Most worship songs are joyful, celebratory, and faith-filled. And that’s all well and good, because lots of worship in the Bible is joyful and celebratory and faith-filled. But there is another strain of worship in the Bible: the laments. These expressions of worship don’t often make it onto a Hillsongs CD because they say things like “God has broken my teeth with gravel” (Lamentations 3:16) or “the darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88:18) or “may my enemies be blotted out from among the living” (Psalm 69:28).
We’re not exactly sure what to do with songs like these… they seem sort of bitter and depressed and vindictive. Because we have excised this portion of Scripture from our communal worship, we have no idea how to worship God when we’re not happy. We have no idea how to be “worshipfully depressed.” We don’t know how to express to God our anger, confusion, protest, and grief in ways that are good and right and healthy. And so most of us, when we feel these things, end up pulling away from God and community and worship.
This spring we’re going to try to right the ship. We’re going to teach through the book of Lamentations during Lent. We’re going to get good and depressed together for the glory of God. And during that series, we’re going to sing some worship songs that aren’t happy-clappy. We want to really feel and express together, as a community, the grief and anger and pain and emotion of the lament Psalms.
So I’m putting out the call to all the musicians and worship leaders far and wide who read this blog: we want your help. Since Tomlin isn’t recording any laments, we need you to write some. Strock and Kendal and I are already working on a few ourselves. But we’d welcome your contribution. This is an invite for you to break out your minor-key chord chart, open up your Bible to Lamentations, and put biblical grief to music. Send us what you come up with, and if we like it, we’ll use it in our corporate gathering. So if your name is Aaron B, or Josh T, or Jared J, or Luke P… it’s go time. Let’s do this. Who knows, maybe we’ll even get Tomlin to record one of them after all.
With the generous help of extended family, my wife and I got our kids a puppy for Christmas. The look on their faces on Christmas morning was priceless! Yes, it was the best Christmas ever. Until Christmas night.
See, puppies are cute and cuddly and furry and playful. They are also used to living with 8 littermates and going to the bathroom every 2 hours. Which means when you lock them in a kennel for the night, all alone, in a house full of humans, they aren’t quite sure what to do.
The first night, Daisy the puppy woke up 4 times needing to go outside, pooped in her kennel once, howled for a total of an hour because she didn’t like being alone, and decided to get up for the day at 6 AM. The second night, 3 trips outside and 30 minutes of howling. The third and fourth nights, 3 trips outside but the howling was down to 15 minutes. Finally, last night: no howling. No waking up early. She is finally getting used to the rhythms of living with humans. “When I whine at night, they let me outside to go to the bathroom. Then they put me back in this kennel. No matter how much I howl, they won’t get me up to play until it’s morning.”
What I’m learning from Daisy is that rhythms don’t change overnight. A dog who is used to canine littermates, a mama dog who attended to her needs, and total autonomy won’t adjust overnight to an entirely new environment, a new pattern of waking and sleeping, and a family of humans. It takes a few days to settle into a new pattern of life.
The same is true in spiritual formation. The spiritual patterns and practices you have (or haven’t) established won’t change overnight. If you’re the kind of person who rarely reads your Bible, you’ll be prone to remain that way, no matter how many New Year’s Resolutions you make. If you’re the kind of person who’d rather watch TV than pray, you won’t find yourself praying fervently next week. If you are accustomed to enjoying your “alone time” after a tough week at work or a long day with the kids, you won’t feel too enthusiastic about using the dinner hour to practice hospitality. Change is not easy. “Old habits die hard.” The rhythms that define your life are like well-worn ruts on a country road: they pull you back in almost without effort.
But the good news is that with disciplined effort over time, you CAN create new rhythms. Heck, if my dog can do it, so can you. You might not love reading your Bible tomorrow. But if you remain disciplined for an entire month, you’ll find it becoming a new pattern in your life. You might not become an extravert next week (or ever). But if you implement an intentional pattern of hospitality, you will find it beginning to fit rather easily in your weekly routine. You might feel “too busy” to be part of a missional community. But if you commit yourself to attending for a month or two, I daresay you’ll find it much more fulfilling and life-giving than whatever rhythm you currently enjoy.
The unique thing about my dog is that she’s an animal, so she can’t make excuses. She has no choice but to learn to live in the new pattern I’m defining for her. For you, it will take a decision.
“Be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9).
Penn and Teller insult the Bible and Christians regularly as part of their in-your-face comedy gig (you may recall the clip we watched during the “Objections” series where they “debunked” the Bible). But Penn, a self-proclaimed atheist, recently had an encounter with a Christian who gave a blessing instead of returning evil for evil. Penn’s response is a beautiful and surprising illustration of how living in the rhythm of the gospel disarms our detractors and sows seeds of redemption.
If you have been around Coram Deo, this post is not news to you. But for those of you who aren’t part of our church community – or in case you have been sleeping during our Sunday gathering – Coram Deo has the distinct privilege of hosting an Acts 29 regional conference next February. We are partnering with our friends at Core Community Church to bring in Dr. John Hannah, a wise and winsome historian who knows more than you do. We’ve asked Dr. Hannah to give a one-day overview of church history, focusing especially on the historical developments that sparked the Reformation.
As part of our desire to serve and bless our city and our region, this conference is open to those outside our church community. But space is limited, so if you want in, you’d be wise to register early. Even if you can’t be at the conference, you’re still welcome to join us for the free Friday night session on “Why History Matters.” You can find out all the details at the conference website.
On Saturday night, a number of people in the Coram Deo Community will be exercising their musical talents, all in one place no less.
It is the official cd release party for the first ever studio EP of the band 49 cents, of which Ryan Curtis and Cody Seebohm are a part.
Also taking part in the festivities will be indie rock band Akita-Ken. Manning the drum kit for this sometimes punk-driven trio is the Coram Deo maestro of the djembe himself Cody Bailey.
And headlining the night is our own Jared Strock with special guest Luke Pettipoole from The Envy Corps. The show is at Club Roxbury and gets started at 9pm, so come out and support local music in Omaha.
Often times there are things that get left out of a sermon. As Bob and Walker remind me, “The job of a preacher is not to say everything, it is to say something.” It is in light of this reality that some things (good things) got cut out of my sermon on The God Who Is: Good yesterday. The blog is a good place to continue the conversation from Sunday and to relay some of the “things” that did not make it.
One of the questions that I asked about God’s goodness was “Why does it matter that we believe God is good?” I made the point yesterday that it matters because there will be times in our life when God’s goodness is directly challenged. And it is times like these when we must stand on our theology of God’s goodness, we must rest in God’s goodness. There is another important reason of why it matters that we believe that God is good, of how our belief in God’s goodness affects our daily Christian life. It matters because God’s goodness affects our obedience.
We act and move in accordance with what we believe is good. Or in other words, what we think and believe is good affects what we do, what we say, it affects the decisions we make, where our time goes, where our money goes, what we get involved in, what we don’t.
For example, what did your Mom tell you when she wanted you to eat your vegetables? “Oh come on, they are good for you!” And either that argument persuaded you or it didn’t. And if it didn’t, what really persuaded you was “well, it is good for me to eat these vegetables because if I don’t, I won’t get any dessert afterwards.” We are constantly evaluating what is good and what is not and making decisions based on the outcome. And it is not always simple, we are complex beings and our decisions become very complicated sometimes. There are many factors to consider and many people involved that we must consider. But this principle is still true: we act and move in accordance with what we believe is good. We decide how to spend our money based on what we believe is good. Good for us, our family, others. We decide how to spend our time based on what we believe is good. From the small details of daily life to the big decisions that we fret over for months, and everything in between, we act and move in accordance with what we believe is good.
It is because of this truth that God’s goodness affects our obedience to Him. Or in other words, our obedience to God is directly tied to whether or not we believe and trust in His goodness. And the level to which I believe and trust in His goodness, is the level to which I will obey Him. When we start to believe the lie that God is not for our good and so we must be out for ourselves, out for our own good -or- when we start believing the lie that something outside of God will satisfy… our lives become marked by disobedience to God.
One truth I shared yesterday is that God’s goodness is directed towards our repentance. Therefore, we must practice repentence and turning to God in faith in order that our lives might be marked by obedience for the purpose of experiencing God’s goodness. It is through our obedience to God that we are able to experience the power of the gospel, come to know and love God, have a relationship with Him, and delight in His goodness. It is the nearness of God that is our highest good.
All of this is for the ultimate end of the glory of God — “God is most glorifed in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” (John Piper)
Kendal (a Texas grad) was pretty sure that Sam Bradford would win the Heisman. But I (an OU grad) was doubtful. The competition was stiff (Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow), and the Sooners are a team people love to hate. So we bet a beer on it.
I figured, hey, worst case scenario: my guy wins the Heisman, and I have to buy another guy a beer? Shoot, I’d do that anyway. And on the other hand, if my guy loses (and therefore I win the bet), Kendal buys me a beer as a consolation prize.
Doesn’t this count as a win-win? Or maybe even a win-lose-win?
Last December we sought to raise $40,000 to fund the work of Mosaic Community Development, in addition to the $20,000 we needed to pay the bills at Coram Deo. We thought that was a pretty aggressive goal. Actually God brought in $98,000 in that month as people lived simply and gave sacrificially. The generosity of his people was a demonstration of His faithfulness.
So this year, as we prayed about sending JD and Michele Senkbile to Africa, we thought we’d trust God for something beyond ourselves once again. Why? Because it’s a faith-building experience. It’s too easy for us to get comfortable with what we’re giving. It’s too easy for us to settle in to a lifestyle that’s still not sacrificial. We need comparisons that force our hand. If eating out less during December could help provide housing for a poor family in South Africa or education for an indigenous church planter, would any of us think that a poor trade?
So we are once again setting a faith goal before ourselves. I post it here to 1) remind you of it; 2) encourage you to pray and give toward it; and 3) invite some of our friends outside the Coram Deo community to consider giving to it. Almost $40k of what God provided last year came from outside of Coram Deo, as generous friends sensed God calling them to help. As a church of young, mostly broke people, we are thankful for the provision that comes from those more seasoned in the faith who want to help the work of church planting!
December 2008 Goals:
$35,000 to meet Coram Deo’s budget (normal monthly giving)
$20,000 to fund JD and Michele’s transition costs (major relocation expenses like shipping, airfare, transportation, furniture, etc)
$45,000 to create a “Facility Fund” that will give Coram Deo some flexibility to eventually pursue facility options as we outgrow what God has provided so far
For about a year now, JD and Will and I have been in prayerful dialogue with some of our pastor friends in the Acts 29 Network (primarily Jeff Vanderstelt at Soma and Daniel Montgomery at Sojourn) about tweaking Coram Deo’s core values to make the gospel more central. Right now “The Gospel Changes Everything” is one of our core values. We really want it to be THE core value (as it is functionally). We have also been troubled that core values are great on paper, but can sometimes be vague in real life. Jeff and Daniel have been particularly helpful in sorting this all out.
This week I have been working on a way of talking about the kind of community we are using the language of “identities” (who we are) and “rhythms” (what we do). I am posting it below. Would love your feedback.
Ultimately, this is more than new language; it will necessitate some changes in our communal life so that we are actually living out, in a committed way, the “rhythms” outlined below. But you should see our current core values generously represented – and hopefully taken to a new level of intentionality – in these identities and rhythms.
GOSPEL IDENTITIES
When the gospel takes root in a person, it creates a fundamental change of identity. Those who were formerly God’s enemies (Romans 5:10) become his friends (John 15:13-15). Those who were previously slaves to sin become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). Those whose hearts were dead toward God are made alive in him (Ephesians 2:1-6). Those born into sin are reborn in Christ and become “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Exactly what does this change look and feel like? A Christian’s new identity can be viewed through multiple perspectives or “lenses.” So we speak not just of a new identity, but of our gospel identities. The gospel transforms us in a holistic way that can’t be summarized in just one way of speaking.
Learners:
We are Jesus’ disciples, learning to glorify God by obeying everything he commanded
Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:2
Family:
We are God’s sons and daughters, adopted and accepted into his family through Jesus
Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:14-17
Servants:
We are God’s servants, set free in Christ to bless and serve the people around us
Mark 10:45; Romans 6:18-22; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
LEARNERS
Before the gospel changes us, we are enslaved to “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:1-3). We act as our own gods, pursuing our own desires and committed to our own independence. But through the gospel, we become “obedient from the heart” to Jesus’ teaching (Romans 6:17-18). We are changed into disciples, or learners – people who want to come under Jesus’ teaching, submit to his ways, and learn what it means to live life for His glory.
As learners, we study the Bible to understand what God has said. We practice the disciplines of prayer, solitude, and reflection so that we can discern the leading of the Holy Spirit. We learn from the teaching, training, and wisdom of godly leaders and teachers. We create communities of discipleship so that we can learn from each other. And we engage the world around us so that we can relate with relevance and wisdom to those who share our cultural setting.
FAMILY
Before the gospel changes us, we are “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3). We are subject to God’s judgment because of our sin. But through the gospel, we are adopted into God’s family (Galatians 4:4-7). We become his sons and daughters. We are no longer orphans, alienated from God and each other, but brothers and sisters in God’s family.
As family, we live by the “house rules” given in Scripture. We look out for each other and care for one another. We are jealous for the honor of our Father’s good name (Matt 6:9). And we feel love and kinship toward those alienated from God, longing for them to be reconciled to our Father who created them in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:27).
SERVANTS
Before the gospel changes us, we love to “follow the ways of this world” (Ephesians 2:1-3). Our sin, which feels like an expression of freedom, actually enslaves us (Romans 6:16). But in the gospel, God delivers us from our slavery to sin and self so that we can freely serve him by the power of His Spirit (Romans 6:18-22). Released from self-absorption, self-concern, and self-worship, we can joyfully die to ourselves in order to love and serve others, just as Jesus did (Luke 22:27).
As servants, we see all of life as service to God. We seek tangible ways to love and serve others. We meet the needs of our city through acts of compassion, mercy, and justice. We joyfully submit to God (James 4:7), to qualified spiritual leaders (Hebrews 13:17), and to each other (Ephesians 5:21). And we cultivate a lifestyle of simplicity and generosity to show that we worship Jesus and not the American idols of comfort, affluence, and success.
RHYTHMS
Our name, Coram Deo, is a Latin phrase that means “before the face of God.” We chose this name to reinforce the fact that all of life is spiritual. Every moment is lived in the presence of God. There can be no division between sacred and secular – “everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).
This means that our gospel identities work themselves out in the stuff of everyday life. Every event of our lives becomes an opportunity for gospel formation and gospel mission. We are called and sent to be the church – the people of God – everywhere, all the time. Instead of passively experiencing life, we are to actively engage the world around us for the sake of God’s mission and glory.
As a community, we intentionally practice the following rhythms as a way of bringing the gospel into the real patterns and activities of our actual lives…
GOSPEL-FORMED: We live our lives in light of the gospel
The gospel is God’s Story – the story he has been writing since before time began. In Christ, we have been caught up in that story; we are participants in it. Yet we have a tendency to “forget” the gospel – to drift away from its truth and beauty (Colossians 1:23). Therefore, we regularly reacquaint ourselves with the gospel by interacting with God’s word. We remind ourselves and each other of the gospel constantly. We look for “gospel clues” in the culture’s stories to help us discern relevant ways to tell the gospel story. And we take time to listen to the stories of others and help them discover where God’s story intersects their own.
LISTEN: We set aside regular times to listen to God and others
Jesus listened to God in prayer to discern the Father’s will (Matthew 26:39). And when Jesus ascended to heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to help his people by speaking truth (John 16:7-15). So we set aside time to listen to what God has said in his word, what he is saying through his Holy Spirit, and what he is saying through human beings around us who are made in his image.
CELEBRATE: We gather together to celebrate God’s extravagant blessings
The Bible is a book of feasts, festivals, and parties – because God wants his people to regularly celebrate his goodness, grace, and provision. So we gather weekly in missional communities and at our Sunday worship gatherings to celebrate what God has done in the gospel and what he is doing in us and around us. We also enter redemptively into the celebrations of the people around us, as Jesus did (Mark 2:14-17; John 2:1-12), looking for opportunities to serve, learn, and find common ground for the gospel.
BLESS: We intentionally bless others through words, gifts, and actions
Though we are entirely undeserving, God has chosen to “bless us with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). He has done this not solely for our own good; rather, we have received from God in order that we might freely give to others (Genesis 12:1-3; Matthew 10:8). Therefore, we live with a spirit of generosity toward God and others. We intentionally seek God’s direction for how we can tangibly bless others every week.
EAT: We regularly share meals with others to demonstrate the hospitality of God
Meals are a daily reminder of the gospel: we come needy, and our need is graciously met by God’s provision (Matthew 6:11). Perhaps this is one reason Jesus called us to remember his death through a meal. Additionally, sharing the table with someone is a universal expression of community and hospitality. So we regularly share meals with each other and with those outside our normal circle of friends as a means of showing gospel hospitality and beckoning them toward a life of dependence on God (Hebrews 13:2).
REST: We take time to rest, play, create, and restore beauty in ways that glorify God
Because we are justified by God’s grace and not our work, and because God is sovereign over the universe, we can truly rest. We work hard for the glory of God (Colossians 3:23), and we rest in his protection and provision (Psalm 127:2; Matthew 6:25-34). We regularly take time to rest, play, create, and restore beauty in order to demonstrate by our actions that God is Creator, Sustainer, Provider, and Redeemer.
With the generous help of extended family, my wife and I got our kids a puppy for Christmas. The look on their faces on Christmas morning was priceless! Yes, it was the best Christmas ever. Until Christmas night.
If you have been around Coram Deo, this post is not news to you. But for those of you who aren’t part of our church community – or in case you have been sleeping during our Sunday gathering – Coram Deo has the distinct privilege of hosting an 
Kendal (a Texas grad) was pretty sure that Sam Bradford would win the Heisman. But I (an OU grad) was doubtful. The competition was stiff (Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow), and the Sooners are a team people love to hate. So we bet a beer on it.
Last December we sought to raise $40,000 to fund the work of Mosaic Community Development, in addition to the $20,000 we needed to pay the bills at Coram Deo. We thought that was a pretty aggressive goal. Actually God brought in $98,000 in that month as people lived simply and gave sacrificially. The generosity of his people was a demonstration of His faithfulness.