Worship Team Devotional: Apologetics 5

The following is week five of an apologetics series I am doing with my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. Click on these links below for the others in the series: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4. 

Worship Team Devotional: Apologetics – Common Objections to the Existence of God

October 8, 2015

Two weeks ago, I briefly summarized four traditional arguments for the existence of God: cosmological (creation), teleological (design), axiological (moral law), and ontological (being). Last week, I showed how these arguments point to a certain kind of God and compared these attributes with how the Bible describes God. I am indebted to Norman Geisler’s When Skeptics Ask for this series. This week, I will address common objections:

If everything needs a cause, then what caused God? Only that which has a beginning needs a cause. Contingent, changing things (like the universe) must have a cause since change must have a cause. God, however, is infinite, unchanging, and necessary. He is the uncaused cause of all finite, contingent things.

No statements about existence are necessary. This is a self-defeating statement. If no statement about existence is necessary, then neither is this very statement necessary. If, however, it’s not necessary, then the opposite could indeed be true. That is, some necessary statements are possible.

The moral law is either beyond God or arbitrary. This argument misses a third option: the moral law is within God. It is not an ultimate beyond God, for that would make moral law ultimate, not God. Nor did God create the law arbitrarily, since it is impossible for God to will something contrary to his nature, like evil.

Can God make a mountain so big that he can’t move it? This question is a category mistake, like asking what red smells like. That is logically absurd, just as is the thought of something bigger than infinite.

If God has no limits, then he must be both good and evil, existence and nonexistence, strong and weak. God is unlimited in his perfection, not his imperfections, such as evil, nonexistence, and weakness.

If God is a necessary being, then the world is too. A necessary being still has free will. He can’t do anything to contradict his nature, but nor does his character demand that he take actions that extend outside of himself.

If God is eternal, when did he create the world? Remember that God did not create the world in time. Rather, he created time itself. There was no time “before” time.

If God knows everything, and his knowledge can’t change, then everything is predetermined and there is no free will. Mere knowledge does not dictate cause, like my knowledge of history did not cause it. God knows how we will act, but he does not control us like robots.

God is nothing but a psychological crutch, a wish, a projection of what we hope is true. You can’t know a “nothing but” statement unless you have “more than” knowledge. “This objection says that nothing exists outside our minds, but a person must go outside the boundaries of his own mind to say that. If the objection were true, it must be false. It defeats itself.”

Challenge: Follow the steps below with one person in your life. 

1. Pray for an unbeliever in your life.
2. With the Holy Spirit’s help, identify possible blinders that prevent this person from accepting the truth.
3. Do what you can to address these blinders. Example 1, if someone is mourning death, then they probably need comfort and not an intellectual discussion on the problem of evil. Example 2, if a student’s professors and peers all speak out against God, then s/he probably needs truth presented in a logical fashion. Appealing to his/her emotions may simply perpetuate a belief that Christians are controlled by emotions.

Worship Team Devotional: Apologetics 2

The following is a short devotional that I wrote for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church, in Phoenix, AZ. I publish this here in hopes that it will be helpful for others:

Worship Team Devotional: Apologetics – Something from Nothing

September 17, 2015 (Much of the following content is based on a Sunday school lesson by my dad, Dr. Charles Rasmussen, delivered 9/6/2015 at Faith Bible Church, Glendale, AZ.)

Obviously, what follows doesn’t even scratch the surface as each one of these topics has volumes of books written on it, but I hope it helps as a starting point for inquiry.

1. How did physical matter arise from nothing? 

• If the Big Bang theory is true, then where did the stuff come from that the Big Bang banged? Science tells us that matter cannot be created or destroyed, so where did matter come from in the first place?
• “Matter is eternal.” If this is the case, we still have the question of what caused the big bang to bang. Was it chemical processes slowly building up until they finally exploded? That would only make sense with finite time since, if matter is eternal, even the slowest of chemical processes would have banged infinite time ago. Also, how can infinite time pass to get to today? That’s like counting down all the negative numbers; it’s infinite and so cannot be done.

2. How did lifeless physical molecules spontaneously turn into life?

• Evolution explains how lower level life evolved into higher level life but not how dead molecules became alive.
• Warm pond of chemicals with a lightning bolt: In Darwin’s day, this seemed possible as simple life was seen as “simple.” Many cosmologists today have abandoned this idea.
• Spontaneous biogenesis: There is absolutely no verified example of this ever happening, yet atheists assume it did occur once. Lucky break!
• Aliens: If the alien is an uncaused, necessary being, then that is probably what we mean by “God.” But atheists reject God. The other option is that the aliens are contingent beings. Obviously, this just pushes back the problem since we must ask about their origins, too.

3. How did consciousness spontaneously arise from molecules that do not have consciousness?

• This is known by atheists as the “hard problem.”

4. How did rationality spontaneously arise for arational molecules?

• If arational, unguided, naturalistic forces caused our rationality, then why even believe such thoughts are true? What does rationality even mean to the naturalist? Yet naturalists speak of many things as if reason actually exists. They speak of many scientific facts as true, or at least speak of science as if truth does exist, even if they have not yet discovered it.

5. How did morality spontaneously arise from amoral molecules?

• Evolution is based on survival of the fittest, but humans often demonstrate survival of the unfittest: “Fit” parents sacrifice their lives to save their “unfit” handicapped child; the “fittest” officer jumping on a grenade to save his “less fit” privates; women and children being put on lifeboats when the Titanic sank, and men who crossdressed to get on the boats considered cowards for the rest of their lives. The fact these men found a way to survive was denigrated, not celebrated. Survival of the unfittest is based on selflessness, sacrifice, and heroism. It is celebrated.

Christians believe that God is the uncaused, necessary one. He created the universe and everything in it. It is because of God that humans are alive, conscious, and moral creatures. Logically, those within a system cannot know that which is outside of the system unless it is revealed. Therefore, Christians rely on God’s revelation to understand the supernatural, since we reside in the natural realm.

Challenge:

Ask a non-religious person one or all of these five questions. First, really listen and seek to understand. Before you respond, pray. Remember, your goal is not necessarily to win an argument but to reach the heart. If they say something that you don’t know how to answer, ask them if they’d mind you doing some research on that and then continuing the conversation later. Be humble because you are not a scientist or expert. Then, follow through by reading what the experts do have to say. Always show love and respect. Also, be courageous. Sometimes, you just need to open your mouth and start asking questions.

Worship Team Devotional: Apologetics 1

The following is a short devotional that I wrote for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church, in Phoenix, AZ. I publish this here in hopes that it will be helpful for others:

As a worship team, it is important that we all understand what we believe and share it with others. For the next few months, we are going to focus in on Christian apologetics. “Apologetics” is a reasoned defense of something, so Christian apologetics is a reasoned defense of Christianity. But before we can begin with rationale arguments for the tenets of our faith, we must lay some groundwork.

Peter wrote the following to Christians suffering at the hands of persecutors: “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:14b-15).

Notice that he exhorts them to share with “gentleness and respect.” We need to truly love and cherish those with whom we share, regardless of how they may act toward us. For some reason, talking religion and politics can bring out the worst in people. Emotions can start to boil up, and a friendly debate can easily degrade into a full on brawl. However, if you truly love someone, then you will want to share in a way that will actually help the person. Calling them an idiot is probably not going to help. 😉 As a first step, then, I believe we must pray both for our unbelieving friends and family and for ourselves, that we would grow in true love.

A second step is to seek God’s wisdom to discern what blinders need to be lifted in a person’s life. The Holy Spirit can use many tools to do this, and often, he uses people as part of his process. So what are some biblical examples of addressing these blinders? (The following is summarized from a portion of my dad’s Sunday school notes: Dr. Charles Rasmussen, taught 8/30/15.)

• King Nebuchadnezzar believed in the gods of Babylon and believed that they communicated to him through dreams. God, therefore, spoke to him through dreams and then prompted Daniel, a Jewish exile living in Babylon, to interpret them. (Daniel 2)
• Some Corinthians were causing confusion among the young believers by questioning the resurrection with naturalistic arguments. Paul responds with a reasoned argument (1 Corinthians 15:36-38).

Notice that the approach was different based on the audience: Nebuchadnezzar didn’t need a reasoned argument but the Corinthians did. For some people, loving actions are far more powerful than the Kalom argument for the existence of God. Yet others need words and rationale evidence. Others need to see changed lives. Others need to experience God’s love. Others are blinded by their love of sin. We know from Romans 1:18-20 that God has made himself clearly evident to all people but that people suppress the truth by unrighteousness. Our goal, then, is to let the Holy Spirit use us to help people see this truth once again.

Next week, we will dive into apologetics, looking specifically at God as creator. But for this week, here are your challenges:

1. Pray for those around you, and ask God to help you address their blinders. 
2. Find tangible ways to show lovingkindness to others. In other words, let your life be a light to others. 

Worship Team Devotional: The Artist and Sin

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in chapter 9, “Leading Artists” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four part 1, chapter four part 2, chapter five, chapter six, chapter seven, and chapter eight.

Sin destroys us, our union with God, and our relationships with others, so why do so many Christian artists fall? Perhaps it’s because artists are naturally more aware of their senses and so can be especially susceptible to the enticements of sin. Perhaps it’s because Satan hates when we worship God, so he attacks worship artists hard, bringing down their admirers with them. Lust, pornography, intimacy outside of marriage, selfishness, greed, materialism—often the enticement starts small and then grows slowly out of control until it destroys all involved, leaving much collateral damage. As Noland puts it, “You can’t have an X-rated fantasy life and G-rated behavior.” Eventually, your desire leads to sin which leads to death (James 1:14-15.) How do we deal with sin?

Addictions: First, acknowledge you have a problem. Then, remember that, because righteous Jesus paid the penalty for your sins, sin no longer has dominion over you (Romans 6:14). You are dead to sin and alive to Christ (Romans 6:4). The road is very difficult but possible because of Christ. What more should you do?

Accountability: Meet regularly with your accountability partner or group. Ask hard questions. Be 100% honest with each other. James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Learn How to Do Spiritual Battle: Read Matthew 4:1-11 to see how Jesus did battle when he was tempted. He did three important things:

• Counter Quickly: He didn’t allow the temptation to percolate in his mind. He didn’t think through the pleasures being presented first. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to take every thought captive.
• Counter with Truth: Jesus immediately countered with Scripture, even countering Satan’s faulty application of Scripture. This is why Scripture study and memory is so important. Immerse yourself in the truth.
• Renounce Sin: Sin can sometimes look so good to us, so remind yourself just how evil sin truly is. “Sin never satisfies. It always leaves us empty and destitute” (p. 283).

What Happens When I Fail? Confess your sins, which means agreeing with God that what you did was wrong. Then, repent, which means that you turn 180 degrees from your sin. I’ve personally observed people who fell into emotionalism: emotionally distraught about sin but without any change of action. This is mere emotion without substance. Repentance includes deep emotions but is much more than that. Read Psalm 51 for an example. David wrote this after he had an affair and then committed murder to cover it up. David still suffered terrible consequences for his sin, but God forgave him because he repented—a complete 180 turn.

Obedience: Why do we obey? John 14:15 says that we obey because we love Jesus. It also says that we experience God’s presence when we obey. Matthew 5:8 says that those who are pure in heart will see God. Do you want that kind of intimate relationship with the all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God of the universe?

Two Suggested Action Steps

• Memorize at least three verses to help you battle against sin.
• Meet with your accountability partner, evaluating how you both are doing battling sin.

Worship Team Devotional: Leading Artists

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in chapter 8, “Leading Artists” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four part 1, chapter four part 2, chapter five, chapter six, and chapter seven.

By its title, it may appear that this chapter is mainly for me as the worship leader, but truly many of these principles can be applied by anyone. Plus, most of us will find ourselves in a leadership role at some point in our lives.

Let’s start with a question: What has God created you to do? And as a follow up: How can you do it better? 1 Timothy 4:14 says to not neglect your gift. It can be easy to allow the busyness of life to crowd out that which is important. A worship leader must balance being a full time artist and a full time leader. All of us must balance work, family, school, relationships, and our artistry. But how?

First, remember that Paul wouldn’t have encouraged us not to give up (Galatians 6:9) unless we’d be tempted to give up. Ministry is rewarding but challenging.

Second, be shrewd as serpents. Learn what is truly important versus what is merely urgent. Ask God to help you plan out your schedule.

Third, guard against workaholic tendencies. Set aside one day a week as a sabbath—a day of rest and worship—and guard it. You may find that you are more efficient in a 40 hour work week than you are in 60 simply because you are more rested and alert.

Finally and most importantly, prioritize your relationship with Christ above all. No matter how busy you get, never neglect daily time with Jesus. Make this time absolutely, 100% non-negotiable.

Leadership Styles that Don’t Work with Artists

• The Overly Demanding CEO: controlling, demanding, and insensitive
• The Overbearing Coach: winning is everything, sacrifice all
• The Overly Protective Patron: coddles the artists as fragile and misunderstood, never confronts sin or gives correction
• The Silent Type: no feedback (good or bad) and no direction

What do you do if a leader (including me!) or boss leads in one of these ways? Do not run away from your problem. Instead, go to the leader in humility and love. It can be scary, but you may be pleasantly surprised with how it goes.

What to Do Instead

• Nurture artists by creating opportunities for them to use their gifts.
• Be gentle and sensitive when necessary and firm when necessary. Treat others the way that Christ would. We are to “admonish the unruly and encourage the fainthearted” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
• Love them.
• Exhort them.
• Encourage them.
• Implore them. “Implore” means to charge someone. Implore each other with the truth.
• Get to know them through relationships.

A good leader will be both giving and demanding, so give encouragement even as you demand excellence.

Apply

1. What has God called you to do? Take inventory of your time. Are you doing what he’s called you to do? If not, what changes to your schedule do you need to make?
2. In what settings are you a leader? What type of leader are you? How can you improve?
3. In what settings are you under a leader? Do you need to humbly and gently confront a leader on his/her leadership practices?
4. What can you do to improve the relationships you have, both with those under your leadership and with those who lead you?

Worship Team Devotional: Managing Your Emotions

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in chapter 7, “Managing Your Emotions” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four part 1, chapter four part 2, chapter five, and chapter six.

Emotions are a beautiful part of how God created us. However, many people (often subconsciously) get this false idea that Christians should be happy all the time and that having depressed feelings or angry emotions is a lack of maturity. David was an emotional guy. Even a cursory look through the Psalms will reveal that he experienced the extremes of the height of victory and the very bottom of despair. Jeremiah wrote an entire book called “Lamentations.” Jesus mourned deeply after the death of a close friend. The issue with emotions is how we manage them, not the fact that we have them. So how do we manage our emotions?

Be proactive about the truth. Revamp your internal thought life by throwing out the lies and meditating on the truth. As we discussed with the chapter on perfectionism, we sometimes fall victim to false thought patterns, such as maximizing the negative, black-and-white thinking, or equating our self-worth with our performance. We may also be experiencing deep emotions due to a speculation rather than reality. If you think someone has something against you, don’t just sit there and fume; you may be surprised to discover that your speculation is false, and if not, you now have a chance to reconcile.

Channel your emotions into worship. Take time every day to worship God. Read through the Psalms. Immerse yourself with truth and respond with all of your being. Recalibrate your concept of God. Consider this quote by John Piper in Desiring God:

Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half full) of artificial admirers (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). Emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the disciplines of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. (81-82)

Consider how to experience an emotion without sinning. Ephesians 4:26 says, “In your anger, do not sin.” We don’t need to suppress our emotions, but nor should we allow them to lead us into sin. If you’re not sure how to do this, start by immersing yourself in God’s Word and spending time in prayer and worship. The Holy Spirit’s job is to guide us, but if we don’t spend any time with him, how will we learn to recognize his voice?

Dealing with Disappointment. Musicians often experience disappointment. Someone else gets the solo or the big lead. Someone else with less talent gets more fame and fortune.

• First, consider where your “sweet spot” really is. You may envision making it big in the music industry, but perhaps God knows that that really isn’t your sweet spot. He may have something totally different for you that, in hindsight, is obviously so much better for you.
• Second, consider that there may be a roadblock in your way that you need to work to overcome. Seek God’s wisdom, and he’ll guide you.
• Third, God may be saying, “Wait.” If this is the case, don’t waist this time of waiting but instead use it to grow in faith, patience, and contentment.
• Fourth, be careful to measure success as God measures it and not as people do. Character is far more important to God than mere worldly success.

Suggestions for Personal Application

1. Talk to your accountability partner about your emotions. Be authentic and then challenge each other to grow.
2. Make a commitment to spend time in worship and prayer every day for two weeks, and journal about your experience.
3. Habakkuk 3:17-18 was written from the point of view of an agrarian profession. Rewrite it from an artist’s perspective.

Worship Team Devotional: “Jealousy and Envy”

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in chapter 6, “Jealousy and Envy” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four part 1, chapter four part 2, and chapter five. 

Jealousy and envy are virtually synonymous with just subtle differences in definition. Jealousy is where someone resents a rival’s success or advantage. Envy is where you desire what someone else has, like talent or ability. Many artists feel threatened by those with greater talents, or feel bitterness when those with less talent receive greater acclaim or prestige. Poorly handled, jealousy and envy can lead to anger and contempt. We may try to surreptitiously sabotage another’s ministry, or we may try to sweep it under the rug and pretend it’s not there. We may turn against ourselves and devalue our own talents and abilities. These responses are wrong, but how can we defeat jealousy and envy?

1. Confess it as sin. Don’t hide it or justify it. Confess it. James 3:14 says, “If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” If appropriate, go to the person you are jealous of and confess it. You may be surprised to find out that he or she also struggles with jealousy or envy.
2. Appreciate your God-given talent. Romans 12:6 says that we each have been given different gifts. Don’t believe the lie that you are worthless just because your abilities are not like someone else’s.
3. Give credit where credit is due. Sometimes, those who are jealous will play the victim, saying that a person’s success is only because they have connections and get all the breaks. If someone performs well, give them the credit that they are due.
4. Remember that the real issue is faithfulness. In Matthew 25, we read a parable about a business man who gives three servants differing amounts of talents and then rewards them as they are faithful with what they had each received. Whether you have five talents or one, God expects you to be faithful with what you have.
5. Don’t compare yourself to others. 1 Corinthians 12:15-16 talks about the danger of comparing. A foot is not a hand is not an ear, but all three are part of the body. If a single member does not function properly, the whole body suffers.
6. Turn envy into worship. If someone has more talent than you, praise God for his generosity. At the conclusion of one of Jesus’ parables, he says, “Are you envious because I am generous?” [Matthew 20:15]. Worship the Giver and not the gift.
7. Develop relationships instead of rivalries. Instead of avoiding the person you are jealous of, invite them over. Spend time with them. Get to know them. People often become less threatening as friendships are formed. See them as partners and friends instead of competitors. Pray regularly for them and their success. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says that love is not jealous, so learn to love them.
8. Remember that we are all on the same team. If one person’s music ministry flourishes, then rejoice that God is glorified. We need more quality musicians who are about God’s work, not less.

What if you find out that you are the object of someone else’s envy? Be humble about your abilities, even as you use them with confidence. Rejoice in others’ abilities, even if your’s is more advanced. Allow room for people to grow and be artistically expressive, even if they are not perfect.

Ideas for Personal Action Steps

1. Write down the names of any people in your life toward whom you have feelings of jealousy and envy.
2. Confess your sin of jealousy and envy to God and ask for his help.
3. Think about how you can turn jealousy and envy into worship.
4. Describe the negative results of comparing yourself with others.
5. Work with your accountability partner to deal with your feelings of jealousy and envy.

Worship Team Devotional: “Handling Criticism”

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in chapter 5, “Handling Criticism” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four part 1, and chapter four part 2. 

As musicians, we are constantly putting our craft out there for all to see. This means that someone sometime will give you criticism. Hopefully, the person gives it in love and with gentleness, but this may not always be the case. Whether given in love or in spite, how should we respond to criticism?

First, we must watch that we do not become defensive. Defensiveness alienates us from others, keeps us from the truth, and keeps us from being all we can be. I’ve observed a good handful of artists who responded with a list of excuses or other defensive tactics when given correction.

Second, we must watch that we do not take offense. Do not be easily provoked (see 1 Corinthians 13:5). If you’re taking offense due to secondhand information, go directly to the source. Many times, our offense is due to misunderstanding, so be careful not to take offense where none was intended.

Third, we must watch that we do not put up a facade. Instead of trying to keep up a facade of being perfect, allow criticism to grow us spiritually. Performance is entertainment and requires us to put up a facade at times. What we do is ministry, not performance, so instead of whipping up confidence and owning the stage, we humbly allow the Holy Spirit to take control and aim for authenticity. True, sometimes we have to push forward even when we don’t feel like it, but this shouldn’t be the norm. And in our relationships to those on the team, we should be real with each other. Like my junior high choir teacher would say, in rehearsal I’d rather loud and wrong than quiet and right. As director, “loud and wrong” means I know what to fix.

We know how not to respond to feedback, so how should we respond?

• Remember that you are not your art. The expression, “You are only as good as your last outing,” is not true.
• Greet feedback as your friend
• Respond with grace: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
• Be discerning: Proverbs 15:31 tells us that correction is life giving. But remember that not every criticism is absolute truth. Proverbs 14:15 says, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” If you receive criticism that confuses you, ask someone you trust to help you discern what to ignore versus take seriously.
• Have a teachable spirit.
• Learn how to fail graciously: Noland says it well, “You and I will make mistakes, so we need to learn how to fail graciously. We need to own up to our mistakes, not run away from them or pass responsibility on to someone else. No one’s expecting perfection (except maybe us), so we don’t need to defend ourselves every time we fail. When we mess up, let’s swallow our pride, admit it, learn from it, and move on.”

What if we are on the other end and need to give feedback?

• Give your overall reaction first. If the work was mostly good, then stating the criticism first gives the wrong impression over the quality of the work.
• Try to say something positive. This helps put your criticism in proper perspective.
• Acknowledge effort and hard work. It can be hard to work hours on a piece only to have it ripped to shreds.
• Avoid hyperbole.
• Avoid negative comparisons or generalizations.

Chances are likely that not everyone giving you criticism has done so gently. You may have deep scars from failed auditions or performances. How do you forgive? Whenever possible, go to the person who hurt you and seek reconciliation. But even if this isn’t possible or they do not apologize, remember that you can’t control others, but you can control your response. When it is difficult to forgive, ask the Lord to help you. Remembering how much God has forgiven us for can help tremendously when we are struggling to forgive others. Let us, therefore, forgive others as God has forgiven us (Colossians 3:12-13).

Worship Team Devotional: “Excellence Vs Perfectionism” from “Heart of the Artist” Part 2

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in the second half of chapter four, “Excellence Vs Perfectionism” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, and chapter four part 1. 

Last week, I went through the half of the chapter addressing perfectionism. This week, I’ll focus on excellence. Noland points out that excellence is “doing the best you can with what you have.” This means that the final product by a hard working beginner can still be excellent, even if it is not at the same level as a professional. With this in mind, here are ways to pursue excellence, no matter where your current skills lie.

1. Develop your skills: 1 Chronicles 25 lists a group of musicians for the temple and states that they were all trained and skillful. A note that it also states that teachers and pupils made up this group, so being “trained and skillful” doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re already a master teacher. Psalm 33:3 tells the string players to “play skillfully.” How do you do this? Expose yourself to quality art. Between work, school, and family, you may not be able to put in as much time as you’d like, but take the time you do have and keep moving forward in your skills. Consider taking private lessons on your instrument. Surround yourself with musicians who can give you good tips along the way.
2. Give God your best: In 2 Samuel 24:24, we have a picture of David’s heart. A man named Araunah offers to give the land and supplies that David would need to offer a sacrifice, but David refuses it, saying that he will not offer the Lord that which costs him nothing. Our music may be beautiful, but if it costs us nothing, then it is not a true sacrifice. A note from Noland for perfectionists: remember that “your best” is a moving target; keep aiming for excellence and this target will also keep moving forward.
3. Be creative and original: Psalm 33:3 and many other verses tell us to sing a new song. Why? This is a way to interact with what God does for us. It is a testimony to the unique things God is doing in your life and the life of those in the church. You can’t write songs, you say? My toddler Lucy can’t say more than a few words, but I’ve heard her make up songs. This is proof to me that all of us can “sing a new song” to the Lord, even if it isn’t ready for any sort of public debut. Now, if you happen to be skilled at songwriting, then by all means share it so that the whole congregation can be edified.
4. Effective communication: Keep in mind that the point of all of our efforts is in the message. This means that we can only reach people if we are effective communicators. Think about how you present yourself on stage. Are you stiff or focused only on the music? Your body is always communicating something, even if you’re not playing or singing. Have your music learned well enough that you can look up and engage the rest of the congregation. If you’re not playing during a section, consider taking the opportunity to raise your hands up to God in prayer.
5. Spiritual preparation: This goes hand in hand with effective communication. You can’t lead others in worship if you aren’t worshiping. Consider using your devotional time during the week to reflect on the lyrics of the songs in the set. Ask God to prepare your heart so that you enter service Sunday morning with your cup full. If you arrive with your cup overflowing, then you’ll be able to be a blessing to those whose cups are empty. Remember that unconfessed sin has a direct affect on your prayers (Psalm 66:18).

As Noland points out, perfectionism has a tendency to work against excellence because our focus gets in the way. I’ve personally observed musicians who kept taking chances, something that a perfectionist would never do, and this brought about true skill and excellence. So with this in mind, let us continually strive to improve our skills, even as we guard against perfectionism.

Worship Team Devotional: “Excellence Vs Perfectionism” from “Heart of the Artist”

I prepared this short devotional outline for my worship team at Standing Stones Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. The following is a summary of some key points in chapter four, “Excellence Vs Perfectionism” of Rory Noland’s Heart of the Artist. Click the following links to read my devotional outlines for the book’s introduction, chapter one, chapter two, and chapter three. 

This chapter first addresses the problem of perfectionism and then offers a better picture in the concept of “excellence.” This week, I’ll just focus on perfectionism. Here are common, unhealthy thought patterns that many perfectionists have:

Maximizing the Negative, Minimizing the Positive: If you have one or two mistakes in a song, do you recognize the good in your performance or focus on the mistakes? Be willing to look at the big picture and not be consumed by a few flaws. Noland writes, “Sometimes someone will pay me a compliment, but I’ll be thinking to myself, Yeah, but this was off or that was out of tune or something else wasn’t quite right. We perfectionists are never happy with our work, because we tend to maximize the negative and minimize the positive.”

Black-and-White Thinking: Noland describes this faulty thinking well: “My performance was either all good or all bad. I’m either a good artist or I don’t even deserve to call myself one. There’s no in between.”

Self-Esteem Based on Performance Instead of Identity: As I was walking to the park with Lucy in her stroller, a thought came to me. I love her so deeply, and it’s not because she washes my floors or never throws a temper tantrum. I love her simply because she’s my daughter. This love is very deep! In that moment, it dawned on me that I was not accepting Christ’s valuation of me. I realized that I had my value all wrapped up in my performance. When I had mistakes, especially big ones, my view of myself would sink to the floor. But this is wrong. My value is wrapped up in my identity as a daughter of the King.

High and Unrealistic Expectations: Get rid of “If onlys.” They don’t exist. As Noland points out, “perfection” is “perfiction.” Also, remember that God’s power is made perfect through our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). It occurred to me the other day that this verse doesn’t say that God’s power is made perfect despite our weaknesses but through them.

Instead, we should:

Savor the Positive. Get rid of negative self-talk. As a caveat, just watch that self-esteem doesn’t become your God. Remember that we are to love God, then others and self (Matthew 22:34-39).

Let the Lord Love You. One day when I was getting down on myself, my husband stopped me, saying that he felt I was throwing his love away with the garbage. I may think that I’m just seeing myself “realistically,” but the truth is that God’s love is unconditional. This means that no mistake of mine will decrease my value because my value is in Christ.

One of Noland’s suggestions is fantastic: consider finding and memorizing a Bible verse that speaks most convincingly to you about God’s love for you personally. Next week, we’ll talk about the need to pursue excellence, but for now, just spend time remembering God’s love and reminding yourself that your identity does not change, even when you fail or make mistakes.