The "Grand Pause" in the midst of this process honestly came form the fact that I wilted in front of the challenge. I had big dreams and desires, but I really didn't plan for the struggle within myself to complete the task. But, thanks be to God that he is faithful to me and to all of his children that when we fall he does not leave us.
Please understand that this a recommittal to the idea and the dream that I believe that God had this blog to be. So...stay tune folks!! There is more on the way!!
Ernest
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Who Are You and Why Are You Doing This Now?
Who Am I and Why Am I Doing This Now?
A wonderful pair of questions (I am glad you asked them). I am going to answer them out of order. I am doing this at the urging of God. In my quiet time, I have really felt that I needed to share some of the things that I learned about worship and worshiping. Many of which I was never taught although I believe many of the things that I am going to explore with this blog I deeply believe need to be much more explicitly explained. I am also doing this because I do not ever want to ever take for granted that which I have learned through leading and walking with Christ and others.
Who I am, is a young man who is a worshiper and has been blessed to lead in several arenas. But my qualifications are irrelevant (not unimportant, just irrelevant). Their irrelevance is because God does the calling and the promoting in His Kingdom [see 1st Peter 5:6-7]. He calls and qualifies us to positions and posts as He wills and because of that it is God that defines one's qualifications.
But, my faith story does birth my perspective on worship so here is the "Cliff Notes" Version: I accepted Christ at a young age in New Horizon Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Maryland. I was surrounded by a mother and aunts who were strong in the faith. I moved to North Carolina at 5 and joined a church with a powerful teacher/preacher (Rev. McLaughlin). I still consider him my spiritual father. I loved going to church and experiencing church, but the reasons why we worship were never made clear. As I grew up, music became an obvious love and passion. This was cultivated in my participation in a touring Boys Choir. While a member of this choir I had the opportunity to experience many different corporate worship styles (which augmented my Black Baptist roots). Those experiences expanded my view of worship. (I press pause here [mini-exegesis moment]: John 4:24--was a scripture used as a description of what our worship should look like...but never was fully explained. Jesus says to the woman at the well that, "God is a Spirit and those that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." But, here's an insight, Jesus is responding to the woman's question about worship being tied to location and Jesus gives a law of His Kingdom that worship will no longer be location-centric as under the law, but motive-centric. God is looking at our motives in worship and our willingness to make our worship completely about Him. More on that to come soon...) As I have grown older, God has opened many opportunities to lead and in that learn more about worship. I have been a church musician, worship leader, choir director, music minister, organist, choir member, and in every role and every place and season God has placed me He has been faithful to teach and humble me. That is what has brought me here.
A wonderful pair of questions (I am glad you asked them). I am going to answer them out of order. I am doing this at the urging of God. In my quiet time, I have really felt that I needed to share some of the things that I learned about worship and worshiping. Many of which I was never taught although I believe many of the things that I am going to explore with this blog I deeply believe need to be much more explicitly explained. I am also doing this because I do not ever want to ever take for granted that which I have learned through leading and walking with Christ and others.
Who I am, is a young man who is a worshiper and has been blessed to lead in several arenas. But my qualifications are irrelevant (not unimportant, just irrelevant). Their irrelevance is because God does the calling and the promoting in His Kingdom [see 1st Peter 5:6-7]. He calls and qualifies us to positions and posts as He wills and because of that it is God that defines one's qualifications.
But, my faith story does birth my perspective on worship so here is the "Cliff Notes" Version: I accepted Christ at a young age in New Horizon Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Maryland. I was surrounded by a mother and aunts who were strong in the faith. I moved to North Carolina at 5 and joined a church with a powerful teacher/preacher (Rev. McLaughlin). I still consider him my spiritual father. I loved going to church and experiencing church, but the reasons why we worship were never made clear. As I grew up, music became an obvious love and passion. This was cultivated in my participation in a touring Boys Choir. While a member of this choir I had the opportunity to experience many different corporate worship styles (which augmented my Black Baptist roots). Those experiences expanded my view of worship. (I press pause here [mini-exegesis moment]: John 4:24--was a scripture used as a description of what our worship should look like...but never was fully explained. Jesus says to the woman at the well that, "God is a Spirit and those that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." But, here's an insight, Jesus is responding to the woman's question about worship being tied to location and Jesus gives a law of His Kingdom that worship will no longer be location-centric as under the law, but motive-centric. God is looking at our motives in worship and our willingness to make our worship completely about Him. More on that to come soon...) As I have grown older, God has opened many opportunities to lead and in that learn more about worship. I have been a church musician, worship leader, choir director, music minister, organist, choir member, and in every role and every place and season God has placed me He has been faithful to teach and humble me. That is what has brought me here.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Beginnings
This the beginning of a blog that hopefully that will be the seeds of a book. I am writing to my younger brothers and sisters in Christ. God has laid this reality on my heart, "The seeds of every great revival was planted in truthful and passionate worship."
I have this heart because I have been in choirs, in musical leadership in church from a young age and I never was taught why we worship, why we are called to worship, what is worshipping in "spirit and in truth" and most of the integral things about worship. I have grown into believing that many people do not really know themselves. Thankfully, God has put me into many different situations and and given me many opportunities to find out what worship is and what it isn't. Now, I feel God has given me the heart to share what I have learned with as many as I can.
Let me make this clear, just because I am sharing what I have learned and what God has revealed doesn't mean that I am perfect or I have the comprehension of the entire spectrum of worship. Just as Paul says to the Church in Philippi, "Not that I have already obtained this (knowing Christ in the fulness of his sufferings and his resurrection) or am already perfect... (Phil. 3:12)" I am a young man with a God-given heart to teach other young people about worship and the God that calls us to worship him. I challenge you to take the journey with me. I write this with a great faith that revival is on the way and it will wash over young and old.
Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:23-24, "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is a spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth (ESV)." I believe that God is looking at the church and is waiting for us to find the reasons to worship freely and with passion. This is my heart to help my generation and younger to find those reasons.
I have this heart because I have been in choirs, in musical leadership in church from a young age and I never was taught why we worship, why we are called to worship, what is worshipping in "spirit and in truth" and most of the integral things about worship. I have grown into believing that many people do not really know themselves. Thankfully, God has put me into many different situations and and given me many opportunities to find out what worship is and what it isn't. Now, I feel God has given me the heart to share what I have learned with as many as I can.
Let me make this clear, just because I am sharing what I have learned and what God has revealed doesn't mean that I am perfect or I have the comprehension of the entire spectrum of worship. Just as Paul says to the Church in Philippi, "Not that I have already obtained this (knowing Christ in the fulness of his sufferings and his resurrection) or am already perfect... (Phil. 3:12)" I am a young man with a God-given heart to teach other young people about worship and the God that calls us to worship him. I challenge you to take the journey with me. I write this with a great faith that revival is on the way and it will wash over young and old.
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