In Tune With the Spirit

A few weeks ago i led worship at a small church in bellevue there I lead about once a month.   They are such sweet people who love the Lord and have a deep sence of fellowship.    I found myself at the end of the service, feeling rather discouraged however, at the lack of response during the worship time. Afterwards I thought about it, and even with a few small technical difficulties, the songs flowed well, people sang along, and I checked all the right worship boxes.   Yet somehow it still seemed to fall flat.     I know the Lord can work in our weakness and I pray He moved in ways i could not see....but afterwards i could not help but feel as though i had walked through motions that led nowhere.    I always try to go into each worship time, weather I am leading or not, with the mindset that worship is not a performance but rather a time of reflecting, rejoicing, listening, and honoring the Lord.   It is a time for Him to speak, for Him to move, and for us to lift His name.    But....like anything else we do often enough, it can become habitual.  It can become, over rehearsed.  As I sat down and Pastor Chuck began to speak, I heard the Lord gently and lovingly say that while my intensions were pure, i had walked in that morning with an expectation.    Not an expectation of His presence, but rather, an expectation for the experience itself.     Instead of surrendering to His plan and purpose...instead of trusting Him to move.   Worship that morning for me was, a practiced procedure of sorts.    

My dear friend Cherie and i recently got together with another friend of mine, Shay, to write a song.   She had recorded the melody into her phone and then played it for Shay so that he could figure out what key it should be in.  After playing the first few lines, he started plunking out notes on his keyboard.   After a minute, struggling to find the right key, I started to wonder what was going on, then he said "Cherie you sang that in between two keys!", She said "What do you mean?" He answered " You are literally in between two keys...perfectly on pitch with yourself but not actually in a real key" We had a good laugh and adjusted the key to the right place, but later i got to thinking....that happems sometimes when we lose site of the Lord.   We become less aware of His presence when we don't consciously engage with Him each time we enter into His presence.    We sing, the words are all there, the music is there, we may even raise our hands, or clap to the rhythm.   But the pitch is slightly off.   Not quite centered, not quite on point.       

I was reading through Luke recently and read this passage in chapter 18 

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God

"Those who led the way" probably thought they were singing right in tune.    They were so enthusiastically following Christ, walking through the motions, leading the way with confidence and authority, but so blinded to the heart of Christ.   To those in need.  To the movement of the Holy Spirit.   I can picture in my mind that they were so consumed with their own agenda that when Jesus stopped to help the blind man, they kept right on going, not even looking behind to see that He had stopped.    Yet the blind man....after fighting to be seen, fighting to be heard, upon receiving His site, did not run ahead to the front of the line, but instead the Bible tells us that he, "followed Jesus".  I imagine...Filled with tremendous joy and gratitude. 

About a week later, I played at the Hope Center, Nashville Rescue Missions Ladies Campus.    Instead of my normal preparation and planning.   I planned nothing.  I felt unprepared and nervous.  The whole way there I prayed that the Lord would have His way.  I played down my agenda and simply said, Lord use me however you want to tonight.    And as I sat down to start playing, the presence of the Lord fell like a blanket over the room.    As I sang each song He whispered to me what the next song should be, and what to say in between. I was able to minister and lead those ladies in worship and it was entirely the Lord and His glorious presence.    I was simply a vessel.     So my prayer now, is this.  Lord, I lay down my agenda.   Use me however you want to.   Move however you desire.  Do Lord, what You want to do....whatever it looks like, whatever that means.    

As worship leaders, we are called not to "lead the way" but rather to "follow Jesus".   And in doing so, help others to also follow Jesus.    But we have to first be in tune with the Holy Spirit....listening and singing in the key He is playing. 

Power, Power, Wonder Working Power

A couple of days ago I started writing a blog...fully intending to finish it over the last few days but each time I sat down to write I got interrupted by life.    You know....it happens....but in the meantime,  I spent quite a bit of time at church, in rehearsals and Sunday morning services and this theme kept coming up around me.   Not at all on my writing agenda and yet somehow I knew the Lord was calling me to alter my plan and write about this instead.    It all started last Thursday when my dear friend shared a bit about his testimony and what had been on his heart over these last few weeks.    He was sharing that he grew up in a church where, even though his parents fully believed in the power of the Holy Spirit, that He is constantly giving us freedom and guiding us, interceding and moving through us, that his church believed that after Jesus came and the Bible was completed that the Spirit no longer dwells among us as we do not need Him anymore.    The theology aside, he shared about his struggle as a growing believer, walking through Bible college and becoming involved in churches over the years that believe in the power and presence of the Spirit....that while he longed to experience this power, he was afraid.   Afraid he missed his chance, afraid he was wrong or would be judged by others, afraid that it wasn't meant for him.   He said that he would sit in a service as a part of a congregation, and watch others find and experience this revelation, find hope and healing....that he would watch pastors speak over and encourage other believers and he would tell the Lord "if they call me then I know it's my turn....If they say this word then I know it's you"   And his time never came, the word was never spoken, no one ever called him out directly.   And while he knew he was saved, he also knew he was missing something.   It wasn't until recently, after becoming a part of Grace Chapel and hearing testimony after testimony, and seeing what the Lord would do each Sunday that he began to realize it wasn't too late.   He could have this freedom and power.   And start walking in it.   And now he ha a growing passion to see others, who have a similar struggle, find and walk in the power of the Spirit....He is there and waiting for us to receive it.    Our church Grace Chapel is a very Spirit led church.   I remember the first time I went to a service many years ago, I was immediately struck by the presence of the Holy Spirit.   At one very sweet and poignant moment in the service, a women who I later called a dear friend, started singing a hymn.  Just her, no music, no prompting, she wasn't even on stage, just sitting in the congregation singing a beautiful and timely hymn.  Her voice filling the air while the room sat silent, listening....being led deeper into His Presence.   I broke down in tears and knew in the moment that this was where I was suppose to be.
But some struggle.   Struggle between what they grew up believing to be true and what they feel when the Lord begins to move.      My friend went on the share that his heart is burdened for those who struggle with this.   Who feel the pull to engage with the Spirit, yet fight within, holding back and hanging on to the fear.
 In 1st Corinthians 15 we read an account of Christ's appearances after His resurrection.   It tells how He appeared to more then 500 brothers and sisters, yet we read in Acts1, that "in those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)"   What happened to the other 380 that He appeared to?  While they waited for the Holy Spirit to come, did they stop believing?  Did they fall prey to the rumors that it was all a lie, or that it wasn't meant for them?  And after the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 120...how did they feel then?   Like they missed their chance?  Like they messed up and failed due to lack of faith or fear of persecution?    That is the beauty of our Savior....He is not a missed opportunity.  He is constantly perusing us, constantly calling us deeper, constantly drawing us near to Him.....through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us.    And His presence is not conditional.  


John 16:13-15 Says
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

This past Sunday after talking about these things during rehearsal, we sang songs of Joy and freedom, and our Pastor got up in the middle of worship, stopped the Service in it's tracks and did an alter call for freedom.   For anyone walking in addiction or burdened by weight we were not meant to carry.....hundreds of people came forward and received new freedom.    The Spirit moved in mighty ways and with tears I realized that this power, this freedom, this truth is ours every day.   Every. Single. Day.
We can walk in power and not be defeated.  We can experience healing, and hope, and joy.  He is our helper in times of need.  We have the gift promised to us in Acts 1...we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit!   You have not missed the boat.  It is not too late to walk in this power....this wonder working power.  Hallelujah!!