On Being a Piano

"It was by Him that everything was created: the heavens, the earth, all things within and upon them, all things seen and unseen, thrones and dominions, spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was crafted through His design, by His own hands, and for His purposes."—Colossians 1:16, The Voice

Here is a foundational truth about worship beyond a song—on Sunday morning, and in how we live the other six days of the week:

From before the beginning of time, even when culture or voices or mean-spirited kids on the playground have said otherwise,

Our lives matter to God.

Because we were created for God, in all that we do, think and say.

To be carriers of His goodness, in church and out.

Us.

Every detail...By His own hands...For His purposes.

All shapes, sizes, personalities, abilities, talents, moods, peculiarities.

To be, as Isaiah said of the ancient children of Israel,

“The people that I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise.”

Shock and awe.

Which means fighting against the TV culture of passivity;

Of turning the channel always looking for, hoping for, something, anything better,

Or letting those who seem to be smarter, more talented and more beautiful do all the thinking and messaging and performing for us

While we…just…watch

When all the while we were born for so much more…

“Without argument, most things are at their best when they are fulfilling their purpose and design. 

For instance, a piano is made with a specific purpose: to produce music. However, I happen to know that someone once stood on a piano in order to put a fastener of some kind in the ceiling. Some artistic women have used piano tops as family picture galleries. I have seen piano tops that were cluttered filing cabinets or wide library shelves 

There is an intelligent design in the creation of a piano. The manufacturer did not announce: ‘This is a good piano. It has at least 19 uses!’ No, the designer had only one thought in mind: ‘This piano will have the purpose and potential of sounding forth beautiful music!'"

—A.W. Tozer

...Because we all were created for God, in all that we do, think and say.

Every detail... By His own hands... For His purposes.

Participants, not spectators.

Worship with feet on to carry His goodness.

Born for "sounding forth beautiful music!"

Born to be real pianos.

Living Where Hope Rises

“But those who wait for the Lord—who expect, look for, and hope in Him—will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings and rise up close to God like eagles rising toward the sun; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired.”—Isaiah 40:31, Amplified

Even amidst the weariness and cares of life, one of the most important attitudes we can carry into Sunday morning worship is expectancy.

It’s an active word, meaning “to look for.” But expectancy isn’t some misty-eyed, ungrounded solo experience. It’s rooted in rock-solid words like faith and hope and trust—that the God who once opened blind eyes, restored feeble limbs, resurrected hearts, and proved Himself loving and faithful without fault is not confined to old stories but is still very much invading our world. Even yours.

Expectancy can be the difference between boring and beautiful, between routine and revelation, between watching God from a distance and encountering God.

But expectancy is much more than a Sunday morning word, because it’s one of the the most important attitudes we can carry into our lifestyle of Monday through Saturday worship, too. And for all the same reasons. Expectancy doesn’t turn a blind eye to checklists, plans, or timetables (helpful as all of those can be), but it takes all of that and helps turn all of our fearful “yes, but what if…” into a more hopeful and productive “why not?”

All because the Foundation is sure.

Expectancy may be child-like in its wonder and trust, but neither is it foolish or childish. Jesus drove this point home time and again, both to His disciples as well to those who majored in going through the motions of religion.And it was an adult, after all, one with a child-like heart after God, who penned these expectant words:

“My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me, O My people,’ and my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming!’”—Psalm 27:8, Living Bible

Goodness to carry into church this morning, and into another week.

“Keep your life in constant contact with God, that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.”

—Oswald Chambers

A Bold Reflection

“That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency…”—Acts 2:14, The Message

As amazing and out-of-this-world as these things were—tongues of fire, a mighty rushing wind, many voices speaking in languages only understood by the hearers—maybe the most amazing takeaway about the move of the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost was this:

Boldness.

Boldness to stand up and live out all that Jesus has taught and modeled.

Boldness to conquer all of the other-Peter moments, seen only a few days earlier, that can be ruled by

fear, compromise, and wanting to blend in under cultural pressure,

No matter how determined I am that I would never-ever.

Boldness, when all the highs of a holy moment fade away, to fight complacency and daily live out a simple, naturally supernatural kind of life:

Devouring the Word daily as a meal 

Hanging out regularly with other believers in a purposeful, encouraging, joyful way 

Praying. Together, alone, and along the way of the route—A nonstop conversation with the One who made us for such a time as this

Contending for humility and harmony 

Living simply, giving generously 

Worshiping every day, in song and in deed and in attitude 

Living the Life wherever I go: At church where it is safe, at home where I can shut the door on the world, and especially in places where I can be seen 

Being continually, outwardly, publicly grateful and praising God for it all.

And to remember that I cannot possibly do any of that without being continually filled with a Pentecost moment;

To not once-and-done but continually let the Wind and Fire of God’s presence empower me

To boldly reflect the One I follow

To simply be faithful in the moment, every moment,

Until whenever He returns, as if "whenever" is in the next five minutes.

#bolddoesnotalwaysmeanloud

“There’s no economy class Holy Spirit. He only comes fully equipped. He is loaded, full of power and glory. And He wants to be seen as He is—in us.”

—Bill Johnson, “When Heaven Invades Earth”