Worship

Worshiping God When You Don’t Feel Like It [Audio]

2019-09-13T17:37:02+00:00By Joel|Audio, discipleship, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Worship, Worship Leading|

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! David (shepherd boy turned king), Psalm 103:1 One thing that has been a part of my spiritual and character formation has been worship. Yes, worship is a response to what God has done, but what happens when worship (or rather, creating the environment for worship to happen) is your job? Through the week to week routine of it all, as well as in the times where you are walking through personal battles or frustrations of your own, there is temptation to slip into autopilot, in a way that does not engage the heart (personally). One thing I've found, however, is [...]

What A Friend: a song for community

2019-06-13T15:11:07+00:00By Joel|Christian Music, Christianity, Jesus Shaped Community, Music, Worship, Worship Leading|

Over the years, I've heard songwriters and/or musicians say things to the effect of, "I wish I wrote that song." And actually, I'm sure I've said that at some point - but this one, I'm glad was penned by my friend Bruce. I remember when I first heard it. It was shortly after my wife and I walked through a tragic time in our lives. It was one of those times where it felt as if the world was crashing down, and nothing felt safe. Bruce and his wife Lois were trusted friends who walked through that time with us. We were left with many questions and very few answers, and through that messy time I [...]

Thoughts on Worship from a Ragamuffin: the worship pastor side of me

2018-01-16T06:21:01+00:00By Joel|discipleship, Jesus Shaped Community, Worship, Worship Leading|

Like many church professionals, I have more than one income stream. Half of my time I'm a worship pastor at a Vineyard church, and the other half I'm a team leader at a humanitarian anti-hunger organization which is doing some great things in addressing global hunger. While schedule-wise, I need to watch my time allocation so that my family doesn't go crazy (as well as for my own sanity), right now I'm blessed that I get to live out my calling in this way. What I mean by 'calling' is the re-occurring theme in my life that I've been pursuing and endeavoring to live out for most of my life: the reality that worship, prayer, and [...]