Category: worship

i don’t believe the weather man anymore

Meridith1 Comment

No seriously, I don’t.  It’s like the weather here in Oregon has become just like the weather in Thailand, it has a mind of it’s own, which actually I don’t mind much at all since we’ve had some beautiful sunny days with the weather getting up to 60 degrees some days.  That’s a good winter to me, seriously.

I’m eating some frozen Thai chicken thing for lunch, and wishing I was down at Sombat’s eating REAL Thai food, I guess this will have to do for now.

I haven’t blogged much about returning home to the States after a year overseas… well I haven’t really blogged much about anything at all in the past year.  Crazy to think that on April 2, 2009 I returned back to the States, almost a year ago.  Time flies, seriously.

The images and feelings are burned deeply in my mind, even still today.  I was sitting, freezing cold in the Portland airport, watching all the unhappy, fat, and dressed in black (I really don’t know if it’s all that slimming as they say) Americans pass me by, on to their next appointment, flight, whatever.  Busy busy busy.  I just sat in shock, staring at their cold, white faces, and wondering what the rush was.  I was used to the warm, tanned and glowing faces of the Thai people, who smiled all the time, even if they were in a bad mood, or if they were having the worst day of their lives.  It was certainly a shock to be back in the States.   I was ready for Spring, and warm weather, but apparently Oregon hadn’t gotten the memo I was coming back.

That day is still crystal clear in my mind, even today.  Once I arrived in Medford, it was cloudy and cold, but I was warmly welcomed by my family, whom I hadn’t seen in 1o months.  On that day, I also remembered the day I had left, the feeling in my stomach of excitement, with no fear at all.  Yet upon my return, I remember feeling very afraid.  Afriad I would forget Thailand, or that I was making the wrong decision to return, or that in this economy I wouldn’t be able to find a job… a job that was where my heart really was… worship ministry.

Thinking back, it’s easy to see I should have trusted, I should have had faith.. more faith than at the time.  Those are all moments I will never forget, mostly because it was a time when I was most vulnerable, most fearful, yet exciting at the same time.

I miss Thailand, a lot, but I know my life here is still an adventure, even though I’m extremely jealous of my dear friends who get to enjoy Koh Samet any weekend they want.  🙂

Blessings to all who still read.. hope you are well.

worship

Meridith1 Comment

I tend to forget how “new” the concept of congregational singing in worship really is.  There’s lots to be said about the history, but part of Martin Luther’s stand against the Catholic church was the initiation of singing in a language that the people understood (the Mass is in Latin, and at that time, most people didn’t speak or understand Latin), but also to include the singing of the people in worship services.  Then again, Martin Luther at the time also thought that organs were basically an instrument of the devil (some would probably still say this is true today!).  🙂

Anyway, John Wesley was actually an important person with the protestant development of congregational singing, and he urged worshipers to stand while they sang hymns.  This was in the 18th century, not really that long ago, in the scope of time.

John Wesley also gave some pointers and guidelines for singing, “Sing lustily and with good courage.  Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.  Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan” -1761.

I’m not sure what he means by the songs of Satan, but maybe we could apply that to secular music today?  Gosh there are LOTS of great songs on the radio that are songs you just sing out without any fear (unless the window in your car is down)… so why should our worship be quiet on Sunday mornings?  And why are we always “half dead or half asleep”?  This is a call to let our praise be loud, exciting, and full of DRUMS I say!  (Interesting but here’s a fact about faster music, “Some churches use drums in worship; a beat slightly faster than of the human heart enlivens a group of people, gets them on their feet, and unites them into one vibrant body” -Gail Ramshaw).

Anyway, just a few thoughts to share with you all.

Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

i just sneezed

Meridith1 Comment

Okay, so since being back in the States, I really forgot how much people freak out about cold season, but especially now, because of the Swine Flu.  Anyway, I just sneezed, and I work in a building that is a school, and many of the teachers and staff have been sick over the past week.

But here’s the thing, normally who cares about getting sick, just get sick and get over it, right?  Well, it just so happens that Lindsay’s long expected/long planned wedding is this weekend, and after it’s all over, Sunday morning I still need to get up and lead worship.  My job depends on me being WELL and being able to sing, so I can’t get sick.

I just bought “Wellness Formula” that apparently is the “#1 Immune Formula”, well it better work.  Crap, 2,150% daily value of Vitamin C!!  This better work.  “For best results, be taking Wellness Formula tablets at the very first signs of imbalances in your well-being.  During imbalance, take 3 tablets every three hours.”…. wow.  2,150% daily value of Vitamin C every 3 hours.  Okay, pleassseee work!

The crazy week begins.. well it already has begun, but Mike arrives tonight (and yes Lindsay, I’m excited to meet him).

The Lord’s Prayer

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Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
For a class I’m taking right now, there are several disciplines we have to experience, one of those is praying the Lord’s Prayer every day for a month.  Some days I wake up and right away, I remember to pray it, but more than just “pray it”, I try and think through what it means.  As a Christian, and really for anyone in any organized religion, it becomes easy for things to become routine, and by acting in those things that are required, we miss why they are important.
Just like we should all pray.
Just like we should all read our bibles.
It’s interesting how the disciples, of all the questions they could have asked Jesus, they ask to be taught how to pray.  Father tells us that we are on a personal level with God.  Hallowed reminds us of how holy he is, and how un-holy we are.  Asking for His Kingdom and will to be done gives God full power and control in our lives.  Asking for him to give us our daily bread teaches us to ask only for what we need, and to know that he will meet and provide that need.  Asking for forgiveness for our sins, and for those who have sinned against us teaches us humility as we place in God’s hand our own humanity.  The KINGDOM, the POWER, and the GLORY should belong to him forever, and we lift up these characteristics of God, knowing that he will show these things in our own lives, but to the entire world.
Maybe you’ve strayed, maybe intentionally, or maybe each day you’ve let yourself slip away from the Lord’s presence, whatever the case, sometimes it just begins with a prayer of faith, a verse of encouragement, but either way, he’s whispering for you, because he’s a Father who cares.

‘Tis So Sweet…

Meridith1 Comment

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jill Paquette is one of my favorite artists… she’s an amazing vocalist and guitarist, and I had to share this song with you all because it’s been one of those songs for the past year I’ve held on to when things got too difficult for me to handle….
“Some will take the road less traveled, some will take the same old way.  Some will face a lonely battle of walking out a choice they didn’t make, holding to a thread of faith…”

“oh for grace to trust him more”…

I can’t say life has been easy these last few weeks… and definitely has been far from walk in the park.  Life is weird, it’s very weird, and right now, all I can ask for is the grace to trust him more and more.  Life is hard, but living without Christ is much harder.

I hope comfort will be found for those needing it today.  The words are quite profound, listen to them and drink them in.

Colorado, worship, the Kingdom of God

Meridith5 Comments

Goodness, I have so much running around in my brain.  I feel renewed, yet exhausted at the same time.  Is that even possible?  I guess…

I just got back from an amazing Worship Conference in Colorado Springs, at New Life Church.  I didn’t really know what to expect exactly, it’s been years since I’ve gone to a worship conference, especially one of this number!  There were about 3,000 people there, and over 40 States represented.  Each day was filled with great speakers, amazing times of worship, and great fellowship.

I feel emotionally inspired, yet overwhelmed.  God is so big, why do we always forget this?  My passion and calling to worship ministry was deepened during this conference, in a way I can’t really explain.  Worship is something so sacred, and so unexplainable.  There are so many ways worship ministry can be done in church as well, I’ve only seen a few models of worship.  As a worship leader, I’m called to lead, no matter what the circumstances.  I also must speak and guide with boldness, and will conviction.  I need those.

The Kingdom of God.  Also not a light subject.  I have my big paper due on Sunday, and I’ve been trying all day to get another big dent into it, but it hasn’t happened.  Before I left for the conference, I made myself finish at least the first section, now I’m working on the next.  It’s such a hug subject just to put a definition on… ehhh.  Many of you have asked to read it, I’ll post it on my blog as soon as it’s finished.  The pressure of so many people wanting to read the paper also makes me want to perfect it… I’ll try, but I’m only human, so no heavy pressure, ok?

passions

Meridith1 Comment

What is passion?  How is passion grown in our hearts?  I don’t know the answers to these questions, but as I’ve learned, God reveals in our hearts the things we are passionate about, and often these passions are connected with the gifts we are given, and talents we have.

Passion is often defined as more of an emotional experience we have, but I’ve learned that passion is both an emotion, but also something that can be buried and grown deep in our hearts, and that “emotion” has roots, and is stronger than a passing feeling.

We all know the story Jesus tells about the master who gives his three servants “talents” or coins to invest, and it is the choice of the servant what is done with those gifts.  (The parable is found in two of the Gospels, in Matthew 25:14-30, and Luke 19:12-28).  In this familiar story, we can also see ourselves.  God has given us things in this life, maybe they are material things like money, maybe it is time, maybe it’s a spiritual gift, there are a number of things that could be seen as the “talents” in our lives, and we can choose to be selfish with those things, or we can choose to serve God with those things.  Part of serving God with these things may also look different, maybe it will mean DEVELOPING a certain skill, talent, or gift.

Our God is gracious, but I pose a question that I’m not sure has an answer: if we are given something and don’t do anything with it because we are scared of losing it, or afraid of disappointing God, can that be taken away?  Can we “lose” a passion we have?  A gift or talent we have?  Money?  Time?  Spiritual gift?  I think so.  INVESTING can mean a number of things, but if God has been the one to give us that gift all along, I don’t think we should fear losing it, or more importantly, providing for our needs.  In the parable, the master called the servant “evil and lazy”, or burying his money.  In Luke, the servant of the King said he was afraid because the King was a harsh man, and “severe”.  

I have a number of thoughts about this parable, and also passion, and faith, but time has run out for now.  There will be a “Part 2” coming soon, I have some thoughts to share about how this has impacted me recently.

I’d love to hear your thoughts… I think this is something many of us wrestle with, and it’s nice to know we’re not alone.

Love you all.
Mer