DiW: THE sound

The kick will have punch but with controlled energy.


The snare will be bright, cracking and short.


The Toms will be round, warm and will project.


The cymbals....well, they'll sound ok but they'll have to wait.

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That's the vision for Gateways drums. We will be playing un-mic'd for the time being but that'll be the vision when we're mic'd too.

We'll be using Evans G2's on the toms and a Power Centre Reverse Dot on the snare; porting the kickdrum and generally giving our Premier Artist Birch a jolly good clean!

DiW: Why?

Why do we use drums in Worship music? What's the point?
Is there a biblical precedent that we're following? Well, yes and no. Yes in as much as gongs and cymbals are mentioned in the bible but no in as much as they are also used as a simile for us without Love.....

Yet there are countless drummers all over the world, playing all kinds of styles, in churches and meetings week in, week out. There must be a good reason for it right? There is and it's important to know it.

DC Talk once described God as a 'Creative Artist'. I've always liked that image, and I think it is the central reason to use drums, or indeed any gift/talent we have, in our Worship of YHWH; because everything we have is His and should be offered to him in praise and Worship. For me it is included in the 'Living Sacrifices' described in Romans 12 and that passage describes the relationship between physical worship and spiritual worship.

If, through playing music (no drummer jokes!), I can express my praise and worship of God and I can help lead others to do the same, then I have a very good reason to play!

Note that the reason isn't "to keep time" or "set a good groove" or "show how many chops you've got" or "annoy those who hate loud music!" or "because it's cool". What you play affects all of that stuff but it's no good making them the why. It would be a poor substitute for the real reason and frankly, I'd give up rather than play for any of those reasons!

Be clear about why you play. It will affect how you go about handling yourself and I think God is interested!

Mike Vance on Vision (Walt Disney)

The legendary Walt Disney died before Disney World in Florida was completed. On opening day 1971, almost five years after Disney's death, someone commented to Mike Vance, Creative Director of Walt Disney Studios, "Isn't it too bad Walt Disney didn't live to see this?'"

"He did see it," Vance replied simply. "That's why it's here."

(Quoted from 'IT' by Craig Groeschel)

Growing a bit more

Hmmmm...

Ok, so, since you asked. I think I'm growing-out, right?

Well, I don't think I can find what I'm looking for where I am. Whatever that means.

I'm going (but I don't know what that means either!)

Yet.

Growing

I'm Growing.
I think I'm growing-out.
I might even be out-growing.

Change

It's time for a change.

It's been coming since November (or even before that.)

Themes of leadership, vision and teaching are recurring.

I have re-assessed pretty much everything I do to see what should remain and I have looked at the vision and tasks that I have been working to and measured my progress.

I have been very confused.

What exactly is going to change is not yet clear!

I Need A Bigger Brain

I have too much in it and I have listened to so much high quality teaching that I think will make a difference to me, that I don't want to forget anything.

Steve Chalk:

Your Christology should define your Misology (sp) which should then shape and define your Ecclesiology. That is, what you know about Christ should define how you will deal with Mission. How you deal with Mission will shape what your expression of church looks like.

If you want that explained properly, please buy Steve Chalks book 'Intelligent Church' publish by Zondervan, I believe.

For me tonight's meeting was an endorsement of what we are doing at OG.
Not that I think we are perfect, but I believe that God is moving and that we want to follow.

Steve went on to say that too often we run the process backward which leads to a potential to be very damaging. Imagine, you decide that at church, you cannot drink, be scruffy or have noisy children, you must only read the authorised bible and certainly not question the churches interpretation. Some of you have been to that church (I jest.)

Now what would that churches mission look like? Would it really serve the poor? or would it serve that church? What kind of Jesus would that show?

Perhaps that's a little simplistic, but it does show how dangerous getting things in the wrong order could be.

As a couple of throwaways, knowing that Steve does not like to be controversial....

Jesus never said "Worship Me".



He actually said "Follow Me". An interesting difference I think.

Before I get going on...

...the amazing teaching I have ben exposed to, I should point out that I am in a place of needing to renew or refine my vision.

I have completed a part of my 'mission' and feel that I need to define a bit more where I am going.

I am aware that I have changed in the last two years and that these changes, brought about by trusting God, give me new options to look at.

As Bill hybels would put it, I am "prepared to pay the price" of seeking God on all of this by focussing my time, prayer and bible reading time to learnig more of God.

I think I realised all of this whilst at the GLS. This time, I felt much less of a fraud being there. Last year I did think to myself 'Why am I here? What right do I have?'. Over the years, people have believed that I have some leadership potential and have invested in me. Over the years, I have learnt and listend and tried. This year I feel a change coming on.

I think it's time that I took responsility for developing my spiritual gifts and their impimentation, be it at home, church or work.
(something else that Bill Hybels hinted at.)