Sing to You uploaded

Check out the music page for a new song!  Sing to You was introduced publicly at Rock the Light a few weeks ago, but this is its first appearance in the digital realm.  Sing to You is an upbeat worship song that describes our desire as worshippers to do more than just sing, dance, pray, etc.  Due to our intimate relationship with God, we desire to sing our entire lives to Him and share His love with others.

Rock The Light

God is good!  Over 175 people attended the Rock the Light festival in Bowers, Pa. on Saturday.  The weather was beautiful, and it was a blessing to be one of the performers at this ministry opportunity.  I made a lot of new friends, enjoyed great entertainment from fellow artists and felt God's hand on the event throughout the day.  Thanks to Jamie and Amy Ross of Light the Way ministries for organizing such a great tool of evangelism.

WorSHIP!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of leading worship at Life Community Church in Shippensburg, Pa. I remember one particular moment during the first congregational song where my mind went blank on the lyrics. I recovered in time by looking down at the video monitor, but that initial fear of having to stumble through the wrong lyrics (or worse yet stop the song) crept into my mind. The service actually went very well and the song in question flowed smoothly, but my initial reaction of fear is what is prompting this post. For the next 3 songs in that service, my attitude of reverence and awe for God was dampened by a fear of forgetting lyrics. Worse yet, I found myself hovering around the video monitor and glancing down frequently even though I knew the lyrics well. During the prayer before the last song, I heard God asking me "Why are you afraid? Am I not in My own house?". The last song I was finally able to turn that fear over to God, and we collectively offered "You Are God Alone" to Him as a heartfelt prayer. I'm thankful that God reminded me in such a direct way that fear has no place in our walk with Him.

Following in the shoes of Steven Curtis Chapman?

Sunday I had the pleasure of returning to Pocono raceway to provide the worship music for chapel at the Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race. Prior to the event I was feeling much more relaxed and confident compared to my first NASCAR event in June, since I knew what to expect this time around. That confidence, however, started to ebb when I spoke with the Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) race coordinator to learn that the music at chapel for last week's NASCAR race was provided than none other than Steven Curtis Chapman!!! Seriously, the last person the drivers, crew and families heard play in this setting was one of the most famous Contemporary Christian recording artists on the planet, and now they'll be comparing my musical offerings against the high standard he set the week before? Well, needless to say I was a little unnerved initially, but then an amazing thing started to happen....God started to adjust my perspective to see a glimpse of His perspective. First, I was reminded of a conversation with a friend I had just that morning about how worship leading in its purest form is done for an "Audience of One" and not anyone else. Then just prior to service I was speaking with the MRO chaplain about what songs I would be playing that morning, and I saw his jaw drop and face crack a knowing smile when I said one of the songs was a contemporary adaptation of "The Lord's Prayer". Despite the fact that I had never communicated to anyone at MRO the song choices for the service, God had designed it such that Pastor Tim's message was based on, you guessed it, the Lord's Prayer! Through these gentle reminders God gave me the confidence to continue by realizing that He had everything under control all along and that I was leading chapel at that very moment by His design!

I still remember where the studio is....

I know it's been awhile since I provided an update on what's been happening in the studio, but that doesn't mean its lying dormant or that I've forgotten where it is. Actually I've been spending some time there recently, and I'm so excited about a new worship song called "Sing to You" that I'm in the process of recording. In preparation for the launching of a new ministry (WorshipTune Ministries) focused on providing training to worship teams at small churches, I've been feeling God's nudging to write some new praise & worship songs that highlight the relationship we engage in with God during worship. The song "Sing to You" describes our collective yearning to express more adoration and praise to God than seems possible through earthly means, and promises to instead offer our entire lives as songs of praise to Him. I'm still putting the finishing touches on the recording, but look for it to show up here on the Music page in a couple of weeks.

NASCAR and worship?

OK, so now in hindsight it seems completely obvious to me, but before my trip to this past weekend's race at Pocono I had never pondered where Christian drivers attended church given they always race on Sundays. Thanks to the kind folks at Motor Racing Outreach the drivers, family members, crew, press and even some fans have the opportunity to worship at the track before the race begins. I had the pleasure of providing the music at this past weekend's chapel service in the garage area of the Pocono 500 race. The Motor Racing Outreach team has done an outstanding job of building relationships within the NASCAR community, so the chapel service was well attended and very uplifting. Although the service itself lasted for only about 20 minutes, the Holy Spirit was definitely present and a feeling of peace and comfort seemed to permeate throughout the garage. I couldn't help but think about how in my own walk with God I seek and lean on Him the most in times of stress and danger. Driving 200+ miles per hour with 50 other cars for nearly 3 hours definitely qualifies as dangerous and probably stressful, so I was struck by what a great opportunity Motor Racing Outreach provides for the drivers and others to find God and His peace amidst the stress of their race day activities. I am looking forward to returning to the chapel service in August for the Pennsylvania 500.

Finding my place in ministry..

I just returned from A.C.T. International's orientation training in Turlock, CA feeling spiritually renewed and inspired to give more of myself. A.C.T. believes the artists who partner with them are not just performers, but are also ministers within the communities where God has placed them. This approach really resonates with me, and has challenged me to spend more time in communication with God to discover His vision for how I can serve in ministry. The morning I was to fly home from Turlock I awoke early and couldn't get back to sleep. I then spent the next hour in prayer with God revealing the first steps of His plan to build a consultative and training ministry for small churches looking to build or grow their praise team. As God's plan is continually revealed to me, I realize how He has prepared me for this ministry with a unique set of experiences, trials and opportunities. I continue to be in awe of the depth of God's plans, and eagerly anticipate staying close to Him to learn more. Stay tuned as WorshipTune Ministries takes shape.

Music or ministry? I choose both...

Is life about music or ministry? The question likely seems silly to you, but I wrestle with it frequently. In terms of what I give priority, music occupies a lot of my time. Fortunately, God routinely reminds me that He gives us His passion for those activities to which He calls us into ministry. Your calling might be something other than music, but I emplore you not to underestimate what God can do with a passion-filled believer in any ministry. So, if God's put something on your heart today, I say "Go for it!"...the Big Guy's got your back.

Doors are opening, and finally my heart is too!

"I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me." Psalm 13:6. That verse spoke to me today as I "stumbled" upon it. It just seems to fit perfectly with my outlook about life in recent weeks. God has been opening doors for my ministry recently, and it took that verse to hone a grateful spirit within me. I encourage you to learn from my mistake of taking things for granted and look at the opportunities in your life anew. You might be surprised of all the ways in which you can make a difference to others.

Inspired by Job

I've been reading the book of Job recently, and it inspired me to write a new song. I haven't recorded it yet, but I'll try to post it in the near future. Its working title is "Control (Job's Song)," and it focuses on the need we often have to explain God's actions in our own terms. Job's friends told him that he was being punished for his sins, but Job stayed faithful despite the suffering brought on him by Satan. Why did God allow Satan to torture an innocent man? Well, the conclusion of my new song is that we don't always know why God does what He does, but if we yield control to Him then, (like Job) we can endure anything and come out on the other side stronger for it.