Worship Confessional, February 15, 2009

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on Fred McKinnon's site.

We're in the third week of our series ROOTS ( a study in Ephesians).  It also coincides with a daily study that we've launched that goes along with these sermons.  You can get that study here.

Set List

Jesus Saves (Contemporary Hymns)-from Brentwood; song is 141 years old; we just put a new coat of paint on it today--BLUES

Baptism

Welcome

Offertory

Mighty To Save

The Stand (Pre-chorus/Chorus)

Mighty To Save (Chorus)

Scripture Reading (Ephesians 2:4- Ephesians 1:3-5)

This Is The Gift of God (Carl Cartee)--New song that I picked up at Recreate last week. It goes well with our study in Ephesians

Morning Message

Come thou Fount, Come Thou King (Gateway)

This Is The Gift of God (Reprise)

The only downer today was my kids--they fight every Sunday where we are going for lunch afterwards.  Can they come to agreement--no!  One wants Subway, one wants pizza--and I always tell them that eating out is a privilege not a right.  SOLUTION:  We came home and I pulled out the frozen chicken nuggets and fries and said "Knock yourself out!"  They've been quiet ever since.

How was your day?

Strengths-Learner

The final strength I'll highlight here is LEARNER.  It's the strength that popped up in the last test of Strengths Finder.

I'm not surprised since I love to read and learn.  It's been the way that I've kept up with technology and trends.   I read these periodicals:

Wired

Fast Company

 Dynamic Graphics/Create Magazine

I'm most happy when I have a couple of books working in my head and I try to sythesize the material into my life. 

Learner

• You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. 
• The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. 
• You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence.
• The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice 
• What you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered — this is the process that entices you. 
• Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences — yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. 
• This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. 
• The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.” 

So, are you a learner?

Mobile Projection--Art On The Run

Maker Profile - Public Projections on MAKE: television from make magazine on Vimeo.
I found this tonight on Make Magazine site. I thought it was interesting that large outdoor spaces are being used for installation art and projections. Camron Ware thinks this is the next wave in architechtural lighting.

A Valentine's So So

Diane and I had a date last night---they are becoming more frequent as  A) the kids are beginning to have their own social schedules  B) they no longer need a baby sitter.  I think I'm beginning to like this.

We dropped them all off at their designated spots and then went to dinner ( a quick dinner since it took forever to get them to each place).  We decided to catch the local production of "Allo, Allo"(a British Sitcom) at the local college.

You know that I love theater and I love to support the local arts scene.  I had never seen a production at this place--so I was excited.  The place was filled with young and old (seemed to be more college kids than I would expect at a production and there was a family with small children) and not a bad crowd for a Friday night.

From the get go I could tell this was going to be a production with lots of innuendos and they began flying fast as the bar owner Rene' recounted his escapades with Mimi and others.  It was uncomfortable. 

 It got deeper--much deeper.  Diane reached over and grabbed my hand and squeezed because she was uncomfortable.   We had no idea what we were watching. At intermission I saw the family leave with their small children and another couple that we knew departed too.   It was suppose to be a comedy but not many people were laughing and I couldn't gauge whether that was because we were uncomfortable with the subjects or it was just British humor.

I'm a big fan of theater and I believe that we should support it.  But there is so much good material out there, why would they choose to do something without labeling it as "watcher beware".   It baffles me.

Should theater be rated?  Family friendly or "At Your Own Risk"

Film Festival Winner

As part of our Recreate Conference last week we had a mini-film festival (where participants submit their best video work from the previous year and are ajudicated by a panel).   The videos were great.  Some of them were funny and some of them were serious.   The quality of them rivaled anything that you would see coming from a national TV campaign or such.

Here is the winning video--submitted by John Voelz from Westwinds Church in Jackson, Michigan.  I've already written about John. He's the true Renaissance man (painter, artist, poet, musician, writer, director)as he gives us an artistic look at the topic of temptation.

Strengths-Woo

This strength has to have the most peculiar names--WOO.  When it first came up on my results, I thought "What is that?" WOO stands for Winning Others Over--and I discovered that most extroverted people have this gift.  It means that you meet people well--be it first impressions and such--and make people feel at ease.   Yeah, I think I do that.  Here's what else is included in WOO.
Woo

• Woo stands for winning others over. 
• You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. 
• Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. 
• You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. 
• Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don’t. 
• Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a con- nection. 
• Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. 
• There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet — lots of them.

Yep--that's me!

What are your strengths?

Strengths-Ideation

When I first took Strengths Finder Ideation was my number two strength.  When I took it again 4 years later--it was number 6 and as I read it is not uncommon for secondary strengths to move up and down in your scores.  Still, I beleiver that IDEATION is one of my key gifts.  I do identify with the description below as I love to think conceptually and mull over small ideas and see where they lead.
Ideation

• You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. 
  
• You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. 
• An idea is a connection. Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for con- nections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure con- nection. 
• An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. 
• You revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. 
• You love all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these reasons you derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to you. 
• Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even smart. Perhaps you are all of these. Who can be sure? What you are sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.

What are your strengths?

Eulogizing Jim Drake

From time to time I'm asked to speak at funerals.  Its important for me to be the one who accurately speaks of the person and to know them (even if I didn't).  I try to do that through visiting the family and especially those who attend the visitation.  I hope that I can do the family justice in speaking for them.

I'm thinking--what will people say about me?  If I asked you to speak about my life--what would you say? What stories would you share?

Go ahead--I'm giving you the mic now to speak my living eulogy!   

What would you have to say?

Strengths-Positivity

This is one of the strengths that I have little problem embracing.  I think it is essentially me ( spiritually me as I believe my spiritual gift is exhortation).  I find that when I used my gift of encouragement that I feel the most alive and the most joyful.  It's just who I am. 

Positivity

• You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. 
  
• Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious. 
• Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. 
• You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. 
• You inject drama into every project. 
• You celebrate every achievement. 
• You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. 
• Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won’t allow it. 
• Somehow you can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor. 

I can't always say that I operate 100% in this strength, but I do find great meaning in exercising this gift.

What are your strengths?

Strengths- Achiever

Continuing with my posts on Strengths......

Today's strength is Achiever.  This is a characteristic that I've struggled with for some time as it can be a negative--but for me it seems to be the driving force for each project and each goal that I've set.

Achiever

• Instinctively, you might devote some of your attention to immediate tasks or challenges. This partially explains why you give yourself time to comprehend what you read on the printed page or the computer screen.
• Diligence, persistence, and concentration might be three of your distinguishing traits. It’s very likely that you feel greatly rewarded when your hours of hard work are acknowledged.
• You truly treasure compliments from people who share your strong work ethic. By nature, you traditionally determine for yourself and others what should be done. After you have made up your mind, you typically waste little time moving forward with projects or assignments.
• Driven by your talents, you are eager to get started on a project once you realize what you can accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years.
• You work very hard to breathe life into your big dreams. These often push and pull you into the future.
• Chances are good that you are determined to talk about the talents, skills, and knowledge you possess. You realize you receive much in return when you risk sharing your thoughts and expertise.
• You improve personally or professionally each time you participate in the give- and-take process.

All of these characteristics are so action oriented.   The struggle comes for me in making sure that my motives are always in check, that I'm not trying to accomplish things in the flesh and in my own human talent, but trying to operate in the spiritual realm.    The life that is breathed into my dreams comes only from Him.

So what are your strengths?

Praise Song Banned In Church

It was a song meant for private devotions, only to be sung in the midst of the morning, noon and evening prayers.   The forms of worship then only allowed for songs straight from scripture.  There was no room, none, for fresh expressions of worship.

So, this cleric, wrote simple hymns of praise to help the boys of the school he attended to have other forms of worship besides the Psalms.

Invariably these songs, hymns as you were, made their way into the church.  They became adapted into the liturgy of the day--even though the form said "No".

Want to know what song was banned.... THE DOXOLGY!  The year.. 1674!

The more things change--the more they stay the same.  We still have these issues today.  We argue over which form is better, which is the accepted one.   All the while the next generation is coming along and re-writing our praises for their times and their culture.

Did you know this about THE DOXOLOGY?

Josh Wilson--Amazing Grace

We got the live version of this last week at Recreate. IT WAS AMAZING. What a talented young man and yes--he's from LUBBOCK TEXAS. Enjoy!

Strengths--Strategic

If you've hung around the Drakemeister any length of time, you'll have heard me talk about STRENGTHS FINDER (from Gallup).  These 34 different areas of strength have been a defining understanding of my inner gifts and skills.  The more I read about it the more I believe in it.

In this series of posts, I'm going to discuss these strengths (5 in all) and how they relate to my understanding.  It may sound a little self-serving, but I hope it will give you insight to how I'm wired.

Today, it's my top strength, STRATEGIC.  (from my Strengths Based Leadership Test)

Because of your strengths, 

• You invent original ideas of your own.
• Your imagination is typically stimulated when you collaborate -- that is, team up -- with future-oriented thinkers. 
• Instinctively, you are known for your ease with language. This ability serves you well when you need to talk with newcomers or outsiders. 
• Your vocabulary probably allows you to tell stories or express your ideas with great clarity. 
• Driven by your talents, you may see solutions before other people know there is a problem. 
• You might start formulating answers before your teammates, coworkers, or classmates understand the question. 
• Sometimes you generate numerous ideas before sorting to the one that makes the most sense in a particular situation. 
• By nature, you may be inclined to examine the basic elements of certain types of problems. 
• You might attempt to understand how and why things work or fail to work.
• These insights might stimulate your thinking. Then you try to generate a few alternative plans. 
• Considering prevailing circumstances, available resources, and time constraints, you might narrow down your options. Perhaps the plan that offers the best chance of solving the problem naturally reveals itself. 
• Chances are good that you select the right combination of words to convey your ideas or feelings. In the middle of discussions, your vocabulary provides you with precise phrases and terminology. 
• You probably express yourself with ease and grace. 

Now I know that makes me sound like a military genius (which I'm not) or some skilled psychopath who is OC (which I might be)

The definition for STRATEGIC---

People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Yep--that's me...looking for alternative ways and relevant patterns.   Not bragging--just saying that my mind is always looking for answers and patterns and then trying to communicate that to the world.

So what is your number one Strength?

Other Posts: And My Strengths Are

So What is Recreate

I've had many people ask me about last week.  They can tell that something is different this week than when I departed from here on Jan. 30.  It's hard to describe in words.  Perhaps my new friend Jan Owen did it best in her post here.

I have been very intentional this week to live in the knowledge gained there; knowledge about myself and my relationship with Christ rather than just the feelings and the emotions of the week.  I've kind of rationed myself on dwelling on the whole experience so that it will last longer--does that make sense?

It was a holy week to sense the presence of the Lord among us.  In true agape love we served each other and were served by great men and women of God.  I think even more than last year, this conference affirms my soul and my calling as an artist in the kingdom of God.  We were all inspired to "be" more than ever before.   I equated this week to my Walk To Emmaus experience in 2000.

So--for now, just suffice to say that this amazing week will go down in the books as one of the best of my life.   And the best is yet to come.

Have you ever had a week like this?

Related Posts:  Iheartnola-- Robert Comeaux (FBC New Orleans)

Visual Churches-Irving Bible

I've already discussed my trip to Irving Bible in January here, but I thought I would feature them in my Visual Churches segment.  They truly have embraced the visual and digital culture around them. 

This church also has a rotating art gallery in their foyer where local artists can display their art as well as an emphasis on Children's art, where they encourage the next generation of artists coming up through the church.

Most of these pictures come from Camron Ware's site (visualworshiper.com).  Camron has just recently launched into full-time work with churches wanting to things such as this.

Worship Confessional, February 8, 2009

Well, it's been two weeks since I've been "in the saddle" for worship leadership.  I can tell you that I needed a break and it came along at the right time.  Disciple Now was two weeks ago and then I attended Crosspoint last weekend.  I'm grateful that my church allows us to take a Sunday and visit other places, not only to see what's happening--but to just to be worshipers!  That's what it was for me.  I can tell a difference in my spirit in leadership today.

Set:

Redeemed (Brentwood Benson-Contemporary Hymns)- One of my favorite old hymns, very up!

Your Grace Is Enough (Maher)

Turn/Greet

Baptism

Welcome

Father Spirit Jesus (Casting Crowns)

Jesus Paid It All (Stanfill)

Salvation Belongs To Our God 

Message

Interview with parents of Adopted children (part of message)

We showed this video clip to close the service--making the point about adoption.

Once Again (Redman)

The Stand (Houston)--just taught them the pre-chorus and chorus this week.

How was your day?

This post is part of Sunday Set Lists over on Fred McKinnon's site.

Meeting My Blog World (Part 2)

For some of my friends it just seems a little "strange" to have friends in the blogosphere that you read, talk and listen too several times a week if not daily.   I agree--it just sounds peculiar.  But I have experienced it once and now again--these folks are "real"

I posted near the end of last year that I wanted to meet some of these people in person in 2009.  I did this past week.   

Rich Kirkpatrick, Joel Klampert, Alastair Vance, and my new friend Robert Comeaux.  I had already met  Dan Perkins, Pat Callahan, Mark Jaffrey, Chris Vacher and Fred McKinnon.

  

As an added bonus this year, I met Jan Owens, Marina Berryman and Audra Krell

What a week!  Great fellowship, Great friends, Great food, Great Music, Great Spirit, Great Word--what else can I say but GREAT!

Related post:  Meeting My Blog World

Help! My Plane Won't Start

It was going to be a great day.  Early start to the morning taking Robert Comeaux back to the airport to catch the flight to the Big Easy and then return my car.

I got to the AA counter and they said "Mr. Drake, would you like to go early?"  I said "Sure".   Made my way to the gate and met up with this guy and who is friends with  this guy and this guy. 

Landed in Dallas at 10:45 and boarded first plane at 12:15----then sat until 1:00.  Plane won't start.  Deplane--wait again until 1:30....then sat until 2:45...and deplaned again.  Now waiting until 4:00 to get on the plane to Lubbock.  I could have been there by now if my "PLANE" hadn't broken down.

What's your best "delay" story in flying?  I'm a legend in Snyder for travelling issues?

Bubble Boy

I found this post last spring from Scott Copeland and was moved because it expressed some of the feelings I was having.  I felt cloistered away from the culture I was called to impact. I asked Scott then if I could repost his blog and somewhere in the midst of things we never really settled on it.

Wednesday I asked Scott in person here at Cre:ate Conference if I could repost this blog on my site.  He graciously agreed.  Thanks Scott for letting me share these thoughts with those in my tiny sphere of influence.  You can read Scott's other posts here.

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008

Bubble Boy
I was reminded the other day that I am getting dangerously close to a recurring point in my life. Every few years, I will stop, look around me and realize that I am completely surrounded by Christians. Now, hear me when I say that being surrounded by other Christ-followers should be a mainstay in my life and the place where I draw the most energy to live life in the world.

My problem comes, however, when I am only interacting with Christians. I think I am there again. I am praying as to how God can use me to be in a constant interaction with some folks that don't know Christ. This same dissatifaction with the Christian "bubble" has led me to join a fraternity at my college and to spend a few seasons singing at a Theme Park in TX. I really don't think I am living out the calling in my life when I only interact with Christians.

I just read a great article by Phil Cooke talking about the Christian sub-culture. He goes as far as to call it a sin to live there. I would assume he means to live there at the exclusion to living in the larger world. He makes some great points about only being in the Christian media culture, but it spurred a deeper longer in me. Sometimes the Christian sub-culture drives me crazy.

I HATE it when someone makes me feel guilty because I enjoy a well-made movie or music group that may espouse a few views that I would not embrace. There is still beauty there to be enjoyed there and we should know that all beauty comes from the same place and can be redeeming in any situation. God is manifested in many more places than we bother to look. I hurt for people that work so hard to stay in the bubble out of fear of something. ( I am not sure what that something is, but I meet way too many people that are almost scared to be out in the world making a difference.)

Phil has a few great points in asking why we are trying so hard to protect something, i.e. our selves or families. First, Jesus certainly never lived a safe live, so who are we to think that we should not embrace that same approach to life? Second, what are we teaching kids when we try so hard to shield them from the world that they are afraid of the world instead of running to engage culture with the power of the God that loves the world? Would we not honor God more by showing them what the world embraces and how that stacks up against God's values? (obviously, this is done appropriately and in moderation, but serves to show kids what the world believes and that God is greater)

I am not sure what this means for me this time, but as much as I love the ministry that God has called me to, I can't be part of changing the world by being immersed in the Christian bubble.

Recreate-Day 5 (Final)

Today Cre:ate came to an end.  The week ended powerfully with a talk by Anne Jackson and worship led by Josh Wilson.   An extended prayer time at the end of Anne's talk was powerful and moving (thanks Chris and Robert for your prayers over me!)

It was a good day to see Jeff Berry again and to connect him with Pete Wilson and Fred McKinnon and Chris Vacher.   The afternoon ended with a the first ever Cre:ate Film Festival won by John Voelz.

The evening ended with dinner at a local church and worship led by Fee Band.  A great dinner with Dan Perkins was just the thing I needed before I went home.  We helped clean up the venue for Cre:ate and then began dreaming of next year's 10 year anniversary.

This year's conference was truly holy-- a holy brotherhood/sisterhood of like minds and hearts.  It was even more special than last years!  Thanks Randy and Chris.

Creative fuZion--Visuals at Cre:ate

I'm always impressed with the visuals at Cre:ate.  John Voelz leads this charge and this year I got to be behind the scene and see the genious at work.  The large translucent visual on the left is really plastic sheeting (clear) with spray paint and a template laid over it.  It's secured at the top and bottom by firring strips.  Easy, cheap and quick.  they are backlit with lights (red yesterday for communion)

John did a very beautiful visual for the communion table yesterday with books, candles, leather straps and fabric.  John says he doesn't like symmetry--and it was not "matchy matchy"-- a large Persian rug covered the floor in front of the altar yesterday.

Just some of the glimpse of the visuals here at the conference.

This post is part of Creative Fuzion over on Dorothy's site.

Recreate-Day 3- Undone

Ruin me
Woe to me,I am undone
A sinner found in Your presence
I see You seated on Your throne
ExaltedYour glory surrounds You
Now the plans that I've made
Fail to compare when I see Your glory
Refrain
Ruin my lifeThe plans that I've made

Ruin these eyes for my own selfish gain

Destroy the idols that have taken Your place
Till it's You alone I live for
You alone I live for, Lord (Jeff Johnson)

These word were running through my mind all day long as we experienced the Holy, heavy presence of Christ today in all of our meetings. From the beginning of worship to the end of the evening we all could sense that the Holy Spirit was our guide and friend today.

It all began early this morning with worship led by 10th Avenue North and then Randy Elrod spoke for the first time ever at his own conference (unheard of in the realms of conferences) Randy, always genuine and authentic, spoke to us about the Blessings of God and in a holy moment we shared our deepest needs and fears. I knew that we were in for a day of being undone.

Ken Davis led us in laughter and thought this afternoon as he told us again authentically about being God's beloved.  "Where Christ love abides, hope is alive!"

Then Ian Morgan Cron led us in an understanding of the Eucharist and then led us in the liturgy of the table of Holy Communion. I'm familiar with this because of my work with Emmaus, so you can imagine that my heart soared as we sang

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord

God of power and might
heaven and earth are filled with your Glory
Hosanna! In the highest!

followed closely by "Come Holy Spirit" over and over and over again. It was tipping point at that time when we finally came to the table. Ian had us come to the table with open hands to receive the bread (and I kneeled for the first time at communion). Ian placed the bread in my hands, made the sign of the cross on my forehead and then touched under my chin and said "Bless you Jim--God loves you". I then crawled again to the cup and placed my bread in there. Randy served me and oh--that was it!!!   An extended time of prayer at the altar followed as I chewed on that bread and drink for such a long, long time.   It was beautiful.

The greatest moments in my life are somehow connected to communion.  I can remember every significant communion experience that I've had, and this one has to rank right up there.

Another minister slipped in the door right before communion.  He said to me afterwards he felt the presence of the Lord so heavy in the room when he walked in the door.  He told me he said "Oh, hello Lord--there you are!"   He said he was moved beyond measure.  I truly wish everyone could experience this with me.

Tonight ended with a great banquet meal and worship led by Travis Cottrell (yippee--he's my worship leader!!) and Chris Sligh (American Idol singer--now Christian song writer).  That was it... 

I was done and spent for the evening. Full of great worship, word, expression, experiences and open hearted discussion about hopes and dreams.  Can it get any better?

As they say in Emmaus--every day is a little better, and the best is yet to come.  I can't wait.

Follow Some of These Blogs For Recreate Reviews

I'm not the only one blogging here about my experience in Nashville.  You can look at these blogs and see what's going on:

Joel Klampert

Fred McKinnon

Chris Vacher

Recreate-Day 2-Highly Favored

Michael W. Smith said it tonight in his song  " I am highly favored" and that is how I felt today.  I felt the overpowering love of God in the midst of the this community called Cre:ate.  I said to my friend Jeff Berry at lunch, "Jeff, I'm a blessed man"   I meant that I am surrounded by some of the dearest people in my life right now.  I am enjoying connecting these friends together with Jeff and others who they've only known by a name or a twitter sign in.

We were blesed today to hear Matthew Ward (of Second Chapter of Acts fame) sing the Lord's Prayer over us.   Billy and Cindy Foote sang for us this afternoon as Jeff Berry introduced them as new Centricity Records Label artists.  We heard from Ian Morgan Cron (Chasing Francis author) and he blew our minds with thoughts about worship and word and life in Christ.

Tonight was topped off with a dinner and short concert by Michael W. Smith at a local church.  Just MWS and 100 of his newest friends.   We then retired to a local BBQ place for more fellowship and sharing.  As I looked around the table of 2o or so, I said it again.  "I am highly favored"  I'm a blessed man because I know these people.  I do life with them--even from afar and when we are in each other's presence--it's heavenly.

Recreate- Day 1

The conference officially began today.  I spent this morning with my friend Kyle Goen who is Executive Pastor @ FBC Smyrna.  We've known each other for 16 years now--it's great to keep those friendships fresh across the years.

I then picked up Chris Vacher from Orangeville Baptist in Toronto and Robert Comeaux from New Orleans.  We've had a great day of mixing it up here in Franklin and finally meeting up with the whole Cre:ate crew at the O'Moore School of Design tonight for the opening greeting.  Jeff Berry, my friend for some 10 years now, is now Vice President for Artist Management with Centricity Records.  He was there and will help sponsor a session tomorrow morning.  Always great to see Jeff.  Turns out that Jeff knows Mark Jaffrey (of Cairo fame) through Mark's youth pastor who grew up in Grace Ministries in Abilene.  Really, really small world.

After a great evening meal at Sol and conversations with the head of CCLI and other ministries we ventured to The Factory in Franklin for an evening of Jazz with the Adam Nitti band.  Man-they rocked the house.

The conference schedule begins in the morning.  They are expecting SNOW here tomorrow--so that's much better than the Tornados of last year.

I'm blessed--with many old and new friends.

Visual Churches-North Point Church

One of the creative places that I watch for visuals in the church in NorthPoint Church in Alpharetta Georgia.  They are very creative visually and Randy Parker is the lighting and visual guy there.  I just got to meet Randy in person here in Nashville.  He's great.  Take a look at these examples from their services.  They count visuals as one of the most important elements of theier services

.

This was an opener for one of their services.

Little Drummer Boy was featureed in their Christmas services.

Pre-Cre:ate--Worship With Wilson, Creating With JVO and Super Bowl

Today 

began the pre-Cre:ate events as we all met at Crosspoint Church and worshiped with Pete Wilson.  Such a great time to meet with Pete and to hear his heart.  He is so genuine.   I met Anne Jackson too who will be speaking this week.  She has a new book and I got to bless her with a little bit of Texas  with a TYLER CANDLE  I just happened to have in my bag!  Made her feel at home.

The afternoon was spent with John Voelz and helping create some visuals for the week's conference along with my friend from Cairo, Mark Jaffrey.  We worked on that until Super Bowl time when we all landed over at Randy 

Elrod's house for the big game. Dan Perkins was there as were Pat Callahan, Randy Parker, Chad Davis, Spence Smith, Brian Patrick and myself.  A great evening of wings and snacks and a great game.

Tomorrow I meet with my seminary buddy Kyle Goen for Breakfast in Smyrna then I'm taxi for Chris Vacher and Robert Comeaux (from Canada and New Orleans respectively) picking them up from the airport.  I'll get to see Jeff Berry tomorrow afternoon at the opening reception. He and Randy have become good friends.

Worship Confessional, February 1, 2009

I'm away today getting ready for the Cre:ate Conference to begin tomorrow. I'm attending church here and helping this guy get ready for the conference.  Tonight there may be a gathering of early conference attenders to watch the big game.

Rich Smith led for me today in my absence.  Rich is a good friend and a great worship leader.  Here was his list from today.

Sing to The King

Your Grace Is Enough

Welcome

Grace, Greater Than Our Sin

How Can I Keep From Singing

Amazing Grace

Morning Message

Response

I'll post later today what the worship service was like at Crosspoint.  This post is part of the blog carnival, Sunday Set Lists over on Fred McKinnon's site.

How was your Sunday?