God’s answer to prayer
5. Coming to God in time(s) of need
6. Personal consecration
7. Gratitude to God for freely-given kindness

The Bible talks about Freewill offerings in this way. I guess I had never grasped the whole “freewill offering” in light of worship today. But our worship to God is exactly that – it’s the response to our revelation of who God is and what He has done – our salvation and our freedom because of the gift of the cross – and how everything else we are and have is because of God’s grace. A freewill offering is an overflow of our personal relationship with our Savior, God. We have freely received, so we freely give. Doesn’t it make sense that God would want our offerings (or our worship) to be freewill? Of our free-will we draw closer to Him, we get to know Him, we love Him – it’s an act of our *free* will? These are not the ‘expected’ offerings. These are not ‘obligation-offerings’. They are freewill. They are brought freely and willingly.

Now this is much larger than a ‘musical’ experience/expression, but as a worship leader I definitely want to know what our times of worship as a congregation should include. The above list is based on those verses above. I totally encourage you to add to that list. As God-fearing people we should all take responsibility to know what God’s Word has to say and respond as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

Don’t take my word for it – find out for yourself.

♥erin

PS – you know what else God wants of our free-will? Our lives, our purity, our pursuit of holiness and righteouness? Check out Rom 12. Move on from the music and check out what our spiritual acts of worship are too.
xo

baby. steps.

I’ve recently started running. I started earlier this year but I’ve been increasing more and more. Adding a few more laps every couple of weeks. My goal was being able to run 5K without stopping and I’m [now] doing that several times each week. Some weeks I only do 15K but my [new] goal each week is 25K. Now to all you runners out there, I know that’s not much but I don’t love, love, love running so it’s a big feat for me.

My sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with MS. I have an aunt who has had MS since I was in high-school and all around me I see beautiful, healthy people falling victim to disease that holds them captive. As much as I would rather meet my girlfriends for tea and sit around and chat, I feel like I need to be getting out there and using the legs that I have, that are still healthy, to move and live. [I'm stilling having tea with the gals, but I've just added something else - often running with my friends and then having tea!]

Each step I take I often feel like I’m taking each one for those in my life who can’t do it for themselves. My family members and others that I know can’t jog anymore. So if I can, why wouldn’t I?

In my ‘thank-you’ series that I began last month, I have been increasingly thankful for my health and in my thankfulness, I am responding by using the body and the life that God has given me. Using it for good, not to harm others as well as using what I do have, not just wasting it away.

I know my running isn’t going to change the world, or save any lives, but in a small way I feel like I’m becoming more and more aware of those around me and appreciating what I do have and living a little more the way I should.

Today I’m thankful for my health. That although I’ve wasted a lot of my time, days and life over the years, God still continues to entrust me with more. I will strive to be more faithful with what I have been given. This is a part of my [daily] worship to God.

…baby steps indeed.
♥er

Call. Worship. How?

Ok, well the verses that follow those at the end of Romans 11 come in … you guessed it, Romans 12, which seem to fall perfectly in line with what I wrote about from Romans 11:33-36. Listen to this:

[Romans 12:1-2] 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. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Isn’t that perfect. Romans 11 sets it up. Bringing this revelation about the sovereignty of God and His power – basically reminding us how praise-worthy He his and how deserving He is of worship. And then in Romans 12 we find out how we do that. How do we answer that call?

Romans 12 tells us that our lives are our offering of worship. Every detail of everyday can be lived out for God. It’s not that complicated. Worship isn’t some stressful, perfected activity that we aspire to offer to God for an hour each Sunday morning at best – no, God wants our hearts. Our lives lived for Him, so that He can be glorified in all we do.

In the words of David from Psalms 40:8 – which is the confession of all worshipers…
“I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”

Let’s answer the call….
♥er

Call.

I was reading through the book of Romans last week and I read something that I have probably read a hundred times before but this time when I read it I saw it as a call to worship.

Romans 11:33-36; Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.

Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell Him what to do? Anyone who has done Him such a huge favor that God has to ask His advice?

Everything comes from Him; Everything happens through Him; Everything ends up in Him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Thank.You

I’m thankful today for the process God allows in us for change. I have discovered that when you want to be a different person, when you see your sin and authentically want God to change you from the inside-out, He does it!

I’m thankful that although I’ve spent most of my life the way I am, as I seek God and He shines His light on me, and as I’m made aware of my sin and darkness, I can change. He is changing me. Old thought patterns and habits are change-able because of Jesus. The coolest thing is that I’m seeing things that I don’t like – which before I never would have seen or acknowledged, but as I see them, I confess them and the more this happens, the more that default-thinking and default-acting is changing. I am not the same person I was even last year. Not to mention the year before that, or the year before that…. you get the idea….

I have a million miles to go, but today I’m just thankful that I don’t have to be the same as I was. I don’t have to accept old habits as ‘normal’ or acceptable. I don’t have to put up with the same old thing.

Thank-you God that I have a new start everyday and You are faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. Because of that I am becoming a better friend, a way better mom and a much better wife… and that’s just the beginning, cuz my relationship with God is changing too. I’m getting to know Him based not on what I have done or am doing (performance), but based on what He had done and who He is… when I see myself thru Him, I look a lot better. Thanks God…

That’s what I’m thankful for, today.
xo

Oh You Bring – Hillsong United

One of my favs from the new Hillsong United CD, Across the Earth – Tear down the Walls. Sorry nothing to watch here, but the song is great. It’s just a song of worship that expresses the power of God in our lives and our simple response to our very beautiful, powerful, Almighty yet so gracious, God. You’ll love it! ♥

worship + justice

thank.You

Cliff has been inadvertently teaching me about thankfulness. Everyday his thankfulness abounds. Whatever we are talking about always comes with an attitude of gratefulness. It’s amazing.

Oh, I’m a thankful person. I’m full of gratitude, except there’s always a stipulation. “This is great, but….”, or “Wow, that’s wonderful, but just…”, you know? It’s just not quite good enough.

my dreams

I was out with some girlfriends last night and I just happened to mention how as a girl I never really dreamt of the whole wedding thing. I never thought about getting married until it happened. I never really thought about having kids until it happened.

I can honestly tell you today that I am married to the absolutely most perfect man for me. And my kids, well don’t get me started. Perfection on two legs, both of them… but my childhood was filled with other dreams. While most girls had visions of white dresses and changing diapers, I was fantasizing about something all-together different.