OK so I've been a christian for like 30 years, I've pretty much walked with the Lord for the majority of those years and have spent most of my life in church. I've studied music, scripture, religion, worship for years and have been apart of some great experiences. I've been a full-time worship pastor now for 3 years and spend hours apon hours a week preparing for, and engaging in worship. But tonight I feel left completely bare before the Lord as one simple verse from James came to my attention:
James 1:27 (New International Version)
27Religion (worship) that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world
I love the way the message paraphrases this verse:
James 1:27 (The Message)
26-27Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
So I look at all the "stuff" I am up to as a "worship pastor" and I ask myself. Where does this show up in my week? When is the last time I have on myown ministered to a wodpw or orphan? I mean I could pull out sometime when someone came to my office looking for prayer, but when did I "Pastor" Scott, go out of my way tp pray minister to or meet the need of one of these in my home town. My best stab at an honest answer to this would be christmas last year. So I have some serious self evaluation to do. How will I respond to the emphasis the Lord has put on this verse, in my heart? How will this change the ministries I lead? I'll have to let you know.
2 comments:
This really resonates with me as well. Forever all I've wanted to do is feed hungry children. Yet as a pastor all my time went to "ministry" work, and as a worship pastor there was a level of me that was never really engaging. I just couldn't take it any more.
Praying for you, and please pray for me, as we both struggle through how to carry out this "true worship".
Jer and I live in what was originally supposed to be a seniors apartment building (but there weren't enough seniors willing to live upstairs). We're *surrounded* by widows. Besides flooding one of them out the first weekend we were here, we've had fun getting to know them.
Seniors have been through so much in their years. They've seen so much. They've learned so much. It's time we as younger people treated them with the respect they've earned rather than like children.
Welcome to blogdom Scott :) Good to see you around
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