A Worshipful Heart

Dancing for Joy

I wanted to share with you a moment that was one of the highlights of the Worship Conference for me. This was a completely unscripted and unplanned moment of pure joy. 

When we arrived our team opened with a set of worship, but with six or seven language groups represented we knew it would be best to have them lead worship in languages they were more at home in. So Peter (I'll introduce you to him soon) worked with different language groups to set this up. 

One of these groups was a group of Pastors from the Orissa region of India. This is an area of India where Christians face persecution and where churches have been burned recently. Pastors there live in fear of retribution, beatings and arrests. Yet when they worshiped, they did so with great joy. 

I started out just trying to get a little video of them singing, so you could hear their language and musical style. I then turned the camera off. Just a few seconds later worship really broke out and I turned the camera back on. 

So whatever you do, watch both videos. The second one is where the memory was made. And enjoy these men from the Orissa region expressing their joy in belonging to Christ in a way that is very natural for them. I asked them if they dance at other times and they said "only for the Lord!". When I asked them what the words were they said the song was about the fact that "Jesus died for me, now I am saved and am His." 

A reason indeed to dance for joy! BTW, the white guy dancing with them is Joseph, a pastor on our ministry team. 

Just Singing a Song from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

Dancing for Joy from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

Challenged to More Faith

 This past Sunday is one that will forever stand out in my memory. I don't think I will ever forget what God taught me about worship that day as I worshiped with the poorest of the poor.

We went with our friend, Dilip Dutt, to two slum churches. They were both very small churches, filled with people who make maybe $1 a day if they are fortunate enough to have a job. In both churches people sat on the floor, old and young alike. In this church, pictured to the left, people filled the small space - maybe 10x15, spilled out into the street and even listened through the windows. 

Most of us would consider this such an uncomfortable way to worship. We might would decide to stay home from church if we knew we would not have a chair to sit on, or if we knew it would be very hot. We certainly would be a bit impatient at the thought of enduring a two hour church service in those conditions. 

Yet these sweet people sang with all their hearts, with tears running down their faces as we worshiped. No instruments except a few third or fourth hand percussion instruments. No fancy songs. Just a sheer desperation for God and a passionate gratitude that though they once were lost, now they are found. As soon as the song started they would sing loudly and with great zeal and concentration, giving their all to the Lord in that moment.

Many of these people used to be Hindu. Their families still are. They go home and face beatings for going to church. One woman lives with five children under a tarp all year long. Her husband is dead and she was burned over a large portion of her body. But she lived to praise God. One old woman was now a beggar with no one to support her, but her broken toothed smile shone with joy in Christ. And as they sang, their Hindu and Muslim neighbors listened through the window, watching to see what all the noise was about. 

We would never think that there was anything to envy about these people. Yet they challenged me to have more faith. These 30 or so people, all of whom make little money, don't let their numbers or their income stop them from giving to the work of the Kingdom of God. This little itty bitty church supports a pastor in the Himalayas at $50 a month. They do not let their circumstances stop them from obeying God and they faithfully give their first fruits each week. 

While we were worshiping I noticed people putting jars of rice at the altar. I asked Dilip what they were doing and he said "Many of these people have no money, so they tithe from their rice." There were little jars of rice all over the place and at the end of the service a woman came and collected the rice. He shared that they would use the rice to help feed someone more fortunate than themselves. 

If you saw how they lived, you would doubt there are many in the world less fortunate. And you would be amazed that they are not so bogged down in their own need and that they could still have compassion on others. 

As we prayed over many of them, sang together and read the Word with one another - in several different languages I might add - I felt such a deep sense of the presence of God. And at the end of the service they shared that they wanted to pray for us. The pastor asked if we had prayer requests. Everyone else politely said they did not. Who could ask for prayer in light of such extreme need? Our requests would surely seem trivial. But I felt God prompt me to ask them to pray for me as I go to Africa. 

What followed was a moment I will never forget. This little congregation raised their hands towards me, lifted their voices to heaven and truly cried out to God on my behalf. This was no polite praying, but a true beseeching of God. They prayed long and they prayed loud. As I stood there with my hands raised in worship, with a train robber - turned - preacher praying over me, surrounded by the sweet cacophony of many voices in many languages I felt tears slide down my face. It was a humbling moment. In that moment there was no American and Indian, no white, brown or black skin, no "haves and have nots", no men and women. We were quite simply the Body of Christ. Fully present with one another, lifting one another to Lord God Almighty, who is the only hope for ALL of us, rich or poor. 

I wrote in my journal these words, "I felt closer to God in a small room with the poorest of the poor than I ever have in a big church with all of our needs met. We were fully present in that moment with God and one another in a way I have not felt for some time. No one was "watching" church happen, we were "being" the church together, ministering to one another, with one another. We gave God and one another our full attention. It was a holy moment."

Praying for you all a truly holy moment this Sunday.......

 

 

Our Greatest Enemy

I've just returned from India where God wrecked my heart in a major way. I pray I never get over the people I met in India.  

The Christians there have a strong faith, an unshakable belief that "To live is Christ, to die is gain." They have to. Many of them are turned out of their homes when they become a Christian. Many are persecuted for their faith. Churches may be burned by militant Hindus. Christians may be beaten in the streets and even in their own homes. They have truly counted the cost of following Christ. 

As I spent time among them I was reminded of the Beattitudes Jesus shared in the Sermon on the Mount. The very first verse in this section of Matthew 5 says "God blesses those who recognize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them." That convicts me. How often do I truly recognize my need for God?

As I worshipped with my brothers and sisters in India God gave me a word for the American Church, the very church that Indian pastors pray for every Sunday because they say we are "uniquely positioned and resourced to win the entire world for Jesus Christ." Their belief in us is humbling to say the least, especially since I am not so certain that many of us here in America have this as our first priority.

So my post for today is to simply share with you what I feel like God is saying to us as Christians here in America. It's not an easy word. It's not going to be a popular word. You won't love to hear it, but hear it you must. As we worshiped, this is what God said.....

"Our comfort is perhaps our greatest spiritual enemy. We are not desperate for a move of the Spirit of God. Our own comfort and safety has put us into a spiritual stupor. This is dangerous territory. Our hunger is for comfort, safety, our own desires. We order our lives around these things, not around the move of the Spirit. Our longing for safety and comfort determines our priorities, which will not always line up with the promptings and movings of the Spirit. 

The more we have the more we are dissatisfied. The pickier we get. The more we focus on our own needs and petty problems, the less we focus on our desperate and real need for God. When we have much, we lose our desire and desperation for God and become self-conscious, concerned more with ourselves than with God and all He is longing to do. 

As long as our desire is for comfort, safety, and ease, we will have a neutered relationship with God Almighty. Our relationship will be safe, civil, insipid and ultimately powerless. Sadly, this is not the church God can use to change the world, to win people in all corners of the globe to Himself."

I want to be bold. To be courageous. To use this one life to bring God glory in amazing ways. I want my life to count for more than just having lived a safe, insipid, comfortable life when there is so much at stake. I want to long for God more than I long for a hot bath, a big meal, air conditioning or even flush toilets. I want to quit worrying about how I look and start worrying about if I am showing the love of Christ. I want to be able to say that I will obey God even when it is not convenient or safe. I want to give sacrificially so that others might know my Savior.

What do you want? I encourage you to hear from the Lord!

God Wreck My Heart!

I leave for India today. More importantly, I believe I'm on my way to God moving in my heart in a deep and unforgettable way. While I pray that I have something helpful to contribute to my brothers in Christ we'll be working with, my guess is that I'll learn more from them. And I'm ready. Ready for God to speak to my heart, to wreck my soul, to continue to clarify what he's calling me to in this new era of life and ministry. I'm ready to get one more glimpse of the Body of Christ worshiping around the world. I am ready.

Thank you for praying! While I'm away I'll be posting updates to twitter and facebook a few times a day and on my blog as I have internet access. I hope you'll check everyday to keep up with what all is going on as we minister in India and to see ongoing prayer requests. 

And please! Leave me plenty of comments all over the place so I can know you're reading and keeping up. That encourages me so much and helps me not feel quite so lonely when I'm far, far from home in a very unfamiliar environment. I can receive text messages for free as well while traveling.

Here is my schedule so you can see exactly what we're doing each day and know more specifically how to pray. Keep in mind that India is 11.5 hours AHEAD of CST in the US. So figure out the time difference and pray AHEAD of time!

SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Feb. 10 - I'll leave for India around 11:00 am. I go from Nashville to Frankfurt to Mumbai to Hyderabad, India. It's a looonnngg trip! Pray for no problems with customs, transportation, etc.

Thursday, Feb. 11 - Travel Day - I'm still flying!

Friday, Feb. 12 - We arrive in Hyderabad around 3:00 am. (That's around 4 pm on Thursday here at home) Our plans are to rest a bit, go to the market to buy some traditional clothing to wear and work on the upcoming workshops. Pray we rest well and adapt quickly!

Saturday, Feb. 13 - We're conducting a mini-workshop with pastors and musicians. I'll be teaching and helping lead worship.

Sunday, Feb. 14 - We'll minister at a local church, lead worship and then board a train for Kolkata.

Monday, Feb. 15 - This is a travel day. We'll continue our 30 hour train ride to Kolkata. We'll use the time to continue preparations for a 4-day intensive workshop in Kolkata. (Calcutta)

Tuesday - Friday, Feb. 16 - 19 - We'll be doing workshops all day, leading worship all night. So these days are quite full. Pray that our bodies will have adjusted by this time and that we have endurance!

Saturday, Feb. 20 - We'll be going to the market in Kolkata, hopefully seeing where Mother Teresa ministered, and seeing some sights around Kolkata with a local pastor.

Sunday, Feb. 21 - We'll minister at a church in the slums of Kolkata. Everyone there makes less than $1 a day (below poverty level). I'm sure we'll learn much as we worship with them. 

Monday, Feb. 22 - We'll continue to see the sights of Kolkata and then begin the long journey home that afternoon. Our flight will leave around 3:00 am CST, 4:00 pm Kolkata time. I travel from Kolkata to New Delhi to NYC to Nashville. 

Tuesday, Feb. 23 - We arrive home around 5:30 pm. Pray I do well when I return as Phil will be out of town for a few days. I'm sure I'll sleep for a day or two!

When I do teaching trips I feel like you are with me! Everything I experience and see reminds me of different friends and family members. I carry you in my heart as I go. I remember your support and encouragement that have made the work of the Give Worship Project possible. 

I hope you enjoy - and are challenged and touched - by what I share along the way. More importantly, I hope my journey helps you in your own journey with Christ.

How has God been stretching and challenging you lately?

Fill Me Up...

One of the mistakes I most often see pastors make is that they spend alot of time learning how to "do church" but they spend very little time having their souls renewed just for the sake of their own relationship with Christ. It seems most conversations among ministers (and I'm as guilty as anyone) revolve around what we're "doing", not what we're "becoming". Through the years I've learned that I have to pay attention to "becoming" FIRST and then begin to "do", to minister, out of the overflow of that personal transformation God is doing in my own life.

I've done many things over the years to pay attention to keeping my spiritual tank full - regular times of prayer, going and sitting in worship at another church, taking days away to retreat with God, and spending time with "soul friends" to discuss my relationship with Jesus, not the newest trend in church worship or music. 

Last year I attended Recreate, a small conference in Franklin, Tennessee. It definitely comes under the heading of a "soul filling" time. The conversations are deep, the lessons eternal in nature, and the music and worship are inspiring. We may discuss creativity and artistry but generally we are there for one thing - to be inspired and filled. 

I love the friends I made at Recreate. After I resigned from my staff position I wondered if I really needed to go this year. After all, I'm not a worship pastor at a church anymore. I wondered if it would be awkward if everyone around me was neck-deep in the ministry that I loved so much - and I wasn't. I felt like a failure compared to these guys, and a little embarrassed - I sit at home and work in my pjs most days and draw no paycheck at all. Many of these leaders are well known, I certainly am not. I wondered how to answer when people say "So, what are you doing now?". Would they really want to know?

Cause, to be honest, I never dreamed I'd do this - teaching in missions - and NOT be on staff. I always thought it would just naturally morph and grow out of the worship ministry I was leading. This was not the path I envisioned. I loved, loved, loved leading worship at The Brook. I love the team I had there. I love the congregation there. This new road is still rocky some days and hard on others. The tears have not totally ceased yet. So I wondered....would it just add to the hurt to be around other worship leaders?

But I decided to go anyway. Because of two things:

I need the relationships. This group of people are hugely encouraging to me all year round. Via the wonder of Twitter and Facebook as well as email and blogs, we are able to keep up with one another's journeys all year, not just this one week. I realized I really needed to see them again, to have some important conversations, to worship with them, to room with Cynthia and have some girl talk. Maybe they don't need me and my profound wisdom (laugh!) but I need them. I need them to minister strongly in this next stage of the journey.

I need to be filled. Not having a church home has been downright hard. Nowhere feels like home anymore. It's hard to relax and worship corporately for me. I knew this would be a good opportunity for me to be with some safe people and have uninterrupted time to get real with God. I'm ready to soak in His presence.

And so I'm off today....bound for Nashville and some time with friends....you know, those artsy types that cry when moved and wear their feelings on their sleeves. Those people like me??? Smile. Yes, being with this group of friends is like taking a drink from a deep well when you're really thirsty. And I'll admit. I'm really thirsty.

I can't wait to sit with friends and worship God together....

Fill me up.

Please pray as I go to India.....

Next week I head out for India, 2nd most populous country in the world, home to 1.2 billion people. Birthplace to Hinduism as well as Buddhism, bordered by countries such as Pakistan, China, and Myanmar. I'm going with Operation Mobilization as part of a teaching team that will be teaching pastors and worship leaders, leading worship, and spending time equipping church leaders there. We will be working mainly with the Dalit people group, those people deemed as the "untouchables" of India. Most pastors are first generation believers and are eager to learn. I'm really looking forward to spending time with my brothers - and sisters - in Christ while in India. I'm excited that I will have a little encouragement to offer them as they minister in Jesus' name. And I know without a doubt I will learn from them and be encouraged by them as well. 

India is a very different world from Madison, Alabama! The culture is completely different. Obviously the language is different and the food is different. I will see and experience many new things - some of which may be uncomfortable and difficult to deal with. It is a place where Christians are persecuted and women are oppressed. The United Nations has deemed the Dalit women as one of the most oppressed groups in the world. Yeah, That makes me very uncomfortable and I'll admit I'm a little nervous. And just this past week the U.S. issued a travel warning for Americans traveling to India urging them to "keep a low profile" and stay "situationally aware" due to recent terrorist activities there. That kinda made my stomach hurt. 

Like I said, it's a different world. Many missionaries have shared that in India they sense "the most powerful spiritual oppression" they've ever seen. And I know this is where God would have me go right now.

With these things in mind I'll admit that I feel a desperate need to be covered by your prayers. 

Please pray:

1) For strength, endurance, health and safety. It's a long trip, a huge time difference, and our days of ministry are long ones. In addition, there is always the concern about our bodies adjusting to food, etc.

2) For insight and wisdom as I am preparing, teaching and interacting. Pray God shows me how to prepare for and respond in each situation. I want to be culturally sensitive, yet share boldly. Pray that God guides each word I say. 

3) Pray against the enemy of our souls. The worship of false gods is alive and well all over India. Please pray against satanic attacks. Pray that we would shine with the light of Christ. This is a huge concern for us.

4) Pray for the pastors that are attending. Many are uneducated, leading a church with little or no help, and have not received any training in Biblical Worship at all. They will come from many tribes of India and not even understand one another's language. We will use many interpreters, so especially pray for supernatural understanding and clarity for them as we teach and "show". We'll be leading worship, asking them to lead worship, teaching, etc. Pray that God speaks clearly to them for what they will need to know.

5) I will most likely be the only woman in the workshops. Pray that the long held prejudice against women in India will not taint their ability to learn from me. Pray that my presence will help break down some of these barriers that still exist in the Christian Church in India. Pray that I can teach humbly, but with confidence and love.

I'd love it if you'd sign up to take a particular day to pray for me. A big thanks to Anne Jackson, who gave me this great idea. I totally ripped this off from her blog! But it will be a great way for me to see who is praying when. Then go to the comments and let me know how you'll be praying. It's comforting to have your support when I am way across the world. Thank you so much for praying!

A Brand New Start

Hey friends. I started this blog several years ago as a way to help teach, encourage and share with my church family. Since I am no longer on staff, that has changed a bit for me. My audience is not as defined as it once was. I am attempting to share things from my experience that meet your needs, help you out, challenge you and encourage you. Problem is.....I'm not sure who YOU are! I don't know who is reading.....

So here's what I'm asking you to do.....

1) Let me know who you are, and how old you are, and where you live.

2) Tell me why you read this blog. (you're a friend, a fellow worship leader, etc.)

3) Share what kind of content is helpful to you. What kind of topics would you like to see discussed and shared about in the future?

Thank you so much for your help! I'm going to use your responses to help me move forward with this blog with greater clarity.

Can the Church Benefit from the Female Voice?

I remember reading an article in Worship Leader Magazine back in 1997 or so that explored the issue of women in worship leadership, which at that time was a bit rare. One line in the article (written by a man) has stayed with me ever since: "Many women will go their entire lives and sit in church every Sunday and never hear the sound of another female voice." This statement hit me hard. And it made me ask the question - how could the church benefit from hearing more of the female voice in worship services and leadership?

I've long been a proponent of shared leadership. I think all leaders could greatly benefit from hearing a variety of perspectives as they consider what path to take, decisions that need to be made, who to hire, how to respond, etc. Different experiences, perspectives, personalities, ages and genders can lead to well thought out decisions that are wiser than those made entirely alone. Shared leadership gives multiple insights that benefit the church. Proverbs 20:18 says "Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without the advice of others." 

And while I've seen shared leadership modeled in some churches, when it comes time to plan, discuss and teach, the voices are generally predominantly male. I believe the Body of Christ is poorer for this. Women have a different outlook and experience in life than men do - and men can learn from that. For instance, in a sermon series that teaches on marriage the teaching will be incomplete without the perspective of wives. That is a more obvious example. But I believe that men can benefit from the perspective of women in all areas of teaching. It may stretch them and enlarge them in ways that are new and fresh. They can learn from women, just as we women learn from men. The teaching of women has long been reserved for other women on retreats, and in Bible Studies but I believe that this not only shortchanges gifted women teachers and leaders who have much to offer the entire Body, I also believe it shortchanges the men in our congregations. In the long run, it makes the church weaker, and we are poorer for it. We can all benefit from working with, and learning from both genders - it brings a balance and richness that is missing when one part of the Body of Christ is left out and never heard from. When we all learn from one another, that is true community.

Hearing a woman's voice and teachings is also empowering for the women in a congregation. After all more than 60% of most congregants are female. I remember teaching for the first time on a Sunday morning about four years ago. Afterwards, a woman came up to me with tears in her eyes and said "I've never heard a woman teach. I was able to relate to what you said so much." Another woman said "I now believe God can use me too. I'm inspired to use ALL my gifts and abilities for the Kingdom of God." 

In her recent post, Tracey Bianchi wrote about the significance of women’s voices as teachers in the local church.

"…a woman proclaiming God’s Word with hands that smell like marinated artichokes can hit the heart of another woman in a way men cannot…women have stories to tell about life and God, just as our male partners on the journey do. The chance to preach from their perspectives is honoring God’s call to the community of Christ."

Modeling inclusiveness in teaching and leadership can set a powerful example of humility for those we lead. Being willing to hear from a variety of experiences and perspectives shows a willingness to learn and grow that reflects maturity and wisdom. And it shows such a deep respect for the entirety of the Body of Christ.

I urge you to consider the question: How can you utilize the female voice and perspective in new ways in your service planning, teaching, and church leadership?