Welcome back. You belong here.
Times like these I hear God's voice so clearly, I just like acting like I don't hear him. I hear God wants me to give up more and more of my comforts, time, house, personal time, alone time and to stop making excuses. I am an introvert with some extrovert moments so I like my alone time, but if we're to become a hub for our neighbors, friends, it means I have to give up more of myself.
The other thing is sometimes I don't like talking to people, calling them back, calling them period. Email and such is an excuse too many times to keep people at arm's length. That's not the man I want to be and I hear God saying, "call them back", "talk to people", "be more friendly".
How do I know I'm missing the mark in this area? After reading the list "You know you're in community when" I could only relate to one maybe two things on the list and I've known it for a long time and it stinks. It speaks to my selfishness. The funny thing is I really have grown in this tremendously the last 2 years, imagine how bad I was before!
Here's the list, see how you relate to it, is this your life? It's not mine, but I want this. God, change my selfishness.
You know when you’re in community when:
* You have a group of friends who know they can come over, or call your cell phone without feeling like they’re bugging you.
* You look at your weekly calendar and can find at least one or two times that you’ll be seeing several of them.
* The question, “How’s it going?” is quickly followed by, “how can I help?”
* The same people you call for a movie night are the same ones you call for prayer, and the same ones that you find yourself helping others with.
* You can’t wait for your non-Christian friends to meet “your people.”
* You are as excited to throw a party together as you are about studying through the book of Romans…but you still like studying Romans.
* You watch each other’s kids and are on call for emergencies.
* You can think of a few people you’ve had to suggest they go “play church” somewhere else.
* You can’t find all your tools cuz they’ve been loaned out to people in your community.
* You find yourself taking a hike together on Sunday morning instead of just going to church.
* You meet together as a community to help serve the larger church gathering or network you’re a part of. (If by chance you don’t think you should be a part of a larger congregational structure, you’ll probably heading for myopic land and you’ll be out of community all-together in a few months.)
* Everyone’s sniffed each others stinky socks (metaphor for knowing each others hidden secrets) and there’s now a freedom to just be yourself.
*Extroverts get to be extroverts and introverts can remain introverts.
*Your children feel like they are a part of the community instead of getting thrown into the basement to watch veggie tales until the big people are done talking.
*When needs come up within the sphere of your friends, your people quickly pool resources or commit time to help.
*When your house or the house of your community runs the social calendar for the neighborhood.
*When you can take a month off from meeting and pick up right where you left off.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
Monday, April 05, 2010
Friday, April 02, 2010
A Worshipper and Child of God First and Foremost
Welcome back. You belong here.
I love worship and justice. But at the end of the day, Justice is the other side of my first love - Worship.
In my life, I've experienced some amazing times of worship. Here's a quick list:
1. Worshipping in the car with my dad as adults to the song "Hermoso Eres" in the church parking lot
2. Leading "Te Exaltaré" in Nicaragua during a missions project. The unity of both churches, both cultures and the song itself filled with the Spirit's presence was amazing. I could near hear God singing with us
3. Singing "Tu Fidelidad" at my father's funeral while his brother, my tio Saul cried in the back of the church. I felt the Spirit of God flowing through me
4. Good Friday 2007, "Sing to Jesus" a production I directed called "Gethsemane", sung with choir, orchestra, young adult band. I still remember sitting in the bell choir stage to the side and crying as the song was sung. I heard God saying "I am pleased with this David"
5. The 1st time I came to my current church. I felt like I could worship here.
6. The 1st time I went to my previous church. I felt I was a kid in a candy store
7. Songs like "Solution", "God of this City" that speak of God's love for the nations
8. A story my mom told me of "bainas" in worship. My mom told me that one Sunday (Palm Sunday?) my dad wanted the worship to be more joyous in our church, so he brought hundreds of been bainas, dry, shaky, beans sheaves. Can you hear them? They sound like maracas, like tamborines, loud. My mom said during worship, everyone worshipped God with these bainas. It must have sounded like Heaven on Earth. So my dad.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
I love worship and justice. But at the end of the day, Justice is the other side of my first love - Worship.
In my life, I've experienced some amazing times of worship. Here's a quick list:
1. Worshipping in the car with my dad as adults to the song "Hermoso Eres" in the church parking lot
2. Leading "Te Exaltaré" in Nicaragua during a missions project. The unity of both churches, both cultures and the song itself filled with the Spirit's presence was amazing. I could near hear God singing with us
3. Singing "Tu Fidelidad" at my father's funeral while his brother, my tio Saul cried in the back of the church. I felt the Spirit of God flowing through me
4. Good Friday 2007, "Sing to Jesus" a production I directed called "Gethsemane", sung with choir, orchestra, young adult band. I still remember sitting in the bell choir stage to the side and crying as the song was sung. I heard God saying "I am pleased with this David"
5. The 1st time I came to my current church. I felt like I could worship here.
6. The 1st time I went to my previous church. I felt I was a kid in a candy store
7. Songs like "Solution", "God of this City" that speak of God's love for the nations
8. A story my mom told me of "bainas" in worship. My mom told me that one Sunday (Palm Sunday?) my dad wanted the worship to be more joyous in our church, so he brought hundreds of been bainas, dry, shaky, beans sheaves. Can you hear them? They sound like maracas, like tamborines, loud. My mom said during worship, everyone worshipped God with these bainas. It must have sounded like Heaven on Earth. So my dad.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Late Bloomer
Welcome back. You belong here.
I must be a late bloomer. Since I can remember, I've had a love for music and writing, and even though I've written songs for the last 10-15 years, I've never written them down, completed them much less play them for others. Well, I have done a few of them before but nothing like this.
Last week, I had my first rehearsal with my band, rehearsing 8 of my original songs. My intent is to record a CD and play around town this summer and see how well they are received.
I sometimes wonder why it's taken me so long. I have tons of friends that by age 18 have written songs, formed a band and been to just about every club, coffee shop or venue in town. Why did it take me so long? I must be a late bloomer.
In some ways, my childhood and normal progress was stunted due to the trauma of growing up with out my mother, father and sisters. They loved me but they weren't able to be in my life for most of it, from age 12 till today. So much of what's happening now, this harvest or confidence, is a result of processing all that.
Counseling, meditation, trusted friends, God's Spirit, all have combined to bring about this very slow progress. Much more growth and change is still needed. Writing and publishing my songs is part of my coming out and becoming the man I'm supposed to be. Feels great.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
I must be a late bloomer. Since I can remember, I've had a love for music and writing, and even though I've written songs for the last 10-15 years, I've never written them down, completed them much less play them for others. Well, I have done a few of them before but nothing like this.
Last week, I had my first rehearsal with my band, rehearsing 8 of my original songs. My intent is to record a CD and play around town this summer and see how well they are received.
I sometimes wonder why it's taken me so long. I have tons of friends that by age 18 have written songs, formed a band and been to just about every club, coffee shop or venue in town. Why did it take me so long? I must be a late bloomer.
In some ways, my childhood and normal progress was stunted due to the trauma of growing up with out my mother, father and sisters. They loved me but they weren't able to be in my life for most of it, from age 12 till today. So much of what's happening now, this harvest or confidence, is a result of processing all that.
Counseling, meditation, trusted friends, God's Spirit, all have combined to bring about this very slow progress. Much more growth and change is still needed. Writing and publishing my songs is part of my coming out and becoming the man I'm supposed to be. Feels great.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
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