It’s Been a Long, Long Time

 Hello, old friends! I know. It’s been nearly 10 years. Those 10 years have felt like 25 in a lot of ways. It’s amazing what can happen in a ten year span. I’m sure that notifications for this blog have all been cancelled by those who once followed it. 

10 years later, I have different kinds of things to say than I did back then. I wonder if my blog friends would even know what to do with the 2023 iteration of me. I have considered reengaging in the blog world. 

** Edit**

Sometimes, I miss this outlet. Sometimes, I wonder if I have things to share in this new season that might be helpful to someone. But, it took me all of 4 hours to remember that my real desire, these days, is to have these conversations in person with people I love and trust…looking at them in the eye. I spent a long time saying a LOT of things. These past few years, I’ve tried to do a lot more listening than speaking. 

For those of you who were such faithful supporters of Zoe, I want to say thank you! Thank you for supporting us, and believing in us and cheering us on. Life, since then, has taken several twists, and turns that I never would’ve planned. But, in God’s master plan, he needed to show me some things and release me from some things. I’ve learned a lot along the way! I’ve learned to love myself and embrace who God created me to be. And to break the powerful and dysfunctional hold that people pleasing and approval had over me. His love continues to wash over me. I guess, the big change is, I no longer see my worthiness or salvation through other people’s eyes. I only see it through his. That has brought great freedom in my life!

If any of you are struggling to truly love and accept yourselves, because of what other “Christians” say about you, please reach out! That is not the heart of Jesus and your salvation is not determined by those voices. There is life on the other side of all of that…even if it’s hard to see right now. Keep walking towards love.  He loves you far more than you could ever imagine! 

This is BST…over and OUT. Peace to all of you. :)

How He Loves

Good morning, friends! Yesterday at Highland we continued in our series "Sequels" about the idolatry of sex and romance. It was a powerful day of remembering who God is and laying down our idols. He is faithful even when we are not. As Hosea loved Gomer...God loves us and beyond.

At the end of service we had people come forward and write down their idols on cards at tables at the front of the worship center. Before people came forward I referred to a song called "How He Loves". The most popular version is performed by David Crowder. But a friend sent me this version today and I thought it was powerful.

I think one of the main questions we deal with that often goes unspoken...and we might not even be aware of...is, can I trust God? I see God lovingly gaze upon us asking, "Do you trust me? Do you trust that I am enough?" If I got the profound nature of His deep love for me it would cancel out so many things that compete for His affection in my heart.

May you feel and know His deep love for you today. I hope this blesses you on this Monday morning!

A King & A Kingdom - Derek Webb

I have loved this song for a really long time. Sometimes I want to post it to people's Facebook walls (when I'm feeling extra contrary). But I know it would offend some. There are lines in this song that may be offensive...but I'd ask you to stop and step back and ask yourself why they're offensive. We build idols of all kinds in our lives...some of them look like really GOOD things...but they can still be idols. We have one King and one Kingdom. That's it.

So Long Summer!

On this first day of Fall, here's a little video my 12 year old daughter did to celebrate what God did this summer. I thought she did a great job!

West Texas Fair

Well, it's that time again...time for the West Texas Fair and Rodeo. Since I was a kid I have gone to the fair every year...same sights, smells, food, rides... and inevitably it begins like this...

And ends up feeling more like this.....

But...it's always fun and the kids had a blast with their friends riding rides and seeing interesting people. And if you know me AT ALL, you know that people watching is one of all-time favorite things to do...airports are like a candy store for me. The West Texas Fair is the ultimate. Ever. I'll leave it at that. :) Fun time had by all!

Make a Joyful Sound...No, Really!

Recently, at Highland some big announcements were made. Here was the announcement...

Earlier this year the Highland Elders announced that as a group we were discussing adding an instrumental worship service on Sunday mornings here at this building.  Our discussion was centered on 3 essential questions, which has led us through our discernment together:

1. Does Scripture allow for an instrumental worship service on Sunday mornings?

The Highland elders voted that we believed that Scripture did allow for instrumental worship on Sunday mornings.

2. We asked is an instrumental worship service missionally effective for Highland?

The Highland elders voted that we believed adding an instrumental service could remove a barrier for people in our community to come to Highland as we fulfill our purpose of calling all people to God.

3. The third question we asked was is this the right time for Highland to implement an instrumental worship service on Sunday mornings?

We spent the last 3 months inviting you, the Highland family, to spiritually discern this question with us. Thank you for your daily prayers and conversations in Bible Classes, in shepherding group meetings, in letters, emails, and in one on one conversations.

After listening to all the different feedback, after much prayer, and seeking God’s guidance, the Highland elders have decided that it is the right time for Highland to move towards implementation of an instrumental worship service on Sunday mornings as we partner with God in His great work of Restoring Highland, Abilene, and the World.

From a practical perspective, it would have been best for us to wait a few months to announce this, until we knew all the details and could answer every question. But in the spirit of being fully transparent, we wanted to tell you as soon as the decision was made.

We would like to be able to stand in front of you today and tell you all aspects of the implementation, but we do not know all of those yet. We can tell you what we do know today, and we promise to continue to communicate with you throughout this process.

So, as I stand before you today, here is what we do know:

1. We will continue to offer an acappella service. We will continue to do acapella worship at the same high level, and it will continue to be an integral part of Highland’s worship.

2. It will be 2014 before we are able to begin an instrumental service on Sunday mornings, and more than likely it will be after we complete the remodel of the auditorium. We will continue to have the instrumental worship service at our Grace campus on Sunday Nights at 5:00, and encourage you to attend that service.

3. We also want you to know that the Highland elders and staff desire to always be available to you. Please continue sharing your comments and questions.

4. Finally, we want you to know that God has faithfully provided for and blessed Highland since 1929 and we are excited about the ways he will continue to bless us in this time at Highland.

Conclusion:

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 tells the story of the worship service that took place when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to rest in the temple. The text reads,   ^“The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. ¹² All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. ¹³ The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

He is good;his love endures forever. Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, ¹⁴ and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.”  

AND SO, the elders want to send you out today with this challenge:  let us live into our calling to be a priesthood in which divisions disappear when we see the glory of the Lord rise in worship with instruments and with voices, as we praise and honor a good God whose love endures forever.  

The ACU paper did a story on it as well...this article is helpful in describing our process too.

Highland to add instruments to worship | The Optimist

So--here's where I am... it is with great anticipation and a healthy dose of wonder at the unknown that I step into this new season. My commitment to providing resources for a cappella churches is still as strong as ever. ZOE will continue to work hard to do that.

Our prayer at Highland is that more people will be opened to story of Jesus. That's it. Will you pray that God will guide us and give us wisdom and discernment as we walk this road? These are exciting times and sometimes it feels like the Lord is leading us like 27 horses running for the barn. I just don't want to miss anything He has for us along the way. I remember that the biggest example of hearing His voice in scripture is in the still, small voice. So, please pray that I will also take the time I need to be still...to wait...to listen.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
Be lifted up, you ancient doors
That the King of Glory may come in!
Who is He, this King of Glory?
The Lord Almighty--HE is the King of Glory!
Ps. 24: 9-10

If We Don't Dream...

Recently, I went to see the movie "The Butler". I am a history nerd and have been for many years. I have Fred Bailey to thank for that. Dr. Bailey is an expert on the history of the American South...even more specifically, revisionist history. I feel like in many ways, Dr. Bailey not only opened my eyes to a complex world of history, but also gave me a foundation to help me examine our own churches, systems and doctrine. It's something I never expected to receive out of an ACU summer course.

In the movie, "The Butler", I was astounded again at how close in time we are to the civil rights movement. In my own lifetime, the fight has continued. The thing that I can never understand or get over is how men and women who claimed the name of Jesus as Lord treated people of color so poorly. Some people want to make that about politics. I don't care where you stand politically...that is secondary to where you stand spiritually.

The church has been guilty of treating people in ways that are shameful. We all know that. But, any wise person also knows that if we forget our past (and aren't able to confess the sins of our present) we are destined to repeat history. It gives me pause. It makes me breathe deeply. It makes me contemplate how I am reflecting the love of Christ to those I consider different from me.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march on Washington for jobs and freedom and the historic "I Have A Dream" speech. I'm so grateful for Martin Luther King Jr. and all those who followed his lead into peaceful change. I'm not old enough to have been around during that time, but I'll never forget the stories and the fight for freedom that ushered in a healthier season in the life of our nation. I believe that kind of heart is close to the heart of Christ.

"Many people fear nothing more terribly than to take a position which stands out sharply and clearly from the prevailing opinion. The tendency of most is to adopt a view that is so ambiguous that it will include everything and so popular that it will include everybody. Not a few men who cherish lofty and noble ideals hide them under a bushel for fear of being called different."
- Martin Luther King, Jr