Dreams of a 4th Grade Kentucky Girl

I canceled my church band rehearsal this past Wednesday night to go to a country music concert – The Country Throwdown Tour!

Before all you Pharisees grab your rocks, let me tell you why!

It was August of 1999. Tressa and I were living in Taylor Mill, KY. We were both music teachers in Kenton County Schools, me at Taylor Mill Elementary and her at Caywood Elementary. God brought us to Northern Kentucky to begin our life, marriage, ministry, and family at a church plant in Erlanger, Open Door Community Church of God. The six years we spent at Open Door were some of the best years of our lives. We learned so much and were very blessed to serve there.

The bonus of that season in my life was that I was bi-vocational. Not only was I serving as the Youth and Music Pastor at Open Door, a position that was part-time pay but full-time work, I taught elementary school music for four years at Taylor Mill Elementary School. It was a bonus because I loved teaching music to elementary school kids. And that’s where August of 1999 comes in.

As the school year began I started to hear from some of my students that there was a new girl in town and that I would really like her because she was a very good singer. I’m probably wrong for saying this but often when someone tells me about a really good singer coming my way, I’m skeptical. I like to hear them for myself. So I’m sure I smiled and said something nice and just waited to see.

Later that week, I met a future country music star! Carly Slusser walked into my classroom as a very tall-for-her-age 10 year old with a big smile and vibrant personality. Shortly after, I heard her sing and wasn’t disappointed. Not only was she a great singer but she had a country/bluegrass sound which certainly was rare for someone her age.

As I got to know Carly that year I learned that she was very smart, at the top of her class, and she had a great rapport with adults. She was very mature for her age. It was during that year that she became one of my favorite students of all time and I began to learn of her dreams to make it big in country music. She stuck out in class, in school performances, and won the talent show later that spring. She was driven to do big things.

The following year we grew closer as I got to know her family and used her in bigger roles in our 5th grade choir. I spent more time with her as she was one of a few kids who volunteered to come clean my classroom on Friday mornings just so we could hang out.

I don’t remember exactly what I told her but I know I encouraged her to follow her dreams. I sensed she was serious, even at 11 years old, and that she had the talent to make it big. We used to joke that when she did make it, and was featured on a “Behind the Music” show, I would get to come on and talk about her performances as a kid.

Shortly after her 5th grade year ended, my time at Open Door and Taylor Mill did as well. We moved our family to Rincon, Georgia to serve at another church. This was before text messaging and Facebook but somehow Carly and I stayed in touch. She would keep me informed about gigs she was getting in middle school and opportunities that were coming her way. She sent me demos and CD’s. When she moved to Nashville after her 9th grade year she let me know about it and once, during a trip to Nashville, Tressa and I along with some of our youth leaders, met her and her mom for lunch at Hard Rock Cafe.

After that lunch meeting I was convinced she would be in Nashville until she made it. With her mom as her biggest fan and support, she had moved to Nashville and was doing everything she could do to break through. As MySpace and Facebook came on the scene it became easier to connect with Carly and see what she was doing. I regularly looked up her performances on youtube and enjoyed watching her talent and abilities grow as she herself grew into a beautiful young woman. She spent two years in Pigeon Forge performing in the Country Tonight show and kept the petal to the floor in pursuit of her dreams. Unfortunately my schedule had never allowed me to see her perform live – something I had always wanted to do and something I think she had hoped for as well.

That was until this spring. When I caught the announcement on her facebook page that she was added to the Country Throwdown Tour that featured country stars such as Gary Allan and Rodney Atkins, I immediately looked up her tour schedule and discovered she would be in Richmond, VA on June 13. That settled it. I was gonna do whatever I had to do to see her perform. Thus the canceling of church band practice for a country music show!

I can honestly say it was one of the coolest moments of my life to watch her perform. Although I was only in her life on a daily basis for two years, my mind kept going back to this 4th and 5th grade girl who had a big smile and big dreams of making it big. And here she was. Stepping off a tour bus with her guitar in hand, signing autographs, taking pictures with fans, and singing songs she had written herself. I was so proud. It makes me feel good just writing about it!

No, she wasn’t the headliner. And most people probably won’t remember her. She was able to walk into the crowd and talk to us for at least thirty minutes and hardly no one recognized her. She told me she was the lowest one on the totem pole. I looked at her and said, “At least you’re on the pole.” She smiled real big and said, “You know, that’s what my Dad said!” How cool!

To say she did good would be an understatement. I’ll take moment just to brag on her and tell you how incredibly full and versatile her voice has become. She didn’t write her own songs a few years ago. She didn’t play guitar. But now she’s doing both. I listened to a lot of singers that night and I’ve heard a lot of singers in my time. But I think I can safely say that from knowing her voice from 10 years old to now 22, she has improved more than anyone I’ve ever known. I would buy her album. And I will . . . soon! She just signed with a major label!

So why spend a blog about all that? So I can brag that I know a future country music star? Yes! Absolutely. I know hardly no one who is famous so here’s my shot. But the main thing I want to share is how important dreams are.

It’s so funny how God speaks to us and how He has a way of saying the same thing over and over. I’ve been thinking the last few weeks about Carly and her dream of making it big. The day Tressa and I went to see her was filled with lots of “dream” moments

I sat in a 5th grade assembly that morning hearing a principal tell his students to never give up on their dreams. He cited Edison, Winfrey, Jordan, and others who were told they couldn’t make it yet they never gave up and became the best. I set my DVR to record the story of the Dream Team, the 1992 Olympic Basketball team that was airing that night. I received an email from a mentor quoting T.E. Lawrence . . .

    “All men dream, but not equally.
     Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds
     Wake in the day to find that it was vanity.
     But the DREAMERS OF THE DAY are DANGEROUS men.
     For they enact their dreams with eyes wide open,
     To make them possible.”

Carly Pearce was and is that kind of dreamer. She knew what God had put her on this planet to do and has pursued it with everything in her. She admitted that there had been many times she wanted to quit. That she got so tired at times and that she never realized it would take so long.

Yet, she keeps going. She keeps writing songs. She keeps making demos. She keeps riding on a tight tour bus waking up in a new city just to play a few songs for people who are waiting to hear the “main attraction.”

Why? All because of a dream. She’s closer now than she’s ever been to achieving it. She’s on tour, she’s signing autographs, and, like a bottle rocket that is waiting to be lit, is poised and aimed at the stars anticipating the moment when the right song and the right situation lift her to heights she’s only dreamed of achieving.

All because of a dream!

What’s your dream? You are never too old to achieve it. Take a moment today to blow the dust off of it, think through it, and give it back to God in prayer and see what He can do with it.

Genesis 37:9 “ Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

Dream through your dreams today and then tomorrow, dream another dream!

As we were wrapping up our conversation that night Carly remembered our “Behind the Music” conversation. That was over 11 years ago. How cool!

Pretty soon I’ll be able to post to my facebook page, “That girl that just won new artist of the year in country music, well, I was her music teacher.”

And bet you’ll “Like” that! I know I will!

Reminders

I consider myself a pretty tidy and organized person. I don’t think I’m compulsive enough to be on one of those TV shows about such people but I do like things to be in their place.

Ordinarily I don’t like pine straw on my truck. Especially stuck underneath my windshield wipers. But for this wad of pine straw, I’ll make an exception.

Two days ago I was leaving the house in a hurry to get to Sunday night prayer. The kids were playing in the yard and I said goodbye as I jumped in the truck. Jaden, my ten-year old daughter, grabbed a handful of pine straw, shoved it under my windshield wiper and said, “Daddy, this is here to remind you of me. And it better still be here when you get back tonight!” I laughed and smiled at her as I left, looking at the pine straw, wondering if it would still be there when I got home.

Well it was, most of it. Jaden was inside for the night so she didn’t think about checking on it. But the next morning, when she jumped in the truck for her ride to school, she noticed. “Dad, you still have that pine straw!” I could tell it meant a lot to her.

And it has meant a lot to me. I find myself glancing over at it from time to time as I’m in my truck. It brings a smile to my face and a warm spot in my chest. Little girls have a way of doing that to Daddies! I get pretty focused on my to do list during a typical day. That pine straw is a perfect reminder of the most important things in life.

My daughter did that for me, just so I would think of her. That has gotten me thinking. About my father, my heavenly Father.

The thing is, I don’t have to do anything to remind Him of me. I’m pretty certain he knows all about me. The good, the bad, and the ugly (The bad and ugly, that’s a scary thought). How do I know, the scripture says in Psalms 139 . . .

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

I agree with the writer. That information is too lofty for me to attain. The scripture goes on to remind me that God is everywhere, that He created me, and that all my days are planned for me. When it comes to favorite chapters in the Bible, few rank higher than Psalm 139 for most people.

My mind then flips this whole “reminder” idea upside down.

Jaden’s pine straw is to remind me of her.

And as I said, Psalm 139 reminds me that I don’t have to remind God of who I am and where I am.

He knows, He sees, He loves, He plans.

HE is the One Who is always reminding ME of HIMSELF. I just have to look around!

The sunrise.

The sunset.

The empty trees slowly starting to push out their spring leaves.

The bright stars on a moon lit night.

The blue birds that raised a family several times a year in our backyard bird house.

The scripture I’ve read dozens of time that, this time, comes off the page and into my life.

The reminder in my spirit that His mercies are new every morning.

Seeing a person who, despite receiving crippling news about their health or family, stands with head up, hands raised, and heart engaged during worship each Sunday.

That breath I just took.

Hearing my kids pray for another child, in faith, that God will perform a miracle!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Then there’s the day-to-day reminders, things I take for granted.

My JOB. The fact that I have one in this economy.

The WRECK I didn’t have when I was looking at my phone and almost rear ended somebody.

The SONG I heard on the radio that was exactly what I needed to hear.

The HEAT in my house when it’s 20 degrees out.

Our CEREAL. Five bags, half eaten.

The OPPORTUNITY to do something for someone when I was really too busy (I thought) and did it anyway.

The PEACE I sense in my heart when worry tries to take over my thoughts.

Romans 1:20 tells us that “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

We are good at excuses. Many Americans could be professional excuse makers. I know I’m pretty good at it.

But there’s no excuse for ignoring the reminders God has placed in our lives of Himself.

I could ignore that pine straw shoved under my windshield. But now that I’ve thought of it and even blogged about it, I can’t. I’ll notice it until the last piece flies away.

And now that you’ve read this blog, may you more readily notice the wads of pine straw God places in your life each day to remind you of His thoughts, love, and plans . . . for YOU!

Foundations For Ministry

This week I had the opportunity to complete a questionnaire sent to me from a former student who is feeling a call to ministry. He asked me to complete a series of questions detailing my experience in youth ministry. I really enjoyed completing it as it gave me an opportunity to stop and reflect on some good times, tough times, and what motivated me to be a youth pastor for 15 years.

The first question he asked was “When did you know that you were going to be in some kind of ministry?” I could have given him a very detailed explanation of when and how I received my call to full time ministry but the question seemed to be more broad than that. So I began to think back on the many steps that took me from a kid who came to church every Sunday and Wednesday to a man who comes to church everyday of the week and has made it my occupation.

My thoughts immediately went back to my home church, Princeton Church of God in Princeton, NC. Princeton is a very small town, has one stop light, and my graduating class had a whopping 56 people in it. I attended the same school from Kindergarten through my senior year. It was a great experience and I have wonderful memories of growing up there.

The thing that kept coming back to me as I asked myself that question “When did I know that I was going to be in some kind of ministry” was all the opportunities for ministry that were provided to me as a child and teenager growing up in the Princeton Church of God. Our church wasn’t very big. I think we hovered around 100 to 125 most of the years I was there. But I can remember being given the opportunity to sing the kids song “The B-I-B-L-E” as young as 3 or 4 during “BIG” church and being rewarded with ice cream at the Green Hornet Grill in Pine Level following the service.

I remember being a part of tons of kids programs growing up from VBS to Christmas to anything in between. I remember working VBS as a kid and getting to do the Matthew puppet when I was probably only about 12 or 13. I recall building a puppet stage from an old appliance box and setting it up in a classroom and doing puppets for kids classes on Wednesday nights. Some of my close friends know I still have a love for puppets. I just think they are really cool. Yeah, I know that’s weird but, oh well.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I have no doubt that comes from growing up listening to an awesome sanctuary choir and band. My Daddy has often told the story of me standing up in the pews as a little guy and watching the guitar player, Red Braswell, tear up his Gibson humming bird flattop guitar. I can remember gospel singings at our church that would be loud, energetic, passionate, and last all night. My first pastor was C. S. Grogan who happened to be one of the most known Church of God song writers for the old convention books Pathway press put out years ago.

It was in this environment that I gained a love and desire to play and sing Christian music. The great thing was that no one said I was too young or inexperienced. The music leaders at Princeton COG never responded that way to any of us. If someone wanted to play they let us. At one point, and for several years, half of the altar space was taken up with an orchestra of teens who played every instrument you can imagine. Can you image what most churches in America would say if you told them they’d have to lose half their altar space for a band of struggling teenage musicians?

We had a youth band, youth choir, and teens regularly had the opportunity to sing what we used to call “special music.” I can remember being the featured special singer during many Sunday morning services, right before the message I might add. My pastor at the time, Lavon Phillips, loved Carman as much much as I did so he had no problem with me belting out some of Carman’s somewhat different styles of Christian music. Even as “out of the box” as those songs were for Sunday morning worship in a small town that congregation of folks loved it and wanted more. I can remember borrowing my Dad’s key to the church and spending many afternoons after school going down to the church and singing my tracks through the sound system for hours. Never once did a pastor come in and tell me to stop.

During my early years in high school a group of teen talent winners from our church were getting so many offers to come and play at other churches that they decided to start a band. I was the youngest one asked to be a part of the “Instruments of Praise” and to this day I believe God provided that opportunity for me to learn more about music and ministry that I would have otherwise. We traveled all over NC, the southeast and as far north as a road trip to Michigan. I learned how to put together a service order, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and often had times to share a testimony. It was an incredible time in my life and one I will always remember.

Another thing I remembered when I was answering the question “When did you first know you would be in some type of ministry” was the many youth services we had at Princeton Church of God. I’m not sure how often we had them but I know I was given my first opportunity to preach during my freshman year of high school. I remember the message and still have a cassette tape of it. However, I will not tell you the title nor will it ever be available to the public. I don’t want to be another “Barry Gibson.” Some of you will get that joke! Anyway, both of my youth pastors, Richard Crunkleton and Jimmy Harper, gave me several opportunities to preach during my high school years.  I can even remember that during those youth Sundays the teens would be allowed to teach all the adult Sunday School classes. Imagine a 14 year old kid teaching the young married class. Well, that was me!

I titled this blog “Foundations For Ministry” because as I thought through this question, I quickly came to the realization that the foundation that was laid for me to spend 16 years at this point in ministry happened over many years at Princeton Church of God. I didn’t know I would be in full time ministry until my sophomore year in college but if you had asked me would I be active and ministering in my church at any point during those years, I have to believe I would have said yes. There would be no reason to believe otherwise because I had been doing it since I was a very small child.

Answering that question took my mind to a place it had not been in a very long time. It took it to a small but very strong church in Eastern North Carolina that believed in kids and teens enough to give them multiple opportunities to be involved in ministry. Without a church like that, I can most assuredly say that I would not be in full time ministry today.

I’m no Israel Houghton as a worship leader! I’m no Jeanne Mayo when it comes to youth ministry! But because of the many pastors, teachers, and leaders at Princeton Church of God that chose to give me the opportunity to minister I have had the opportunity to point hundreds of people to Jesus Christ in three different states through youth and music ministry. And it all began at the Princeton Church of God.

So let me say to some of my best friends and collegues in ministry like Daniel Bunce, Jeremy Donald, Lori Edwards, and Bonnie Self, all great children’s pastors, you never know what God is doing in the life of a child when you give them the opportunity to minister. And let  me say to every pastor I ever had at Princeton Church of God, thank you for giving me a platform to learn from as well as an example to look up to.

I only hope my three children are gaining the same perspective as me! I am a very blessed man!

Oh yeah, and think I’ve just changed some of my own theories about ministry after reviewing my own story. Thanks Holy Spirit!

Lessons I Learned From Roy at Ralph 1 Princeton (Father’s Day Blog)

Father’s Day is tomorrow, Sunday, June 19, 2011 and I’m reflecting on what my Father, Roy Woodard, means to me. I started  thinking about everything I’ve learned from my Daddy and I thought I’d share it here. The title of this blog comes from a family inside joke. Part of our address growing up was Route 1 Princeton. As a small child I could not say “route” but instead called it “Ralph”, thus the title of this blog and a funny part of Woodard family folklore that my parents love to joke with me about.

First off, there is no way I could share all the lessons I’ve learned from my Dad. They are too many to tell. So for every one I share there are at least four or five I forgot. So here goes, lessons I learned from my Daddy . . .

PERSONAL HYGIENE: I learned how to take a bath, shave, wash my hair, cut my nails, and style my hair from my Dad. The last one, style my hair, was a given since my Dad was a barber. If you look at old pictures and my many hair styles through the years you’ll see that I always presented my Dad with a challenge in this area.

THAT I WOULD GROW: I was very short (and kinda still am) when I was a kid. My Dad kept telling me that I wouldn’t always be the smallest, the shortest, or the youngest. I held on to that advice and he was right.

SUMMER JOBS: I learned that even though its 100 degrees, you don’t like your boss, it’s dirty, sweaty, and back breaking work, you don’t quit your summer job of mowing grass every day, 8 hours a day, just because it gets a little tough. Thanks Dad for making me finish out that summer (and for never requiring I take that job again)!

FIRST CAR: I learned how to appreciate something that you’ve worked hard for and to take care of it from my Dad. I learned this in many ways but probably the best was when he told me he would match whatever I could save to buy my first car, although I know he put way more into it than I did. But I did look after that car and appreciate it. And I also appreciate the fact that my Dad didn’t just go out and buy me a brand new, hot rod car and give it to me! I still say Dads who do that are idiots!

GIRLS: I learned that you’ll never figure out girls, there’s always more fish in the sea, and to date girls younger than you from my Dad. I’ll never forget him telling me that girls my age and older would always go for older guys. He said I’d have more luck with girls younger than me. He was absolutely right!

FASHION: I learned how to tie a tie, shine my dress shoes, keep my suits cleaned, and how to properly cut the tags off a new suit from my Dad. My last spanking came directly from this lesson. But that’s another story for another blog.

OUTDOORS STUFF: I learned how to fish, hunt, camp, set up a tent, start a fire, put out a fire, respect fire, and love nature from my Dad. I learned how to listen to and for certain animals and birds in the woods from my Dad. I learned the value of planting trees, taking care of them, and enjoying them for years to come from my Dad. I learned how to soak in a sunrise, sunset, mountain view, cold weather from my Dad. I also learned a deep hatred for hot weather from him as well!

CARS: I learned how to check the oil, tire pressure, gauges, fluid levels, and how to listen for all kinds of pings and strange noises from a car from my Dad. I learned that you don’t have to have a new car to have a good car from my Dad. I also learned that every man needs a pick-up truck. And it should be a Chevrolet or a GMC!

YARD WORK: I learned how to mow the grass (correctly), how to trim the bushes, set out mulch/bark, spray for bugs/weeds, water stuff, and a million other yard things from my Dad.

COMPUTERS: I learned in college that I really needed to learn how to run a computer from my Dad. My Dad never knew anything about computers (and still doesn’t) but he was smart enough to know and see that knowing how to work on a computer would be very important in the future. So he heavily encouraged me to take a computer class in college. I did and wow, was he right!

EDUCATION: I learned from my Dad that if I applied myself and did my best, that I could accomplish anything. That working hard and getting good grades mattered. That finding an career I enjoyed was very important and that if I found something I enjoyed I’d never have to work a day in my life.

HELP AROUND THE HOUSE: I learned that you don’t just come in, sit down, eat dinner and go to the recliner from my Dad. If he wasn’t helping in the kitchen he was out in the yard doing the “man” stuff like taking out the trash, mowing the yard, etc. I never, and I repeat, never, heard my Mom tell my Dad to do anything like that around the house. If it needed to be done, He just did it.

LOCK THE DOORS, CUT OUT THE LIGHTS: I learned the nightly ritual of checking each door, cutting out each light, and checking the thermostat before bed. Keeping us safe was a BIG deal to him.

CHRISTMAS MORNING: I learned from my Dad how to make Christmas mornings the most memorable morning of the year. He and my Mom didn’t go overboard but they always did everything they could to make Christmas morning fun and special. This one has been a joy to pick up and demonstrate to my own kids.

FINISH THE JOB: I learned that any job, whether it be fun like camping, or a job in the house or yard, is not done until everything is put back where you found it. This one really sticks with me to this day and is one that I see few people (adults included) continuing to do faithfully.

WORK WHEN YOU’RE SICK: I learned that even though you are sick, you still go to work. I KNOW I’ll never live up to the way my Daddy did this. He did it regularly. One, because he was self-employed and had to, and two because he wanted to provide for us.

SERVE: I learned how to serve others, especially in the body of Christ, from watching my Daddy. He always has, and still does, take the jobs no one else wants and does them with excellence and thoroughly. He works with a servants heart and does it for Christ and not for personal attention or glory.

A LOVE FOR MUSIC: My Dad was always playing music around the house. Although he didn’t play an instrument or sing in the choir, I would often hear him singing hymns in his room. He regularly had an 8-track, record, or cassette tape playing gospel music throughout the house during the week and especially every Sunday morning. Some of my favorite Christmas albums to this day are the ones he played in our house during the holidays. I’m proud to say that this past year I downloaded an old Statler Brothers album from itunes .

ADMIT YOUR WEAKNESSES: I learned that when you don’t know what to do or how to do it, it’s ok. Just admit it and do your best. Daddy often said that this was his first time being a parent and he didn’t always know if he was making the right decisions or not but that he was just doing his best. Some may think otherwise but I think he did an excellent job raising my sister and me – I think we turned out pretty good!

PAY TITHES: I learned the importance and Biblical command of honoring God with 10% of your income from my Dad. Every Sunday morning if I didn’t see him licking a tithing envelope shut I at least saw it in his pocket.

PROVIDE: I learned how to be the provider for your family, to take responsibility for your family and to be the man that God intended men to be for their families.

BE A HUSBAND: I learned how to be a faithful husband from my Dad. He and Mom have been married for 45 years. That says it all and has provided a great example for me to follow.

BE A DAD: I learned how to be a Dad to Trent, Jaden, and Brock because of the example my father gave to me. I can’t imagine trying to be a Daddy without having an example to follow. So many of the things that flow out of me are from what I picked up from him. I am so glad I got a ton of great stuff to pass on. I recently read that right now on death row 94% of those waiting to die for their crimes either do not know their fathers or do not care to know their fathers. Having a Dad is a big deal, a huge deal. Having a GREAT Dad almost guarantees that it’ll be passed on to the next generation. Because of what my Dad poured into me, my kids are being blessed with a Godly heritage and upbringing.

LOVE: I learned how to love from Daddy. He was always telling us how much he loved us, loving on us, hugging on us, and reminding us how much he cared for us. I know the main reason I am so affectionate with my kids is because I learned it from him. He would often tell us many times during the day how much he loved us and ask us did we know that he loved us.

TRUST, HONOR & SERVE GOD: Most importantly, I learned to trust, honor, and serve God from my Dad. He and Mom were the ones who made sure we were in church every Sunday and Wednesday, who had nightly devotions with us, prayed with us, and showed us by example what it meant to follow after Jesus. No matter what happened, all the ups and downs in life, Dad always has said we just have to love the Lord and trust Him and everything is going to be alright.

That may be simple, but I believe it to be true and have based my life on it. On this Father’s Day I love my Dad more than I could ever say and am so thankful to my heavenly Father that He gave him to me. I’ve been so very blessed.

80′s, 90′s & ???

This is a very random thought so it will wind up the first blog of my “this&that” folder but it is one that has been bugging me for a while.

As a teenager, my favorite radio station was Mix 101.5 out of Raleigh, NC. Any of my friends from my hometown of Princeton, NC will know the station. Their call line then was something like “playing the hits of the 70′s & 80′s.” They played a great mix of pop and rock songs.

When the 90′s rolled around their slogan changed to “playing the hits of the 70′s, 80′s and today.”

I’m not sure what they say today. I get to listen to 101.5 when I go home. They still play the best of the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s. Not that there was a ton of great music in the 90′s but hey, that’s another debate for another blog.

The point I’m getting to is that it is 2011. My whole life we’ve described the last century through terms such as “the roaring 20′s”, “50′s rock and roll”, “hair bands of the 80′s”, etc. You get the point.

But what are we gonna call the years from 2000 to 2010? We’ve just finished a decade people! A decade that frankly, flew by me like an 80′s DeLorean going 88 mph.

Has anyone heard what we are gonna call those years? I can’t remember one single reference to anything? The 00′s? I asked a friend and he said something about the “aughts?” Who knows? I just think we “ought” to give them a title soon so this random thought stops driving me crazy every time I think about it.

To Hymn or Not to Hymn?

Sometimes friends ask what songs I use for praise and worship each week. I enjoy sharing my lists with others and seeing what songs they did. So here goes . . .

Yesterday, April 10, 2011

When We All Get To Heaven, Holy Is the Lord, Our God, Healer, Power of the Cross (choir)

I enjoyed opening the service with the classic Church of God hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven.”

I gotta admit. I went through that “I’m too cool to do hymns stage.” Man was I stupid. I admit, some hymns have poor theology and I try to stay away from those. But I really appreciate the revival of old hymns that I’ve witnessed as a part of the praise and worship movement. Groups within Passion like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Matt Redman, Kristian Stanfill and others are revising and bringing back old hymns. Hymns have a rich history and often include foundational truths that we can build our lives upon. It is my hope that my children are exposed to the great hymns of the church and have a respect and love for them.

Hymns also have a way of connecting the generation before us to memories of their past. I believe that’s why more “experienced” adults enjoy hymns so much. Those songs take them back to a time and place when they were young or to a moment in their Christian walk where God used that song to connect them to Him. Music, not unlike smells, have a way of immediately transporting us through time.

I’m sure there will be a day when teens and young adults that haven’t been born yet will wince when they see “Mighty To Save” , “Here I Am to Worship”, and “How Great Is Our God” in the lineup for a morning worship service. I try to remind myself that the songs I love today will be viewed as the “old hymns” in 20 or 30 years. We must do a better job of blending the hymns of the past and the creative, new songs of the present. Paul himself said in Ephesians 5:19 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” These three represent the past and the present songs of the church. Paul realized it and knew it was important.

Imagine if we treated God’s Word like we do hymns. We’d have to stop reading the Bible because it would be old, outdated and not contemporary enough. Something to think about.

The great thing about the praise and worship movement of today is that many of the songs are taken directly from scripture. You can’t get more foundational than that. Combine those songs with the hymns of the church and you have a powerful combination of the past and the present that can minister to the entire body, not just a select group.

We must have a mutual respect in the church for the old and the new. Both can co-exist and should. Honestly, at one point I said I would have loved to be part of a church that did only “contemporary” music. Does that mean I would only want people 40 and under to come to that church? If so, I’d be very foolish. I’m thankful that God is changing my heart and helping me to have a greater respect for the hymns of the church. Not to mention the shoulders of those old saints we are standing on because of their sacrifice.

Oh yeah, “When We All Get to Heaven.” I have a theory. One reason why many of the old hymns ring with themes of eternity and going to heaven is because when the songwriter wrote them, life on earth wasn’t that great. There was a longing to leave this earth and an awareness that it is not our home. Moreover I believe the generation before us truly desired to be with Jesus more than they did to stay on earth. Given to the choice most of us today would rather live our lives, grow to be old and save eternity for a time in the distant future.

Maybe we should focus more on heaven, sing those heaven hymns more often and get our attention off of our lives here. The word says our lives are like a vapor, here one day and gone the next. (James 4:14)

Something we probably should be thinking about more often and definitely sharing with others every day!

127 Hours

Yesterday I watched the movie “127 Hours.”

If you haven’t seen the film and have no idea what it’s about it is a true story starring James Franco as Aaron Ralston. In 2003, Aron Ralston prepares for a day of canyoneering in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. While passing through a narrow section of a canyon, a boulder is jarred lose and it falls on Aron’s hand, trapping him in the canyon. The remainder of the movie chronicles Aron’s 127 hours of being stuck in the canyon and what he did to get out.

Without giving away the entire story, I will tell you that we learn that Aron got there because he went on this adventure by himself. Once stuck, there was no one for miles to help him. In flashbacks we find that Aron was a young man who lived most of his life this way. He was a loner and enjoyed doing things by himself. He seemed to have few strong relationships in his life and this haunts him and plays through his mind as he tries to survive the ordeal he finds himself in.

This situation is not just one that plays out when one wanders deep into the desert for some adventure. Often we find ourselves in places in life where we are stuck. It may be because of choices we have made or because of choices others have made for us. Or it just may be life being life.

Either way, we have do have a choice as to what we do once we find ourselves stuck. Will we cry out for help or will we let our pride keep us stuck and our voices quiet, not wanting anyone to know the situation we have found ourselves in.

I can remember a seminar I went to years ago at a Youth Specialties convention called “No More Lone Rangers.”  The speaker talked about how ministers so often try to do everything on their own and not ask for help. It could be doing activities or events on their own, shouldering most of the load or it could be trying to mentor and disciple huge groups of people by themselves. Either way it is impossible for the minister, no matter how sincere his motives may be, to pull off such a feat.

Through watching 127 I was reminded that I can’t be a “Long Ranger.” Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. I realize some of you have no idea who the Lone Ranger and Tonto are. I’m sure Hollywood will soon create a modern rendition of the old black & white TV show and have them both cussing, womanizing and wild drunks. But, I digress.

The point is we all need somebody. So if you are out there and trying to do life, or anything for that matter, on your own, stop. Find someone. And for those of us who are super busy and seem to find ourselves surrounded by people, maybe God has blessed us so that we can keep our eyes and ears open for the cries of the Aron’s out there who are alone, stuck, and in need of help.