The Power of Music

A major rite of passage, at least of sorts, occurred in our home last Friday…Ethan got his saxophone for middle school band. When we went to meet the band director, she encouraged Ethan to play the trumpet, but he was not interested. You see, I was a trumpet player myself, and though he didn’t want to offend me, he wanted his own experience. After some contemplation, he chose the saxophone. With eager anticipation, we ordered him a rental saxophone and waited with baited breath for its delivery.

We got home with the sax on Friday after school, and with all the excitement of a Christmas morning, he unpacked his horn and carefully assembled it. After moistening his reed, he placed it in the mouthpiece and blew, producing a pretty decent tone for his first time. Within a couple hours, and without any formal training, he was playing noticeable parts of the theme song to The Pink Panther and The Streets of Cairo, which you might recognize as the stereotypical snake charming song.

There was a sense of pride Tiffany and I detected in Ethan as he began to get the hang of this new passion. The more he played, the more I could see something happening in him…the music wasn’t just emanating from the horn, it was coming from his soul. I know personally there have been numerous times when I have gotten lost in a powerful song in a worship service, a great concert, while in my car, and even while vacuuming my living room. This brings to life a great quote from Heinrich Heine that attempts to define this transcendental shift, “Where words leave off, music begins.”

Music has a power that penetrates parts of the soul in ways words alone cannot reach; this is the reason we use music in worship services. Once music breaks through some of those inner barriers, the Word of GOD is able work its way deep within and do its transformational work of changing us from the inside out. Sure we may not know, or even like, all the songs we sing in worship, but if we allow worship to do its job, we are preparing ourselves to receive the word of GOD as it is read and proclaimed.

Music is very important in the Bible. Throughout Scripture we see instances where music was used to prepare people for battle, call people for ministry, comfort people in pain, inspire people for great works, and challenge people out of their self-defined comfort zones. Music was, and still is, used in a myriad of ways to help us devote our entire life in worship to GOD! One of my favorite images in all of Scripture comes from Zephaniah 3 when we get a glimpse of how life will be when all of GOD’s people turn back to Him. Then we read verse 17, and it’s one I doubt I could ever reflect over enough, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT, emphasis mine)

Friends, this is an image I absolutely love! Think about GOD singing over you and how that heavenly lullaby must sound. Think about the LORD, the Creator of an ever-expanding universe, who wants to cradle and sing songs over you, songs that only He knows! Like Ethan moving into a transcendental state while playing his new saxophone for the first time, I can scarcely imagine the glory of GOD’s singing over me, lovingly calming my fears, and sharing with me His holy gladness.

So next time you hear or sing a powerful song lifted up to GOD, think about GOD also singing over you. Imagine the melody. Imagine the lyrics. And imagine the life-changing power of GOD’s own song, penetrating deep within your soul, changing you from the inside-out. This is the power of music…this is the power of GOD. So let’s lift our lives as songs to the LORD, and listen for the songs being sung over us. 

You're Invited!

As a child, I remember few things as exhilarating as an invitation to a birthday party! The feeling of being included and my presence being requested to celebrate a friend’s life was always a highlight. Having a young son, I see this over-and-over again as he receives birthday party invitations and Tiffany and I have to play some schedule hop-scotch in order to meet all of our commitments. Knowing how important this is to him, as well as the child having the birthday party, we do everything we can.

I saw this play out last week as Ethan hosted a pool party for some neighborhood kids to celebrate the start of the new school year. We have a child who is new to the neighborhood who Ethan invited to come and participate. This literally made the child’s day, week, and maybe even his year! He must have thanked us a dozen times for inviting and including him. We then extended an invitation for him to join in a slumber party with three other boys and we received another dozen or so thank-yous. This got me thinking about just how important it is to include people in our plans.

We are relational creatures. In fact, this is why GOD created human beings in the first place…for the purpose of relationship. From the study of Psychology, we have learned that one of the most important needs of the human soul is to belong. We see this play out on the playgrounds, in classrooms, boardrooms, sanctuaries, and places wherever people gather. We have an innate and internal need to belong. This applies to the here-and-now as well as the eternal. To hear that you are welcome and wanted just does something to the human psyche and spirit. Whether you are marking a life-defining watershed moment, or sharing in a simple cup of coffee, no one wants to feel as though he/she isn’t wanted or special.

As we get ready for a BIG weekend of celebration, I hope that you will reflect over this need to belong and consider who you might invite to join you for what promises to be a special time. On Sunday, we will celebrate the 7^th birthday of The Lighthouse and the 4^th anniversary of the ministry unification between Lighthouse and Cokes Chapel. We will have wonderful worship with special elements as well as a covered dish luncheon following the 11am service. We want YOU there in order to help us celebrate! We also want you to invite a friend to help US celebrate these milestones. It won’t be the same if you aren’t there, so please, make every effort to be present and help us fill both of our worship spaces as well as the lunch.

I know how busy people are this time of year. I also know how Tiffany and I can feel when Ethan receives a birthday party invitation for what is always a jam-packed weekend. What we have learned, though, is these parties are so important for Ethan and his friends, that we do what we can to make it work. If this is the case for you this weekend, I hope you will do the same and make every effort to attend. It is a Sunday you will not want to miss.

You are welcome. YOU are wanted. YOU belong! So come and help us celebrate. And let’s make the party even bigger and grander by inviting someone else to come with you.

Back to School with the Golden Rule

The dog days of summer seem to get shorter and shorter, don’t they? Since the local school systems made adjusts to the calendar, students get out earlier but go back earlier, too. This really hit me one day last week while doing a little grocery shopping.

I was passing by the stationary and office supply aisle when my attention was caught by a noticeable buzz. There was a sort of feeding frenzy taking place as parents and children were rustling through bins and baskets to pick out the best folders, pencils, crayons, and paper. It brought back all sorts of memories of picking out the tools that would accompany me into a new campaign in the classrooms of my local school. I wanted to be well equipped. So as a parent, I definitely want the same for Ethan as he begin middle school this year.

Tiffany did a great job of helping get Ethan ready for school this year. A week or so before we left on vacation, she and Ethan went and purchased the equipment he would need for the sixth grade. As a side note, it is a whole new world from what it took to get ready for elementary school, but I sense that’s a blog for another time. As they picked out the requisite paper, folders, binders, lunchbox, and book bag, a new item made its way into the shopping cart that had Ethan particularly excited: a combination ruler and 3-hole punch that fits snugly in the spine of his binder. Talk about multitasking…he will be able to punch holes in things AND measure them at the same time! That ruler punch is something for which he is quite proud.

School is a vital aspect of young people learning to become adults. School is so much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic; it is about facing challenges, persevering, making friends, and accomplishing the seemingly impossible. So when we think about measuring up and keeping a straight line, a ruler is a huge help! Beyond the centimeters and inches, we need to make sure we are sending our children and their teachers in to a school year with the best possible chance for success. They need a standard, a “ruler” if you will, to help provide an answer in a world that is slow to give them.

Jesus gives some timeless advice that I am sure you have heard before. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  (Luke 6.31) Many know this as the “Golden Rule” and work to live their life by this timeless principle. It helps when we think of the potential consequences of our actions and how we might personally be impacted if those same consequences were to come our way. Thinking this way can help prevent quick tempered and shortsighted reactions to very real circumstances.

If we were able to completely follow this golden rule, the world would be a different place, let alone our local schools. Treat others like you would want to be treated whether you are in the classroom, lunchroom, bathroom, locker room, music room, or art room. Wherever you might come face to face with someone else, remember Jesus’ timeless advice. You could do much worse than to arm yourself with this powerful piece of wisdom and advice to make a difference in the world around you.

We are not but just a few days into the new school year here in Coweta County, and our neighbors in Fayette, as well as some private schools, resume next week. There is no doubt it will present all sorts of challenges. But if we can remember to treat our neighbors as we would want to be treated ourselves, then we are making great strides toward a wonderfully constructive and educational experience. We need all the help we can get to measure up and keep a straight line. So as you pack your backpacks and briefcases for another day, remember to pack one item you can stand to have in abundance: The Golden Rule! Have a great year.

On Managing Conflict: Perhaps A Different Perspective

Conflict is a very real part of life. It always has been. From the time we’re children fighting over toys to adults clamoring for significance, we seem to always find ourselves in conflict. We’d like to think that accepting Christ into our hearts would bring a dramatic drop to the kinds and amounts of conflict we face, but it does not. If anything they go up because now attacks are not only coming from others but Satan who wants nothing more than knock us down so we are serving him and not God Almighty. So what are we to do?

Fortunately, the Bible has a wealth of knowledge and advice on handling conflict. First, we need to understand the origin of conflict. There are countless reasons for conflict. Some of the most common include pride, greed, and anger. “Pride leads to arguments” (Proverbs 13.10) “Greed causes fighting. (Proverbs 28.25) Anger causes quarrels. (Proverbs 30.33) These aspects of our sinful, human nature bring us into conflict with other people. But if we are completely honest with ourselves, most conflict starts within

James 4.1 says, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you?” Many of us can think back to the classic cartoons when a character would be faced with a moral dilemma. Inevitably we would see a little angel appear on one shoulder and a little devil on the other waging battle between what’s right and what feels good. The character would respond in different ways, bringing truth to the old adage that art imitates life. As humans, we know that feeling of internal struggle trying to decide between what we know is right and what feels good. And all too often, we choose the path of least resistance. This predictably places us in direct conflict with ourselves, with others, and with God. It is unavoidable. Paul says it best in Galatians 5.17 as he writes, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

As people of faith, when faced with conflict, we need to look to God, seek to serve Him in love, and help build up our brothers and sisters. Put simply, we need humility. In Philippians 2.3, Paul writes, “Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.” When we seek to build others up first, then God takes care of us.

I am not suggesting we become doormats or dishrags—Jesus was perhaps the most assertive person who ever lived. But in our assertiveness, we must remain mindful of what is lost or gained in the midst of conflict. If we are honest with ourselves, solving conflict takes humility and a desire to see peace more than personal victory. This is not to say we will always be able to avoid conflict. Sometimes, conflict is absolutely necessary to promote justice and righteousness.

When we are in a confrontation, we must remember to keep the focus on the problem and not the person. This is exceedingly difficult at times, but necessary when we consider what is at stake. We never win at the expense of another. We must trust in God to secure the victory and lead us to righteousness. We can never get there on our own. And we will certainly never get there constantly warring with others.

Seek out the root of the problem; let go of your own personal grudges; look to God for guidance when you must engage in conflict; and remember above all else: “… [God] gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15.57-58)

ProcrastiNOT

This past Sunday I taught about procrastination in my message, “procrastiNOT”. I received quite a bit of positive feedback from this message and requests for some of my notes. I figured I would use this forum to share my research and maybe provide a little hope and help for you as you deal with this very real part of our human nature. I taught about the three foundational reasons for procrastination. In this article, I will add two more that I did not use on Sunday in the interest of time.

Fear, mainly fear of the unknown. Since faith and fear are processed in the same part of the brain, it is important to take a step of faith in the face of our fear. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Faith is taking the first step when you cannot see the rest of the staircase.” Instead of procrastinating on a decision or action because of fear, take a step of faith!

Perfectionism refers to the notion that if I can’t be perfect, I just won’t even try. Problems arise when we judge perfection by our own standards as opposed to GOD’s. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus tells us to be perfect as GOD is perfect. Christian perfection is not about us being free from errors, but learning to live with a pure motivation of loving GOD and others. Instead of allowing fear of imperfection to hold you back, let us allow GOD to shape your idea of what it means to live active lives of love.

Disorganization often shows itself in terms of not having goals or a poorly understood purpose. Jesus gave us our purpose when He ascended into heaven: to share His light and love with the world to help others know about salvation in Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sins. When we have disorganized goals, our priorities are misplaced, meaning we settle for good things as opposed to the great things that are in store for us thanks to GOD Almighty!

So often, when we engage in procrastination, we settle for good things as opposed to great things! GOD wants great things for us and our ability to achieve them rests only in our active faith in following GOD. In following GOD, He addresses our fears, bent toward misunderstood perfectionism, and poorly defined purpose and goals. This leads me to my two honorable mentions for this article…

Lack of Desire: Often times, when we procrastinate, it is because we do not want to do what we are called/asked/required to do. When we know our purpose in life and service, then our lack of desire can be overcome with fulfillment of purpose. All of us have to do things that we don’t want to do; say, for example, taking out the trash. No one enjoys taking out the trash, but we know that if we do not, garbage will pile up, begin to stink, attract pests, and cause all kinds of nasty germs and bacteria. There is a payoff in virtually every situation for doing the things we don’t want to do when we follow-through. Now take this to a spiritual level and think of the things that can be accomplished for the Lord Jesus Christ when we are faithful!

Guilt: Guilt plays a significant role in procrastination, and typically after we have already begun procrastinating. When we put something off that really needs to be done, guilt feelings can creep into our consciousness. After a period of time, the guilt feelings grow, making us think that we would feel worse for actually doing the task, because of how it exposes our procrastination. The good news, however, is that in Christ there is no condemnation, so grace is extended, enabling us to serve GOD as we should, even in the face of past procrastination.

One last little thought about condemnation, though, and this strikes at the heart of procrastination as a tool in spiritual warfare. We have an enemy that would love nothing more than for GOD’s people to put off doing good in the name of the Lord. Additionally, Satan would also love to see us settle for doing good things as opposed to the great things GOD has in store for us.

These points came up in response to The Message’s interpretation of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 9.62: “Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’” May these words serve as a great reminder for how Jesus wants us to live our lives! Don’t procrastinate…announce GOD’s love…seize the day! ProcrastiNOT, my friends!

Have a wonderful 4^th of July and a great rest of the week! I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Pastor Mark

Mind Boggling, Isn't It?

I read an interesting little fact the other day just made my jaw drop. Did you know that the average adult human is made up of around 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms? That is 7-octillion atoms. Difficult to fathom, isn’t it?

When I hear a fact like that, it causes me to pause and ponder the majesty of GOD! I cannot grasp 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms, but GOD sure can! Not only that, but He has seen them all and makes sure they are in the right place and functioning properly for our general health and wellbeing. Sure, there are times when illnesses and other maladies cause problems, but for the average person, you have 7-octillion atoms perfectly arranged and engineered to make you the amazingly unique and beautiful creature you are.

Now give this a thought: imagine if life were merely just an accident or a happy coincidence. Think of the odds that even two of these atoms could combine and work together in a way to bring about life. Now, considering there are nearly 7-billion people in the world, that would mean there are somewhere in the neighborhood of…well, the number is just staggering.

Friends, life is not an accident. You are not an accident. GOD knew what He was doing when He crafted you and formed you from the top of your head to your tiniest atom. I love how Psalm 139.13-16 captures this concept: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Beautiful, isn’t it? Yep, and mind boggling, too!

I would like to challenge you to think about how GOD has knit you together, loves you, and sets you apart for sharing that glorious message with the world. As hard as it is to comprehend, GOD wants you to know that He is the divine engineer and has a plan for your life, down to all 7-octillion of your atoms. Let’s celebrate that and help the world see what an awesome GOD we serve!

Commencement: The Beginning of Something New

Many families have just survived one of the most thrilling and emotionally charged events that can take place in the life of a child: graduation. I can recall all of my graduations, from kindergarten to my doctorate degree. Each one was different as I completed one stage of my life and prepared for a new one.

The word commencement is often associated with graduations. The meaning of this word, as told by Norman Osborn in the first Spider-Man the movie is, “The ending of one thing but the beginning of something new.” When I reached these benchmarks, I focused on what I had just completed, reveling in the achievement of a job well done. Sometimes, I was filled with remorse or regret for the things left undone, people I had hurt, and friends I would never see again. But as soon as a day or two had passed, I began pondering what my future held. From first grade to my last pastoral appointment, the ending I had just experienced was the beginning of something new.

All too often we tend to think of endings as just that, endings. We might be inclined to obsess over what we leave behind, things we’ll never do again, and people we might never see. But in reality, when anything ends, we are on the horizon of something new.

In the Biblical book of Ruth, tragedy had befallen Naomi. Her husband and two sons had died. To her, this was an enormous ending. She encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their home of origins and start anew. But Ruth, who had become very loyal to Naomi, refused, pledging to stay with her until they were parted by death. Naomi urged Ruth time and again to return to her home, but Ruth’s determination to stay with her mother-in-law only grew.

In Ruth 1.16, Ruth says these words to Naomi, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth was faithful to her word. She stayed with Naomi and eventually married Boaz. What is remarkable about Ruth’s story is that through her faithfulness, she became the great-grandmother of King David. And through King David, God sent us Jesus. By remaining faithful through her tragedy, Ruth took her place in the lineage that brought salvation to all humankind. I think it is safe to say God had a plan!

Who knows all that God has in store for us when we complete one stage in our life and embark upon a new one? We might think that tomorrow can never be as great as yesterday, but that sure does limit God! God tells us, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 22.11-14a)

May we see endings in life as the beginning of something new. Commencement. From graduations in school and beyond, when we trust in God who has a plan for our lives, we can rest assured that the best is yet to come!