a better week

This week we launched our new series and once we got started the day did go better than last week. We started 10 minutes late though and that always throws me off a little. Our team has been so faithful since we launched, but I can tell we are in need of more people to jump into the rotation. It's the beginning of summer and those sun shining Sunday mornings make it easy to not get to the theater on time for set-up.

I want team emc to know you all are incredible and your service to God and the embassy is priceless. Since it's summer and people will be vacationing we need to be sure that if we are on rotation for a given Sunday that we get there at 8:00am. The past three weeks we've gotten started at 8:00 with a skeleton crew and it has affected our set-up time. The most important part of set-up happens when we are done and we all get to gather as a team for prayer. The past two weeks we have not been able to do that. For me with out that time to settle in as a team and focus on God prior to the service, the morning begins to feel like a production. Sunday mornings at the embassy will always be entertaining, but it should never be a show. We need that time so that we can be prepared and focused and experience the morning as interaction with God, and each other, not running around trying to get everything done so the "show" can go on.

I know I am the pastor and I don't expect this from you, but since the 3rd week of of our launch I have been waking up on Sundays between 3am & 4am. Why? Because if I don't I feel so rushed in my morning that Sunday is just about getting the event on and done. For me that isn't what church is about. So I get up early, have some coffee, settle into my day with Jesus, look over my notes,and allow my heart to absorb what God desires for the day. I even have the guy that pulls our trailer come early and we are at the theater at 7:45am. Why? Because I don't want to be robbed of what Sundays should be by rushing like a crazy man on Sunday. When I feel rushed I roll into performance mode because we "got to get it done" I hate that feeling and for some reason I can tell I carry that feeling into the whole service whenever this happens.

Well I guess that's all I have to say about that. Thanks team for stepping it up and giving God a better week this week. Let's all try to keep getting back on track for next week and do what we have to do to provide the best environment for worship. Not just with the media, Sound, lighting, and the temperature of the coffee, but by the preparation of our hearts ready to interact with God and each other.