Spirit and truth

I'm really wrestling right now with how to go deeper in corporate worship. There's a discipleship issue here, something for the leader to actually lead the congregation in. Part of it, of course, has to do with music, but the fact is that music is just the frosting on the cake of our overall worship lives.

In John chapter 4, Jesus talks to the woman at the well about worshiping God in spirit and truth. Spirit is the part of our lives where we connect with God the deepest. Truth, of course, is God's word. But it's also the truth of where we line up with God's word.

If we're lacking spirit, the deep personal connection with God, the truth will be there, but will be ineffective in our lives. If we're lacking truth, God's intimate presence will not change us.

Lately I've been filling myself with lots of truth, but I notice that I'm lacking in spirit. The willingness to connect with God, to say "yes" to Him at the deepest level, is what I'm struggling with. My prayers are that God would speak, touch and change my heart.

The Body of Christ

Over the past several years, there's been a trend toward approaching worship "vertically." We're told as worship leaders to lead people in direct, first-person worship of God; to sing songs to God rather than songs about God. But that, by itself, affirms an individualistic attitude that should be foreign to the body of Christ. For we are one body, members of one another, with a single head, who is Christ (Ephesians 4). And we should encourage one another, stimulating each other to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10).

I'm challenged to find and to write songs that aim towards this horizontal encouragement. One needs both the vertical (which is of course greater) and the horizontal to make a cross. Putting both together completes the sacrifice of worship.

By way of further introduction. . .

I'm also a writer of worship songs. I recently released a CD entitled, "All Glory" (hence the name of the blog). The title song was recently signed to a publishing agreement with Word Music. The CD is available by contacting me through my website.

As far as the blog goes, I'm interested in creating a dialogue about how we worship in the church. I'm very much a church guy, so it's my goal to see these things worked out in the body of Christ. Obviously, worship means far more than just music, but music is our opportunity to say and sing things that we believe corporately. I'm looking forward to hearing your comments and responses.

Greetings from David Paul Regier! I'm a worship leader in Temecula, CA. Just thought I'd set up a blog so we can share thoughts and meditations about the glorious Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Blessings,

David