Hello all. I'm sitting here at Centerpoint Church in Colton, CA. First of all this church rocks. They have a soda break during the greeting time and they provide the sodas! Anyway, As I was enjoying my free Diet Coke I noticed that Coke has three word mantra very similiar to most churches. It's "Give, Live, Love.". Interesting....
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Rethinking the music...
So, I'm sitting in seat 17C (I'm an aisle guy) of United flight 707 on my way home from the Christian Musicians Summit. First, I must tell you if you've never heard or been to CMS you must go! CMS is an annual gathering of like 3,000 christian musicians. It usually takes place in Seattle, WA. I did notice though that there are two other locations/dates that CMS takes place. You can check on there website for more info www.chirstianmusicianssummit.com. Anyway, what an inspiration to hang-out with christian musicians of various skill levels. I took almost every seminar on song writing. I sat in on seminars with Steve Merkel, Bob Kilpatrick, Tommy Walker, Paul Baloche, and Brenton Brown. These guys are skilled in there craft and I value each one of them.
As I sit here, listenting to Phil Wickham's new record, I am inspired to song write more. One thing that Steve Merkel said that has stuck with me is, "You must be willing to work on your craft - daily!" I don't do that. I come up with reason after reason to put that part of my calling on the back burner. I just got done listenting to my first studio recording. That brings back memories :) I remember the passion, time and heart that went into that first attempt at recording. It's funny there was also an innocence that was connected to those first songs.
Some of you, who know me, might be asking, "Matt, when are you going to start writing and recording again?" Let me answer that in two parts. First, I have been writing new material, but I haven't put my nose to the grind stone to finish them yet. Second, I plan on recording, but man it's so hard to find the time. With a full time job and ministry in the development stages it's hard to devote time to the recording process. I want to, my will is there, but I just haven't carved the time out for it.
Okay, here it goes, here's my attempt to carve out time to record. I'm going to plan on taking the month of May to record. That's it - May!
-Matt
As I sit here, listenting to Phil Wickham's new record, I am inspired to song write more. One thing that Steve Merkel said that has stuck with me is, "You must be willing to work on your craft - daily!" I don't do that. I come up with reason after reason to put that part of my calling on the back burner. I just got done listenting to my first studio recording. That brings back memories :) I remember the passion, time and heart that went into that first attempt at recording. It's funny there was also an innocence that was connected to those first songs.
Some of you, who know me, might be asking, "Matt, when are you going to start writing and recording again?" Let me answer that in two parts. First, I have been writing new material, but I haven't put my nose to the grind stone to finish them yet. Second, I plan on recording, but man it's so hard to find the time. With a full time job and ministry in the development stages it's hard to devote time to the recording process. I want to, my will is there, but I just haven't carved the time out for it.
Okay, here it goes, here's my attempt to carve out time to record. I'm going to plan on taking the month of May to record. That's it - May!
-Matt
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Money Can't Buy You Love...
If you didn't know I serve on the staff at Beachpoint Church in Fountain Valley, CA. Lately, we have started to develop a communications team to help our church communicate better both internally and externally. Here are a few things I'd love to share with you today. The first is from a blog entry by Brian McConnell. The second is a video from youtube that Brian references in his entry. Check it out. This blew me away. A few questions that you should keep in the back of your mind when reading this blog entry is, "How does this relate to my situation?" or "Wow, What's my next step?"
PR is Useless
by Brian McConnell
... When actions create the real story.
Karen Hughes spent $900 million of Americans' money to convince the Muslim world that our elected leaders in Washington aren't insane. Worldwide opinion polls say otherwise.
Walmart has probably spent close to the same amount of money trying to convince us it isn't the greediest company in the world. But its actions tell us the real story. Today, it's how Walmart is trying to avoid paying state taxes.
Comcast can say it's "comcastic" all it wants, but when its technicians fall asleep on customers' couches, or grandmothers with a heart condition get so frustrated by the company's inattention they smash up a local office, then no amount of professional PR can mask its dreadful operations.
Hundreds of smaller businesses pay PR firms to spam bloggers with meaningless press releases. That's because they don't know how to tell their own stories with actions, not words. They don't understand that real word of mouth, real PR, is generated at the root levels.
The root levels are the clerks, the sales people, the support staff, the receptionist, the call center people, the on-site technicians and consultants, or the police officers, the clerks at the government offices, or the nurses who take your temperature and blood at the hospital. It's their work that generates real PR.
The best PR comes from the smallest of actions by the root-level people. They smile when they first meet you. They call you by your name. They compliment competitors. They don't blame you for their system's misgivings. When forced to make a decision, they always, always, always do the right thing, even if it's not in the economic or political interests of their employer. They break the rules when it's obvious they must.
That's real PR. It's the total sum of stories people tell about you.
PR is Useless
by Brian McConnell
... When actions create the real story.
Karen Hughes spent $900 million of Americans' money to convince the Muslim world that our elected leaders in Washington aren't insane. Worldwide opinion polls say otherwise.
Walmart has probably spent close to the same amount of money trying to convince us it isn't the greediest company in the world. But its actions tell us the real story. Today, it's how Walmart is trying to avoid paying state taxes.
Comcast can say it's "comcastic" all it wants, but when its technicians fall asleep on customers' couches, or grandmothers with a heart condition get so frustrated by the company's inattention they smash up a local office, then no amount of professional PR can mask its dreadful operations.
Hundreds of smaller businesses pay PR firms to spam bloggers with meaningless press releases. That's because they don't know how to tell their own stories with actions, not words. They don't understand that real word of mouth, real PR, is generated at the root levels.
The root levels are the clerks, the sales people, the support staff, the receptionist, the call center people, the on-site technicians and consultants, or the police officers, the clerks at the government offices, or the nurses who take your temperature and blood at the hospital. It's their work that generates real PR.
The best PR comes from the smallest of actions by the root-level people. They smile when they first meet you. They call you by your name. They compliment competitors. They don't blame you for their system's misgivings. When forced to make a decision, they always, always, always do the right thing, even if it's not in the economic or political interests of their employer. They break the rules when it's obvious they must.
That's real PR. It's the total sum of stories people tell about you.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Bruce Springsteen on Meaning and Purpose
Bruce Springsteen is on tour again. I’ve never been a Springsteen fan, but his music has affected millions. Recently, Scott Pelley interviewed Springsteen for the TV show 60 Minutes. His concert was described as “part circus, dance party, political rally, and big tent revival.” Here’s a portion of the interview, street language unedited.
“You have got to be, wild guess, worth somewhere north of 100 million dollars. Why are you still touring? You don’t have to do this,” Pelley remarks.
“What else would I do? You got any clues?” Springsteen asks. “Got any suggestions? I mean, am I going to garden? Why would you stop? I mean, you play the music and you know, grown men cry. And women dance. That’s why you do it.”
“It’s good to be a rock star,” Pelley says.
“I would say that yes it is,” Springsteen says. “But the star thing I can live with. The music I can’t live without. And that’s how it lays out for me, you know. I got as big an ego and enjoy the attention. My son has a word, he calls it ‘Attention Whore.’ But you have to be one of those or else why would you be up in front of thousands of people, you know, shaking your butt. But at the same time, when it comes down to it, it’s the way it makes you feel. I do it because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. It gives me meaning, it gives me purpose,” Springsteen explains.
Hearing Springsteen talk about why he does what he does made me freshly aware of how different leading corporate worship is from being a rock star, even though at times the line can be blurred, both in our culture and in our hearts. Here are a few of the distinctions.
“The music I can’t live without.” I love music. I’ve been playing music for the last 46 years, and professionally for thirty five. Right now I have close to 40 days of music on my iTunes and iPod. But if I had to make a choice, I could live without music. It’s Jesus I can’t live without, in every sense of the word. Music is just one more of God’s blessings, meant to direct our attention to the Giver and create fresh affection for the God who gives all good gifts ( James 1:17
).`
“I…enjoy the attention…or else why would you be up in front of thousands of people?” Whether we’re up in front of ten people or ten thousand, we can all crave the same thing - attention. We want to be the center of the world, even if for a few moments, thinking we deserve at least a portion of the glory that rightly belongs to God alone. But there are other reasons we can want to be in front of people, and they have nothing to do with us. We can want to direct people’s eyes to the matchless Savior, whose glory knows no bounds. Paul said it like this: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” ( Gal. 6:14
). All our musical skill, all our creative arrangements, all our technical prowess might impress people, but it certainly doesn’t impress God. He’s the one who gave us everything we have as well as the ability to develop it. Our goal in leading people is to communicate through our gestures, voices, bodies, and faces that Jesus Christ is a great Savior, and that God is worthy to be loved, trusted, and obeyed with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“When it comes down to it, it’s the way it makes you feel.” Leading people to praise and encounter God can be a very fulfilling experience. I’ve cried, laughed for joy, shouted, stood in awe, and been overwhelmed with the sense of God’s presence. But we don’t lead worship because of the way it makes us feel. Our goal isn’t to reach a musical high. We lead worship because Jesus has been given the name above all names and is worthy of worship. Ideally, we’re already experiencing the peace, joy, and strength of the Holy Spirit as we step up to lead others, and want them to drink from the same fountain of Gospel grace that we’ve been enjoying.
“I do it because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. It gives me meaning, it gives me purpose.” If the good feeling I have when I’m the center of attention is where I find my ultimate meaning and purpose, I have a very small world. God created us to find our meaning in Jesus Christ - his purposes, his plans, and his exaltation. The day when come when everything in heaven and earth will be subject to Jesus Christ for the ultimate glory of the Father ( 1 Cor. 15:28
). Paul looked on all his gains and achievements as loss, compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. He tells us that “Christ is our life” ( Col. 3:4
). Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” ( Jn. 14:6
). What gives us meaning and purpose is not what we do for God or for others, but what God has done for us in sending his Son to atone for our sins and deliver us from our sinful selves. He has freed us from being fixated on our own lives to be overwhelmed and undone by his goodness, greatness, and beauty.
We’ve benefited greatly from musical and technological advances of recent decades. And leading a band doesn’t mean we have the same attitude as Bruce Springsteen. But we need to be clear on what role music plays in our worship and the place it holds in our hearts. We can’t think and act like rock stars and exalt the crucified Messiah at the same time.
I’d be interested in hearing where the “rock star” mentality may have invaded your ideas of leading God’s people to worship him, and what you’ve done to fight it.
provided by www.worshipmatters.com
“You have got to be, wild guess, worth somewhere north of 100 million dollars. Why are you still touring? You don’t have to do this,” Pelley remarks.
“What else would I do? You got any clues?” Springsteen asks. “Got any suggestions? I mean, am I going to garden? Why would you stop? I mean, you play the music and you know, grown men cry. And women dance. That’s why you do it.”
“It’s good to be a rock star,” Pelley says.
“I would say that yes it is,” Springsteen says. “But the star thing I can live with. The music I can’t live without. And that’s how it lays out for me, you know. I got as big an ego and enjoy the attention. My son has a word, he calls it ‘Attention Whore.’ But you have to be one of those or else why would you be up in front of thousands of people, you know, shaking your butt. But at the same time, when it comes down to it, it’s the way it makes you feel. I do it because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. It gives me meaning, it gives me purpose,” Springsteen explains.
Hearing Springsteen talk about why he does what he does made me freshly aware of how different leading corporate worship is from being a rock star, even though at times the line can be blurred, both in our culture and in our hearts. Here are a few of the distinctions.
“The music I can’t live without.” I love music. I’ve been playing music for the last 46 years, and professionally for thirty five. Right now I have close to 40 days of music on my iTunes and iPod. But if I had to make a choice, I could live without music. It’s Jesus I can’t live without, in every sense of the word. Music is just one more of God’s blessings, meant to direct our attention to the Giver and create fresh affection for the God who gives all good gifts ( James 1:17
).`
“I…enjoy the attention…or else why would you be up in front of thousands of people?” Whether we’re up in front of ten people or ten thousand, we can all crave the same thing - attention. We want to be the center of the world, even if for a few moments, thinking we deserve at least a portion of the glory that rightly belongs to God alone. But there are other reasons we can want to be in front of people, and they have nothing to do with us. We can want to direct people’s eyes to the matchless Savior, whose glory knows no bounds. Paul said it like this: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” ( Gal. 6:14
). All our musical skill, all our creative arrangements, all our technical prowess might impress people, but it certainly doesn’t impress God. He’s the one who gave us everything we have as well as the ability to develop it. Our goal in leading people is to communicate through our gestures, voices, bodies, and faces that Jesus Christ is a great Savior, and that God is worthy to be loved, trusted, and obeyed with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“When it comes down to it, it’s the way it makes you feel.” Leading people to praise and encounter God can be a very fulfilling experience. I’ve cried, laughed for joy, shouted, stood in awe, and been overwhelmed with the sense of God’s presence. But we don’t lead worship because of the way it makes us feel. Our goal isn’t to reach a musical high. We lead worship because Jesus has been given the name above all names and is worthy of worship. Ideally, we’re already experiencing the peace, joy, and strength of the Holy Spirit as we step up to lead others, and want them to drink from the same fountain of Gospel grace that we’ve been enjoying.
“I do it because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. It gives me meaning, it gives me purpose.” If the good feeling I have when I’m the center of attention is where I find my ultimate meaning and purpose, I have a very small world. God created us to find our meaning in Jesus Christ - his purposes, his plans, and his exaltation. The day when come when everything in heaven and earth will be subject to Jesus Christ for the ultimate glory of the Father ( 1 Cor. 15:28
). Paul looked on all his gains and achievements as loss, compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. He tells us that “Christ is our life” ( Col. 3:4
). Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” ( Jn. 14:6
). What gives us meaning and purpose is not what we do for God or for others, but what God has done for us in sending his Son to atone for our sins and deliver us from our sinful selves. He has freed us from being fixated on our own lives to be overwhelmed and undone by his goodness, greatness, and beauty.
We’ve benefited greatly from musical and technological advances of recent decades. And leading a band doesn’t mean we have the same attitude as Bruce Springsteen. But we need to be clear on what role music plays in our worship and the place it holds in our hearts. We can’t think and act like rock stars and exalt the crucified Messiah at the same time.
I’d be interested in hearing where the “rock star” mentality may have invaded your ideas of leading God’s people to worship him, and what you’ve done to fight it.
provided by www.worshipmatters.com
Monday, November 5, 2007
Overwhelmed
I must confess that Christmas is not my most favorite time of year. It is the time of year most arts directors feel the most pressure to excel. There's a lot of expectations from church people, senior leadership, yourself... It is also the time of year church finance people dread arts leadership the most. Most of us tend to have the most "grandious" ideas and usually those artistic ideas are expensive. LOL! Currently, I find myself sitting in my office sifting through song arrangements, videos, looping backgrounds, photos, graphics, the calendar, scripts, choral pieces, schedules, scripture, the list goes on and on... Don't get me wrong all this stuff excites me, but the planning of it all gets to me. Oh well... enough complaining. Back to the grindstone. I promise my post tomorrow will be much more positive and uplifting.
-Matt
"In the midst of crafting moments of awe and wonder."
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Starbucks, "The Way i See It."
So most of you, who are avid starbuck's junkies, know that every starbuck's cup comes with a famous quote printed on it. Today my cup read, "In three decades of polling. I've found that while individuals make mistakes in judgment, America as a whole rarely does. A collective wisdom emerges from a poll or vote that is far greater than the sum of its parts." The quote is by John Zogby (pollster, president and CEO of Zogby International). If I'm correct, Zogby Int., is the the company that runs the dreaded election polls for the presidential race.
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