When you read this, my time of pastoral ministry at Seaford will have ended. I can barely remember the time before I served at Seaford. I was 27 years old when I began. I will turn 50 in a few days. Over that time much has changed in the worship ministry at Seaford. When I was hired, Pastor David Smith asked me to transition our worship into a more contemporary style. We did that very slowly. When I came back in 1996 after three years of serving at Bay Rivers Community Church in Denbigh, we sped up the pace considerably. That December we used a live band for the first time and never looked back. Over the years, the worship ministry has grown significantly beyond my wildest dreams at the beginning of my ministry here.

Seaford now faces its biggest transition in the worship ministry in 16 years. As you might imagine, Dennis and I have spoken often about this circumstance. Over the last two years his message to me has been consistent, “Gene, I really want you to stay, but if you are leaving, you have to help us make the transition.”

For many years, I’ve been meeting weekly with a volunteer worship planning team. Essentially every week, these folks come and eat lunch with me at their expense for the purpose of planning worship, encouragement and functioning as the worship ministry staff. Any church would be thrilled to have a group of leaders like this: Ed Bell, Scott Beasley, Terry Roberts, Kerry Gough, Laurie Elder, Mark Robinson, and Lei Collins. Others participate occasionally either in person or by email. It’s tempting to think that they could just pick up the ministry and go. However, in spite of their high functioning, each would tell you that the group needs a leader. Each has a clear role within the group, but no one person can step up and do the various parts of my job relative to worship ministry. I’ve been doing this work for so long, there are too many details that I cover that come second nature to me. I have long believed thatSeafordneeds a person largely devoted to the worship ministry. Over the years, I’ve taken on and developed many other responsibilities. I would estimate that only 25% of my actual work time gets devoted to worship ministry tasks. I believe that a person who could give something more like 75% to the worship ministry could realize much untapped potential within this ministry.

In terms of worship staff leadership, there are three time based needs. The furthest out would be a permanent worship pastor. That’s obviously months away and requires Personnel Committee action and a church vote. The intermediate need would be for an interim worship ministry leader. Hiring an interim requires only Personnel Committee action. However, there is an immediate need in these first Sundays in January. That need does not require either committee action or church vote. Dennis has asked me specifically to help with this need and I have prayerfully developed a plan.

Israel Kim is a 4^th year worship ministry student at Liberty University. He is available to assist beginning on Sunday Jan. 8.Israel and his wife Chloe have a sweet spirit and Israel is a gifted worship leader, singer, guitarist, and pianist. However, he cannot help on Wednesday evenings due to a direct conflict at school. The band has capable leadership in Scott Beasley and has long rehearsed without my direct involvement. However, the worship choir needs a leader. Linda Reviea and Kerry Gough have led from time to time, they are great substitutes, but don’t have the time required to lead weekly. Katie Howard (Michael Howard’s wife) will lead choir through January only. Katie has a degree in music from Belmont University and is more than qualified to play this role in spiritual maturity, personality, and giftedness.

What happens beyond January will involve the Personnel Committee, the worship planning team, and the pastoral staff in decision making to provide for leadership of Seaford’s worship. I have tremendous hopes for the worship ministry of this church. It is not easy to step away from such a group of people who love God, love to glorify God through the work, and who love the work itself. I ask you to pray for them through this transition time. Furthermore, I ask that you would put feet to your prayers. Each of these ministries needs passionate committed servants. Though we have strong people in every area, we have always needed more. Right now, this is especially true in computer operator for projection and the worship choir. And, even though they sounded amazing in our recent Christmas production, we’ve always, always needed more singers in the worship choir. If you would like to be contacted about getting more involved or have a question about the worship ministry, please send an email to worship@sbc-va.org or call the church office.

In Christ,

Gene

I don’t suppose anyone really likes taking medicine. It’s usually a rather traumatic event when we need to give our three year old medicine. I can remember our older kids reacting the same way. When we get older, we recognize that though we don’t really like the taste, for our own good we need to take it. Some medicines obviously go down easier than others do.

On the other hand, most of us have favorite foods, perhaps steak or seafood, or maybe cheesecake or ice cream. Regardless, many of us have a favorite, we look forward to opportunities to eat them, and we try to savor every bite. We may even tell others about how much we love this or that food.

At some point, all of us have viewed attending church, reading and studying the bible, or reading a Christian book as more like taking medicine than we have eating our favorite food. But I don’t think any of us will make any spiritual progress as long as we see the intake of God’s word in that way. The Psalmist said of the words of God in Psalm 19:10 that, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

I have been greatly helped by listening to the sermons of others through the years. But to do that, requires some movement toward the Psalm 19:10 attitude toward scripture rather than seeing it as medicine that we know we need, but don’t much enjoy taking. Often, I have had the medicine view, but when I move toward Psalm 19:10 then I seek ways to get God’s word into my life. Listening to sermons is a great way to do that. I used to listen to sermons on cassettes. Now it is much easier, whether listening over the internet from my computer or synced to my blackberry, ipod, or itouch. In tomorrow’s men’s meeting, I’m going to summarize an excellent message I’ve recently listened to by Tim Keller called Forgiving and Forgiven on Eph. 4:25-32. I hope you can attend. But you will draw even more benefit by listening yourself. You can do that either here, http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/

or you could sign up for Keller’s podcast here http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sites/sermons2.redeemer.com/files/RSS_Feeds/Timothy_Keller_Podcasts.xml

My scripture and discussion questions for tomorrow are below.

Men’s Meeting

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

See also Psalm 19:7-11

Ephesians 4:25–32 (ESV) ²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Questions for Discussion

1. When you are tempted to sin, what is your personal strategy for combating that temptation?
2. How can you practically choose to think about who Jesus is, what he did for us, and the reality that he lives within you?
3. Which kind of sinful anger are you most prone to: Bitterness, blowing up, or clamming up?

Forgiving and Forgiven, message by Tim Keller on Eph. 4:25-32

http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/

http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sites/sermons2.redeemer.com/files/RSS_Feeds/Timothy_Keller_Podcasts.xml

Dear worship ministry folks,

You can see Wednesday  night’s worship choir agenda here. May 11, 2011 (2)

I trust that your week is going well. I read something yesterday that I thought was a good description of what it means to glorify God. “You’re glorifying something when you find it beautiful for what it is in itself. Its beauty compels you to adore it, to have your imagination captured by it.” Tim Keller, King’s Cross, p. 6. Perhaps that seems overly simple, but I like it that Keller breaks down in different language the way we normally think about worship. My sense is that if we to try to answer off the top of our heads what worship is, we would struggle to describe it. These two lines do a good job of using language we can understand.

The worship choir is practicing this Wednesday evening, May 11, the worship band is not. We will begin work on a fantastic new collection of choir songs tomorrow evening. I have the worship choir booked to sing every Sunday beginning May 22^nd. I have posted the rehearsal schedule on the church blog here.

Finally, you are receiving this email from Planning Center Online. You can login to this web based service and change your email address, add a cell number, and block off dates when you know you will be away on vacation. Why would you want to do that? If you enter your cell number, you can choose to have the program send you a text message any time you receive an email from the program. I think everyone should do that. Surely everyone will want to immediately notified when I’ve sent an email J. The calendar feature is helpful to me in planning to know when people will be available and when they are not. The service has several features that help us to more effectively plan and communicate details about the worship ministry, to include providing the tools for more advanced planning. If you can’t log in to the service, I will send you instructions.

Regarding this, I have a question. I have the ability to assign the whole choir to the services when we are singing. If I do that, you would receive an email saying that you have been assigned to a service with an option to click “accept”, “decline”, or “view this plan.” I see some real advantages to this, but i think some might find it bothersome. Would you let me know what you think about this? Perhaps I will run a trial on this for a Sunday soon.

In Christ,

Gene

Men’s Meeting

May 10, 2011

Ephesians 4:25–29 (ESV)

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Handling a Dangerous Weapon: Anger

1. Practice compassionate honesty in your relationships
2. View your actions and words in light of their effect on others.
3. Evaluate what makes you angry and why.
4. Be strongly aware of the ways Satan can use anger for his purposes in your relationships.
5. Apply the impossible standard that your words give grace to those who hear them

Questions for Discussion

1. How can our words give grace to those who hear?
2. What might the phrase, we are members one of another, affect the way we think about the expression of anger?
3. How is it possible to be angry and not sin? Can you think of an instance where you have been angry and there was no sin involved?
4. What makes you angry? Is your anger more about you or more about others?
5. What do you think qualifies as corrupting talk?

Men’s Meeting

April 26, 2011

What are the Dangers of Pride?

Easy to detest in others but be blind to it in ourselves.

Prov 8:13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Solution: Worship, serious biblical application

Leads to public failure

Prov 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Prov 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Solution: Develop humility through prayer.

Leads to a lack of consideration for laws or people.

Prov 21:24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.

Solution: Express gratitude to God for his provision and for others

Leads to shame

Prov 29:23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

Solution: Consistently acknowledge dependence on God.

Questions for discussion

1. Do you agree that it is difficult to detect pride in ourselves? Why or why not?
2. Do you see a connection between pride and evil, perverted speech? If so, how?
3. What strategies do you see for developing humility?

Dear band and worship choir,

Easter season is here. There is much for us to accomplish in the next two weeks. I’m really excited about the music God has given us to do in the next two weeks.

Below is the agenda we will follow in the worship rehearsal tomorrow night. We need to join the band at the end of the evening to go over, Blessed Redeemer and Unto the Lamb.

I will be preaching Sunday morning. Kerry will be leading worship but I will conduct Blessed Redeemer.

I missed rehearsing together last Wednesday night. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow evening.

Finally, I strongly recommend reading this short article pointed out this morning in a tweet from Tom Gilson regarding Christian Worshippers Arrested in China http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2011/04/11/christian-worshipers-arrested-in-china/

Gene

Today in the Sunday School class I’m teaching the topic was a complex one — homosexuality. I told the class I would post links to some articles I had written on it, and here they are:

To Treat One Another As Humans — a series urging people on both sides of this conflict to remember we’re all human beings here.

“A Christian Vision of Marriage and Family”

“Hate Is Not a Family Value” — straightening out a slogan.

If Not a Dolphin, If Not Yourself, Then Maybe a Robot — On the strange and silly direction some of these arguments could lead us.

There’s more there under the topic heading of “Life and Choices, including a related issue we ought not lose sight of.