Since I last posted about what I am reading (finished reading), I have added three more titles to my empty shelf.
Worship Words by Debra and Ron Rienstra was a long read. I started this book last fall and have put it down/picked up several times since. It discusses the language we use in our worship services and what our language says about God. It was a good read with some very thought provoking concepts. We must be careful to use words that represent God truthfully.
Weird by Craig Groeschel was very good. Craig challenges Christians to get beyond normal. None of us really wants to be weird, but according to this book, being normal might just be what is keeping your walk with God from growing. Basically, this book is a call to live lives that are sold out to Jesus; lives that are biblically based and God honoring regardless of how weird it makes us look to the watching world.
Worship: The Ultimate Priority by John MacArthur might be the best book on worship I've read since Bob Kauflin's Worship Matters. Full of scriptural references to make his points, MacArthur posits that worship is our right response of all we are, to all that God is. MacArthur gives examples of what Biblical worship looks like and how it affects Christians who practice it. Great read.
Now onto the next book on the stack. God Bless and keep reading.
We recently introduced a new song at church. It's a song that I almost passed over without much thought. The song Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United is being introduced in churches around the country. Just because a song is being used by other churches doesn't automatically mean that we should sing it. However, in this case, I am glad that I gave the song a second chance. It is a beautiful expression of longing to be challenged by God to a deeper faith. It uses a visual picture that alludes to Jesus and Peter walking on water. Because of this, I have been studying this passage of scripture in Matthew 14:22-33. Here are a few things I noticed...
1. The disciples were where Jesus asked them to be. Because the disciples obeyed, they saw Jesus walk on water, and Peter even experienced walking on water himself.
2. Peter asked Jesus for proof that it was really Jesus. In asking for the proof, Peter already showed his faith in Jesus. He asked Jesus to call him out on the water...somewhere Peter could not go on his own. Then Peter proved his faith in Jesus by obeying in this miraculous thing. It's one thing to ask God to grow our faith, it's another thing to actually step out when He calls.
3. Peter did the miraculous as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. When he looked at the wind and waves he began to sink. He put his faith in his fears at that moment and has to call out to Jesus for help. Jesus saves and challenges Peter to put his faith in the right place.
4. Once Peter and Jesus are in the boat, Peter is all but forgotten about. There are no "high fives" and "congratulations Peter for walking on water." No the only response the disciples have to witnessing what they saw was to bow down and worship Jesus.
So often as Christians, we see the "wind and waves" that will be against us if we step out in faith, and we never get out of the boat. In fact, many of us never get in the boat in the first place. We are still on the shore arguing with Jesus about making this voyage. We use our expertise to say "Jesus it looks like a storm is brewing, we should just wait until tomorrow." Or we say "Jesus can't we just sit here and enjoy the amazing miracle you just performed and snack on this bread and fish?" (Jesus had just fed the 5,000) We get so comfortable, that the idea of asking God to grow our faith by calling us to do something that we cannot do on our own power sounds crazy.
Oceans is a song that asks God to grow us. I plan to keep singing it. I hope you will too (or at least pray and ask God to stretch you and grow you.
