Churches should be places where people come to hear the story of God and to tell their own. That’s how we find out how the two relate. (from Chasing Francis, by Ian Morgan Cron, pg. 67)
Seems so simple, doesn’t it? But I think Ian Cron is on to something.
You got skill. He’s got skill. I got skill. We’ve all got skills. But sometimes, it takes more than skill.
It takes heart.
I spent a great deal of time in the last two weeks at conferences. And even in those environments where there is often a laser focus on skill, I noticed a shift. I think we’re slowly realizing that we don’t need more skill. We need more heart.
We want to tell better stories. Create more beautiful art. Write better songs. Design better websites. The list goes on. But skill isn’t the thing we need to do it. I believe we’ve all got plenty of skill. All of those things will be better if we find the heart we’ve pulled out of them & put it back.
How do you put heart in the art you create?
The last 9 weeks or so of life have been somewhat of a blur. For the first time since May 22nd I feel like I’m fully checking back into reality. And let me tell you, it’s not fun. At all.
Since May 22nd I’ve spent a month in China. A week hanging out with amazing youth & beautiful refugee children in Memphis. A couple days at National Worship Leader Conference in Kansas City. And a couple days at the Echo Conference in Dallas, TX. All with a little time in Nashville & some beautiful visits with dear friends squished in between. I’ve driven over 5,000 miles & flown I don’t know how many. That’s a lot of experience to cram into 9 weeks.
I’ve been asked the same two questions more times than I can count: “How was China?” and “What’s next?”
And my answer to both has changed countless times.
But after 9 weeks all that’s come to matter is this: For the first time in my life, the consequences of unbelief have a face. It’s one thing for my head to know that. It’s a completely different story for my heart to feel that. And boy does it feel that. My next challenge is to figure out what to do with that.
Enough about me. Tell me: What have the last 9 weeks of life been like in your world?
