New Music is Good: Isaac Watts, Hymns, and Church Tradition...

Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) is recognized as the "Father of English Hymnody". His two famous hymns are Joy to the World and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. He was also known in his day, that he went against the tradition of the church! Let me expand on this:

One day; Isaac was walking home with his father, who was a pastor, and he started complaining about the music he had sung that morning in church. He was bored with the music! The type of music they sang in church was psalmodic, which refers to singing of psalms. These psalms were sung for centuries in one way or another. In fact, John Calvin insisted that these psalms be the main type of worship. Psalms were sung in a monotone form with no instruments, because instruments in a church was considered worldly. Basically, one person would sing a note and then everyone would jump in. 

So here we are; Isaac is bored and having an issue with church music, does this sound familiar? As Isaac was walking with his father, Isaac's father chose to listen to his son instead of arguing! After listening, he told his son; "Son, why don't you mend the matter?" (Why don't you write your own music) and that is was Isaac did! Today, it is estimated that he wrote around 750 hymns! Hymns that have lasted over 300 years! 

Now imagine for a moment if that conversation took a different direction and the father argued about Isaac's conviction for change? What if the father hushed his son and said we have been doing psalms for hundred of years, if it was good enough for my father and my grandfather it is good enough for us? We don't need change! Today, could look a lot different. Who knows we might still have no hymnal books, no instruments in the church and still be singing A Cappella psalms! Isaac Watts challenged the tradition of the church! Many churches of his day rejected his music and one of the biggest music wars happened within the church...

So when it comes to music in the church, there has always been music wars! For many that grew up with hymns, they are important to them. Granted, new generations are going to have songs in their generation that they will grow up with and will be important to them! Generations change, music changes, methods on reaching people change, change is good. So in wrapping up, two things. First, older generations need to recognize that change is needed and that music will be a "method" in reaching youth for Jesus! Second, younger generations need to recognize that the older generation has a lifetime of influence with hymns of their generation and this is extremely important to them! I truly believe that music will continue to be an issue in the church, because it is one of the most valuable ways to worship God and the enemy knows that...

Happy Birthday, Sam

Today is a very special day for me because it is my two year anniversary; it is also a very special day for a specific teenager in my youth group. Sam Ciszek turned 16 years of age! I don't normally give a lot of recognition to teenagers on birthdays, but today is different. I spent some time reflecting on Graceway Student Ministry and how much of an impact Sam has been on where it is today! 

Let me start from the beginning. I moved to Green Bay a little over three and a half years ago. The youth group I inherited had 5 seniors, 1 junior and a 7th grader. I spent the first school year investing in these teens as much as I could, then they graduated and the juniors family went to another church. I was down to 1 teenager, the seventh grader. If you guessed Sam, you got it right! For me to say I was discouraged would have been an understatement. But if there was one thing I was good at, I was good at investing in one student at a time. My second year in Green Bay; I was pretty much starting over from square one with one teenager, myself, and few adult leaders. 

A few months into the next school year, Sam's cousin Jacob joined us and we had two! We continued to meet and we continued to be a youth group. Sam was awesome at bringing her friends to events and church. We were meeting, listening to God, and continuing to hope to grow as a youth ministry. 

Three and half years later, we have between 10-12 teenagers that are within the church. Wednesday nights have been at 8 teenagers and some of our events have been 10-15! We have 8 teenagers going to camp this year! We are looking at our second mission trip this summer! The teenagers are plugged in and serving in the church; from ushering, to nursery, to Graceway Kids, to sound booth, to special Christmas choir, to so many other things that I could go on and mention! 

If I were to give any type of recognition to where Graceway Student Ministry is today, I would give a huge part to Sam! She is at the core of our youth group and continues to play a huge part. I am proud of her and wish her an awesome 16th birthday! 

Not my church...God's church!

Sometimes, we can act like the church is ours and that it owes us something. I mean after all we give our time, our money, our focus, etc. We are there every time the doors are open, and we start acting like it is our church rather than God's church!

Check this verse out:

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (Acts 20:28 NIV)

A couple of observations: 

1. Leaders should take care of themselves and the people of the church

2. In the verse, who are the leaders? The shepherds

3. We, the leaders of the church, are to be like shepherds, being protective and watching over the health of the sheep

4. In the verse, who are the sheep? The church in Ephesus to be politically correct! But the church! 

5. Whose church is it? Gods! 

6. Why is it God's church? Because He bought it!

7. How did He buy it? And for how much? With blood, Jesus' blood!

So, we should be careful to make sure that we don't get to comfortable thinking it's our church when it's Gods church. We should be careful when talking about the church, because God has given a lot for His church. God cherishes His church and has a plan for it! Let's make sure we are in line with Him and His specific will for the church we are plugged into! Remember it's not my church it's God's church!

Kids are not the church of tomorrow...

I heard many times as a teenager that I was the next generation of the church; and to me then, that seemed far off. I tell my teenagers all the time; they are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today! Even children are used by God, read the Bible. God called and talked to Samuel at age 12! A boy gave his lunch of fish and loaves! David most likely a child when he killed a bear and a lion, maybe a young teenager by the time he went against Goliath!

I was listening to a pastor preach the other day and he talked about a 6 year old kid that heard about street kids in another country. The young kid had found out that these street kids many times didn't have food to eat and would go hungry. This kid had received a 100 dollar bill for Christmas; and decided that he wanted to give all of it to help street kids have food. Wow! He was only six and he wanted to help street kids that he will most likely never meet! God still uses kids today!

Guess what? Kids are not the church of tomorrow...THEY ARE PART OF THE CHURCH OF TODAY!

Daniel, boarding school, and teenager's owning their faith

I was reading about Daniel and how he was taken away from his home, given a new wardrobe, a new name and identity. It made me think back to when I was involved in boarding school for at-risk youth! They were taken away from home, no contact with friends or girlfriends, limited contact with family, a new wardrobe, lots of rules, and a new lifestyle. Everyone for the most part that came in, had a rough time and lashed out. (There were a few that desired to make a change and took it much better). But this interaction, gives me a whole new respect for Daniel! He had to have owned his faith and was not living off his parent's faith or his "youth pastor's" faith! Daniel is a great example of how God can use a teenager for His glory and how they can overcome trials where most of us would have faltered...