With Songs of Ascent 2013

This morning I have realized I am very blessed.  I am touring with Songs of Ascent 2013 as a speaker across the Eastern part of the United States. I get to hang out with musicians and develop my craft of preaching? Can it get any better? (Well, actually, it could but may be more on that later.)

Photo by Caleb White, used with permission

In any case, I am so happy and delighted to be here. To be a part of this ministry and to help out the musicians and see the Spirit minister through wholesome music. So far, we have done seven concerts and not all have been our best performances, but all of them have resulted in people letting us know the ways in which they were blessed. At a few concerts, there have been specific stories and testimonies we have received from the attendants.

A young boy’s heart being moved to apologize and ask for forgiveness from his parents.

A father coming to me and letting me know he was going to take the message of the songs and narration to heart and seek to apply it in his family.

And even a few instances of folks driving out a couple hours, one father doing so when he was persuaded by his daughter whom he usually doesn’t have custody of during the week, just to come out to the concert and then none of them regretting having made the drive.

Photo by Bryant Rodriguez

So God is definitely blessing and His hand is with us. However, to be honest, the way in which I am really growing and being blessed is by the first thing I mentioned: being able to spend time with Christians musicians who see their music as a way to minister, not a way to entertain. Observing two married couples doing ministry and living off grace has begun to teach me a lot about what it means to be a godly partner, a godly teammate, and yet still keep your sanity. Watching Eric & Monique Johnson and Matt & Josie Minikus interact as couples and as fellow laborers is showing me what it looks like to be an honest and responsible worker, what priorities need to be maintained while performing, how it looks like to care about your craft while relying upon God to give the increase, what a Christian husband can look like, and how to love a woman. And these are just the more ‘spiritual’ things I am learning because there’s plenty more ‘everyday’ things I am beginning to learn. Things pertaining to car maintenance, equipment preservation, how to shop for food cheaply while on the road, stewardship, minting good PR with churches and well, the list could continue but I will spare you.

All I am trying to say is that what Songs of Ascent 2013 is for me does include the developing my preaching. But really, that’s the smallest part. What it really is about for me is serving four musicians whom I totally support in what they’re doing and being able to pick up from their mentorship lessons and habits which I can then apply to my career in ministry and this is really the most important part of it for me. You know, the all important character development because after all, God is looking to develop characters more than gifts.

And this morning when I realized God has placed wonderful counselors and mentors in my life to instruct me is when it struck me, Wow, I’m so blessed.

Contributed by Bryant Rodriguez

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Drudgery.

Contributed by Rebecca Wong

The large painting canvas looks dismally forlorn sitting on my easel in the corner of the living room. It hasn’t gotten much attention lately. None at all, really.

I had made serious headway with bright layers of color over the neutral underpainting. But the sprint of progress faded quickly. Somewhere between the canvas on my easel and the canvas of my heart, life began to crumble.

It seems to a be a recurrent theme these last couple years: God continually stripping away the nonessentials in my life, leaving me to discover that my only necessary, my only dependence, is Him, and Him alone.

Sometimes I start to feel comfortable, and I get accustomed to the level of dependence I have upon My Father. And then WHAM. The next blow wipes me out and shoves me down to a deeper level of utter helplessness that I had never known possible.

Recently, I have had several hard blows. Unexpected jolts in my life journey that have knocked me down and robbed me of my inspirational breath and creative energy.

It’s funny how life’s deepest, darkest moments can be, at times, the fuel of inspiration, and at other times, the thief of inspiration.

But amidst the vexing circumstances, God has been teaching me much.

That life is not the summation of brilliant moments of inspiration. That life is not always about the unexpected highs, mysterious God moments, and bright flashes of light!

But life is more often about the simple moments, the commonplace, seemingly monotonous drudgery. Fighting through the mess of each day, trusting and believing and moving forward with or without miraculous confirmation.

Because God is always there, whether or not you see a burning bush. Because God is always moving, whether or not you see the Red Sea dividing.

As an artist, that simple truth is hard for me to swallow. I’ll have to admit, I’m an inspiration junkie. I thrive on new ideas and supernatural sparks. I want to forever live on miraculous highs of divine ingenuity. But the reality that God has taken me through lately has slammed me down and humbled my heart.

Oswald Chambers impeccably puts it like this: “We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character.”

Wow. There’s a miracle in the mundane?

He goes on to say, “Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.”

Potent words. Scathingly true.

Lord, today, may the magnificence of Your grace shine through the mundane moments of my daily toil. May You be the unseen miracle in the valleys of this life.

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God – Artist (Poem)

Contributed by Bryant Rodriguez

Continuing to build off the theme from Abner Campos’ piece  earlier this week.  Here’s a poem I wrote, the kind that may make its way onto a track or performance one day.

*****

Some would have you believe in a micromanaging,

control-freak of a Deity, who has no problem rummaging

"that makes humanity suffer incarceration"

in the field of predetermination.

But what an aberration

and complete demarcation

that makes humanity suffer incarceration.

The truth is that when God said let there be…

He wasn’t so much interested in making me

and you puppets, because how would love

reign among the creatures no more above

stones and rocks. Aristotle once said nothing

is that what rocks dream about; everything

valuable about life is founded in our ability

to think, choose, reason, and consider possibilities.

That is to say, God has placed characters

on empty white canvass, and you can fracture

or enhance the painting. God ordered

and organized; filled, placed and bordered

"but then handed His creative brush"

us, but then handed His creative brush

to you and I so we could define with a rush

or with a collectedness, what the painting

would ultimately look like. Tainting

to our humanity is the minimization

of free will.The presentation

has ultimately been left to speak

for itself, like any good piece of art, its peak

beauty is in expression,

and You are His art. So what impression

do you leave of the Artist

who has given You authority to enlist

creative powers and paint upon

the canvass He began. Run on,

for life is abundant and joyful,

joyful like when your plans go as planned,

in this understanding of God’s stand

for your rights, your powers, and your freedom.

"God has been painting right there"

Beware though, because from

this idea you may become lost

as you attempt to remove the frost

from your creative windshields. But if you see,

and act, risk, suffer, and take on the probabilities

of failure/success, then you will discover

God has been painting right there

with you the whole time.

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Break every chain

Created by Nick Hausted

Remember, Jesus’ death resurrection reminds you that the ultimate chain has been broken.

My Father’s World

Contributed by Savonna Greer

  “This is my Father’s world, 

 and to my listening ears all nature sings, 

 and round me rings the music of the spheres.”

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