Worship Matters – 6.29.08

We had a fabulous day in worship yesterday! In 16 years of public ministry I have not been more proud of my team than I was after yesterday’s worship services. Our church is in the midst of tons of transition and yet, they step up week after week and knock it out of the park! Yesterday was no exception and it was such a blessing for me to step back and watch them work. 

For me, it was one of those days that found me absolutely spent after worship. I know 2 kinds of spent: (1) spent from the fact that things didn’t go well and working to hold everything together wipes me out; and, (2) spent because of how tremendously things went and the spiritual, emotional and physical investment that it takes for me to lead those kinds of worship experiences.

Yesterday was definitely the 2nd kind of spent. After those days I find myself replaying moments and transitions….feeling like we absolutely offered an excellent gift back to the Lord. I also believe that when things go this way we can’t help but notice a definitive difference in the way that the congregation enters into worship. They really take an active role in the service. They transition from observers to full participants. On those days they seem to understand that worship isn’t something that WE do (those of us on the platform) and they (the congregation) observe. It is something that we all take part in and that God Almighty is the object of our worship and affection. Days like this prove to me that genuine worship must cost us something. It requires an investment on our part and to enter into this casually is to miss the mark entirely.

I remember many moments from yesterday. We introduced “You Are Good” to the congregation and I was blown away by the response. I should qualify that by saying not everyone in the congregation was on board; but, the vast majority were really into it. We also used “Our God Saves” which is a song that our church sings with real abandon. We brought back “Mighty To Save” which is just a killer worship song. The icing seemed to be the choir singing “How Great Thou Art,” which was amazing. The loft was filled almost to capacity and they absolutely knocked it out of the park! It just seemed that our congregation needed a day like this and I am grateful that the Lord used us to provide what they needed in worship.

I really sense that the spiritual temperature of our church is being turned up. You can sense that as we worship. I don’t know why or exactly what that means; but, God is clearly at work and the enemy is not happy about it. My prayer is that as a team we will continue to press in to all that God has for us week after week. We have no way of knowing what this pastoral transition will bring. There is a chance that the new pastor will bring a worship person with him or elect to make a change in worship personnel.

For now, we know that we have Sunday July 6th coming and my goal is for us to step up to the plate and knock it out again this week. Let’s do it!

Food & Fun – 6.27.08 – “All Italian”

Kim and I absolutely LOVE Italian food. It’s probably one of our favorite comfort foods. So, for this weeks Food & Fun I decided to make it all about our favorite Italian restaurants and pizza places. Again, not an exhaustive list, these are just some of the real favorites we’ve found while living in Indy.

First, for the Italian restaurants, in no particular order.

1. Bravo! Cucina Italiana. I am absolutely addicted to this place. Hands down the best bread & oil I have ever eaten. We love this place for Sunday lunch. You can almost always get in easily at that time. We both have our favorites (mine is Spaghettini Bolognese – an excellent take on spaghetti and meat sauce….Kim’s favorite is Chicken Parmesan Milanese) but will even change up every now and then. They also have excellent salads and a fabulous Italian Wedding Soup. Bravo is always a very solid choice!

2. Another favorite that is off the beaten path is Enrico’s (6158 Hillside Ave – Indianapolis – 46220 – 251-1488). Near the intersection of Keystone and 62nd Street this has been a favorite for years. Great food that is cooked to order. It’s also a very quaint mom -n- pop type place to have a quiet dinner. Excellent tomato soup!

3. Amalfi is another wonderful place to have an excellent meal. Located at the intersection of 86th Street and Ditch Road on the northside of Indy, this place has never disappointed. Great for lunch or dinner and again, off the beaten path. My brother-in-law Kevin promises that their food will change your life!

4. If you are ever in the mood to eat your weight in pasta, Maggiano’s Little Italy is the place for you! You  can order off the regular menu and get a great meal. But, the only way to do Maggiano’s is to order from  the family style menu. The family style meal is all you can eat and believe me, there will be leftovers to take home when you are done! This is a fabulous dinner choice that will also be a great experience for a group of friends or family! Promise me that you will try the mushroom ravioli…..WOW!!!!!

5. Another great off the beaten path place for an excellent Italian meal is Mama Carollas. Nestled into a neighborhood near Broad Ripple this will also be a quaint spot to enjoy a quality Italian meal. They offer a great menu with wonderful food.

Now, on to our favorite PIZZA places!

1.  Puccini’s Smiling Teeth is always an excellent choice for pizza. There are 6 locations in Central Indiana. Try the Ultimate Warrior Pizza. An excellent choice! Great salads too.

2. If you spend much time with us, chances are that you have eaten Firehouse Pizza in Fishers (7261 E. 116th Street – Fishers – 46038 – 842-9299). This is carryout only but an excellent choice! We serve Firehouse Pizza at our house at least once a week. It’s always hot out of the oven and has become a real favorite of ours!

3. Also in Fishers is Greek’s Pizzeria. We really enjoy this place. Greek’s is a small place so you may have to wait a few minutes but it will be well worth it. Let me also offer a word of caution … when you look at the menu, you may be tempted by the Gourmet Meat Pizza (formerly known as “lots-o-meat”). Proceed with caution! This baby is loaded with 6 kinds of meat (including double pepperoni) and has come back to “bite” the boys and me many, many times. Great other choices and wonderful salads and bread sticks.

4. A new Indy favorite is Jockamo Pizza, located in Irvington on the near eastside of Indy. This place is awesome! Any day during the week you might find the First Church staff having lunch here (they offer a $4.50 lunch special which includes a slice of pizza, lunch salad and drink…a great deal). Jockamo uses local products to make their pizza’s, which is a really nice touch. The specialty pizza’s are all excellent including the BBQ (with sauce from G.T. South’s) and my personal favorite, the Slaughterhouse Five (pepperoni, ham, sausage, bacon and italian beef). This is one of the best pizza’s I have ever eaten!

5. Some Guy’s Pizza Pasta Grill is a place that really fits into both of these  categories. They have a location near Broad Ripple and one in Carmel. Great place for pizza, salads and Italian food in a casual atmosphere. This place also has live music on certain nights, which is really cool. When we hit Some Guy’s, we create our own pizza: meatballs, mushrooms, green peppers & onions. It’s awesome!

6. Last but not least, I humbly offer up the Costco Pizza. Yes that’s right, the pizza at Costco rocks! You can buy it by the slice at the cafe (huge slice and a drink for less than $2) or they will even make you a whole one for $10. That’s right ten bucks! And, I promise it will be one of the biggest pizza’s you have ever seen, making for an excellent meal at a great price.

So, there you have it….our recommendations for some excellent Italian food or pizza. If you know of others let me know in the comment section and we’ll be sure to check them out! Have a great weekend of Food & Fun!

Life Lessons

I am truly a guy who has a great deal to be thankful for. God has blessed me beyond measure. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife that I love and I get to spend my life telling people about Jesus. 

Another tremendous blessing in my life is my family. Today is my dad’s birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!

Not a day goes by that I don’t thank the Lord for the gift of my family. I am the youngest of 5 children. My parents were in their early 40’s when I was born. My next oldest sibling, my sister Kim is 6 years older than me and there are 19 years between my oldest brother and me. The line-up starting with the oldest goes Bob (a Worship Pastor), Mike (a Concrete Contractor), Mark (a Senior Pastor), Kim (a lawyer and full-time mom) and me. As the story goes, my parents went on a trip to the Holy Land with their church. When they came home, they were expecting yours truly. Apparently the Holy Land is very inspiring!  

I will always be grateful for a life lesson that I learned from my parents. They taught me to love the Lord and to serve Him with my life. They also taught me the value of hard work. My parents are both in their late 70’s and still work every day (Dad is a concrete contractor and Mom is a Target cashier and the world champion at getting people to sign-up for Target credit cards!). 

When I got into high school and began to date my dad began to say something to me before I left the house. I can still remember the exact moment that I heard it for the first time, just like it was yesterday. He called me “B” and I remember him sitting in his chair and saying, “B…..remember who you are tonight.”

I remember thinking about that as I drove out of the driveway to pick up my date. “…remember who you are…” I always assumed he meant to remember that I was a Tabor and not to do anything stupid while I was out. I assumed it meant to remember to wear my seat belt and to remember to open the door for my date.

The older I get, the more that encouraging word means to me. Remember who you are. Remember that you are my son….remember all the things we’ve tried to teach you….remember that many sacrifices were made to raise you the right way and to provide for you. Remember that you are a Child of the King and that the God of the universe rejoices over you!

I can tell you, Mom & Dad, that I’ve never forgotten that. In truth, I’m still working on it and adding to my answer as the years roll by. Thank you for taking time to teach me, even when you assumed I wasn’t listening. I watched and I listened much more closely that you probably realize and am grateful for every single life lesson!

“Mighty To Save”

Every now and then a worship songs comes along that the Lord uses in a very unusual way. It’s impossible to predict it. After leading worship for more than 20 years all I can say is, you will know it when it happens!

One of those songs that has just captured my heart recently is “Mighty To Save.” Pastor Troy gave me a copy of this song more than a year ago. As I listened the song just grew and grew on me.

On June 8 we introduced this song to our congregation. All I can say is WOW! The reaction was really more of a lightning bolt of a worship experience! It was amazing. Read these amazing lyrics….

“Everyone needs compassion, love that’s never failing, let mercy fall on me. Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Saviour, the hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. Forever, Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me, all my fears and failures. Fill my life again. I give my life to follow everything I believe in. Now I surrender.

Saviour, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. Forever, Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine Your light and let the whole world see. We’re singing for the glory of the risen King!

Those amazing lyrics combined with the power of the music make for an amazing combination!

Here is the audio of us doing “Mighty To Save” on June 8 with our team at FCN. Enjoy!

Opportunities

Do you ever come to the end of a day and find yourself thinking back on the events of the day and find yourself asking why? These days I find myself doing that a great deal and asking questions like, “Why did that happen,” or “I wonder why I ran into that person,” or even “Why did that total stranger begin talking to me?”

In the last few years I have become increasingly focused when I am working. Kim always teases me about how I don’t like to be interrupted when I am busy working. I have to say that it’s something I am working on and she has “gently” encouraged me to do so! (wink, wink)

I feel like the Lord has been working on my heart to show me that these things I label as “interruptions” may be the most important opportunity of my entire day. Maybe it’s a friend who needs to talk? Maybe it’s someone who is hurting and simply needs a listening ear? Maybe that total stranger is reaching out to someone for the first time in many years and I have an opportunity to tell them that in the eyes of Jesus they are worth it….worthy of HIS love, HIS grace and certainly, a few moments of my time.

I would encourage you to be on the lookout for opportunities that the Lord brings your way. I really do believe that God is in the details of life. I pray every morning that the Lord would order my steps. After that, it’s up to me to pay attention to the opportunities that HE brings my way and to be ready when they come. It’s so easy for us to get distracted by stuff that comes our way. I am challenging myself to just take it a day at a time and work to stay ready! 

If you have a story about something or someone that God brought your way I would love to hear about it in the comments section. Thanks for reading.

Worship Matters – 6.22.08

We had a great day of worship yesterday. Normally I would expect a Sunday near the end of June to be a little more relaxed and low key….people are starting vacations, etc… Well, yesterday wasn’t low key at all around here. It was a powerful experience and the team was really playing, singing & leading well.

We used a song that our congregation has learned over the last year called, “This Is Our God.” There are a couple of songs by that title but this one is not very well known. For reasons that escape me people aren’t aware of it. Of all the new stuff I have been teaching our church, this one has such an amazingly special place in my heart. It doesn’t seem to be your typical worship song. The writers (David Moffitt, Sue C. Smith & Travis Cottrell) intentionally used unusual words in the lyrics….words that our congregations don’t get a chance to sing very often. Combined with the message of the song it is making for an incredible worship moment for our congregation. 

We live in a cynical world. With all that is going on around us, this is purely a love song written to Jesus. I love these lyrics:

“Who is this One who will not condemn us? Why would HE come to shoulder our sentence? Nothing we’ve done will keep HIM from giving us grace. Who is this One? We watch and we’re speechless. God’s only Son embracing our weakness. He overcomes all death and He frees us to live.

This is our God, suffering and dying. Call Him the Hero redeeming the lost. This is our God, love sacrificing, all that is holy accepting our cross. Hallelujah! This is our God! Hallelujah! This is our God! Hallelujah! This is our God. Sing praise”

The second verse speaks of God “…loving and reaching, scandalous mercy and mighty to save.” What a great word picture…scandalous mercy. I love that image….mercy that goes so against the grain that it just doesn’t make sense. That’s how God loves us!

I hope that as I make my way through this day I can reflect this kind of love to the people I interact with. I hope that I can show them this kind of passion for people. I pray that HE might use me to impact them through the way that I pursue HIM in all that I do.

Food And Fun – 6.20.08

One of the things that Kim and I love to do is enjoy a good meal. Over the years we have collected a list of our favorites and I thought I would take a minute to share some of those with you. Indianapolis is a great city with a growing list of great restaurants and we are making it our personal goal to try as many as we possibly can! So, here are a few that we really like, in no particular order.

1. Our favorite breakfast place in the city is Le Peep.   They serve an outstanding breakfast at many locations around the city. You can do normal breakfast food here but you can also experiment with a Panhandled Skillet Dish or omelette. For us, every trip to Le Peep must begin with a Gooey Bun!

2. When we are in the mood for a burger there is only 1 choice….Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream on the Monon in Carmel.   Bub’s is the home of the Big Ugly Burger (hence the name, Bub’s) which weighs in at a solid 1 pound after cooking. That’s right after cooking. Eat the whole thing and they will put your picture on the wall! If you don’t think your doctor would approve there are smaller choices for sure as well as chicken, dogs and a great mahi sandwich. They also offer both beef and elk selections for burgers. Waffle fries and a milkshake are also a must at Bub’s!

3. We also love great BBQ and have found a couple of places that we really enjoy. New last year to the downtown landscape is the Weber Grill Restaurant. This is always a great choice for a higher end BBQ meal.   All the food is cooked on charcoal Weber Grills and they do an excellent job. We also got a great suggestion from our friend Troy Hochstetler for  a great place in Fishers called Hawg Wild BBQ. This place is very special. This is great BBQ that we have really come to enjoy. Troy knocked it out of the park with this recommendation. Whatever you choose, make sure to finish it off with fried biscuits and apple butter. You will not be disappointed. 

4. We also love P.F. Chang’s. When we are in the mood for something different this place always comes through. Some other favorites in this style would be Stir Crazy and King Chef. All of these places have their specialties and we have come to love them all. 

5. Kim and I love ice cream. A few years ago we discovered Handel’s and the battle was over! This place is absolutely amazing. My personal favorite is “Spouse Like A House” which starts with vanilla malt ice cream, layered with a ribbon of peanut butter. Then they add chocolate covered mini-pretzels that are also stuffed with peanut butter. It is an amazing experience! 

6. For the purposes of this list I have saved our very, very favorite for last. Our hands down favorite restaurant in Indy has become Eddie Merlot’s. If you are looking for a fine dining experience look no further (steak, seafood, chicken).   Eddie’s is a place that we save for special occasions like our anniversary dinner. In a city that has it’s share of steak places and upper end restaurants, EM is in a league of its own. From start to finish you will have an unbelievable meal served by an absolute pro. My personal choice is the mouth-watering 16 oz. Bourbon Marinated Prime Rib Eye. The steak comes covered in crispy fried onion straws and when you add a side of sauteed mushrooms and Eddies Potatoes (diced Idaho potatoes baked in a rich sauce with cheddar cheese and jalapeno peppers) I promise that you will not be disappointed! You will pay top dollar to eat here but believe me, in my experience it is worth every penny.

7. Finally, my drink of choice. I have made it my personal quest to find the perfect drink and for my taste, I have landed on Stewart’s Diet Orange ‘N Cream. This stuff is amazing. It’s a great balance of orange with a hint of cream that will leave your taste buds begging for more.  I have sampled every version of this that I
 could get my hands on. Stewart’s is by far the best I have tried. I have to admit that I am totally addicted to this stuff and have even made a believer out of Kim. There is a non-diet version of this drink too; but, for some reason it just doesn’t “pop” as much for me. The diet version takes the cake. Give it a try and I hope you enjoy it! 

 

This is not a complete list of our favorites but I think you would be pleased with anything on this list. Happy eating this summer!

Worship Matters 6.15.08

This past Sunday was Father’s Day. Normally, I struggle with planning worship for Sunday’s with special distinctions; but, Father’s Day is always special. We had a male chorus in our morning services made up of guys from our choir and other men from the church who wanted to be involved. It really was quite a special morning. Seeing a group of men truly worshipping moves me greatly. It really takes me to a unique place spiritually and I am grateful to have had that experience this past weekend.

We used the song, “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapmen. What a great song….for me, it truly embodies the message of Father’s Day and what all men can aspire to as fathers.

We also used a worship song that has rocked my world over the past year. I first heard it at the National Worship Leader Conference in Austin, TX last July. The song is called, “Hosanna” and was written by 2 of my favorite worship leaders, Paul Baloche & Brenton Brown. It’s truly a song of praise, thanksgiving, declaration and invocation. I love these lyrics:

“Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You…we turn to You.
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You…we long for You.
‘Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day.
In Your presence all our fears are washed away…washed away.

Hosanna, Hosanna, You are the God who saves us
worthy of all our praises. Hosanna, Hosanna, come have
Your way among us, we welcome You here, Lord Jesus.”

This is one of those songs that I sing with a reckless abandon in worship. It’s a song that really calls you to worship as it describes what is happening as we worship the Lord. The song was written from the perspective of Palm Sunday and how people must have felt preparing for Jesus’ triumphant entry. It certainly creates anticipation for me as I look forward to the day when I will meet Him face to face.

Here’s a video of Paul Baloche leading “Hosanna” with his band in a live worship setting. I hope you enjoy it!

Preparation

In worship ministry or any facet of music for that matter, preparation is HUGE. As a musician I am an artist and I always want to be at my best. In the context of worship the issue of preparation is taken to new levels all together.

As worship leaders we have to be prepared. This includes every single member of the team. I really am working on this with my team and giving them every resource that is available to me so that they can be prepared every time we step in front of the congregation. Of course, me giving them those resources and them using the resources are 2 completely different things. Some on our team spend days and weeks preparing for Sunday….others spend no time at all. I wish I could find the magic potion that would communicate how deeply important this is on a spiritual level, let alone a musical level.

The Bible gives us many examples of this from David tending sheep in the fields while God prepared his heart to Esther who spent an entire year of preparation to simply be in the presence of the king. 

That speaks volumes to me about how we should prepare for worship….especially those of us who lead others in worship. We pray for extraordinary things to take place but would we be ready?

It all starts with preparation.

My First Blog – Thoughts…..

I think that my wife is the most amazing woman on the planet. She rocks my world and most of the time she doesn’t even realize it. The way she laughs, the way she walks, the way she LOVES food, the way she plays with her hair when she’s deep in thought….I love it all. Nearly every day she teaches me more about how to pursue God and love people. She’s the total package and I am blessed beyond words.

 

I think I need to play more golf. As I sit here today, I am not a gifted golfer. There was a time when I could play but it’s gotten lost in the day to day of life, business & ministry and I really miss it. I am going to play more this year.

I think that dogs are awesome…..especially my dog, Sophie!

I think that people who serve us or do things for us deserve our respect. People who bring us food in a restaurant, the guy who cuts our grass, the people who take care of our cars…those who serve us deserve more respect from us. Just because we pay them doesn’t mean we get a free pass to be annoying or disrespectful.

I think the Cardinals need better pitching….really, how long can they expect these guys to keep delivering? Spend some cash or make a trade for pete’s sake.

I think the Colts could be really, really good again this year. No bold predictions yet but I think they will be a force.

I think the Church of Jesus Christ needs to take a long hard look in the mirror, form a new ministry paradigm, scrap some traditions and take the world for Jesus.

I think that family and friends are invaluable and I need to spend more time pouring myself into both.

I think that I am going to spend more time getting to know my neighbors this summer because I can’t reach them if I don’t spend time with them.

I think that I need to stop writing until next time….until then, I hope that I live with NO Regrets!