Epic

This is the final week of preparation before Epic, our new worship service, begins. I know that we are going to be ready. It's been weird spending so much time getting ready for a worship service. What I am really desiring is the beginning of a new journey with new friends in a new community. It's seems weird at times that a dynamic worship service is the beginning means of this journey. In Kimball's book, Emerging Worship, he talks about how we are guilty of spending all of our time and energy on a worship service, and how a service isn't all that effective at building community. (I hope I'm not misquoting him, but that was how I took what he was saying). hmmm.....

I want to teach about Jesus in creative ways. I want to celebrate others' creativity in worship, whether it's music, painting, drama, etc. I don't want to do this to show how good and creative we are, but to show how good and creative God is.....the former is a real struggle for myself and I see it's a struggle for those around me.

But I also want to know some sense of real community. I must admit, it's hard to do this when we are working so hard on videos, staging, lighting, etc. I guess I am already seeing the need to balance things out......and we haven't even started.

I am going on a mini retreat this week. I desperately want the right focus going into this new ministry......I think I do but it doesn't come naturally. I want to get to the point where I don't really care if things are "successful" or not. I thought it was cool that Rob Bell said he knew it was time to start a church when he no longer cared if it was successful. I'm not there yet.....otherwise I would be sleeping more at night. But I want to be. I know I am in a context where success will be measured in number of people but I want to get beyond that; for my own sake and for those who will attend Epic.

The journey of dying to self continues......and gets harder. But I continue to have confidence that God is leading the way for Jenelle.