Birthday Traditions

My daughter, Sophie, just turned 8 yesterday.  Our family likes to make a BIG DEAL out of birthdays.  We've started traditions along the way and have kept many of them.

Here are just a few highlights:

• on birthday mornings all the other family members wake the person up with a LOUD rendition of Happy Birthday
• a Krispy Kreme donut with a candle in it is on their plate
• balloons and flowers are at their place
• birthday person gets to choose where we go out to eat - usually it's Carrabbas!
• a poster of some sort with pix from the past year (sometimes a baby pic) is sitting by their place
• for the kids, dad writes a birthday letter to each of them every year which I read to them.

We've been doing this last one since they were able to understand things (around 3 years old).  In this letter I love having the chance to, in writing, affirm God's working in their lives.  I also point out strengths and growth that I've seen in the past year.  I highlight a few key memories which will help preserve them for the future.  Often, I will challenge them to growth in a key area as well.  

Here is a small portion from the letter that I  wrote Sophie this year:

There is a verse in the Bible that says: “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” Philippians 4:1 You are my joy and my crown, Sophie. I’ve told you this from the very beginning of your life and whispered it in your ear as I held you in the hospital. Joy is something that runs deep inside me when I get to be with you. You make my heart smile (if it could)! A crown is something that a king or queen wears and is proud of. It is something for others to see. I have to admit, I want others to see what a wonderful daughter I have in you.

These are things that I want her to know.  I've heard countless times about the difference a daddy makes in the lives of his daughters.  In fact, Kevin Leman wrote a great book about it.   

We treat birthdays with a lot of love in our family because we believe that this not only speaks, but shows VALUE to our kids.  I wonder if you have some birthday traditions that we could learn from?

Intentional Community

Our worship leaders, Trace Rorie, Jason Miller, Don Reynolds, Seth Bible and myself are getting together at Panera on a weekly basis now. We're finding that as things get more spread out between 2 campuses and various ministries that we need to have that regular contact, not only to "get 'er dun" but to build a sense of community and awareness of what is going on in each other's worlds.

I've been at points in my life where silo ministry has happened. People are working together, but they're not really "together" in truest sense. When things are smaller and only a few people involved, community can be less intentional. You do things together. You go to lunch. You work on projects because you are the only ones. As teams grow, the intentionality toward community must grow as well. We're choosing to make this an important part of our week. I can better pray for my brothers since I've heard where they're at. Our full staff team does this as well each week. Tim Stevens, our Executive Pastor did a great post on this a few years back.

I have to admit that this is a challenge for me because while I crave community, I also crave independence. As a person who has "IDEATION" as his chief character trait (check out Marcus Buckingham's Now, Discover Your Strengths), I like to do a bit of trail blazing. I realize though that as Mark Beeson has said that "the team outperforms the individual in the long run every time." I believe it and I'm willing to sacrifice some of my individuality and time to build God's church.

Best Mix Around

My wife, Lisa, and I are Diet Coke addicts.  Yes, you can say "that aspertame'll kill 'ya!", but we're responsible for boosting the local economy by purchasing fountain Diet Coke.  Note that we still are fans of cans ("that aluminum'll kill 'ya too!") but nothing beats a good 'ole fountain DC when you're thirsty.  

So, we have an unsaid rating system in our heads as we move around town as to which places have the best mixes.  The mix is an art form, we believe.  In fact, McDonald's (our favorite mix) has a standard special blend for all McDonald's across the country.  So here's how it breaks down locally:

Top 5

1. McDonald's
2. Sam's Club (we love the cafe' ladies there as well)
3. Speedway (particularly the one at Edison and 23)
4. Chick-Fil-A (the owners, Kathy and Brian go to GCC!)
5. Phillips 66 at Day Rd & Fir (you can choose cubed or crushed ice or BOTH!)

Anyone else as anal-retentive about their fountain drinks?

Great Wikipedia article about the history if you're interested... yeah, I'm a geek!

Turning Down a BLT

I just met with my good friend, Gene Ort, over lunch today.  We talked about what it means to have a relationship that maintains it's focus on Christ moment by moment.  We thought about some of the spiritual attacks that seem to come our way consistently - patterns of temptation that occur more frequently than others.

Gene brought up the idea that if we are mindful of spotting things as temptations, we're that much more apt to treat them as potential for sin.  Understanding how and when these temptations creep in can be a great tool for us in defending against them.  

I've heard the acronym "BLT" used for watching for patterns of temptations.

B - BORED - When we're bored and not engaged in something, we can get off target.  Like King David, when he wasn't engaged in his kingly duties of going off to battle, he fell into sin with Bathsheba.  

L - LONELY - We were created for community.  God's intent for us is to point each other toward Him.  Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  When we isolate ourselves, we're daring Satan to take aim.

T - TIRED - When we overwork ourselves, cheat on sleep, and run an unsustainable pace, these are ways that our guards can be let down.  We drop patterns of protecting our hearts - prayer, Scripture memory, meditation.  "Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23 

My brother Gene and I have the kind of commitment to each other that holds us accountable.  I'm grateful for Gene.  

 

Yep, it's True...

Hillsong London is coming to Granger Community Church on Tuesday, April 21st at 7pm. Tickets are $10. It is going to be awesome! Bring 10 friends! See you there!

Check out Jason Miller's blog for more details.

I Know Something...

What do this...

and this...

have in common???

You'll find out soon...

Baby Dane!

We had a chance to go see our Ted and Angela Bryant and their new baby, Dane last night.  What a beautiful family and what a cute baby.  It is great to know people like the Bryants who are some of the most intentional people we know.  They make time for what is important.  They are shining the light of Christ wherever they go.  They inspire us.  They encourage our faith.

We used to live just a couple streets over from the Bryants.  We miss them.  Was great to welcome their new gift into the world.

BTW - Ted founded and  runs Green Lockers which is a non- profit that helps get unused school supplies to kids around the world that need it.  Brilliant idea.  I love watching this thing grow.

LIVE - This Weekend

Some of my teammates and I are heading up to Hudsonville, MI this weekend.  We're going to WorshipTogether.com's LIVE Tour.  It features a day of training with some really great people.  Matt Maher (Your Grace is Enough), Brenton Brown (Lord, Reign in Me) and Michael Gungor Band (Friend of God) will all be there.  

Really looking forward to a time of worship that has nothing to do with anything that I have planned.  Sometimes it's difficult to allow God to minister to you when you're thinking about the execution of a service.  I'm hoping that the gift of this day/evening will be a great renewal for myself and our team.  

I'd really like to hear Matt Maher speak about Worship Old and New.  Having grown up Eastern Orthodox, the idea of giving new meaning to old forms excites me.  I'm also looking forward to Michael and Lisa Gungor's session on songwriting.  I've watched these two for a while, since they were up at Resurrection Life Church in Grand Rapids.  Love their hearts and I'm amazed by their talent.

For $55, this is a great deal.  

A Month or So of Thinking...

I've been thinking a lot this past month about blogging. This crazy cyberworld of ideas that is inundated every moment with more and more words.

I've been thinking a lot about the "why" of my part in adding to this pile.

In the past I think I've made some wrong conclusions about why I should maintain a blog. I had this crazy notion that everything I should say had to be either witty or at least original. Hitting both witty and original was the ultimate.

What I've found is that my focus (ashamedly) all too often came pretty much back to me. Maybe even saying this brings things back to me, I'm not sure how to psycho-analyze that one...

I don't know how long this will last, but I'd like to try a stab at simply sharing life with others. I'd like to help the people I lead at Granger Community Church get a better sense of who this bald guy who sings and occasionally acts like a cheesy music teacher really is. I'm going to "share the journey" as my friend, Jason Miller puts it.

Image management is a dangerous temptation in the world of blogging. I think of Brad Paisley's "Online" song. My hope is that you get more of the real Dan here. Not a "I've got it all figured out" Dan. We'll see what happens.

White Guys Can't Rap

Yes, we set out to prove that we really don't "got it goin' on".  This is a fun video that our friend Albert Martin produced.  Albert, J Aquila and I froze as we filmed this baby.  It was almost, crazy delicious, you might say...

Hard Times from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Sometimes I Just Don't Feel Like Worshiping

Have you ever felt this way?  I read this just recently and found it helpful.

So, next time you are tired and feel as though you have nothing to give to God in worship, know that you are right. There is nothing we can bring before Him that He hasn’t first given to us. And on those hard days, we must confess that we don’t want to worship Him but we want to want to worship Him. Over time, He will cultivate that desire in our hearts and souls to say, with the great psalmist, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” (Ps. 34) - Laura Story in the Worship Corner

Full article HERE

Psalm 22

What an amazing Psalm in hard times!  This verse grabbed me this morning:

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. - verse 24

We need hope today.  Christ is hope.  He is hearing our cries.

New Book Coming Soon!

My friend, and co-worker, Kem Meyer is releasing her first book!  Very exciting!  

How we communicate as churches is critical to how the gospel is brought to this world.  Kem is amazing at this!  It is ready for pre-order on Amazon right HERE.

Anyone Need Help with the Bible?

Have you ever wanted to memorize the order of all the books in Bible?  I had the same problem and I wanted my kids to learn them as well.  So, I wrote a couple of songs that I thought might be helpful.  They are meant for kids, but I've found that adults find them useful as well.  Who needs Bible tabs?  We don't need no stinking tabs!

You can download the songs for free HERE.  Let me know if they work for you.  God bless.

A Prayer for President Obama

On this historic day, where the peaceful passing of power takes place.  Where a person who would not have had full voting rights 60 years ago, now is our President.  It seems right that we should pray.  Here is my prayer for our next president:

Lord God, maker of heaven and earth, set up your kingdom in the midst of Barack Obama.  I pray that he would have courage and wisdom to make decisions that would honor You.  I pray for strength for the journey and integrity to live without regret.  That his responsibilities as leader of our nation do not overwhelm him to the point of taking care of his family.  

I pray for Michelle, Father.  That her character and strength would only further her husband's resolve to live a Godly life.  That she, herself, would make a huge difference in this world and thus encouraging other women to do the same.  I pray for their daughters, Malia Ann and Sasha.  That they would be able to live lives still as children.  Though it will be different, I pray that they are shielded from some of the harsh realities of the world.  I pray protection over this family.  May they listen as you guide their every step.  

I pray for the people around our President.  That they would be people of integrity and that their counsel would be valuable.  I pray for great discernment during times when the path seems unclear and great understanding of the deeper issues that are at hand.  I pray for a soft heart for him, Lord.  May he keep humility deep in his soul.  Your word says that no leader is placed in power apart from your will.  I trust that you will use this man to allow the Church to be the Church.  The hope of the world.  He has said it himself that government is not the hope of our world.  I pray that he sees a strong Church in the coming years.  A Church willing to humble themselves and pray and so doing, see the healing of our land.  And beyond that the healing of the world.  

Jesus, forgive him when he sins.  Just as you forgive each of us.  May his conscience quickly convict him of wrong and bring about repentance. Holy Spirit, you are in the business of renewal.  You know that our country needs it.  So I humbly ask, that you would renew the Obama family.  Each day provide them new mercies.  Bless them richly with your favor.  God, I do ask that You bless our country - not in some selfish way that we would hoard what we have and oppress the rest of the world.  That we would, due in part to President Obama's leadership, be a blessing to this world.  That Your kingdom would come and Your will would be done here on earth as it is in heaven.  

This I pray in the mighty name of Jesus.  The strong Son of God.  Amen.

A Song for MLK

This is a beautiful song by one of my favorite singer/songwriters, James Taylor.  Taking the time to remember a man (Martin Luther King) who was a great example of courage and leadership through immense resistance.     

Anybody using Boxee?

Free internet TV.  Could be where we're all headed?

Thinking about checking this out.  Any wisdom?

quick intro to boxee from boxee on Vimeo.

NY Times article here.

I LOVE THIS GAME!

Does anyone else LOVE this game?  I waited 3 Christmases to get this one.  My daughter, Sophie, and I love playing Rush Hour.   

I like it because:

1. It's simple.  No complex rules - Have you ever played the new version of Life?  Oh my!
2. It's lasting.  You can play it over and over again with the same cards and it's still fun.  It doesn't get boring quick.
3. It's smart.  It stretches your mind while having fun. 

Thinkfun is a great game company.  Love their products. 

Just found the online version here.  Happy driving.

What messages are we sending?

Have you ever been in a situation where you are at a table for coffee with a friend and they get a "tweet" on their phone and they take the time to answer it?  Or that cell phone call that interrupts dinner?  Or that email that "bings" on the computer that has to be taken care of before bed?

 

3 areas of concern for me:

1. Tact.  There seems to be a breakdown in social "tact" that just isn't right.  The twitter or facebook that "must" be tended to says something about value in a relationship.  At the cost of "cheating" the person who is present, a person will answer a text or tweet.  Something is not right.  Watch out for how many times we say "I've gotta take this."
   
2. Availability.  We're just too available to people.  Though cells and instant email is good in many ways, we've got to learn to set limits.  As people who lead people, are we available ALL THE TIME?  I hope not.  At a certain point in the night, we should "put the phone down and walk away.  Just walk away."  Emails answered at 2AM give the impression that we do and should be working ALL THE TIME!
3. Identity.  It scares me that a whole generation of people are being raised up that believe that their worth can somehow tie into how many hits or comments they receive on a blog/facebook/twitter.   It also scares me that I can easily fall into this trap as well.  

Our job as leaders is to set the example for others.  These are three areas that I'm working to be more intentional on.  Any thoughts?

iTunes Anywhere!

Apple just announced that iTunes is now available on both Wi-Fi and now it's cellular network.  This is good news when you're out and about using the Shazam app and want to download the song you are hearing in Mall bathroom.  Um...  Is that a little too much info?  

Article here.

5X5@5

The five members of our Senior Management Team from Granger Community Church are going on a multi-day retreat this week to pray, plan and strategize for the coming year/years of ministry.  

My friend, and teammate, Adam Callender came up with this idea:  

For the 5 leaders of our church, pray 5 minutes at 5pm for this entire week. 

I love to see the pastoral heart of Adam in this.  Here was his email to our staff:

I don’t think I need to convince anyone that this is a very important time for Granger, not because of budget, but because we have a whole community, country, and world that needs to know Jesus TODAY, all while we face challenges like we have never faced before. Because of that significance I’d like to ask you to join me by praying for them this week. I will be praying for our 5 pastors for 5 minutes at 5pm everyday this week. With that here are the five things I’ll be praying for:

· Their families—that God protect them and show them love and peace while they are away

· Wisdom and Discernment to make sense of our current situation

· Unity—that God grows them together as one during this time

· Strength—to persevere for the 5 days of meetings and conversations

· Courage—Mark (and I believe God) made it very clear to us last year what his One Prayer is for His church and I don’t think that has changed today. Pray for courage for them to lead boldly not cautiously, so we can be a courageous church that gives glory to God.

Again, this is what I’m doing. You may choose to do more or less but I do encourage you to do something special this week.

Adam

I'm with him.  If you'd like to join us, please do.  

FOOD DROP '09 - Family and Friends

I had the great chance yesterday to serve at the Food Drop '09 where we feed literally thousands of people in one day!  Unloading boxes of food and personal care items from Feed the Children and then getting them to people and food pantries across Michiana.  What a privilege!  What an honor to be the hands and feet of Christ.

I got to do this with my family.  This is our first year of actually going to the apartments where we could deliver the food face to face.  I think it was a great experience for my girls; putting a face on the boxes that we had loaded in years past.  We are praying for the people we delivered the love of Jesus to.  For Wes who lost his job 5 months ago.  For Sky who wants understanding in her family.  For Paul who wants to move forward and not stay stuck in a rut.  Our family is praying for these people.

I also got to do this alongside friends from the GCC Creative Arts team.  These crazy people give me life.  I pray for them and I know they are praying for me.  I love doing life with them.  It is so fun to serve with people you really love!

Special Time

A few nights ago, our family did what we call "special night time stuff" (catchy, huh?).  This is a time where about 20 minutes is spent one parent to one child where we ask each other questions and we tell true stories.  (We tried the make believe stuff, but it didn't fly.)  They like to hear about our pasts.  Adventures when we went to camp, how we were when we were their age, vacation stories from when we were young.  We try to do this every week 2x so that each kid gets contact with each parent.  

So the other night, my oldest , asked me, "Dad, are you going to do anything different this next year?"  Earlier that morning I had some prayer time with God and got the impression that I needed to spend "special morning time stuff" with God.  I have been pretty consistent for about 5 months of each day getting up and reading my Bible.  Part of the process has been looking for a word/verse to share with my other blog OneThought.net.  What this has been doing is it has been taking my focus off what I need to hear from God and focusing on what I think others need to hear.  My morning routine has become a bit longer because of this, but I can already sense the benefits to my walk with Christ.  

As leaders of others, we need to protect that which is most central to us - Christ.  It's kind of the put your own air mask on first before you try to help others.  I think once we shift into "output only" mode, it is there that stale religion and obligation can take root.  

Kids' Weekend Fun

It was so great to worship this past weekend with the kids at Granger Community Church.  Check out the service here.

Successful or Faithful?

This morning, I read this:

"God is not easily impressed - but then He never asks us to try to impress Him.  It is as if He turns to us when we are consumed with our own unworthiness and are tempted to avoid meeting with Him, then He cuts across all our excuses and says: 'Relax, I already know you.'

Amy Carmichael captures this feeling of such an exchange in her book His thoughts said... His Father said...

The son said, But I am not successful.

His Father said, 

At the end of the day will My word be,

Come, thou good and successful servant?

If only thou wilt walk humbly with thy God it will be, 

Come, thou good and faithful servant.

We are not called to be successful, but faithful - relax!"

from Celtic Daily Prayer

Speaking of Amazing Kids...

This rocks!!!!


Head Sways and Hands to Chest Galore from Behind the Scenes on Vimeo.

School of (Worship) Rock

I'm proud of these kids.  This after only 1 hour of practicing together.

More to come soon!  With kids singing!

Catalyst OneDay(Later)

So, it's the day after the awesome Catalyst OneDay event that we hosted at Granger Community Church.  More OneDay events are coming to Georgia and Texas in the winter.

I love conferences I think because I like to learn new things.  Only thing is, I've been to a lot of conferences that I seem to not remember a whole lot from even when I take good notes.  I like the the idea of trying to work on a couple or three things, so I thought I'd think back to yesterday and pick 3 things that I felt I learned or was reminded of:

1. Personal spiritual momentum is fueled by greater amounts of time spent in your area of giftedness. (Andy Stanley) This is huge for me.  I think I'm in a season right now where personal walk and using my gifts are lining up well.  I can look back to dry spells when I wasn't using my gifts as I should.  Now to help others do the same thing.

2. Never sacrifice your relationship with Jesus at the altar of doing ministry.  (Craig Groeschel) There will be busy seasons, but make sure you are proactive enough to schedule recovery time.

3. Your people need your leadership gift more than they need what you can do.  (Andy Stanley)  For those of us charged to lead people, this is a kick in the head.  I often get trapped in the doing of things and then don't have time to lead the teams I'm leading.  Delegating by giving people authority (not tasks) helps us to develop the leaders around us.

If you were there and have one to share, feel free.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHT: Got to hang out with Steve Fee and Matt Adkins from Fee. VERY COOL GUYS.

They Say Imitation is the Sincerest form of Flattery

Nice job on this! You guys rock!

More Advent Conspiracy

I'm loving so much of what Advent Conspiracy has to say. Check this out from Rick McKinley - pastor at Imago Dei.



This is the promo which several bloggers in my world have posted:

Creativity in the Church

This is how creativity in the Church does some amazing things:

New Creation from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

Thanks Johnny Keim.

Can or Should?

I've been thinking about this question a lot lately.

There are a lot of things I CAN do each day.  I have a certain set of gifts/abilities/opportunities that I can invest my time into.   The bigger question to consider for me now is, "SHOULD I?"

For me, this seems to be a stewardship issue.  How we steward our time tells a lot about our walk with God.  If I consider my return on my investment, how am I doing in building the Kingdom values in my life?  The Bible often talks about consecrating things - or separating them - for holy purposes.  What does consecrated time look like?  What does today look like?  

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Have You Seen These?

Oh my hilarious...

Look Up

When I walked out of GCC last week after Wednesday night rehearsal, for some reason I thought I should look up.  When I did, I saw this.  I thought it was pretty cool.

Is it Art?

Question: Is this art?

How 'bout this?

Or this?

Or this?

Maybe this?

Or this?

The truth is that all of this could be art.  It all depends on perspective and delves into the world of aesthetics - "critcal reflection on art, culture and nature." - as scholars discuss it.  This is a quite complicated question and has been debated for centuries.  If you'd like more on this discussion, check out the wiki HERE.

As we think about creating art for the Church setting, several questions arise:

- who is art for (our target audience)?

- what art forms will express what that audience will understand?

- how do we handle critique? - both the affirming and the disdain

Have you ever been in church and experienced a piece of art that inspired you to worship?  Have you then left that service and had someone make a comment about the same piece of art that they thought "missed the point"?  THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.  And it has everything to do with what people value in art (aesthetics again).  One set of people may love a particular element, while another are either bored by it or flat-out hate it.  

So, as artists in the church, what are we to do?  We have a responsibility to bring our best to God.  But what is best?  

1. Pray - Ask God for great wisdom to lead as you plan and implement great art for His glory.

2. Listen - this is often the part we skip!

3. Plan - ask the questions about target and purpose to get you there

4. Work - work diligently (with as much feedback as possible often gets the best results.) 

2 Chron.24:13 says "The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it."  In rebuilding the temple they had to be intentional.

5. Be a DUCK - realize that not everyone is going to "get it".  You can't please everyone.  Just make sure that for the most part, the people you want to reach are being reached with what you craft.  

Go great make great art for the Lord who considers YOU his masterpiece! 

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10

Connect the Dots

When I was a kid, I LOVED "Connect the Dots" books!  Especially when you couldn't quite figure out what the thing was when you first looked at it.  The tough ones were a challenge, but the reward was better at the end, because it was usually something cool like a rocketship or Darth Vader.

The more intricate and challenging it was, the more dots were needed.

This is similar to our dealing with our volunteers.  Especially in the arts ministry that we do, the complexity that we are asking for week in and week out is astounding.  With this in mind, we need to constantly point people back to the "WHY" of what we're doing.  

CONNECT THE DOTS.

Ultimately, a technician who pushes a button throughout 4 services on a weekend, must understand that his/her button pushing is helping people see Christ!  A drummer needs to know that each hit of a snare can be inspire people to worship God.  We certainly should affirm the technical/artistic skill of our volunteers, but they can get that kind of affirmation in other arenas.  What they can't get is the reminder that when they serve, they are directly impacting people for Christ.  This is what the Church offers that other artistic venues can't. 

When people are pointed back to the vision and affirmed as they use their gifts to further that vision, our volunteers serve with better motive, are more satisfied, better equipped, and ultimately will give their lives for the cause of Christ.  

CONNECT THE DOTS.

Chewing...

I've been chewing on a worship song for a while now.  It's basic premise is that God is good.  This is a basic concept that I would love for our people to internalize and truly believe.  Mark Beeson spoke of it this weekend that even through tough circumstances, we must trust and believe that God is ultimately GOOD.  It's the premise behind Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  

A few thoughts/verses that I've been thinking about for the song:

• His love and mercy endure for all eternity
• Taste and see that the Lord is good.
• His unfailing love draws us in
• He is close the brokenhearted
• The Cross is the ultimate example of his goodness
• His kindness leads us to repentance
• We (His people) will declare His goodness to all nations

Anything that you might suggest?

Worship Smackdown

So, lately, three of modern worship's BIG GUNS have released new CD's:

Chris Tomlin's "Hello Love"

Charlie Hall's "The Beautiful Sadness"

Lincoln Brewster's "Today is the Day"

I'm going out on a limb here and saying that Chris Tomlin's has to be my favorite due to it's accessibility for corporate worship.  MANY good songs that can be used in the church setting.  My favorite new ones for the congregation (post-Passion releases) are: You Lifted Me Out and Praise the Father, Praise the Son.  I'm thinking that Jesus Messiah will be a great song for Christmas this year to give some variety.  For personal times, the song I Will Rise is absolutely stunning!  Musically, both Charlie and Lincoln have some edge (some great theology in Charlie's stuff which is usual of him), but for the group setting, Chris' album seems to win hands down.  

If you had to pick - which one would be your favorite?  

Anticipation vs. Expectation

As I was approaching our time of worship for our 1st Wednesday (midweek) service yesterday, I had a few thoughts.  For this particular service, I had done more spiritual prep than I probably ever have for a service at GCC.  Regular intentional prayer for about 4 weeks using the prayer (by N.T. Wright) that we presented to the congregation last night:

Abba, Father, maker of heaven and earth:

Set up your Kingdom in our midst.

Lord, Jesus Christ, son of the living God:

Have mercy on me, a sinner.

Holy Spirit, breath of the living God:

Renew me and all the world.

Check out the online version here.

What struck me in my preparation was that I wanted to wary of expectation for the night.  I wonder if that is how we as people who plan worship (and worshippers in general) might approach corporate times.  Do we come to God with a list of expectations as to how He needs to show up?  Do we have certain criterion that need to be met in order for us to engage?  

OR

Do we come in anticipation of what God MIGHT do?  That He might move in ways that are completely unexpected by us?  Do we leave the slate open for God to reveal Himself in ways that are beyond our preconceptions?  

Anticipation vs Expectation

My prayer changed the last day or so approaching last night - "God, do something unexpected - something I haven't planned for!"

It happened.

We were playing along, doing our normal thing - we entered into the song "Jesus Paid it All" by Kristian Stanfill (an arrangement of the old hymn).  During the bridge section, my brother Trace Rorie boldly led, "Oh praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!" I WAS UNDONE!!!  I could hardly hold back the tears.  Immense gratitude for all Jesus has done and continues to do for us.  I think approaching the night with anticipation rather than expectation made all the difference.  

"I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord, my God." Psalm 38:15

I was grateful for a great night of worship.  I'm hopeful that the next month of using the this Trinity Prayer as a church focus, will help our people move further up and further in with their devotion and love for Christ.  I believe that God was well loved by His people last night at GCC.

Words of Wisdom

I'm reading the book "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.  It's about a man dying of pancreatic cancer.  As I'm reading he reflects on life lessons.  Here are two lessons from one chapter that particularly struck me:

One was about his youth football coach:

"Coach Graham used to ride me hard.  I remember one practice in particular.  "You're doing it all wrong, Pausch.  Go back!  Do it again!"  I tried to do what he wanted.  It wasn't enough.  "You owe me, Pausch!  You're doing push-ups after practice."  When I was finally dismissed, one the assistant coaches came over to reassure me.   "Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didn't he?"  he said.  I could barely muster a "yeah."  "That's a good thing," the assistant told me.  "When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you."  

This is a different look into criticism and how we take it.  I often think it's because someone doesn't believe in me, but is a great perspective.  

The second quote: 

"There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem.  It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build.  Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone.  Self-esteem?  He knew there was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they can't do, they work hard until they find they an do it, and you just keep repeating the process."  

I like this.  This is why we want our kids to be good at something.  It is important for them to know they are loved beyond "doing" anything, but once a kid takes off at something, it can really build confidence.  I remember learning the Rachmaninoff "Prelude in C# Minor" for my Senior Piano Recital.  I honestly didn't think I could do it.  But, after MUCH practice and hard work, I was able to get it down.  I remember thinking, "if I can do this, I can do anything!"  

My Dad: A Tribute

There are a few things you only do once in your life.  On Wednesday I did one of those - I buried my dad, Robert (Bob) Vukmirovich.  Many friends and family gathered to pay tribute to a very special man.  On Tuesday night, after a short Eastern Orthodox memorial service (my parents are Serbian Orthodox), I had the chance to talk about my dad.  Though it was hard to do, I felt like it was something that I NEEDED to do.  With my mother, wife, children, friends and family watching, I spoke of dad.  This is basically what I said:

So many people over the past few days have told me how kind and patient my dad was.  I thought about how they perceived these character traits.  What it really came down to for me was that my dad was FULLY PRESENT wherever he was.  If he was talking with you, he would put aside distractions and really focus on you.  This was often in contrast to my mom and I who are frequently known to say things like "there's a bird!" during conversations.  My dad gave of himself to you, enjoying the moment.  A particular example of this was when he and my daughters would play "the quiet game" while they traveled in the car.  Who could be quiet for the longest was the goal.  My dad, (they call him Deh-da - the Serbian word for grandpa) would usually let the kids win as all grandparents should.  On one particular playing "the quiet game", Deda "lost" by saying "I love rainbows!" - one of those random, kind of out-there statements.  If you saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory think "I love grapes!"  So this phrase began to be adopted by our family as a message of being in the moment.  You'll hear my kids every once in a while say "I love rainbows!"  A great way to remember Deda.

My dad also had an incredible desire for touch.  It would have been one of his top Love Languages - a book by Gary Chapman.  This was true every time we got together.  I wouldn't just give him a quick "hey there" hug.  No, these hugs were the real deal.  It was intentional touch time.  I remember one time when I was very young.  Waiting for Christmas Eve guests to arrive.  Now our family is Serbian.  And Serbian time runs anywhere from 15-45 minutes behind the rest of the world.  So I was waiting for cousins to come open presents.  I was getting tired too from all the excitement.  So, I cuddled up to my dad in our sweet Avocado green La-z-boy recliner.  This was the type with the smooth, kind of pleather finish.  Bring on the 70's baby!  So we squeezed in the chair together and we both took a little nap.  I felt safe in the lap of my daddy.  So I rested.  I think that's kind of what my dad just went through.  He was tired, so he crawled up into the lap of his heavenly daddy and is now at rest after a long and tiring journey.  

So that's what I said.  Much more could have been said, but I wanted dad to be honored by brevity.  He would have liked that.  More smiles about his life than tears about his death.  I think that's the way I want to go out.  

I thought I'd finish by letting people know some things about my dad:

- he loved tech toys - we had the first "portable" VCR (11 lbs) on our street 

- he loved model trains - we used make a track that would go around the entire basement

- he loved to sing - a church choir member and director for over 50 years

- he was a chemist - 41 years at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit

- he loved crossword puzzles - everyday Detroit Free Press, New York Times on the weekends

- he loved gardening - especially flowers

- he hated eggs - any kind, prepared any way - even in this last hospital stay he asked "no eggs"

- he had the driest sense of humor - many a groan at his jokes

- he never had an unkind word to say about anyone

- he adored my mom - in his last years he called her "his hero"

- he was my biggest cheerleader (before my wife) - his words were always "you can do it!"

- he was enamored by his grandaughters - always on his mind and heart

- he was a man who was well loved

- he was a man who loved well (for this I am forever grateful)

Wanna Have Success Selling on iTunes

Here's an article that might help.

Um....

Thoughts?

Thanks, Jeff.

Baptism: A Dad's Perspective

Just had to put these up.  It was a sacred honor and privilege to baptize both of my girls.  This was a next step in their growing faith in Christ.  We've seen their growth as they pray, as they serve, as they share their faith.  This was the year.  On Sunday, both of my girls drove a stake in the ground to remember the covenant they made before God and many people - to love, follow and serve Christ all their days.  It was, as I said before, a day to remember.

A Day to Remember

Yesterday was one of those days.  If you saw the movie, "Groundhog Day", it was one of those I would feel great about repeating.  

Quick rundown of the day:

• Slept in.  (Bonus: kids slept in!)
• Coffee mix was just right
• Read Bible and praised God for some amazing things the day prior
• Took a shower/shaved my head - NO CUTS
• Prayed with Lisa and my girls for the upcoming baptisms
• Came to church during the 9:30 service and there was ONE PARKING SPOT available!
• Baptized a whole group of people with Dr. Bob, including my new neighbor Marcie Herman 
• Between baptisms, hung out with my brother, Jason Miller.  I always walk away closer to Jesus after hanging with him.
• Completely overwhelmed by the attendance at the 11:30 service and was brought to tears as almost half the crowd came forward to receive Christ. 427 at that service alone!
• Baptized John Nace.  A special guy with a special story.
• Felt so loved by our church family and friends who came to watch Anna and Sophie be baptized!  Our friends the Geschkes and Longcors (who came from Goshen) were cool surprises!  
• Baptized Anna.  I couldn't even get the first words out.  Seeing my wife in the pool and Dr. Bob.  After catching my breath, I was able to finish.  I saw a radiant young woman of God emerge from the waters.
• Baptized Sophie.  Her sweet, calm responses to the 3 questions about her commitment to Christ.  Then as we lifted her from the waters, hearing the crowd around us cheer.  That was great!
• Gave each of the kids a cross necklace to commemorate the day.  And they were fully grateful!  
• Went to Logan's after church and had a great steak, baked potato, and the ROLLS, baby!  Our server, Kaitlyn, was top notch as well.
• Hung out on the bench outside of Walmart with my brother, Corey Mann.  Great to catch up and hear his heart.
• Got home and a slew of little girls were hanging out around our house.  Lauren Baker and Sophie got heavily into dressup.  No fights between anyone!  
• Kids off to bed.
• Watered our plants outside.  Always a time for reflection on the day for me.  Good time with God.
• Spent some great time with Lisa

It was a great day.  One of the best in recent history for me.  God is good.

Holding Steady

Thanks for everyone's prayers. My dad is holding steady. Fairly lucid - He asked for Diet Coke :). Yesterday the doctors were telling us that we had hours. Today they are telling us weeks. We are now asking what is next. This is where we will need a great deal of wisdom. Thanks for anyone who would lift up a prayer on behalf of our family.

Update on Dad

Thanks for all your prayers.  My dad is stable but in pretty rough shape.  They didn't catch him before the 3 hour window that can make all the difference in rehabilitating most of the stroke damage.  He is at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital (where he worked as a chemist for 40 years) and they are performing an MRI today.  I'll be heading up to Detroit after services tomorrow.  My mom felt that not much will change between now and then, so we're going with that.  

Specifics for prayer:

1. My mom and I will need to make some pretty tough decisions regarding my dad's care from here on out.  This could include semi-permanent nursing home care.
2. My mom's house is way too big for her to handle and though she has been doing most of the maintenance (and hiring a lot), she'll probably need to move.  The Detroit housing market STINKS, so we'll need that to pray about.
3. If my dad somehow is able to recover from all of this, his "good leg" often will get a bed sore on the heel which takes months to heal because of his diabetes and poor circulation. If we could pray for a well-taken-care-of heel, that would rock.

Thanks again everyone for all the well wishes and prayers.   

Prayers Needed

Hi everyone,

Just need prayers for my dad, Bob, who had a stroke this morning.  He has total paralysis on his entire left side.  He was taken to the hospital this morning by ambulance.  My mom is shaken.  Our hope is in Christ that His Kingdom is revealed in all of this.  

5 Years (and 3 days)

I just remembered that it was five years ago on August 24th that I came to Granger Community Church to be "Pastor of Music and Drama".  Since then, my role has evolved to drop the "drama" part of the title.  Kristin Baker is much more capable than I and is running point on an amazing drama ministry.

Five things I've learned in these past five years (I've learned a lot more, but this is a blog you know):

• It's either about Jesus or about me; it can't be both.
• Prepping to lead worship is much more than musical - it's "on your face time" before God 
• The team outperforms the individual in the long run, everytime.
• The three P's of ministry with volunteers: PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE.
• Key friendships are just that, KEY.

We've grown so much here.  I'm thankful for 5 great years.  GCC is a great people to be part of.

Chalk Dan

This is me through the eyes of my daughter Sophie.  Check out the sweet KICKS!  

"For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10

Creating Space

This morning I had the chance to have my monthly breakfast with my daughter Anna.  We head to Bob Evans restaurant on or around her birthday date each month.  I stole this idea from Mark Beeson about a year ago.  She ALWAYS gets the Little Farmer's breakfast (which is quite the deal for $3.00).  I ALWAYS try to LISTEN with both my EARS and my HEART.  Making the space for this is crucial to me in really knowing my daughters well (I do this with Sophie too).  

This particular morning was great since we had a chance to wander the campus of Notre Dame as well.  Through a few comments that Anna made, I was able to literally hear her heart.  Knowing what my daughter is going through allows me to be much more specific in my prayers for them.  I have a focus for this next season that I will bring before Christ daily, on behalf of Anna.  I'm fully expecting God to do some amazing things in this area of her life.  

Without the breakfast and the time to just pull away from everything that distracts - TV, computer, cell phone, etc - I would not have had the opportunity to hear this.  I'm grateful for Anna and for the time we intentionally spend together.

Thoughts on Worship

I've been reading Marva Dawn's book: Reaching Out without Dumbing Down.  It has been challenging me in several ways with regard to worship.  I don't agree with all that she writes (as if that would be a good thing).  I do love her heart.

Here are a few things I like so far:

• "The entire act of Christian worship is a gift to God of the entirety of the worshipers' lives."  This goes against an attitude which might say "I didn't get anything out of the service today."  Ultimately, who are we gathering for?  Us or God?
• "Genuine praise of God depends upon truth.  It is not just an attitude of appreciation or an emotion of well-being or delight; instead, it acknowledges a superlative quality or deed.  Praise does not express our own yearnings or wishes; it responds to something given to us."  This is a what we are moving to at GCC.  More time to respond to God's truth.  I think it's working.  It is so good to be presented with truth and then have the space to process it and ultimately respond in praise of the One who allows us to recognize it.
• "Churches actually do worship participants a disservice if their praise of God ignores life's harsh realities and God's presence in the midst of them.  To be only upbeat is to be unbiblical."  Agreed.  If people experience only the aspect of joy in church, they may come to suspect that the people of the church are plastic.  That "real life" is being swept under the rug while we put on happy smiles for weekend services.
• "Worship must center on God, glorify Christ, involved people, express praise, communicate the truth of the Bible, encourage faith, promise redemption, reflect the incarnation, build up the Church, instill vision, make an offering, nurture communion, and evoke an 'Amen'."  This is certainly not an exhaustive list (from C. Welton Gaddy), but it is a good place to start.  The challenge is to discern what emphasis God desires in a given service.  Obviously all of these elements cannot receive the same amount of attention in one service.  In the fullness worship over a given season, I agree that these should be covered.

As we move through different changes at GCC, I'm sure we'll continue to wrestle with defining what our worship looks like.  I'm thrilled at this challenge.

Our Newest Family Member

We just picked this little guy (or girl) up last night.  Waiting on the name since our hamster will be shared with Lisa's Montessori classroom.  The thing is just so stinkin' cute.  It's so cute, that I'll tolerate poop.  Yes, it pooped on me about 12 times when I held it this morning.  Should be a fun pet.

TODAY

This is me.  Many moons ago, in ancient times, when bad hair days meant something to me.

I am older now.  

I have less hair.

I believe I have more wisdom.

I am less fully dependent on others.

I am more in need of true friends.

I need an "'atta boy!" less.

I choose to give extravagant encouragement whenever possible.

I have less time to sleep.

I make more time to dream.

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." 1 Cor. 13:11

I'm thankful that God has given me the incredibly blessed life that I have.  A Savior who lives, breathes, and is fully present in every aspect of my life.  A wife who shows me what true loyalty and sacrifice is all about.  Two kids who help me learn to celebrate the JOY of the moment.  A church that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, has helped me draw closer to God.  Friends who lift me up and challenge me to greater things.  Today, I am truly grateful.  TODAY is the best gift I can receive.

New Blog

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm switching the series on OneThought to a new blog at www.onethought.net.  

My hope and desire is that this will be a helpful tool for people desiring to simplify by simply focusing on OneThought each day based on Scripture.  I may add images in the future.  If you have any ideas for making that particular site more engaging, let me know.  This blog, will be more sharing of what God has going on in our lives as a family, church and community.  Thanks.  Take care.

One Thought

Today:

HOLY

"As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy." 1 Peter 1:14-15

One Thought

Today:

TRANSFORMED

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1

One Thought

Today:

BELIEVE

"Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him." John 9:38

One Thought

Today:

GOOD

"Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8

One Thought

Today:

SATISFIED

"My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you." Psalm 63:5

One Thought

Today:

PRAY

"This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'"

One Thought

Today:

SING

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting of the upright to praise him. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." Psalm 33:1,3

One Thought

Today:

ABBA

"For you have not received a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

One Thought

Today:

PEACE

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

One Thought

Today:

HOPE

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23