Advent Week 2: No Small Thing

David RayAdvent, Christmas, Family, Kids, Preschool, WorshipLeave a Comment

A Head Above This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. God had rescued his people from slavery in Egypt. He had parted the sea and destroyed the pursuing Egyptian army. He had endured their idol-making and their incessant complaining, though he had provided for their needs at every step of the way. He had fulfilled his promise though they … Read More

Worship Leaders, You Have One Job

David RayMinistry, Music, WorshipLeave a Comment

  You had one job. In the world of internet memes, this might be the one that makes me laugh out loud the most. Hilarious pictures of job-related fails have spawned websites and multiple Twitter accounts. The common thread in each snapshot is a seemingly simple job that was botched in a way that should have been obvious. Woe to … 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

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