The heart of the modern-day psalmist could be like the heart of King David in OT times. David was a warrior, he was a politician and he was a King. He had some personal issues as well so if you have to know more on that read Samuel 1 and 2, it sounds like Newt meets Mitt and Bill Clinton in a debate. But my column is not about politics, men and their self-control but about things that define living an evangelical lifestyle in your city.
Intersection at Colfax and Broadway
In recent week I have been incorporating, intersecting and demonstrating a life of worship in everything. In fact I know a lot of people who don’t understand musical theater and Broadway shows where there is some pretty deep issues going on and then some dude goes song and dance on them. But what if life was more like a musical? We’d have a lot more praise and worship going on on every corner of our existence. Sure we might be uncomfortable heading to H and R Block and doing our returns and the tax preparer suddenly goes viral on you. But what if we did plan our praise and worship to go public and viral with a mob of praying, praising and God’s people singing a Gospel number- out loud? Most evangelical congregations that I work with are more reserved.
Revolution of Love
Word and Spirit churches are more about finding balance. Pastor Steve Holt the founder of the network based in Colorado Springs and pastor of Mountain Springs Church, believes that churches fall into two categories, “All word and no spirit or all spirit and no word,” Holt often says, “are churches that burn out, but churches that are both Word and Spirit experience growth.” The Word and Spirit Network is less a balancing act and more of a convergence movement, “It’s a revolution of love,” Holt says. Our city in Colorado Springs is a good case in what God has called us to do. Mountain Springs is a congregation of 3000 and the mission of the church is to “experience the adventure of an authentic relationship with God.” When people are experiencing living life together and incorporate prayer, worship in all aspects of life and are sharing the love of God for one another- those people are far more than imaginary friends, and when they do they experience something that the Boulder atheists have left out of their campaign: “God can’t be an imaginary friend if there are group of people gathered in Christ’s name who are experiencing an authentic relationship with God.”
Friendship Fellowship
I pastor Word and Spirit churches in Colorado. Friendship Fellowship are three churches who reach out to people with Intellectual disabilities in the Denver metropolitan area, the West and East sides of Colorado Springs. Our mission is for people to experience God in lives despite their handicaps. God doesn’t discriminate against people who have disabilities and He wants for them to experience Christ’s love as much as He wants Boulder atheists to experience that authentic relationship. Our calling is to be more than a slogan and while we need not be offended by their branding statement on that billboard, we should have an answer. “God so loved the Boulder atheists that He gave His son, that everyone who has faith in him, will not die, but have eternal life.” We all can experience this love which is as much a reality check as the sign says- and by the way when you choose that reality, you are helping us all.
Meanwhile in Boulder on the mall there is a mob gathering and a little bald dude takes a guitar out of his case and starts riffing! Then the mob starts singing and dancing incorporating worship in everything:
Think before you pray
What good is thinking more if the thoughts obstruct the view?
When you’re keeping score to what’s in store-
thinking has nothing on what you’re going through
and if what you think is who you are
You could get stuck in the mire
time to get out of your car- Brother
Think before you pray- Think out loud (repeat)
Verse 2
When the creative right and the concrete left come together imagine the consequence.
When the salt and light meets the folks on the fence- I smell beginnings of influence-
and if what you think is who you are
You could get stuck in the mire
time to get out of your car- Brother
Think before you pray- Think out loud (repeat)
Bridge: So could we occupy the brains of the suits on Wall Street
and sing the strains of progress in the Belt Way-
Can we do what we say- when the thoughts are on our lips,
can we move the chains of glory beyond the hypocrites!
and if what you think is who you are
You could get stuck in the mire
time to get out of your car- Brother
Think before you pray- Think out loud (repeat)
BT Springs 2012
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