Perception-Reality-Truth
Mar 30, 2008 faith
When I woke up this morning, I sensed (very strongly) God had something different in mind for this Sunday morning. I found the church where Don Poythress leads worship, Abundant Life, in Mt. Juliet. It’s a modest building with a small congregation, one seemingly surrounded by several large churches I saw along the route in. Their sign says they are an “interdenominational” congregation.
Worship was well so done. Seems several of the church elders are on the worship team, quality musicians and everything sounded as one would expect this close to the heart of Nashville. At one point during worship, a woman asked to speak, and shared a phrase she’d had laid on her heart some time ago, she felt this was the moment to share it:
Perception is reality, but not always truth…
I don’t know if she knew that one of the guitarists, Jim LaVerde, an elder, associate pastor and assistant leader of the worship team, would be filling in for the senior pastor today. But her prophetic word really set the stage for the context of the rest of the service. Don had shared (somewhat apprehensively) before service started that today’s service would be very much out of the ordinary. Truth is, I believe this service could be the main reason God brought me to Nashville this week.
Jim embarked on engaging the congregation in dialog around the “American Church”. He started out with accounts of personal experiences with religiosity, and national averages for church attendance. With Don and one of the other elders flanked to his right, he then began asking questions of the congregation regarding the level of fervency, if not urgency, that appears to be absent in many congregations across the country.
The responsiveness, and genuiness of the congregation was humbling and convicting, and what I thought most cool about it all, is that while there are struggles and our passions may waver and wane, there is a lot of good work in progress, quiet servitude, based in love… for God’s glory.
Who knows if I’ll ever set foot in that building again, or ever come back to Nashville. I do know this, the challenge before me is much greater than any dream about music or writing. Hearing and seeing what I was privileged to witness today lifted my spirits and has me thinking about my focus and priorities. It’s time to bow in thanksgiving and ask the Lord to help me find my way into and through places I didn’t know I could or should go. It’s time to get beyond perception by trusting the compass of his word, which leads to truth. The key here is to trust when I don’t understand, and have faith for the outcome.
Tags: Abundant Life, grace, LaVerde, Mt. Juliet, Poythress, TN
Johnny Cash Parkway
Mar 30, 2008 faith, sojourn, songwriting
Today I briefly got to see the northeast side of the Nashville area as I made the quick jaunt to the Write About Jesus one day workshop. I only wish I’d left earlier to get a look around, but once I pulled into the Community Church of Hendersonville (on Johnny Cash Pkwy) where the event was held, I never got out to scope the town… that is, beyond the Starbucks just down the street.
The day was a blessing in so many ways, from the writers in attendance to the really cool groups of instructors assembled by Sue Smith to lead the sessions. The fact that these folks are all believers working in the music business in perhaps one of the last true havens for songwriters is a testament to the work for which God wants us to use our gifts. I feel the level of sincerity and care expressed in the instruction was different – refreshing and enlightening.
I’ve many favorite moments, from the teachings, interactions, and the songs shared by five writers at the end of the day. First, from a teaching perspective, while the attitude was light and inviting, the instructors came to teach, and teach they did. The panel on co-writing triggered the revelation that I’m ready, ready to take my writing to the next level through co-writing. Of course this is way easier said than done because I don’t live in Nashville, and I’m currently not in any writing relationships in Charlotte. Not to say there isn’t the potential for building these relationships (in Charlotte), that’s something I’ll need to work at. Bottom line: the quite successful writers on the panel made it very clear, going it alone is a tough road, co-writing increases potential for success in commercial markets.
Second was the Dave Clark session on how to go from “good to great”. Here’s a man with tons of experience in the business as a writer and publisher with a clear message –we’ve allowed our listening habits to infect the quality that goes into crafting songs. He talked about “emotional equity” and how investing in the emotional framework is the difference between settling and driving out a powerful song that’s general enough to touch the hearts of a broad spectrum of listeners.
I audited a critique session and had one song critiqued. The level of expertise and honesty was humbling yet easy to swallow. Again, a grace filled example of what the WAJ community is about. I met a couple of young writers, one of which appears to be on the fast track to a pub deal. Of the songs I heard, most of which were gospel or inspirational genre, the quality was way above average, a couple of them very close to cut-table, at least this was the sense I got from the critiquers.
Lastly, the songs Brian White, Molly Reed, and Don Poythress in the round, followed by individual performances by Scott Krippayne and Kyle Matthews put the sweet icing on a very rich cake. I’m not kidding myself into thinking the challenge isn’t great or the prize potentially unattainable… it’s about faith and seeking out God, and whether it’s His will or a winter wind I’m chasing remains to be seen. Time to pray, listen, and obey.
I’m overjoyed that my wife encouraged me to make the trip and invest the money to attend the workshop. In the morning I’ll further process the whole thing, and, Lord willing, draft out a lyric that I can turn into song by Monday or Tuesday. For now I’ll ready for bed and spend some quiet time thanking God for his hand in all this, from the provision to make this financially possible, and the servants he equipped to share and impact those of us that attended the one day WAJ worshop in Nashville – what a blessing!!!
Tags: Hendersonville, Music for the Soul, Sue Smith, TN, WAJ