DOORPOST SONG of the WEEK: FINISH the RACE

David RayMusicLeave a Comment

Perseverance. I don’t think there’s any character trait that I need more as a parent than perseverance. When you finally fold that last load of laundry and put it away only to find the hamper is full again, when you keep giving your kids the same instructions over and over, when you think that if you have to go to one more … Read More

ARE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN YOUR WORSHIP MINISTRY?

David RayKids, Multigenerational, Music, Musings, Preschool, WorshipLeave a Comment

I grew up in church on a steady diet of children’s musicals. My favorite was Fat, Fat Jehoshaphat! I recall singing a solo as one of the priests in the aforementioned musical which, while it displayed a callous insensitivity to the morbidly obese despite the complete lack of textual evidence that poor Jehoshaphat was actually fat, also contained some killer … Read More

DOES GOD REALLY CARE ABOUT SPARROWS?

David RayMinistry, MusingsLeave a Comment

For the last couple weeks, Jess and I have been praying about something specific for one of our kids. Rather than explain all the details, I’ll simply say that it’s important to us, but in the grand scheme of life – not to mention the world at large – it isn’t of utmost significance. We were reflecting on our prayers … Read More

AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDERS

David RayAdvent, Christmas, Music, Musings, WorshipLeave a Comment

Recently Jess and I released a brand new Christmas single, Unto Us (Isaiah 9), with a text based entirely on one of the most familiar Christmas passages in scripture. You can watch the video below and download it on iTunes here: http://apple.co/1jbWccj. The song also references one of our favorite pieces of music, Handel’s Messiah. With our involvement in various … Read More

BYE, DADDY!

David RayFamily, Kids, MusingsLeave a Comment

Kids have needs. Lots of needs. Constant, mind-numbing, are-you-serious, can-mommy-and-daddy-get-a-break kinds of needs. Evan, our oldest, just started kindergarten this year, and at first it was a bit of adjustment. (This adjustment may have involved a few tears, some blood-curdling screams, and gym-full of kindergarten parents thinking, “Awww, poor guy. Well, at least that’s not my kid…”) Fortunately, he adjusted … Read More

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION: THE PARADOX OF GENEROSITY

David RayMinistry, MusingsLeave a Comment

There goes Creflo Dollar again…making us all look bad! The megachurch pastor’s appeal to “friends from around the world” to help fund a $65 million Gulfstream G650 jet has made national news in recent months, and in the process has once again muddied the waters about what Christians truly believe about generosity. Painting with their (typical) broad brush, a recent … Read More

STEP OFF THE STAGE

David RayMinistry, Music, Stuff I Had to Learn, Worship2 Comments

Worship leaders, there’s something that all of us need to hear.  We need to hear it because we are in a constant battle with our egos, pulling us toward whatever is most visible, whatever gives us the most chance of recognition, whatever offers even the faintest glimmer of hope of advancing our status and position. Worship leaders, your most important … Read More

DO NOT SUCCUMB TO FALSE HOPE

David RayMinistry, MusingsLeave a Comment

Do not succumb to false hope. There is nothing about you that would give you any reason to believe that you will be different today than you were yesterday. (Wow, that was borderline depressing.  Hold on; it’s going to get worse before it gets better.) We conceive of time in a linear fashion, but in cosmological terms we have simply … Read More