GIVE ME THE NOISE!

Music has always been a major part of my life. It is a welcoming noise and a universal language.  My sister and I grew up playing various instruments.  However, this wasn’t by our choice. My daddy was a band teacher, and playing an instrument was a rite of passage in our household.  Some instruments I played well, and others, not so well.  I can remember playing Whitney Houston’s The Greatest Love of All by ear on the piano, but only making screeching cat-like sounds when trying to play the violin.

If you’ve ever been a band student, or seen the movie Whiplash, then you already know that band teachers are a little touched, different, out-there so to speak with their teaching methods. When my daddy wanted  to get the band’s attention he would yell, “Give me the noise!”  And I do mean yell.  His voice had to be louder than the trombones, drums, trumpets, cymbals, and piccolos in order to be heard.  When the band heard the words, “Give me the noise,” the room went silent.  You could hear a clarinet reed fall on carpet.

 Generally, my daddy wanted the band’s attention so he could teach us something.  Perhaps we needed to learn a new song or rehearse a difficult section of Birdland.  But more than our attention was required.  We had to focus our attention on him, the director.  In order for this to happen,  the entire band had to give him the noise.

 I believe Christ wants us to Give Him The Noise.  God wants our attention to be on Him, even during difficult, unsure times like today.  Can you hear all of the noise?  The tornadoes are whirling. Fear is screaming.  Ignorance is singing.  Death is rumbling.  Impatience is drumming a perfect steady beat.  Hunger and despair are crying, and grief is howling. When chatter and busyness are added to this chaotic sound, the noise is unbearable.  Let’s give God the noise.

 How? One might ask.  Start by putting down your instrument.  Next sit still, be quiet, and show God in whatever manner you see fit, that you are focused on Him.   Show God that you are ready to be directed.  As believers and followers of Jesus, we are the band, and God is the director.  I like how Eugene Peterson discerns the meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 in The Message Bible, “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:….a right time to shut up and another to speak up…”  Let’s  take advantage of this opportune time to shut up and give God the noise.

Commitment Issues

Heavens to Betsy! I didn’t realize how many things I’d started and stopped without finishing. These days of isolation have forced me to take a good look in the mirror.  After I ignored the uncombed coif glaring back at me, something clicked in my psyche.  A thought surfaced, finish what you were doing. Hmm, good idea, I thought.  Still, I waited and debated and became preoccupied with other things.

Enough is enough.  No more playing around.  Today is the day I vow to myself to commit to doing and finishing.  Come on, commit with me! It will be fun! Do you need a pledge? Okay, here goes. Raise your right hand and repeat this statement. I, state your name, (and don’t say state your name) pledge to commit to, list or state your commitment, for the duration of this year. Yes, I mean the remainder of 2020. If you finish before the end of the year, great. Start and finish something else.   Now it’s official.  So let’s get movin’!

A Tearful Lesson

Telling biblical stories to children is one of my favorite things to do. I absolutely love it! I’ve been a professional speaker for many years and have had training from some of the best speakers and programs.  However, none compare to the on the job training that I’ve received being a storyteller to a few wide-eyed, single-digit aged children. The questions these little brains ask are thought provoking, and the answers these minds give often leave me speechless.

On a recent Sunday at church we were focusing on the theme of loving one another.  Praise team members led the kids in two interactive praise and worship songs.  Some of the children danced, others danced and sang, and of course some were preoccupied playing with things like buttons and lint.  After praise and worship, the children watched a short video about the day’s theme.  Next up was story time!

About sixty second and third graders were seated on the carpet with neon orange and yellow pointy party hats atop their heads.  We really get into character during story time!  The room was dark just like a real theater.   From the stage I could only see a few front row faces, some party hats, and the exit sign. The kids seemed to like the story of Jesus teaching about who should be invited to a party (banquet) (Luke 14:12-24). The room was almost silent.  Just as I was about to hone in on the theme of loving one another, a blaring cry filled the entire room. Uh oh, who’s hurt and where’s the first aid kit? I thought. This just wasn’t the type of cry one could ignore. It sounded like this child was in pain.

As I scanned the room to find out what was going on, and I saw a girl whose face was wet with tears. “No don’t cry, it’s okay, it’s a paaarty,” I said.  Now of course everyone knows the cardinal crying rule: if you tell someone not to cry, it makes the person cry even more.  That’s exactly what happened.  Her cry seemed to get louder and louder.  Then in the midst of her tears, the young girl softly said a few words, but I couldn’t hear her.  I leaned in and said “Huh?” Then the young girl yelled, “I missed praise and worship!” My heart broke. I thought, wow, this child looks forward to praising God and worshiping in song and dance. She loves praise and worship so much that the disappointment of missing that part of the service was too overwhelming. 

Next, all of the kids joined me in having a one-minute dance party so the young girl could get her praise on.  Everyone in the room participated in this act of loving one another. That’s what Christ was teaching us in the passage from Luke: to love people who may different than we are and to invite them to our party.  We couldn’t have planned a better example if we’d tried.  For those few seconds the young girl and the other children jumped and danced for joy.  On that Sunday morning, I learned about compassion for others and the importance of praise and worship, from a child.

Need Healing?

Suffering, Healing, Joy

Healing comes in many different forms.

Caring and curing are two of the norms,

That work well with play which opens the room,

For rich discussion that would otherwise bring gloom.

Play's mood is positive and it lightens our load,

That we bring to Christ as we travel life’s road.

The way can be difficult for even church-going people,

But faith can be practiced in places without steeples.

Where we desperately seek and hope for a cure,

While loved ones press on and try to endure,

The aches and pains illness often brings,

While the suffering soul of silence rings.

But hope is there always lingering above,

Our doubts and fears that mask as love,

That God gives freely through angels of light,

Like caregivers, nurses, and chaplains on site.

Healing is real, believe it to be true

Whether big or small or made like new.

Why? How? That’s not up to us.

It’s up to the one in whose stripes we trust.

So work, pray, and play really hard,

Even King David retired to a deck of cards.

By C. Jeanine Fulton

Totally Offended by Total Ignorance!

The other day I was attending an event hosted by a group of people that I normally wouldn’t associate with for a number of reasons: location, occupation, general interests, and social circles. But I attended and had a wonderful time, except during those brief seconds when I was surprisingly dumbfounded by the ignorance of insensitivity spilling out of flippant lips of two individuals. It was as if their words were literally stabbing me and causing open wounds. Was it just me, or did other people feel the same. Did others in the room feel the sharp blade of a butcher knife?

Words are powerful! As Beth Moore suggests in her book, Believing God, our words are potent; God’s Word is omnipotent. Sometimes we don’t realize how potent our words are. The comments, which seemed harmless to the people actually speaking, were racially and ethically insensitive. I was too shocked to make the encounter an educational moment and offer constructive and corrective feedback. Instead, I sat back, observed, and ate more finger food hoping my wounds would heal quickly. I watched the attendees socialize and jump from subject to subject about surface topics that were centered around themselves, their homes, their traditions, their jobs, and their families. What I realized is that ignorance grows deeper and takes root in the lives of people who fail to listen and hear God’s omnipotent Word. When we truly listen and hear God’s Word, we grow. Our words take root in something so much greater than our own self-consumed identities. Ignorance is bliss only to the ignorant. However, it stings like alcohol on an open wound to the one being offended.

Onward and Upward

"So, what are you going to do now?  I mean, you've had so many different jobs," a friend's husband asked me.  He didn't mean any harm, but I couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by the question. I responded by saying I really didn't know, when actually I do know.  I wanted to say," I'm going to be working in my promised land."  Then in my mind, I'd drop the mic, boom!

I believe my earthly promised land is a place were God has called me to abide, work, and bear much fruit.  The promised land just isn't for me, it's for all of us who trust to believe. When we earnestly and humbly ask God to show us what he wants, we are surrendering our desires to his will for our lives. " If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.  This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:7-8) NIV

A little poem for your journey...

Onward and upward you'll cross over hills,

But you're in for a ride with so many thrills.

So put on your seat belt and turn the ignition,

You've accepted your calling, you've been commissioned!

Why Can't I Sit Here?

One morning I decided to attend an early, 7:30 am to be exact, church service. It had been months since I'd been there. My vision for that Sunday service was to sit close to the front where I could feel God's anointing through the sermon and music.  In my mind being as close to the alter as possible was my way of surrendering, thanking, and praising God. The only other option that came to mind was to just lye face down in front of the alter throughout the entire service.  So I opted to avoid getting crazy stares from onlookers. Because of life's difficult circumstances, that day I desperately longed for authentic corporate worship and just needed to be close to Jesus.  I knew God's Word was the only way to satisfy my state of being.  Did I say desperate? 

This was going to be a wonderful worship service, I thought.  Arriving at church late wasn't going to hinder me.  Praise and worship was over and the message had just begun.  The usher directed me to sit on a pew toward the back of the church.  While that was fine, I just wanted to be closer.  So after a few moments I stood up to quickly move closer to the front.  Immediately, out of no where, an usher who was at least 3 heads taller than I am blocks me like a defensive lineman.  Bewildered, yet still focused on my forward moving mission to the front, I did what any running back would do - dodged him.  What happened next is unbelievable.

Flag on the play! The tall male usher forcefully grabbed my arm by the elbow.  Okay, let's pause right here.  What would you have done? Really? At that very moment, I jerked my arm away from him and without saying one word, gave him a look that could have slain Goliath. In my mind, the usher was an obstacle. Like Mary, (Luke 10:38-42) I wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus that morning, and no Martha minded usher was going to stop me.  I made my way to my new seat but was so frustrated, it was difficult to focus on the message.  Then after a few minutes my phone buzzed.  It was my sister calling. Then she called again.  I knew it was an emergency.

Mid sermon, I got up and walked out to call my sister.  I know that usher was about to have a conniption! My sister and I had been caring for my parents who were both ill.  That morning my sister said that mama was just not herself.  I advised my sister to call the ambulance, and rushed to meet them at the hospital.  My mama had suffered a second stroke. 

A few days later I shared with a couple of friends what happened that day at church.  One couldn't stop laughing and the other friend blasted me for "acting up" as she said, in church.  All I knew was that I wouldn't be sitting in that usher's section ever again!

Know It All?

I have an aunt that adds a tag line to her stories and comments about life, "You know that don't you?" The emphasis is always on the word don't, and she runs the words don't and you together so it sounds like, "You know that, dontcha?" Most of the time I don't know whatever she's talking about, but her tone is so forceful, I find myself nodding anyway.

Nobody likes a know it all, not even a know it all! Which leads me to ask this question. Are you a know it all? How can you find out if you're a know it all? Well, I've created a list of questions that I think will help you discover the answer.  She thinks she knows everything! Have you ever said this statement? Has anyone ever said this about you? Do you share your opinion each time someone shares theirs? Do you offer unsolicited advice? Do you always have to have the last word? Do you feel the need to appear like you have the answer even when you don't? Even if you only answered yes to one question, there's always room for improvement.  You know that dontcha? 

At times I believe all of us get a little beside ourselves and think we know the answers to life's situations when we really don't know.  Sometimes we're even quick to offer advice to others on serious matters without praying or consulting the Holy Spirit. This should not be. There is a place that we can go to discover the truths to which we are longing to understand during times of anger, disappointment, fear, death, despair, loneliness, confusion. doubt, and many other feelings.  The Bible is where we can find God's answers to all of our questions. " For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,  And do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will my word be which goes forth from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.…" (Isaiah 55:10-11) NIV

Spend  time reading, seeking, praying God's Word, and listening. These four habits always bring enlightenment to our circumstances in due time. Another useful tool is a book by Stormie Omartian entitled, The Prayer That Changes Everything, The Hidden Power of Praising God.