When radical people do radical things under the radical direction of God, we see radical results for the Kingdom of Heaven.
That is the philosophy that I have come to live by. For over 12 years I have engaged in the “work” of ministry to one extent or another, and apart from God Himself only one thing has remained the same throughout the course of that time – everything must change. Without the willingness to embrace the changes that God brings our way, we are ultimately sentencing ourselves to struggle, falter, and eventually fail.
When I first began attending church, the “modern” music we used in our worship services was written by artists like Don Moen, Steve Green, and Rich Mullins. Imagine what we would have missed out on had we refused to embrace the changes that brought us such talented worship leaders and songwriters as Chris Tomlin, Laura Story, Keith and Kristen Getty, or any of the many other modern day psalmists serving on both local and global platforms.
Indeed, living out our faith is, in many ways, living in change even from the very beginning. The act and decision of repentance, both initially and on an ongoing basis, is, at it’s core, an embrace of change – from the worldly and fleshly selfish ways of our past to the Christ-centered and Spirit-led ways of new life in Christ. That’s how it seems to be with Jesus and anyone He calls in to intimate relationship with Him.
Even the most elementary understanding of the gospels includes knowledge that Jesus called on the most unlikely people to become the first members of the Church. Fishermen, tax collectors, misguided members of the religious leadership, and even a prostitute were among the first believers, but they all had one thing in common – they had to walk away from the norm to pursue the call of Christ. So why should we be surprised when we are called upon to do the same today?
After a somewhat tumultuous season that began in mid to late spring, the decision was made to close the doors of Greene Community Church effective July 24, 2011. That change was the catalyst for an even greater Holy upheaval in my life and the life of my family. With a portion of my income now gone, my second job not providing enough to live on, and my primary motivation for staying in the northeastern Ohio area now void, I was more than receptive to any direction God would lead me in.
Through a series of discussions and much prayerful consideration that began even before Greene Community Church was closed, my wife and I came to a place where we fully embraced the unique partnership God had created between us and the Hennen family (the pastoral family of GCC). We felt very strongly about continuing our ministry with them and have sought the Holy Spirit’s leading in what that will be. When a decision was finally reached, the vision for this new ministry was and is both exhilarating and terrifying (at least from time to time), but one that I am fully confident in God’s direction for.
That being said, on August 14, 2011, our two families will embark on a journey. We will leave behind the familiar faces and landscapes of northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and set out for the western most part of Texas. We have already begun to sell or give away many of the things we won’t need or be able to take with us. We’re beginning to understand what it really means to be reliant on a community of believers. As our homes are emptied of belongings, we are beginning to appreciate the difference between “need” and “want”.
On the other end of this journey lies a ministry opportunity like no other. While I can’t share all of the details yet, we do know that this vision goes far beyond merely “planting a church”. We will be strategically positioned to serve as a base camp and training center for mission trips into Mexico and the Navajo Nation; we already have many of the resources needed to open a coffee house and outreach center; we have nearly 100 acres of land ready and available for the future development of housing and ministry facilities. I can’t explain how excited we are to be standing on the edge of such a great opportunity, but at the same time I’m freaking out at some of the challenges. We are fully reliant on God to provide all of our needs, and believe that he can do that and immeasurably more. What we don’t take with us, we won’t need; what we need will be provided!
This is proving, by far, to be the greatest exercise of worship in my life up to this point. I’m farther outside of my comfort zone than I have ever been. For every promise on the other end, I have a concern to match it. But I’m embracing this change with open arms because I know God has called me to. Worship is more than the songs we sing, or the prayers we pray. It’s what we do with every breath of every day. It’s every step we take on the journey.
So, if this has captured your attention – either because you’re equally excited and want to watch what God does, or because you think I’m out of my mind and may be joining some sort of rattlesnake handling desert cult – you can keep up with the latest developments as well as my thoughts and incoherent ramblings at any or all of the following sites:
youtube.com/theworshipjourney
txworshipjourney.blogspot.com
Facebook + The Worship Journey
That is the philosophy that I have come to live by. For over 12 years I have engaged in the “work” of ministry to one extent or another, and apart from God Himself only one thing has remained the same throughout the course of that time – everything must change. Without the willingness to embrace the changes that God brings our way, we are ultimately sentencing ourselves to struggle, falter, and eventually fail.
When I first began attending church, the “modern” music we used in our worship services was written by artists like Don Moen, Steve Green, and Rich Mullins. Imagine what we would have missed out on had we refused to embrace the changes that brought us such talented worship leaders and songwriters as Chris Tomlin, Laura Story, Keith and Kristen Getty, or any of the many other modern day psalmists serving on both local and global platforms.
Indeed, living out our faith is, in many ways, living in change even from the very beginning. The act and decision of repentance, both initially and on an ongoing basis, is, at it’s core, an embrace of change – from the worldly and fleshly selfish ways of our past to the Christ-centered and Spirit-led ways of new life in Christ. That’s how it seems to be with Jesus and anyone He calls in to intimate relationship with Him.
Even the most elementary understanding of the gospels includes knowledge that Jesus called on the most unlikely people to become the first members of the Church. Fishermen, tax collectors, misguided members of the religious leadership, and even a prostitute were among the first believers, but they all had one thing in common – they had to walk away from the norm to pursue the call of Christ. So why should we be surprised when we are called upon to do the same today?
After a somewhat tumultuous season that began in mid to late spring, the decision was made to close the doors of Greene Community Church effective July 24, 2011. That change was the catalyst for an even greater Holy upheaval in my life and the life of my family. With a portion of my income now gone, my second job not providing enough to live on, and my primary motivation for staying in the northeastern Ohio area now void, I was more than receptive to any direction God would lead me in.
Through a series of discussions and much prayerful consideration that began even before Greene Community Church was closed, my wife and I came to a place where we fully embraced the unique partnership God had created between us and the Hennen family (the pastoral family of GCC). We felt very strongly about continuing our ministry with them and have sought the Holy Spirit’s leading in what that will be. When a decision was finally reached, the vision for this new ministry was and is both exhilarating and terrifying (at least from time to time), but one that I am fully confident in God’s direction for.
That being said, on August 14, 2011, our two families will embark on a journey. We will leave behind the familiar faces and landscapes of northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and set out for the western most part of Texas. We have already begun to sell or give away many of the things we won’t need or be able to take with us. We’re beginning to understand what it really means to be reliant on a community of believers. As our homes are emptied of belongings, we are beginning to appreciate the difference between “need” and “want”.
On the other end of this journey lies a ministry opportunity like no other. While I can’t share all of the details yet, we do know that this vision goes far beyond merely “planting a church”. We will be strategically positioned to serve as a base camp and training center for mission trips into Mexico and the Navajo Nation; we already have many of the resources needed to open a coffee house and outreach center; we have nearly 100 acres of land ready and available for the future development of housing and ministry facilities. I can’t explain how excited we are to be standing on the edge of such a great opportunity, but at the same time I’m freaking out at some of the challenges. We are fully reliant on God to provide all of our needs, and believe that he can do that and immeasurably more. What we don’t take with us, we won’t need; what we need will be provided!
This is proving, by far, to be the greatest exercise of worship in my life up to this point. I’m farther outside of my comfort zone than I have ever been. For every promise on the other end, I have a concern to match it. But I’m embracing this change with open arms because I know God has called me to. Worship is more than the songs we sing, or the prayers we pray. It’s what we do with every breath of every day. It’s every step we take on the journey.
So, if this has captured your attention – either because you’re equally excited and want to watch what God does, or because you think I’m out of my mind and may be joining some sort of rattlesnake handling desert cult – you can keep up with the latest developments as well as my thoughts and incoherent ramblings at any or all of the following sites:
youtube.com/theworshipjourney
txworshipjourney.blogspot.com
Facebook + The Worship Journey
