Psalm 145

I had the privilege of attending the Worship Together conference this past weekend.  Pastor Darren Whitehead of Church of the City shared a message dissecting out Psalm 145. It was very insightful to hear the different definitions of “praise” translated into Hebrew used throughout the verse. We are actually commanded to praise God in different, expressive ways and it clearly states how in the original Hebrew. Instead of trying to explain it here I will just let you listen to his very inspiring message. I pray it’s an encouragement to you and your worship community.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/church-of-the-city-franklin/id1133212176?mt=2&i=1000380268340

We Need You to LEAD

By Joe Gilder

No one wants to be a tyrant.

We’ve all heard disaster stories of leaders who become power-hungry monsters, in love with the sound of their own voice. They get a rush out of being the one in charge, and they feel they must constantly exercise their power lest their crippling insecurity become blatantly obvious.

Those of us who are more laid-back and less-inclined to become dictators tend to over-correct. Strong leaders draw criticism. We fear being seen as harsh and over-bearing, so we tend towards passivity. We may even “Christian it up” and call ourselves “meek and mild.”

While we certainly don’t want to be cold, overbearing taskmasters, too many worship leaders (and Christian leaders in general) tend to shy away from really stepping into the leadership role with confidence. Worse yet, they don’t know they’re doing it.

I’ve led worship for a long time, but up until a few years ago I was a passive leader. Band rehearsals would go something like this:

“Okay, let’s run through ‘Mighty to Save.’ I don’t think I want the ‘doodle-doo’ electric guitar intro…well, maybe I do…what do you guys think?”

“Let’s bring things down for the last chorus, and then build it up. Does that sound like a good idea?”

“I had a new idea for how we could start this song. It goes like this…wait, no that doesn’t really work. Or does it? What do you guys think?”

While I’m asking a bajillion questions, I think to myself, “Look at me, being so inclusive. They love how much I’m including them in all these decisions.”

In reality, the band members are probably thinking something like: “For the love of all that is holy, just MAKE A DECISION.”

Are you familiar with Brandon Heath? Awesome Christian artist and songwriter. He happens to be a member at the church where I lead. A few years back we hosted a Christmas concert where our worship team played a bunch of Christmas tunes, then Brandon played songs from his Christmas album (which is fabulous, by the way, very bluegrassy and awesome).

I played guitar in the band. I remember when Brandon showed up for rehearsal. He’s a cool, down-to-earth, laid back guy. I expected him to be a laid-back worship/band leader. But he wasn’t. And it was AWESOME.

As soon as he stepped up to the mic, he exhibited an air of confidence. He took charge. We musicians were ready for him to take charge. He told guitarists when they were playing a part that didn’t work for the song. He told the drummer to lay out of certain sections. He would do everything you expect a band leader to do.

Were there awkward moments? Absolutely. Did everyone play better (and worship better) because of his leadership? Yes.

Musicians (and people in general), whether they admit it or not, respond well to strong leadership. More than that, they long for it, and they come to life when they experience it.

As worship leaders, we need to focus on both words — worship AND leaders. Simply worshipping along with other people isn’t what we’re called to do. We’re called to lead as we worship. That means stepping into the role with confidence, even though the lies of insecurity and shame may be screaming in your ears.

You may have noticed, I’ve only focused on leading the musicians, but the same thing applies to leading a congregation. They need you to lead. Whether you lead once in a blue moon or every Sunday, it is not by accident that you are leading worship. Embrace the role, both words. Worship AND lead. We need you to lead us.

“I didn’t see you leading the worship this morning, are you on vacation this week?”

By Chip Demetri

Perhaps you have heard something similar to that on a Sunday morning, when you aren’t leading worship from the stage. I mean, we really only work one day a week, right? We show up early Sunday morning, pick a few songs, give the band a little direction and then lead the congregation. Simple!

As experienced worship leaders know, that couldn’t be further from reality. In fact, I would venture to say that only a small percentage of our workload happens during the Sunday morning services. The bulk of our time goes to things like administration, meetings, communication and coordination of volunteers. And after all that is done, we carve out time with God to look at the scriptures and themes for the upcoming services. Then we select music that will support the message, songs that flow musically, thematically, and spiritually. And finally we have rehearsal, where it all comes together. There is sound, Lighting, media, chord charts, song roadmaps, and the list goes on.

I used to let comments like the one above, frustrate me. Now I am learning to see it as an opportunity. The fact is most people don’t really have a clue what really goes into a meaningful worship service. I’m learning to see this as a chance to educate them on what a Worship Director really does. What a great opportunity to reveal the work and the artistry that goes into a service; it’s a way to bring God more glory as people’s understanding of corporate worship grows.

Here are a few of the things I share with people:

First, we do worship in community. God never intended for us to be “lone rangers”. King David had a Jonathon and Nathan that he walked with closely. They had a tremendous impact on his life. For example, after Nathan confronted David, we see David’s deep repentance reflected in Psalm 51.

Second, we have a multi-team ministry. As the Worship Director, I don’t lead from the stage every week. This sometimes surprises people, because it’s not something they have experienced before. Ephesians 4:11-13 says…

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

What we see in the passage is that our biblical job description isn’t to just do the work we have been called to. It is also to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” That is a major paradigm shift for some of us. Yes, I need to hone my musical abilities and become a better artist, but I also need to be investing in other leaders. I need to begin to find my success in their successes. I need to find my joy in their accomplishments.

This is not easy! It means letting go of control. It means creating a space for people to do things different than me. It means giving them the freedom to fail.

Thirdly, we seek to promote variety. The body of Christ is rich with style and diversity. If we are the only ones who lead each week, the church only sees one facet of the diamond we call worship. In a multi-team ministry, we get to enjoy many different styles from people with diverse racial and social backgrounds. I encourage my worship leaders not to feel like they have to lead worship like I do. I encourage them to be the person and the Worship Leader God designed them to be.

Ultimately, I think this approach gives us an expanded picture of what worship is and more importantly Who God is. He is a loving Father rich with creativity and diversity!

Planned Spontanaity?

By: Rebekah Gunkel

 

I’m probably the last person anyone would think of when it comes to planning.  It’s just not a gift of mine.  Put me on the spot and I can make it up as I go with flying colors, but ask me to schedule a follow up appointment 3 months from now, and I twitch.  I’ve always joked that life’s more fun when you can play it by ear…anything to make me feel better about my last-minuteness!  But in all honesty, planning is a skill that I’ve really had to work on.  I mean, it’s kind of an important part of leading any team, be it worship, at the office or even at home.

So several years ago when people started using the word “spontaneous” with “worship”…spontaneous worship…as more of a mainstream term, you can imagine that it made my little worship leader heart flutter!  Two of my favorite words had collided!  One of my favorite worship bands, United Pursuit, writes a majority of their songs out of moments of spontaneous worship where God is moving and they are following where the Spirit leads.  And those moments, to me, are incredibly powerful and beautiful.

But how do you incorporate something spontaneous into your Sunday morning service that has to end by no later than 10:15 so that the next service starts on time?  It can be challenging, but it can be done.

Anytime I am planning a set, I plan an extra song, just in case.  I say always give yourself a little “room to roam”.  And when the band rehearses, we talk through the “what ifs…”  Depending on how it feels, what I’m sensing in my spirit, we may just play that chorus through a few more times or vamp on that bridge…cues are obviously very important here.

You never want to force spontaneity, or contrive something that is not.  I’ve had sets where we’ve planned moments of free worship and we ended up just moving right through them because it didn’t feel right in the moment.  And then there have been incredibly unexpected moments that I could not have planned if I tried.

So what are some practical tips if you want to incorporate more spontaneity into your time of worship?

1. Choose songs in the same or similar keys so you can easily transition and
   flow from one song to another, without fear of derailing the band if you
   make a last minute change.  You could also plan ahead a chord progression
   that the band will play to allow extra space.
2. Pray for discernment and for the Holy Spirit to guide you and your team.
   God is the only one that can open hearts and change the atmosphere of our
   worship.
3. If this is new territory for you…talk about it with your team!  Create a
   safe environment within your worship community that encourages honest
   discussion about these types of topics. Pray together that God would
   reveal to you His heart for your specific community and the season that it
   is in and/or headed into.

God, we thank you for the Holy moments that we get to participate in as worship leaders.  Would you give us a boldness to lead with expectation, courage to believe that you are who you say you are, and freedom from fear, doubt and insecurity.  As we create space, we believe that you will fill it.  Be our guide.  Amen.

The Sink Hole of Comparison

by: Lori Morrison

I had the privilege of being a part of a writers retreat at my home church last month. Our church is busting at the seams with creatives. I’ve never been part of a church with so many artists, musicians, writers. It’s truly unique.

I went into the weekend with nervous excitement.I’ve been in Nashville a long time, and the more than occasional “cut-throat” vibe has taken its toll on me. I’ve become so tentative in sharing my gifts. I’ve felt like there are so many people who are more talented and more eloquent than me (or is it I?), I convinced myself to let them have at it. I didn’t want to risk putting myself out there again. I reached the bottom of the comparison sink hole.

But then something changed. My friend, Leslie, asked me to be a part of a season of writing at our church. And for the first time in years, I started to consider getting back into writing.  We were teamed up into groups of three to four writers. Again my insecurity started to creep in as I was sitting in the midst of so many creative and talented people. Several of my friends expressed their nervousness as well.  Once we were really and truly honest with each other about our fears, it actually freed us to be our true self.  And that’s the thing. When we are vulnerable and honest, our pride and superficiality melt away.

I could have given in to my fear and insecurity and stayed home, but man, I would have missed out on so much!!  The weekend was amazing.  The atmosphere was so expectant. We all knew that God was doing something special and unique.  We wrote all day. And by the late afternoon, we had 15 songs! Good songs! We got together at the end of the day to share them with each other. There was no competition at all, just celebration and support of each other, knowing that we had simply obeyed God’s call to write songs for our church.  It was a truly beautiful time to celebrate and worship together. I’ve never experienced anything like it. We now get to share these songs with our congregation as an offering of our gifts to the church.

So what does this mean for you and your church? Each of us have unique congregations with unique gifts.  I think we get caught up in trying to be like “this” church, or trying to sound like “that” worship leader, when God is calling us to be our unique self.  Just be YOU.  He made you just as you are for a specific purpose. Don’t become complacent and think, “oh I can’t do “x” because this worship leader does it better than me, or “that” song writer has already written “that” song.  No one can share your specific gifts the way you can, and no one has your unique voice to speak into things.

Isaiah 19 says…”See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Do you feel like you are in a rut or a spiritual wasteland?  Ask God to show you what “new thing” he is wanting to do in you, your worship ministry and your congregation.  Then take a leap of faith and obey His call.  You will be amazed at what happens when we simply step into who God has called us to be.

EMBRACE IT & CHASE IT

By: Luke Brown

Matthew 18:20

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

My wife orders her In-N-Out burger with grilled onions and tomato. I order a double double with regular onions and no tomato. Some people like their In-N-Out burger animal style, and some people don’t even like In-N-Out (which absolutely boggles my mind)! In this modern day life, you can “have it your way” no matter what. This has spilled over into the modern day church, as well. All of us “try churches out” to see if it fits us, then move on when it doesn’t fit what we need. I often hear that one of the main criteria people judge churches on is the the worship music. Which style, what songs, how good, how many songs, stand, sit, too loud or not loud enough. *You name it I’m sure whatever it is…. it can be a deal breaker for someone. Just like my metaphor to start this post. Who’s gonna keep reading and who isn’t. 🙂

 

Paul David Tripp says this about corporate worship: “Corporate worship is a regular gracious reminder that it’s not about you. You’ve been born into a life that is a celebration of another.” 

As Christians, we are called to join together and to worship our Savior. What brings your heart to the feet of Jesus? Is it scripture, a hymn or a praise chorus? As worship leaders, It is vital that we have an awareness to the body that we are leading. What songs or elements work for them to see Jesus in all of His glory and to worship Him in that moment that we are together? I believe the songs that we choose for our sets are the greatest vehicle to usher His children into the worship of Him. When we choose the songs for our sets, we are co-laboring with the Holy Spirit to usher His children into the worship of Him.

Figure out what moves your church. You could be at a more established church that is rooted in hymns. Perhaps they worship most genuinely when singing the deep theology that hymns provide. Maybe, you are at a more contemporary church that is experiencing a movement and the style of worship is more modern or emotive. Whatever it looks like….. recognize it, then embrace it and chase it.

 

 Embrace the body of Christ where you are. Lead so they can worship. If your church comes alive singing hymns…. lead them. If you try and lead a modern worship song at that church, then there could be a chance you are just performing; because some of the people you are trying to lead are now just watching you because they feel they can’t sing along or just don’t want to. Worship is NOT about us! Chase what works not a style. Chase what moves your congregation to repentance and surrender in worship. Don’t just add a song to add it. Be intentional about the songs you lead. Plan ahead. Talk with the pastor about songs and message. I feel that planning ahead allows you to discern from the spirit what the body needs to hear on any given weekend.

As worship leaders, we have a great responsibility and privilege to shepherd the body of Christ through the gift of music and song. May we never take this lightly. May we be in prayer every day that the Lord would reveal to us the needs of the congregations we serve so that we can lead them well. By doing this, we can help break down any walls that may stand in our way. We can worship the Lord together, as one body, in spirit and in truth.

Embracing The Arts in the Church

(Karin Simmons is a worship leader at St. Mary’s of Bethany, a newly formed Anglican fellowship in Nashville, TN.)

by Karin Simmons

I was not raised Anglican. I spent my most formative years in contemporary evangelical churches; years that cultivated my love for music that pointed me to God. Now for the past 10 years or so, I’ve found myself in churches with deep, liturgical roots and it speaks to me profoundly.

One part of the Anglican church I’ve thoroughly loved is the way it embraces its resident artists – visual, musical, culinary, and written word artists. I want to share a few examples of how our church embraces and celebrates the creatives within its community. I realize that not all elements of this will apply to all congregations, but if you can take away one or two ideas that work within the structure of your style of worship, I believe you’ll be blessed by it.

Visual Arts

Do you have any visual artists in your church? Painters, woodworkers, seamstresses, potters? Every week, our church utilizes items that have been hand-crafted by either a member of our church, or by someone who wished to share their gift with our body.

Paintings, oil and water-color, are displayed in an effort to point the viewer back to the Creator.

The linens on our Communion Table have been lovingly hand sewn and embroidered as a gift to the Lord.

The processional cross and candles, likewise have been fashioned out of wood and steel and created specifically for our congregation’s use.

The dishes used to serve The Lord’s Supper to our parishioners, and the baptismal font are hand-thrown pottery and gifted for our church’s use.

Tapping into the talents of your congregants is a very personal way of letting them know they are loved, supported and appreciated.

Music Arts

Musicians probably form the broadest subset of artists in your worship community. But are you using them to their fullest potential?

Have you ever asked a songwriter to set a Psalm to music? How about creating a new version of The Lord’s Prayer specifically for your church’s use. Or a worship song that speaks to what your congregation is learning?

It’s a practice that’s well documented over the centuries – musicians creating music for their own churches.

As a personal example, in our church we sing (or chant) a Psalm together each Sunday (as determined by the Book of Common Prayer). I often set each week’s Psalm to music, creating what I hope will be a memorable chorus that will stick with them through the week – working to help hide God’s Word in the hearts of His people.

Written Arts

Do you have talented writers in your church? Poets? Consider using a specially written Call To Worship that sets the tone for your church during specific seasons.

Consider writing a corporate prayer of confession for your congregation.

If you use dramatic arts in your worship, this is a great way to utilize the writing talents of those in your church for whatever you’re creating.

Culinary Arts

This is an area that is often overlooked as a viable art in the church and yet, how many of us remember fondly our all-church suppers, or dinner on the ground? Culinary artists need not be limited to the all-familiar potluck, however. Two other very specific ways that food can be used as a gift comes to mind.

Perhaps you have several people in your church that would like to contribute their time and resources to create a frozen pantry – freezer meals made in bulk that can be easily accessed to give to someone in need.

Culinary expertise can also be utilized in the making of communion bread. Leavened or unleavened, this can of course be reserved for special occasions. But what a tangible gift to receive the body of our Lord by the fruit of someone’s hands.

The Church has long been known to embrace the arts with open arms and open wallets. Many classical composers, most notably J.S. Bach, were on the payroll with their local parish, commissioned to create new music throughout the year.

Very few churches these days have budgets large enough to pay all of their artists. That doesn’t mean you can’t have good art. Know your congregation and the diverse talents they possess. Many artists will give of their talents if only they’re asked. Prayerfully consider this; do some reading; recognize when it’s appropriate to offer compensation and when it’s ok to ask for and receive a gift.

Enjoy the broad spectrum of the arts in your church. Since we know that God created the heavens and the earth, then how can we not believe that He is the penultimate Creative. And since we are created in His image, then we are also creative and have been made to use our various gifts to bring God glory.

Writing Songs of Worship

by Leslie Jordan

I have been writing songs for 18 years. Six and half years ago I started writing songs for the church. I was a part of a broken and beautiful community of people looking for songs that connected us to God: songs of lament, songs of confession, songs of joy, and songs of praise. I quickly realized that when writing songs for a community, there is beauty when writing them in community.

I had never heard the term “co-writing” until I moved to Nashville in college. I had only ever written alone and didn’t know a song could be written with someone else. It seemed scary and vulnerable, and not for me. That is, until I tried it.

My hope today is to share the process I’ve come to know and love when co-writing songs for the church.
• Believe in your own story
• Know your Co-Writers
• Find your shared truth
• Release your ideas
• Connect to biblical truth
• Surrender your song to God

Believe in your own story
When I first began co-writing, I was scared to death. I didn’t think that my ideas or story would be worth sharing. I struggled with the fear that “I am not good enough.”
Henri Nouwen says this in his book Discernment;

“What is the greatest temptation? I wonder if [it] is self-rejection…My dark side says, ‘I am not good. I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned.’ Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us God’s beloved. Being the beloved expresses the core truth of our existence.”

Before you walk into any collaboration, you must know that what God has given you – your story, your heart, your soul, your convictions – belongs to no one else. The truths you share about God may be universal but the way you experience them is specific to you and how He created you. Walk in that reality!

Know your co-writers
If you feel insecure, chances are your co-writer feels the same way. Spend time getting to know each other’s story. Ask questions, be a good listener, and share from experience. If your co-writer happens to be someone you know intimately, spend time catching up on life. Share what God is teaching you or how you’ve seen him move lately. Create a safe place for one another and anticipate that God speaks through our stories. Then spend time talking about your church. If these songs are for your people, they have to be created from a place of knowing their needs. In what season is your church? Lament? Celebration? Confession? Proclamation? What song do you need to sing as a congregation? These questions will quickly lead you into the next step of the process.

Find your Shared Truth
A few years ago we wrote with Paul Baloch. Paul is a pioneer of church music with a pastor’s heart. We didn’t know Paul before our songwriting session with him so we spent a good bit of time getting to know each other. It was beautiful and natural and by the end we felt like old friends. I remember sharing with Paul that our church was in a season of lament but that we were emerging on the other side. We had spent several years acknowledging our brokenness and allowing God to work through that. As we grew and healed, we felt that God was ushering us into a new season of trusting and delighting in Him. Paul immediately said, “I feel the same thing for my community. As I was driving here this morning, the sun cracked the edge of dawn and I was overwhelmed by God’s beauty and goodness. When we behold God, we move beyond our fears and into His light and promise.” This was our shared truth. Sometimes it won’t come that naturally. You may have to work to find it. But I believe that it always emerges. God tends to speak similar things to those he brings together. And if you find that nothing similar emerges, then perhaps move on to the next step of releasing your ideas.

Release Your Ideas
This can be the scariest step in the co-writing process. Maybe you’ve had a melody for 5 years and never shared it with anyone. Maybe you wrote a prayer in your journal when you were alone with God and it is vulnerable to share something so intimate. Perhaps God has something on your heart for your church to hear that is convicting and to share it means facing that reality in your own life. Whatever the hesitation, know that you are not alone. Every artist struggles with letting go of an idea. Once we found our shared truth with Paul, he stood up and grabbed his guitar. He started playing a G chord and said, “As I took in the sunrise the only word I could hear was, Behold!” He began singing a melody and singing “We behold! We behold!” That must have been incredibly vulnerable for Paul. And I’ll admit, I was impressed with his boldness. His willingness to release his idea made it easy to engage and begin sharing mine.

Connect Biblical Truth
As you can imagine, when Paul Baloche is wandering around the room singing a melody, you get caught up in the moment. He was singing words like “Majesty” and “Creation.” I remember we grabbed our Bibles and started looking up scriptures about beholding God’s majesty.

Psalm 8
1 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

I have found that there “is nothing new under the sun.” Lyrics have been written before. Almost every melody belongs to another song. So how do we find the right voice for our songs? I believe the answer lies in scripture. God has given us His words for the church to sing. As songwriters, we have been given a gift! And we must use it. Don’t be afraid to sing the psalms. That is their purpose.

Surrender Your Song to God
Perhaps the most important step of this songwriting process is the last one. David Leonard (with whom I write often) shares this thought in almost every co-writing session; “This song belongs to God and this moment. If He chooses to use it beyond this moment, that is up to Him. But for us right now, let it be a song that brings joy to our hearts and worship to our Creator.” When we find ourselves asking, “will people sing this?” or “is this good enough?” the thought of surrender almost inevitably releases the pressure to know the end of the story. I remember when we finished writing Oh Our Lord we sang it together. Three voices singing our story back to God. It was the story of a new day – of His mercies and glory. We sang about overcoming darkness with the power of the name of God. It was a moment I will never forget.
___________________________
I have experienced great beauty in collaboration and in sharing my story and exploring truth with other songwriters. I hope and pray that these thoughts are an encouragement in writing songs for you and your family!

The Heart of Visual Art

Brett is the Worship Arts Pastor at Journey Church in Franklin, TN. I asked him to be a guest blogger this week and share his heart for art in the church.

by Brett Mabury

The Sunday gathering has almost come to an end. Some are kneeling in prayer. Breadcrumbs adorn communion tables. Projection art speaks subtly. The music and singing subsides. We are led in a closing prayer. While I partly want to stay in this beautiful atmosphere, a common Sunday worship experience is still to come that is deeply significant.

In anticipation my eyes occasionally glance to the back of the room as I enjoy talking to church family. A small commotion reveals two children squeezing there way through the crowd. I excuse myself from conversation to watch Charlotte, my 5 year old daughter, and David, my 3 year old son, run at me shouting “daddy, daddy!”

Kneeling down I open my arms to have them both jump into my embrace. After a quick hug they turn their focus toward what they’ve created at Journey Kids. With delight they show me two crowns they have decorated, explaining the images and what they learned. These moments are glorious.

Sometimes my children gift me with art from the wonderful learning programs of school and church. Other times the art they give is self initiated, created in their bedroom, and no one else knows except us. Sometimes their art goes into my priceless daddy box. Other times I hang their art on a wall in our home for all to see (they are yet to complain about my choice for where the art is placed).

My children don’t share or give their art out of compulsion or shame. They are not a ‘commodity’ to me. They are my family! Their art is created, given and received joyfully because of love. The love exchange makes each brush stroke beautiful to me.

Love creates trust, and trust vulnerability. An ‘atmosphere’ that touches God’s heart and leads to boundless creative expression in the church.

Nick Jonas and Me

By Joe Gilder 

I was praying a few days ago, and God brought Nick Jonas to mind. (That’s not a sentence I’ve ever written before in my life.)

If you missed it (or you’re reading this in the future), there’s a video going around internet this week featuring Nick Jonas (one of the Jonas Brothers) botching a guitar solo at an awards show.

People are all too giddy to share the video, along with witty comments like, “Nick, you don’t deserve that nice guitar you’re playing.”

It’s strikes me how okay we are as a culture to bash someone who fails at something. We love it when our least favorite politician gets caught in a scandal so we can do some justified bashing on Facebook. We get excited when a college kid drops the football and the other team wins in the last seconds of the game, because we know the internet will be all a-flurry with memes and jokes and instant replays shaming that dude for his unforgiveable mistake.

But would we think it was funny if someone publicly criticized our song choices on Sunday. Or if someone gets the wrong impression of us. Or if someone posts on Twitter complaining about how off pitch we sang on Sunday. For me, that’s when the fangs come out…at least internally.

“How dare they offend me. Don’t they know that hurts? Don’t they know how hard I work at this? Don’t they know how crippling my insecurities are? How dare they.”

But in the next breath it’s all too easy to turn around and leave a few witty remarks making fun of Nick Jonas’s guitar solo. Ah…that feels better.

We justify it. They’ve put themselves in the limelight. That’s what they get for being successful.

I’m sure Nick Jonas isn’t all that bothered by the bashing. He probably laughed all the way to the bank. I’m not writing this article because I’m concerned about Nick’s feelings. I’m concerned about our HEARTS.

What we don’t realize when we bash others is how much this message affects our own hearts. If you see so many people getting destroyed on the internet, theres a good chance it will make you think twice before stepping out and taking that chance, or fully entering into the role I feel God is calling you towards. Why? Because when you put yourself out there, people feel justified to tear you down. We know it’s true because we do the same thing.

What scares me even more is to think about the people I’ve negatively affected by bashing someone else. Am I perpetuating the lie that you have to be perfect or you will be utterly rejected? Shame is a powerful weapon, and the enemy would love to use God’s people to keep shame alive and well.

Let’s be the first ones to pause before we bash. It’s never okay to tear down another person.

Sure, Jesus confronted hypocrites and sinners, but he didn’t do it by posting to the local message boards. He confronted them directly.

He also welcomed the “poor and powerless” with open arms. As a church, we need to be a haven for broken people, not a place doling out shame and criticism to anyone who dares make a mistake.

Father, let me be the first to repent of how quickly I seize an opportunity to tear someone else down in order to build myself up. Forgive me, and fill me with JOY rather than cynicism.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8