April 2007
Monthly Archive
Leading Up
Posted by Dan on 30 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: Xianity
Much (I guess all) of my church leading experience has been leading while under the authority of others. It takes some wisdom to figure out how to do this well and I really think the guys at lifechurch.tv have some great thoughts on this. This is post one. Check out Their site for the whole post.
“Let’s start with a basic thought:
Someone said in regards to authority, “You can’t be over until you learn to be under.â€
In other words, if you don’t know how to be under authority, you can’t expect to have authority over others.
Don’t try to lead up if you’re rebellious.
I’ve worked with a lot of talented leaders who have this mindset… “I’ll do what I want… one way or another.†That attitude will kill you every time.
Don’t try to lead up if you think you know it all.
If you’ve read many of my posts, you know how much I value the young emerging leaders.
One weakness, though, for many twenty-somethings (as it was for me) is that they often think they have things figured out. You don’t. You won’t even know what you don’t know for several years.”
Listen to Wilco for Free!
Posted by Dan on 28 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: music
If you’ve never indulged yourself to pick up a Wilco album, you have no excuse to at least check them out, they are streaming ALL of their albums for free on their Website. Enjoy…
Worship…Everyday….
Posted by Dan on 27 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: music, Life, Xianity
I love Brian’s post about the virtue of work. Here’s a bit of it.
I meet a lot of brothers and sisters each week that feel like their particular work, whether it be swinging a hammer, or driving a truck, or writing software is somehow less than holy. I like to remind them that having a right view of the “priesthood of all believers” shows how all of life is sacred, that all legitimate callings are worthwhile and can be used to glorify their creator by “virtue of our daily work.” The point of the prayer is that nightly rest should enable us to go hard after God in our daily work (whatever that happens to be), and that in doing so, our God is pleased for it is what he has called us to.
What does this have to do with worship? Glad you asked. What if we encouraged such a holistic view of life on Sunday? What if we didn’t separate “secular from sacred” in our language, prayers, songs, and preaching? What if we encouraged our carpenters to be the best at their craft? What if we encouraged our baristas to make the best latte’ they could (it’s an artform!)? What if we told our stay-at-home moms how important they were in developing the next generation? What if we told our drivers that if they didn’t get their goods delivered on time we wouldn’t be able to eat? What if we gave back the dignity that our God envisioned for Adam in the garden - to see all of life restored in worship seven days a week. Then on Sundays we could gather as God’s people and rejoice in the virtue of the daily work he has given us, be refreshed and encouraged to to scatter and do it all again. What if….?
New Riv Website Up
Posted by Dan on 26 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: Xianity
Great work from Eric and Kristie. I really think the way the content is set up makes good sense. Very cool. www.eriv.net
New Cracklin’ Moth
Posted by Dan on 24 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: music
One of my favorite bands, Cracklin’ Moth has a new ep out and it sound really good.
Check out the new tunes at their Myspace
Amsterdam
Posted by Dan on 23 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
It’s been a year since we were in Amsterdam and Rick Peterson wrote a poem, Kelly gave me stroupwaffles and I’m putting up this pic where we let the elderly people in wheelchairs sit and drink while we ate ice cream.
Postcards and Porcelain
There were nine of us that traveled together.
Yet, It was our Mission in Amsterdam,
not just to get postcards and porcelain
or flower-covered boxers and designer shoes
A sunny afternoon, good times and beer,
Sun and clouds overhead, while under a windmill
With Mickey the DJ and Lawerence the pilot,
Ian and Kyo saying “I know why you’re here”
Prostitution, pot and crack cocaine.
Sex slaves, dealers and Danish Deacons
The Cleft is bridging the bridges, Son-light for red-light
Queen’s Night and Day in shades of orange
Roel with his future wife, she just doesn’t know it yet.
Noel trained to Germany, but just for the day
City walk, wheelchair walk, all the way to the Dam.
Zolder 50 and bluegrass in the attic.
Was it a lost love or was the love just missing.
Lost in a city of the lost, but the Spirit lives
Naomi and Patricia, sweet and quiet spirits
Evenings babysitting, early mornings in prayer
Boy, I miss those frites and peanut sauce.
by Rick Peterson
worship link
Posted by Dan on 20 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: music
The ever-resourcing (if that’s a word) folks from Mars Hill Church in Seattle have a really great blog on music and worship. It’s called the Doxologist. Read the article on Amy Grant and Leadership.
A Grief Observed
Posted by Dan on 20 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: Family, Life
Well, it’s been two years since my dad passed away and it’s still really weird. I think the hardest part has been remembering the last six months of his life where he was sick. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t good. There is not much redemption in those moments of sorrow. But the best memories are before that time. Knowing the man, my step-dad, Dennis Knable. He was full of confidence in God. He was kind to the lowly-he reached out to prisioners his whole life. He was full of integrity. And for me personally he was ready with great advice that freed me to become a man. I still miss him.
Here’s a post from my mom:
two years and the sovereign will of God
yesterday was two years since Dennis passed away.
passed away–what a strange term–it would be, of course, more accurate to say ‘went to be with the Lord’ ‘passed on’ or ‘was released from this body.’
at any rate, it seems like six months. it seems like ten years. almost everyone i’ve talked to has said they would have guessed it to be one year. but that one year felt like ten years to me. i was so glad when i finally crawled out of that first year and once again could believe that life was good and life was worth living.
a while back i posted natalie grant’s song, Held, the gist of which is that, while we may not be spared the trial, we will find that through the trial, God is holding us, even when we are unable to hold onto Him. that is so true.
i’ve been reading about and contemplating the sovereign will of God. sometimes, our lives make no sense. why would i lose two husbands to cancer? why would dan and rachel lose two dads? why would patrick and kevin lose their dad at such crucial times in their lives?
sometimes we can look back and actually understand what God was doing. other times, we just have to believe that, though His sovereign will may be hidden from us, God is in control of our lives. and that He is trustworthy. and that He loves us with a deep and unconditional love. and that He weeps/groans/gets angry along with us/for us when His beloved children experience the results of the Fall here on this planet.
so, yesterday, rachel, javier, kevin and i went to the grave and placed an easter lily–a symbol of new life and resurrection.
and, that is what makes all the difference. we know that this life is but a breath and, because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we have eternity awaiting us–where every longing of our soul will be satisfied when we see our Savior face to face.
bored?
Posted by Dan on 20 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Bored at church? Craig Groeschel at Livechurch.tv has some good advice:
Talk to your pastor honestly. Offer to do anything that needs to be done.
Walk outside your church building. Pretend like you’ve never been to that building. Walk in and look around. Write down your impressions. Change something.
Write some letters to volunteers.
Pick up a great book.
Be still. Listen to God.
Pray for ten churches in your city.
Go to the coffee shop and strike up a conversation with a stranger. Listen to them with no agenda.
Think of some people you haven’t seen in church. Pray for them. Then call them.
Look at your web site like a first time guest. What could be better?
Call a pastor from another church and offer encouragement.
Think of a church member who might be bored and offer to help find them a place to use their gifts.
Go mow someone’s yard.
Post something positive on your favorite blogs.
Go home and spend some time with your kids.
New Cd
Posted by Dan on 16 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: music
Well our new cd is finally done and will be here within the next two weeks! We are very excited about the quality of the songs and the production. This is our first release with Semper Reformanda Records, which we are very excited to work with. The cd includes some old songs that we’ve reworked/rearranged and 4 or 5 new ones as well. Here’s the tracklisting:
01. When Man Sinnned
02. Follow
03. Where Are You?
04. Tower
05. Beyond
06. At The End Of The Age
07. At Your Feet
08. Farther
09. Infinite Divine
10. Teach Me Your Ways
11. Nothing But The Blood
12. When I Sing
13. Hallelujah Amen
I’ll post more information about how you can buy the cd soon and you’ll even be able to buy individual tracks online. Until then check out a couple songs at Ish’s myspace