10 Days in Matty 10: Day 4

Let’s get rolling with Day 4 of “Ten Days in Matty Ten.”

Honestly, this one slammed me. I mean it hit me hard. This has been plagueing me since I read it. It’s hard for me. I have to really try hard at this one.

“Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in you belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” Matthew 10:9, 10

I read this and thought, “Oh no.” This is God’s command for me not to worry about having the “stuff”, like lights, cool graphics, or a full band, that makes a “great” worship experience.

Ok, I read this and thought, “But as a church planter, I don’t have any equipment. So I have to think about getting that stuff.” Then I stopped and realized what I had just said. In church today, if you don’t have the latest technology, the coolest videos, or the best music, you aren’t doing worship ministry right. Seriously, like it or not, we believe that! I believe it! If my worship experience is not on the level of a Northpoint Community, or Willow Creek, then I need to step up to the plate, or I’m not doing things to the best level I can.

Here’s what we forget. God tells us to do our best with what we have, not what we want to have. If I don’t have the super computer to run the super software, then don’t try to fake it. I’ll take my four year old Mac iBook G4 and my original Adobe Photoshop and rock it out. God didn’t tell us that we have to do things as good as somebody else. He told us to do it the best that we can. I’m not Chris Tomlin, so guess what, I’m can’t do what Chris Tomlin does. I’m not at Northpoint, so guess what, I won’t do things the way Northpoint does them. I’m at Sojourn, so I am going to do things the way we do them at Sojourn.

But I’m not gonna lie. This is really hard. Northpoint and Willow Creek and Fellowship Church have really influenced my vision for worship ministry. I love technology. I’m a technology geek. My degree is in audio engineering, so technology is a huge part of my education, career, and life. But I have to realize where God has me right now. I have to remember that I’m at a starting point. I’m not 10 years down the road. I have to remember that we don’t have the resources to have all the good “stuff.”

But that certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t dream about where I want to be. Dreaming is what keeps your vision moving and growing. You have to dream. But you can’t let your expectations of the future die because of your present capabilities. If you don’t dream you don’t have a vision. After all, isn’t what a vision is, a dream? Your vision is what you want to accomplish. It’s what you goal is. But we also have to dream big. I dream of a worship ministry that is a level above Northpoint or Willow Creek or Fellowship. And I’l put my own twist on it. But right now I dream of the future, but I plant and execute in the present to get to that future.

So that’s that. But again, I really struggle with this. It’s really, really hard for me. I’ve been on staff at a church before that had the technology and had the videos and had the music. So it’s hard not to expect things to be the same way somewhere else. But that’s why I dream. That’s why I have a vision.