Vanilla and Rocky Road

Scene from Blackish where the choir sings How Sweet Is (To be Loved by You). Hilarious!

A post I read by Carlos Whittaker affirmed some thoughts that have been taking roots in me.

Don't Dilute the Flava God Made Ya has nothing to do with praise and worship specifically. It's more about being your authentic self and not changing that authenticity when you don't fit into the mold of what others might be looking for.

At this point in my journey, I'm not this super verbal, entertainer type worship leader. I know we all like charismatic worship leaders, but I don't really do the whole "hype em up" thing. I could get up there and scream "When I think of the goodness of Jesus...", but that's just not me. I like to worship, I like to sing, so I worship and I sing. I used to be a cheerleader, but because worship is kind of my thing, I don't feel led to call up that skill set. Sure I encourage people to press in, but you're not gonna get a lot of talking out of me. God hasn't given me a word to share with His people so I'm not gonna stand up in front of a congregation and just start talking prophetically or even matter-of-factly. It's just not me.

I think Carlos's post drives home that whatever God made you to be, be it. Everyone won't like your style, but someone will.

The diversity of the church amazes me. There is room for vanilla, Rocky Road, and every other flavor imaginable.

Blessings

Passion - My Heart Is Yours (Live/Audio) ft. Kristian Stanfill

What a simple, beautiful song. Enjoy!

Hillsong Tour - July & August Dates

 

Hey all you worshipers - Hillsong United is on tour and they're bringing Lauren Daigle with them. This is bound to be a great worship experience. Here are the dates:

July

• Columbia, SC - July 18, 7:00 pm, Colonial Life Arena
• ATL - July 19, 7:00 pm, Lakewood Amphitheater
•  Nashville - July 20, 7:00 pm, Bridgestone Arena
• OKC - July 22, 7:00 pm, Chesapeake Energy Arena
• Houston - July 23, 7:00 pm, Toyota Center
• Denver - July 25, 7:00 pm, Pepsi Center
• Kansas City -  July 27, 7:00 pm, Sprint Center
• Louisville - July 28, 7:00 pm, Freedom Hall
• Pittsburgh - July 29, 7:00 pm, CONSOL Energy Center
• Chicago - July 30, 7:00 pm, United Center

August 

• Jacksonville - August 10, 2016, 6:30 pm, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
• Tampa - via the Outcry tour August 11, 6:30 pm, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater at the Florida State Grounds
• Miami - August 12, 6:30 pm, Bayfront Park Amphitheater
• Orlando - August 13, 6:30 pm, CFE Arena
• Mobile - August 15, 6:30 pm, Mobile Civic Center
• Baton Rouge - August 16, 6:30 pm, Baton Rouge River Center
• St. Louis - August 18, 6:30 pm, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
• North Little Rock, AR - August 19, 6:30 pm, Verizon Center
• Austin - August 20, 6:00 pm, H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
• Dallas - August 21, 6:00 pm, American Airlines Center
• Phoenix - August 24, 6:30 pm, Talking Stock Resort Arena
• San Diego - August 25, 6:30 pm, Sleep Train Amphitheater
• Las Vegas - August 26, 6:30 pm, The Orleans Arena
• Concord, CA - August 27, 6:30 pm, Concord Pavilion
• Anaheim - August 29, 6:30 pm, Honda Center

Get more deets here!

A song to lift your spirit during turbulent times

 

Today I am so saddened by all of the violence that's been going on. Not that I haven't been previously, but when a black men gets shot at point blank in his car with his loved ones inside (one of which was a child) and I see the video of the aftermath, my heart breaks. My God, are we (black people) not human? Do we not deserve a chance to take out our license like we've been asked to do without being shot? And now the police being killed in Dallas! Jesus take the wheel, like frfr!

What's worse is that people are so critical of each other at this time. We criticize the #blacklivesmatter movement. We criticize when someone paints a mural of the deceased. We criticize when celebrities speak out about social injustice. We criticize the NAACP for not doing enough. Tensions are high on every level.

If you are like me, your spirit is impacted by the loss of lives that seem senseless and is crying out to God for help. I know personally that music helps me get through things. So today I offer you the song that's been on repeat for me for about a week now, Baba Oh, from Jonathan Nelson's latest project.

"Open the floodgates in abundance and cause your rain to fall on me"

Tips for worship team members

I read this great article called 10 tips for worship team members - part 1

Here's a brief recap of the tips, but definitely read the post! 

• Practice: Professional musicians know the difference between practice and rehearsal
• Be a support to your worship leader
• Be on time
• Don't sabotage songs you dislike
• Behave like a Christian on stage and off

It drives me crazy when...

I was reading a gospel artist's post on Instagram and got irritated. (One reason why I'm not on FB - more dummies sharing their dumb posts.) It drives me crazy when people think that there's only one "sound of heaven" and that songs that sound more secular aren't God-given. Please get off of your soap box!

People said the same thing when BeBe and CeCe Winans got big. "You can't tell if they're singing about God or a relationship between a couple." They said the same thing about Kirk Franklin and God's Property. They said the same thing about Mary Mary. However, when people who don't have a big name in the industry put out their music somehow "it's not the sound."

Us church people really rip into others far too much, particularly black church people.

I may not know everything about worship, but I know that this "sound" is not this big deal in other cultures. And it's not even about a "sound" per se, it's people's opinions about what is and is not acceptable as praise or worship. All throughout Africa, people dance regularly at the drop of a hat - even to praise music. Hillsong Young & Free sounds so of the moment, if you weren't listening to the words you think it was the next pop artist on the radio. And I personally loved 5 Seconds by Canton Jones. I was two-stepping to that joint until they stopped playing it!

Look people, let's stop talking about the "sound of heaven" as if we've been there! Yes, there are songs that are anointed, but our God is bigger than our sphere of thinking. I think that as long as the message is right, the genre/artist/expression is not as important.

Blessings