surprised by humility

Isn’t it great how nice surprises often come at a time when you most need them? Yesterday I received an unexpected gift in the middle of a very unlikely conversation. It was a bright, encouraging light in an otherwise fairly dark day.

You may have noticed - there’s been much conversation and debate among worship arts volunteers over the question of what clothing or behavior is “appropriate, modest, non-distracting, functional, and God-honoring.” Good for us that we are expressing our individual thoughts, perceptions and passions in a logical, articulate way. Diversity is usually good.

Yesterday the cry for “my rights, my preferences, my needs” clamored just a little too long and loudly for me. It had beaten me down to the point of wanting to wave the white flag, disregard the requests, comments, and pleas I hear from the congregation on a regular basis and just say, “You know what? I give up. Wear what you want, do what you want, do what’s best for YOU and let the congregation learn to deal with it. After all, they don’t really matter. It’s US we need to think about.” (Relax. I came to my senses after a good night’s sleep.)

Ironically some of the people who’ve been the most vocal against dress code as it relates to them have also been the ones who have asked me as a leader to confront OTHERS about a particular habit, clothing or mannerism that is distracting to THEM. And they’re right. They deserve to worship without wincing or stumbling into an obstacle, just like everyone else. None of us WANTS to create a problem for others if we can avoid it.

So I gathered up my courage and did what we are all called to do at one point or another. With gentleness, humilty, and a whole lot of fear and trembling, I confronted the person who was providing the recurring distraction. I took a deep breath, apologized for my awkwardness and clumsiness, and spoke the truth in love on behalf of the people who want to focus on God, but were struggling over this one particular area.

Silence. Very long silence. (And then, the incredibly wonderful surprise… ) Humility. Appreciation. Genuine desire to serve Invisibly. Selflessly. More Humility. More Appreciation. Laughter. Friendship. Joy. Encouragement. Support. Team mates connected and united. Family members committed to serving our church family well. Hope…

Sure got to see the character of God reflected in the face sitting across my desk. It was a really nice surprise.

"what not to wear..." part deux

It all started with a simple email to our tech team urging them to wear their spiffy looking crosswinds tech shirts and a pair of pants (as opposed to shorts) on weekends when they were serving. It was followed by a series of well-thought out emails from various team members detailing why this was a less than ideal request.

I smiled as I read their responses. See, when we did the “summer what-not-to-wear” talk with worship and drama team people in June, I was prepared for some energetic push back from a few of them. (Apparently several were feeling that bare feet, spaghetti straps, bare midriffs and skin tight clothing wouldn’t be a distraction as they led worship.) But who knew there’d be protest from BOTH sides of the stage? Still shaking my head.

At any rate – to me, how the clothing debate shakes out for tech people is of less importance than how we all handle the underlying “hot buttons” that brought about the debate in the first place. These are the questions I’m asking myself as I sort this through. Want to join me?

1. Is my objection really about the clothing itself?
2. Or is it more about the loss of having a choice?
3. Does making it a “rule” or “guideline” necessarily make it a bad idea?
4. Does my ministry impact extend beyond the walls of the tech and sound booths?
5. Does what I wear affect how I serve? (does it make me so uncomfortable that I can’t concentrate?)
6. Does what I wear support all team members – off the stage and on the stage? (Is it fair? Does fair matter?)
7. Finally (and probably most importantly) – do I actually have the legs to tastefully pull off the “shorts look?!” (come on… don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about…) :-)

As always, there is much more to the big picture than any one person can see from their perspective. And there’s also much more to our individual stories than others might know. We didn’t all stumble on our “hot buttons” by accident.

Oh by the way, this discussion didn’t start by accident either. We can all thank an unnamed sound man and a hot, eye catching pair of “little white shorts” that were unexpectedly featured on stage under bright lights a few weeks ago. That’s what got things rolling. :-)

Thoughts, anyone?

of crosses and lights...

There’s been a lot of “energetic” conversation in recent months about the presence (or absence) of a cross in our ministry center. The debate is passionate, for sure – right down to what the correct size, location, and position ought (or ought not) to be.

The truth is, we’ve featured an assortment of crosses made in a variety of sizes from wood, metal, fabric, vines, light – all with one very intentional purpose in mind. That is to point our minds and hearts to the character, attributes and PERSON of Jesus Christ. The cross image does that beautifully, but it’s only one of MANY very powerful images or reminders that point us to God and all that He is and has done. For example, what could be richer, more meaningful symbols of Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness than the scent, touch and taste of the bread and cup at the communion table?

As we head into the summer season we’ve chosen another symbol to help us focus on who Jesus is and what he has promised to do in our lives. “…I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

Our ministry center set has been created to represent this LIGHT that leads to LIFE. Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” (John 12:46) As you worship this summer, be reminded of the light, the truth, and the hope that a relationship with Jesus Christ shines into our lives.

On a side note – do you remember the set design from last summer? It was soft, flowing fabric draped from ceiling to floor, giving a fluid feeling of wind in the sails of Crosswinds. We were in the midst of transition, staying flexible to change, responsive to the breeze of the Holy Spirit. That was a intended as a reflection of our church, embracing transition and flowing with the impending changes. In contrast, our current environment suggests a movement into structure, stability, yet still responsive to the light of Christ and leading of the Spirit. The solid, confident lines suggest a structural building and strengthening of our church, ministries and families as the light of Christ shines through all.

The “cross debate” will no doubt continue on, but through it all, this truth remains: God has done miraculous things in and through Crosswinds in the last year, and we believe He will continue to lead us into an amazing future. He is the object of our worship, the only One who is truly worthy of our praise. So regardless of which symbols or images we happen to choose on any particular weekend…

...if they point to Him… isn't that really the point?

“…let there be light”
It’s surprising how much you can see when the lights are on. One quick flip of the literal and figurative light switch this past weekend and I got to experience that first hand.

What I already knew was that every person who walks through the ministry center doors for worship has a pretty distinct idea of what real worship “should look like.” And I also knew that we can never give everyone what they prefer all at the same time. There simply is no such thing as a “one size fits all” worship experience. I’m guessing that even in heaven some people will still be filling out anonymous comment cards…

What I didn’t know was that differing preferences could actually be a good thing. We usually duck when the negative comments and complaints come our way (on those very rare occasions). This past weekend was no exception.

The face off was over lighting and the challenges that our lighting cues presented. Words were exchanged, passionate points of view were expressed, people who love God with all their hearts landed on two opposite sides of the argument with an unusual mix of honor and opposition. I was proud of us. We acted like the body of Christ, thinking with our minds and feeling with our hearts about what worship “should be” on this particular weekend. In the end, we did not agree, but we went home respecting and loving each other, and with a resolution.

For me (and hopefully for all of us) the light went on in more ways than one. Here’s what we learned:

It's never “all or nothing.” Really. Solutions are rarely found in the black and white. There is likely some truth and wisdom in both points of view when people love God. The sooner we figure that out, the sooner we let go of our need to be “right.” The answer might not be your preference or mine - it could be the best of both.

If I say I love God – I need to love His people too. When I’m leading worship, there are more people in the room than just God and me. And their needs, obstacles, challenges and preferences DO matter to God – and they should also matter to me. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians compel us as servant-leaders to "become all things to all men so that by all possible means we might save some."

It’s a race, and I want to be first to put others’ needs first. In fact, some of my most meaningful moments in worship have been when I've handed over my preferences of music, environment, style, lighting, sound, speaker… to God. In one unlikely gesture my me-centered worship can change to a profoundly rich, personal, intimate sacrifice of praise.

Iron sharpens iron. Opposing points of view can actually be GOOD. This weekend the face off was triggered by lighting but turned out to be about ministry philosophy. As a result, a blend of two very “right” ideas turned out to be (in my humble opinion) better than either on their own.

...And that’s the story of how we came to blend the soft light of candles, the rich color of lights, and the sweet sound of voices raised in worship last weekend. It was a great service – more so than any of us imagined.