Psalm 98
“O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things….. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.” (Ps 98; 1,4)
“The Song”, I have gathered, has been an anticlimactic theme for a few of you. It would have been less inspiring for me too a few years ago. I would have thought, “Really! A song? I don’t hear anything akin to music playing in me”. And sadly, at the time, I was a teaching elder, a worship leader and the adult Sunday school director. Outwardly, it may have looked pretty good. Jobs were getting done within the local church organization, helping to keep that machine running. The problem was that my inner-machinery was starting to “run hot”.
Three of the warning lights (which most of us learn to ignore) are our emotions, our relationships and our physical health. These indicators in me had been flashing red for some time. Others had seen it but few people were brave or skilled enough to approach a machine that is about to explode. Do you have people close enough to you who can recognize signs of a troubled heart or offer anything more than their sympathy if they do?
Just before my engine (or heart) completely locked up, I was fortunate enough to find three men who understood that everything we do; the entire expression of our lives flows from our hearts.
I do not even know who the first man was. He was one in a team of three prophetic types who were praying for me. At the conclusion of their prayers, this guy spoke up. He asked, “Did you know that you were full of religion?” My response was (to myself), “the heck you say.” I wanted to remind him that we were praying for my back, but instead, I filed this away as one of those mysterious words that often make more sense at a later time. Thanks friend, whoever you were!
The second man’s name was Charlie Finck. He is a counselor with Liberty Cross Ministries in Liberty Lake, Washington. Even though I only spent a week with Charlie, I feel as though I owe Him my life. This may sound like over-dramatization but all I know is that I showed up at his doorstep with no song playing in my heart. I left believing that I was meant to sing. Thank you so much Charlie!
After working with Charlie, I didn’t know exactly what my song was going to sound like; I just knew I had one within me. It took another person to help me discover what my song would sound like. The third member of God’s intervention team was Brad Sprague. Brad calls himself a life-coach. I think of him as a shepherd because he is a man who knows there are songs within us and he lives with a passion to hear them sung. With his toolkit he is able to help folks like me discover their songs and encourage us to begin singing them. Thank you so much Brad!
There is another essential element to escaping songlessness. It is the example and encouragement of other singers. Had I not seen them singing; had I not listened to their songs; had I not heeded their encouragement, I might have imploded. I cannot mention them without risk of forgetting someone. You know who you are. You are the ones in relational proximity to me; those who God has sovereignly placed in my relational networks who have become my community of faith. Thank you for being my family!
And then there are those who have loved me and endured me in my songlessness. Oh how much I owe these people! My wife in particular; Daneille. She is God’s perfect compliment to me. While it appears at times that our nearly polar opposite make-ups could in itself produce an explosion, she has instead been the balance in the marriage relationship that has saved me from isolation. Her steadfast joyful spirit has kept our ship afloat and on course through many a storm. Thank you!
A note about prophetic words. I am just now (after writing the preceding paragraph) recalling that one of those prophetic types had a picture come to their minds as they were praying for Daneille and I 20 years ago. They saw us lashed together to the mast of a tiny ship that was being tossed around in a dark stormy sea. The phrase that came with this vision was, “Best Friends”. These people did not know us well enough to know that Daneille and I were intimately and painfully acquainted with the specifics of that storm or that we had not been fairing well at all n our darkness. That “word” christened our ship as it left one port for another and inaugurated a season of blessing and peace that both Daneille and I marveled at to this day. So, thank you as well , those of you who have found your prophetic voices!
Then there is of course the Lord of Intervention Himself who had heard my cry. “Now, thanks be to Him who has proven that He is able to keep me from stumbling and has enabled me to stand (and sing) boldly in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.” (a personalization of Jude 24)
While I am profoundly grateful to those who earn a living as pastors, coaches and counselors, I am hopeful that you and I may someday become the prophetic shepherds to each other. We are called to recognize the life of God within each other; to affirm it and encourage it. Frankly, when I read the New Testament, I do not see as much dependency on professionals as we have today. I don’t see the gift of “counseling” and “coaching” listed per se there. I do see the word “pastor” (or shepherd) which I suspect embodies what both Charlie, Brad and the prophetic do.
The local church, as it it is currently structured, even with the largest and best staffs, cannot cover all the shepherding needs within the body of Christ. There is simply not enough professional to go around. Hats off to those leaders who recognize this and are taking steps to promote authentic community among God’s people where spiritual fathers and mothers are being reproduced and released. Hats off to those leaders who are equipping the saints for service – attempting to train us up to understand the heart; so that, with the Word and the Spirit, we can serve as coaches, counselors and prophets to those within our relational networks, ultimately releasing new songs all around us.
How truly beautiful His Bride will become when His life finds its fullest expression through her and not a single child’s song will be left unsung. Each of us has a special “part” that is uniquely ours and is essential to the song God is composing and longs to hear. I wonder if this will not be The Song of the Lamb.
“O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things….. ”
Father, may You contend for full dominion over our hearts until every last remnant of opposition to Your kingdom is surrendered. Even if we are models of Christian service, give us the courage to recognize if we are songless, and grant that we might find those around us who are singing; who can model abundant life. Raise up a new generation of your family with prophetic and shepherding gifts who can promote healing and community by virtue of Your life within us. Amen.