March 2006 - Posts
“Where is the song that compares with the birds of the air?“... says a line in one of my songs.
Insights into how sparrows learn their songs might have clues to the mind of musicians.
Perhaps the term “bird brain” is not such a bad thing.
http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/041208_sparrow_songs.html
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Thursday night prayer meeting was incredible. We had the children in with us for part of the time. We took time to pray over them by name. Then a couple of them wanted to pray. Some of their parents are in the support groups that meet that night. Some are in jail. We prayed for a couple who have adopted a girl from Taiwan. She needs a risky heart surgery next week. Nothing like praying for children to make you feel like you prayers matter.
Last night we had a men's gathering. I just played piano and sang BGVs for it, a relaxing change from leading. Between spring break and retreats I was fresh out of guitarists this week so I was planning on leading with guitar for the first time Sunday. The problem with writing guitar driven songs is that you need a guitar to drive them (duh). My son volunteered to come and help so my guitar debut can wait.
Much went wrong this week. That will teach me to preach my heart out. Someone managed to really tick me off this week, I typically have a very long fuse. I guess zero time off in the last two weeks took it's toll. At least I got the dryer fixed so that it is not eating all our clothes. I found three zipper pulls, half a dozen bobby pins, a few hair clips, and and about 20 buttons in its digestive tract. Just a heads up...If you are expecting an e-mail from me but don't get it, it's not because I don't care about replying, it's because we are redoing our e-mail setup and I though I can receive e-mail I cannot predict whether or not mine might reach you. Sorry about going on about it. It was also a very good week in spots.
Jodie and I meet with a couple this morning for breakfast and prayer. They have had a rough year and we have been meeting with them to pray for a few weeks to help them get through.
Next blog I plan on saying something very profound....promise!
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Whew! I substituted preaching for Randy this weekend. I'm a little out of practice but so many told me they had been praying for me. That is always wonderful. Saturday night felt rough; I was too attached to my notes. It took me a couple times to relax in the Lord and get my rhythm. We do simultaneous services so at our 8 and 11 am services so you end one sermon and go imediately to the other auditorium and begin again. We used to have the worship team doing the flip flop; now we have three teams every Sunday. The sixth time preaching is the hardest because your energy is reaching it's limit and every illustration you are saying to yourself, “I'm sure I just told them this...or was that the last service“...the Lord helped me anyway. Should you get the strange desire to listen to it you can tune in to 90.7 KOBC in Joplin, next Sunday at 11 AM or it should be up on the website in a few days at www.chcchurch.org I'm back to being the music guy next week.
I had lunch with a Christian brother from Pakistan today. He converted from Islam several years ago and has been sharing his testimony and in the states. What a blessing to talk with him and learn from his insight and extensive knowledge of Islam and it's teachings. He has been threatened many times. He says the answer to reaching them is love...returning love for hate...blessing those who curse you. Now where have I heard that before?
I took in the Switchfoot concert in Tulsa tonight with some musician buddies. It was a big venue and wasn't a sell-out by any means but most of the crowd knew the lyrics well and sang them out. It was good to hear the messages being driven home by this band. They had some cool LED light panels on stage, haven't seen those before.
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Cool thing's this week...
Leading worship at Drew and Jess's wedding and watching their joyous worship.
The response we got Sunday from using the song I wrote with Chad (He got his bride the same day, congrats!)
Hearing my son interviewed and playing live on Rock 105.3 last night and having lunch with him at the Indian restaurant.
A sweet couple of weeks studying to preach this weekend on a great theme “Becoming Like Jesus” for our 40 Days of Purpose.
Lee calling me to tell me “Sovereign Lord” is in the top 2,000 CCLI moving from the 2,600's to 1,578
Listening to some new stage monitors (playing “The Look of Love“) and a couple of old Leslie speakers with Gary
Everybody praying over me at Thurs night Prayer Gathering.
Eating pecan pancakes, talking, and praying with my accountability group tonight.
Dwelling in the goodness of the Lord
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I just love this blessing the spoken over Joseph. What pleasure he must have brought the Lord, though he didn't understand all that was going on in his life at the time.
Deu 33:13-16~ About Joseph he said: "May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
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2,400 Donuts, 200 Dozen...that's how many we are ordering from Walmart for Easter Sunday morning. Most people should get one that way...if they come early. How many gallons of coffee? I'm not sure. Lynn and I were talking today about sunrise services in the small churches we were part of way back. You know, the whole church would cook a full breakfast together afterward. Things are a bit different now. If we wanted to have the whole church together for breakfast now we would have to rent out the local convention center and pay big $$$ per plate; we still couldn't seat everybody. At least we get to meet together for a service once a year. Easter will also be our celebration Sunday for our 40 days of purpose. Randy said we made it our goal to be the last church on earth to go through it. The responses has been wonderful. We have over 1,400 in the small group studies. The stories coming out are wonderful.
The next couple of months are wall to wall for me. Besides my regular schedule I am leading worship at a national church conference, a college chapel service, a mens meeting, a wedding, preaching 6 services on one Sunday, we have our spring program, several family birthdays, and I am making two trips to Nashville. Am I nuts? Who sets up these things? I think that someone must have gotten a hold of my password and added all this stuff to my calendar.
The truth is I love being busy as long as I feel like I'm accomplishing something for the good. I also tend to pray more when I am under the gun. The coolest part is when the Lord makes my burden light by going before me...even in the little things, if I JUST ASK HIM. Today Jackie brought in an newsletter article that I was assigned to write...due by Friday. She said “I just felt like I was supposed to write this.” She was...Thank you Lord. The Lord also helped me pull Sunday's service together very quickly. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
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Check out my new Pure Volume web site. I put a couple new songs on it and some pictures of my band leading at the National Missionary Convention.
http://www.purevolume.com/philmehrens
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Last night was a fun night. After reading to Jubi, I was up late (even for musicians). I was putting a lyric that Terry and I have been writing to music. Terry and I have only met face to face at Write About Jesus. But we have e-mailed a lot. He has good ideas in a good heart. It's amazing how the writing world has gotten smaller. E-mails, mp3 and Messenger...you could conceivably write a song with someone you have never met in person.
Simon is in England, Sue in St.Louis, Belinda, Jamie, Chad, Twila, Marty, James...all in Nashville. I love what comes out of little rooms or across the world with people who love the Lord and love to write about His stuff. I love just the right words and the melody that soars. There is a saying, “It's all about the song.” I love to hear the fresh new ones right out of the “oven.” It's cool to rejoice with people when the songs find their place and even to share the dissapointments. Really, it's about the people. After all, the songs are just a great tool to produce something in all of us- the writer, the artist, and the listener or worshipper.
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