What a description of the Church…

“…They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:31‬ ‭MSG‬‬

I’ll take it!

What it Takes to Broadcast Live

This is the gold standard, obviously. The NFL on broadcast TV is the best of the best. But after designing and installing two new web broadcast systems this year, this makes me happy. What we did was so far from this, but so much of the “live” aspect is the same.

Best line: “Ultimately when it comes down to it everything that we’re trying to do is all about telling a story and giving the producers and directors the tools that they need to tell that story. We want to give the viewer the best experience graphically, visually, orally, audio, everything is all for the viewer.”

Now if I could just get my volunteer team members to think like this….

Proper Place

proper_place_blog_blankLife: Chaotic. Crazy. Tumultuous. Full. Disorganized. Thick.

In worship, though, things begin to take their place. They find their proper place. When I place Jesus first – at the head – then all the other parts of me and my life find the place they were looking for. They say a collective, “Ahhhh, that’s it.” My heart says, “That’s what I was looking for.”

Jesus: Peace. Clarity. Hope. Things are looking up. Finally.

 

Colossians 1:15-20

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

Photo by David Heinlein

Meeting Moments

Great moment in a creative meeting today.  We had much discussion about how to approach someone with an issue…different angles, multiple perspectives.  But then our senior pastor did something that should be normal.  It was so profound I got choked up.  He said, “let’s hold up on talking to them…let’s pray right now that God would show them what is right and appropriate.”

Awesome.

May that be the first thing I do.

Always.

I’m Telling You…They’re Out There

Subway

Today the subway was packed with people. That’s not unusual in the mornings, but today was extra tight. I noticed a woman standing next to me reading the Bible and it got me thinking about how many people I see reading Scripture on the train. Of course, everyone’s usually doing something – reading, writing, listening to music – but there’s often someone reading the Bible.

So often we hear about how the Church is compacting and leaders ask the question, “Where are all the believers?”  While this is not necessarily a bad question to ask, God’s been showing me that He has believers everywhere.  Even in the darkest places His people are there.  They are praying.  They are seeking Him. They are the ones bringing the favor of God upon those places.  They are leading people out of the darkness.

What I’ve started doing when I see these people on the train is just praying for them.  Praying that God would show them something so incredible, so wonderful in that moment.  It’s the only place to start for my new brother or sister I didn’t know existed just minutes before.

Jesus is building His Church in the Earth.  Let’s look for each other.  Let’s encourage each other — even if we don’t always agree.  He’s worthy of that and so much more.

May we be His Body:

And God placed all things under his (Christ’s) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. – Ephesians 1:22-23

This will be a light week on the blog as I’m preparing to lead worship at Shelter Rock Church this weekend and Olivia and I are answering the question, “To move or not to move…”

Little Bit of Life

I hope everybody’s ready for a great weekend…I am!  This has been a long week…

Just wanted to update everybody on what’s going on these days and ask you for your prayers.

If you follow our journey, you know that I have been seeking a new position as a worship leader at a church.  While I’ve been waiting on the Lord, I’ve had a temp job at the NFL.  It’s been such a blessing and a lot of fun, but it’s coming to an end sometime in November, so I’ve been asking the Lord what’s next.

I’ve interviewed with a church in Long Island and am going to lead worship at one of their campuses this Sunday.  In addition to the possibility of the position, I’m also just excited about leading worship in a corporate setting…it’s been awhile.

There are a couple of other possibilities if it’s not the right place, but I would appreciate your prayers!

Olivia and I are also trying to decide whether to move closer to Midtown.  It’s a long commute to her current job (in which she was just promoted!!) and, if I get the LI position, I would need to be closer to Penn Station for the train.

This obviously involves moving (which is always a big deal) and paying more in rent.  So we’re just laying it all before the Lord.

He knows what we need long before we need it.  He knew about these situations before the foundation of the world.

So, thanks for reading (and listening:) and thank you for praying.