I am sitting in the house I grew up in with all three of my kids sound asleep by 8 o'clock, drinking a glass of wine and writing poetry. This has been one of those amazing weeks you can never plan or count on happening for fear of disappointment, but when they come about, all you can really do is just rejoice and be glad.
We kicked off a week and a half vacation with the exciting news that my first full-length collection of poems was accepted for publication by Wipf and Stock Publishers. I don't have a contract in hand yet, so hopefully this announcement isn't premature. I am still in a bit of shock about this good news. I continue to be humbled and in awe at the work of Providence to have placed me in the unique and wonderful position I have with my job. The opportunities and relationships that have developed because of my work and the atmosphere I work in have really compelled me to write and propelled me forward in a way that would have been much more challenging were I to have gone about it my own way, and I thank God that he knows the plans he has for me better than I know for myself.
I am extremely grateful for the encouragement of my "poet mentor," Michael Miller, without whose encouragement I probably wouldn't have been writing as fervently or with as much zeal. There are of course many other influences (to be thanked at a later date) but most assuredly I wouldn't be here, writing about a forthcoming book, without Michael.
So with the happy news of a book coming out in the near future, we embarked on a trip to D.C. with the kids. It was our first family vacation with the five of us, and although we approached it with some apprehension, the trip went swimmingly, partly due to the opportunity to swim (ha ha ha). The kids all slept well in the hotel room, and that is the sort of thing that can make or break a trip for us. Henry was mostly cooperative except for riding in the car, which he hates, I guess, because he screamed 70% of the time. Other than that, we ate well, swam a bunch, saw lots of animals both stuffed and alive, and walked all over the place.
Our long weekend ended with a short stay at my in-laws and a visit with Brandon's brother who drove Great Mom-O up from Florida. It is always a joy to see any part of the Florida Wells clan. We returned home for a couple of days and enjoyed the brief respite of our own private quarters. AND! Aaaaaand, we found a new home for the dingo dog! Yes, that is right, Beans the great menace of a pooch has moved on to happier hunting grounds. No, he didn't die, but I am sure he feels like he is in heaven, with a family that likes him and another dog to play with in a yard three times as big. Poor guy. It was all sweet and no bitter in parting, especially when Lydia discovered her most recent favorite dolly had been disemboweled. Suddenly, Beans leaving for a new home wasn't such a bad idea. I really don't want to think about how much that dog has cost us in stuff he chewed up, never mind all of the usual doggy expenses.
Aaaaanyway, happiness flourishes in the Wells house once more now that our fourth unruly and disobedient child has moved out.
The remainder of our vacation (or my time off of work) has been spent with family. Brandon's grandma is beginning to lose her short term memory, or has lost it completely, depending on who you ask, and on top of that she's quite deaf. Upon returning from Florida, she needed to get some of her household affairs in order, so we have spent some time (hours) at her house helping her out (throwing out magazines from 2001, sorting through junk mail, setting up the voice mail on her phone, writing notes to help her remember what we did, etc.). She knows she is losing it, which makes it a little easier to help her. She receives the help with a little more grace and a little less stubbornness than she might have a year or two ago.
We met up with my family for my mom's 50th birthday mid-week, and we did a few errands at home, paid taxes, that sort of thing, then packed up again for Easter weekend. I colored eggs with the kids and made homemade peanut butter cups (mmmm google chocolate covered Katie and you will find the recipe) yesterday while Brandon did some yard work at his folks' house, and then we went out together alone for the first time in a while. It was a way overdue night out, in my opinion, and we had a grand time, listening to Blue Lunch at Northside in Akron. We even got up and danced a couple of songs. Anyone know a place to learn some couple dances in the Ashland area? I would love to force Brandon into it.
Finally, (whew! I bet you thought this would never end) I spent today with my cousins and their kids who all played together for about four hours with not a single whiny tear or complaint. It was amazing! I always feel as if going home to family or friends that have known me a long time is one of the rare moments when I feel most myself. I do not have to think much about what I say or how I might come off because, well, these people KNOW me. They know the awkward lanky me and they know the me that has three kids and a slightly crazy look in the eyes around 7 o'clock at night. They know the anti-alcohol (and everything else) me, and they know the wine guzzling me. Isn't there a George Strait song along these lines? All of Sarah arrives around family. There's no leaving part of the package behind.
Now, back where we began, I am happy to wrap up this post with a pat on the back to myself for seven solid days of poem-ing for the start of National Poetry Month and writing a poem a day. Maybe I can whip out another book... ;). My best work is behind me, might as well call it a career and retire to needlepoint and quilting. Who am I kidding? I know nothing about either of those things. I'm doomed to a life of writing poetry, the only thing I can pretend to be good at ( yup, I'm going to end that sentence and this post with "at").
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
What Chamomile and Honey Can't Do
I'm pretty sure I've had a cold/sinus infection since December 1. It has backed off a little here and there as some kind of bacterial mercy move, but for the last two weeks (or something like that), it's been no nonsense, in your face (and nose, and eyes, and ears, and chest), Die Hard with a Vengeance. It even persisted beyond the power of the almighty z-pak, which I finished off two days ago.
So tonight, after going back to work for the first time in two and a half weeks, I wasn't really up for much of anything with the kids. Unfortunately, they can't bathe, feed, or put themselves to bed yet, so I couldn't just burrow into bed with an electric blanket and call it a night. I at least had the foresight to pull a big pan of macaroni and cheese out of the freezer and ask my awesome Henry-sitter to pop it in the oven this afternoon so that we could eat before 6:30. And there's the Blessed DVR to entertain two of the three little people.
The usual bickering and silliness ensued throughout the night. Nothing new, really. And the dog, that ridiculous dog that I liked so much a month ago, kept getting into the trash and eating Elvis's Legos and whining to be let out and then barking incessantly at the front door to be let back in and THEN trying to eat diapers and tissues and all other sorts of disgusting. And then bathtime with all three kids, water everywhere, Beans trying to drink the bathwater and lick Henry's face and drink out of the toilet and chew on the towels.
"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 -- Yeah, trouble. T-R-O-U-B-L-E. It ain't just a Travis Tritt song. Or a Ray LaMontagne song. I've had more serious seasons of trouble and worry, for sure. These little things, like sinus infections and being alone a few days and needing to take care of the business of life on my own, they are nothing really, but sometimes the little things catch me and I get downhearted. The world hands me a little trouble. But, thank God, he's overcome the world. And you want to know how he did that for me tonight?
I was ready for bedtime tonight. Normally, each kid prays and then I pray, and then each kid picks a song. I thought I'd speed things up a bit and skip the whole kid-praying thing and just wrap it up with a quick "God, thanks for everything. Please help me feel better. Give us sweet dreams. Amen.", but after I finished, Lydia asked if she could pray for a couple of people really quick.
How do you say no to the request of a five year old to pray? Okay, so I thought about it. I mean, come on, the space between my ears is hollow and I can't close my mouth without whistling through my nose. Let's get the show on the road, here! I got trash to take out and a couch to get to. I let her pray, of course - a kid who wants to talk to God should not be stopped from talking to God.
"Dear God, please help **** walk. She's already starting to walk some. And thank you for..." (There's a girl in her class who has a disability.) Lydia prayed for all her family and friends, and then Elvis asked to pray, too, singing a song they learned at preschool: "Thank you God, for our food, and our many blessings, thank you God, Amen."
The prayers of my children shore me up against weariness and bitterness. They help lubricate the gears that need to keep moving until the trash is taken out, the dishes are in the dishwasher, the laundry is folded, and the kitchen is tidied up, until I can sink into the couch cushions with a blanket and a few Bible verses and ruminate away about faith and the power of praise.
So the other verse that has me doing my own praising tonight, even with my runny nose, is this one: "Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Psalm 8:2 That's right. Through the praise of my little ones, the enemy and all his trouble and worry is kept at bay. There's power in those prayers. I'm reinforced. Encouraged. Blessed.
Aaaand, ready for Nyquil.
So tonight, after going back to work for the first time in two and a half weeks, I wasn't really up for much of anything with the kids. Unfortunately, they can't bathe, feed, or put themselves to bed yet, so I couldn't just burrow into bed with an electric blanket and call it a night. I at least had the foresight to pull a big pan of macaroni and cheese out of the freezer and ask my awesome Henry-sitter to pop it in the oven this afternoon so that we could eat before 6:30. And there's the Blessed DVR to entertain two of the three little people.
The usual bickering and silliness ensued throughout the night. Nothing new, really. And the dog, that ridiculous dog that I liked so much a month ago, kept getting into the trash and eating Elvis's Legos and whining to be let out and then barking incessantly at the front door to be let back in and THEN trying to eat diapers and tissues and all other sorts of disgusting. And then bathtime with all three kids, water everywhere, Beans trying to drink the bathwater and lick Henry's face and drink out of the toilet and chew on the towels.
"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 -- Yeah, trouble. T-R-O-U-B-L-E. It ain't just a Travis Tritt song. Or a Ray LaMontagne song. I've had more serious seasons of trouble and worry, for sure. These little things, like sinus infections and being alone a few days and needing to take care of the business of life on my own, they are nothing really, but sometimes the little things catch me and I get downhearted. The world hands me a little trouble. But, thank God, he's overcome the world. And you want to know how he did that for me tonight?
I was ready for bedtime tonight. Normally, each kid prays and then I pray, and then each kid picks a song. I thought I'd speed things up a bit and skip the whole kid-praying thing and just wrap it up with a quick "God, thanks for everything. Please help me feel better. Give us sweet dreams. Amen.", but after I finished, Lydia asked if she could pray for a couple of people really quick.
How do you say no to the request of a five year old to pray? Okay, so I thought about it. I mean, come on, the space between my ears is hollow and I can't close my mouth without whistling through my nose. Let's get the show on the road, here! I got trash to take out and a couch to get to. I let her pray, of course - a kid who wants to talk to God should not be stopped from talking to God.
"Dear God, please help **** walk. She's already starting to walk some. And thank you for..." (There's a girl in her class who has a disability.) Lydia prayed for all her family and friends, and then Elvis asked to pray, too, singing a song they learned at preschool: "Thank you God, for our food, and our many blessings, thank you God, Amen."
The prayers of my children shore me up against weariness and bitterness. They help lubricate the gears that need to keep moving until the trash is taken out, the dishes are in the dishwasher, the laundry is folded, and the kitchen is tidied up, until I can sink into the couch cushions with a blanket and a few Bible verses and ruminate away about faith and the power of praise.
So the other verse that has me doing my own praising tonight, even with my runny nose, is this one: "Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Psalm 8:2 That's right. Through the praise of my little ones, the enemy and all his trouble and worry is kept at bay. There's power in those prayers. I'm reinforced. Encouraged. Blessed.
Aaaand, ready for Nyquil.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Creativity in Worship
Recently I started working with the worship team at our church, and I've been having so much fun. I don't sing, and while I might be able to toot a tune on the ol' licorice stick, there isn't a whole lot of room for a clarinet in our contemporary worship band. Unless we start playing songs from Fantasia. So at first you might wonder what a tone deaf ex-member of the marching band is doing on the worship team.
We are blessed to attend a church that is not afraid to experiment. On any given Sunday, you can expect to hear the worship leader say, "We're gonna try something different today." Sometimes we have choreographed dancing. Sometimes we have painting. Sometimes we have flags. We haven't brought out the snakes yet, but if the Spirit moved... well, we'd probably move to another church. ;)
Every week, the worship team talks via email or in person to start planning for the following Sunday, or a few Sundays ahead. I love the intentionality, the enthusiasm, and the creativity that is permitted and encouraged. I feel as if we are each given the freedom to use the gifts that have been given us, and it gets me just plain excited to be a part.
For those of you who are tone deaf, like me, but enthusiastic about worship and find yourself yearning for a way to use your gifts, talk to your pastor or worship leader and bring your ideas forward. I've only been at this with our worship team for a month and a half, so I'm still learning lots of things, but it has been such a fulfilling experience that I can't help but share what I've learned so far.
Here are a few tips for bringing your creativity to Sunday morning worship:
1. Don't be afraid, ashamed, or embarrassed by your creativity. This is important and might seem like a no-brainer, but I know from experience that self-doubt and negativity can weigh in on you and convince you that what you have to offer either isn't good enough or no one else will understand/appreciate what you have to offer because you are too different/unusual/strange. Every good gift is from above, after all, and what better way to use what yo daddy gave you than in worship? Be bold and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be terrified. The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Even in front of the congregation.
2. If you write poetry, write a poem about God/faith/forgiveness/grace/mercy/love/prayer/fear/justice/etc. If you paint or sculpt, interpret a passage of Scripture. If you dance, choreograph a praise song. If you love to read, read a passage of Scripture or a story. If you act, work with a writer in your congregation who wants to do a skit. If you sing, by all means, sing a new song unto the Lord. Whatever brings you joy and passion, bring that to worship, and not only will your worship experience be more meaningful and alive, your authentic worship will help others to worship too.
3. Be other-focused. Your creativity is an act of worship, yes, but don't forget that the congregation is trying to engage in worship, and through your writing/dancing/painting/singing, you are leading worship, too. So that poem with all of the literary and biblical allusions and cross-references and utter brilliance that leaps from one image to the next and requires several in-depth reads in order to fully understand... that one you might want to leave in the notebook.
4. Talk to your tech-y people, your musicians, your video people, your dancers, your writers, your public speakers, and your photographers. Collaborate with other members of the congregation and see if you can't approach a topic from several different angles-- some people engage with sound. Some people with movement. Some people are visual. Some people are tactile. Diversify your worship pallet to engage all of the senses, and not only will you help more of the congregation to connect, you'll build up each other as each of you continues to become the fullest version of yourselves in Christ.
5. Approach the throne of grace with humility, awe, prayer, shouts of thanksgiving, reflection, mourning, rage, distress, fear, and mystery. Praise and worship is acknowledging God in every season, and it is good to lay before him the full range of our feelings and emotions. It seems appropriate to me to reflect this same element of worship in the corporate worship setting. Sometimes we need to mourn and wail together. Sometimes we need to move from wailing to dancing. Sometimes we need to stand in awe. Sometimes we need to be silent. Our worship planning ought to be sensitive to the place of the congregation.
6. Listen to the prayer team, pastor, and elders of your church and pray over your worship planning. The Holy Spirit knows better than us all what needs to happen in our hearts and minds, so make time to listen before you leap into all of your amazing plans, which are truly amazing, after all.
7. Don't get too caught up in presentation and execution. Remember that what you are doing is worship, too, not just a means for other people to worship.
8. Don't be afraid to fail. Allow the congregation and the worship team to flex its muscles, strain and push. Some weeks, what you thought would be awesome might fall flat on its face. Other weeks, what you thought might seem hastily planned could be the most authentic worship experience your church has had in months.
9. It's not your job to carry the congregation. It is the Holy Spirit's responsibility to move in the members of your church, during worship and beyond. You might be a catalyst for that experience, but surely the Holy Spirit will be speaking into the hearts and lives of those he knows are ready to hear and be so moved. Worry less about how the congregation is going to respond to what you've prepared and concern yourself more with approaching God humbly, executing your part of the plan to the best of your ability, with grace and attention, as part of your act of worship.
10. You are part of the body of Christ, and every limb and nerve ending of the body doesn't need to be in motion all at once in order to be active. Let parts of your worship team and plan take a break from time to time.
11. Be intentional. Just because you have the ability to do sound, lights, video, reading, full band, flags, dancing, communion and candles doesn't mean you should do them all at once.
12. Do not give up meeting as some are inclined to do, but keep communicating with the members of your worship team and listen when someone volunteers or even hints at wanting to contribute, and follow-up with those people. Sometimes us creative folk need an invitation, or several invitations, to come forward. And if you are wanting to get involved, don't wait for an invitation. Your desire to contribute is an invitaiton from God to get involved, so go with it.
13. Encourage one another regularly. Just because Joe has been leading worship awesomely for months doesn't mean he believes he's got this thing nailed. Sometimes all we need is one or two attaboys to keep the energy up.
Above all else, come with love and grace. We're all working toward completion and wholeness, and we're all going to screw up some time or another. The beauty of the body of Christ is that we can hold each other up, forgive, heal, and be restored. I'm not sure exactly how this last part applies to worship and creativity, but surely we can put love and grace in everything.
So bring your gifts to the altar and let them shine! The whole church will grow in faith and praise alongside you.
We are blessed to attend a church that is not afraid to experiment. On any given Sunday, you can expect to hear the worship leader say, "We're gonna try something different today." Sometimes we have choreographed dancing. Sometimes we have painting. Sometimes we have flags. We haven't brought out the snakes yet, but if the Spirit moved... well, we'd probably move to another church. ;)
Every week, the worship team talks via email or in person to start planning for the following Sunday, or a few Sundays ahead. I love the intentionality, the enthusiasm, and the creativity that is permitted and encouraged. I feel as if we are each given the freedom to use the gifts that have been given us, and it gets me just plain excited to be a part.
For those of you who are tone deaf, like me, but enthusiastic about worship and find yourself yearning for a way to use your gifts, talk to your pastor or worship leader and bring your ideas forward. I've only been at this with our worship team for a month and a half, so I'm still learning lots of things, but it has been such a fulfilling experience that I can't help but share what I've learned so far.
Here are a few tips for bringing your creativity to Sunday morning worship:
1. Don't be afraid, ashamed, or embarrassed by your creativity. This is important and might seem like a no-brainer, but I know from experience that self-doubt and negativity can weigh in on you and convince you that what you have to offer either isn't good enough or no one else will understand/appreciate what you have to offer because you are too different/unusual/strange. Every good gift is from above, after all, and what better way to use what yo daddy gave you than in worship? Be bold and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be terrified. The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Even in front of the congregation.
2. If you write poetry, write a poem about God/faith/forgiveness/grace/mercy/love/prayer/fear/justice/etc. If you paint or sculpt, interpret a passage of Scripture. If you dance, choreograph a praise song. If you love to read, read a passage of Scripture or a story. If you act, work with a writer in your congregation who wants to do a skit. If you sing, by all means, sing a new song unto the Lord. Whatever brings you joy and passion, bring that to worship, and not only will your worship experience be more meaningful and alive, your authentic worship will help others to worship too.
3. Be other-focused. Your creativity is an act of worship, yes, but don't forget that the congregation is trying to engage in worship, and through your writing/dancing/painting/singing, you are leading worship, too. So that poem with all of the literary and biblical allusions and cross-references and utter brilliance that leaps from one image to the next and requires several in-depth reads in order to fully understand... that one you might want to leave in the notebook.
4. Talk to your tech-y people, your musicians, your video people, your dancers, your writers, your public speakers, and your photographers. Collaborate with other members of the congregation and see if you can't approach a topic from several different angles-- some people engage with sound. Some people with movement. Some people are visual. Some people are tactile. Diversify your worship pallet to engage all of the senses, and not only will you help more of the congregation to connect, you'll build up each other as each of you continues to become the fullest version of yourselves in Christ.
5. Approach the throne of grace with humility, awe, prayer, shouts of thanksgiving, reflection, mourning, rage, distress, fear, and mystery. Praise and worship is acknowledging God in every season, and it is good to lay before him the full range of our feelings and emotions. It seems appropriate to me to reflect this same element of worship in the corporate worship setting. Sometimes we need to mourn and wail together. Sometimes we need to move from wailing to dancing. Sometimes we need to stand in awe. Sometimes we need to be silent. Our worship planning ought to be sensitive to the place of the congregation.
6. Listen to the prayer team, pastor, and elders of your church and pray over your worship planning. The Holy Spirit knows better than us all what needs to happen in our hearts and minds, so make time to listen before you leap into all of your amazing plans, which are truly amazing, after all.
7. Don't get too caught up in presentation and execution. Remember that what you are doing is worship, too, not just a means for other people to worship.
8. Don't be afraid to fail. Allow the congregation and the worship team to flex its muscles, strain and push. Some weeks, what you thought would be awesome might fall flat on its face. Other weeks, what you thought might seem hastily planned could be the most authentic worship experience your church has had in months.
9. It's not your job to carry the congregation. It is the Holy Spirit's responsibility to move in the members of your church, during worship and beyond. You might be a catalyst for that experience, but surely the Holy Spirit will be speaking into the hearts and lives of those he knows are ready to hear and be so moved. Worry less about how the congregation is going to respond to what you've prepared and concern yourself more with approaching God humbly, executing your part of the plan to the best of your ability, with grace and attention, as part of your act of worship.
10. You are part of the body of Christ, and every limb and nerve ending of the body doesn't need to be in motion all at once in order to be active. Let parts of your worship team and plan take a break from time to time.
11. Be intentional. Just because you have the ability to do sound, lights, video, reading, full band, flags, dancing, communion and candles doesn't mean you should do them all at once.
12. Do not give up meeting as some are inclined to do, but keep communicating with the members of your worship team and listen when someone volunteers or even hints at wanting to contribute, and follow-up with those people. Sometimes us creative folk need an invitation, or several invitations, to come forward. And if you are wanting to get involved, don't wait for an invitation. Your desire to contribute is an invitaiton from God to get involved, so go with it.
13. Encourage one another regularly. Just because Joe has been leading worship awesomely for months doesn't mean he believes he's got this thing nailed. Sometimes all we need is one or two attaboys to keep the energy up.
Above all else, come with love and grace. We're all working toward completion and wholeness, and we're all going to screw up some time or another. The beauty of the body of Christ is that we can hold each other up, forgive, heal, and be restored. I'm not sure exactly how this last part applies to worship and creativity, but surely we can put love and grace in everything.
So bring your gifts to the altar and let them shine! The whole church will grow in faith and praise alongside you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)