Draw from the Well

Non-Traditional Christmas Songs

Sometimes I go for the non-traditional. Last year I shared my first list of favorite non-traditional Christmas songs here.

Here are the songs I've added to the list this year:

Future of Forestry – The Earth Stood Still
Phil Wickham – Evermore
Laura Stockton – Alleluia
Chris Tomlin – Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)
Brandon Heath – The Night Before Christmas
Francesca Battistelli – You're Here

What's your favorite non-traditional Christmas song?

Are You Expecting?

I love the Advent season. I love the anticipation and the countdown. I can't remember a time when our family didn't have an Advent calendar. Of course, as a child I was more focused on getting to the day when we got to open presents.

As an adult, the expectation of the incarnation is amazing to me. Infinite God wrapped in mortal flesh - an all-powerful Lord who chose to be a limited infant. I love trying to wrap my mind around the love motivation which is so fundamental to our faith.

I'm excited to celebrate Advent this year with my small group. I'm digging a little deeper to understand the tradition and liturgy behind the Advent traditions to make sure I get it right!

The Christian season of Advent is a time of preparation and expectation culminating in celebration. This time reminds us of the coming of the Messiah in the incarnation of Jesus, of the implications of the incarnation in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (a baby born to die!), and of the promise of the second coming when the King will return to to reign and rule.

There are many variations within traditions, but here are some constants: there should be a circle/wreath (which represents God, His eternity and endless mercy); four candles (traditionally 3 purple, 1 pink, - these remind us that Jesus is the light of the world who came into the darkness to bring us hope); a center white candle (which is called the "Christ" candle and lit on Christmas eve or Christmas).

There is no consensus on the meaning of the candles which are lit each of the Sundays before Christmas. Some people suggest that they stand for Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. Others see them representing the various characters found in the Christmas story: Patriarchs, Prophets, Joseph, Mary or Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels. Regardless, the candles are used to remind us of the story which leads to the birth of Christ. Many people use Advent as a way to keep Christ in Christmas as the season can be filled with lots of competition for our affections!

This year I will post the devo I do with my small group. Of course, this will be after the fact, but I hope it might inspire your own advent reflections!

A Real Family Serice

We realized we made a mistake. It was our Children's Pastor, Molly, who pointed it out: our normal “family” service wasn't really a service for families – that term had just become code for the absence of Children's ministry that week.

We meant well, but we really hadn't thought it through.

Children have different needs than adults; they get the message in a different way than adults. It was time to put our money where our mouth is...you see, families are important to us. We want families who attend Living Water to worship together; we want to model following Christ to every generation. And we want people in different generations to “play nicely together.”

Here are some of the intentional things we did to make our Thanksgiving service a “real” family service:

• We integrated youth in as many roles as we could. Students participated on the worship team, as greeters, as ushers, and in serving communion. Students were partnered with adults to limit the pressure placed on them, but also to model generational partnership.
• We provided “kid friendly” activities for the youngsters – the bulletin cover was a coloring page and we passed out crayons and we gave one kid a prize (which tied into an upcoming message series!)
• We kept the service short and the elements in the service short as well. The message was broken into 5 – 7 minute chunks and interspersed with a drama to make in more understandable.
• We played worship songs that kids knew and verbally encouraged them to enthusiastically participate!
• We had a special video which featured kids.
• We encouraged families to take communion together.

Kids in the service do bring a different dynamic; there was a different energy in our services. Yet I watched at the end of service and found that the children were the most responsive to the message. That's a good reminder.

Jesus told his disciple's not to hinder the little children from coming to Him. It is good for us to be stretched and flexible as we continue to figure out what it means to help families become solid.

What were your thoughts about our family service?

Is Sunday Service a First Down or Touch Down?

How do you view your weekend service attendance? Is it the beginning or the ending of your weekly spiritual experience? First down or touch down?

Week after week I interact with many people who come to a weekend church service, some regularly, some periodically, some infrequently. I stand in the back, observing and watching people as they engage (or not) in worship, take notes (or nap) during the message, and linger (or dash off) at the end of service. And I wonder what their “theology” is for weekend service attendance.

For the record – I'm “pro” weekend service attendance. I think it's a good thing.

There is an amazing collective power when worshiping with hundreds of like-minded believers. I love the unity of hearing a single message repeated across five services (plus on-line) and knowing that, when I meet a fellow LW attendee in the grocery store, I can ask them what they gleaned from the message. Time and again, I've seen some hurting person ministered to during the end-of-service ministry time. Scores of believers use their gifts and talents to pull off amazing times of ministry to children and adults. And I delight to see new relationships and friendships formed because people discover one another attending the same service.

Yet lately I've been thinking beyond Sunday. Why? Because if attending (regularly) a weekend service is the height of your spiritual experience, you are missing out on a lot.

For all the things you CAN do during a weekend worship service, there are some vital things you CAN'T do during these same services.

• You can't talk back during the pastor's message. (Try it and see what happens!)
• You can't hit repeat and play that moving worship song over and over again.
• You only get to hear someone's thoughts on the meaning of God's Word as opposed to generating your own thoughts on the meaning of God's Word.
• You can't get to know a new person in a deep personal way (unless you take them out for lunch week after week!)
• Not everyone gets to serve and use their gifts.
• Your ability to grow in your spiritual gifts and supernatural power is limited by service length and focus.

Finally, if you view your weekend service attendance as the pinnacle of your spiritual experience you are missing it in the same way that confusing a first down with a touch down is dangerous and foolish.

Don't get me wrong – first downs are a good thing. They are great goals and should be celebrated. But first downs help a team to get touch downs, which help a team win the game. If you stop at just a first down, your team likely won't win.

What else do you need?

• A daily dose of God's Word and personal worship.
• A regular small group of people who know you on a deeper personal level.
• Extended worship times (beyond 15 minutes!)
• An outlet to grow and use your gifts in ministry to others.
• Deep personal ministry times (like the stuff which happens at conferences!)
• A mission field where you shine as a light in the darkness.

I'm certain we could keep adding to the list more items and opportunities which build our faith...the point is, see how much more there is...beyond Sunday.

Certainly, don't feel bad if you've only made it to a first down...that's where it begins! But don't get satisfied with staying there.

What's the next step for you? If weekend service attendance is the beginning of your spiritual experience, where to you go next to take things beyond Sunday?

Friday Links 8/12/2011*

*Sorry these didn't post on Friday!

These are just plain cool: Gravity Glue.

I want to make one of these: Cardboard Shelf

I love body hacks - here's 18 of them.

 

Life Isn't Fair

Let’s face it – life isn’t fair.

If you expect life to be fair, you’ve got a lot of disillusion to deal with.

(I could talk about the fact that our perception of what “fair” means is totally skewed, but that’s another blog post.)

What do you do when you feel that life isn’t being fair?  Here are three practical things you can do:

1)      Stop looking at other people and comparing your situation with theirs.

Often we feel that life isn’t fair when someone gets something and we don’t, i.e., someone else gets a raise and we don’t, someone else gets a boyfriend and we don’t.  Our concept of “fair” is being based on the blessings which others are receiving and what we aren’t getting.  Dangerous ground!  Comparisons rarely help to improve our situation, instead fostering bitterness, jealousy, and envy.  Stop looking at those around us.

2)      Be grateful for what you actually do have.

A thankful heart is the first casualty of the pitiful attitude of “life isn’t fair!”  We long for what we don’t have and totally miss what we do have.  If you find yourself focused on what doesn’t seem fair - refocus on what you are grateful for.  This will change your trajectory and attitude.  And you just might realize that your life is better than you really thought it was!

3)       Trust God.

If Jesus is truly the Lord of your life, if you’ve entrusted yourself into His care (which every Christian has!) you need to believe that He’s got your back.  You may not understand your present circumstance, yet you must believe that He does.  Why?  Because He repeatedly promises us in His word that He cares for us (remember the sparrows and the flowers?)  His time table may not be ours.  His solution may not be our solution.  Yet when we believe that God has our best at the center of His heart and will (and He does) our “trials” and "difficulties" are easier to handle, even when we honestly admit that we don’t “love” going through them.

 

Focus on What's Important

Noticed today that the Gospel of John gives tenchapters to the events and details of the last week of Jesus' life and beyond. (chapters 12 - 21)

The Gospel of Matthew gives three (chapters 26 - 28.)

The Gospel of Mark gives three (chapters 14 - 16.)

The Gospel of Luke gives six (chapters 19 - 24.)

That says something to me about what John thought was important. Out of three years of ministry, the last week gets a lot of press.

I'm really grateful for that last week and so glad that John covers it in detail!

WE Series - My "Real" Recommendations

You know how when you complete something yet you have that nagging feeling it's not done? That how I felt about the recommendations for Pastor Jon's recent WE message - "WE Are Beautfifully Connected to BUILD."

If you didn't get to hear the message on the weekend, go here first.  It's a great message - you have to hear it.

You can check out our resource page here.  We want to give you some resources to help you process and digest all that you heard on the weekend.  After all, faith only built by what ou heard on Sunday, but also what you live out on Monday! 

However, after looking at my bookshelf, I came up with more books I wish I had added to the resource list.

I also organized it for levels of difficulty of reading and concept:

            Basic - quick, easy reads, often devotional
            Intermediate - longer, a little deeper, likely more theological
            Advanced - deep language and concept, probably considered a "classic"

 If you only have time for one:

Basic - The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren
Intermediate - Chrisitan Basicsby John Stott
Advanced - A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life by William Law

Basic Resources------

The Divine Mentorby Wayne Cordero
The Fight by John White (The Race is also good too!)
The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge
Rebuilding the Real You by Jack Hayford
Emotionally Healthy Spiritualityby Peter Scazzero

Intermediate Resources -------

Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
Christian Basics: An Invitation to Discipleship by John Stott (similar to Basic Christianity.)

Advanced Resources-------

A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life by William Law
The imitation of Christ by Thomas a' Kempis 
The Spiritual Lifeby A. Taquerey
A Normal Chrisitan Life by Watchman Nee

Friday Links 8/5/2011

• Have you heard of Grouptune? One weekly deal of Christian tunes. I like it!
• New music I'm digging these days: The Civil Wars, Hillsong's Aftermath, and Jeremy Riddle!
• Learn to love the Taste of Water. Hmmm. But Diet Coke is so tasty!
• This is cool: Matchbox Car City - Metropolis II
• Holy cow - this will knock your socks off:  Visualization of the US Debt!

Aim Small, Miss Small

So often we set out with a dream, a goal, a desire but we fail.

Why?

I believe it's because although we had a real dream, goal, or desire, we left them vague.

The principle of "aim small, miss small" means that you have a very clear, defined goal...so much so that even if you miss, you are still going to hit near what you are aiming for.

For example, what if you have the goal of just losing weight?

That's vague.

A little better would be, I want to lose 10 pounds.

More specific, more focus, yet still missing the "how" implement.

Even better would be "I want to lose 10 pounds by only eating 1500 calories per day"(or whatever level would produce weight loss!)

That's very concrete.  Even if you missed your goal, and ate 1700 calories, you are still doing better than the unchecked amount most people eat each day (2500+ calories.)

In business and personal growth circles many people adopt SMART goals.

A SMART goal is a goal that is

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Smart goals are a great example of "aim small, miss small".

I can't operate without goals...I find that I become overwhelmed and terribly inefficient.

Big projects became much easier when I break them down into manageable tasks.

For example, I have a large, wild lawn that's I've been taming.  It would be overwhelming if my goal was to "make my yard beautiful."

Ultimately this is my goal, but that large, vague goal doesn't motivate me.

So I've broken my yard into smaller, manageable goals that help me get to my ultimate desired end. (You can read more about that here.)

Even though I don't finish the whole goal, each project I complete is one step closer.

Where in your life do you need to "aim small, miss small"?
Where have you felt frustrated by lack of progress toward a goal?