While I was pastor in North Dakota, I discovered an older lady in the church who played the organ, Mrs. Becker, who only played polka style on the organ. I found that it fit very well with the upbeat evangelistic style that I played.
The entire church sat up and took notice when we played our first hymn, Power in the Blood. The style sounded similar to Roll Out the Barrel. Church organs can be jolly, too.
Thanks for sharing your story, John. I love your song, The Tears of the Cross

At the end of the first church service of my adult life, someone asked the obvious question, “So what is it you do?” Innocent lamb that I was I replied, “I sell guitars, pianos and keyboards.” Quick as a rattlesnake’s strike the lady said, “Great, can you fill in for the organist, he’s off on holiday in a fortnight?” I can’t remember whether or not I was a Christian at that point. I know I should be able to quote the date and the place but I even have trouble remembering which of my kids is which. Anyway there I was trying to figure out which way up the music book should go, “Every Girl Buys Daft Fashion” etc. Totally thrown by the Scottish Psalter, split pages, 150 lyrics and 200+ tunes! Tune 23 and lyric 23 didn’t fit. None of it made sense. At least the Beatles managed to keep their tunes and words on the same page! It was full blown culture shock.

Things eventually came together, the mysteries of Metres, common long and short were revealed. Bass pedals gave up after a short fight and on the pretext that some of the newer songs were jolly and organs don’t do jolly, the guitar entered the holy place and no thunderbolts were seen.

About a year later at a worship conference the Holy Spirit gutted me of a something he didn’t like and the music got better. Ten years after that, despite denominational hang ups, I got baptised and the music got better again. Then God created the internet and as an after thought added Worship Journal because he thought it might come in handy. Which it does.

Ed Krzbdkowski was a dairy framer who died very tragically, and i was asked to officiate the funeral. I was walking the streets of the small North Dakota town, troubled about what to say and nervous because the funeral would be very well attended. I passed by the Lutheran minister having a beer with the manager of the grain elevator. The image jolted me, for I was from a tee totaling holiness denomination. We struck up a conversation, and he asked if I knew what I was going to preach at the funeral. I told him my dilemma, and he leaned back, took another sip of beer, and gave me the best advice I have ever received as a minister. He said, "When in doubt,just preach the gospel!"
That was really the Holy spirit putting another crack in my own goldfish bowl.

I agree with the 'goldfish bowl' analogy. Many people do only revolve around [or within] their own world. God sure doesn't want any to be isolated, which is why it's good to connect across different events and forums like these!

Sue

It involves that, and more. It is always a challenge to suddenly realise that all your life, you have lived inside a charismatic evangelical 'goldfish bowl', inherently separated from the rest of God's creation. We must all question whether our theological and philosophical stance leads us to isolation or engagement. Will we take the road less travelled by?

Clive, I am rereading your posts, and it is starting to dawn on me that the rethinking your are going through is learning to embrace the wider worship community, all those who love the same Jesus who died on the cross that we love. Sorry!

I am always open to a spot of advice! The most challenging thing I am going through right now is not how to be a good worshipper - but how to be the best father I can be. But isn't that part of our worship anyway?

I was just about to advise Clive in a fatherly way when the Holy Spirit reminded me again of my own glaring weaknesses. I have only been recently aware that to humble myself, in a quest for more grace, is so, well, it's so humiliating!
So instead I will refresh my own quickly fading memory with a reminder that I have worried about details too much and rested in Him too little. I am not speaking in terms of years, but in terms of days and weeks. I keep relearning that it's not my job to define myself, but instead I constantly need to sit at His feet and learn Who He is.

I just realised that all I believed about the format of congregational meetings, the approach to worship, etc, was just another way of doing things within the wider family of the Christian Church. We all hold fragments of the truth. And together we can display the fullness of the Spirit.

Clive, what has made you change your course?

You sound so creative and gifted, not to mention well experienced. Many would love to have your CV.

Do we know God and have we sussed out what He really wants? For all the ceremony - I think he takes a look at our heart and smiles all over again, convinced that sending Jesus was worth it!

Wow, there we are right back to the mystery of it all:)

Sue

I think I got an e-mail from Noel, telling me about it. I used to be editor of 'Worship Together' magazine. I have written for EMI's 'Worship Together' website in the States and for a worship column in 'Christianity' magazine in the UK. I attend a church that is driven by music, and both my wife and I have written worship songs for families and children that have appeared on albums by Ishmael (Rev Ian Smale). I was a well-behaved, compliant, 'clone' worshipper.

Now I have been completely thrown off the charismatic-evangelical course by listening and agreeing with brothers and sisters from other church traditions and Christian denominations. I would still regard myself as charismatic (I believe in the living presence of the Holy Spirit) and evangelical (I believe in the living presence of the Holy Scriptures). But I wonder if, despite all my long-held, tried and trusted beliefs, I might not have God sussed out at all.

Hi, It's found on the 'most popular' section of the 'profiles' page here on worship journal. God has spoken of stadiums being filled with worshippers. This was one such event! We couldn't attend the day in Berlin after all, but heard it was a great time for all concerned!

Sue

This question will show how little I know. What is 'Calling all Nations'?

Three of us went from Glasgow to Berlin for a 'Calling all Nations' prayer meeting in December a couple of years ago! It was a great event.

Having kept in touch with Noel via email we joined Worship Journal last summer.

It's a great site to watch and hear songs, discover fresh ideas for worship events, and have some good fun around friendship across the net!

Sue

Amen to that! I appreciate all of you for posting, and I am anxious to hear more of theses stories.

Personally, I'd been looking for a way of getting music online for sometime. MySpace et. al were disappointingly restricted and easy to become 'lost' on. A visit to Noel's website pointed me here and I signed up straight away. It's a great site.

A friend from church, who is also a member of our worship team, worked on staff with Athletes in Action in Germany for Kickoff2006, an international outreach during the last World Cup Soccer tournament. While keeping up with their blog and all the links to other ministries’ websites, I found the website for the “Calling All Nations” event in Berlin that same summer. After signing up to be a prayer partner, I began receiving Noel’s newsletters. In April of 2008 was invited to join www.worshipjournal.com. As it turns out, 2008 was the same year I decided to find a website where I could try posting my songs for free.

Thanks again, Noel and friends, for the work you’re doing to provide an opportunity for pros, part-timers and amateurs (that’s me!) alike to share the songs of our hearts!

I was on the list of prayer partners for Calling all Nations in Berlin. I was following it on line and joined the prayer team.
Then one day out of the blue Noel emailed me with an invite to worship journal. Which I did..... the rest as they say....
Happy anniversary worship journal by the way Noel and the team, how times flys.....

Okay, great. Look forward to hearing more in due course.

Thanks, Noel, for your response. Yours was one story that I was very interested in.
I'm not only interested in those that have been in it from the beginning, but recent refugees like myself. Why I was searching I may share later, but the how is simple. Since my two complementary passions are journaling and worship, I put the two words together on a web search and voila! there you were!

Thanks for asking about this. Glad you are enjoying the site which is now a year old.

I first had the idea for this in the summer of 2007. Everywhere I go, I meet songwriters who are looking for a way to share their songs with the church worldwide. I see worship leaders and pastors looking for resources. There are loads of creative worshippers, who express worship with more than a song.

So, the idea was born. To create a website where worshippers could share their thoughts and ideas about what it means to worship. Where songwriters, poets, painters, writers could share their gifts with the church.

Where songs could be listened to all day, as you work at your computer.

A site that becomes a shop window for all that is happening in the church worldwide.

A site that encourages indigenous worship material and songs.

A site that continually grows and develops and enriches the lives of worshippers everywhere.

A long way to go but hopefully, we are getting there......

Hi! I'm new to Worship Journal, and I'm pretty excited about being a part of this??? community. I have been hob nobbing (boy, do I get a lot of red lines under some of my phrases!) through the profiles, resources, and forums. I often wonder, How did they get started here? So I thought I'd ask. What drew you to Worship Journal?