September 18th, 2007 by Pastor Matt

You want to see someone who is looking rather undignified? Find someone who has a baby and then walk around with that baby. Try as hard as you possibly can to forget that you have a baby in your hands and then just look at people as they talk to that baby. Whew! Some people just get going when you put them in front of a baby. I am one of those people, so don’t think I’m talking bad about you if you’re one of those people too. The point I am making though, is that you don’t see people being undignified very often.

What is it about todays society that causes people to look down at others? I don’t know, but apparently the same thing was happening back in David’s day:

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” - 2 Samuel 6:20

Now David had just been out in the streets dancing in front of the entire city as the Ark of God was brought into the city. Up comes this “dignified” pretty princess (Saul’s daughter), Michal, to throw sarcasm and ridicule to the king! This is someone whom Ed Young would call a vision vandal. You see, David was modeling to the entire country that God was worth worshiping; even if it meant that he looked silly. If you want something to be important to those around you, you must model it. Michal obviously missed the point, but David made his point in verses 21 & 22:

21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

Saul was a man of dignity, and we may think to ask Saul (as Dr. Phil would say), “How’s that working out for you?” It was not David’s action that people saw, but the passion behind the action. The passion that David had for God made him appear undignified in his worship, but that just made his passion more noticeable. Never be afraid to get undignified in your children’s ministry (or anything else you’re passionate about). It will only make your passion for kids more noticeable.

September 12th, 2007 by Pastor Matt

Do you ever get those words stuck in your head that you just can’t get out?  Man, for the last week or more I have been stuck on the word relationship.  I like to sit down a couple of times a week and think about specific things that we can begin to do to make our children’s ministry better; and the answer the last few weeks has been RELATIONSHIP.  Our children’s ministry seriously needs to improve our relationship with the new kids we are having in services.  We have about half of our kids coming on Wednesdays and we have excellent relationships with all of them.  That other half though… we’re just not connecting well enough.  We’ve got to make a change.

Now is the time when I get to try out this new brain that I’m developing.  I’ve got to sit down and plan out HOW to meet this need, to heal this hurt.  We’ve got to connect!  We’ve got to link-up, hook-up, get static with one another.  Now… I’ve got some how to do.