thoughts on Excellence!

4 Scriptural Foundations regarding EXCELLENCE!

  “...approve the things that are excellent.” Philippians 1:9-10 (New King James Version)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

“…most excellent way.” 1Cor 12:27-31 (New International Version)       

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.

“…these things are excellent…” Titus 3:8 (New International Version)       
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

 “...anything is excellent…” Phil. 4:8-9 (THE MESSAGE)

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Excellence does not equal success. 

It doesn’t always seem logical. 
It isn’t always popular.
 
Success is a worldly standard.      Excellence is a spiritual philosophy.

Treat a person as he is expected to be and he will rise to that level.  Treat a person as he is and he will stay there or decline. Paraphrase, Goethe

Words People of Excellence Are Comfortable With

Challenge                
Goals             
Growth Opportunities
Vision                       
Risk               
Failure

“Mediocrity is excellent to the eye of the mediocre.” – Joubert

“You will never stub your toe standing still.  The faster you go, the more chance there is of stubbing your toe, but the more chance you have of getting somewhere.” – Kettering

“We need to be on the stretch for God.” – Jack Hayford

"Observe those who seem to be better than average." – Ted Engstrom

“…soak his life with characters who had achieved excellence.” –  Elton Trueblood

EXCELLENCE can be attained if you:

            CARE more than others think is wise…

            RISK more than others think is safe…

            DREAM more than others think is practical…

            EXPECT more than others think is possible!

“We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom…that we are most free when we are bound.  But no just any way of being bound will suffice; what matters is the character of our binding.  The one who would be an athlete, but who is unwilling to discipline his body by regular exercise and by abstinence, is not free to excel on the filed or the track.  His failure to train rigorously denies him the freedom to run with the desired speed and endurance.  With one concerted voice, the giants of the devotional life apply the same principle to the whole of life:  Discipline is the price of freedom.” – Elton Trueblood

Don’t Equate Excellence With Success

“Excellence is based on failure, usually one failure after another. – Ted Engstrom

            Thomas Edison –  inventor of numerous things used every day,

            2 dejected assistants, 700 failed experiments,

            Ted Williams – batted .400, failed 6 out of 10 times

            King David – failed to control himself, “a man after

             God’s own heart.”, failed to discipline his sons

            Sarah – Listed in “Hall of Fame”, used as an example of a Godly

             wife, failed to have children until 93 yrs old., failed to treat Hagar
                      properly,
                  Sampson – used by God to deliver Israel, disobeyed God 

 Peter – pivotal leader in the early church “The Rock”, denied Christ 3 times 

 Jonah – A whole city turned to God.  Jesus quoted his prayer., ran from God

“Years of discipline for a moment of freedom.” – (paraphrase) Martha Graham

We Don’t Expect Enough From Ourselves

We say “I can’t” too often.

We say “I don’t care” too much.

We say “I don’t know” too easily.

We say “I’m not sure I should…” too quickly.

We say “What if” too much.

Think about an Olympic Athlete and those statements.

Who is "The Choir?"

It is interesting that a large, diverse group of people can assume 1 name and 1 identity, "The Choir".  I sometimes sit and ask myself, "Who is `The Choir' and what makes us the same and what makes us different?"  Every group is unique in itself.  Yet they all take on certain qualities.  The following describes what I'm talking about from my time in a Baptist Church in Southern California.  I've seen it in places around the country.

In 1989, my CHOIR was a smaller, yet enthusiastic group.  They were learners, people who worked to try to figure out the style of a new director.  He was young, ambitious, probably a little green around the edges.  Some of the names and faces of the '89 CHOIR changed over the years, many remained.  Most would say they had no formal training in music, but just loved to sing.  Others held undergraduate degrees in music, or may have sung in a college chorale.  Several played instruments; violin, piano, trombone, spoons.  Several had performed for audiences of thousands at places like the Hollywood Bowl.  Oddly enough, I don't believe it is musicianship that made the CHOIR what it was. 

Personality, wealth of experiences, the PEOPLE themselves is what made up the CHOIR.  Some were students, some were stay-at-home moms, some were retired, others wished to retire to the golf courses of America.  The CHOIR had people with 6 kids and people who wanted kids, even people who, at times, wanted to give their kids to someone else.  There were eternally happy people who never had a bad day, There were hurting people who needed the support and encouragment of others. 

From the little rehearsals with 19 singers in '89 to the "bring in more chairs" rehearsals of 50+ in '95, the thing that made CHOIR rewarding was the people.  Each individual brought their unique wealth of gifts and experiences, offered them to the group, allowed the director to mold and shape them, and became "The Choir".  THE CHOIR - a glorious messenger of God's truth in song. THE CHOIR - a crying, hurting soul begging for God's mercy.  THE CHOIR - the lifter of majestic praise to God's throne.  THE CHOIR - a personality of fun, laughter, smiling and joy.  THE CHOIR - a small, quiet voice for God's convicting spirit.  THE CHOIR - carrier of the burdens of God's people.  THE CHOIR - using music to prepare hearts, through God's Spirit, to hear Him.  THE CHOIR - a living picture of the Body of Christ.  THE CHOIR - regular, everyday people, using the gifts God has given, growing closer to eachother and to God in the process, ministering to His people for His glory. THE CHOIR!

I can't think of anything more relevant to the Church.  Let's face it.  In a time where choirs are being replaced with praise teams or individual worship leaders alone, someone has to recognize and point out what THE CHOIR offers a church, regardless of the style of music.  I don't think the problem is style but medeocrity.  That's a subject for another post. I'll just say THE CHOIR can be a relevant, excellent worship leader within today's church. 

8 Foundational Scriptures and Principles on Worship

1.    CHRIST IS EVERYTHING TO ME.

(Phil 3:7 NASB)  But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

2.    MY LOVE FOR HIM INVOLVES MY WHOLE BEING.

(Mat 22:37 NASB)  And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

3.    THOUGH I AM SINFUL, IN HIS PRESENCE IS WHERE I NEED TO BE.

(John 21:7 NASB)  That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said^ to Peter, "It is the Lord." And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.

4.    ALL THAT I AM (WHAT I THINK AND WHAT I DO) IS HIS.

(Rom 12:1-2 NASB)  I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. {2} And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

5.    IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO WORSHIP, PRIVATELY AND PUBLICALLY, NOT ONLY FOR GOD’S GLORY AND MY GOOD, BUT FOR THE EDIFICATION OF OTHERS AROUND ME.

(Heb 10:19-25 NASB)  Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, {20} by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, {21} and since we have a great priest over the house of God, {22} let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. {23} Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; {24} and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, {25} not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

6.    OUR WORSHIP MUST BE SINCERE AND FROM THE HEART.

(Isa 29:13-24 NASB)  Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, {14} Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the discernment of their discerning men shall be concealed." {15} Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?" {16} You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made should say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? {17} Is it not yet just a little while Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field, And the fertile field will be considered as a forest? {18} And on that day the deaf shall hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. {19} The afflicted also shall increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. {20} For the ruthless will come to an end, and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off; {21} Who cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments. {22} Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; {23} But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, And will stand in awe of the God of Israel. {24} "And those who err in mind will know the truth, And those who criticize will accept instruction.

7.    THE PLACE TO WORSHIP IS IN OUR HEARTS and WORSHIP IS A BALANCE BETWEEN THE TRUTH OF THE WORD AND THE EMOTION WE FEEL.

(John 4:19-24 NASB)  The woman said^ to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. {20} "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." {21} Jesus said^ to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. {22} "You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. {23} "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. {24} "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

8.    TRUE WORSHIP LEADS TO AVAILABILITY AND ACTIVE SERVICE FOR THE LORD.

(Isa 6:8 NASB)  Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

What is Worship?

“Worship is fundamental to our experience with God.  It is communication, true expression of our understanding and feelings about God and to God.  It is not only for “holy” people, but for “real” people who desire a real relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.   Worship places us before the very throne of God and moves us to commitment, to holy living, to know God and to His service.  Worship is foundational to the body of Christ.”

-Donald W. Hofer

Me...part 2

Sunday night...finished work at 6...home watching football...thinking about life...
Need to have further discussion related to my last post...

I talked about the Enemy telling me that God is holding out on me. I talked about the battle I've been in to stop believing that.  I'm one of those who believes what the Bible says. I may not act like it all the time. But I know it's the ultimate source for truth and answers to life's questions. So I will not accept the message from the Enemy because I know God is who He says He is. He is I AM. Not I WAS. Not I WILL BE, but I AM. That's what I have to keep working on daily to battle the message that He's holding out on me. In fact, I think you're probably a lot like me. He's not holding out on us. He wants to be with me right now.

The funny thing (not really funny at all) about the Enemy is that once he gets you to believe that first statement, he hits you with an additional statement of contempt. Rather than encouraging you to believe that about God and trying to convince you that you've got what it takes to make it without God, the Enemy hits you with the next message: You don't have what it takes to have the life you want. You've made too many mistakes. You're not smart enough. You're too poor. You're too weak.

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate how you set me up to fail. So this is my response: You are right! I DON'T have what it takes. I HAVE made mistakes. I'm NOT smart enough. I AM poor. I AM weak. But did you hear what I said earlier? I BELIEVE the Bible. God says He's more than enough for me. The price has been paid for my mistakes. Forgiven. Forgotten. He will give me wisdom and understanding. He has all the riches for me I will ever need. He is strong.

I'm not listening to the Enemy any longer. That's my goal. I'll do my best. God will have to do the rest.

If you have just under 4 minutes yet, listen to this http://youtu.be/jv0zvwvrzm0. It's Michael English singing "The Only Thing Good In Me". The recording isn't great. Hopefully you can understand the lyrics.

The Story God Is Telling...Me, part 1

To say life feels difficult sometimes is an understatement. While some really exceptional things are happening there are also many exceptional challenges. When will it all change? How will it all turn around? Why is this happening? 

I have been a fan of John Eldredge for many years now. I find his writing connects with me in ways that other inspirational Christian writings do not. I like his use of movie scenes to illustrate his points and being a visual person, it helps the message resonate inside me. I have recently gone back to his writing in hopes of finding direction and clarity..

In his book Epic, as well as his other writings, Eldredge asserts that we are all part of a larger story. He believes life is a story, not a math problem, not a scientific formula, nor an accident. He says that possibly the greatest question we can ask ourselves is "What sort of tale have I fallen into?" Furthermore he identifies that, for most of us, life feels like a movie we've arrived at 45 minutes late. Yet we can't escape the feeling that there is a story written on the human heart. But what is it? How do I fit into the story? Where does it really begin and does it have a happy ending?

This Epic is all about relationships and freedom to love and freedom to choose. It's about Romance and Rescue. It begins "Once upon a time..." and it ends "...happily ever after." Traditional Christianity consisiting of frequent church attendance, self-righteous living and lists of do's and don'ts somehow fails to connect the story written on our individual hearts to the Epic that is being written since time began. As I have been working to be really honest with my self I am realizing that I'm not happy with the role the Author of the larger tale has cast me in this Epic. Unfortunately the Villain in the story has capitalized on our freedom to choose for ourselves. You see, it is our ability to choose for ourselves that makes this an Epic love story, for nobody wants the love of someone who is forced to love them. As Eldredge puts it "God created us in freedom to be his intimate allies, and He will not give up on us. He seeks his allies still. Not religion. Not good church people. Lovers. Allies. Friends of the deepest sort." What the Villain of the story has done is whispered to all of us, including me "You cannot trust the heart of God...he's holding out on you..." He has undermined the relationship.

So God has a complicated problem. He loves. And he loves us so desperately that he wants to rescue us. To further complicate things, we don't always realize we need to be rescued. We can be so caught up in ourselves and our smaller story that we don't realize that we are part of the larger story. Yet in my heart, however faintly it calls to me, I hear a voice that tells me I was once more than I am now. It beckons me to be part of this great Romance. So why is the seed of mistrust that the Villain planted in my heart growing like a weed, choking out whatever Romance with the Author the heart is trying to cultivate?

This is where I have struggled. I have the knowledge that I am a cast in this Epic love story that has been going since the beginning of time and is, in fact, eternal. My heart is desperately longing for happily ever after. But I have found myself stuck in whatever scene of this Epic I'm in and have felt tragic, and has felt like God is holding out on me. What do I have to do to get this story moving forward? What do I have to do to have a better role in this tale? I don't like the part I've been given and I want it to change. Could it be as simple as a choice? God says "I have set before you life and death...Now choose life. (Deut. 30:19) I thought I had.  I thought he understands imperfection and that justice, mercy and grace were working together to make it all better for me.

So I've wrestled with the questions. I've looked at the big story once again. At the end of the book Eldredge lays out "the road before us." He describes the answers to the questions and poses new questions. I have spent time pondering the questions and I think the answers were presented to me. The Narrator voice for the story written on my heart spoke louder. The voice of a close friend helped to clarify by listening and offering empathy and insight. But like I said earlier, like all of us I have the freedom of choice and sometimes I think I chose not to be rescued. That is the saddest part of the story.  Now I choose to be rescued.

If you would like to know more about John Eldredge and Epic: The Story God Is Telling, you can click here: www.epicReality.com. There you will also find a link to Ransomed Heart, John and Staci Eldredge's ministry based in Colorado.

Music Is Relationship

"To sing like this, in the company of other souls, and to make those consonants slip out so easily and in unison, and to make those chords so rich that they bring tears to your eyes. This is transcendence. This is the power that choral singing has that other music can only dream of." --Garrison Keillor

Relationships are the most important things that were ever created.  They are the very things that make us feel alive.  More so than any personal belongings, any amount of wealth, any amount of prestige, relationships going well instill life within us or drive us to the depths of despair when they go bad.  Even the drama of 4^th grade girls struggling through relationships proves their power over the human soul.

The most important relationship is between us and God, should we choose to acknowledge it.  It isn’t my purpose here to preach a theology but to recognize what millions of people all over the world have recognized:   That a relationship with a “higher power” brings purpose to life, meaning to existence and hope for the future.

Music is one of the most beautiful things created.  For those with whom it strikes the innermost chords of our being, nothing else touches us to the depths that music does.  It summons within us feelings of joy and even ecstasy and can move us to tears of overwhelming sadness and grief.  The beauty of the instrument or the voice resonates within us as nothing else does.  The message that music conveys enters our mind and is cemented there quicker than the spoken word.  There are very few who cannot recognize the beauty that music adds to our existence.

These ideas taught by Dr. Gary Bonner, Master Conductor, that Music Is Relationship and that The Process Is More Important Than The Product have resonated with me for years.  In my experience of participating in the creative process of music, particularly Choral music, I have found that void of relationship, music is a stale, cerebral, mathematical experience.  When the ebb and flow of relationship is allowed to embrace the creative musical experience, suddenly life is breathed into music and music becomes alive.  Author Robert H. Mitchell says “Intrinsic to this process are matters of relationship – that which is going on between persons – and matters of attitude.”

So in the creative process we realize that every step, every breath, every phrase and beat is as important as the final cadence.  Growth does not equal product, it equals process.  Look at any living organism and see growth happening in process.  When the process happens correctly the final product is wonderful.  The joy of leadership is to facilitate that growth process.

It also means that the process will never be the same twice because we are never the same twice.  When we allow our relationships to impact the musical process we watch music ebb and flow, because life ebbs and flows.  The impact of our relationships upon our music brings that music to life and the performer and the audience knows it. They may not know why the music feels alive, but they know it does none the less.

Relationship happens between the director and accompanist/orchestra, director and choir, choir and audience,  director and God, choir and God, audience and God.  These are the links that connect the pieces and infuses life to the music.  Unity in connecting these pieces is difficult to achieve by committee and often the process is unproductive.  Vision and direction typically comes from the top, the Conductor and disseminates to the others, particularly to the “cream of the crop” so to speak.  An interesting thing then happens:  As the “cream” rises to meet the challenge, share the vision, and bring the music to life, all the others rise with it.   Very few are left to drown below.  When the best of the bunch are challenged everyone tends to rise to the challenge.  Everyone then experiences the life of the music and the process of excellence otherwise not available to the lone participant.

With that in mind, in the process of music being relationship and creating music that is alive, the Conductor's role is to link the music with the relationships.  Thus, his primary role will be to help the music come alive for the singers and players.  He will do whatever is necessary to engage in relationship and connect that with the music.  So he will seldom be performing himself, but working hard to connect all the various aspects of the musical creation with the relationships important at any given moment.  This means that it is ultimately his vision that is connected to and all involved feel and experience the life of that process.  That may sound like a selfish process.  It is, however, a intensely unselfish process where music and emotion is given away to be scrutinized and devoured by all others. And hopefully enjoyed.

Relationships have such power over an individual.  As we cultivate relationships in the creative process we give power to our music.  And music becomes alive.

Philophy of Worship

With a commitment to excellence, I desire heart-felt worship from those involved in the Creative Arts.  I desire not only to make good music, but to positively impact lives for Christ and facilitate worship of our Lord. 

I desire to be intentional in all we do in the Creative Arts. Am not interested in promoting rote experiences, so each gathering is uniquely programmed.  Elements are varied, as are styles, in order to best facilitate worship.  I want to be sensitive to the preferences of the worshippers all the while prompting them to engage in thoughtful participation in each element of the service, even when the element is outside their personal paradigm.  Programming can be described as “laying out a feast…many different courses to the meal…hopefully most will partake of each course…”   While we enjoy the feast, this feast is not really for us, but for God.

It has been described that “music is the tip of the two-edged sword, that pierces man’s heart and allows the Word to come in.”  In the process of using the arts in  worship, our relationship to God is primary.  We want to praise and glorify God and respond to the promptings of His Spirit as we worship.  However, our relationship to others is also important in the process and facilitating those relationships is our secondary goal.  We do this by continually reminding each other that the process is as important as the product, that success is internal rather than external and thus is difficult to measure and that God wants each of us to live up to our God-given potential.