I've been asked to lead worship for a branch of the outreach I already lead worship for.
I don't know anyone at this place which is 30 miles away.
It got me to thinking that God still has a hand, and there's a reason for this interesting turn, caused again by the death of someone else.
Co-incidence? No. God-incidence. Gotta do this just so I see what happens next.
Showing posts with label outreach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outreach. Show all posts
Friday, 12 July 2013
Monday, 17 December 2012
Rest
So, I'm free of any obligations for a few weeks, except for work of course. I am in for a busy January as there are potentially 3 outreach sessions for WL, one of which is all day.
My health issues have settled down, although I have more tests coming up. I am much calmer. I am also hopeful, but maybe a bit impatient. I have concerns for my friend, but at the same time I have a rather exciting vision for them I'd love to get confirmed. I am slightly annoyed with one particular person, but that problem seems to have dissipated and I will quickly forgive them. Last night I had a half hour ponder/meditate on "unity" and the lack of it in churches. I was thinking about where I could end up, and in what capacity.
These are just a few things buzzing round my head at the moment. I didn't go to church yesterday, I felt that the two outreach sessions were enough fellowship for the week, especially as I saw some old friends there...
...do I have any regrets? On leaving, no. For making some friendships more distant, oh definitely...
I don't think I'll go to church next week either. As much as I love carols, as regular readers may know I feel uncomfortable with reducing the Son of God to a child in a manger. Just the knowledge He came in poverty is enough. It was what He became that is important.
End of December/start of January, I'll look at a couple more churches, and hopefully, eventually, settle.
My health issues have settled down, although I have more tests coming up. I am much calmer. I am also hopeful, but maybe a bit impatient. I have concerns for my friend, but at the same time I have a rather exciting vision for them I'd love to get confirmed. I am slightly annoyed with one particular person, but that problem seems to have dissipated and I will quickly forgive them. Last night I had a half hour ponder/meditate on "unity" and the lack of it in churches. I was thinking about where I could end up, and in what capacity.
These are just a few things buzzing round my head at the moment. I didn't go to church yesterday, I felt that the two outreach sessions were enough fellowship for the week, especially as I saw some old friends there...
...do I have any regrets? On leaving, no. For making some friendships more distant, oh definitely...
I don't think I'll go to church next week either. As much as I love carols, as regular readers may know I feel uncomfortable with reducing the Son of God to a child in a manger. Just the knowledge He came in poverty is enough. It was what He became that is important.
End of December/start of January, I'll look at a couple more churches, and hopefully, eventually, settle.
Friday, 14 December 2012
Courage
I drafted a post on Monday, going into further detail of what happened to me on Sunday. I decided not to post it. It felt just too personal somehow, but lets just say that God is calling me to mature to another level.
I saw a friend on Wednesday and told them all about it, it was difficult to sort out all my emotions about talking to them - it's been a couple of months since I last saw them...
...and I hope that I will see them again....something at the back of my mind I can't ignore.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I gathered some choruses together for this week's outreach. On face value the structure is quite un-Christmassy, but in fact there is a father-son theme going through which is quite appropriate. No carols though.
I then lost courage with 3 of them and replaced them.
God then put one of the dropped on my heart so strongly that I feel that He has pretty much commanded me to teach it to the congregation, and to make sure I do. (It is very new, written this year and was a Kingsway offering a little while back. I was thinking about teaching them after the message had ended, during ministry) 1st one replaced.
As I often do, I played them through last night. The first one is all wrong. I love it, but it just doesn't fit. The 4th one, ditto. The 2nd of the 3 was replaced. When building the PP, I replaced the 1st with a lively chorus/hymn that fits much better, and one that was seemingly an immovable chorus was replaced and I didn't even know it was a problem until then.
And, finally, the 3rd one I lost courage with was put back, God is telling me to go out on a limb. The original structure is back, with one replaced. So I figure, if I'm the only one praising God tomorrow, sobeit. The Boss has spoken. Still no carols.
For all sorts of reasons, this might be the last time I lead worship at this group's outreach. It could all fall flat or could be brilliant. But I know that God thinks I'm fab whatever. And that's what counts.
I saw a friend on Wednesday and told them all about it, it was difficult to sort out all my emotions about talking to them - it's been a couple of months since I last saw them...
...and I hope that I will see them again....something at the back of my mind I can't ignore.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I gathered some choruses together for this week's outreach. On face value the structure is quite un-Christmassy, but in fact there is a father-son theme going through which is quite appropriate. No carols though.
I then lost courage with 3 of them and replaced them.
God then put one of the dropped on my heart so strongly that I feel that He has pretty much commanded me to teach it to the congregation, and to make sure I do. (It is very new, written this year and was a Kingsway offering a little while back. I was thinking about teaching them after the message had ended, during ministry) 1st one replaced.
As I often do, I played them through last night. The first one is all wrong. I love it, but it just doesn't fit. The 4th one, ditto. The 2nd of the 3 was replaced. When building the PP, I replaced the 1st with a lively chorus/hymn that fits much better, and one that was seemingly an immovable chorus was replaced and I didn't even know it was a problem until then.
And, finally, the 3rd one I lost courage with was put back, God is telling me to go out on a limb. The original structure is back, with one replaced. So I figure, if I'm the only one praising God tomorrow, sobeit. The Boss has spoken. Still no carols.
For all sorts of reasons, this might be the last time I lead worship at this group's outreach. It could all fall flat or could be brilliant. But I know that God thinks I'm fab whatever. And that's what counts.
Monday, 3 December 2012
Moving in a mysterious way
Having decided to generally "back off" this week because the wounds are still too painful, Saturday evening my thoughts turned once again to church, and where to go on the Sunday morning.
I really didn't want to go to the church I went to a couple of weeks ago. There's something missing...
All the same, an "impetus" got me out of the front door yesterday, despite rain, wind and cold. If asked, I guessed I would have said I would have felt guilty all week had I not gone somewhere. Fear of God does that to you.
I ended up in a church that was very small indeed, there were 8 of us there in total. But God is God. There was a link with one of the members. She thought she had missed the monthly outreach, and oh yes, her friend would like to come to, and maybe a few others...
Two, maybe more, people who will be coming to the outreach, who wouldn't have come if I had notturned up in their church that morning. God was so in that detail. And it was a Spirit driving me out in the inclement weather.
Have I found the church I need? Well, I still don't know. The message was good (and very apt for me, well a good reminder, about moving mountains) They need a worship leader (there's a surprise!) but is it the place for me? My attitude is very strange - you would think I would be saying - worship leading??!! When do I start??!! But no...
I was thinking about it later, after a conversation with the outreach leader, that the regular WL is still very much Out Of Action and will be for some time. It saddened me, but I thought, I can't do church and the outreach, it nearly killed me in the summer.
Remember the butterfly?
I shall be a butterfly. I will flit about from church to church. I know where I'm going next week, and I have plans for the following couple of weeks to Christmas. God has somewhere for me I'm thinking, but as long as I get fellowship, and the gospel, that is my food for the week and I will be happy.
The WL will come later. After healing. After prayer. Maybe God has something even more special.
I really didn't want to go to the church I went to a couple of weeks ago. There's something missing...
All the same, an "impetus" got me out of the front door yesterday, despite rain, wind and cold. If asked, I guessed I would have said I would have felt guilty all week had I not gone somewhere. Fear of God does that to you.
I ended up in a church that was very small indeed, there were 8 of us there in total. But God is God. There was a link with one of the members. She thought she had missed the monthly outreach, and oh yes, her friend would like to come to, and maybe a few others...
Two, maybe more, people who will be coming to the outreach, who wouldn't have come if I had notturned up in their church that morning. God was so in that detail. And it was a Spirit driving me out in the inclement weather.
Have I found the church I need? Well, I still don't know. The message was good (and very apt for me, well a good reminder, about moving mountains) They need a worship leader (there's a surprise!) but is it the place for me? My attitude is very strange - you would think I would be saying - worship leading??!! When do I start??!! But no...
I was thinking about it later, after a conversation with the outreach leader, that the regular WL is still very much Out Of Action and will be for some time. It saddened me, but I thought, I can't do church and the outreach, it nearly killed me in the summer.
Remember the butterfly?
I shall be a butterfly. I will flit about from church to church. I know where I'm going next week, and I have plans for the following couple of weeks to Christmas. God has somewhere for me I'm thinking, but as long as I get fellowship, and the gospel, that is my food for the week and I will be happy.
The WL will come later. After healing. After prayer. Maybe God has something even more special.
Saturday, 3 November 2012
Sabbath Rest
I've often said I don't regard these outreach WL sessions as proper work, in fact they've started to become part of the healing process. Worship was fab today, I knew it was going to be OK from the first chorus. I need to start remembering to worship myself, and trust God to be in control of the rest.
It was great to be free today, and as good as the morning was, feeling "happy exhausted" at the end of it (so a good day at the office), I came home slightly sorry that it was over....but....I then thought...
...glory be. I don't have to worry about this again for at least another week. I am free of that for a while. God, as far as I'm concerned, can take His time over paving the way for me. It isn't laziness, for I will happily take up the sword when He needs me to - no, it is finally being happy in my lot, a burden lifted, a responsibility removed for a while, I have entered a wilderness of sorts, yes, but a beautiful one, a rest. I decided to try and have meandGod time during the periods I would normally have been with the group, or on my own, practicing or chorusstorming.
Maybe He'll point the way during those times.
Although I don't want to be impatient, someone told me today to make sure I find where God wants me quickly else the blessings I can give with my anointing will be wasted. It was encouraging, and thinking of it, extremely sobering.
I am, after all, a foot soldier, and it ain't no good to be on furlough for too long.
It was great to be free today, and as good as the morning was, feeling "happy exhausted" at the end of it (so a good day at the office), I came home slightly sorry that it was over....but....I then thought...
...glory be. I don't have to worry about this again for at least another week. I am free of that for a while. God, as far as I'm concerned, can take His time over paving the way for me. It isn't laziness, for I will happily take up the sword when He needs me to - no, it is finally being happy in my lot, a burden lifted, a responsibility removed for a while, I have entered a wilderness of sorts, yes, but a beautiful one, a rest. I decided to try and have meandGod time during the periods I would normally have been with the group, or on my own, practicing or chorusstorming.
Maybe He'll point the way during those times.
Although I don't want to be impatient, someone told me today to make sure I find where God wants me quickly else the blessings I can give with my anointing will be wasted. It was encouraging, and thinking of it, extremely sobering.
I am, after all, a foot soldier, and it ain't no good to be on furlough for too long.
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