"Forgiveness is not saying that what you (the offender) did is OK?" - Renee Napier
We hosted Renee Napier and Eric Smallridge once again last night. Our desire was to provide an opportunity for even more people to hear the message covering the warnings of driving under the influence and more importantly, the power of true forgiveness.
If you haven't already, take the time to read yesterday's post that shares more detail about Renee and Eric's story.
The presentation was spot on last night as well. Unfortunately, we did not have time for Q & A as we did on Tuesday. During the Q & A time, some really deep questions were asked and other tidbits about their journey were shared. Some of the questions, as I remember them were:
To Eric:
"What are your plans after you get out of prison?" (Eric): I have been taking A/C tech classes while in prison and hope to be able to find a job in this area, or whatever else God has planned for me. I remember what my mom always said "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans," so I try not to plan too far out.
"What about your girlfriend and her daughter that you mentioned? Are you still in touch? Will you get back together when you get out?" (Eric): Well, she is married now. It's OK, though. It's a reminder to all of us that one bad choice can result in losing so many things.
"What about your friend Mike who almost stopped you that night?" (Eric): When I went to trial, Mike was brought up as a witness. The lawyer asked him, while pointing at me, "Do you know this man?" Mike said, "Yes, he's my friend Eric." I was suprised and pleased. He still considered me a friend. Then, he asked Mike if he knew the two young ladies in the car that were killed (Meagan and Lisa,) and Mike said "Yes, I've known them for years. They're like little sisters to me." This was horrible. Mike knew all of us involved. I know he carries a burden of wondering if he could have stopped me that night. It's something he's carried with him and probably will continue to. I saw him a couple of years ago when we started this journey of telling our story. I told him that he was not to blame at all. I told him that it was all on me, that I made the decision, that I drove the car. Still, he hurts.
Have you forgiven yourself? (Eric): That's really hard. There are times I struggle with this. I know God has forgiven me. I know Renee and her family has forgiven me. Forgiving myself is hard.
To Renee:
"What about Lisa's family?" (Renee:) Lisa's family has forgiven Eric as well. This was hard for me, for them, for my children. Each had to come to this on their own.
"Has your story been put in book form?" (Renee:) Not completely, but it is featured in a new book by Matthew West and Angela Thomas called The Story of Your Life. This is a compilation of over fifty stories submitted to Matthew over a year ago. He chose our story and featured it as one of the devotionals. My disclaimer is that I mentioned my son in the submitted story, but for some reason that sentence was edited out. I contacted my son immediately and showed him the original submission. He laughed about it and said, "Mom, that's the story of my life." He's a great man.
"Have you been able to travel outside the state of Florida together?" (Renee:) No, that's not allowed. In fact, it's pretty miraculous that we're able to do this. (Eric:) Florida has a policy of never allowing offenders and offendees to be together, so this is unique.
"You seem really close to Eric?" (Renee:) I love him like a son. In fact, when we finish talking on the phone, we always end with "I love you."
There were more questions, but these are the ones that come to mind right now. I wish I had recorded the Q & A.
Regardless, I hope you can get a more complete picture of this story through this posting. Renee and Eric are speaking at Clay High School in Green Cove Springs this morning and then at Oakleaf High School on Friday. Pray for them as they wind down this three-week tour. They will be on the road again soon. They may be able to come back to Clay County or the Jacksonville area next Spring. If so, we will be involved as much as we can.
Never forget - forgiveness is powerful and freeing.
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." - Lewis B. Smedes
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32 ESV
I want to offer a special thank you to Sheriff Rick Beseler and the Clay County Sheriff's Office for bringing Renee and Eric to our county and for allowing us the opportunity to partner with them.
Sometimes events and opportunities seemingly come out of nowhere. I do, however, fully acknowledge that while certain things seem to just happen, that there is no such thing as coincidence in God's economy.
About three weeks ago I received an e-mail from the Clay County Sheriff's Office. They were hosting a woman who is traveling throughout the state sharing of the dangers of drunk driving. The reason for the contact to the church was to see if we would be able to help with some of the costs of housing this woman during her stay in the county.
Our response was to cover the entire hotel cost this week just to ensure that she would be able to come and those in the community could hear the story. After committing to this, we were also offered the opportunity to host her here at the church one evening for a community assembly (much like what was to happen in the schools.) We agreed.
Well, after scheduling this event to be held in our church facility for the community, I began to read more about this woman. Her name is Renee Napier. She used to live in Pensacola and now lives in St. Petersburg. In 2002, her daughter Meagan and Meagan's friend Lisa were driving home from a night at the beach when their vehicle was hit at high speed by a Jeep driven by 24 year old Eric Smallridge.
Eric's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
Meagan and Lisa were killed instantly as their car was hit and subsequently wrapped around a tree.
It was May 11, 2002. This was Mother's Day weekend.
The story is terrible and the trial that was to follow put all the details in the forefront for the family members of Meagan, Lisa and Eric to re-live over and again.
About 18 months later, Eric was sentenced to two 11 year sentences in prison, to be served one after the other, for DUI Manslaughter. That sentence was changed to two 11 year sentences to be served consecutively following the request of the families of Meagan and Lisa at a later hearing.
I read all about this on Renee's website (www.duipromise.com or www.themeagannapierfoundaton.com) and noticed one word that was prominent on the site. That word was "FORGIVENESS." This piqued my interest.
I had Renee's email address from the Sheriff's office, so I wrote her an email explaining that we were so proud to host her, but asking about this concept of forgiveness. I mentioned that as believers, we understand forgiveness (or at least say we do) and that I have preached about the revolutionary power of it. I asked if she had a faith background and wondered if that led her to be able to promote forgiveness in such a way.
It wasn't long before my phone rang. Renee had called me. She said she was writing an email response and decided that a phone call would be better. We talked for quite some time and she shared how her faith in Jesus Christ was what enabled and empowered her to forgive Eric. I was so encouraged and overwhelmed by this. To hear a mother that had lost one of her children in such a way offer true forgiveness was incredible.
The story does not end there.
Forgiveness is contagious. Lisa's family offered this as well. Renee's other children did too. Yet, I don't want you to think it was easy. As Renee shares, each person came to be able to do this in their own time. It meant burying the bitterness and removing the anger and letting God empower them. Apart from Jesus Christ, this story of forgiveness would not happen.
Renee was so excited to come here to Orange Park. They had been trying to figure out how to get their message into the churches, knowing they would have more freedom to share about Jesus in these venues.
It's funny. Apparently Baptist churches and DUI stories don't seem to connect. Apparently, some churches don't want anything to do with the message of alcohol or DUI awareness. Maybe some just don't want to admit that many in their congregation may drink grape juice for the Lord's Supper, but drink the harder stuff in their living rooms.
I am not that naive.
I knew our teenagers (yes, our good Baptist teenagers) face the temptations of drinking and partying all too often and need to be reminded of these dangers. Even if the message is to plan ahead and have a designated driver, it may just save a life. Oh, and I readily admit this message is not just for teenagers.
However, deeper than the DUI message is one that simply must be heard by all. The revolutionary power of forgiveness. Forgiveness is so mis-defined today. Forgiveness is not saying to another person "What you did to me is OK." It's not. It's not OK that Eric Smallridge drove drunk and killed two young ladies. That's never going to be OK.
Forgiveness goes much deeper. It's being able to say "What you did is not OK, but I choose not to hold it against you."
Wow.
Lives have been changed through Renee's and others' forgiveness in this story. Eric has come to know Christ personally as well. He will be the first to tell you that there are many "chain-gang conversions" in jail. Yet, after spending time with him and t alking to the deputies assigned to him this week, it seems that Eric is the real deal.
We hosted our community event last night. Oh, I didn't mention that Eric is here as well. He's still in prison, but has been released to the CCSO for this week. It's powerful to see Renee and Eric stand together on stage. Eric wears his jail jumpsuit and is in handcuffs and ankle restraints. The visual is enough to shock you to listen. Then, the story unfolds. There was a group of about 100 here. Not bad, but afterward, I couldn't get out of my head that more in our area need to hear this. The CCSO had been looking for a venue to host another community event on Wednesday night (tonight) but had come up empty. At that point, I asked if they wanted to come back.
Renee and Eric were excited about being able to share again. I know that most of the 100 will be here again, but hopefully, being Wednesday and a "regular church night" for us, even more will be here.
We've hit Facebook and Twitter and the word is out. This is a unique opportunity. It's more than a M.A.D.D. message about drunk driving. Those messages are needed and vital, yet this one goes deeper.
It will be to your advantage to attend tonight if possible. Here are the details:
DUI Awareness & Forgiveness Event First Baptist Church of Orange Park 1140 Kingsley Avenue Orange Park, FL 32073 6pm - 7:15pm FREE!!!!
As I write this, our junior high students are in Cleveland, Tennessee at StudentLife Camp. Our senior high students will be traveling to Daytona for StudentLife at the Beach in a couple of weeks. As a former student pastor, youth camps were a staple of annual scheduling. Some great memories were made at camp and more importantly, some amazing life-changing decisions.
Adults still remember those youth camp weeks and most remember them fondly. Of course, there are always those who had bad experiences. In most cases it was the student's first time away from home and the homesickness ruled the week and manifested itself in real, physical illness.
However, for the most part, these camps were positive and great times.
Churches seem to be wondering if the youth camp is still a viable ministry event. Is it worth it? Is it even biblical?
Alvin Reid, Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently posted his "Thought on Youth Camps." Reid has spoken and continues to speak at numerous youth camps throughout the nation. While each one is different, there are similarities. There seems to be a youth camp template that is pretty universal in Baptist life, regardless of location, speaker, worship leader and schedule.
I think his points as mentioned in his post are excellent. He lists these items as needed to have an effective youth camp. I list them here with my commentary:
Know your purpose. Some camps are evangelism rallies or mini-crusades. Others are discipleship-oriented. Some are built around themes or activities. Some are great. Others are terrible. The effective youth camp knows why it exists (and by the way, just because it's summer and we have always gone to youth camp is not a viable purpose.)
Go Deep. Believe me, students can handle deep theological discussions. The fluff that is often provided at some camps result in inch-deep believers or lost students who still don't understand the urgency of the message. Camp must be more than a youth version of Vacation Bible School. Challenge the students. Don't sugar-coat the message. Dig deeper. Otherwise, the camp will be remembered more for the bad food, lack of air conditioning in the cabins and the unholy escapades that happened when the counselors weren't around.
Play with a Purpose. Guess what? Christianity is fun. Games are exciting. Recreation is often an after-thought with a "Go pick a team and play some pick up basketball." That's a waste. Recreation and play should be vital to the camp. Be intentional. Be strategic. Be creative and have fun.
Have a Great Team to Lead. This is vital. The camp counselors or Team Leaders or whatever your camp calls them must be prepared. The experience of the students rises and falls on the preparation and spiritual depth of the leaders (and that's not just the guy speaking each night at worship.) Pour time and prepare the leaders. Don't let this just "fall into place."
Live at Camp What You Say on the Stage. Reid speaks as a camp speaker here. We love to bring in the latest "celebrity Christian" to speak to our students, but we must focus more on the character of the speaker and the authenticity of the message and messenger. Prima donna camp speakers that need a "green room" with only red M & Ms and does not want to hang out or connect with the students during the day is a loser. Also, in the age of Facebook, Twitter and Google, it becomes really easy to determine if the speaker on stage is just sharing a "sugar stick" of a sermon or actually is living what he preaches. Authenticity matters. Oh, and if the speaker spends more time selling his books, CDs or T-shirts from the stage - boot him out. Self-promoting Christian leaders develop more self-centric followers. Neither honors God.
Teach Adults. Most of the adults who come to youth camp are volunteers. Some are paid youth pastors, but not the majority. So, why do they come? At some level, they love students (or maybe they were the only ones who were allowed to drive the church van?) Set aside time to focus on these adults. Pour into them. Otherwise, the camp may not have the lasting impact it could. These adults go home with the kids. How incredible for them to echo what was learned, hold students accountable and be held accountable by students, and be that voice of wisdom for the long term.
Help Those Called to These Students. There are student pastors who are called to serve God by serving students. In many cases, they're tired. They are overworked and stretched and often on the verge of burn-out.
The points are from Dr. Reid (the comments are mine) and I think he is absolutely right.
There are those who see youth camps as unbiblical. There's a truth to the fact that one week does not alleviate the responsibility of moms and dads to parent and lead their children to walk with God. However, I see camps as a great tool for aiding these students.
Camps can be life changing.
Camps can also be a waste of time and resources.
There should be an expectancy regarding youth camps. My children have both been to basketball camps in the past. When I pay for these events and work to get them there, I expect a return on my investment. I expect them to come back knowing something more about basketball than when they left.
In the big picture, basketball doesn't matter at all.
Therefore, when I send them to a camp that really matters - one that is focused on preaching and teaching the Word of God and leading to life-change that glorifies God, I pray at home expecting a work of the Holy Spirit in my children's lives.
I think they're still worth having, as long as they do not become just another annual event on the calendar. They must be prayed over, planned out and prepared purposfully to bring glory to God. Otherwise, just send your kids to the Y for the summer.
You can read Dr. Reid's thoughts on his Facebook page by clicking here.
A few months back I asked the hard question to the church. The question was "If our church ceased to exist, would anyone outside of those on the membership rolls notice?" That's a pretty serious question for any church. Why is it such a big deal? It's the missional test. If the church is content with meeting for meeting's sake, for coming together for personal reasons or just because it's the thing to do, then we have missed a major reason for our existence. When we don't live out our reason for existence, we move from being a church to a club. You know what? God never set apart a club to be his ambassadors to the world. Christ didn't die for a club.
I'll be honest with you, not everyone gets this. Some are really struggling with the reality that the church does not exist for them, but for God. Sometimes, as we dig into the Word of God and the Truth of what it means to be a follower of Christ, we are shaken from what we have been taught all our lives. That makes it hard. We have difficultly admitting that maybe, just maybe, we haven't been seeing church as God would desire us. Our purpose here is not to bring attention to ourselves, glory to our works, or praise for our practices. We exist for one thing - the glory of God.
I think about the church all the time. Some would say I should because it's my job. That's not the reason. I think about the church all the time because I love the church. That may sound strange, but it's true. I think I'm in good company. Jesus loves the church, too. Anyway, because I think about the church, our mission, our role in this world and our relationship with God all the time, I am constantly seeking His will regarding what we are to do, how we are to live, and what our expressions of worship are to look like.
I am so proud of our student ministry, under the leadership of Ryan Rouse. He has been leading the students to answer the question regarding our existence. He has come up with a theme "Worship + Justice = An End to Poverty." I"ll be honest, at first I didn't understand what that meant. Then, over time, I have begun to get it. Our students are getting it and living it out. Larry gets it now, too. Watch the clip below for the full story.
Last Wednesday we held the first mid-week service for teenagers and adults. It's called "The Well" and the intent is to offer a mid-week worship experience and Bible study that will challenge, encourage and equip us as believers to be God's ambassadors in the world.
Our teenager's have a strange weekly schedule this summer with camps, mission trips, and other activities occurring on Wednesdays, so that led us to offer this summer mid-week worship experience for all.
It's a challenge, but while I know there are special programs and events that should cater to certain age groups (i.e. senior adult trips, parenting classes, youth DiscipleNow Weekends, etc.) stressing over worship can cause division within the body unlike any other thing. The style and volume become the issue.
For those who came Wednesday night (of all ages) thank you for coming. It is exciting to see senior adults, median age, young and college age adults as well as our teenagers together for study and worship. Of course we're going to have to get you folks to sit closer to the center. This was a shift from what normally is offered on Wednesdays, but knowing our attendance trends in the summer, we felt the need for something new for the next three months.
After the introductory service, our worship leader, Brandon Phillips and I sat down to discuss the first service and where we will be heading. Brandon made some really incredible observations. He truly is gifted as a worship leader and teacher and he brought up things I had not considered. While the music may have been too loud for some in attendance (yes, I've heard from you :-)), and not loud enough for others (yes, I've heard that too), the lyrics to the songs were right on. These weren't just trite little ditties put to music. There is a depth to the lyrics that caused me to think deeply about Christ and my relationship to him.
Then Brandon shared this with me. He stated that though he picked the songs and loves them, they can lead to more of a performance than a worship experience for many. Our band was prayed up and practiced up and I am confident they were not just performing. The challenging question is "Was the congregation led to worship?" Some were. Others were not. The mid-week evening service is different than Sunday mornings or other weekend services in that many people are coming off a stressful, busy day. The invitation from God is "Enter In" and that's what we echo. We want the peace and joy of God to permeate our lives and the building we're meeting in. We desire people to encounter Him - that is worship. Music isn't worship. It often is called that, but that's not what it is. Music is music. It's the heart that worships. Our desire is not to set up any blocks that would keep folks from worshiping. Always a challenge. That's why this service is more than a service.
While a person can be led to a worship experience, they still must individually choose to worship.
So, as we journey through this experience this summer, I ask first that you pray for our leadership team. Our heart's desire is to lead people into a fresh experience with Holy God.
Regarding this issue of worship style, I felt that I should share with you up front the particulars. We will not allow the Enemy to use worship music preferences to cause any division within the Body. There's too much at stake. It's up to each of us to live lives of worship to the Lord and when we do come together, to seek to bless God through our worship.
Recently, Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research and Mike Harland, Director of LifeWay Worship, held an online dialog called "Worship: Reverence v. Relevance." I've included it here, but it may be a slow video feed, so be patient. I think what these guys have to say is key to understanding worship in the 21st century church.
Here are Ed's statements from his blog regarding the "Worship Wars". I must agree with what Ed says except that I like country music and I was raised in the church, so I personally love the hymns. I am not anti-traditional worship nor anti-contemporary worship. I can worship in both venues, but Ed's descriptions of worship and attitude are right on.
The reason worship wars exist is because the church thinks it is fighting for something permanent when it is actually temporary. Musical styles and service preferences are like a jacket that can be taken on or off depending upon the temperature. It is used only when needed. Worship as a theological reality is not fit for such pedestrian arguments. It is to exist in the heart of all people-- and it does. When we think we're debating styles and techniques and forms, we are really defending our own affections and deeply felt preferences. Most often we defend what is nostalgic rather than what is helpful. It's no wonder then that even attempts at ceasefires result in more fuel for the blaze.
I will lay my cards on the table: I was not raised in the church or in the subculture of the Bible Belt. I came to Christ at a later age and when I began my ministry it was with the urban poor in Buffalo, New York. I have been called by some "a son of the contemporary church movement." I don't know if that's necessarily true, but I know what it means. I do not have the traditional church DNA in me like so many others I've known, pastored, and appreciated.
So, it could be that it is hard for me to get inside the shoes of the traditional worship advocate. (Though ancient church music has now become a favorite on my iPod.) Or it could be that having come from an irreligious home in addition to my travels observing the worship practices of global Christians that I have a different perspective.
I won't deny I have personal preferences. For instance, it is clear that country and western music is not of God. (That's another joke; don't tell my friend Ricky Skaggs I said that.) Nevertheless, what I try to do is what we all should do in matters of preference and praise-- commit to the reality that worship is not ultimately about us.
And because worship is not about us, I don't think we end the worship wars in our local congregations merely by compromise. Compromise is noble; consensus is better. A truce just gets 100% of our church worshiping at 50%. It is not compromise we want, but unity. So how do we get to that ever-elusive goal, that aim Jesus laid out for us in His High Priestly Prayer in John 17? Here are five ideas.
1. Rally around Truth, Not a Truce
In the same prayer Jesus prayed that His church would be one (John 17:21-22), He prayed that they would be sanctified by the truth of God's word (John 17:17).
When we come at the worship discussion we have to back up a bit and adopt a good theological framework for our conversations, because the church too often leaps to the assumption that "music = worship." Or perhaps we frame it a bit more broadly and think in terms of a "worship service." But the truth is that worship occurs in the whole of life. We are never not worshiping; our affections are always oriented somewhere or to someone. Minimizing worship to a one hour experience on Sunday monrings, or further down to merely the time of music in that experience, means many of us only dedicate thirty minutes of each week to worship of Christ. When we practice this minimization, it means that the rest of the time we're worshiping someone else (usually ourselves).
It is a harsh accusation to make, but as our music and production skills have increased, our worship has suffered because we have engaged in them as the outpouring of self-worship. So we must remember that worship is for every hour of every day of every week. Our lives are to be oriented to the worship of God. And the chances are, if we thought of worship that way, we would not put so much personal stake in hearing our favorite style of music on Sunday mornings. The entirety of our worship would not be loaded into that slice of time.
Holding personal preferences loosely allows for greater unity in the body and advancement of God's mission. The truth God seeks is that we rally to the cause of His glory among the nations rather than deciding is we will have two hymns and three choruses or three hymns and two choruses this Sunday.
2. Acknowledge that Preferences are Personal
I have witnessed the angst around worship music firsthand. I think that in some churches, a pastor could get away with preaching heresy so long as he's cool, funny, and has a good video clip. But if a pastor tries to alter the worship style, it is time to start looking for a new job.
This works both ways, for the favorers of so-called "contemporary praise" and the adherents to more traditional worship music. Neither appears willing to give up ground, and they have planted their flags in either Relevance (for the contemporary folks) or Reverence (for the traditionalists). (Hence, the name of the dialog in the video at the top of this post.)
In many churches where a worship war is brewing or is in outright conflict, one group perceives themselves to be pushing forward toward the next generation (relevance) while another is trying to pull back to a once-honored method (reverence). One group thinks contemporary music or a more casual style will suit the modern generation and appeal more to the lost. Meanwhile the other group thinks all of that is just worldly compromise and, furthermore, arrogant to casually dismiss the styles that have served the church well, in some cases, for hundreds of years.
When either of these scenarios occurs it is usually because we have elevated our preferences to the level of principles. We are "taking a stand" for something important: our own comfort, convenience, and concerns. And all the while we're trying to give God his due or the lost people in the pew it turns out we're really just making worship about us.
3. Realize that Relevance and Reverence Are Not at War with Each Other
What those who push forward should realize is that relevance is not a goal; it is a tool. It is not the end, but one (of many) means to the end. Relevance for relevance's sake never helped anybody. Playing a shocking song at the front of your Easter service may get headlines and upset religious people, but that's about all it does. Having rock music fans think you're a cool church is not the "win" you're really looking for. A smart church will be culturally discerning, but always biblically-driven first.
On the other hand, the traditionalists' placement of reverence on external styles is also wrongheaded. Reverence is not first and foremost an outward expression. It is a quality of the heart. Of course, it results in outward expressions, but take the story of David dancing before the Ark, for example. His free mode of worship was a scandal to Saul's daughter Michal, who was watching from afar. David's heart was turned reverently to the Lord, and this provoked a physical celebration from him. It sure looked irreverent to another. Many times today shouting, clapping, and dancing are seen as disorderly or irreverent or self-indulgent, but all three of those modes of worship are seen in Scripture though curiously absent from "reverent" worship services.
At the heart of many of our worship wars is, sad to say, idolatry. Our worship of things other than God drives the way we contend for ways to worship God. When reverence is equated with austerity, it can reveal an idolization of familiarity and comfort and control. When relevance is equated with a production carte blanche or "freedom of expression," it can reveal an idolization of trendiness and self and showmanship. Both relevance and reverence can cloak idolatry of cultural forms and expressions.
In both cases, what is revealed is an idolatry of music. And music is just... well, music. As my colleague Mike Harland, president of LifeWay Worship has said, "You will never achieve spiritual goals with a musical means." We see music as important in Scripture but never a particular form or function as necessary for discipleship. And never does God dictate a particular style, rhyme pattern, or lyrical format.
4. Embrace Humility
The evangelical church needs a ceasefire on fighting over cultural forms. A focus on biblical meanings will add a healthy dose of humility to our churches.
When I was young in the ministry, I was charged with ministry to both youth and seniors (go figure). One day I was going to lead worship at a nursing home. So, I took my guitar. I'll never forget this 92 year old woman, Miss Langley, who put her hand on my arm and said "Don't worry about the guitar, young man, we're just gonna sing and you can sing with us." I was bringing a relevance they didn't need, and I had to be mature enough to see the hindrance I was about to become.
Imagine what would happen if worship warriors actually took on the attitude of Jesus (per Phillipians 2) and did not regard their agendas as something to be grasped but instead took on the posture of servanthood. What if we (per Romans 12:10) actually tried to outdo one another showing honor? Humility is a "win" for every worshiper.
5. Cultivate Consensus, Not Compromise
We have to be mature enough to worship in different ways, even in someone else's ways. The so-called "blended service" has a typical formula of two songs for me and two songs for you and one song for that other guy. I think it is a sign of carnality and a lack of community in worship. Many times the blended worship service doesn't please anybody but maybe the pastor who has given up trying to cultivate consensus. The blended service is an equal opportunity to anger everyone. It can be a sad compromise.
I also believe we need to be careful about multiple services with specialized genres. What is the motivation? Is the division a compromise? We need to be cautious about pandering to the consumeristic side of Western Christianity. We need to ask ourselves what our motivation is, and be honest with our answer. If we're being mission-focused, that's a good and worthy goal. But if we're market-focused (and Christians are the market), we are off track.
If you go the blended or alternative service route, please do so not because you made a truce, but because you stuffed your egos and decided to glorify God for the sake of reaching your community in a language they understand; Spanish, biker, redneck, liturgical, or whatever.
Do the traditionalists appreciate the contemporary songs? Do the relevantists appreciate the hymns? Do they love each other? Do they see these differing forms as acceptable forms of worship?
Pastored well, a healthy congregation will seek consensus on the positives of God's glory and mission rather than settle for compromise on the negatives of personal preferences and styles. A church in consensus would rather have Jesus than the hymn "I'd Rather Have Jesus." A church in consensus will sing of God's greatness rather than need "How Great is Our God" as their anthem. Music will not bring unity in of itself. Worship brings unity. So long as it is the worship of Jesus.
Saw this clip on Bluefish TV's site. I think our youth ministry needs a mascot. I'm sure it will bring hundreds of students into the church. Take a look.
Last week our teenagers went to Global Youth Camp in northwest Georgia. I've heard much from the students and the adult leaders who attended about how God worked this past week in the lives of our students. I asked if I could share this with you.
From Judy Titus (youth parent and adult leader who attended camp) I wanted to let you know how thankful I am for the wonderful experience of
attending Global Youth Ministry "Dark Knight" camp this past week with youth
from First Baptist Orange Park. I truly believe that the Global Youth Ministries is one of
the finest camps that we can ever send our youth to. It was so amazing to see our awesome youth in action. They were always
cooperative, kind, and willing to do anything asked of them at any time. They
shined in being most spiritual in their team groups, most memory
scriptures, participated in the final variety show, and were leaders in all
areas of the recreational activities. I was honored to have been able to
counsel with some of our youth who made decisions in their spiritual life.
I had greatest teen roommates. We shared many laughs, fun and
spiritual blessings this week together. We hope to have a night out together
for some fun sometime in the future. The most amazing thing for me to witness this week was a personal
experience I had with my own spiritual growth. One night as I met with
the girls in my small group, I spoke and prayed with the girls on how we can be
a servant to others within our own youth group and how we can be servants to our
church and our community by stepping out in faith. The next day my girls and I
were amazed how almost exactly Roger (Glidewell, Global Youth Ministries founder and camps speaker for the week) covered everything we discussed and prayed
about. I don't know why I continue to be shocked, or amazed on how God shows up
and plans everything out in advance.
In closing, I got the greatest spiritual blessings this week as my life and
so many others lives were changed or challenged by God.
Shelvin Lamb (Worship Pastor and Adult Leader at Camp)
I had a wonderful time at Youth
Camp. I left there with several thoughts and
impressions:
I LOVE Roger’s preaching. Shame
on me!! I honestly thought that kind of Bible thumping, in your face, tell it
like it is preaching at youth camps was a thing of the past. God forgive me for
being so negative! Global Youth ministry is great organization and I can see
several of our teens as great fits for future
summers!
Ryan Rouse did an awesome job. I
was very impressed with him as a leader, organizer, and personally. Our kids
love him, and it shows. He is doing very well as our Student Pastor. I am very
proud of him, and took time to tell him that in front of our group on the last
night.
It was great feeling young again,
to relive some wonderful memories that I have as a teen, and to hear from the
Lord on a personal level.
Our teens were the class of the
camp. They were leaders, and some stepped up that I NEVER
expected!:
Michaela Graf-Jones won the female camp servant award (in addition, many of our teens won
servant and spirit team awards, your son Daniel being one of them) I really like her
and Dennis! They are fun kids!
Many participated in worship
by Bible reading & prayer (Felicia Reeves, Chris Burmeister, Erika Allen, Becka Cloud to
name a few)
I had staff members come to
me and single out some outstanding kids on their teams and how much they enjoyed
them this week (Jordan O’Brien, Ashley Allen, Ryan Allen, Jamee Reeves to name a
few)
I saw God move in the lives
of Devon McWhorter, Kyle Ganci (bigtime), Carly Richardson, and Chris
Burmeister. (there are more, but these were the ones I got to pour my life into
a bit)
Ashley & Ryan Allen,
Krystal White and Kyle Ganci all participated on variety show night and were
super. Kyle honestly was hilarious annd probably should have been the winner; no
joke!!
Six of our kids were in the
top 10 or 15 of scripture memory for the week, with Erika Allen winning the top
honor with 75 verses quoted from memory, I believe her sister, Ashley was
2ndor 3rd.
