“I am not ashamed to confess publicly that next to theology there is no art which is the equal of music, for she alone, after theology, can do what otherwise only theology can accomplish, namely, quiet and cheer up the soul of man, which is clear evidence that the devil, the originator of depressing worries and troubled thoughts, flees from the voice of music just as he flees from the words of theology.  For this very reason the prophets cultivated no art so much as music …

-  Martin Luther, 1530

All of us have been subjected to people who lead “worship” who are more intent on performance and listening to the sound of their own words and voices rather than knowing how to usher participants into the presence of God.

Derek and ChrisTiana Rice are two of my favorites when it comes to the use of music in worship.  And it is not because of their talent – which is considerable – but because of the source of their leadership.  Worship, and leading others in this pursuit, emanates out of their own intimacy with Jesus.  It flows from the depth of their souls and is grounded in their awe of the holy.

I’d like to clone them.  And this actually what will happen in the years ahead as they mentor, coach and develop others with their same sensitivities and passion.

Derek and ChrisTiana serve with NieuCommunities in San Diego, CA.

Well, it’s time to re-engage.

I’ve taken a much needed break from posting and am ready as we move into the remaining months of 2008, to begin anew.  I hope to keep the conversations here fresh, creative, and provocative (in a sanctified kind of way).

Thanks for sticking your head under-the-iceberg and being a part!

Well, we had an earthquake in Southern California, the epicenter not far from home. We shook! A few things fell off some shelves in our house and broke, but no damage beyond that.

Shortly afterwards, I got a call from the leader of the CRM team in Beirut, checking on us to see that all was OK. His observation was the best: “At least we don’t die in Beirut of natural causes!”

This week, a hole blew out in the underbelly of a Quantas 747 over the Pacific. For anyone who does a considerable amount of flying, we all harbor those “what if” fears about what could happen on an airplane. Apart from the catastrophic, my shortlist includes:

1. Using the lavatory, my passport falls out of my shirt pocket into the toilet and I have to retrieve it, no matter what the ramifications.

2. Stuck in a window seat on the last row of the plane, next to a 300 lb person who snores.

3. At 35,000 feet, eating one of a couple of foods to which I am deadly allergic, beginning an anaphylacic reaction, and having to stab myself with an EpiPen (spring loaded injection).

4. Trapped on a 19 hour, full flight to Asia in a seat that does not recline.

5. Flying Aeroflot transatlantic, or anywhere for that matter.

6. Being a British Airways customer and losing luggage in the bowels of one of their new terminals at Heathrow.

7. Finding out what ingredients are really in those hard bread rolls that get served in plastic wrapping.

8. Sitting next to a baby with colic on a pan-oceanic flight when the parents are too tired to care.

9. Flying Northwest in the winter and being stuck on a runway for 12 hours.

10. Severe turbulence and no barf bags.