I Miss My Friend

Today I stood in the hospital room of a friend recovering from triple bypass surgery. He had a heart attack last week. He was on a ventilator and under anesthesia for almost a week following, and continuous dialysis for a day or two, since his kidneys had shut down due to lack of oxygen in the blood.

We spoke about his plans to be released in a day or two, continue dialysis at a local hospital and do his video editing work from home.

We laughed as he poked fun at the "food" (his words) and the super strict diet they had him on, since he is also diabetic. he spoke the words "Mrs. Dash" with contempt, and spoke of a local spice blend he preferred, but could not have.

We prayed together- Russ, Donna, Pastor Charles, and myself- thanking God for His obvious care and provision. I hugged him, told him I loved him, and off we went, so he could get ready for dialysis.

Less than two hours later I was told he had thrown a blood clot in dialysis and had passed away.

...

I miss my friend.

I will miss the look on his face as he praised his God.

I will miss the joy he showed as he sang with his wife and daughter.

I will miss that look he gave when he thought I was full of crap, and then laugh.

I miss Russ.

...

But Russ knows that, doesn't he? Even now he's with his Jesus, singing and praising in a way he NEVER experienced on earth. I can actually visualize him, a pure, white robe, standing in the choir, singing for his King. (He wore robes for Christmas and Easter program. He was a very convincing Jesus, Joseph, or Peter.)

I want to stand by Russ one day.

Thank you, God for the time I had with your son, Russ. Thank you for his heart for worship, and his head for sound. Enjoy my friend- I know I'll see him again.

New Song for Worship: O Great Love

So I heard this the other say for the first time and am impressed not only by the Spirit in the music but by the versatility and singability of the song. I am excited to teach this to our church.



You can download the chord chart (PDF) here:

O Great Love Chord Chart (Ab)


In the Potter's Hand,
JW

To Lead or to Entertain...

A friend told me something today after worship that has rocked me to my core. I asked about the feel of music today and expressed how I felt a lack of response. His reply was something to the effect of, "Maybe it's you're too good. I think people just want to watch you perform rather than sing and block you out."

...

I don't know what to say. I have worked hard to bring the level of musicianship up and offer a more excellent gift. I practice and use different instruments to add flavor and texture to the music. All of this is in an effort to include people and ultimately offer a chance to encounter God. So now I have to dumb it down; make it more accessible to the masses?

O God, show me Your truth. Lead me to where You are in this.

Any suggestions?

"...in Spirit and Truth."

Worship is a funny thing; not "LOL" funny, but "Hmmm..." funny. So many times we go to what we call "Sunday Morning Worship;" we have "worship" services; we sing "worship" songs; the list goes on and on. We use the word "worship" almost like we use the word "love." Have we lost the meaning of the word?

Jesus said, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24, NIV) So what does this mean and how does it apply to real life today?

First, we must worship God in spirit. Our spirit is that part of us that communes with God's Spirit as it works within us; not our mind, not even our heart. This is not about feelings, this is about deep communication with the Spirit of God. And yet, true worship can not only change the way we feel, true worship can work in spite of the way we feel; as long as we are willing to seek God in our spirit.

Secondly, we worship God in truth. Remember that truth is not subjective. We must always be sure that our worship of God is in accordance with the Word of God. Everything we say, do, sing and pray must pass the test of scripture. It can be as simple as, "Am I saying this in Love, or out of spite?" or "Does this song reflect a biblical truth or is it just something that I want to say?" I used to tell our Youth group in West Virginia all the time, "Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus." So by this definition, true worship must follow the example of Jesus. How did He worship? He met with God at least daily, He learned His scripture, He treated others with Grace, He loved others and had compassion on the needy and oppressed, the list goes on. But these are the kind of questions we must ask ourselves as we try to worship God.

The good news is this: while we will never get it exactly right here on earth, a day is coming when everything will be as it was meant to be from the beginning. In the mean time, when we set our hearts on the pursuit of "spirit and truth," God will honor the sacrifice made in His Name. God knows the difference between a Son or Daughter truly seeking Him as He desires, and someone going through the motions in order to fill a perceived obligation... and maybe that's 'nuf said.

JonWesley

Sunday Setlist/Worship Confessional

This setlist is part of the Setlist Carnival at http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-109/. Visit for more.

Sunday Morning, August 22, 2010

This week was a little disjointed as it pertains to a theme. I have been "theme-ing" worship for several weeks, but this week really felt some particular songs were in order. So while I had one person (my wife) actually point out the lack of association, many people were touched by the various songs, which is the greater picture as we seek to lead them to the throne.

This week:
• He Reigns (Furler)
• Love The Lord (Brewster)
• Jesus Shall Reign
• All That I Am (Fellowship Church)

The song "All That I Am" can be found on the CD "Sons And Daughters" by Fellowship Church, and is available on iTunes.

Planned Sunday Worship Music

These are the songs scheduled for this week's Worship.