Senior Pastors

Comment

Comment by James C. Webb on October 26, 2009 at 1:56pm

Thank you Brother Ansley,
I really appreciate your input. It is very insightful. I'm sure several people was enlightened to this perspective. After all we want everyone to be blessed and to be open to a closer walk with our Lord. I was shocked at the negative response in trying to help others to be able to move closer to God. I have seen many defend worship as "works" and I do understand that or works is a form of worship, but it can be rough when leading others to PRAISE and WORSHIP with an open heart before God. It is easier to lead the lost to Christ then it is sometimes in leading the saved into a closer and more open worship. Thanks again, God bless you for your thoughts.

Comment by Marty Cramer on October 26, 2009 at 12:06pm

David, I truly appreciate what you have said here. So many of our churches are floundering (perhaps that's too strong) because we are viewing worship as a style or a marketing technique. I value your emphasis on theology guiding our decisions about worship. The struggle over worship styles has also inappropriately redefined, I believe, what worship is in the service. Worship is not a part of the service; worship is the service. We worship through music, we worship when we pray, we worship as we share in God's word, we worship as we fellowship, we worship as we give our tithes and offerings. We miss our theological footing -- and we do a great disservice to the spiritual formation of our people -- when we reinforce the misunderstanding that worship is when we sing. Listening, giving, sharing, speaking (or being silent) are all transformed when seen as participation in corporate worship.

Comment by David Ansley on October 26, 2009 at 11:13am

Bro. James, the transition from traditional to blended was taking place as I started here. What I said to maintain that transition was to let our ecclesiology inform our theology of worship. If we truly believe there is one church, which has existed throughout history as well as now, then our worship ought to reflect that belief.

Therefore, we do not sing traditional hymns and spiritual songs simply to please those who love the hymns; we sing hymns because we want to remember and learn from our brothers and sisters who have gone before. Telling the stories behind the hymns is good to do in worship as well. At one congregation I pastored that also had persons very resistant to any contemporary music, the youth researched the hymn authors and composers and reported to the congregation what they had learned and how that made the hymns more meaningul for them.

Also, therefore, we do not sing contemporary hymns and spiritual songs just to please those who like them. Rather we sing contemporary hymns and songs because the church has always tried to express the gospel in ways which are meaningful and relevant to the culture of the day. Again, telling the stories behind the songs is good when available.

There was still some conflict about the transition, but having some sound theological reasoning, instead of simply following the advice of a popular author or popular church, helped us all to keep the focus on God and not our own personal preferences or to simply go along with others. Logistically, one thing I did was have a dinner meeting with all those involved in worship, for the expressed purpose of both fellowship and letting them know my theology of worship. At some later point, I expressed the same to the congregation on a Sunday morning. If I could go back and do it again, I would have communicated to the congregation sooner as a whole, perhaps also in a way that involved fellowship, a meal, and a more informal venue to facilitate questions and comments.

Comment by James C. Webb on October 26, 2009 at 8:59am

Is there anyone on here who has been through the changes from traditional music programs to contemporary music programs, and survived? I know many church's do a combo type service. Any ideas on what works best to keep the balance? Or just move forward? selah.

Comment by James C. Webb on October 18, 2009 at 9:50pm

wow Bro. Fred thank you so much for that. I'm sure you will be remembered as you wish. I didn't mean to sound as though the prosperity message was needful as we hear it, I too agree that there is way to much of that and many times for the wrong reason. Presently, my wife lost her job, and 3 weeks ago I lost mine. I am a bi-vocational Pastor so our income has been cut to almost nothing. We are in a desperate situation so i truly know that the prosperity message is way over played. We had done nothing to ask for these trials but even in the hardest of time I know God is able. we are a miracle waiting to happen. I know God will deliver us. He has always met our needs, not prospered us in all our wants. I love him and praise him for I know he is able and will help us.thank you all for your prayers , if the Lord leads you to help us in the way of praying for us. we sure need it. God Bless.

Comment by Fred Whaples on October 18, 2009 at 7:04pm

Titles.. UGH.. I'm jut a begger telling other beggers where to find bread. An old song from Benwood said it best, "“I hope they will say of me that I loved my children and wife. Most of all I hope they say I loved Jesus more than life. So when I'm laid to rest, life's journey I have trod. I hope my children will say of me, ‘Dad was a man of God!’ I hope they will say of me, my words were gentle and kind; Most of all I hope to leave a life of truth behind. So when I'm laid to rest, life's journey I have trod. I hope they will say of me, ‘Here lies a man of God!’ Oh, to be a man of God, nothing more, nothing less. It’s not what I did or did not do, but why I did it and for whom! I hope they remember me simply as a man of God.

Comment by Raymond Earl Ford Sr. on October 17, 2009 at 11:38pm

Hi Pastors...I have been reading so many good view-points about the Gospel of Jesus. I do agree with many of you about the prosperity messeges that TV preachers use to "tickle ears". I do believe we are in the ...last times!! Jesus tells us that if we love Him to "feed;take care of His sheep! That's what we need to do. That means helping the elderly widow in the church to and fro her auto; or maybe holding the hand; "in public", with an ADHD (learning disorder) 19 year old boy as we walk through the flea market; or even stopping to allow someone to cry on your shoulder again and again. It's about the single mother who wants to know how she is going to raise the kids...alone; or even sitting beside that dear saint waiting on the Lord to call him home. I believe that's His gospel! I believe Preaching the Word and Living the Word too. I believe we need to preach the doctrines and theologies as the Lord leads but that family that is struggling needs more than doctrine and theology...they need to be loved!! Jesus said: when you do it for the least of these; you did it for Me! Let's give our best; God gave us His Best!!1 Love you ALL!!

Comment by Marty Cramer on October 17, 2009 at 10:57pm

Brother James, I hear you. The prosperity gospel is, I agree, not the Gospel of our Lord. And I have heard it plenty of times, especially on TV. It's all tied up in the world's view of success and victory. We do have victory through the cross and through the resurrection of our Lord; we cheat those who need to hear the really good news when we imply that victory is in finances...or comfort...or freedom from pain or inconvenience. This is not the only message being preached, though, praise God! May we continue to preach that our victory in Jesus has more to do with transformed living than transformed billfolds.

Comment by James C. Webb on October 17, 2009 at 11:09am

We preach not only Jesus on the cross, but we also preach Jesus of the Third day . We all have many crosses we will bear and our faith in a savior that can do the impossible, heal the terminal, and save the unsaveable, is what builds our faith that no matter what, Our God can make all things possible to them that believe. I know many love to be sheered every week. So we will leave that up to the one who love to sheer every week. I prefer to preach with a hand out to help the who so evers reach up and be lifted up and let their faith give them wings to believe that we serve a God who said, all things are possible to them that believe. Surely the almighty God and the risen Jesus and all powerful Holy Spirit can lead his children to sanctification through his word with out us trying to be lords over his heritage.

Comment by Stephen Nelson, II on October 17, 2009 at 8:35am

I've actually not heard any of this kind of preaching, and I listen to a number or pastors online weekly. Hmmm... didn't realize that I've been living in a cave.

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