Thoughts for Worship Leaders – Peter Rollins with Kim Gentes.

Written on March 28th, 2011 , Deep Thoughts, Faith, Music

I love church productions with kids.

As a worship leader, having kids in the congregation is the best way to help us more mature kids remember the childlike faith required to enter the Kingdom. We have a young church full of young parents so Christmas time is even more enjoyable.

For most kids.

I left early to play on the worship team so Emily did not see me at all before she went to church. You can clearly see here the joy on her face when seeing Mommy and Daddy sitting on the front row.

You can also clearly see the great offense that happened as she was unceremoniously shooed away from her world.

By the time Emily was up to the front the lip was quivering and the tears began to run. It wasn’t long before Mom had to swoop in for the rescue.

The girl has her priorities right.

Written on December 13th, 2010 , Faith, Kids, Portfolio

Here we go again – Right Wing Neo Conservatism on display for all the world to gasp at.

Such a confused little man.

He goes from religion to government to Christianity to faith to fear all in one sentence. My favorite line is “As long as they submit to our laws…” Submit is an accurate word and that is at the heart of this. Scared people make other people submit. Constantine had a glorious vision. His vision was the marriage of politics and religion. The empire of Rome could live forever with that alliance and it has.

Burning someones magic book because you think the author of your magic book told you to do it to make him happy is insane. If the one true God wrote your magic book, I am quite certain he wouldn’t need your help making sure it sticks around by burning the magic books of all other Gods. On the other hand, if your magic book tells you to kill everyone that does not believe your magic book to make the author of your magic book happy, I am also quite certain if he is the one true God he also would not need your help.

Can we just stop killing each other over our magic books about an all powerful God already? It makes him look pathetic and weak and very much human.

Can we stop provoking each other long enough to let the dogs of war sit down and remember what it is like to live in peace?

Burning the Holy Koran will lead to one thing:

August 2010 casualties

Master Sgt. Jared N. Van Aalst, 34, of Laconia, N.H.

Cpl. Max W. Donahue, 23, of Highlands Ranch, Colo

Spc. Faith R. Hinkley, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colo

Sgt. Andrew C. Nicol, 23, of Kensington, N.H.

Pfc. Bradley D. Rappuhn, 24, of Grand Ledge, Mich

Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Cornelius, 20, of Ashtabula, Ohio

Pfc. Vincent E. Gammone III, 19, of Christiana, Tenn

Pfc. Paul O. Cuzzupe, 23, of Plant City, Fla

Pfc. John E. Andrade, 19, of San Antonio, Texas

Sgt. Jose L. Saenz III, 30, of Pleasanton, Texas

Sgt. Jose L. Saenz III, 30, of Pleasanton, Texas

Cpl. Kristopher D. Greer, 25, of Ashland City, Tenn

Staff Sgt. Michael A. Bock, 26, of Leesburg, Fla

Spc. Jamal M. Rhett, 24, of Palmyra, N.J

Staff Sgt. Derek J. Farley, 24, of Nassau, N.Y.

Pfc. Benjamen G. Chisholm, 24, of Fort Worth, Texas

Pvt. Charles M. High, IV, 21, of Albuquerque, N.M.

Lance Cpl. Kevin E. Oratowski, 23, of Wheaton, Ill

Sgt. 1st Class Edgar N. Roberts, 39, of Hinesville, Ga

Sgt. Martin A. Lugo, 24, of Tucson, Ariz

Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Collin Thomas, 33, of Morehead, Ky

Cpl. Christopher J. Boyd, 22, of Palatine, Ill

Lance Cpl. Cody S. Childers, 19, of Chesapeake, Va

Spc. Christopher S. Wright, 23, of Tollesboro, Ky

Lance Cpl. Nathaniel J. A. Schultz, 19, of Safety Harbor, Fla

Pfc. Alexis V. Maldonado, 20, of Wichita Falls, Texas

Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart, 24, of Kirksville, Mo

Sgt. Jason D. Calo, 23, of Lexington, Ky

Spc. Pedro A. Millet Meletiche, 20, of Elizabeth, N. J.

Sgt. Steven J. Deluzio, 25, of South Glastonbury, Conn

Spc. Tristan H. Southworth, 21, of West Danville, Vt

Sgt. Ronald A. Rodriguez, 26, of Falls Church, Va

Lance Cpl. Robert J. Newton, 21, of Creve Coeur, Ill

Spc. Justin B. Shoecraft, 28, of Elkhart, Ind

Petty Officer 3rd Class James M. Swink, 20, of Yucca Valley, Calif

Master Sgt. Daniel L. Fedder, 34, of Pine City, Minn

Staff Sgt. James R. Ide, 32, of Festus, Mo

Spc. James C. Robinson, 27, of Lebanon, Ohio

Spc. Chad D. Coleman, 20, of Moreland, Ga

Pvt. Adam J. Novak, 20, of Prairie du Sac, Wis

Capt. Ellery R. Wallace, 33, of Utah

Pfc. Bryn T. Raver, 20, of Harrison, Ark

Gunnery Sgt. Floyd E. C. Holley, 36, of Casselberry, Fla

Sgt. Patrick K. Durham, 24, of Chattanooga, Tenn

Spc. Andrew J. Castro, 20, of Westlake Village, Calif

Capt. Dale A Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.

Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas

Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, Canton, Ohio

Sgt. Joseph A. Bovia, 24, of Kenner, La.

Lance Cpl. Cody A. Roberts, 22, of Boise, Idaho

1st Lt. Mark A. Noziska, 24, of Papillon, Neb

Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak, 34, of Lompoc, Calif

Staff Sgt. Vinson B. Adkinson III, 26, of Harper, Kan

Sgt. Raymond C. Alcaraz, 20, of Redlands, Calif

Pfc. Matthew E. George, 22, of Gransboro, N.C.

Pfc. James A. Page, 23, of Titusville, Fla.

This and the list from the “other side” of our sons and daughters paying the price for you to act reckless and evil in the name of your god.

You want to make the author of your magic book happy?

Stop hurting and killing his kids.

Written on September 7th, 2010 , Faith, Politics

I received an email over the weekend. You know the ones, Obama is a Muslim and he is going to…… Here is my reply:

 

I love you guys, but are you serious? 

 
This is nothing more than fear mongering and as such has no place in the life of one living in the Kingdom.

In 1952 President  Truman established  one  day  a  year  as  a "National Day of Prayer." 
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In 1988 President Reagan designated the First Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.   
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In June 2007 (then) Presidential Candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA "Was no longer  a Christian nation." 
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America was established on religious freedom and is not a Theocracy. I prefer my government Agnostic when it comes to declaring which God and religious tradition we should follow and so should you. Jesus wasn't a Christian, he was perfect theology, and a Son of and in the Kingdom of God. Government has no business aligning itself with any religious ideal and yes "Christian" in its current form is a religion. Kingdom is not.

This year President Obama canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony at the WhiteHouse under the ruse Of "not wanting to offend anyone"   
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That is very wise considering the message we have been sending since 9-11 to our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. 

 

BUT… on September 25, 2009 from 4 AM until 7 PM, a National Day of Prayer FOR THE MUSLIM RELIGION was Held on Capitol Hill, Beside the White House. There were over 50,000 Muslims in  D.C. that day.     HE PRAYS WITH THE MUSLIMS! 

 

Jesus prayed with sinners and tax collectors and Jonah preached to and saved the Ninevites a brutal enemy of his people. Jesus would pray with and for Muslims. 

I guess it Doesn't matter if  "Christians" Are  offended  by  this  event - We  obviously Don't  count  as "anyone"  Anymore. 

 

If by Christian you mean the kind that kill in the name of Jesus and send fear based politically charged messages, you are correct, you don't count anymore. 

The direction  this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every Christian, especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted, they should be annihilated. 

 

God is not the author of fear and religion killed Jesus. The whole world will see the glory of God and I know for a fact that God is in a good mood and very excited about the future of this country and the rest of the world. Our deliverer is coming.

This is not a Rumor - Go  to  the  website To  confirm  this  info: ( http://www.notworhtyourtimeormyblogtorepeat.com/ )

 

This sounds like an advertisement so in the interest of fairness, go to GlobalMissionAwareness.com if you want the TRUTH about our Islamic brothers and sisters and what you can do to love them to the Kingdom.

Pay particular attention to the very bottom of the page: "OUR TIME HAS COME" I hope that this information will stir your spirit.

Oh, you have stirred my spirit all right, shame on you for dragging my Jesus to your level. 

The words of 2 Chronicles 7:14   "If my people, Who are called by my Name, Will humble themselves And pray,  And seek my face, and Turn from their Wicked ways, Then will I hear from Heaven And will forgive their Sin and will heal Their land." 

 
Great advice, here is some more:
 

Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version)

 36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

We must pray for Our nation, our communities, Our families, and especially our children.  They are the ones who are going to suffer the most. If  we  don't  PRAY May  God  have  Mercy. IN GOD WE TRUST.  Time For God

Really? The people who have email and internet and electricity and electric light and refrigeration and religious freedom are suffering the most? The people who are under religious oppression, poverty, hopelessness, fear, war and "Christian" condemnation have it worse. 
 
That statement is appalling. May Jesus show you His heart for His world.

Read only if you have time for God Let me tell you, make sure you read all the way to the bottom. I almost deleted this email but I was blessed when I got to the end 

First thought was the correct one.

 

God, when I received this e-mail,  I thought… I don't have time for this… And, this is really inappropriate during work.   Then, I realized that this kind of thinking is…. Exactly, what has caused  a lot of the problems in our world today.   We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning….  Maybe, Sunday night…   And, the unlikely event o f a midweek service. We do like to have Him around during sickness….   And, of course, 
at funerals.   However, we don't havetime, or room, for Him during work or play…   Because.. That's the part of our lives we think… We can, and should, handle on our own. May God forgive me for ever thinking…   That… There is a time or place where.. HE is not to be FIRST in my life.   We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us.   If, You aren't ashamed to do this…   Please follow the directions. Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will beashamed of you before my Father.' Not ashamed? Pass this on ONLY IF YOU MEAN IT!!   Yes, …. I    DO Love  God. HE is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I will be nothing. But, with Christ, HE strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)   This is the simplest test. If You Love God… And, are not ashamed of all the marvelous things HE has done for you… Send this to ten people and the person who sent it to you!   Now do you have the time to pass it on? Make sure that you scroll through to the end. 
Easy vs. Hard 
Why is it so hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie? Why are we so sleepy in church but Right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up? Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e-mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones? Of all the free gifts we may receive, Prayer is the very best one….. There are no costs, but wonderful rewards…GOD BLESS! Notes: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how someone can say I believe in God' but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also 'believes' in God). Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing? Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me. I pray, for everyone who sends this to their entire address book, they will be blessed by God in a way special for them.  And send it back to the person who sent it, to let them know that indeed, it was sent out to many more.

Unbelievable. 

 
This has to be the most schizophrenic email ever. 
 
Isn't it funny how shallow thinking and fear can create an environment where well meaning good people of God can be used to forward garbage to each other that sounds "Holy", but has been penned from the offices of Hell?
 
Please do not send me any more email that curses my President, whom I love, because my God placed him in authority over me and I would lay my life down for him.
 
Please do not send me any more email that uses FEAR as the primary motive for action as God is not the author of fear and perfect love casts out fear.
 
Please do not send me any more email that paints a picture of this great nation going to hell, because we are in the greatest days in history and good things are happening all around us.
 
Please do not send me any more email that perpetuates a political agenda that oppressing hurting and broken people makes God happy.
 
Please do not send me any more email unless you are prepared to defend every statement made in them because to whom much is given, much is expected.
 
Love,
 
David Rohr
Written on August 30th, 2010 , Faith, Politics

Want to try something fun? Search for "Worship Music" in the bible and see what you get.

 
Kind of interesting no?
 
I don't know how to change the current perception that worship is music and music is worship in the post modern age but as a "worship leader" I feel compelled to try. 
 
The irony is that singing can indeed be an act of worship and as musicians our native language is music, so to speak, so the line gets blurry for us. Adding to that blur is the fact that most churches reinforce the idea of worship only being music by focusing so heavily on it while stamping out other forms of expression. 
 
I think that needs to change somehow.
 
I tend to break the connection between worship and music by saying music is sometimes worship but music is always music. I pull that line out especially when our music has been less than musical and I feel like we are giving poor musical performance a pass because it is "worship". Talking about music in this way has helped our dialogue as church leaders and has opened up our congregation. 
 
Breaking the implied connection of worship to music should be a priority, in my opinion, especially if we want to see new expressions of worship entering the church. This can only help us in the long run by removing the pressure of music trying to be all things to all people and biblically accurate enough to satisfy the command to love God and others with our lives. 
 
There is no song crafted well enough to replace a life fully surrendered to our King. 
 
Since I am a musician I will always be drawn to music as my primary form of expression but it sure is refreshing to see people bring their own unique non musical offering to the temple again.
Written on July 30th, 2010 , Deep Thoughts, Faith, Music

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