Tweet, tweet…

• 07:15 Wishing all my tweets a happy and safe fourth of July… #
• 07:15 attempting a twitter lockdown for a few days…see you on the other side…. #

Tweet, tweet…

• 07:18 preparing to run some errands and head to the gym with the kids in tow. Bride needs house to herself to get things done. I’m such a giver… #
• 13:02 plans were hijacked by a dead car battery… After several hours and $75 I am back in business… #
• 14:32 what if everything was targeted at those who were truly hungry and thirsty and we gave no place for people to simply go through the motions? #
• 21:11 Oh yeah! Gorillaz. - Feel Good Inc. #

Tweet, tweet…

• 09:08 Keep thinking of the song by The Clash… Should I Stay or should I go now… Love The Clash…. #
• 10:48 Oh, Aslan. I couldn’t have left the others and come up to you alone, could I? Yes, and it wouldn’t have been alone, not if I was with You. #
• 21:13 Independence Day in a Multi-National World - is.gd/KSZ #
• 21:41 hating my photo… Anyone willing to help a brother with an "Extreme Makeover"? Or at least take a better photo? #

Wanted to share this with you… I look forward to the release of the album later this year.  The two songs featured are “Healer” and “Desert Song”.  If the rest of the album is anything like these, I look forward to spending a significant amount of time on the carpet face down…

One of the truly unique experiences I have as host of an internet-based church community is the interaction with people from all over the world.  It continually challenges my “set ways” of thinking about how I operate and interact with the world around me. 

On any given Sunday, it is not unusual for people from several different countries, and just as many time zones, to be joining us for worship.  I have finally gotten used to thinking of time as plus or minus UMT.   And let’s not even get into trying to figure out how to call internationally the first time…

So, as I started thinking about the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, I started to realize how irrelevant it will be to our members and friends living in Trinidad and Tobago, or South Africa, or any of the multiplied countries that we receive people from. 

Being global used to be such a badge of ministry expansion… Today it means simply using the tools that are provided to us.

Engaging people in countries and cultures other than your own really exposes the “set ways” of operating and thinking.

What has leveraging the web for ministry or being in multi-national ministry work exposed in your organization?  What have you done to become more neutral?

P.S.  Rec’d an email today saying that they have the Fourth of July in other countries.  They just don’t celebrate it in England… 

Tweet, tweet…

• 08:12 Headed to the office… Push through today and tomorrow then on to the long weekend… #
• 13:29 Just raised some eyebrows with a statement on the blog… Finally! #
• 15:18 preparing for tonight’s worship prep… God is up to great things! #

Tweet, tweet…

• 11:23 working off of a "spare" laptop… and by that I mean one that is less broken than mine that no one else would use anymore… #
• 15:51 thinking about making some major changes… just how far away from the shore am I willing to go? #
• 16:31 the older I get the less interested I am in foods with "mystery" flavors…. No, I do not want to guess the secret flavor… #
• 17:53 why does every trip to Walmart Customer Service end with a manager involved?… At least it wasn’t security… #

Leading worship is, above everything else, an exercise in relationship.  And as much as it is about the connections between God and man, it is as much about the people who are all lifting voices together.  To lead effectively is to navigate all of the different relational dynamics.  Regardless of your natural skill, each of these relationships has a way of coloring your corporate time of worship.

The Bible is very specific about how our interpersonal interactions affect our worship.   Ephesians 5:19 says we are to speak psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs one to another.  Matthew 5 tells us that if we are worshipping and we remember that a brother has an issue with us, we should stop and go make it right. 

It becomes apparent that God is not intending for us to focus on Him only, but that corporate worship should be about building the body of believers who are gathering.

Over the next few posts, I want to take a look at some of these essential relationships, including pitfalls to avoid and ways to strengthen. 

So, before you go into your next rehearsal or lead your next service, who do you need to go to and put things right?  Have fun!

Tweet, tweet…

• 08:28 I think the motherboard on my laptop is toast… the last 2 years have been 2 failed hard drives, 1 failed power supply & cord, now this.. #
• 09:32 any Gateway reps wanna rebuild my faith in their product? 2 years and now my fifth hardware issue… #
• 10:35 Dropping off bride and headed to gym with the kids… #
• 15:29 Sitting in the car because my wife is embarassed to be seen with me… Wearing total relaxation gear - grubby t-shirt and sweatpants… #
• 20:19 Blues Traveler on Austin City Limits… LOVE it! #
• 20:33 was ready to blame my lack of responses of Twitter… turns out I just don’t have anyone replying to me… #

Tweet, tweet…

• 08:14 Trying to motivate myself into keeping up my routine even though I am on a long weekend… do holiday calories count the same as regular? #
• 12:31 Surprised kids with Wall-E and on our way to lunch… Thinking good thoughts about my long weekend… #
• 12:59 Lunch @ Jason’s Deli… Love the salad bar… Kids love the free ice cream… #
• 14:10 All set for a quiet afternoon at home… Yay! #
• 16:18 Wii Tennis tournament… Bride is kicking my butt… #
• 19:54 Hummus and pita chips for dinner… #