Restoring Worship

Means Update

2011-07-02T17:16:00.001-04:00

Means Family Update

Hello friends and family! We hope this letter finds you well! I am sorry for the informal mass-email. Lots of things are happening with the Means family and we wanted all of you to know the latest, so here is the “quick and skinny” on the Means’.

Matthew
As most of you know, we have been on the south side of Atlanta, Georgia planting a PCA church for the last seven years. The Lord has taught us so much through this process, we are so thankful for all He has done. It has been such a blessing to see the birth and growth of a young new church. We love the people at South Point Presbyterian Church and all that God has done “through them” and “in them” over the last seven years. We are also excited to see what God is going to continue to do through SPC, his bride, in the future!

Thank you all of you who have supported us and prayed for us during our time here! We truly would not have made it without all of your support! That being said, the Lord has drawn our time here to a close and has called us into a new chapter of ministry. This fall, we will be moving to Norcross, Georgia where Matthew will be teaching Bible and Theology to high school students at Wesleyan School. Along with teaching, Matthew will also be coaching football and wrestling. We are excited about all that the Lord has in store for us in this new calling. Matthew is looking forward to ministering to high school students as well as serving and using his gifts in a local church.

Kelli

Kelli has her hands full with four little ones. Her days are filled with stuff like folding laundry, picking up toys and putting band-aids on skinned up knees. Kelli has a new calling this fall as well as she will be home-schooling Judson for Kindergarten with Vertias in Alpharetta. GA. (pray for her!)

We are very excited to say that it has been two years since Kelli had surgery for ovarian cancer and as of today, she is cancer free. Praise the Lord!!! Thank you all who prayed, called, and sent letters. Please continue to pray that the Lord will watch over our family in this area!

Kids

Emma-Kate is nine, Adyson is eight, Judson is five and McCully is two. Emma-Kate and Adyson will either be in public school or enrolled in Wesleyan this fall if there is room. They are all growing like weeds and healthy, Praise the Lord! Emma-Kate and Adyson are enjoying their second summer on the community swim team. They both have a knack for it and enjoy the competition. Judson and McCully enjoy the pool as well, but more so just for the fun of swimming on these hot summer days.

Judson is all boy, which is good being in a house full of girls. He got his first pocket knife for his birthday and he carries it with him almost everywhere. McCully does not know that she is only two and she tries to do everything her older siblings do (This gets her in trouble sometimes).

Thank you again all of you. You are all part of our family and we are thankful for how the Lord has used each of you in our lives to encourages us as we continue to walk through life together. Please don’t hesitate to call or email and lets us know how we can be praying for you.

Lord Bless,

Matthew, Kelli, Emma-Kate, Adyson, Judson, and McCully

Prayer Requests
- Pray for a smooth transition into now schools, neighborhoods, job, etc. (especially the kids)
- Pray that God would continue to protect our families health (especially Kelli)
- Pray that God would lead us to the church family He would have us join.
- Pray that God would equip Matthew to serve and honor Him excellently in this new ministry.

2011-01-14T14:04:00.000-05:00

I just read the first chapter of "Radical" by David Platt... WOW!!

This is the book I have been praying for and I am 100% convinced it is going to change my life.

Here is a sample of what I highlighted:

“We are molding Jesus into our image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is who we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church buildings to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worship the Jesus of the Bible. Instead we may be worshiping ourselves.”p.13

"American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that are actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe." p.3

"... if Jesus is who he said he is, and if his promises are as rewarding as the Bible claims they are, then we may discover that satisfaction in our lives and success in the church are not found in what our culture deems most important but in radical abandonment to Jesus." p.3

“… somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”

All I can say is WOW!!!

Genesis 2:1-3 ~ “Work and Rest” (Genesis Sermon Series)

2010-06-21T23:54:00.003-04:00

Genesis 2:1-3

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

We are called to be both “Image Carries” and “Image Cultivators”. What greater way to do this as we bare the image of our Creator God in the work that we do!

Genesis 2:1-3 ~ “Work and Rest” ~ Click Here to Download This Sermon

Yes, there can be an art to community...

2009-11-20T07:44:00.006-05:00

I really do think there is an "art" to community. Here is why...

First of all, there is an aesthetic beauty to when believers are "dwelling together in unity". The scriptures often speak about the way in which believers relate to one another being an attractive quality for unbelievers.

Secondly, there is a creative aspect to community. As each person in the body lives out their calling with their unique gifts, a community of faith grows and develops and creates. There is also the creative aspect where when a community of faith works together to live out the "one another" commands in the scriptures (Love one another, pray for on another, etc.), there is a creative effort to shape and develop the community.

As Steve Brown says, "You think about that..."

Living in and loving community,

Matthew

The Art of Community

2009-11-11T09:23:00.002-05:00

Dictionary.com defines the word "art" as, "the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance."

That is a mouth full, but simplified, one can define art as, "a realm of what is beautiful and appealing."

Dictionary.com defines the word "community" as, "a group of people sharing common characteristics or interests."

Here is my question:

If art can be a realm then can there be a "art of community"?

(Credit for image: Lumaxart at www.flickr.com/photos/lumaxart)

Community ~ CS Lewis Quote

2009-10-29T12:35:00.005-04:00

This is an amazing quote!

"In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets. Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronaldís reaction to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Ronald, having him ìto myselfî now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald. Hence true friendship is the least jealous of loves. Two friends delight to be joined by a third, and three by a fourthÖ we possess each friend not less but more as the number of those with whom we share him increases. In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious ìnearness by resemblanceî to HeavenÖ for every soul, seeing Him in her own way, communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiahís vision are crying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy' to one another (Is 6:3). The more we share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall all have", C. S. Lewis

Think of the implications for your church... What does it mean for those who are part of your "community of faith"?

Last Sunday I preached on "community". It is one of our core values. I ended my sermon with this quote hoping to make the point, "Each person in the body of Christ plays a unique role in being the body of Christ to each other." It takes each part to make up the whole.

I guess I never thought about it that way before. I know a body has all of it's parts. but I never thought about how a body "needs" all of it's parts.

Each of you are needed to be the entire "body of Christ"!!!

MM :)

Ok, Ok ... I know...

2009-10-29T11:22:00.003-04:00

Ok, ok, I know... I have not done a very good job posting lately. It is sort of a double sided coin. When I don't get many responses to my blog thoughts, I am not motivated to write new ones. When I don't write new ones people don't read and write responses. I will do better, I promise.

PS... thanks all those who do read and respond.

Matthew

Pictures...

2009-09-05T10:53:00.001-04:00

These pictures were taken by Tiffany Glover. She is a good friend and an awsome photographer!!! Here is her web site. I recomend her highly!!! ~ www.simplyyoursphotography.net/

Pretty much all these pics or our church are by her and her husband.

Tiff and Jason ~ you guys ROCK!!!

Got Communion?

2009-08-22T22:02:00.006-04:00

The other day I read this in a bible study by Tim Keller and it got me thinking…

“We are to combine the Word and Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper together in worship. Some people insist that this means we must have communion every time we preach the Word… Nevertheless, we should agree to a balance. “High” churches traditionally stress the sacrament and downplay the “homily” or preaching — ”low” churches do it the other way around. Here we see the early church combined them.”

At SPC we have communion about every 4 – 6 weeks. We do this for several reasons…

However, before I list my reasons I want to ask for your thoughts. I know this is a hot topic with some, so I look forward to the dialogue. I will post my reasons, one each week, for the next several weeks.

More to come …

Biblical Worship

2009-08-08T09:01:00.011-04:00

Touchstone magazine article, “Durable Hymns" by
Donald Williams director of the School of Arts and Sciences at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia.

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/issue.php?id=151

"Much of today’s music is of poor quality, but so was some music written centuries ago. The difference is the old hymns have endured a centuries-long weeding-out process. If we hope to identify the best new music, we must know those marks of excellence that made the best of the past stand out and survive so long.”

"These marks of excellence are not arbitrary. They are derived from biblical teaching about the nature of worship. They come from an understanding of the nature of music and how it can support those biblical goals."

Here are the marks he lists:

1. Lyrics need not to be literal Scripture, but they do have to be faithful to it.

2. Theological profundity. Think of how the words to this great hymn encourage us to worship God with our minds:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes

By contrast, some contemporary choruses are often “so simplistic and repetitive that theological reflection never has a chance to get started,” Williams says.

3. Poetic richness. For instance, the use of a question in the hymn “What Child is This?” helps us capture “the wonder of the Incarnation.” In “Amazing Grace,” the word “wretch,” Williams notes, is “a simple but evocative” choice.

4. Musical beauty. In great music, “there are certain contours, structures, and cadences that make for a singable melody.” And the right harmony “can make that melody more memorable . . .,” he writes. For instance, “Be Thou My Vision” “rises and falls like an ocean wave or a sine curve.”

Tragically, Williams notes, “more recent praise choruses seem to ignore all the rules of good composition, giving us not well-shaped melodies but just one note after another.”

Now, some songwriters are creating excellent music today. But, warns Williams, only those musicians who are musically gifted, and historically, biblically, and theologically trained are qualified to help churches choose the best new music “as a supplement to the church’s rich musical heritage.”

Although I mostly agree with this, some of these points seem to be relative to a persons taste and definitely from a western Anglo cultural perspective. Some songs that are “sing-able” to some might be “un-sing-able” by others. How in the world would you measure "Musical beauty"? What about the church in Africa? What is "Musical beauty" to them? Shouldn’t “excellent worship” also be indigenous to the people? (See my post "What Worship Means @ Our Church" below for my thoughts on this.)

What would he say are the marks of “biblical worship” as opposed to “excellent worship”? Isn’t it more important to be "biblical" then "excellent"? Not that the two are opposed.

He says that these marks are "derived from biblical teaching about the nature of worship." Who's "biblical teaching"? Where in the bible does it teach about what elements or marks are suppose to be in worship songs? Where does scripture teach worship songs should have "Poetic Richness" or "Musical Beauty"? I am not disagreeing that worship music should have these things but how do these things make worship more "biblical"?

The real issues are much bigger then the article mentions. I think that this is a very man centered approach to these issues and questions. Shouldn't the real question be, "What kind of hymns does God like?" not, "What type of hymns do I like?".

What do you guys think?

Food for thought from Timothy Keller

2009-07-30T14:14:00.002-04:00

“Normal preaching should be evangelistic preaching. Ordinarily, ‘edificational’ preaching is more oriented to behavior (”you must obey Christ in this way and this way”) while ‘evangelistic’ preaching is usually oriented toward belief (”you must believe in Christ in this way and this way”). But this misses the unity of the human soul. … Therefore, any failure in behavior in Christians is due to unbelief. The antidote to unbelief is a fresh telling of the gospel. So, if a sermon is Christ-centered in its exposition and application, and if it is oriented toward a) dismantling the unbelief systems of the human heart, and toward b) re-explaining and using the gospel on the unbelief – then it will be highly illuminating to non-Christians even when it is aimed primarily to Christians. Preaching that cannot both edify and evangelize at once is choosing behavior over belief or belief over behavior.”

Tim Keller

I'm back...

2009-06-08T13:35:00.004-04:00

Ok,

I know it has been a while since my last post. I promise to do better!!

The truth is I have been caught up in Facebook. It is addictive...

I also have had another child and my wife has been in and out of the hosptial. Nothing big but boy have we been busy.

I am working on something that should be up soon!

MM

What Worship Means @ Our Church

2008-10-20T09:07:00.005-04:00

Worship @ South Point Church

1.) We believe that worship is central to the church and the Christian life

Simply put, we believe that we have been created to worship. The first calling of every believer and the purpose for which we were created is to worship Almighty God in all his fullness and beauty. We desire that our personal and corporate worship at SPC be faithful and growing as well as authentic, passionate, and God-centered in all aspects.

Jesus said, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, mission will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever…"
John Piper

2.) We believe that worship is to be participatory

We believe that worship is to be participatory and corporate. Worship is, by definition, a "verb", therefore it is to involve the entire congregation. We believe that God is our audience and the congregation is not there as a consumer to be entertained but as a worshiper who has come to participate in the joy of worshiping the living triune God.

- God is the "audience"
- The congregation is the "performers"
- Worship leaders are the "prompters"
not
- The congregation is the "audience"
- Worship leaders are the "performers"
- God is the "prompter"

3.) We believe that worship is to be God-centered

We wholeheartedly believe that God Himself must be the focus of our worship. God's glory and majesty along with His continuing plan of redemption for His people through His Son Jesus Christ is what we celebrate.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:6-7

We believe that it is possible, and often easy, in worship to allow songs, personal preferences, styles, and traditions to become the focus of our worship. Valuing worship that is “centered on God” guards us against worshipping smaller and unsatisfying things that ultimately place mankind at the center of our worship, thus leading us to worship the creation rather that the Creator himself.

4.) We believe that worship is to be Gospel-centered

By “gospel centered” we me that worship that is God-centered is also “seeker-sensitive”. We believe that the dichotomy between a “seeker friendly” and “believer biased” worship service is a false one. We believe that both the believer and non-believers are in need of the same thing… the gospel. Our worship service is a celebration of God’s unfolding plan of redemption; a celebration of the Good News that God has forgiven us our sin through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
We attempt to combine a transcen¬dent focus on Jesus Christ with a welcoming attitude toward those who are spiritually skeptical or curious. We design our services expecting non-Christians to be present, believing that the experience of God’s presence in our midst will lead many to embrace Christ. We intentionally avoid services that either dissolve into entertainment or which are simply “preaching to the choir”. We will intentionally seek to communicate and environment of grace, where we are honest about our sin and our need for a Savior. We seek to celebrate the marvelous truth that the gospel meets our deepest need.

5.) We believe that worship values both our rich heritage and our present community

We want our worship to be “faithful” to both the present culture of Henry County and to the heritage of the historical Church.
We attempt to combine an appreciation for the richness and depth of the church’s heritage of music and liturgy with the best of how His contemporary church is worshiping today. Our worship will endeavor to focus on both the immanence (near) and transcendence (far) of God. We desire to cultivate an appreciation for the richness of our ancient faith with a vibrancy that is refreshing—especially to those who may have been away from the church for some time. We avoid both uncomfortable novelty and stuffy formality.
Worship is not a matter of taste. Worship is a response to seeing the glory of God and His gracious mercy toward undeserving sinners. “The ‘traditionalists’ need not be deprived of new expressions of faith and ‘contemporaryists’ need not be robbed of continuity with the ancient church throughout time.”

6.) We believe that worship is to be both familiar and eclectic

We believe biblical worship is indigenous and relevant to its community and is best expressed with much diversity. The Almighty Creator of the universe is a creative and majestic God who is worshiped among every tribe, and tongue and nation. If “all of creation declares the glory of the Lord”, it is only fitting that His people would worship Him creatively with many different styles, expressions and traditions.

Just as Jesus spoke and the scriptures were written in the common language of the people, all aspects of worship must be presented in the language of the people. We will seek out appropriate and fresh ways of communicating the gospel to the people of Henry County in our worship service.

In a nut shell, we believe that a worship style that is most relevant among the suburban people of Henry County is a blended eclectic style of contemporary and historical music.

7.) We believe that worship is to be reverent and joyful

We believe God-centered worship focuses on the fact that our God is an almighty, all-powerful, sovereign and holy King, but He is also our Father and we are his children. We believe that this Majestic King who governs the entire universe delights when His children jump into his lap and enjoy the relationship of their Great Daddy!

Our desire is to have a God-exalting worship service that is joyful and exuberant because it serves as an anticipation of the heavenly worship we will enjoy one day forever, the celebration of our salvation and satisfaction in knowing the one true God personally as our Father.

8.) We believe that worship speaks to the mind and to the heart.

We intentionally design our worship service to be both deep and practical, both intellectually challenging and emotionally satisfying. We want informed minds with inflamed hearts.

Jonathan Edwards said it best, “God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: 1. By appearing to… their understanding. 2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in and enjoying the manifestations which He makes of Himself. . . . God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart.”

Slacker

2008-10-18T08:25:00.003-04:00

OK,

I am a big slacker... I know it has been forever since my last post. Kelli is 5 months pregnant and I have had to do a lot of Mr. Mom if you know what I mean.

I do have an article that I wrote a few years ago on worship that I have been re-working and updating. I plan to post it soon. Thanks for looking

Matthew

Hello again, and a quick thought...

2008-05-27T11:50:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been a couple of month since my last post. It has been a busy spring and the Lord has continued to teach me more about worship.

We are still going through the book of Acts and I am continually amazed by the way that God has made it so clear that He desires to have people from every tribe tongue and nation to come and worship Him.

As John Piper say, "If God is the greatest treasure in all the universe (and He is), then to not share His glory with all of creation would make Him unjust."

This is just a quick thought.

I hope to be more consistent now that school is out and I have a little more time. :)

The Priesthood of Worship

2008-02-29T13:44:00.003-05:00

In worship, we are coming into the throne room of God. Much like the priest entering into the "holy of holies" we come before his throne. The book of Hebrews tells us that we can come before His throne with confidence, not because of what we have done but because of what He has done in Christ.

One thought for those of you out there who are worship leaders. When we lead God's people in corporate worship, we are actively involved in the "priesthood of worship". Although there is no need for a mediator, we help facilitate worship in the hearts of God's people and usher people to this throne of grace.

Tim Keller (Redeemer PCA, Manhattan) says that as leaders in the church, our job is to help people deal with God. As "worship leaders" we help people deal with worship, we help people come and worship the Creator of the universe, the King of Heaven, ... their Father!

:O)

Dialogical Worship

2008-02-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, I went to a church planting conference and heard from Scotty Smith from Christ Community in Franklin, TN. I am thankful for his ministry and I’ve been a fan for several years. At South Point Church we are beginning to think of worship as not so much a “monologue” but more of a “dialogue” between our covenant God and His people.

If you are not familiar with CCC you can check them out at:

http://www.christcommunity.org/

MM

Repentance and Worship

2008-01-18T21:25:00.001-05:00

I am currently preaching through the book of Acts in our Sunday AM worship. Last week I preached on 3:19-21 that says:

19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

WOW! As I was preparing it hit me that probably the reason that most Christians, including myself, do not experience “times of refreshing” in their spiritual lives is because of their lack of repentance.

I have been a Christian for 17 years and I am just now learning about what true repentance is…

MM

Hello

2008-01-18T16:25:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog.

I hope to encourage others who, like myself, seek to understand Christian worship better.

MM

South Point PCA

www.southpointpca.com