What Do I Blog About - Wordle Tells Me! And it’s High Time to Spread Some Blog Love
What I Blog About - From Wordle
Since Billy Chia just confessed that he is a “church addict” after entering his blog into wordle, I wanted to see what would come about if I did the same thing. Here it is:
The best thing about it - every time I refreshed, the words “worship” and “happened” always showed up prominently. Thank You, Lord, for reassuring me that “worship happened” every time we have gathered!
Blog Love - Some Links You Should Check Out
Shannon shares a great series on Maturity in Christ. I’d highly encourage reading all parts. Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, a bit more, and a bit more!
Brad Loser (loh-ser, not loo-zer!) is going through Worship Matters. If you want some detailed thoughts from some folks going through the book, definitely check it out. He shares quite a bit, so be prepared for some reading, but it’s worth it.
Billy shares a really fantastic post on complaining and feedback to follow up his humorous post that he posted in response to Ragamuffin Soul’s “you-asked-for-it” question. I think I’m one of the few people that actually recommends not reading Ragamuffin soul, but I thought Billy eventually turned this around quite positively. *EDIT* Los contacted me directly with a very positive comment asking why I said this in the comments. I really appreciate it and explained why I said this below. I shouldn’t have said it and should have let people come to their own decision about his blog. I do apologize for that and hope we can all be at peace. The power of words are quite incredible at times.
Russ has a fantastic story about his privilege to be Fred’s guest at National Worship Leader Conference and hang out with some of the more famous worship folks.
Lorie King has a featured article on The Worship Community on how to enhance stage presence. I think her perspective is right on with all of these tips.
Finally, Fred has a wonderful post about making sure we focus on good things happening and celebrate victories.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! More thoughts from my teaching this Sunday will come next week.
Ryan, thanks for the link love!
I thought I already added you to my blogroll, but I checked and I hadn’t so I am!!
Thanks!
Russ
Comment by Russ — July 25, 2008 @ 8:36 am
No prob, Russ - I really enjoyed this post about Ron Kenoly - good stuff!
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 8:39 am
Ryan, thanks a ton for the link love man!
Comment by Fred McKinnon — July 25, 2008 @ 8:40 am
Fred - no problem - I thoroughly enjoy your blog and it’s been fun to get to know you even though I’ve only seen you through a blog, twitter and the lens of an isight camera
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 8:41 am
Thanks for the shout out
Comment by Billy Chia — July 25, 2008 @ 8:47 am
No problem, Billy - I’m consistently enjoying your blog.
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 8:51 am
Would love to be enlightened as why you recommend people not read my blog? Not disagreeing. Just curious. I always love to have conversations with those opposed to what and why I do.
Thanks man
Los
Comment by Los — July 25, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
Worship leaders hating on other worship leaders. Ahhhh, the body of christ.
The bible teaches Unity through Diversity. Its cool to disagree but Geesh, why actually go through the trouble of “Not recommending.”
Anyways, I never would have heard of ya, except Los linked back to you.
So your hatin’ will probably get this post more hits than any post you have ever done.
Hmmm, isnt it ironic…dont you think?
Comment by godinaheadlock — July 25, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
“I think I’m one of the few people that actually recommends not reading Ragamuffin soul” - Ha Ha! Are you serious? Why? That’s kind of like MSNBC recommending people not watch CNN, it sounds like a little jealous competition to me?!?!
Comment by Nick — July 25, 2008 @ 1:01 pm
Los’s blog is objective like yours. I guess you can see it is bad whathe would post “what i hate about my worship leader” but if you noticed on that post he put in afterward his insitghts into it.
He seems more to facilitate conversations and constructive debate.
You may personally not agree with some of his doctrine but he doesn’t puysh it though his blog as in to say not to read something or not recommand something unless thyere is an obivous problem with said thing.
Comment by Jonathan Hoover — July 25, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
Los -
Sorry if this is a bit long, but here we go…
First, thanks for stopping by!
Second, a completely fair question and one I expected would probably come! I prayed about leaving that sentence in there and decided to leave it knowing that I might have you ask. And thanks for asking in a positive way, by the way - you might cause me to change my mind!
Third - now that I think about it, I probably shouldn’t have put that sentence in there because I haven’t really spent enough time reading your blog to properly recommend it or not recommend it. I do apologize for that, and if you feel that I should give you some time, I will gladly and happily edit the comment out (as a matter of fact - I will edit the sentence right now to be much more positive because of the great way you handled my criticism).
But here’s why I said what I said…
For me, the posts that I’ve come across as I’ve seen you linked from other blogs are just a little too culturally driven for my taste - like many of today’s Christian and worship leader blogs. Don’t get me wrong, I think we should make sure our culture knows how relevant Christianity and God’s Word is - I’m all for that, I just find that sometimes we spend too much time focusing on culture and not enough time pointing people to Christ so that culture can be changed by Him.
I guess the main issue is the use of words like “crap” and “suck” and using @$$ as a substitute for a**. Don’t want to get into a debate about language - that’s another post for another time, but if we are truly leading worship in all parts of our lives - shouldn’t our language reflect that as well? Even if you don’t think those words are “sinful” or “unacceptable” or whatever - is there a need to use them? I don’t really think so. But, if I’m going to not recommend your blog for that reason alone - I should be staying away from several others as well.
So - I guess in conclusion - it’s just a hangup with language and “tone” for me - when I’ve looked at your blog I think more about how to be culturally “cool” then pointing my mind to lift up Jesus Christ. Although - the “Dear Worship Dude” articles were quite good. But, to be fair, I really should have read it much more thoroughly than I have and I apologize for that.
I’m really, REALLY opposed to blog slander and bashing people on blogs - and I really should have thought a little bit more before I made the comment and let the readers decide to read or stay away from your blog. Make sense?
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
@Nick, @Jonathan, @godinaheadlock
Hopefully this last comment explained why I said what I said. I do apologize - also put a post about how gracious Los’s response to my criticism was and edited this original post.
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
Cool. This is funny to me though.
People are going to hell every single day and we are getting hung up over the word Suck!
Jesus is bigger than that, lets focus on the big things in life and let the little things work them-self out and that might not really happen till heaven.
Comment by godinaheadlock — July 25, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
You are very right about that! I don’t know, for some reason language has a huge affect on me - maybe it’s a hangup I need to get over.
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
the majority of the people who read los’s blog and his type are worship people from other churches. so he isn’t exactly talking or communicating the same way if you were talking to non-believers. Creative Caos Thursdays are meant to come up with more ways to creaivly liven up the churchs around to help bring people into a growing realtionship with Jesus.
I read and like both of your blogs. and it is silly that we (me included are dicussing this).
But this is something that is a big deal in christianity. Peopl are so concerned with the wayt he other church and the others are doing things. We are critisizing, picking on and commenting on other believers.
I tell you what i have had many years in ministries that was geared for street kids. Now none of (well most to none) my co-believers at NOrth Point would have been comfortable in that environment and alot of churchs disagreed with what we were doing.
Now what i am saying is that God has called us to many different things. I am a sound man, i cannot play the guitar. But together the guitarist and me can help by leveraging our talents given by god to grow his kingdom.
So los being really good at what he is, shoudl express the knowledge and facilitate the education of other poeple who have the leverage to help grow God’s kingdom. Others deal directly with non believers and others don’t.
God uses everyone for a perpose weather we see the purpose or not!
Comment by Jonathan Hoover — July 25, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Jonathan, you are completely right about that! I really appreciate your thoughts - everyone involved - and I will be more careful next time. Like I said, I really don’t like criticizing other believers as well - and after I hit send I had the sinking feeling that this was going to get me in trouble - but send was already hit and I couldn’t take it back.
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
well i undestand i have edited my blogs plently of times. Sometimes like when you are frusdtrated or saying something you can only see what you are saying and sometimes later you look back and realize it wasn’t what you meant.
Typically i write a blog i let it sit for two hours and then read it before posting it. Sometime is realize i don’t really feel the way i expressed myself in the heat of the moment or the tangant i was following. But i like your stuff.
Comment by Jonathan Hoover — July 25, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Thanks. Most of the time I wait a while before posting as well. I guess God just needed to give me a gut-check today.
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
yeah i get those all the time!!
Comment by Jonathan Hoover — July 25, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
Hey man. WOW. Sorry about the buzz.
I appreciate your response.
You are right. There are LOTS of people who don’t jive with the way I act, talk, flow, live. And I think that is the beauty of this world we live in.
I liken it to my dad.
He is a VERY conservative southern baptist minister who cringes with some of the things I say.
Yet he lays those thoughts aside as he prays that the way I live HIM out will reach one more for Jesus Christ.
Thanks for your explanation and I look forward to much more content from your blog!!!
Grace to you as well.
Los
Comment by Los — July 25, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
Los - it’s absolutely no problem. I should have thought a little bit more before putting the sentence in. But, as He always does - God turned something that could have been pretty negative into a great, graceful encounter b/t the two of us. I totally appreciate your thoughts as well and definitely won’t tell people not to read your blog ever again now that I’ve seen your person-to-person heart (or anyone’s, for that matter)! As a matter of fact - might even subscribe to your blog….:-)
Take care!
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
Guys,
Thanks for your humility in walking through this today. I’m very encouraged and pray I’m able to walk in the humility I’ve seen from both of you today. Praise Jesus.
Peace,
Joe Day
Comment by Joe Day — July 25, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
Joe - thanks for your encouraging words. I pray we all have HIS humility living in us daily above all else!
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 25, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
thanks for the link love! and the pronunciation! lol
Comment by brad loser — July 25, 2008 @ 8:42 pm