jasondionne.com

Repost – Broken and Repaired

jasondionne — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:43:45 +0000

BROKEN AND REPAIRED
BY TIM HUGHES 7 SEP 2010

Worship has the power to both heal and break us. It’s a strange but glorious paradox. As the Bishop of Oxford, John Pritchard writes, “Worship is the moment when we’re both broken open and repaired at the same time.”

Life throws at us a mix of joy and pain. We might be celebrating new jobs, new life and new relationships, whilst at the same time experiencing great loss, deep doubts and huge anxiety. It never seems to be one or the other. I’ve heard it helpfully described as parallel train tracks – running down one track is blessing, favour, laughter and joy – whilst running down the other parallel track is pain, sorrow and despair. As Paul describes in 2 Corinthians we are a people who are ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.’ (2 Cor 6:10)

When I prepare to lead worship I often find myself asking the question – ‘how do you lead a congregation in a journey of worship, when every person is starting from a very different point?’ I think of my church, last Sunday as I led I was aware of a couple recently celebrating their engagement, a friend thriving in a new job. At the same time I thought of parents I know agonizing over their children, a friend desperately struggling to financially make ends meet. How do we hold all this together? What is the key to our role as worship leaders? Ultimately it’s simple – we lead people to Jesus. Great music will in itself never bring deep comfort and healing to people in distress. Only Jesus will. Clever mood lighting will never lift the spirits of someone at rock bottom. Only Jesus will.

As we lead worship we remind people that there is more to life than money, health and success. Through the songs and the words we sing, we point people to Jesus. It begs the question – do our songs fill people with hope? Are they focused on Christ – words that communicate the character and nature of the God who saves, the God who takes away the sins of the world, and the God for whom nothing is impossible? It’s as we feed people’s minds with the truth that people begin the process of being repaired. We worship a Father who rejoices over us with singing and is mighty to save (Zeph 3:17), a Saviour who is able to sympathize with our pain (Heb 4:15) and the Spirit of God who gives life (John 6:63). In God’s presence we are slowly, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, put back together again.

But this journey of healing only starts when people are brave enough to be broken. If we don’t allow ourselves to be broken, we will never be ‘repaired.’ It is essential in our worship that we lead and serve with compassion, sensitivity and vulnerability. Worship is not about a show, a hyped response of emotion. Worship comes from deep within – a raw cry acknowledging that Jesus is Lord and that we are not! As worship leaders how are you allowing space for people to express their questions and pain? Do our lyrics allow opportunity for people to acknowledge frailty? I love the line in the song, ‘Mighty to Save,’

“Take me as you find me, all my fears and failure.”

It’s so healthy to be able to sing that to God in the company of others. Musically are we allowing time for people to reflect on the state of their hearts? If everything is pumping the whole time we can miss out on space for people to search their hearts.

There can be lots of pressures on us as worship leaders. So many practical things that are important to invest in, but to grow in our calling and responsibility we need to firstly allow ourselves to be broken before God. Are you seeking God in the hidden place? Are you admitting your fear and insecurities in what you do? If you’ve become confident and complacent as a worship leader, if you can’t remember the last time you found yourself worshipping alone in your room, then may I humbly suggest you’re missing something. Perhaps you need to reconnect with God – allow yourself to be broken and vulnerable. Be bold – take a risk. Only then will we lead times of worship that allow people to be both broken open before God and repaired at the same time.

Thom Yorke helps Patrick Dempsey Dance

jasondionne — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:46:14 +0000

I have been under the weather this week, I needed something to make me smile. This worked.

King of Limbs

jasondionne — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:11:02 +0000

They never cease to amaze me…new album out today for download. excited am i. http://www.kingoflimbs.com

We Can’t Walk Straight

jasondionne — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:10:05 +0000

From a recent NPR: morning edition article -

“Try this: Put a blindfold on someone, take them to a park or a beach or a meadow and ask them to walk for as long as they can in a straight line. Then watch what happens…”

Human beings have the profound inability to walk in a straight line when blindfolded or with no focal point of reference...

Why? No one knows.

But it reminded me of a verse in scripture about blindness.

Matthew 15:14 "Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

Jesus was talking about the Pharisees; the teachers of the law. The most educated, religious, highly admired men in that culture in that day. And he says they are blind, when did they become blind? When did they start missing it, and how could they lead so many people down that wrong path? They were blind and didn't even know that they couldn't see. When we try to walk straight and we can't see we don't end up where we are trying to go. This is true in physical walking and this is true in our spiritual journey.

We need our eyes opened

Ephesians 1:18-19
18" I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe..."

New Series/Book “The Prodigal God”

jasondionne — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:46:28 +0000

GENERATE, a young adult group that I run, has been in a new series created by pastor/author Timothy Keller called “The Prodigal God.” I can’t tell you how much that I have personally enjoyed this focus. It is based on the very famous parable of the lost sons found in Luke 15:11-32. The book, as well as the messages, does a great job at redefining lostness. Timothy makes the claim that you not only can alienate yourself from God by being really, really bad (the younger son) but also by being really, really good (the elder brother). The two brothers in this story are both separated from the Father, they don’t want anything to do with their Dad, they only want his things (inheritance).

This focus has really opened the door to talking about what is truly the good news of Jesus Christ (the gospel), and what Jesus really meant. And how often we relate to the younger brother but ignore the elder brother in the story. The parable was intended to say to everyone in the audience that everything that you have known about relating to God, about your meaning in life, about how you approach everything is wrong.

I am sure that I will be sharing more as we continue our series. I thought this may be a good way to break the ice from my virtually non-existent blog.

Sorry Charlie, I love you man.

Check out more here: http://prodigalgod.zondervan.com/
Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-God-Recovering-Heart-Christian/dp/0525950796

Hello Blog, It’s Been Too Long

jasondionne — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:56:17 +0000

Hello Blog,

You have become my friend who I haven’t called in so long that I feel guilty to call them. So I don’t. I’m a crappy friend and obviously it’s true about you too.

So I’m breaking the ice. Sorry blog, I’ve been busy. I value you and feel like you and me have something going. So can we have a fresh start? Let’s get together later this week. And let’s shoot for a weekly time together after that. Your important and I haven’t given you the time you deserve.

See you soon,
J

P.S. I saw this at Fry’s yesterday and was enthralled.

Repost – United Around the Wrong Cause

jasondionne — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:26:01 +0000

This struck me as I was trolling through my Google Reader last night. I thought I would repost it, would love to hear your thoughts. It is from a blog called The Blazing Center.

United Around the Wrong Cause

Written by Stephen Altrogge

Christians are not united by…

Homeschooling, public school, or private school.

Republicanism or liberalism.

Capitalism, environmentalism, or socialism.

Continuation of the gifts of the Spirit or cessation of the gifts of the Spirit.

Infant baptism or believer’s baptism.

Calvinist theology or Arminian theology.

Drinking alcohol or not drinking alcohol.

Praise choruses or hymns.

Being artsy or being intellectual.

Vaccinating or not vaccinating your kids.

We are united by…

Jesus Christ and him crucified.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(Galatians 3:28)

My thoughts:

How often do I allow my own personal convictions, opinions, political views, or personality to divide me from the family of faith that God has established? I have slandered, judged, argued with and avoided those that don’t share my same non-essential opinions. God forgive me, may what unites me to others (Jesus) be stronger that what divides me (myself).

Jesus said that the world will know that we are His followers by our love for one another. (John 13:35) How well our we loving each other? How does the world know that we are Christians? Probably more for what we are against, than what we stand for. Probably more for what we hate than how well we love.

John Wooden 1910-2010

jasondionne — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 03:29:42 +0000

“The years have left their imprint on my hands and on my face
Erect no longer is my walk and slower is my pace
But there is no fear within my heart because I’m growing old
I only wish I had more time to better serve my Lord
But I’ve gone to human prayer, he has brought me inner peace
And soon my cares and problems and other worries cease
He’s helped me in so many ways, he’s never let me down
Why should I fear the future when soon I could be near his crown?
Though I know down here my time is short, there’s endless time up there
That he will forgive and keep me in his ever loving care”

-
John Wooden 1910-2010

A nightly poem Coach Wooden would recite before bed.

Song Story and Chord Chart – Awake O Heart of Mine

jasondionne — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:28:38 +0000

Isaiah 26:19
…Awake and sing…

Psalm 103
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits

I love Psalm 103 because David is singing to himself. In another version it says ” Praise the Lord, I tell myself…”

I will tell myself to worship God.

Much like this Psalm, Awake O Heart of Mine is a personal call to worship God.

I don’t know about you but many times in my life I don’t “feel” like worshiping. It may be a circumstance in my life that takes my focus away God’s goodness. It may be I am tired, or stressed out with everything going on, or it just may be I woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning and am feeling grumpy.

But worship is not about how we feel; it’s all about who God is and what he is done.

I don’t know if David was feeling grumpy when he wrote Psalm 103 but he needed to remind himself of all that God has done. He proclaims:

3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things.

Our God, through Jesus, has forgiven all of our sins, he has healed us, he has ransomed us from death, and surrounds us with love and mercy.

So we sing, “How could I ever repay the death you died the grace you give so free.”

When we look at all the benefits of God, when we choose to remember how amazing He is, our only response is to give ourselves back to Him…

“I give you all I am, and now I live to glorify Your name.”

No matter what we face, where we are, or how we feel we give God all the praise.

Sometimes we just need a little wake up call…

“Awake O heart of mine, sing praise to God above…of His redeeming Love.”
Awake O Heart of Mine Chord Chart

I’ll Wait For You

jasondionne — Sat, 22 May 2010 06:20:09 +0000

Did you know that over 40% of the psalms in the Book of Psalms are laments? Dictionary.com defines lament as a formal expression of sorrow or mourning, esp. in verse or song; an elegy or dirge. The official hymnal of Israel, that the people of God used in their worship services and festivals were expressions of sorrow and grief. Crazy to think about really, how often do we sing laments in our churches? In our times of worship and praise as we express our adoration to our great God, how often do they include the human condition? How we are feeling in the moment, our questions, our doubts, our pain, our despair? I know why we don’t do this, because we don’t to bum everybody out, we are afraid it will turn into a big cry-fest and we will scare the newbies away. And I do agree that there should be more times of celebration and exaltation than lament and sorrow, but 40% of the Psalms is full of complaints and rage, questions and doubts, cries for help. I believe that God receives our laments and cries as worship to Him as much as our shouts for joy and declarations of victory. Because we are still looking to Him to be our help, for Him to be our hope. Hope is the key, what separates God-ward worship cries of grief and sorrow and just having a big pity party.

So I wrote a hope-filled lament a couple of weeks ago. It is a song that is very much where I have been lately. A song that was inspired by a Psalm:

Psalm 69: 1 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.3 I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

It is still a work in progress, this was recorded with me literally in front of a digital recorder, one take. I would love your feedback. May you know that God desires every part of you to be worship to Him. Your joy and and your laughter, your grief and your tears.

Lyrics:
I’m all alone, crying out Your name
Drowning in a deep sea
I need you now, to come and rescue me
Save me from despair

When all around seems lost
Still You will be my hope

I wait for You, my soul lies in wait
You will be my help, even in the pain
Your perfect love removes all my fear
Even when I’m weak, You will be my strength
I’ll wait for You

The waters rise, flood sweeping over me
I am so weary
My eyes grow dim, searching after You
How I need Your mercy

You mend the broken-hearted
And set the captive free
You give beauty for ashes
And praise for despair
I’ll wait for You