1. My friend and fellow Moody author Rhett Smith recently wrote a great article for Relevant Magazine on marriage and the struggle many of us have with what commitment in marriage truly is. He hones in on the phrase “two becoming one” to discuss how difficult it really can be, something mostly overlooked by couples who want to get married.
Whether we are married, engaged, dating or single, we are all in the process of trying to maintain our unique identity just as we have a desire for mutual belonging in a relationship. This balance of mutuality and differentiation is known in theological circles as perichoresis—or, “divine dance.”
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2. I have no shame in being a fan of golf. I watch golf just about every weekend, whether The Masters is going on or some random tournament through the golf season. I love to play golf and I love to watch golf. I even play fantasy golf against my dad, my brother, and some friends. I couldn’t have been more happy to see Bubba win last Sunday. Several years ago Bubba was known for having one of the worst tempers in golf, even worse than Tiger. Having followed him over the past few years there’s been a remarkable change, something he attributes to his faith in Jesus. Redemption is beautiful. Bubba and his wife are unable to have children and just recently adopted their first child. Bubba didn’t hang around after his victory, he got home as fast as he could.
Here’s a great article on why Bubba winning was such a great story:
The adoption process can be painful for would-be parents, hopes rise and then are dashed with cruel regularity. On March 19 they thought they had a baby and then got turned down at the last minute.
“Heartbreaking watching my wife,” he said.
They were willing but Bubba had to play that weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational outside Orlando. He wanted to pull out, but Angie made him stay. He finished fourth, a fine tune-up for this.
“Then Monday morning, we were down in South Florida, picking up little Caleb,” he said.
Watson began to tear up again.
“I can’t wait to get back.”
He meant it. Even during the green jacket ceremony, he kept thinking about a private jet waiting for him at the airport. He saw a helicopter and wondered if it might be about to whisk him out of Augusta National right then.
Most Masters champions want to stick around, soak up the memories and the moments and bask in the glory of what may be their greatest accomplishment.
“The thing is, golf is not my everything,” he said.
This is the most staid, traditional, secure-of-itself place in America. It changes for no one. It’s convinced it is everything.
Bubba Watson came a long way, the hard way, his own way, to get here. The guy can really play golf. He just isn’t obsessed with every last facet of the game, doing it how everyone else does, playing it safe when he should.
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3. Aaron Keyes is one of my favorite worship leaders/songwriters and he specifically writes music for local churches and worship leaders. More than that, I love his approach to music and leadership within the local church. This article he wrote on discipleship and leadership development is convicting and I think he provides a needed and overlooked perspective when it comes to raising up worship leaders within our churches.
Yes, young worship leaders need to learn how to lead a band well, but more importantly they need to learn how to lead their families well. Young songwriters need to grow in their craft, but more importantly, they need to know how to hear God. We need more than classrooms; we need discipleship of the kind we see in the lives of Jesus, Paul, and the early church.
A worship leader leads songs, but a worship pastor leads people. My hope is to see a generation of godly and gifted young worship pastors arise who could be elders in their churches. I’m praying for a movement of anointed and empowered worship pastors who would lead their churches without their musical contributions.
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Grace and Peace.
