I'm always amazed at the power of music. Our family sat around the Christmas tree and open our presents, as we relaxed afterwards, laughing and enjoying each other's company I watched as my dad motion towards my mom.  We were all laughing and enjoying the latest joke or story.  When my mom leaned down and listen to my dad whisper in her ear.  They both nodded and then my mom said, "we should sing."

Just about every Christmas we've taken some time to sing some Christmas carols together.  So my son got out his guitarand we enjoyed a time of singing.

It wasn't so much the quality of the music or the place in which we sang, but it was.  The songs that we chose and the meaning that they have a was so wonderful.  It brought back a lot of memories from Christmas is gone by, family gatherings, parts of my journey of faith and of our family.  Music has a way of doing that.

This Sunday in going to be preaching on Isaiah 9:2-7 in these words are captured by Handel in his great masterful piece of music called the "Messiah."  Every time I read those words I hear Handel's Messiah.

A friend of the great composer, put the words of the Bible into a story dialogue using parts from the Old and New Testament to describe the work of God and the reason why Jesus came.  They say that when Handel first read those Scriptures as they were put together by his friend he started to hear the music dancing in his head.  He went immediately into his workshop and 24 days later came out with the first draft of this three hour long Symphony. Beethoven said of Handel, "Here is a different fellow" and proceeded to play the most interesting looking passages. On another occasion he is said to have remarked, "Handel is the greatest composer that ever lived."   Beethoven was so moved by the words of Handel's Messiah that when he was on his deathbed, and there was no hope for recovery he is quoted as saying, that if there were a physician that could help him "His name shall be called Wonderful".

Music as a way of getting deep inside you.  It's that way with me!

I've had a lot of conversations recently around the topic of becoming a member of a local church.  It's interesting to me that at first most people are very luck to to commit to being part of a local church.  I think mainly it comes from a place of busyness but also the unknown.  In our church tradition there has been too many things attached to being a member of a church that has nothing to do with being a Christian.  When in reality being a member of a local church has everything to do with what God asks us to do already.  You would probably agree with me if I said that we should get along with each other at church, that we should respect each others opinions,that if we asked people to lead...we would follow their leadership, that we should grow in our faith so that we can use it well and live out what we believe.

This is exactly what being a member of the local church is all about.  It may sound more formal but in reality it's nothing more than what I just explained.  At discovery church we ask people to commit to being a member.  What we ask of them is nothing more than what the Bible already asks of us.  Some people have hang ups around becoming a member or they've had bad experiences at a previous church so this will never be an option.  You may never feel ready to sign a piece of paper saying that you will be a member.  That's okay.  But recognized that what the Bible asks of us is regardless of whether or not we are a member of a local church.  Here's what I mean...

1.  I Will Protect the Unity of My Church

From the back cover...

Many of the old beliefs held by church leaders and congregations read as if they are self evident, irrefutable truths-if you build the perfect church they will come... growing your church automatically makes a difference in the community... developing better church members will mean better evangelism... time has failed to produce the evidence of these claims.

Although I haven't finished the book all the way yet it provides a very provocative thoughts.  So far it's been a very good read.
Chapter 2 on the shift from church growth to Kingdom growth says that we as churches need to shift our target of ministry efforts from church activity to community transformation.

It's always been my hope that we at discovery church are passionate enough in our Christian faith and deep enough in our spirituality to transform our community not just our church.

My wife homeschools our two youngest children.  One of the ways that I help is to conduct a class on the Bible.  We have been spending some time in the last two months on the subject of covenant.  The lesson today spoke to me through the use of a drama.  A family with two children was preparing for their mother to go into the hospital.  She put together a list of rules for them to follow while she was gone.  The children obeyed while she was gone only because someone was keeping track.  When she returned the children continued to follow the rules but more because they wanted to.

Jeremiah 31:33, 34 "this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord.  "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.... I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more."

My journey with Jesus encourages me to obey.  Not because I have to, but because I want to.  I want Jesus to be happy with me, to be proud of me, to forgive me.  Although sometimes it seems like rules to me... most of the time it isn't.

"Spiritual gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit and distributed to every believer according to God's design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ."  this is a working definition of what spiritual gifts are.  When we talk about using spiritual gifts in the church what were talking about is giving God glory with the special abilities that he gives us and helping other people.  The intention is to help people find their ministry fit based upon their natural gifts and spiritual gifts.

Unfortunately many churches look at spiritual gifts inventories as a recruiting tool for the church staff to use in gathering church members to fill church jobs.  While this may be an appropriate use of spiritual gifts that certainly isn't the only one.  I think that we should be finding out what our spiritual gifts are so that we can be more effective in making an impact on our community.  Using the spiritual abilities that God has given us to transform our neighborhoods and our workplaces seems to me to be a more effective use of our God-given abilities.  As a church we are committed to helping people find their ministry fit both inside and outside of the church.

This is going to require a refocusing or rethinking of the way we do ministry.  It will require us to release church members to do ministry in their communities and their workplaces.  If you have the gift of serving and your passionate about feeding people who are hungry than as a church pastor I should encourage people to pursue their ministry passion and giftedness whether thatfinds them serving for my church or someone else's church or for that matter... some other agency that feeds the hungry.