BAD DREAM

I had a lovely day yesterday. I even turned in at a reasonable hour last night, however, I woke up this morning flustered and shaking. I don't know if I was crying in my dream, or if my cries were aloud. I took a deep breath, and got that trembling/ rattling reaction--that telltale sign, "Yep. You've been crying".

I dreamed I was sitting at a large dining table in the home of a friend. Others were there, and we were enjoying a great meal, laughing and talking. Suddenly, we heard a key in the door and it opened. My friend poked his head in and was singing. "Finally!" we all shouted. "Where have you been?" He then closed the door, opened it again, and sang again. His voice was low, words slurred, and he didn't sound like himself at all. Then he just stood there with the door wide open. He was wearing a beautiful grey wool coat. His shirt, slacks and shoes completed a beautiful ensemble, except we noticed his shirt tail was out and his pants were unzipped. He was trying to stuff his shirt tail back into his pants with one hand, but wasn't having much success. Someone got up from the table to greet him. It was cold outside and everyone was complaining, "Close the door! There's a draft in here!" He was grinning as he stood in the doorway, but saying nothing. His countenance wasn't sinister, just mischievous--goofy even--sort of like the expressions of the TV characters George Sunday and Father Dougal McGuire. There was a deliberate clueless-ness on his face as he stood. He wasn't really looking at or toward us, but over us, and off into the distance, yet seeming to know that all eyes were on him. His own eyes were wide and he just stood there. I noticed that he had a large suitcase with him, and he seemed to be weaving a bit. I wondered if he had driven himself home, or if someone had dropped him off. I wondered if he had been drinking, because he just stood there swaying from side to side, back to front. It seemed as if he'd fall. The guy who'd gotten up to greet him must have spent 5 or 10 minutes trying to get him to come inside. Finally he did come in and staggered around to my side of the table. I got up to greet him and joked about him appearing to be drunk. As I reached out, he fell backward. I was suddenly on the floor talking to him, asking him if he could hear me. I was crying and asking him what happened. I put my face close to his so that I could hear what he was saying. Then I screamed for someone to call an ambulance. He whispered, "Listen to me because I don't have a lot of time. I can feel myself going". He either said, "Keep singing" or "Sing the song". Then he turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. I was shaking him and screaming, "No, no, no! Wake up! Please don't go! Please don't go!" I was looking around for someone to help me, but everyone was standing in a semi-circle; looking down at us with sad looks on their faces. I was hugging my friend and crying uncontrollably, then I woke up.
Now, I'm wondering what it all meant.

WEDNESDAY THOUGHTS: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Prince and 3rd Eye Girl KILLED on The Arsenio Hall Show a few nights ago. 

Okay. I have an AARP card and I don’t usually use the term "killed" in reference to music (or anything for that matter, other than something that has actually been done away with), but for that performance (and Liv Warfield’s recent performance of “Why Do You Lie” on The Tonight Show), I’ll make an exception.  

It was musically, visually, and technically excellent. Most of all, it was consistent, and allowed Prince to shine. 

The audience was so engaged and happy. The object of their affection was right there with them. 

They honored him with ovations, and reverently listened as he spoke. They even wore purple attire.  

Arsenio wasn't even the star of his own show any more, and he didn’t seem to mind at all! 

He was visibly in awe, from his tone of voice, to his introduction, to his posture. 

You could also tell that they knew each other, and were friends. 

He got out of the way so that Prince's fans could get close to him. 

The skillful performances probably inspired a new generation of fans to find out more about him; explore his previous work, and anticipate what he is going to produce in the future. 

They may have inspired someone to pick up a guitar, or a horn they'd abandoned.

The performances probably motivated people all over the viewing area to open their wallets so that they could hear more whenever they wanted. 

They served their intended purpose with honesty and integrity. Prince and friends were merely being themselves.

I thought about all of that when a worship leader friend asked for suggestions on how to get a congregation more engaged in praise and worship. It may seem like apples and oranges, but bear with me…

Perhaps the problem lies in TRYING to get people to "engage", instead of sincerely engaging in worship one’s self. 

Instead of looking at praise and worship as a genre of Music, or a compartmentalized program item, maybe it should be encouraged to be a part of one’s daily routine. 

Maybe the origins and practices should be taught from a biblical standpoint, so that people will understand. That way, when they assemble with others, it won’t seem so foreign. 

It won’t be something congregations are inclined to watch others do, but because there is a history, relationship, and an expectation, it will be something they willingly do out of gratitude, and a willing heart.

You can’t make people do anything. 

I don’t think even God wants an offering given under duress, and, furthermore, exactly to whose satisfaction should a congregation perform or respond? 

Who are the praise police, and who determines if their praise/worship is up to snuff? 

Are worship leaders looking for signs that people love God, or are they much too preoccupied with whether or not the congregation approves of the song choices for the day, the singers’ voices and the musicians’ skill? 

Who is designated to enforce the degree to which others publicly display their adoration to God, and whether the display is adequate and of sufficient duration?  

(And why does it always stop when the music stops?) 

We’ve all heard frustrated worship leaders loudly chastise, “Oh, ya’ll can do better than that!” …uh…ummm…Do better than WHAT exactly? 

So, if people don’t do cartwheels down the aisles, or holler for fifty-two and a half minutes straight, does it mean that they don’t love God? 

When their combination Funky Chicken/Twerk/Electric Slide ends up on YouTube does that mean their praise has reached maximum engagement? 

Or, could the real issue be, that there’s someone standing in the pulpit who covets applause and adoration for their own performance? 

Are worship leaders on power trips? 

Are they leaning heavily on the “leader” part of their title, and forgetting to worship themselves?

For years, ministers have been comparing congregation’s responses in church to the responses of spectators at sporting events and concerts. 

Maybe people engage at games because what they’re experiencing what it’s like to be free and on one accord, in a corporate setting, with like-minded others—who aren’t constantly judging, comparing, diminishing, and monitoring their loyalty and enthusiasm. 

In their own way, they love their team, or favorite superstar, and as long as the team and superstar know and appreciate it, fans don’t care how others feel about the range of their displays of affection.

No one has to convince me to love what, and who I love. 

If the actual aim was to go into God’s house, gather in His name, and worship Him, we wouldn’t have to wait for someone’s prompting to let us know when the show was starting.  

We “ought to show some signs”, but what, specifically, would worship leaders like to see that will indicate that the congregation is engaged? 

Do they want to see people swinging from the chandeliers or running laps? 

Would identical displays of the worship leader’s style of worship suffice? 

Oh. 

Wait. 

My bad. 

That’s no good, because many times, the worship leader ISN’T worshiping. 

He or she is too busy being on surveillance, and berating the hell-bound heathens who have the audacity to remain seated. 

(Darn those senior citizens.)  

 I thought about a line from the hymn, “Lift Him Up”:

“…let the world in you the Savior see; then men will gladly follow Him who once taught, “I'll draw all men unto Me”.

In the local assembly, where we supposedly gather to worship God, so much of what takes place has little, if anything at all, to do with Him, nor are activities directed toward Him. 

Many times, not even the SONGS indicate understanding concerning the purpose of the weekly convocation. 

The music may be catchy, fast, dance-friendly and fun, but the content is PEOPLE oriented. 

God is lucky if He gets a random shout-out. 

Too often, He is treated as an incidental visitor in His own house. 

Would YOU hang around at a party that's supposed to be for you, if nothing that YOU like is going on, and the name on the cake isn't even yours? 

Would you respond favorably, or stay at a party if you got there and realized the person you came to celebrate was kicked out by people who demanded that you to celebrate THEM instead?

The usual "Get with me/us" angle, will always end in frustration, because many worship leaders are looking for a level of response, or specific responses that are simply NOT due to them. 

Are people standing in awe of God, or because their favorite "jam" got to the "good part"?  

The NET Bible translation of Joshua 24:14 uses the words “integrity” and “loyalty” in reference to attitude toward service and worship.  

Other translations use the words “faithfulness”, “truth”, “wholeheartedly”, “perfection” and “sincerity”.  

If someone tries to, or appears to be forcing you to reverently honor or adore something, perhaps it's because they’ve presumed that you don’t know, love, or appreciate it.  

People will either tune you out, or let you go on until you run out of things to say.  

In a person’s zeal to convince you that something or someone is good, there ought to be some indication that THEY know what THEY’RE talking about. 

If the testimonies of those who are supposed to have experience are gross misrepresentations, why would anyone embrace what they’re talking about? 

If an honest, sincere demonstration of love is witnessed, others may be inclined to want that kind of intimacy as well. 

No one wants to cosign a sham. 

A person can't lead where they don't go; they can't effectively introduce others to someone with whom they have no relationship.

Six to 10 color-coordinated fashionistas, armed with hand-held mikes, and drowning out the congregation and choir, is what many consider worship and praise these days. 

Make it LOOK like a show, silence congregations with songs they don't know, or can't understand, and it's no wonder that some people respond with, "Doggone-it, YOU sing. I paid my money to get in here. I didn't come to help out". 

Worship leaders have to quash the need to "get house". 

When you read about how a particular music ministry "killed", or "slayed" at all forty-three services on a Sabbath, it’s sadly obvious that directing others to God is not the plan.

If leaders have to MANUFACTURE a worship experience, believers (and demons, too) will have NO difficulty seeing that it is not authentic, and will defiantly refuse to respond to it in a favorable way. 

(Notice all of the church shenanigans on YouTube?)

Many look for people’s responses as a sign of effectiveness (clapping, standing, screaming, etc.), but never consider if their carefully choreographed offering is offensive to God. 

Instead of hollering at people and manipulating them with guilt-inducing statements, designed to get their approval, why not just honestly worship?

Why not just be oneself, and make consistency and excellence a priority?