matmusic ministries

Recently, the Worship Pastor at our church sent an email with vision for the year 2007. Some of this will not mean much to you because it speaks of our specific services. But the principles are ones that can apply to your church and your worship life in 2007 as well.

Believe with me for deeper places of worship as we become aware of new aspects of our Father during 2007.

The other reason I wanted to post this today is to invite YOU to any of our worship events at Sojourn. I would LOVE to see you there sometime.

Upcoming Worship Schedule:
Saturdays
Worship Service - 6:00 pm

Sundays
Worship Service - 9:00 am and 11:00 am

Sunday - 3/11/2007
Seeking Him (Extended Worship) - 6:oo pm to 8:00 pm

Friday - 3/30/2007
7 - 11 Watch Night Praise and Prayer - 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Worship Team !

A couple of you have asked me about vision for the new year - so here goes……

What is the sound He is wanting to release at Sojourn ? What is our unique contribution to worship in Dallas ?

To start I think it’s important to say that we’re going to see greater distinction in the three types of services – Weekend / Seeking Him / 7-11
Weekend services continue to be the setting where we gather most people and visitors from other streams that are seeking more Holy Spirit interaction. We continually get good feedback about worship.

Seeking Him will see a greater release of Body ministry and outpouring this year. We will facilitate worship in that direction also – more of a flow of the Holy Spirit and release of His fire, enabling and saturation.

7-11 and Monday night prayer is the place to release prophetic worship. I believe there is a sound that is to become resident in us at Sojourn that will be birthed through the 7-11 watches and Monday night prayer. We’ve touched upon it in 2005 but it’s going to increase in 2006.
So please pray in the sound of the house! The truth is that at any moment we should be available to move with the ‘now’ of Heaven – be that the gentle Father’s heart, intense war and declaration or intimacy.

I am continuing to lock into our vision to be people of passion, purity, power and prayer. Worship will reflect this. We need to be forerunners as worshipers and seekers after Him. I challenge you to stretch in your personal and corporate worship expression when you are not playing on team. He has more for us. We just have to put ourselves in the way of Heaven’s river. As we see a release of prayer for the sick and miracles – I want to see worship that partners with breakthrough in people’s lives. We are called to carry a sound that penetrates, breaks bondages and releases life and freedom. Is your life aligned and ready to release a sound like that ?

Come prayed and prepared.

Blessings,

Roland.

I guess it is inevitable…our youngest baby boy is growing up. Kara recently put a small toddler bed in Wyatt and Parker’s room and Parker has been sleeping there since.

He has been sleeping like a champ with the exception of the first night. Kara heard crying in the room and went in to answer the motherly call. She could not, however, find the source of the crying until she got down and looked under the new bed. There she found Parker who had apparently rolled off the bed and then scooted all the way up into the corner under the bed where he could not sit up without bumping his head. After Kara’s retreival, it was back to bed for our almost-two-year old.

Ahh, the joys of parenthood.

This past Saturday found Kara and I beginning our 2007 ski trip to Winter Park. The trip, however, was not without a rocky start (no Rocky Mountain pun intended).

Many thanks to Pete and Sara (my brother and sister-in-law) for volunteering to watch all three of our kids for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of our trip. This is even more impressive due to the fact that they have two kids of their own and were watching another niece, Avery.

We decided to spend the night at Pete and Sara’s and head out early for the trip from there. That evening the kids were happily playing together until Parker lost his dinner in the Underwood’s hallway. We decided to keep an eye on him to make sure he did not get sick again. Even with a very restless night, he didn’t throw up. So away we went at 6 am.

After an hour of traveling, my phone rang. It was Sara saying Parker was, indeed, sick again. It became hard to breathe in the car because after what was palpable excitement, the air was now totally sucked out of the vehicle. Totally bummed, we turned around, headed back and picked up Parker to get him away from the other kids and to head home.

We made some calls to tell people that we had decided not to go but Kara’s dad (Pops) insistently persuaded us to bring our sick Parker to their house so we would go ahead and resume our trip. This was so generous and we are SO grateful that our wonderful family again never ceases to amaze with it’s selflessness. The only issue is that we had the dog…I guess Roscoe is going to Colorado with us.

So, four hours late with dog in tow, we are on the way.

Since neither Kara or I slept very well the night before, we took turns napping in the back seat. This meant Roscoe got the front seat. He seemed at home.

During one of our stops I found that West Texas is like Holly Hunter’s womb in Raising Arizona: barren. (If you have not seen the movie, you need to.)

Another example of our family’s generosity and one of the main reason’s we were able to go on the trip (another, since we are on the topic was Mom’s Christmas gift cards - Thank You!) is that Kara’s sister, Danna and her husband Trey moved to Denver and graciously gave us a place to sleep. Thanks guys.

The first day of skiing was the Sunday before President’s Day. This, we found out later, is one of the busiest days of the entire year. This combined with the fact that the mountain was closed the previous day due to high winds made for a very thick crowd.

This picture, believe it or not, is of a lift line midway up the mountain. We had to wait an hour to buy lift tickets and 45 minutes to get on our first lift. It was busy. A mountain employee told us that it was the busiest Sunday he had ever seen in his 8 years of employ. But, not to be deterred, we had a blast that day anyway.

There were a few crashes but deep snow and a good attitude makes for soft falls.

In all, it was another great ski trip. We cannot wait until next year when we can, again, take the kiddos with us.

I found this interesting note in the Dallas Morning News Religion Section Preview email of which I am a subscriber. Since I love science, love God, and am interested in how the two intertwine, I thought this was interesting stuff to ponder…

It’s another frosty day here in Dallas. By the time you read this, it could be snowing or sleeting or icing - or maybe the sun will be shining.

The dithering weatherfolk put me in mind of what we know about the essential unpredictability of many important systems. The entire science of Chaos Theory emerged from the frustration of weather forecasters.

Edward Lorenz, credited as the father of Chaos Theory, famously gave a presentation at the 1972 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science entitled, with only a bit of exaggeration, “Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil set off a Tornado in Texas?”

The point of the theory is that very small changes now can produce astonishingly large effects then, for many important systems. Which means it’s pretty much impossible for your perky TV weatherperson to really tell you within 50 miles where the ice/snow/sleet line will land tomorrow, no matter how perkily presented the prediction.

Which relates to religion how? This week’s Religion A to Z is scheduled to be “D for determinism.” In a religious context, that’s the belief that God really does know what going to happen. In a secular context, after Newton came along, many scientists thought that eventually they’d be able to predict anything, if they only had enough information.

Quantum physics was a major torpedo below the waterline for secular determinism. Quantum theory says, among other things, that some physical properties can’t be exactly determined, no matter how sensitive your measuring device.

If that’s not bad enough, Chaos Theory teaches that even if you can get very very exact information, it would require more computing power than the universe has to offer to predict the difference in effects very far down the line between X and X plus a really small smidge, unless you’re working with a very simple system.

Which either leaves an omnipotent deity as the only all-knowing entity. Or leaves the door open for so-called “Open Theology” which suggests that even God can’t know everything – and leaves space for free will as we know it.

None of which helps me decide how difficult tomorrow’s commute will be.

I for one, think that God, and God alone, has all the answers…I cannot wait to talk to him someday.