A Failure to Communicate

"Constantly talking is not necessarily communicating."

That is a line Jim Carrey's character says in The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. (Sidenote: I just finished that movie for a second time and really enjoy it)

Thinking about what that line means reminded me of the quote from Cool Hand Luke that I used for the title of this post.

How often do we find ourselves in deep--way deeper than things ever needed to go, purely from a lack of communication?

Misunderstandings... miscommunications... mistakes...

I also thought about the first quote in terms of God. Do my prayers and thoughts to Him just end up being a constant flow from my mouth and mind? Am I spewing a lexical shield around myself that perpetually grows and insulates me from actually hearing a little bit of what God is responding?

I hope I am not. I hope I have been taking time to listen. I hope I would know how to communicate with my Father. And I know I must do my best to just shut up sometimes and be aware of Him and the powerful Word that comes out of His mouth.

I will end this post here for now. Just think about your own life… your thoughts and prayers to God. Are you listening? Are you hearing? Is there communication?

Control

Helplessness can be one of the worst feelings. It can be frustrating... annoying... It can drive you crazy.

There are just times when you really can do nothing. No matter how much you want to do something, you cannot help.

At my job, I deal with people who need help with computers and software... but I am only trained to help with basic problems. I know a little more than that, but sometimes there is no easy solution... or just no solution that I know... This actually makes me hate my job. I do not want to go in to work. I do not want to have to face the chance of not knowing. I don't want to have to say, "I don't know, I can't help." There are usually numbers or e-mail addresses to give for them to find help elsewhere... but that's not guaranteed... it's not the same... I couldn't help!

Not that it is wrong to want to have the answers to help people (especially when you work as a tutor)... but why?

Why is helplessness such a horrible thing in my mind (our minds?)?

It's not that we hate it necessarily...

Babies are helpless, many people seem to like them.

But when it comes down to "I am helpless".....

NO, NO, NO!!! I'm in control! I'm fine! I can do it!!!



Why is the truth so frightening?


We are not in control. God is.
Is He so evil that we fear His command?
Does He intend harm so that we distain His authority?


"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"
"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you."
--from Luke 12


He values His creation... He feeds... He clothes... He loves...


Whether we want to admit it or not... whether we will submit or not...

We are helpless...

If not for the grace and love of God, we would not even exist...


I know this... I have known these things...

But so often I still don't want to be helpless...


God, save us from our pride.

Future Past

Why do we look back with regret? Look back on years we wasted or time we should have better spent... Why do we say, 'I would have done things differently' as we reminisce?

Or we look ahead. I will change. Next time, I'll do better. My new year's resolution is...

What about now?!

I look back... there are so many stupid things I wish I would not have done. Stupid mistakes, stupid arguments... Why fight so much with siblings?

But the problem is... it is past...

I look ahead... I say I'll get over this, I'll stop that... But that doesn't help.

What about now?!

Learn from what has happened... stop repeating those same stubborn mistakes!! And "Do not worry about tomorrow"... Focus on TODAY!!!

Today... help someone who needs it
Today... stop fighting
Today... let go of pride
Today... love
Today... give
Today... do something about it

Today... lose selfishness

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

What are you doing today?

Discovery and the Unknown

I have been watching the Discovery Channel a lot lately. Through the shows, I find God more and more fascinating. There are still so many mysteries being discovered all of the time, but each of them just adds more and more questions of how something so complicated and intricate could ever exist. I see this as the camera crews finally get new shots of the arctic and antarctic life... they get footage of bizarre creatures living deeper and deeper in the ocean... they show the first views of hidden jungle animals and insects... they find even more life in the mountains and deserts...

Just seeing all of those creatures, those plants, that life is amazing enough in itself, but then I think about God's mind and personality in that creation. Life did not just start in these places as soon as people arrived with cameras. From the beginning of time, these creatures were conceived and perfectly placed into their environments (well, replaced after the flood). For years and years and years life has gone on in such a spectacular way just for God's pleasure... just because one day we might find it and watch in wonder... just to show His glory in everything... just so we could discover... just so men are without excuse... just so His love and life would be revealed.

We still know so little about our own planet and can find more reasons to be amazed every single day. But God not only created this little planet, but an entire universe! How great and creative and powerful is He that life is made and sustained simply because He wills it so. As simple as it is, and even as overplayed as some may find it... that is why I can barely even get out the words to the song, "How Great is Our God". Every single time I hear those words, that melody, I begin to think about how true it is. In awe, I become speechless and have little left to do but weep and be glad. How great He is. How great He is.

If you hear that song, if you walk outside, or even if you just flip to the Discovery Channel... take a little time to think about creation, to think about the millions of lifeforms that exist in even the smallest corner of the earth. It is incomprehensible. But I think God had this in mind from the beginning. Sometime the best way to worship and show our love and respect is nothing more than to just stop and stand amazed!

Sound Systems and Talent

I love music. I love good music. I love loud music. I love hearing talented musicians.
But where do all of these things fit in the church?

I have been playing on worship teams since I was in seventh grade. In this time, I have had the opportunity to play with bands that are filled with musical talent. On the other hand, I have been around teams that you could have switched their instruments with vacuum cleaners and jack hammers without noticing. Though the latter are a little less pleasant to the ear, I find that it is not about talent. You can put together a band of amazing musicians for your Sunday morning service and still completely leave God out of the picture.

Conventions and rallies are great examples of places I have seen this. Excitement and energy fill the building as the professional worship teams entertain the crowd. To most, it's just a show. Can true worship still happen here? Yes, of course it can. You can offer your heart and mind and voice to God in worship in just about any environment! But are these worship events a hindrance? I find that is often the case. I see so many people in the audience dancing, laughing, shouting, singing, and jumping; yet immediately after (or even during the service), how many of these people are crudely joking around and doing everything BUT what they have just sung to God they would do?

This also occurs in many churches that I've been to. My assessment from what I've seen is that anytime there is too much focus on THE BAND, THE MUSIC, THE LIGHTS... worshipping God falls from a priority to an optional perk.

Am I saying that a great band is a bad thing? Not at all. The last few worship teams I have played on are filled with extremely talented musicians. In services with these teams, I have experienced amazing times with God, as well seeing the congregation rejoicing, praising, and touched by God... But I have been in just as powerful (if not moreso) services with some of those vacuum cleaner bands. It is all about hearts set on worshipping God.

So if it is not about the quality of the musicians, does that mean anyone can be on the worship team? I still am trying to figure out the best way to deal with this. Playing on the worship team, in many churches, is the cool thing to do. Everyone wants to do it. Everyone wants to be on stage. Everyone thinks they can sing. I don't think I can even count the number of places I've been that have the wonderful line of backup singers that could barely compete against a braying donkey. Some people are just not musically gifted. I won't say that these people ABOSULUTELY SHOULD NOT be on the team, but I would really have to strongly question their motivation for joining (are they deaf? can they hear their own voices??).

This carries over to instrumentalists as well. I especially find this with the bass. EVERYONE knows how to play bass. IT'S SO EASY!!! All you have to do is play the (bass)note of the chord. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! That is not the purpose of the bass!!! I could teach my little brother to pluck a G C D C on bass in five seconds. He would then be able to play along with any band as well as many of these other "bassists". I'm not trying to cut these people down, but, again, I really have to question their motivation for joining. Do they really feel they have a talent to offer? Or did bass just seem like the easiest way to get on the band and be on stage?

There are churches that lack musicians. In these places, I realize that people without musical talent may truely have their hearts in the right place and do their best to fill in as needed. I appreciate this, and am glad that they give of their time to help out... But when there are people with talent who want to offer their abilities, are the no-talents really trying to help out and offer something? Or, in these circumstances, are they just trying to play with the cool band? Like I said before, I don't have the answers on how to deal with these issues yet... just questions (and sometimes frustrations).

My final observation on this, for now, is that... SOUND PEOPLE AT CHURCHES HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It seems that the people who volunteer for sound, so often, are the people that have no musical talent and couldn't make the worship team, or the people that think the music is too loud and want to make sure that the evil band doesn't get their way.

First... if you think worshipping God should be held to a nice, controlled like ditty, I think you are missing the point. On the night Jesus was born, a MULTITUDE of heavenly hosts proclaimed, GLORY TO GOD, PEACE ON EARTH! In Revalation, Angels, and Creatures, and the Redeemed all SHOUT unto God and praise Him forever. King David danced so hard that his clothes fell off! GOD is not a wimp. Worship is not a neat little tea party! GOD inspires something inside of the heart that can sometimes only even be uttered in a shout of praise! He is GREAT and POWERFUL and MIGHTY! It seems only fitting that He should be worshipped and praised in a great and powerful and mighty way.

I realize that doesn't mean we need to pierce our ears with blaring electric guitar, but seriously, to those sound people--REMOVE STICK FROM... well, places sticks don't belong. Secondly, like playing an instrument, having an ear for music and sound and how to run the system is not just some easy thing that everyone can do. Some have that talent to offer and others don't (again, in places where there is a need, but no talent available, I realize others can do the best they can to help out).

But in the end, it doesn't really matter. (Link'n Park) Whether or not you have a talented band and sound team... whether or not the people involved even have the right motivations... whether or not you even have a band or sound system... God CAN and SHOULD be praised! If you want to have a great worship service, what it really comes down to is having a congregation filled with people who want nothing more than to reach out and touch God... who want nothing more than to praise His name... who want nothing more than to hear His voice... who want nothing more than to celebrate and show the love, joy, freedom, peace, and salvation they have received from their Maker. What really matters, is God.