Friday night I met with 2 other worship leaders, (Jon Green and Michelle Lind) and one wacked out drummer (Josh Heidrick), for what may be the beginnings of a new band. Josh had suggested we all get together to see what happens. After a little conversation via Facebook, we all agreed on Friday night.

The practice was interesting considering there were a lot of things I wasn’t used to, and I am sure they were thinking the same thing. We went over a few songs and there were some nice harmonies spicing up the dish every here and again… I love harmonies. Practice went well, but it was obvious we all tried very hard to be polite and not step on any toes. Now that the FIRST practice is out of the way maybe our next practice will involve a potluck and the 14 kids we have between all of us so they can get acquainted.

This has all generated some questions… or should I say, this has amplified some questions I have about this band thing that I really want to work. I can see potential if we will focus and aim at a target as soon as possible. What do I mean by, “…aim at a target…”? Just like the others, I want to see this thing succeed. Not only do I want to see it succeed, but I would like it to be more than a hobby. It is to late in life to be dividing my time between family and ANOTHER hobby. To avoid that I can only participate in things that are focussed on two disciplines within my life goals, music and photography, which are my two arenas of gifting and anointing. Anything outside of these two areas is aiming at a chicken when I am hunting elk, or trying to make three baskets with one basketball and one shot, or trying to be an airline pilot while trying to be involved in your 3 YOUNG kids lives. I have to focus, but this is a rabbit trail from what I REALLY mean about, “aim at a target”. To answer that question, I need to know if this new band thing is desired to be a…hobby or profession?

What WILL it be?  It is never to early to decide and the sooner the better. To find the answer to that we have got to think about the future, where we plan to go, where we want to go, and how we will get there. Without such thought I think we will fizzle out like every other band that hasn’t realized it is a business first and art second.  I know when I say that word “business’, it can generate all kinds of thoughts like, “I don’t want a business, I want to jam and have fun”, or how about, “I already have a profession and I don’t want to switch”. I want both (For me I do not want to give up my photography business, but I want the music/band business. I believe I can balance both)! These kind of thoughts are heading off on a rabbit trail from the reality of success though. It is about it being a hobby or a profession.

I could say simalar things of myself as a photographer. I just want to take pictures and create art. But you know, if I don’t force myself to realize I am actually running a “business”, I will never go anywhere. I have to determine what type of photography I want to focus on, what niche. I have to figure out how to let people even know I exist (marketing plan). I have to have a business account and think of taxes (whether I like it or not). I have to look at competitors and make sure my pricing is appropriate for my  skill set,  products offered and my “target”. I don’t want to do any of this, however, photography will just be a hobby if I do not deal with the business side of things. You can never support a family on a hobby! So why would it be any different for a band, especially where you have four or more “owners” involved? There has got to be a road map so that it is definitely NOT a hobby.

Like I said about my photography, I want to just have fun and see where it goes, but I know it will not go as far as I dream unless there is a certain business “understanding” of what the goals are, short and long-term, and a million other things like that. I tend to be a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of guy so this advice is mostly for me, because I know it is true and will make for a solid foundation and a target to aim for. It is simply smart. Will we think or discuss this? I have no idea, but one thing is for sure… it will determine my involvement/commitment level. I will say once again that I want this to work because,  for me, it is the other half of my goals to balance the scales.

UPDATE (1-11-2010 10:02pm): What about a worship band? Now you have a whole new set of thought processes and we get deeper into a web of thoughts on what is right and wrong, etc. After pondering all I rambled here, reading some input from my wife, and carefully weighing things out,  I think for now I would like to relax a bit, feel things out, make some new friends, worship my God the way I worship and see what happens.

Anyone out there have any comments to this? We are open for discussion.

by Heath McConnell
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You have given so much!

You have given life
You have given breath
You have given Love

We are consumed by you!

You have given shelter
You have given food
You have given healing

We are consumed by you!

You have given freedom
You have given power
You have given grace

I am consumed by you.

I have set my heart apart
All my desires I surrender to your name
I reach to you with my face on the ground
I am consumed by you

You have given me your life
you have given me your heart
you have given me your love

I am consumed by you!

Language flows, a language from deep inside
Words I do not know, feelings I cannot find words to
you are glorious, so glorious
you are my king and I am in love with you!

all you have given to me…
Here is my heart…
you can have it all…
Because…
I am Undone by you

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©2009 Heath McConnell, all rights reserved

This is a video that reminded me of how it is leading prophetic and spontaneous worship… how His presence comes… how it begins to get thick in the room… how the beat that I long for is there, whether musicians are there or not to play those beats. these are the sounds I hear calling me.

Presence! I love the presence of the King!

You have got to watch it all.

A guy named Phil Wickham has just released a new live worship album. He has also made it a free download here:

http://philwickham.com/singalong/

What will America be like in 2020? Some believe we will be another socialist state modeled after various European countries. Others see an even more extreme form of totalitarianism in our future. Some believe a reaction to the recent radical turn to the left will result in an even more radical swing to the extreme right after the seemingly inevitable economic meltdown. However, there is another possibility. The following is a very possible scenario. In just ten years, America could have:

• the strongest and most secure economy in the world
• no unemployment
• the most productive and efficient manufacturing in the world
• a balanced federal budget
• no national debt
• independence from foreign energy
• virtually no pollution
• the best, most affordable, and obtainable
• health care system in the world
• the best and most affordable education system in the world
• the most powerful and effective military
• a welfare system that takes care of the truly needy with dignity—much better than we do now
• a social security system that honors seniors, allowing them to live in the dignity,  respect, and security they deserve
• more freedom, not less
• crime a fraction of what it is now
• a foreign policy that does not exploit other nations, but helps to elevate the rest of the world, while inhibiting the dangerous ambitions of rogue statesbelieve we will be another socialist

READ MORE…Where Will America Be in 2020? (57)

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So I was reading a new post by an author of one of the blogs I follow, Jeremy Cowart, he mentioned a quote, which you can read from HIS site. What a world we live in today. It seems to be going deeper into the whirlpool with no sign of stopping.

Which part of the jersey do you care about? Current American culture cares about the number on the back. what can I do to get my recognition, how can I market myself to make me more money, etc,etc. Where do you stand? As a photographer, as a human, as a member of the kingdom of The Most High?

As a photographer of people, Your very best… your VERY best… should be all about bringing the spotlight to those you photograph. How can you use the anointing and gift you have been given to bring fame to the subject in your photos and not so much yourself?

This works also in landscape photography… The goal is to bring the beauty of the creation to others. The focus is capturing the beauty of the MASTER artist, and leading the viewer to Him.

What about the musician, the potter, the painter, the gardener, the father, the mother? How selfish we can be, yet how humble we need to be. Humility is part of the armor of The Kingdom, the kingdom of love, whereas the armor of the dark is pride.

Re-evaluate. Are you working for the kingdom or for your own gain? What would you do if the giver of your gift took it away for a season? Scary, to say the least. I am challenged here. We all have our areas we need to change. I have never seen the forest for the trees, instead, I have always seen the forest as the art of a creator, however, I don’t want my family to starve either. What is balance? What, in the kingdom, will get me further and more “treasure” than I could ever know what to do with? Humility!

Humility is THE greatest thing under love to govern your life by. One should radically devote all of ones income of life, not just money, to love and humility. To do so is greater than investing in a flimsy old retirement plan (not that you shouldn’t invest in a retirement). You have a greater retirement possibility AFTER you are gone that we should be investing in. Think Kingdom economics!

So I will ask it again… What part of the jersey are you concerned with?

After 21 years of leading worship, I have decided to start blogging my thoughts both pre and post worship here on the blog. Since this is my first posting of this type, and it is a post-worship entry, I am going to add the pre-worship set thoughts to this entry. Seem confusing? It won’t be. I think it is a good Idea to begin to share these thoughts about the worship sets to not only help others rising up in leading, but to spark discussion and feedback in the comments. So come join in and be apart.

So where would I start and what would I say? I will begin by saying that last nights set was all that I expected it to be. POWERFUL, warfare worship. 

Now, let me jump back to a few weeks ago.

Once I knew I was on the schedule to lead, I began to seek Him for the set. What I mean is that I know I have nothing to offer, at the moment. I have no special power or ability. all I have is an anointing, a gift and a calling that totally rely all on God. I am not some super musician or anything like that. I need to be sure that the presence of The Living God shows up in the meetings. I can’t force him, I can’t chant him, I can’t do some religious ritual to get Him to show up. I was seeking him for what he wanted to say and do that particular night. What was HE wanting to do/say that I, the worship leader, needed to be mindful of in leading His people towards.

I am seeking the Lord for not only thoughts, scripture, vision, fire, but also for the song selection, which is THE hardest, most seemingly overwhelming task at hand. I tend to listen to, and was brought up on totally different worship music than our church does. I listen to music that sends me either to my knees or to some other place. This is a topic for another discussion to be sure. Because of listening to different music I have a hard time coming up with songs the church knows well enough to jump in the river (more on the river further down) easily. Some times it is a real challenge. The BIGGER challenge is to pick songs that say exactly what He is wanting to say that night. I want the songs to be a script for the set, from beginning to end, to 1) get people in a boat in the river, and 2) to keep them in the boat and in the deepest part of the river (more on the river further down). I ask Him for songs that will be the cries of the peoples hearts. I ask for songs that will speak his words to us, I ask for songs that be more than songs, but doorways to the heavens in bringing the live, real, physical presence of God in our midst. This can be a real challenge and the songs are constantly changing up to the set as I get more clarity. So, I had a few songs I felt were good ones. But then I started to get a theme. The theme was fire, Gods fire. A fire to rise up within us and change us. I began practicing these songs for half a month. Some songs stayed and some songs left. but by the week before I had a core.

This set was planed to be played at the Alpine campus the previous Sunday morning. As I told one of my friends,”it seems that more and more I tend to do less and less of the chosen songs and more prophetic, spontaneous songs”. There were a few times that morning when it was spontaneous song for a while. His presence was there and there was something deep that happened.

It wasn’t until the night before the set, at Platoon Leaders Training (PLT), that I knew what He was wanting for Wednesday night. I felt as if the teaching that night was to me for the worship set and I had to make sure my notes were clear. The topic was on Nahemiah and titled “A biblical model of a burden for the city”. We looked at Nehemiah chapter 1. Nehemiah was told about the decrepit state of the city. He then began to have a deep burden and began to pray and fast. Nehemiah then asked the king if he could leave to go to the city and see for himself. The gates were gone. The stones from the walls town down and burned. The enemy was pillaging and trying to wipe the city out and most importantly… trying to instill fear, doubt and unbelief. Once he saw the city he had to act. He could not leave it alone and let it stay that way. A fire (there is that fire theme) began to glow within him  into a raging roar and he had to do something. He rallied the people and led a long and dangerous war.

So how does this relate? Well, you see, we were told at the meeting some of the things the current president, Obama, has so far up to this month. Our nation is crumbling, and I am not talking about just the current financial crisis. Our country is turning its back on God at an alarming rate since january 20th. Our gates are burned. The walls are being torn down and the stones burned. The enemy is coming in and bringing fear, doubt and unbelief, among other things. We must open our eyes and SEE. We must get a burden. We must have that fire rage within us to stand for holiness. We, yes we, have the HOPE that so many thought the president would bring. Jesus is the hope. We must bind together in unity as HIS bride. We must lead this country back to righteousness. We must “Cry Out” to God to have mercy, grace and heal this nation, to return it to a nation of refuge, a fortified God fearing country. This is what I felt was God was saying for the service.

I spent most of Wednesday morning in prayer and the word and I came across 2 Chronicles 20.It isn’t the first time I came across this passage, and it is one that fuels a portion of my worship leading. In this passage Judah is about to be attacked by the Moabites and the Ammonites. Jehoshaphat calls all the people together to unity. He then declares a fast in the kingdom and leads the nation in prayer. They proclaimed that they are powerless and weak and that the Lord is all-powerful, all-mighty and they needed Him to step in. The Lord responded saying he knew they couldn’t win so they shouldn’t fight. He would fight for them. This is where we get the saying, “The battle belongs to the lord”. God said, “just stand there a see the great wonders I will do”. 

Jehoshaphat responded to this military threat by seeking the Lord in fasting, prayer and worship. He led them out in battle. He put the worshipers out front of the people. He didn’t put them out there with sword, spear, club and armor, but with the weapon of praise and worship. While they praised God, the Lord set ambushes that caused the Moabites and Ammonites to kill each other. When Judah came to the place all they found were dead bodies that they plundered for days.

Worship Is Warfare

Worship is warfare. Wether we are proclaiming, praising, adoring, asking, repenting or anything else, it is all spiritual war. A war that is escalated every time we join to worship. I knew that Wednesday night was about taking our feet and placing the enemy’s head under it. We were to CRY OUT with a cry of war. We are to cry out in repentance, asking for His mercy and grace. Asking him to set us free and to unite us to stand firm. We were to call for Him to come. just like they did in the Jehoshaphat passage.

I also learned something great on Wednesday night. I would say it was more of an experience that I learned. He showed me what is exactly meant by sensing His flow of the river and staying in it. He showed me that you can be in the shallows, the deeper parts or out in the rapids. It is all up to you. He showed me how recognize it. I had always felt and sensed a presence greater or weaker, but now I understand how to recognize it in a new way and make sure I/we stay in it.

On Wednesday before the meeting, I began to cry out to God to come. I walked all the isles, I walked the stage, I prayed like I never had before in public. I was wading deeper and deeper into what He later showed me was the flow of His river. I was going deep and I could really FEEL His presence. I had the  team gather to pray and I felt the water rising and rising. Prayer was awesome. I feel that it helped unite us, the team, and helped them understand the burden I was feeling.

Worship was awesome! It was everything I thought it would be. There was absolutely something that happened. Something broke, something changed. Something was won in the spiritual battle that was taking place that night. I wish you could hear what happened, but do to the nature of copyrights (yes, even with worship songs for the church), I can not post that. I will, however, post the free praise and prophetic stuff on the music page… so stay tuned. There WAS war that happened. Everything I thought I heard the Lord say He had for the evening was 100% right on. Sure, we didn’t do even half the songs I had picked, but we never do. Sometimes the words of the songs are not enough to say what we, as a unified body want to say. We have got to sing our own heart song in unity. It is beautiful to hear all those different songs to the same music at the same time. You can almost see the incense rising, from each person engaged, to the nostrils of our God. A sweet, pleasing incense. In that war is happening. War is waging and escalating in the spiritual as well as within our own bodies and minds. Something shifted that night.

I will say that there were the usual attacks… yes these are attacks. My guitar would not stay in tune. My Macbook Pro I use for my guitar mysteriously went to sleep do to it being unplugged. things like this are attacks to distract, get your eyes off of Him and get you out of the river. For the most part… it never works.

We stayed in the river and deep in it.

I love how the Lord has so made the guitar a prophetic, unified extension of my spirit within worship. Other than having to tune a LOT last night, I never really thought about my guitar or chords. It was also the first time I fully used all chord charts using the nashville number system. Later I noticed I really only used the charts for the words.

Looking back, as always, I am amazed and overwhelmed at the faithfulness of God and his presence in worship. When we unite and call on him from our heart, He comes. When we lead with a deep, deep, passion from within, not in self and showy little peppy rally talks, but when we lead under the fire and anointing of God, He comes. When we prepare the way and our heart and cry out in our own closet as leaders in the house of God for him to come, like Jehoshaphat did, God sends his presence and his power shakes the atmosphere.

Find the river, stay in it and learn how to go deeper and deeper longer and longer… and then… lead others in.

Man Of Integrity (part 2) | Above Reproach (Good Reputation)

Last time we met we discussed where we were going. Today we are going to look at our first point which is Above Reproach. The definition of the word is defined: 

above (or beyond) reproach such that no criticism can be made; perfect.

Before we can go any further, we need to look at this topic. We need to step outside ourselves and really evaluate where we are with this. With honesty, we can really open the door to a more mature life by answering a lot of questions about our reputation. This is one area where christians seem to get called to account on more and more by others. Lets take a closer look.

You will find a couple examples of this trait called upon in 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6,7;Acts 6:3 and 16:2

The term can be translated to mean a man of good reputation. Do you have a good reputation? A mature person will have a good reputation. This characteristic umbrellas all the other quality’s of a mature person and says so much about where you stand. If you think about this, I bet you can come up with a list of a few, but not very many, people you know who you would say are “above reproach”. Only three people come to my mind instantly. Are you above reproach?

If you are a person that is above reproach then your good reputation will create positive feedback. I believe you would begin to find that people will freely comment positively to and about you. A good reputation spurs people to talk positively about you. I find that when certain individuals names comes up in conversation, I automatically add positive comments in the conversation. It is hard not to because it bubbles up from the heart into the mouth. How many people are talking? What are they saying about you?  

How far does your reputation spread? Are you the only one that thinks highly of yourself? There is something about a good reputation. It is beyond you. How far does your reputation go? Does your family think highly of you or are they constantly arguing with everything you say? How is your reputation in your spiritual community? Do others seek you out for wisdom and counsel? So you have a good reputation at home and church, but what is it like at work?  How far out your reputation precedes and what they are saying about you will give you a better picture of your inner qualities. A good reputation is the sign of one who is maturing and growing in Christ.

Let’s pause here to take a moment to write down some of the words that we would use to describe one who has a good reputation. How would you describe a man of integrity? Use the comment section and let’s hear it. I thought of:

• a man who keeps his word
• works hard even when no one is watching
• honest
• self-controlled
• manages his home well
• will not let you down
• fair
• faithful 
• consistent
• a good father

As you will see, most of the descriptions of a person of integrity or a good reputation are very similar to those that Paul lists in Timothy and Titus. A good reputation is something to be desired and is required for any sort of leadership. This includes leadership in your own home. Your children are going to follow your example. Are they following a man of integrity and of good reputation or one of a negative nature? What kinds of seeds are you planting. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself for further evaluation of YOUR reputation:

• What evidence do YOU have that you have a good reputation?
• Is your groups of friends and disciples growing more and more? 
• Are more and more people looking to share their lives with you?
• Do your relationships grow deeper and more significant the longer people know you? Do they grow strained and become shallow as people find out who you are?
• Does your circle of friends grow wider and increase in the number of people who admire and trust you?
• Do people recommend you for significant or difficult tasks without worrying that you will let them down?

If you find it hard to be honest with yourself and being objective in answering these questions, then have a close friend answer them. Answering these questions honestly will help open the door to dealing with future topics in this study. Most importantly, being a person of integrity, above reproach, a man of good reputation, helps us become a mature people.

Comments are open for discussion.

I had a vision of me at the top end of a deep, deep valley that opened up below me as far as my eye could see. It seemed more of a canyon with steep walls all around. As I looked all around up at my level there was immense beauty in all the fiery colors about the sky as the sun was setting. There are reds and golds, blues, magenta, orange and the sun Himself, brilliantly sitting there on the western rim by me. I was amazed at the beauty. God is the master artist. I began thank Him for all he has done, is doing and will do… and for His beautiful art.

 In the valley there are two armies of old. I can see their camps on each side of the great river. There are campfires spotted here and there, glowing orange-yellow in the valley’s monochrome haze below me. Among those tents are minds that are scheming and strategizing for the morning battle. I felt as if the heavens themselves were preparing for battle… They were. There, on OUR side, was a pillar of fire. The pillar was more like a giant column shaped cloud. It had to be miles high and about as wide as the moon when she is full. There was what appeared to be a cross between lightning and fire mixed with electricity all through the cloud. This gave the cloud a glowing/fiery look.

I had left the camp below to proclaim and release into the atmosphere, like every time before a battle, the TRUTH. There I was on the top of the canyon walls playing my flute, offering every note as fragrant worshipping incense, with Joy, On The Eve of Battle. I know the outcome of the battle before it even begins because of whom I serve. For every knee will bow to the King of Kings whose presence is with us….

For we are his bride, his cherished and loved bride.

Do you have a purpose in your life?
A vision for your life?
Do you know where your headed?
Or where your going?
Swirling aimlessly out of orbit?

Do you feel you are running from need to need?
From crises to crises?
Do you have hope for your life to make it till tomorrow?
A flower underfoot?

There is a hole in your heart that is longing to be filled.

There is  Hope.
There is  Peace.
There is Joy
There is  Love.

The more I am with you the more I have hope and clarity in my life…
The more I know where I’m headed.
There is no confusion only inexhaustible smiling and joy that comes from true peace.

The more I am with you the more I am in Love.
The more life becomes free and my spirit soars away.

You are the lover of my soul
How can I NOT spend time with you?

Have you ever known real hope?
Have you ever known real peace?
Have you ever known real joy?
Have you ever known real love?

He is all of this and He is waiting for you with arms wide open!

So, what is the heck is the Nashville Number System and why do I care.

ONE CHART = ALL KEYS

Let me offer a scenario from the church worship scene:
This is a money saver for churches that print somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-7 pages of charts for about 7-10 musicians twice a week. That’s around 70 pages of paper every week for a weekend and mid-week service (using 5 sheets for 7 musicians). Let’s say you wanted to save paper and have the charts in a file cabinet. You would need the song for the 7-10 musicians. You would need those 35 sheets in a minimum of… maybe 4 keys. Your file cabinet just went to 140 sheets. These are rough figures. With a Nashville System chart, you have one chart per song that is in all keys.

So, how does it work?
“The Nashville Number System is an informal method of transcribing music by denoting the scale degree on which a chord is built. It was developed by Neil Matthews in the late ’50s as a simplified system for the Jordanaires to use in the studio and further developed by Charlie McCoy. The system uses Arabic numerals and does not explicitly state the quality (e.g., major or minor) of the chord. By writing chords as numbers, music may be transposed easily. As a simple system of transcription, it can be used with only a rudimentary background in music theory, and may not be as intimidating to learn for musicians unfamiliar with traditional notations. If a set of musicians has basic familiarity, improvisation and jam sessions can be quickly explained using numbers, and chord changes can be communicated mid-song by holding up the corresponding number of fingers. The system is flexible, and can be embellished to include more information (such as chord color or to denote a bass note in an inverted chord) as the user desires. That’s what it is in a nutshell” (Wikipedia).

I will show you one of my charts to give you a quick idea of what we are dealing with here.

Nashville Number System Chart

Now lets look at the major scale and number chart. All numbers are relative to the key you decide to play in. The following chart has been updated to make a few corrections. Clicking on chart will open the new PDF for you to view or download.

I want to point out that in a Major key, the the chords will be as follows:
1 – Major, 2 – Minor, 3 – Minor, 4 – Major, 5 – Major, 6 – Minor, 7 – Minor Diminished
The #6 note would be the relative minor. If you know your relative minor, just count up three half steps and you have the major key. These chord charts always use the major key not the relative minor.

That is the basics of The Nashville Number System. If you find this interesting, a google search will open the door further. I, however, have a few suggestions that I found.

1. The Nashville Number System by Chas Williams – I would consider this resources to be the authority on the topic. No one covers everything as thorough as Chas does in his book and CD. This is a must have.
2. The Nashville Number System Dial-A-Chord: This site looks a little hokey but it explains the system well and offers a dial chart for sale. This could be very useful to some.

Remember, this system is for making things easier not more complicated. When you play prophetically (spontaneous), this system can really help. All you do is flash the chord number to the band with your fingers and they follow. It is a lot easier than trying to read the leaders lips from across the stage. As you dive into these charts, you will find that your basic understanding of music theory begins to grow. You will begin to play more freely in various keys spontaneously and build your own self confidence. Try it, it is magnificent… A gift from the Spirit!

UPDATE: Due to the high number of hits I am getting for this post I would like to know if this has helped you in any way. If so, please post a comment. I also have found an error in the diagram. You can view/download the new PDF of the diagram here: The Nashville Number System Chart PDF (992)

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Once again I have Uploaded “Live” tracks of the acoustic guitar from a session. Feel free to use.

Disclaimer: Live recordings mean “Live” recordings. They are recorded straight to disk while playing live. This means they are not polished and, in the setting that they were recorded in, the acoustic guitar was playing in the arrangement of other instruments. Another words, things may seam awkward at times in the song.

090308-Acoustic Guitar Track-01

090308-Acoustic Guitar Track-02

090308-Acoustic Guitar Track-03

090308-Acoustic Guitar Track-04

©Heath McConnell

        Have you ever wanted to avoid a battle over strife, competition or any other one of life’s irritations? Try humility. Humility is the brick and mortar, the spiritual defense system if you will, around your soul. By fortifying yourself and clothing yourself in humility you will be steadfast in peace, true peace.

That is right… a Psong… Are you the type of person that seems to constantly be tested. Does it seem like every where you turn you are walking through a refiners fire? Do you feel as if you are a block of marble and the blows from the Master Artist’s chisel are beginning to really hurt? I know exactly how you feel.

Have you ever had your kid, young as they may be, start to get in trouble for things on a grandiose level, only after some time reflecting, you discover that are exactly you, but in an “adult” controlled way? It is real tough when it comes to the refiners fire. You feel like your hung out to dry in the desert with no hope. Out there all alone in a dry and waterless land.

I wrote a song back when I was younger (a lot younger), actually I put Psalms 63 to a song (hence A Psong in the Desert) when I was in a real tough situation. Funny thing is… we are always in a tough situation, or so it seems. It is all part of our consistent upward growth. You see, we can’t just be left as we are, with all my ailments and destructive idiosyncrasies, we are so much more than that. We have a fuller life waiting to be lived. So when things our life start surfacing that are unpleasant there is usually only one thing to do… deal with it. This is usually the point when we feel like we are “in the desert”… when we have some dross brought to the surface and we have to deal with it. It is not fun. At times it seems like we are hanging on to a thin little root while dangling over the grand canyon. We feel like we are left out to dry, like dehydrated food. He doesn’t leave us there. It is in those times I constantly remind myself… “ I have seen you”… “and beheld your power and your glory”… and when I am in the desert, like it seems, I will live. I will live!
——————————-
A Psong in the Desert

Oh God eanestly I seek you
My soul thirsts just for you
My body, forever longs for you
In a dry and waterless land
I have seen you in the sanctuary

I beheld your power and your Glory
Because your love is better than life itself
I will praise you as long as I live.
Oh God desperately I need you
There is no other desire within me
But to live my life only for you
And to be the servant of my King

Oh God it seems you are so far away
I must return my soul to you
Then you will surly return to me
And I will see you as I once knew

I have seen you in the sanctuary
I beheld your power and your Glory
Because your love is all that my soul desires
I will praise you as long as I live.
And in your name will I lift up my hands forever
With singing lips my mouth will praise
I will worship my God and my King forever
And (when) in the desert I shall live.

©2008 Heath McConnell, all rights reserved

Being a child of the 80′s, I grew up on Depeche Mode. I must speak up though because this video screams out louder than words. It is true every veiwer has a different opinion, But I will share mine below.

This video shows the trapped and futile state of man’s mind without God! It also shows what the enemy does to you when you let your complacency  lead you to “screwtape” and he takes his reward. Who is screwtape you ask? Screwtape is a character in a classic book by C.S. Lewis titled The Screwtape Letters.

 We never see how far we have fallen until we are hit in a situation like this one analogizes. The victim, man, starts falling into habits. The habits start creating strongholds, the strongholds start to chain, bind and gag us and then we are on a ride to destruction that we SEEMINGLY have no control over. The good news… We have control, well at least those who have decided to give their lives to The King.

We have been given the authority to crush the enemy and his ways. It doesn’t matter how securely you are bound or what the death ride is… YOU HAVE AUTHORITY to give the enemy (the situation you are in) a blow with the Sword, that is sharper than any sword, dividing between soul and spirit.

It is The Matrix all over again. You are in the car, gagged, scared to death cause you know if you don’t do something you are going to die. This is true, however, when you step up to the plate and begin to move in His authority you will find, as Neo did, you will begin to see the “Code” (in the Spirit) and you will begin to control the situation.

You have got to break the chains and TURN FROM the habits, smashing the strongholds. I will say once again… It is the simple, little, gradual things that lead us to this BIG thing. So, stop the little things, be obedient, and when you are already in “The Car”, There is one thing that will smash it all… TRUTH and REPENTANCE. 

Try it, I guarantee you you will be amazed beyond belief at the greatness of God!

Depeche Mode – “Wrong” (official music video)

You have reached HeathMcConnell.com which is the sum of all he is… Photographer, Musician, Worshiper… and lover of the outdoors.

This site serves as a one-stop landing pad for all Heath’s Photography, Music, Worship, and Outdoors endeavors. On this page  you will find all of his various posts listed from Heath’s other sites for immediate dissemination.

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Have you ever had your eyes opened to what is really taking place in the heavenly places while you worship? Have you seen what goes on as you are proclaiming the words into the atmosphere powered by the anointing and power of the Spirit? What did it look like? Did this vision cause a shift in the way you led/participated in worship? Did it have a path altering affect on your walk?

Sometimes we get caught up in the logistics… getting the people involved, the band all being on the same page, your own energy level, etc, etc. I usually picture what was happening in Jerico as they circled and then gave a shout. I also view King David when he was called to play the harp for Saul and what took place. Another view I fall into is the musicians out, in front, marching before the armies of Israel. Their words and music invading the Atmosphere. Filling all space and time at that moment with the word and power of God. They went out in front! This is the power of the proclamation. Setting the atmosphere for what was coming.

These are earthly views/things that took place, but something bigger was happening in the Spirit/Heavens. What is bound or loosed on earth will be bound/loosed in heaven. His WORD is a weapon, sharper than a double-edged sword. 

Something mighty is happening… What have you been shown? Let’s hear it… anyone out there want to share their story here? Use the comments to speak up and shine your light so that others might see.

See with the eyes of your spirit!

I just wanted to wish every one a happy President’s Day. We will be enjoying the great outdoors.

An Old School "Link"

Well, It’s Friday and I am sure there are plenty of you out there that are glad.

I plan to start a “Friday Links” post on Fridays. So, I am starting today.

First we have Worship Kitchen: WorshipKitchen is an online worship planner, music organizer, and download store just for Worship Leaders – all in one. Seems worth a further investigation, although I have not found anything to compare to Songbase Pro.

SongBase is the ultimate worship leaders tool… actually it is great for any musician that uses chord charts. Songbase is a database with ALL your songs (it comes with 350 of the most popular Vineyard song) in one place. You can search by Ttile, Author, Key, First line, etc. You also have the ability to transpose your charts. The most used feature for me was the “Medley Maker”. Medley maker keeps track of the sets you have put together. (by the way… that’s me in the bottom L corner of pix thinking, “How will I “LINK” this on the internet)

I think the most valuable feature for me is the printouts or “Reports”. I love the reports. I typically use the 2 or 4 column report. You only have so much space on a music stand and 4-column does the job right.

There are other goodies like band member lists and communications, CCLI reporting and something I never used, video projection. You know… the karaoke words on the screen.

My biggest complaint about Songbase is that it is a MS Windows only product, and the only product that requires me to fire up Windows on my Mac. I can’t stand Windows. It is like having Conan the Barbarian come into your house (You just never know what will be busted or stolen (within Windows)) and trying to do your finances, blog, or upload your iPod. It just never works right… I guess it is to behind the times.

Yes I am an apple fanboy. I cut my teeth on windows, building machines and repairing them… Finally I said enough is enough. The numbers?? My on-the-side computer repair services are offered for both Mac and Windows. My work turns out to be 100% Windows clients and 0% Mac. Interesting. I have an old G4 (10-11 years old) that still outperforms some of the “New” computers I service, and it is all original.

OK, what happened here? What a rabbit trail. I guess I am just so happy with Apple computers I have to share it.

Alrighty then…

The next link I have is WorshipLeader magazine. I thought this was going to be something that catered to mostly choir directors and have articles on certain organ techniques, however, I was wrong. The emerging church seems to be in it’s sites. There are some valuable insights in this magazine.

Well, I guess that is it for today. Have a great weekend.

Maturity takes time, you can't just put on the boots and go like I tried here.

The Man of Integrity (part 1) | Introduction

Recently, I have been evaluating my life based on some guidelines listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. These passages of scripture from Paul giving advise to Timothy and Titus can be a valuable list for testing a christians maturity level. The list is extensive and focuses not on skills and gifts, but physical and spiritual maturity in your morals, habits, temperament, reputation, and ethics. Every christian should strive for these qualities in their life.

In today’s society we have and want instant results. We want our food fast, our answers quick, our cars fast, our internet fast and the results in our life fast. Unfortunately there is no quick fix to becoming a mature person in Christ. It takes time and a lot of hard work, laborious work, to become a mature person of God. We must constantly be renewing our mind.

So, I have found that, although I have been a christian all my life, and have come from at least two generations of followers of God, I need to improve in some areas. I think that most everyone could say the same thing. We are human and will always battle against the mind of the flesh. I will run the race set before me to obtain the prize, not to get the T-shirt. I want the prize and so should you.

Here is the list:

• Blameless or above reproach
• Self-controlled, disciplined, self-denying
• Prudent
• Respectable
• Hospitable
• Able to teach
• Not given to much wine
• Not self-willed
• Not quickly angered
• Not quick to fight
• Not quick to argue
• Gentle
• Free from the love of money
• One who manages their household well
• A good reputation with those outside the church
• Lover of what is good
• Just
• Devout

 

This is a list of things we must grow in to be Christlike. These items are not to be confused with Spiritual Gifts, as I mentioned before, but these are traits that should be prevalent in your lifestyle.

This is a continual dying to self process. We must BEGIN the journey, if we haven’t already, by understanding each item in the list and then working moment by moment towards the goal of living them in our lives.

In the coming weeks, I am going to touch on each item in the list and discuss it. Please feel free to join the discussion by using the comments section of the blog post.

Do you know the words to our Battle Hymn of the Republic? Yes that is right, the one by Julia W. Howe in 1861. I just recently read the lyrics and it put a smile on my face. You see.. we are in a great battle, one that is nearing it’s end, and these lyrics are perfect. We have got to wake up. We have got to begin to see by the spirit and truth that…

Our God is marching on…

And this God lives within us. The All-Powerful, loving and saving God, lives within us. He spoke and this life was created. That is the power of words… His words. Those words are in us and for us. We are His bride and need to understand the power of the grooms words.

This brings me to the thoughts of the armies of old and how the singers went first. They went first proclaiming into the atmosphere the very word of the Lord. They were speaking to the heavens and the earth. Hebrews 4:12 says God’s word is alive and powerful and is sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart. Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God.

Speak it with authority: In your own life, To the situation, proclaim it in the heavens. His word is your sword.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;

His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;

His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;

“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,

Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet; 

Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me: 

As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;

While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;

So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,

Our God is marching on.
 
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

My heart and spirit are longing for something new in worship and praise. I have yet to pin it down, but there has got to be something on the horizon. I am not only talking of the stuff we sing in our gatherings, but within my own spirit. I am looking for a new song.

Many times through my life I have had prophetic words given over me. Mainly these words have said: 1) You are a warrior and 2)you will have new songs. For years I have wrestled with these words. Why? Well, I have viewed them with the eyes of man. No I don’t mean that I was hoping to swing a sword in some battle overseas like Conan. I really didn’t understand the warrior thing other than it was a word that meant fighter to me. The “new songs” word meant I would have my own songs for an album. That is what my human mind thought.

Things are changing big time in the kingdom right now and seeing with your spirit is a predominant issue. There is coming a time, very soon, when we must KNOW by the spirit not the flesh. Our very lives may depend on it. So… with that in mind, I have come to understand that I am a warrior in the kingdom over the enemy in not only my own life, but the lives of those I touch. I am a worship warrior going out before the battle, rallying the bride up for the issue at hand. A warrior is on the front lines by choice not force. Always ready at any moment.

With this warrior spirit is the new songs word. As I understand more and more the concept of the warrior, I will begin to see a new song rise up in my spirit, something I have never seen before in my life. The songs will come from the worship that is birthed deep in the womb of my spirit and their flow out of me. Lyrics may or may not come, but a prophetic worshipping warrior power will come.

I liken these thoughts to a conversation I had with my mother while she was still here. One day we were talking and she said, “I am still waiting for the Lord to fulfill His word to me. He said I would sing before thousands”. I said, ” Mom, did he say all at one time? You have sang to way more than thousands, just not at the same moment”. Seeing in the spirit can save you from missing things. My mom had really sang to more than thousands, but she was viewing the WORD from a human perspective.

I pray that this new song will come soon and that it will spark new SONGS. I want new songs for the kingdom. I want new lyrics that are spirit filled grabbing the listeners heart and spirit and filling it with praise and power. I want songs like those of King David’s that had God empowered to keep the enemy at bay in Saul while he played for him. I want worship to flow out of me with the spirit of Elijah, demonstrating Gods power to the earth. I want songs that blast through the walls, the scaled eyes, the enemies lines and grabs those NOT YET of the kingdom and that plants the seed of truth and of fire deep in their spirit womb. Many will see and hear, many, for the kingdom of God is at hand.

We must begin to see with the eyes of the spirit.

I was listening to Elijah Streams radio and a song came on that caught my ear. It wasn’t so much the music (although the music fit todays trend) as it was the lyrics. My heart began to say, “yes, Lord”. My spirit began to be taken up and I was in fast. I really like this song and think you will too.

Check out the artist at Kelanie.com, and I have attached a couple of links below to the chart and a YouTube of a session.

I led worship at a deliverance class on Thursday night that was aimed to be focused on removing darkness bringing light. During the pre-service worship, this song came out of me. The recording is a little funky, but the Spirit was moving.

Click link to play:Spontaneous Song

“Slidefiguration”

Sometimes we can become so calloused in our hearts that we begin to see other people in a slidefiguration (from the Heath McConnell dictionary).

A slidefiguration is when you no longer see the person because you are so absorbed in your own world it is as if your two worlds slide against each other. You can never see with clarity, the sharpness (as in a tack sharp picture) in their eyes… just a smudged image of a being.

2008 sure has been a year of ups and downs, but change is definitely coming, although I am afraid it won’t come wrapped as we imagine. This will most definitely be one of the most significant years in history. Faith and hope are going to be the winners this year as will be illumination.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!
May 2009 be a year of blessing, favor, prosperity and most importantly… illumination of truth.

Merry Christmas to everyone. May your holidays be blessed.