JADDOG

I was in the pool today at lunch and completed a 1000 yard work out. It was a great time of reflection that I’d like to write about.

I’m discussing the book I’m reading, Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008), with a friend of mine. He sent me and email with his thoughts on the first few chapters a few days back and I had a chance last night to sit down and digest it. I enjoyed rereading this excerpt from chapter 2 which he brought attention to:

How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday morning. What do you enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What so I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most.

Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or to the gods we love and worship.

p26.

This makes me think of two area’s of my life I’ve been pursing in the past few months. One, I’ve been irregularly meeting with a groomsman of mine where we’ve been challenging one another to pursue growing in Christ. We’re holding one another accountable to the goals we’ve set for ourselves. I’ve set goals to read the bible and Christian books at least every other day and to serve my wife selflessly. Two, I’ve committed to a 100km bike race in February and planning to sign up for a sprint triathlon in April. Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Between Paul and Kauflin I’m encouraged by conviction. I’m encouraged that I can see my goals in both biblical training and athletic training. I’m convicted that I often day dream about the athletics more than the sacrifice our Saviour made. I’ll end with another quote from Kauflin that I love. He asserts this in the context of leading a body of believers in song to worship our King.

If our doctrine is accurate but our hearts are cold towards God himself, our corporate worship will be true but lifeless. Or if we express our fervent love for God but present vague, inaccurate, or incomplete ideas of Him to those we’re leading, our worship will be emotional but misleading — and possibly idolatrous. Neither option brings glory to God.

My Prayer for myself and every worship leader is that we’ll become as familiar with the Word of Truth as we are with our instruments. Hopefully even more so. If we do, there’s a strong possibility people are going to walk away from our meetings more amazed by our God than by our music.

And that will be a very good thing.

p32.

I think Kauflin has it right here. Further I believe you can replace the role of a music leader with any role, formal leadership or not. We have to be pursuing God’s truth and refining our understanding of His word and we have to be living His truth in our daily lives. If I replace the leadership role he’s discussing with my triathlon training I have two outcomes of every day. I can consume myself with athletic training and try and find time to pursue God. Or I can consume myself with pursuing God and ask for my athletic training to bring Him glory.

I pray the later would be my mindset.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 11:38 pm and is filed under Depending on Grace.