Pattern People

One of the things about longer ministry tenures is that you can sense and see patterns before they even happen.  This is more prominant when dealing with specific people, but you can also see it in the macrocosm of the congregation at large too.

In dealing with individuals though, there is a hard reality that no matter how many times you correct, positively encourage, or admonish some individuals towards change, some people remain unchangeable, or will go in an almost memorizable repetitive cycle of disobedience and obedience. And who is chief amongst them?  Me, of course.  I doun't doubt for a second that my heavenly Father sees me in that same light too.  "Here he goes again.  He's going to withdraw a bit until 'x' happens and then he's going to have a mini-epiphany and move forward."  That's an over-simplification, of course, but I think you get my point.

As a big social media fan, I see this pattern full-force amongst the pages of facebook and twitter.  I see posts of angry rants, followed by contrition and resolve to change, followed by spiritual highs (accentuated by a million inspirational memes added for good measure), then failure or crisis, then rant, cry of desperation......and the cycle begins again.  Sound like someone you know?  Sound like perhaps yourself?  In some ways we have seen this pattern in the life of the nation of Israel in the Bible too.  It's nothing new.  But, it's still a problem.

I do, get weary quite often as of late about these patterns in other people, and I'm trying not to lose heart, and to keep perspective that we all are "pattern" people. God's grace is there for those bad cycles in these patterns for us.  I want to be known as a pattern person, but I want my pattern to be one filled with qualifications such as 'dependability, loyalty, steadfastness, and Christ-likeness.' Breaking a negative pattern can be tough.  A new routine and set of behaviors can be a scary thing to confront.  Let's pray for eachother as we set out to do just that.

Every. Hidden. Thing.

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NIV)

Secrets.  Motives.  True Feelings.  Buried deep down within the heart of who we are is, well, "who we really are."  For the redeemed Christian, that place deep down within should be a clean spotless place.  But truthfully, we know that on this side of eternity, that inner room needs sweeping up now and then.  Well, who am I kidding?  That inner room needs a remodel in the case of most of us!  

I came to the conclusion working today through Ecclesiastes, which in the last decade of my life has grown to be probably one of my favorite sections of scripture.  It speaks well to the realization of aging, of what's truly important in life, the frustrations of the mundane day-to-day life and the fruitless pursuits in which we waste our time.  

The final passages hit home, because in summary it tells us what we know in our hearts is the common-sense game plan that should be in motion for all of our lives.  Here's the Chris Bridges paraphrase: "I've said all there needs to be said.  Do what you know you're supposed to do for God.  He knows your heart and will judge you for it."  In another study I'm going through at church on Samson, the author, Chip Henderson, spends much time on discussing how much Samson kept hidden.  Most of what he kept hidden came back to haunt him later.  Skeletons in the closet rarely stay there.  Someone we let into our lives at some point, you know, that supposedly trusted friend, that person we're trying to make a good impression on, etc. will gain access to our heart and start walking around opening doors.  The results can be character-shattering.  Don't take that risk.  Pull the junk out of your mind's closets and deal with them (maybe have a yard sale? - okay, not really).  

Because one day, like this passage says.  God will come knocking.  He's got a universal key, so He lets Himself in.  (I'm over-generalizing here, of course, but stay with me).  He doesn't just walk the halls.  He looks in that closet.  He lifts up the rug.  He pulls down the attic stairs and climbs up.  The crawl space.  The hollowed out book.  The search history on your computer.  The sock drawer.  It's all laid bare and everything is exposed.  I don't believe that God has a clipboard in His hand waiting to issue a citation.  Instead, with that loving, diciplining look of disappointed Father, he'll glance back at us, like Jesus did when Peter denied Him, and we know he knows....EVERY HIDDEN THING.

And to make a further point of clarification, I don't think this is just an end-times judgement sort of thing in this passage.  There will be judgement then, of course.  I think this refers to "pop quiz" moments of inspection as well too.  You know, the times the teacher handed you that quiz you were unprepared for?  So, let's be ready.  Let's start the clean-up or the remodel.  Inspection could come at any time. 

Embrace vs. Escape

I'm reading through Thomas Wolfe's second novel "Of Time and the River."  Like the first book, it's not an easy read, but it's nice to see Wolfe's progression as a writer and the differences in his style as he matured.  Reading his "Look Homeward Angel" was a bucket list goal of mine, and I'm proud to say I got through it over many months.  

In this second book, Wolfe's semi-autobiographical character Eugene Gant enters Harvard University. In describing the students in one of his playwriting class, he makes an interesting statement:

"The impulse of the people in the class was not to embrace life and devour it, but rather to escape from it."

This thought echoed a Biblical passage I had read earlier this morning, in Ecclessiates Chapter 11. The whole chapter is a fantastic read, but I especially like the dichotomy in vs. 8 

 "However many years anyone may live,  let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the times of darkness, for there will be many.  Everything to come is meaningless" (NIV)

Wolfe's implication was that writing, to others around him, was escapism.  To him, it was to flesh out all of the emotions that came with life, good and bad, dark and light, and fully paint out the spectrum of the human experience.  In some ways, I see the same thought in the Bible passage too.  A commentator I read earlier (Holman Old Testament Commentary) mentioned that the teacher in Ecclessiastes was reminding his students that life in itself has good and bad.  We should enjoy the good, but also learn the lessons that the dark times teach us, not losing sight of the fact that death is an inevitable conlusion for all of us, save if Jesus returns first.  It's so hard some days to really enjoy life and the small happy moments of living in the now; to not seek "escapism" by whatever vice that tempts you, which in itself invites more dark times.  But my friends, we must.  Neither ignore or over-emphasize the dark times in your life.  They are part of the journey.  They are real.  They are not fun.  But in the grand scheme of things, in God's plan, there is a purpose for these things under heaven, which Ecclessiastes Chapter 3 (the source of the famous Byrds song) reminds us of:

Ridgecrest Music Week 2015 Day Four

Whew.  I'm bushed.  It's been a pretty good day, though, with another good round of classes and worship times.  

I started off the day with a class from Liberty professor John Kinchen, who spoke on humility in worship leadership.  He was one of the most engaging speakers of the week - you could tell he's a prof!  He had some great sound byte moments with statements such as "There is only one "I" In Worship - I AM!"  And "The church is a perfect institution, until you add people."  He used the example of Christ to parallel the humility we should have as worship leaders. 

Next was another class with Slater Murphy on Keys to Worship Leading excellence.  He gave a very practical list of game-changing principles in areas of personal and church life for ministers.  Most were just refreshers and reminders for me, but there were a few principles that I hadn't really spent much thought on that we're very helpful.

A theme I've that kept coming up in several classes or so was the issue of verbal transitions between songs and how best to handle these segue times.  Slater's class danced into this area, but our worship leader for the week, Jeremy Busler had a whole hour on the subject.  This is an area I had not spent much though on previously.  Much of the discussion dealt with limiting your spoken transitions to just a few very thought-out and very intentional words.  There were some very good thoughts about flow and transition in general too in Jeremy's class.  

A week ending tradition is Mike Harland's Q & A, where we get a chance to ask him anything on our hearts.  Since it was burning a hole inside of me wanting more information, I asked him about the reasonings behind moving the week to Gatlinburg and away from Ridgecrest.  I appreciated his honest response.  He shared that much discussion about canceling or moving the week had been going on for many years, and that attendance for the week was down overall, and did not seem to be attracting the new generations of worship leaders like they had hoped.  Originally the idea was to move the week to Nashville, but when the LifeWay building sold, that changed things.  At that point, they tried to secure Ridgecrest again, but their summer schedule had already been filled up.  So, since the Music on the Mountain event in Gatlinburg had shown signs of growing over the last few years, they have decided to give Gatlinburg a try.  Coming back to Ridgecrest is not out of the question, but who knows when that will be or what it will look like.  Still, my soul is sad because of this decision. For me, the event and the place are inseparable, and the long history of this camp inspiring and refueling generations of church musicians, myself one of them, ending because of this experiment into a new locale and format just still does't make sense in my brain.  Will I give it a try? I'm honestly not sure.  It's further away and likely will be more expense out of pocket for my family.  As it takes shape, I'll pray about it and evaluate the options. I've thought about trying Oasis or Choral Festival instead, or maybe just taking a year off completely.  

In worship today, Jay dealt with the issue of unity.  One neat thing was that they involved the children's choir, of which Ginny was a part in the worship songs on stage.  They also were a part of the evening feature with Tommy Walker tonight. Sidebar: You know, I love Tommy Walker, he's a great worship leader, but it's his third time being here in the last 5 years or so.  He never disappoints, but it almost smells a bit of croney-ism.  End sidebar.  :)  I was thrilled that Ginny got a chance to perform on the Ridgecrest stage, though, meaning that now everyone in my family has done that in some way.  That's a blessing.   Can you find Ginny below?

After the concert tonight, we walked over and explored the amphitheater that they are restoring.  Mike Harland had told us that years ago there was a rock amphitheater, which they built the Crystal Springs conference center right in front of obscuring it from view.  The amphitheater fell into neglect and the forest reclaimed it.  Well in the last year, Crystal Springs was raized, and Ridgecrest apparantly decided to resurrect this old amphitheater.  I had no idea this was even there. 

Sharon also was able to find the lake up on the mountain, which also I had never seen.  Tomorrow morning we leave and head home.  I hope that I can soon find my way back here, and more ideally, hope that LifeWay will realize that this is the true home for Music Week.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2015 Day Three

Today has turned out to be a very encouraging day.  Although the thought of Music Week being somewhere other than Ridgecrest isn't leaving my mind anytime soon, I've had a lot of very good classes today, some time on the mountain with just me and God, and some great conversations with others in ministry.

I started the day with a class highlighting the Growing in Grace Curriculum from Terry Taylor and Paula Farrar.  It was great. Very reminiscent of the old CMS materials - very music education based.  I really liked this curriculum and think the preschool track may would be a good fit for us.   I may even look at it for our older kids too. I had bought a little sampler pack from the bookstore and saw Terry and Paula in the cafeteria later and asked them a question.  They are so nice and have a ministerial heart about what they do.  They told me to go and get the companion CD for free from their room.  

My second class of the day was with Slater Murphy called "Working from the Overflow." It ended up being more an hour commercial for planning center online, but that's okay, as I had wanted to learn about that anyway, although I'm not sure I'm sold on the value of a $50 per month music administrative software suite yet.  People rave about it, but my system for worship planning seems to work for me, and the size church for which I'm at I don't think warrants that sort of software at this point.  

Worship was great again today too.  Jay dealt with the church's responsibility to "tell the story" and how we shouldn't assume folks already know it.  Ginny has been old enough to be in worship with us this week, and part of the emphasis of the week has been generations worshipping together, and they actually changed the schedule so families could worship together this year.  Not sure she got a lot out of the sermon today, though:

The highlight of the day, and maybe the whole conference so far, strangely, was the preview of the 2016 VBS music. This has never been done before, but it was really great.  We got to meet and talk to the folks behind the VBS music (and many other things in LifeWay land) and listen to all of the main songs for VBS Submerged!  Especially touching was getting to hear the God moments and sentimental stories behind the writing of some of the songs.  We were "instructed" not to share any details, so I won't on this public blog, but nevertheless this was a special treat.

I had a free block of time in the afternoon, which I spent in the prayer garden.  Despite the painful reality that it was uncertain when I would ever get to come back here, I had some nice moments with God,  I spent some time in Psalm 80, where Asaph's song is pleading to God to restore Israel.  He cited God's care for the nation in the past and lamented its current state of oppression from other nations.  I can't help but to think of my nation with this prayer in mind as well.  The Lord reminded me through this passage and a few others (like Proverbs 3) that the Lord disciplines those He loves.  I think this does not apply only to the individual, but to groups, churches, and nations.  Sometimes the righteous are collateral damage in the disciplining, but that does not excuse us from seeking to be righteous and reminding others about the statutes of God.  

Oh, and this was my friend that stayed with me on the prayer bench that I was at :

The evening feature tonight was a screening of the new movie "War Room", but Sharon and I are going to meet up with Ginny in a bit and hang out together in the Nibble Nook instead tonight.  We also got to see some good pictures of Nathan from CentriKid that were shared on Facebook,  so we were glad to know he's doing well.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2015 Day Two

First of all, I faced the day not on all cylinders today.  For some still yet to be determined reason, I only got about two hours of sleep last night. Not sure if it was because I had caffeine to close to bed, the bed itself was uncomfortable, it was hot in the room, or the excessive "cardio" I've been doing walking up and down the hills around here.  Could be a combination of all of it.  

Still it was an informative and educational day.  I begin the day with an early class with Amanda Singer, who was overviewing the upcoming semesters of Children's Worship Series.  I really like how it is layed out, but have always felt since they introduced it last year, that it's a bit too contemporary of a model for our kiddos. It's also divided into a younger and older series, but with me having grades 1-6 combined, I would have to pick either or.  Apparantly they are starting a more traditional series back called Growing in Grace, which is a reboot of sorts of the older Children's music series with an emphasis on music education and worship. Sharon saw a teaser of that material today, and she was impressed.  I had previously thought it was just for preschool, but it will span through all of the elementary grades.  

Two good reading sessions today.  The first from PraiseGathering gleaned a few good selections such as an upbeat Southern Gospel piece called "Fear Not", a Mary McDonald piece called "All Because of the Wonderful Cross" to name a few.  In the LifeWay session in the afternoon, I got to hear the new Let's Sing Cantata "Come and Behold Him" which is very good, and a contemporary cantata called "That's Where the Story Began" that has some promise.  There was also a Phil Barfoot pull out anthem called "He Still Saves" that I really liked, and that's saying something, because most of his things are not a good fit for us.  Mike Harland posted this picture of the reading session, and if you have a good eye, you'll see my lovely head way up on the first row.  

I had two more "philosophical classes" ;) in the afternoon, one being from our conference pastor Jay Strother and his worship leader Jeremy Busler on multigenerational worship.  Some very good thoughts on what I've held as a tenant of my philosophy for years - that worship services should be designed for multiple ages to worship together.  This was followed by a class with Jon Duncan on Christ-Centered worship. I remembered that I had Dr. Duncan in a class here several years ago, and much of the material was the same.  It took scriptures on worship (like the Isaiah 6 passage) and went a little deeper with them.  

I decided to skip tonight's concert with "This Hope" since I had heard them not too long ago, and my brain was full.  It's been a bit of a discouraging evening, as I'm hearing that this may be the last Music  Week at Ridgecrest.  They are looking to move the event to Gatlinburg next year.  Words cannot describe how sad this makes me feel.  I'm not ruling out going to it, but I can't see this event being nearly as meaningful for me not being on this precious campus.  But in many ways as of late, the Lord has been showing me that sometimes you just have to let your aspirations on how you would like to see things burn themselves down into a pile of ashes so they can be rebuilt in His design.  Perhaps from time to time I've idolized this place more than the Creator that had sanctified it.  If so, lesson learned.  I think we all need to take time to inventory what really matters, and I think I'm in one of those seasons.  

To the three or so of you all out there who actually may read this, please pray that I'll make these transitions according to His plans....and that I'll get more than two hours sleep tonight as well.  :)

Ridgecrest Music Week 2015 Day One

This year's Ridgecrest is a bit different in the fact that for the first time in several years, Nathan is not with us.  He chose instead to go with the church group to CentriKid, which ironically is happening at my alma-mater, Gardner-Webb.  So, it's just Ginny, Sharon, and myself this time around, which gives the siblings a nice break from each other, and a little less childcare "management" for us to worry about while here.

I have to laugh at myself as I type this, because this "ministry blog" has mainly become mainly a Ridgecrest journal, as that's about the only times that I have to really sit down and write, reflect, and so forth.  It really reminds me that I SO miss writing. 

Every Ridgecrest event I am privileged to attend, I am usually a different state of mind when entering the campus.  Some years it's been jubilant expectation, sometimes it's been pure nostalgia, sometimes it's the depths of discouragement.  This year is different for me.  It's just simply exhaustion.  It's not that good things are not happening, it's not that I feel like I'm in the pit of despair looking upwards...it's just pure unadulterated exhaustion with the fear of more responsibilities being heaped upon me to which I may bend or break under.  But, there is a little spiritual déjà vu too, in that being in this place reminds me that the one that has called me will equip me to get through this transitional time and the realization that the same patterns of behavior, the same traps, the same thorns, the same discouragers, always come, and always go, but the Lord's provision endures forever.  

Okay, now that I've suffered you all through that "cheery introduction" (which realistically only about three real people will actually read), I'll give you a quick update to this first day.  Arriving on campus, we were happy to be staying in Rhododendron again this year, but this time, we actually had a real window, unlike last year where we had a sliver of light peering out from a roof with a lovely view of AC units.  ;) Rhododendron is the most central place to stay on campus, in my opinion.  For the first time ever, our window faces the mountain and the giant cross perched upon it, which is what most people consider the symbol of Ridgecrest.   Below is our ACTUAL view.  Pretty cool, huh?

Tonight's feature was Geron Davis and Kindred Souls. Geron Davis is the composer or "Holy Ground" and "Precious Lamb of Glory."  I have a confession to make.  I had always thought, or had been incorrectly told, that Geron Davis was, -ahem- African American, because of his very soulful style.  So, imagine my surprise when a Caucasian man walked on stage.  All these years and I had never see a picture of the guy!  It's humorous how we all make assumptions like that from time to time.  It was a very great start to the week.  He did sing Holy Ground, which was a treat for everyone, and told the story behind writing it when he was 18 years old.  When I was 18, the only thing I wrote was letters to my girlfriend and term papers.  

Uncharacteristic for us, we went to the Nibble Nook on the first night, because we had free coupons as a bonus for our registration this year.  That's when the storm hit.  Fortunately we didn't get soaked, but nevertheless we had the whole Nibble Nook to ourselves just about.  

Looking forward to a full day of classes tomorrow.  But, looking more forward to some moments of rest (if I can).  It's always a battle between wanting to soak in as much as I can, and making myself pause and refresh.  

Wish I had the energy of this seven year old we've brought with us...

I, Too, Have Denied Him

I, Too, Have Denied Him

by Chris Bridges

I, too, have denied Him, when I have said that unkind and careless thought

I, too, have denied Him, though with blood, my soul He bought

I, too, have denied Him, when I worshipped my idea of what’s right

I, too, have denied Him, when instead of peace, I turned toward the fight

I, too, have denied Him, when I forsook my dear Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.  

I, too, have denied Him, when with a loved one, that fence I did not mend.

I, too, have denied Him, when giving Him less than my all.  

I, too, have denied Him, with sins that led to my fall.

I, too, have denied Him, when faced with great fear.

I, too, have denied Him, knowing despite this, my Savior was near.  

I, too, have denied Him, and then turned toward His face

I, too, have denied Him, ashamed, hid in disgrace.

I, too, have denied Him, and have heard a cock crow.

Yet, My sins, though as scarlet,

Have been made white as snow.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2014 Day Four

I began the day with another class from David Manner on "Guardrails for Long-Tenured Worship Ministry".  What a great class! The advice given was so practical, I really think it can apply to anyone in ministry positions in general.  So, I thought I would paraphrase his points below here:

1. Place more focus on the person than on the project 

2. Look out for number 2. (place others first)

3. Don't compare your place of ministry.  Take what you have and make something wonderful.

4. Be a lifelong learner

5. Realize failure is an option, occasionally. Take risks.  Own up to your failure.

6. Remember you are not on your own.  Surround yourself with a great cloud of witnesses. Get a team.  

7.  Love much. Don't put church before family, but don't use family as an excuse to shirk responsibility

8. Make the mortgage payment before you remodel the kitchen. (Worst first).  Work hard.

9.  Move tables. Don't disappear when the hard, dirty, and unflattering jobs need to be done.

10. Lighten up.  Give yourself a break every now and then. 

Good stuff, right?  I though so.  I think I'm doing pretty well on this checklist, but there are a couple that I struggle with a bit.  

My next class was on Video Basics from Zach Cochran of innovative Media and dealt with understanding the vocabulary of video language - VGA, XVGA, 4K, etc...  It was a refresher for the most part, but I was able to ask some questions about some situations with our current TV ministry issues that could possible steer us in a new direction there as far as equipment.  

Worship today with Michael Catt was great again.  I have to confess that I had reached my point of exhaustion in the week by this time today and was getting quite sleepy.  I feared I wouldn't make it, but once again, the content was quite engaging and ended with a very nice time of prayer.  The emphasis was on the power of a praying church.  We explored the meaning of the word "fervent," which means fully stretched (as in a muscle), in the context of prayer.

After lunch, I had a couple of class blocks where I had no class options I was interested in.  Therefore, I made my annual pilgrimage to the Prayer Garden.  I spent a good amount of time there in Hosea 4, where God outlines His anger against the people of Israel because of their sin.  But he doesn't stop there, as he also makes it clear that his anger burns towards the prophets and priests as well.  We can gather from this a reminder that our positions as ministers are also held accountable for their actions or inactions in the decline of spirituality in a culture.  Convicting stuff.  Verse 13 also says: "They sacrifice on the mountaintops, and they burn offerings on the hills, and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters act promiscuously and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. (Hosea 4:13 HCSB)". I interpret this as how "comfortable" the people have become in worshipping in the shade, so to speak, but then leaving and returning to their lives of sin right after.  Boy, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

This afternoon's LifeWay reading session was pretty good.  The new Dennis Allen "Let's Sing" Christmas Cantata called "He is Here" was once again a winner, and will be a frontrunner choice for my Christmas Cantata this year.   There was also a Thanksgiving mini-musical called "We Give Thanks" that was also quite good.  A Christmas standalone anthem that I liked was "The Birthday of The King" arranged by Mauldin, which was quite nice.  

The feature concert tonight began with a performance by the conference youth and children's choir.  The youth performance was plagued by sound problems early, but they finished strong.  The children (wiith my Nathan being among them) performed selections from the new CWS series of curriculum.  It was a very upbeat and lively set of songs, almost dance club-like at parts.  High energy!  I'm still not sure I'm 100% on board with the new bent.  I did enjoy the music and could see my kids choir doing it, though.  Before the last half of the program with Shelley Johnson, we hear a surprise solo performance by one of the former members of the Imperials, and it was fantastic.  Shelly's performance was quite good, but sometimes the track sort of overwhelmed her.  The songs were really nice, though, especially her new spin on the classic hymn "The Love of God." It surprised me they had her back so soon after just having her a few years ago, but I was still blessed.  

The evening concluded with ice cream at the Nibble Nook. :) 🍦

Ridgecrest Music Week 2014 Day Three

This was a very good day.  My only regret is I would have loved to have had about two more hours in it.   

I started off the morning with a class with an intriguing title "Is the Lords Supper a Waste of Service time?" with David Manner (not to be confused with David Banner - you wouldn't like him when he's angry.). It dealt with how The Lord Supper has become ritual for many churches and has lost its meaning.  I was really hoping to gain some practical ideas about how to help folks to truly see the significance of what this ordinance represents, and I did gain a few insights, but all-in-all this class dealt with more general and philosophical ideas about the Lords Supper.  Good reminders and some food for thought, though.

Worship this morning continued the hard-hitting between the eyes preaching from Michael Catt. Today's message dealt with how to abide in God, and what that truly means.  It also dealt with the work of the Holy Spirit on the church today, and how we try to "do church" without Him.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the message today (paraphrased):

"The Holy Spirit could lead the SBC for ten years, and we wouldn't know it because were so programmed up."

"The last time God put together a committee, it was to discover if the Israelites should go into the promised land.  The result was that they wondered In the wilderness for forty years and did funerals"

"Churches spend too much money on things that just entertain their Christian friends"  (Referring to concerts and pageants - ouch)

"A lost person can easily detect when you are just doing religion and if the Spirit is not present"

"A church never rises above the level of her leadership. Individuals may rise above it, but the church as a whole won't."

My next class was led by Mark Willard, who is Michael Catt's worship leader at Sherwood.  It dealt with what happens when the Holy Spirit changes direction mid-service and you need to deviate from "the plan."  He talked about the importance for good communication between Pastor, Worship Pastor, and musicians ahead of time to be prepared to transition easier.  

My last class of the day was with Kenny Lamm again, and dealt with one of my favorite areas of interest - Social Media.  Loved this class. Learned a few tips I had not though about and was reminded about a few tools that I haven't explored in a while.  I liked especially how he reiterated about how important a tool Facebook really is in promoting your church and building relationships with people, something I've been preaching at folks for a while now.  

As has become the norm the last few years, LifeWay did not have a major structured schedule for Wednesday evening, except for an optional look at a new Christian movie that was coming out soon.  We decided to head towards Asheville and met up with a dear college friend of mine, Julianne Kuykendall, and had a good time hanging out, looking at pictures, and reminiscing. It was super fun.

 

Last full day tomorrow!  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2014 Day Two

Wow, what an exhausting day!

I have been impressed with the class selections this year, there have been numerous times already that I've seen I'm going to have several hard choices as to which classes to choose, as there are very few repeated classes.  

My first class of the morning was a class on youth choirs and working with students.  It explored the whys of having a youth choir and reminded us of a lot of the things to look out for when starting working with student choirs.  

Secondly, I attended a very good reading session from Praise Gathering this morning.  Like with Mike speck last night, I was pleasantly surprised at the offerings from there, as I normally don't have much I can take from them.  Their arrangements tend to be too big and grandiose for the small and medium choirs I've been a part of leading.  I found a very good arrangement by Rouse of "He Will Carry You," A brand new Gaither piece called "In Good Hands," and a nice original Rouse piece called "Hope Remains."  There were two or three other keepers as well.  

After this, I had a class with Amanda Singer, one of the architects behind the reboot of the "Children's Worship Series", formerly the Children's Music Series.  

Sidebar time:  One of the things that was really overemphasized in this session was how the new series really focused on worship and equipping children to be active participants in worship.  I'm all for that.  There was almost an unspoken slam of the old curriculum, though, implying it wasn't "worship" focused.  If I was one of the writers of the old stuff, man, that would really insult me.  In the end, I think any of the past CMS curriculum is what the teachers make out of it.  I can't see how musicals and the older "performance based curriculum" as it was referred to is any less "worshipful" that another song for our kids.  Maybe I'll understand a little better if I swim in the new curriculum a bit in the days ahead and I'll be more sympathetic.  I'm team LifeWay all the way, but I have a small concern that there is a bit of worshipping "worship" and not worshipping God, and teaching kids how to do the same.  Does that make sense?  I still love you LifeWay Music, uh I mean Worship Week.  ;).  Sidebar over.

Back to Amanda Singer's class.  She was one smart cookie, and really had a great philosophy on children's ministry.  She was a great speaker and Sharon and I both enjoyed this class.  Amanda is also serving as the children's choir camp director for the week, so Nathan is experiencing her too.  

Next up was Kenny Lamm's class on Worship Tools for churches with limited resources.  Being somewhat in that category, I thought it was a class I shouldn't miss.  Now since Kenny is a friend, I'm a bit partial, but I can say the class was very helpful.  In addition to hearing about familiar tools such as LifeWay Worship and Band in a Box, I was introduced to some even better featured apps and software I had never heard of, such as ISingWorship, an app that has some amazing tools for virtual band, such as on the fly changes to the ordering of verses and choruses, etc.  Frankly that blew my mind.  

Worship today was a great experience.  Michael Catt, the conference pastor and Pastor for Sherwood Church, the church that brought us the movies Fireproof, Flywheel, Facing the Giants, et.al.  brought a great message on how churches today are grieving the Holy Spirit by specific actions.  His first point was that churches grieve the Holy Spirit by running itself like a business.  That hit home a bit.  Some other sound bytes (paraphrased) are that we "treat God's Word like junk mail," and condemned legalists by saying they often "sleep with The Constitution and Bylaws under their pillow."  He pulled no punches, like when referring to the difficult people who constantly put tradition and ritual ahead of God's Word even when scripture clearly countered their argument by saying that we shouldn't "waste time arguing with idiots, just politely thank them and ignore them."  A bit harsh, but he's got a point.  He also hit home when he said prayer should not be a transition point for flow, but always should be treated as an intimate encounter with God.  Good stuff.  

Shannon Wexelberg was the guest artist this evening.  She is a super talented song writer, vocalist, and pianist.  I've been connected with her for years through a song she wrote for the musical "A Christmas Prayer,, but it was nice to finally hear her in person.  Very touching and intimate time of music making.  

On a personal note, we have had some disappointments with the child care and day camp programs this year.  Once today we were told to hike to the top of the hill to pick up Nathan only to find he was not there but at another location.  Sharon went to drop off Ginny this morning and the teachers said they couldn't receive kids until 15 minutes after Sharon's class started, which was not what the program had said, plus their supervisor was nowhere to be found.  Nathan also had a bad experience this evening with his teachers this evening too.  Having kids at two different pickup locations at opposite ends of the highest part of the campus has been a cruel physical punishment for parents. We've thought about just taking Nathan with us to the adult classes at some point to save some of that walking.  This was Nathan tonight at the concert as proof:

Ridgecrest Music Week 2014 Day One

It's amazing to have seen the Ridgecrest campus change so much over the past ten years.  The lobby where I am sitting here typing this just a few years ago wasn't even here, but was a classroom off of the cafeteria. The preschool building this year is undergoing a major renovation, and Ginny's classes are at the distant Royal Gorge.  We are staying in Rhododendron this year, a first for our family.  Our room is very strange.  We have one tiny two foot window at ceiling level with the AC unit right under it.  The bathroom is fantastically remodeled, though. Very nice. 

It's great to see my kids go into automatic mode when coming here now.  Even Ginny sort of knows the routine of what this place is and I think both kids are starting to sense the true spirit of what this place represents for me.  Nathan was even really engaged with the worship music tonight in the opening concert.  

Today there was really just two main events, the Lillenas Reading session, and the evening feature with Mike Speck.  The Lillenas session had one really good anthem "I Need No Other Argument," a Cliff Duren arrangement that was my favorite.  There was a pretty decent Christmas book "Sing the Glory" from Marty Hamby that showed some potential. 

Now, I have to admit, I have never been a Mike Speck fan.  Mind you, I've always respected his work, but it just didn't trip my trigger in the past, so to speak.  Well, tonight he lead in a concert of worship that was fantastic.  It was so perfectly balanced and blended with old and new songs than spanned multiple, and I mean multiple, generations.  We had everything from the old hymn "Haven of Rest" to today's "Ten Thousand Reasons".  We had Michael W. Smith, we had Rich Mullins, we had 90s charismatic renewal music, Brooklyn Tab-esque things, Southern gospel.  And they all worked together and everyone left encouraged.  I should mention most of the things from his concert were from his new choral collection Everlasting Praise 4, which I may have to look at again later.  Specks stuff tends to be a bit tough for the smaller choir though.  

Tuesday and Wednesday look like two full days, so it's off to bed for now.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2013 Reading Sessons

I wanted to list a few of my favorite anthems I discovered in reading sessions this week that I thought would be strong contenders for use with my choir or at my church.

I Know a Man Who Can (arr. Hamby, Brentwood Benson 45757-2229-7) I'm not a big a Southern Gospel Fan, as I've said many a time.  However, this medium tempo SG piece was really fun, and I think my folks would like this arrangement of this favorite,  http://www.brentwoodbenson.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=75722297

Somebody Died For Me (arr. Mauldin, Word 0-80869-22423-2) Patriotic story-telling piece, tear-jerker, parallel to Christ's sacrifice. This would be a good Memorial Day piece for next year.  http://wordmusic.com/somebody-died-for-me.html

Let the Bells Ring Loud (arr. Keveren, LifeWay 6-34337-335636) Nice Christmas opener. http://www.lifeway.com/Product/let-the-bells-ring-loud-anthem-P005562206

Glory All Around (arr. Singer, Lillenas 978-08341-8321-6). One of the freshest new Christmas songs I've heard in a long time.  Has the option for Children's Choir.  Has probably the most singable fun melody of any piece at Ridgecrest this year.  

As far as cantatas...

I should not be surprised that LifeWay's newest Let's Sing offering from Dennis Allen is another good one this year.  http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Christ-Was-Born-for-This-Let's-Sing-Christmas-Musical?Sz=20

A similar difficulty mini-Cantata that I really liked is from Lillenas.  It's called "Hallowed Manger Ground" and was really a stand-out for me, which was a surprise.  http://www.lillenas.com/nphweb/html/lmol/itempage.jsp?itemId=9780834182448&nid=srch

I have a couple of other cantata samples to wade through, though.  I am still also toying about putting together my own based on old favorites and a few new pieces.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2013 Day Four

This morning I began with two classes from Darlene Abbott again.  She has to be the best preschool/children's teacher I've ever had at Ridgecrest.  The first class dealt with Classroom Management techniques.  It turns out, this ended up being a repeat of one of her classes I took several years ago. Still, there were some new ideas presented and it was good to be refreshed on some of the things she had taught before.  It really was more of a gimmicks class than a management class and dealt with transitions with preschoolers and ways you could use music to have them stand up or sit down, be quiet, etc.  Many of these techniques I've used with preschool VBS in the years in between being in her class last.  The second class was new material for me, and it dealt with ideas for Preschool Programs.  There were some creative and very non-traditional ideas to presenting programs, such as having a program in the classroom, or have the program rotate between different classrooms and let the parents follow them around.  There were some good ideas all around in regards to dealing with preschoolers in general as well.  

In the afternoon, I had the concluding portion of the "Worshipper's Deathstyle" class.  This chapter dealt with the ultimate paradox:  in order to truly live, we must die.  Another great quote in this class dealt with the fact that our bodies are the "worship centers" not our buildings.  It was great.  I was able to purchase a DVD and CD with Grant's music and teachings to explore and share later.  We also discussed the James passage that described true worship as caring for orphans and widows.

After the Lillenas reading session this afternoon, we prepared to see Nathan perform with the children's choir in Celeste Clydesdale's "Blast Off" children's musical.  This would be the first time Nathan has had a major speaking part in anything like this. After the youth choir opened the evening, the children's choir took the stage, and the program was fantastic. Nathan played a star named "Fireball" and it was funny to hear the other kids use that as a nickname for him throughout the week.  He did a great job.  Now both Nathan and I can say we've had drama roles we've performed on the stage at Ridgecrest at one time or another.  

After the choir performance, we enjoyed a mini-concert from Tommy Walker, who also sang last year.  Several very touching songs, and he once again showed his mastery of the guitar.  

We enjoyed one more visit to the Nibble Nook this evening, and it was quite fun to see Nathan and Ginny  running around and having fun with the friends they made this week.  I think This place is becoming special for them too I think. 

Ridgecrest Music Week 2013 Day Three

Today was another very full, but very good day.  I began the morning with two classes from Steve Brown, who is teaching several classes in what they used to refer to as the "small church" track.  The first class dealt with generational differences.  I've taken similar classes before, but I really wanted a refresher, as our church is very multigenerational.  Steve went through the four main generations in the church right now: Builders, Boomers, Busters, and Bridgers, and how each of their attributes affected church life today.  The most interesting thing I gleaned (or inferred) was that Busters and Boomers (My generation and younger) are often "blamed" for the rise of contemporary music in the church, when actually, the Baby Boomer generation, who grew up during the birth of rhythm section music and rock and roll really were more instrumental in the changes that led to the praise and worship movement.  The baby boomers are the group that are currently in leadership positions in the church today which has also fueled this.  Now my generation, the "busters,"are sadly credited with the decline of denominational institutionalism.  Our indifference and indecisiveness have led to an increase in the numbers of non-denominational churches.  I honestly had not thought about that before.  A side note, on behalf of my generation, I hereby refute the dorky name "buster" for our generation.  Whoever thought of that must have been a baby boomer.  ;)  "Gen X" is much cooler.  The second class from Steve Brown dealt a lot with our role as a worship leader, specifically in regards to how we carry ourselves on the platform in our confidence level, and specifically with our conducting gestures.  We talked about what motions were appropriate and when.  For example, less directing is required with the congregation and more precision in gestures is necessary for choirs.  Pretty common sense stuff, but some good reminders nonetheless.  

Worship today featured another good balance and blend of songs both old and new,  There is a heavier emphasis throughout this week than I expected on hymns reinvented and rearranged, incorporating rhythm sections, etc.  I would say two out of three songs in worship this year have been hymns with either a new added refrain, a more upbeat tempo, or both.  I like this trend, as I think it's a great compromise and helps bring people together.  The message today dealt with Psalm 51, and how David's picture of brokenness and repentance is clearly illustrated.

After lunch, I had part two of the "Worship Deathstyle" class with Grant Norsworthy.  It was another good session, this time dealing with worship and grace.  Much of the emphasis in today's class dealt with how we as Christians misuse or overuse vocabulary on words like "awesome" (which we use colloquially, but in actually implies something to be feared or revered) and "worship."  

This evening, we had the option of staying on campus for a Christian movie premiere, but instead had the opportunity to meet up with a college friend In Asheville.  When they started making Wednesday afternoons and evenings a bit lighter several years ago, I first was disappointed and felt like we were not getting our "money's worth" :), but Im beginning to appreciate it, as by this time in the week, my brain is pretty full, and the flexibility is appreciated so that we can have some down time.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2013 Day Two

This is really shaping up to be a fantastic year at Ridgecrest.  Perhaps one of the best in many years. 

We began this morning with a great breakfast.  Two institutional improvements I should mention: The outer hallway that wraps around Rhododendron Hall has been completely transformed to a beautiful sitting area similar to what you would find in Mtn. Laurel and Johnson Springs.  Second, major change in food service.  Instead of all of the serving lines offering the same thing (except for maybe a separate salad line), half of the lines will offer one major thing, like "fast food" and the other half will offer for example "Mexican". Then once you get into the main dining area, there has been bonus lines such as one today that offered Mexican desserts and for breakfast, a Belgian waffle bar.  Really cool.  

There wasn't a class offering in the first slot that really appealed to me, so I chose to spend some time on my favorite bench in the prayer garden, where I spent some times in the Psalms and in Revelation meditating.  The Lord reminded me about what true repentance looks like through some things he showed me.  

My first class was with one of my favorite children's music teachers, Darlene Abbott.  She is so very practical, and once again offered many concrete ideas, tips, and new songs for children and preschoolers that can really liven up a rehearsal.  This is Darlene's first time back at Ridgecrest since battling cancer.  she told me today that she has faced several surgeries and has one more to go with some follow up treatments.  

Worship this morning was fantastic.  Mike Harland & co. have really done well so far with providing a balance and blend of styles this year.  We began with one of the most worshipful arrangements of  "10,000 Reasons" I have ever heard.  The message this morning reminded us to be on guard against idols in our lives and used Psalm 16 to illustrate this point.  The thrust of the message dealt with what truly "satisfies" or quenches us, with the answer being of course, only God.  

I took another children's music course in the afternoon from another instructor, who I got a few good ideas from as well.  But the biggest surprise blessing was the class that followed, from Grant Norsworthy, called "Worshipper's Deathstyle."  Grant is the former bass guitarist from Sonic Food, and is from Australia.  This may have been one of the best classes I have ever experienced at Ridgecrest.  He was an engaging speaker, and dealt in a very convicting way with our attitudes and motives as worship leaders.  One of his key points was this quote from C.S.Lewis:

"Every poet and musician and artist, but for grace, is drawn away from the thing he tells about to the love of the telling 'til down in the deep hell they cannot be interested in God at all  but only in what they say about Him"

Basically, this means that many worship leaders are in constant danger of loving their craft and vocation more than God Himself.  Scary and dangerous stuff.  Looking forward to the second and third sessions.  I laughed and cried in this session.  And although I've never been a fan of the frequently covered secular song "Hallelujah," but I will never look at this song the same way again after Grant ended the session by singing his version and commenting on the history and lyrics of the song.  

This was followed by another reading session from LifeWay.  Like yesterday's mullti-publisher offering, I found a couple more potential pieces.  I may have to blog a separate list of just the pieces I've liked.  

Supper was great and the evening concert from the group "Veritas" was excellent.  They are a classical-ish men's group heavily inspired by Roger Breland's "Truth" (thus the name).  They were funny, professional, and snappily dressed.  If this gig doesn't work out, they could be great extras in the next Men in Black movie.  ;) I don't think I've seen that many black suits together in one place since my last visit to the funeral home.  But I digress....

After the concert, the Nibble Nook, and after I finish here, soon to bed.  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2013 Day One

As I normally do while I'm at Ridgecrest for Music Week, or rather -ahem- "Worship Week" (must train myself to use the fancy new title), I try to summarize some thoughts on what I've gleaned from each day.  To be honest, this is primarily to help myself not forget some things, but it it's also to share with some friends who may not have gotten to go or as a report to some folks back home on how we're getting along here this week.  So, yes, it's an accountability thing for me (self-enforced). :)

We arrived a bit earlier this year in order to have time to get the kids registered for things and to look through the course offering and plan our week.  This year, Nathan had the opportunity to audition for a part in the children's choir camp musical, directed and written by Celeste Clydesdale.  We were excited that he got the part of "Fireball" in the musical "Blast Off".  This is really the first drama part in a musical like is he's ever attempted, so this will stretch him a bit, in a good way.  

Tonight's opening worship was very encouraging.  We began with "Blessed Assurance" to set the evening off, and had a mini-message from us conference Pastor Eric Geiger, who reminded us that while worship isn't always "spectacular" it should always be "supernatural."  After this, Paul Baloche led in a worship concert, singing many of his staples such as "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and "Above All" as well as some I was not familiar with.  One I had not heard that I think I may bring back to use at our church was one called "The Same Love" (not to be confused with the very irreverent secular song with a similar title).

Ridgecrest Music Week 2012 Day Four

By the way, last night's movie "Unconditional" was VERY good.  I am always skeptical about Christian-based movies, as many, sadly, tend to have lower-rate acting, and in other was are so disappointing.  Not the case with this one.  The acting in Unconditional was superb.  The story, which is based on a true story, is gripping, emotional, and filled with moments of hope in humanity.  It is emotional, but you don't feel emotionally manipulated, either.

Today was another full day.  And in typical Music Week fashion, this is the point of the week where I start to feel my brain is full.  Still, lots of new information, tips, and tricks were shared today that I'll take with me. I started the day with another children's class dealing with movement.  I had such a good experience with the teacher I had yesterday, I chose to go back to another one of her classes.  I discovered a treasure of Silly Songs in a collection called "Crazy Praise 3" that was so good I immediately went and bought it.  There are songs on the recording with titles such as "I Think I'm Going to Throw Up" (It's not what you think;) ) and Ketchup on My Apples.  I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

I toot two tech classes today.  The first dealt with Video Editing, and I did get some good tips on some software recommendations, tips, and tricks, that may help us in the future.  One thing I did learn that shouldn't have surprised me was about how fast the shift to web-casting and pod-casting worship services is coming upon us.  Very few churches are choosing to rebroadcast on television anymore.  I still think there is value in that sort of ministry, but it is clear that technology is changing here in a big way.  The second class I took was on Copyright Issues (as it relates to music/tech), and I was reminded about how confusing the web of permissions and licenses required to do ministry can be.  Some things were cleared up in my mind, but others, not so much.  Still, I am glad I took the class, as much has changed in this area just over the past few years.  I was also  able to get some advice from one of the tech teachers on replacement mic ideas for our hanging choir mics when we remove our middle one for the projector.

This morning's worship music was again very good (although it has been so loud some days I feel my ears have been bleeding :)  )  Travis Cottrell led in "Jesus Saves" this morning, which our choir did a few weeks back.  It was good to hear that song led live by the person who wrote it.

Nathan's children's choir had its end of week performance this afternoon, and the camp youth choir sang as well.  Both groups did very well.  We are about to head to supper, and then the final evening feature with Charles Billingsley.  

Oh, and maybe one more trip to Nibble Nook.  :)

Ridgecrest Music Week 2012 Day Three

Today I had a little bit of a different focus in my classes.  I decided to go more towards the children's track this morning, taking two classes that deal specifically with older children's choir:  Let's Play and Calm the Chaos.  The first class dealt with creative ways to use instruments with children's choirs.  I got some good ideas for boom-whackers specifically, and some neat ideas for making your own stomp instruments.  The other session dealt with maintaining order in your class, and it was very helpful too.  I picked up some new ideas for recording attendance and incentives.

The music in worship today was extremely good, with a very inspiring choir anthem, and congregational version of "Your Great Name."  The message today dealt with our mandate to train and inspire younger leaders through mentoring.  It also dealt with how to keep a positive attitude through the hurdles of the aging process of life, and still be usable by God, especially in passing on wisdom to future generations.

The afternoon brought another reading session, and sadly this one did not offer really anything that I thought would be useful.  There were many anthems by Word Music in this session, who usually bring a lot to the table, but not this year.  It was sad, really.

I usually try to head up to the prayer garden for some time with God, but a pop-up rainstorm culled my plans.  Instead, I hung out in one of the cozy lodges in Mt. Laurel and enjoyed looking at the beautiful views of the campus and a good conversation with one of the volunteer ladies who I have seen here in years past.  I also spent some time re-reading the book of Ruth, and really enjoyed these moments.  One of the things that I think God reminded me of in this passage were about how valuable loyalty is.  Ruth stayed loyal to both God and her mother-in-law Naomi, and was rewarded by God through a relationship with Boaz.  This passage from Chapter 2 was really touching:

¹¹ Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. ¹² May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

It also reminded me about how during times in our lives where the Lord plants us in a new place, that we should strive to be faithful, loyal, loving, and servant-hearted toward those that surround us, despite our differences.

Tonight, as has been the tradition of the past few music weeks, they have been premiering a new Christian movie.  This year it is one called "Unconditional," and it looks pretty intense by the trailer.  After supper, we'll be heading that way.  http://unconditionalthemovie.com/


After tonight, just one more full day of classes!  

Ridgecrest Music Week 2012 Day Two

Today was a very packed day of classes and activities.  We began with a great breakfast and then after dropping Nathan off for his first year in the Ridgecrest Children's Choir, we attended a devotional time with Randy Vader and Jay Rouse.  After that, Vader and Rouse, who are the head guys at Praise Gathering Music, did a reading session of some of the new music from their publishing house, which since last year has been partnered with LifeWay.  (Incidentally, we learned also that Lillenas will now be partnering with LifeWay from this point forward as well, which I think it great news).  From this session, I found one candidate for our Christmas Cantata that is worth a second look.

Travis Cottrell led us in musical worship for our morning service.  He is a fantastic worship leader, and led in a couple of his favorites our own choir has worked on and/or sang at Southside (To the King, and Just As I Am).  Our guest Pastor, Ben Mandrell, presented a message from Timothy dealing with fear, and how we have to make a conscious decision to trust in the Lord's strength and choose not to be afraid.  After lunch, I chose to be a part of two different classes that dealt with worship leadership, one from Kirk Kirkland, and the other from Travis Cottrell.  Both were very good and reminded me of some very important principles.  However, Travis' class was extremely good, and I have a new-found respect for his authenticity and humility.

The afternoon brought another reading session, this one from LifeWay.  Another stand-out cantata possibility was discovered in this session.  Here were some of my choral anthem stand-outs:

Born on Christmas Day, a stirring Christmas ballad:  http://lfwy.co/LWRFJR

Christ Has Come, a very majestic choral Christmas piece:  http://lfwy.co/LWRxdk

When the Stars Burn Down, an anthem brought to us by Jennie Lee Riddle, author of "Revelation Song":  http://lfwy.co/Nz9Jqq

The evening feature began with pre-service music by the Illinois State Youth Choir, who had a great sound.  After that, Keron Jackson took the stage, and he was fantastic.  With a huge baritone operatic voice, he performed several spirituals and inspirational pieces.  Here is a link to a youtube video that shows a bit of the blessing we heard tonight:  http://youtu.be/QQvMCXS3gGA  Closing the program was worship leader and singer/song-writer Shelly E. Johnson, who is also now in LifeWay's "stable" of writers.  I thought she has a "Katy Perry" sound to her voice (Sharon disagreed).  She performed many heart-felt ballads, some coming out of the loss of her father to cancer while she was a teen.  Nathan commented after the concert that he REALLY liked her music.  Her website is here:  http://www.shellyejohnson.com/