5th Sunday after Pentecost: Becoming Poor

I am so blessed by the giving attitudes of those involved in the worship ministry at MCF.  Unlike many other church worship ministries, we seem to have relatively little divisive conflict.  Divisiveness on a worship team is always related to an unwillingness to become poor.  Divisive conflict comes from attitudes of entitlement.  Entitlement is a product of "wealth."  By wealth, I am not necessarily talking about money.  There is wealth of talent, wealth of skill, and wealth of knowledge, etc.  Entitlement is an attitude that crops up when we feel that our wealth of whatever entitles us to certain privileges.  Entitlement almost always plays out in pushiness or manipulation.  This of course always creates division.

In 2 Corinthians 8:9-11, Paul reminds us of the example of our Lord.

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.  And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something--now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.  2 Corinthians 8:9-11 (NRSV)

This passage shows us the key to staying power in ministry.  Staying power comes from giving up entitlement and, in a sense, becoming poor.  If we give of our time, talents, skills, or knowledge and then feel we are owed something in return, we will often get discouraged and give up.  Worship leading is about giving and not receiving honor.  It is first and foremost about giving honor to God.  That always comes in the form of honoring one another.  In the video link below, I think Kim Walker does a good job talking about becoming poor and staying poor as a worship leader.  In the last couple of years, she has become well known.  In this culture, well known worship leaders are prized.  They can almost make a career of speaking at worship conferences and leading in large venues.  It is easy for them to become entitled by their superstar status and lose sight that it is about serving and honoring.  Take a look at what she has to say.  Although she does not use the word "poor," in what ways is she encouraging worship leaders to become "poor" and to stay that way?

Kim Walker About Worship Leading

Trinity Sunday: Separation of Church and Church

Lectionary Passages for this Sunday

The first Sunday after Pentecost is known as Trinity Sunday.  There is no perfect way of talking about the Trinity.  But one way I like to think about our "God in three persons, blessed Trinity" is as a circle, or fellowship of perfect love and sufficiency.  I hesitate to talk about this because it is easy to get into theological muddy waters.  But in some sense, Jesus had to step away from this circle in order for the love that was found within it to be extended to us.  I think Philippians 2:6-7 helps us to understand it a bit.

He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness.  Philippians 2:6-7 (GNT)
 
If you will, Jesus became like us so that he could stand with us outside of the circle.  But as a result, we have the means to be brought into the circle of love found in God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Martin Luther King Jr. used to say, "Eleven o' clock Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week."  Why is that?  Could it be that many Christians who gather on Sunday mornings for worship have not understood how Jesus stepped outside to befriend those outside.  We seem to have a hard time with that.  We like our close knit circles where we "get" the values and cultural trappings of the others in the circle.  But God's circle of love is not a circle of uniformity.  The book of Revelation speaks of worship in terms of every nation, tribe, and language being represented (5:9 and 7:9).  

How do we get out of our little worship circles and stand on common ground with those outside?  As the love of the Trinity compels us outward, the circle will enlarge and simultaneously become more diverse and unified.

We will explore this topic of diversity in worship in more depth at the upcoming first Los Angeles Area Worship Gathering to be held at Rose City Church in Pasadena on Sunday, June 24th at 6:00 PM.  If you have not done so, please mark this on your calendar.

Check out this video by Richard Twiss on the Trinity, worship, and unity in diversity.