Untrain the Old and Train the Young
I left a culture of pretty radical worship.
I came to the south.
The south is where Passion sprouted from.
An organization that taught me to worship
The south is also where there is a church on every corner.
On of my goals on my 2008 Goal List I gave to my team was to untrain career Christians.
Those who are stuck in tradition.
It is like turning the titanic. But even a 2 degree turn will take a ship in a completely different direction over time.
The picture below is a picture that will live in my heart forever.
It is my daughter Sohaila.
She is 5.
That is her in the balcony this past Sunday night giving her all to her Lord while I sang on stage.
I take her to 722 some Tuesday nights and we sit in the balcony where she can spin and dance and raise her hands.
And I literally teach her through it. Why, how, when. She is always with me when she worships. And she always asks when she can raise her hands.
“Now daddy?”
I tell her when she feels like it.
Heather snapped this picture and, well, I did not have to tell her.
I think it is working.
Carlos
RAIN IT DOWN
we like to have the little guy (10 mos) at church with us so he can worship, too. it’s never too early to start!
“Now daddy?”
“No… wait until the chorus…”
There is none so high and holy, king of kings…
That is. Awesome. Worship is where life becomes real, it’s where we know that we matter to God.
Carlos,
When you get all that ironed out in the South could you come North a little bit and lend a hand in turning our Titanic as well? Sometimes I’d just like to poke traditionalism in the eye.
Another great picture of worship. Thank you.
LOVE….so real…what happens to career christians???
Return to our first love.
makes my heart warm all over.
No, it is never too young to teach your kids about worship.
It starts with songs but it ends up with every breathe and every step that you worship our great King.
Recent conversation with me and my 6 year old son in the car:
“Daddy, turn to You, You Our God” “Daddy, turn to Everyday” “Daddy, who is this singing? Misty Edwards?” “Daddy, I wanna hear Hosanna” “Daddy…”
Was I proud when a song like Hosanna comes on and he is in the back with his arms raised. Maybe.
But when he was in a small church we were visiting and sung nearly every song and people gasp…
… all I could do is drop to my knees and give thanks. My son figured out praise 27 years before I did.
Very beautiful.
That is so awesome. I think that’s one of the greatest gifts we can give our childrens…to teach them to grow in their relationship with God through worship.
Brad Ruggles
http://www.bradruggles.com
That is one of my ultimate goals in life. To be so authentic in my worship that my children see it and act on it. When I have them, that is
That picture is your legacy captured.
That is a cause worth giving your life to…
I love this picture! This excites me inside out because I get to witness this every sunday with the children in my ministry and sometimes I wonder if adults get it or not. I find myself telling the children that they can move mountains with God in there lives and not to be scared because of their age. I pray that your daughter will grow up and do great things with the Lord in her heart.
I have really been enjoying your blogs, thanks
So you are the guy up there with a MBP on your lap. I saw you yesterday… cool.
I propose we pull an “Improve Everywhere” on next 722! At the beginning of the second song of worship all of us turn to Big Los in the balcony for for the entire song!!! What do you guys think? hahahaha
Making it official:
What: Turn to the Balcony (in honor of Big Los… even if he is not there) for the entire second song of worship time and turn back to the stage again on the third one.
When: Tuesday, 7:30 PM, April… Fool! hahahaha perfect!
Where:
722 @ Buckhead Church
3336 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30326
Directions
http://www.722.org (click on about/direction)
What do you guys say? :0)
untraining Christians is one of the most important and most difficult jobs that church leaders have right now! thanks for being part of the solution!!!
rev. todd
rev. todd: we have classes like 3 nights a week just for the untraining.
It is hard hard work but somebody gots to do it. I am not even on staff but I am thrilled just to be a part of it.
Nice post dude.
I can’t wait for the day I get to see Caleb do that on his own. I’ll probably lose it, and I hate doing that, but I still can’t wait.
Way to go.
God has got me in the untraining process right now. I’ve been in church my whole life, but only in recent years have I tapped in to the concept of Christ in me. And in this process, I have become more and more disillusioned with church the way I’ve known it. Doing something just because I’ve always done it is no reason to do it. So I am on a journey…I’m reevaluating what I do and why I do it. I’m blogging the process. You can check it out here if you want.
http://embracingandbeingembraced.blogspot.com/2008/03/body-journeyso-it-begins.html
makes me wonder what our worship culture in our church could become if we developed them like this when they are young.
Hi! I have been following your blog as well as Heather’s since yall went to Uganda. I have enjoyed a lot of what you post here, and love the video recently with one of your daughters. I left a message at Heather’s blog about the song, and she graciously responded very quickly… I hope you both are finding Atlanta to be a nice place.
I am not so sure what you meant when you said “stuck in tradition”? I may have taken in out of the context you meant (?), but I do not feel that because many choose to worship without raising hands and singing more contemporary songs that they are not worshiping God. I am one of these type of Christians, and I am not trying to debate (I am really bad at that!), but really trying to understand a different perspective. Maybe I read it wrong, but I am sure God knows I am just as meaningful in my worship of him as someone who might attend your church. Ours happens to be a middle size Southern Baptist church with traditions from long ago, but I value that. I leave the services filled and renewed in his love every time.
On Easter Sunday I helped lead the Children’s Choir in a song about Jesus, and though they didn’t feel the need to raise up arms and dance, I know my daughter feels the love of God – it showed in all of their smiles, and she tells me everyday. ” Traditional” services may be different to you, but it is what is perfect for us.
I really do not want to come across as trying to start something – I am truly inquisitive as to what retraining classes mean, and why traditional services may = stuck?
Thank you for taking the time to read this long comment! I really do enjoy your blog.
You are not starting anything Angela. I welcome your comment. Sometimes I write as if my readers have been with me for years and know my every thought.
Quite simply…
I want people to KNOW that there are ways of obedient worship far beyond their own comfort zone.
I want people who raise their hands during worship to sit still.
I want people who sit still to dance.
I want people who sing hymns to sing United songs.
I want people who sing United songs to sing hymns.
I think being “stuck” in tradition means that you, when you leave a service, do not care how you feel.
Because in the end, it is not about you.
It is about Him.
And for all the years of leading “contemporary” worship”, I spent twice as much time in conservative southern baptist churches.
I honest to God mean this when I say this…
I do not believe we are giving God all the glory He deserves if we ourselves are comfortable. I think it causes staleness.
So of’course this is not a critique of you at all.
Not saying YOU are saying these things.
Just thought I would throw my blanket statement out there so people can see where I’m coming from.
Get uncomfertable.
Oh, that my three boys will be worshippers like that. incredible inspiration.
WOW. This just made my day!!! Thanks for sharing. Can I post this on our UpStreet blog?? That picture is one I dream of seeing one day with my own kids…so glad you are here in ATL to disturb career Christians!!
Hey Carlos,
Just wondering why you think that getting uncomfortable in worshiping is important? Uncomfortable with my stagnant faith, yes, but not in corporate worship. Maybe I misunderstood. I think I agree with your train of thought on career Christians, but I’m not sure I follow your response to Angela. Thanks for your time!
By the way…being that you did lead worship on Easter, are you ever going to post another confessional, or are you done with those? We miss you!
C’mon Los…confess yourself.
Yes. Uncomfortable in our cooperate worship.
In the amount of churches I have sung in, you can tell those that place effort in stretching themselves.
I liken it to working out.
If I do the same program for months my body stops responding. When I change the program my body starts growing again
me again – thanks for the response! I do agree with you in that it is all about Him, and I meant to mention before that the picture of Sohaila is beautiful!
Love it.
Just as I love it when my nieces beg me to play “Blessed Be His Name” when we’re in my car, so they can sing along.
Bravo on giving your daughter such a gift–the gift of freedom in worship–because I think a lot of us are restrained in our worship style because we expect everyone to look the same (often bored and half asleep:) and don’t want to look different. I’m glad you’re intentionally raising your daughter to not worry about that but instead to focus on her Creator.
Los…(can I call you that? oh well…too late)
In short I’ve been reading your blog off an on since the Uganda trip. Found you through BooMama and Shlog.
I’d like to say your blog is a breath of fresh air.
And the Easter post? Could you just thank Matt and Jefferson for me? Truly…I have no words…
I’ve heard you use the term “obedient worship” a few times now. Would you mind letting us know how you define that?
Thanks.
I like your stuff. I agree, to a point. Where do we start “throwing out the baby with the bathwater’ though? Worship without ‘The Word’ is dangerous. I hope we all find the truth in love. Love you…