:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

I’m one week into my evening and Sunday internet fast. At 6 PM I have to get off the internet and do something, anything else. In addition, I’m staying offline all day on Sunday.

I do allow myself a few exceptions: watching one TV program on Hulu with my wife and if absolutely necessary, I can send an important e-mail regarding something for the following morning—provided I do it on my wife’s computer.

Here are the changes I’ve noticed thus far…

I am writing a lot more.

I am allowing myself to journal, free write, and to mess around with fiction on my time off. Without social media, articles, and other online distractions, I’m spending my free time doing things that I really enjoy and find very fulfilling. I still feel quite connected with my friends.

I am much more productive during the day.

Since I know I can’t fritter away and putter in the evenings on my web sites, read articles, or chat on social media, I’m much more focused on my work and with my internet time. I dive into my to-do list with a lot more determination and check in on Twitter, Facebook, and my blog reader much faster and take care of updates and conversations with quite a bit of efficiency.

I got a lot done on Sunday.

With no internet on Sundays I’m not only catching up on our household needs such as baking bread or folding laundry, but I’m also taking time to walk, read, and even write fun little stories. Once I get past that moment of dread, “Oh no! I can’t go online,” I find something else to do and have a great day. 

I enjoy my weekday evenings much more.

Much like Sundays, I have time to do the dishes AND to read, rather than only having time to do one of them.  Julie and I have about the same amount of time to hang out as usual since I usually stop whatever I’m doing when she takes a break from her graduate school work.

I look forward to going online in the morning.

It’s a little weird, but on several occasions I’ve caught myself going to bed with an almost giddy feeling of, “I can’t wait to get online in the morning!!!” I’m not sure how I should feel about this. On one hand, it’s good to know that I’m denying myself something I want, but on the other hand it’s a bit odd to feel this way about… internet. I suppose the thing is that I’m anticipating connecting with friends, family, and colleagues via the internet, so perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing to anticipate.

My review disclaimer: I received this book as part of a blog review program. And by the way, I’m doing very, very few book reviews in the future after I wrap up the five or six books I have lined up for the next few months since I’m focusing on doing more series based on books of the Bible. I’m just saying.

I’m on a book review roll of late, so why not keep up the magic with the award-winning book by Jim Belcher, Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional. Look, I’m going to level with you right from the start: most of us know that this book won two awards, Scot McKnight gave it the thumbs up, and Tim Keller endorsed it on the front cover. The bottom line is that this book is a winner. No one can take that away from this book, and I certainly won’t.

However, a great book such as Deep Church can be read for the wrong reasons and applied in the wrong ways, and that’s where I’d like to start my review. Don’t worry, I’ll end with the gushing you probably expected.

What Makes This Book Great

I get a little uneasy when people start talking about a book becoming a blueprint for church, theology, or whatever, and I think that’s something that could happen with Deep Church. It’s all to easy to look for books that tell us how to do things or what to believe, but if we read Belcher as a guide to “how we should do church, theology, or evangelism,” we miss the real value of this book.

I’m sure some folks may pick up Deep Church because they believe Belcher has cracked some kind of code with his third way between emerging and traditional churches. However, if you read it looking for the third way so you can do the exact same thing, then I think you’ve missed the real jewel hidden in this book.

We shouldn’t read this book in order to imitate Belcher or Tim Keller. We should read this book to learn HOW Belcher figured out the third way. In fact, I often lost interest in the sections where he described his own church. I was most impressed by the way he sought out personal conversations, read one of Brian McLaren’s books THREE TIMES, and sought out the best representative thinkers for each camp in his quest to understand them.

We finally have someone presenting a critique of emerging/missional theology with a functional understanding of Leslie Newbigin. That is huge.

Where I Take Issue

As far as disagreements go, I’d probably say the most important issue had to do with the deep ecclesiology chapter, as Belcher shares how the growth of his church resulted in a terrible power struggle with some founding members. Though Belcher once again did a fantastic job in presenting the house church movement in this chapter, he failed to step back and look at how a multiplying group of house churches could have averted such a situation as his power struggle, even if he planted house churches within the PCA—though I’m not sure that would fly with the PCA.

I confess that I’m also betraying my own preference for home meetings. I understand that house churches may not be his thing, but his example struck me as prime fodder for the next house church conference as an example as why a network of small house churches have some strong advantages over larger churches.

Throughout the book I also had a sense that mission was often mentioned but rarely discussed at length. While it does tie into many of the chapters here and there, such as how we do evangelism or what we think about Christianity and culture, I wonder if there should have been a chapter on the concept of mission.

There is so much more to the emerging/missional practice that revolves around this concept of mission—where you meet, how you spend your tithe, how you interact with and serve among the poor, how the Spirit of God leads, and how the Kingdom of God advances. I caught some glimpses of what Belcher believed about mission, but I came away wondering how robust his sense of mission is. I think it may be very robust, but I felt like that was lost in talking about how to do worship, theology, and evangelism. I’m guessing he hoped to integrate it into each chapter, but that didn’t work for me.

Why I Loved This Book

Despite some of my reservations at a few points, overall, Belcher has given pastors and church planters an excellent book that asks a lot of really good questions, shows how Christians can work toward a common understanding, and even reach middle ground. I don’t believe that this book will necessarily create doctrinal unity. Rather, this book has tremendous potential to create greater respect and understanding among groups of believers who really shouldn’t be so suspicious of one another in the first place. The third way of Belcher is a great tool, but I think we have even more to learn from his methodology.

Throughout the book I had a sense that Belcher had a solid command of his material, presented it with clarity, and never took on more than he could handle. Without reviewing an unseemly number of books, he effectively picked out the best representative works for all parties involved, displayed a clear grasp of their material, and then interacted with the material in a manner that showed genuine concern to accurately represent all perspectives involved.

I usually skip past explanations of the emerging church, and I weary of the debate over postmodernism, but Belcher infused both of these topics with a sense of relevance and a greater degree of clarity than I would have thought possible. This is a book that says so much in a fairly small amount of space—no doubt a tribute to his effective research, careful study, and polished prose.

Read sample chapters and more at the IVP web site.

So this well-known Christian said something that wasn’t all that good the other day. If you know what I mean, you’ve probably noticed all of the chattering on social media and on news outlets. If you haven’t, you can read a bit about it at Don Miller’s blog along with his great response.

I really appreciated Don’s response to this Christian, and he is a Christian even if we find what he says reprehensible because that’s what God’s grace is all about—he can overcome our sins. Don hits on the right reaction: correction, sympathy, and sadness.

This morning I was ready to tear into this Christian leader for his statement, to mock him, and to pick his theology apart. I had what a friend of mine calls a “wisdom attack” to keep my mouth shut at that time. Did we really need someone else denouncing this guy, calling him names, and mocking his poor attempt at theology?

Folks watching this unfold probably aren’t surprised to hear about a Christian with troubling theology. That’s nothing new.

I don’t think anyone else is surprised to learn that Christians are mocking a fellow Christian and criticizing him. That unfortunately is also nothing new.

In fact, we gain nothing by criticizing or mocking a fellow Christian. However, that doesn’t mean we keep silent. We can certainly outline our points of disagreement and challenge points of bad theology that misrepresent God. We can also respond with compassion and forgive such people for saying something that he doesn’t even realize recognize as tremendously hurtful.

It’s not enough to be right or to expose bad theology. Our responses must also be redemptive, forgiving, and loving. Because really, does anyone think that this dude is going to reply to any of our posts, tweets, or Facebook updates?

Believing something like that is delusional like his theology.

If you’re like me, I post such things to let others know about the Jesus I follow, the kind of life I want to live, and the stuff I believe. If I kept silent, they could make the mistake of equating myself with such public figures. There is a need to clear the air.

However, by responding with grace and sympathy, much like Don Miller, we show that the love of Jesus can overcome the bad theology of a Christian in the media spotlight. And after we have that bad taste out of our mouths, we should probably spend the following day and every day after that on something more constructive, such as giving to World Vision or making a text donation to the Red Cross.

In fact, what if all of the Christians in the world were so busy sending aid to Haiti, even putting building campaigns on hold and selling off their possessions so they can donate more money, that this dude’s statement is covered in a mountain of charity and good deeds in the name of our Lord and his coming Kingdom? That’s a good way to spend our time… and money.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to sell a few theology books so I have a bit more cash to donate.

It’s been a solid two weeks since I’ve even thought about posting to my blog at the start of some much-needed time off. It seems I may not even remember how to use Twitter or Facebook.

What is it the Twitter anyway? Is it like e-mail on the interwebs?

My time off has been both helpful and strange in personal and professional areas. While some ideas have had time to form a bit more, I feel like this break has, in some ways, led to a series of setbacks that I’ve only been recovering from in the past few days. Actually, it’s better to say that some junk got stirred up in my life. In fact, it was always there, and I needed to deal with it.

However it all happened, here are a few thoughts from my break, especially from the end of it:

Scripture Breathes Life

When vacation comes my typical schedule goes out the window, but this time I didn’t work very hard to keep myself in the scripture each day. BIG MISTAKE. It’s frightening to see the difference when God isn’t using the words of scripture to guide, convict, and shape my life. Christianity stands and falls on the power of God, but in living day to day the words of scripture are an indispensable tool.

Focus, Dang it!

My head is spinning with ideas. I’m at a place in my life where I’m still trying to figure out the best way to pursue my goals. I don’t have the balance down yet, I’m investing too much in peripheral projects, and I’m tangling myself up in stuff that isn’t my bread and butter. Over the following month I’ll need to get better at focusing on what’s most important and hammering on that (writing books, blogging, and speaking), while leaving the right amount of time for secondary but important things (writing for magazines, writing ebooks, and networking).

That means I’m cutting back on book reviews and perhaps I won’t even call what I do a review. Perhaps a reflection or reaction to a book instead. I don’t have time to do a real review, and to be honest, I don’t think there’s a lot of value in lots of bloggers rehashing all of the same material in a book.

Jesus Doesn’t Act on Our Terms

Am I the only one who keeps finding out that Jesus is quite different than I expected? Jesus doesn’t need our lousy stuff to bring his Kingdom, he serves from the bottom up, and his way to the cross is riddled with uncertainties. I’m hitting on some of the uncertainties right now, as well as trying to figure out if I should take some steps that I find intimidating. Well, Jesus never said taking up one’s cross would be easy…

Walk with the Spirit

At a church meeting this past weekend a number of folks talked about walking with the Holy Spirit side-by-side, turning where he (or she) turns and stopping when he (or she) stops. It’s like Paul said that we should keep in step with the Spirit. That image has been helpful for me. One friend of mine tells me he begins every day by asking, “What do you want me to do.” I feel like every day I don’t ask that question doesn’t compare with the ones when I do.

Come to think of it, I think I’ll pray that right now.

I’m taking about a week or so off from blogging and most writing projects for the holidays. It’s crucial for all of us to take some time off, to refocus, to think about why we do what we do, and to leave ourselves open for the new things that God may be speaking to us.

In addition, every blogger needs some time away to recharge, returning to the work of blogging with renewed vigor after some time away. I hope to use this time away to catch up with family and friends, to read a bit more, to ski, and to pray.

However, while I’m away there are a few things you can still check out here:

• Download a free copy of the Coffeehouse Theology Bible Study Guide HERE.
• Check out the Coffeehouse Theology sale (35% off) going on with NavPress in December and January. Use coupon K82E1D8E6.
• And if you’re looking for a few good blogs to read, be sure to check out the blogs by Kristin Tennant, Jamie Arpin-Ricci, Lisa Delay, Bill Kinnon, and Chad Estes.

Have a blessed Christmas!

We’ve been visiting family for the week down south. Today I ate enough fried chicken and drank enough sweet tea to make myself sick. I suppose that’s what happens when a person who generally eats vegetarian food has a meat-eating frenzy.

I’m not on a technology fast altogether, but I’m committing to minimize my online time. So posts around here will be scarce until after the holiday weekend.

We’ve driven something like 1200 miles so far, and along the way we’ve hit our fair share of traffic. One of our best ideas yet has been stopping at IKEA for a rest stop and dinner.

Sharing that idea was my Thanksgiving travel gift to you.

I just sent out the November edition of my monthly e-newsletter. You can check it out here.

My newsletter has two goals:

1. To help writers with blogging, writing books, and promoting their work.

2. To keep folks in the loop with my writing.

Over the past three years, I have learned that it’s best to focus on some general writing topics, to occasionally touch on some relevant stuff with Christianity and culture, and to generously link to articles and web sites that I have found helpful. In fact, since I started tracking clicks, my readers definitely love the link lists.

So why subscribe to my newsletter? If anything, you just may find a link to an article or web site that will really help you become a better writer/blogger or promoter of your work. 

I added a nifty little subscribe form in the right column of my blog if you’re interested in becoming a regular subscriber.

My church celebrates communion each Sunday and follows it with a time of prayer and songs of worship. It’s always deeply moving and powerful, standing in stark contrast to the first half of the service that is fine, but doesn’t affect my spirit so deeply.

I don’t intend to be critical of one part of the service over another. Simply put: I’m moved by one part and not so much by the other. It just happens.

Perhaps some things are best left unexplained, but when I think about the communion table and the celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, I’m reminded of what some in my family have described in their approach to church: gathering around the person of Jesus. I find it striking that communion moves us around Jesus in both word and deed, acting out his saving work, confessing our sins, and then drawing near to worship in gratitude.

This is highly significant, as Jesus essentially ensured that when we gathered as Christian communities we would focus directly on him and his saving message. Maybe we don’t need to roll out the bread and juice each week, but the one essential should be Jesus himself.

“Does this focus on Jesus?” becomes our litmus test in determining the value of all we do. We may want to focus on truth and the Bible, but unless that truth is the truth of Christ and the Bible as it leads to Christ, we have only succeeded in putting together a nice service, rather than a gathering around Jesus.

That helps me a lot. It keeps things simple. It makes me realize that we have included communion services in our worship because it’s hard to screw up, to make it about ourselves. It’s quite hard to break bread and then think about the latest theology debate or political campaign.

When we participate in this sacrament that has endured for 2,000 years, we are tapping into a reminder that Jesus himself instituted. He didn’t leave us with a Bible and tell us to preach from it, though there’s nothing wrong with that. He told us that our gatherings should focus on him, and he provided a visual aid just in case we ever forgot.

Over the past six months or so we’ve been on a real journey of faith that I’ve pretty much kept under the radar on this blog. I don’t generally like to share too much from my personal life online, but I think I have a few lessons to share and stories to relate that will be an encouragement to others.

This will also explain why we now live in Connecticut.

About two years ago a friend of ours encouraged us to pursue graduate school for my wife Julie. We’d been talking about it for years, but we kept assuming that we should put it off. After a lot of thinking, planning, and testing, we decided to give it a shot. Last April Julie was accepted at the University of Connecticut to begin working her way toward a PhD in English Lit.

Consequently, we had to sell our house in Vermont, she had a lot of preparation to do, we had to find a place near Storrs, CT, and I needed to figure out a job. Over the following months we sensed that I should try writing and speaking full time, which meant we really needed an affordable place to live in Connecticut and to live on a tight budget. We also needed to downsize significantly by giving away or selling a lot of stuff.

When we decided to give grad school a try back in 2007, I began watching the real estate market very closely, planning to sell our house myself. How hard could it be in a small, fairly stable market such as Vermont? That was lesson one. There are times to save money and to be a do-it-yourself person, but not when your family’s financial future is hanging in the balance.

Over the three months I tried to sell our house myself I was not only humbled, but felt that I’d been foolish in putting us into a tight financial spot. I also put my own prospects of launching a freelance writing and speaking ministry in jeopardy. All of this was humbling for me beyond words.

The next blow came on the first day or our family vacation in late July just after leaving my day job. My next book deal fell to pieces in a matter of days. The publisher had changed directions significantly and we could no longer agree on the direction or details of the book after I had completed the first draft. So as I was launching my “freelance writing career,” one of the major sources of my pride, income, and security disappeared.

By the end of July, Julie and I wrapped up our jobs in Vermont, meaning our income suddenly stopped. We also signed on with a realtor. In early August we had to move to our apartment in Connecticut, meaning that we would soon have a rent and a mortgage to pay. The house needed to sell, and soon.

During the month of August we learned that a lot of people were looking at our house, but no offers were made despite the work of our incredible real estate agent. By early September I began to panic. We really needed an offer on the house. I knew we had priced it right, and the sheer number of viewings was evidence enough of that. Over Labor Day weekend I began to crack.

On the trip home from meeting family I prayed intensely over the sale of our house. “God, we need you to sell this house.”  While driving on a dark country road in Connecticut (yes, we have them here), God spoke in an almost audible voice, “Do you want me, or do you want me to solve your problems?”

I had to be honest. I wanted God to sell the house. I didn’t want God or to seek his Kingdom first. On the following day I struggled to write and ended up fretting about the house and our finances. Reminded of God’s word the previous evening, I left my desk and kneeled in the other room resolving just to worship God. After a few minutes of this, I remembered we had not one, but two reserves of money that I’d completely forgotten.

That gave us some breathing room. I’d never felt so cared for by God over the following month. Two weeks later we received an offer on the house and negotiated a price that I think was fair for both parties. The same buyers closed on the house yesterday. We are now free from that hefty mortgage payment.

We could have stuck it out longer, but back in June I picked the latest date I’d want to wait to sell the house: early November.

The process of selling our house has been trying, with lots of uncertainty. It hasn’t been easy. However, the lesson I learned that evening in September has stuck with me. Do I want God or for God to solve my problems? This has felt like boot camp in seeking first God’s Kingdom.

It has also helped me to see God’s provision in every detail of our lives here in Connecticut. Every accepted article, every friendship we make, and every wonderful place to hike is a blessing from God. We wouldn’t have ended up here without God’s provision at key moments.

I wish I had a pithy way to sum this crazy experience up. I feel like we were trying to figure out where God wanted us to go and to obey that leading. Following God’s lead has not be comfortable or easy, but it has been rewarding. I have experienced intimacy with God on a new level, have seen sin in my own heart challenged, and have learned to hold loosely to home, money, and status.

Everything really is on the table, but if we lose any or all of it, it is far more precious to have intimacy with God. I’m still digging deeper into the mystery of seeking first God’s Kingdom. It’s not an easy thing to do. However, as we pass through these trials and terrifying times we will find abundant life and joy in God and his provision.

I’m not much of a musician. I can strum chords. I can’t tune a guitar, pick notes, or read music.

But I’ve been willing to pitch in where I can, and so for years I lead worship in youth group, college groups, my home church, and in many other gatherings. My lack of musical ability bred a tendency to avoid hymns.

I didn’t get hymns. They were hard to sing, hard to play, and sounded dated. I resisted bringing them into my sets, opting to toss the hymn-lovers a bone with a jazzed up version of an old standard. In fact, I only played a hymn if I could fit it into my style.

Five years ago I hung up my guitar. I was through with the Sunday morning worship production, but on a larger scale, I began to see myself more as a writer than as a worship leader—certainly not a musician. I may strum my guitar from time to time, but for this season of my life, I don’t see the guitar fitting into it.

And this brings me to the odd thing I realized about a year or two ago.

I was listening to the Passion Hymns CD, and I realized that years of attending conservative churches had implanted a fairly long list of hymns into my brain. They were part of me—and I liked it. In fact, I worried that I may attend a church where my own hypothetical children would not be grounded in the classic hymns of the faith.

That sense of gratitude and appreciation for classic hymns has only strengthened. I toss in the word “classic” so as to denote the enduring hymns that have stood the test of time and find their way into the regular play list of most congregations. At least those who still sing the old hymns. I’m thinking of songs such as “Blessed Assurance,” “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” and “Come Thou Fount.” Calling a song a hymn doesn’t make it classic, but there certainly are many classic hymns that we would do well to know, sing, and even study.

I remember that Brian McLaren once wrote an open letter to those who write worship songs. He criticized the huggy, sentimental nature of many contemporary worship songs. In addition, many contemporary songs are little more than a scramble of “worshippy” words and phrases that are typically lifted from hymns and arrayed in a sequence that doesn’t always make sense. In fact, there’s a recent worship song by a prominent worship leader that I can’t even figure out…

And so before I lose myself in whining, here are a few thoughts about the lessons of hymns and then some reasons to write contemporary hymns that will endure the test of time:

What Classic Hymns Teach Us

Classic Hymns Have a Narrative

For starters, classic hymns have a poetic narrative that binds them together. There is a progression and development of thought. I once led worship with a guy who loved hymns. He couldn’t bring himself to play the first and last verses of a hymn because he felt like we were missing out on key elements of the narrative. There is a complexity and direction to the lyrics that I have come to appreciate.

Whether telling the story of the cross, the perseverance of the saints, or celebrating a particular theme, hymns have a story to tell that takes us beyond a feeling or experience. While there are exclamations of joy, wonder, and gratitude, the overall narrative of classic hymns converges with God’s salvation narrative.

Classic Hymns Have God-Centered Theology

Hymns certainly touch on one’s personal experience with God as many contemporary songs are skewered for emphasizing, but in the classic category there is a strong emphasis on the work of God, with the song writer/singer playing a significantly smaller role. For example, the song “And Can It Be” has a strong personal dynamic, but the overall focus is the saving work of God.

There are many good Christian songs with Christian themes and rallying cries to ministry. However, they aren’t exactly worship songs per se. At their best, they declare allegiance to God, but at their worst they betray a self-centered fixation on what we are going to do for God. I think we’re better off celebrating what God does and the ways God uses us. We can be part of the picture, but a classic hymn doesn’t place the singer on center stage.

Why We Need New Hymns

Some Hymns Have Dated Theology

Many classic hymns are focused on heaven, and who can blame them. Heaven is a great place, and so they end with some kind of transport into glory. However, if you’ve been following the buzz these days about heaven and our eternal future with God, there are many scholars who are calling such pictures into question to a certain degree. For instance, in Surprise by Hope, NT Wright asserts that the point of scripture is God’s coming to earth (a la Revelation 21:3) rather than beaming us up to heaven.

This means the trajectory of many hymns misses a key element of scripture. This doesn’t negate their value or even make them “wrong.” Rather, we have overstated the parts of scripture where believers leave earth to be with Jesus at the expense of God’s plan to one day return and to restore creation. In addition, our understanding of the Kingdom of God has developed over time, and so it will be crucial to see this renaissance in the Kingdom theology of the NT reflected in contemporary songs.

We Have a Limited Number of Hymns

There are two songs that drive me bonkers. One is “This is the Day” after the church I attended in college played that song at the start of EVERY SERVICE. When I shared my issue with a guy in the choir, he looked at me in utter disbelief. “But, but, that’s how we start our service!”

The other song is “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I know you’re probably shocked. I probably shouldn’t even call myself a Christian if I feel that way about it…

I know it’s a great song. The words are awesome. I just can’t take it. Soooo many churches sing it, and it became the unofficial school song of my college because… well… we didn’t usually sing the official “school song.”

And there we have a problem. There are only so many classic hymns out there. So even if we gave in to the old-timers and crooned hymns from start to finish each Sunday, we would only wear our congregations out on the classics. There’s only so many sets we can do 52 weeks each year before hitting some repeats.

We Need Modern Hymns That Celebrate God’s Work Today

God is at work in our congregations, our communities, and all over this world, and so our songs of worship should celebrate God’s provision, faithfulness, and redemption. On a few occasions over the years I welled up so deeply in gratitude to God that I actually wrote songs and poems in response. These are kept under lock and key, but for those with the talent to pull it off, we need fresh celebrations of God’s work.

It’s Not About the Music…

Before I take myself too seriously with this discussion, I should end with a note about the place of worship music today. It’s nothing new to say that our lives should be offerings of worship to God. Worship extends into all areas of our lives, even if we also need to set aside specific times to pray and sing in worship of God.

The way we fight over our music in church, you’d think the existence of God was at stake. I don’t think we should be surprised that in a world with so many niche markets and strong brand loyalty to music that our churches are a battleground over music styles and songs. We should expect that.

When one pastor told me about the conflict in his church over the selection of music, I suggested, “Why not drop the music altogether for a period of time and explore other avenues of communal worship?” He didn’t of course because  music has become an essential for most Christian gatherings. We can’t imagine gathering for worship without music.

While I see the value of worship music and love it dearly, I feel like it’s taken on an inflated role in our congregations today. I’m far more interested in a congregation moving forward in God’s mission to the world than fretting over… frets.

I used to care about the piano drowning out my guitar, but now I can’t believe I was such a petty jerk. Our world has much bigger problems, our Gospel message is far more compelling, and our mission remains urgent.

We need workers in the harvest fields.

Worship and music have a place among the people of God as they go about God’s work, but the amount of time, worry, and energy given to our worship music belies our deeper problem. We have too much riding on one piece of the puzzle, and thereby reject other key pieces we need desperately.

I hope and pray that I’ll be able to continue singing the classic hymns as well as some wonderfully creative new songs that celebrate God’s works. However, more importantly, I pray that one day we’ll be so amazed at the splendor of God and the mighty ways that he has used us that we’ll be singing his praises with hardly a thought as to its form.

For further thought…

If you’re curious about a next step for writing “classic hymns” today, have a listen to David Crowder’s songs. Not all of them work for congregational worship, not all of them will be classics, but he’s blending the old with the new and dreaming up fresh, poetic expressions in his lyrics. He offers a good place to start.