3 Questions Regarding Stewardship

If you missed worship this past Sunday, then you missed a short offering regarding stewardship with Tim Lowke. Below is a summary:

When Lindsay asked me to speak for a few minutes this morning, she posed three questions for me to answer and think about. At first, I thought this might be difficult, but as I mulled over the questions, I found that they were actually quite simply for me to verbalize. She asked:

Why do you love Good News?
This is going to be the answer that may puzzle both Lindsay and Bob and may cause them pause before they request me to do something like this again ----- I love Good News for many of the things that it isn’t. We aren’t a typical Methodist church. We don’t have a long history to bog us down. Don’t get me wrong, church rich in history can be fascinating places to worship, but many times they can be difficult places to do ministry. Good News isn’t a church that is stuck in its past ways --- we don’t say that we have always done it this way and so this is the only way in which to do it --- we are still flexible and willing to adjust and change. I see that as a strong part of our DNA as a congregation. For Lorna and I, this means that true ministry happens. We are not just concerned about ourselves, but we are concerned about our community. This hasn’t always been easy for us as a congregation, but what I see is a church, a congregation that is defining and redefining itself and is continually growing as a whole it its faith journey. We aren’t a church with all the answers. We don’t always make the right decision. We aren’t afraid to go out on a limb and try something new. I do think that we are all trying to serve in a way that examines and exemplifies that as a congregation we are trying to serve as the hands and feet of Christ on this earth for children, youth and families of this community.

Why do you think it is important to give back to God?
As I have grown in my faith, I have come to the realization that church and God is not what I take, but what I am able to give. Through that statement, what I mean is that I choose to give my prayers, my presence, my time, my energy, our money and my witness freely because I have learned through that joyful giving, not only am I touching lives of those both inside my family, but also those in our congregation and larger community, thus sharing the love that Christ and his father has for all of us.

What is your prayer for the future of Good News?
My prayer for Good News is that we continually move forward in ministry to the community and that we continue to focus outward and not inward. While like everyone else, I would like to see us move towards a building and a permanent home, my main reason for that move is not to make my life easier so I don’t have to set-up chairs on the second Sunday of the month, but because by having a permanent home, it would allow us to do even more ministry to the community, to the children, youth and families of our area. My prayer for Good News is that we continue to be that place that doesn’t look like the typical church --- we continue to be nimble and unafraid of change and challenge ---- we continue to be a place that needs people --- really needs them and challenges all of us to be a bit uncomfortable and moves each of forward in our faith journey to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Pray with me......
Dear God,
Challenge each of us to answer the tough questions about why we are here in this place and at this time. Help us to realize that we possess, we have because of your grace and glory.
In his name, Amen

Rethinking Music

Sometimes music tends to define what kind of church we are – traditional, contemporary, praise and worship, blended, etc. It tends to be the dominate ingredient in what we do on Sunday morning. But to really rethink church means to rethink the role music has in our worship service. Darlene Zschech is a worship leader, speaker, acclaimed singer, and songwriter from Hillsong Church in Australia. In fact, one of Good News’ favorite songs, Shout to the Lord, was written by her. She is one of the leaders in what many call the praise and worship music movement. Last week, I stumbled upon an article she wrote for the September issue of Worship Leader Magazine and I wanted to share some of it with you.

I will never forget a few years ago, when I was sitting in a lecture style environment listening and gleaning from a wonderful godly leader as he taught and poured out his heart on the “how to” of worship. There was a great deal of practical and necessary advice, but perhaps what was missing from the discussion was the “why” of worship. And as many of us in the room were fairly new in our roles of overseeing and teaching teams on worship, we were hungry for theology, hungry for revelation, and desperate to know God’s voice in the midst of it all. Towards the end of the lecture, the question was asked, “What about Jesus?” The room went uncomfortably quiet, and the lecturer gave a little laugh and simply said, “Well of course, it’s about Jesus.” We left the room feeling awkward, and confused about where Jesus fits in our worship.
When I looked back over that moment, I realize that somehow we had lost Jesus in the middle of our quest to make things sound good and look good.

Music, like all things in our worship, should be done the very best we can, but if it’s not done for Jesus for the glory of God it’s just another distraction keeping us from encountering the risen Christ. The kind of music we sing at Good News does not define us. Instead, let us be defined by who we sing for.