God and worship

Wow what a week! After last weekends stress God gave me such a nice week...thank you Jesus.



So the highlight of my week...I got to attend the WinterJam concert with our Youth group...I don't usually get the chance to do these things but what a great opportunity. To attend a great Christian concert for only $ 10.00!! It was truly an awesome experience. Hubby unfortunately couldn't go...couldn't find anyone to watch the boys so he opted for me to go and he and the boys had a Star Wars night together instead. I am thankful....I have a great hubby who realizes when I need some time for me. Got to hear bands like Newsong, Hawk Nelson, Steven Curtis Chapman and this great guy.....Jeremy Camp!!

If you haven't heard this young mans music...you MUST!! He is one of my and hubby's favs...and I actually got to meet him!! One of my best friends (actually its the mom of the twins I watch) stood in line for me so I could meet him and get his autograph. How cool is that! I got to watch his concert AND meet him too! He put on an awesome concert...his first song was one of my favs off his Restored album "Lay Down My Pride". Love his music and his message...awesome performer. If you have the chance to see him in concert...GO!!

Steven Curtis Chapman was awesome as well playing one of my favs of his "Magnificent Obsession"...so love that song. Missed hearing Sanctus Real play, but Newsong was really good too. Hawk Nelson was a bit different for me...definitely geared more towards the (dare I say it) younger crowd...but I got more blessing watching those teens jump up and down in the name of Jesus...it truly warmed my heart.

Ironically, we had a missionary speak at our church yesterday and he touched on the subject of music. He was once a Pastor before becoming a full-time missionary and he talked about one of the saints in his church who commented to him about how she was bothered by the guy who played guitar in their praise team, how he wore jeans...and not only that, they were torn. This young man was a new christian and the Pastor commented to her about how moved he was by the way this young man was worshipping...tears in his eyes, playing his music with such passion...and the comment he made to her was this

I mean no disrespect...but you were concentrating on the wrong thing.

WOW!! I wanted to hug this man...this seems to be a silent undercurrent in our church is the music...and being on our Praise Team it can be frustrating...if I let it. Not enough hymns, too many hymns, music is too loud, need more upbeat music, music is too fast, never a happy medium. Now I like hymns...even myself who doesn't care much for country type music can tolerate a little southern gospel now and then...why do we think that the music we worship to in church is all about us?? And who is the judge that says only hymns can be used to worship God?? I'm sorry but even though I wasn't totally into Hawk Nelson at that concert and it may not have been totally my type of music I like best, you can't tell me that those teens weren't worshipping God to that music. I think Satan uses this debate to his advantage to put a wedge between the generations at church and the sad thing is that some are too stubborn to see what he is doing. In my opinion I don't care if you bang on a tin can and sing off key...as long as in your heart you are worshipping and praising God...that is all that God cares about. And yes we as a church body we may have to be tolerant of a hymn, a contemporary Christian song, or even a little southern gospel...all for the sake of worshipping God and for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. After all, it's not about us anyway right?

Sorry about that....I'll get off my soapbox now. I'm just so glad that there are so many ways to praise and worship our King?? What is your way to Praise and Worship Him???