What Gives Me Life

I may be stating the obvious here, but it's always been easy for me to forget this. And I often need reminding. So at the very least I am reminding myself of the following realization.

The way out of weariness, boredom, exhaustion, depression - you name it - for me, is to choose to do things that I know will give me life. If you are not feeling like any of those things, that's great! A way to avoid them is... you guessed it - to do things that you know will give you life.

I had a fantastic fall season. My new CD LIGHT UP THE SKY was completed and released. I traveled to various destinations with a fantastic band, shared my songs with people and received generous encouragement from my home community. Working at Vernon Alliance I am affirmed in my role as a worship pastor regularly, and my family now includes 2 beautiful children, and an incredible wife. But I have to confess, I know I pushed a little bit too hard this fall, and I am spent. And I know many other people who feel exactly the same as me, albeit for different reasons.

So now what? How do I recharge. I am reminding myself today to find the things that give me life and do them - so that I can recharge body, mind and soul. Most things are obvious... trips to the gym, exercise, simple family time (being present at home - not running around), maybe even an indulgent time of movie watching and pop-corn. The best thing for me though is my time alone with God - bible reading and prayer... I have shared before, my lack of discipline in this area. But every time I focus back in, I feel my spirit, soul and body restored.

That's my reminder to all of us today - including myself. I think I'm off to do something that will give me life - you do the same!

Jon

Story Behind the Song - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

So I was just writing about building God's house, and how easy it is to find myself building my own house instead. Building my kingdom instead of His. Being that I am a pastor, but also a Christian musician, it's easy to get my kingdom and God's kingdom mixed up (confession time again!). It's not bad to be successful, but it's dangerous ground when my goals for success start driving what I do, as opposed to my relationship and obedience to God's call on my life. So I've been trying to refocus on what it means to build God's Kingdom.

I've been wanting to write about some of the new songs that I wrote, and KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is one that I co-wrote with a great friend and guitar virtuoso Jacob Moon.

About 3 years ago Jacob and I were at a songwriters retreat in the mountains of Whistler, BC (tough life I know!). Thanks to a ministry called INCARNATION we were blessed to have the opportunity to hang out for a weekend with some theologians and other wonderful songwriters like Bob Bennett, Steve Bell and Carolyn Arends. What a time to learn and write music! We were inspired to write about the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN because we were learning about how we pray for God's kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10, the Lord's prayer), but that God's kingdom has also already 'arrived' through the INCARNATION of Jesus (God in the flesh), and the mystery that Jesus lives within us through the presence of His Holy Spirit. Because of this 'the kingdom of Heaven' is already here - within us, and we need only live it out so that it will continue to come to fruition.

In Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Jacob and I wrote about that.

So let the children come, and sing a holy song - for theirs the Kingdom is, and all the glory His.

The chorus became significant for me to, since there was a time in my life where I was paralyzed by fear and depression. My favorite bit of theology is that God is a Trinity of 3 'persons', the Father, Son and Spirit. One very important thing about this is that it says God is about 'relationship'. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father and the Spirit makes them known to us. In other words God is 'Love'. And we know that 'Perfect Love casts out fear'. So we wrote

There's freedom from darkness and fear, the Kingdom of Heaven is here.

A special thing for me that happened when we recorded the song was that my friend Tim Neufeld, lead singer of STARFIELD agreed to come in and sing a guest vocal. So Tim sings on the 2nd verse and through to the end of the song. And may I humbly say, it sounds great! So, two great friends and favorite people of mine were involved in making this song a meaningful reality. We also sing this song often as a worship song in the church where I am worship pastor VERNON ALLIANCE. So I feel like it is giving voice to some important theological truths, and I hope it helps us understand them a bit more. That God became one of us, and then sent us His Spirit to live within us, so that we could truly be part of realizing His Kingdom coming and His will being done, in us and among us. So that we could sing with truth

All who now weep will rejoice, sing to the Lord with one voice, glory hallelujah there's freedom from darkness and fear, the Kingdom of Heaven is here.

Building His House... or Mine?

So I've been on this 'read the bible in 1 year plan'...for about the last 3 years! Yes, I'll admit it, I need to be more regular at this, but that's not the point of this blog. I was reading Haggai the other day, an Old Testament Prophet. This book is about the Jewish people and their return from Babylonian exile. They had begun to rebuild their own homes and businesses and to establish their statehood as a Jewish community but had seemed to put on hold the construction of the temple for worship. The focus of their faith was losing its' central place.

These are the verses I read that caused me to stop and think.

Haggai 1:5-9

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.

It was a simple reminder for me. I am working hard at having a ministry, whether it is local and church based (I love my job at Vernon Alliance church), or further afield on the road including writing, recording and traveling. I don't plan to return to the road full time, but having a new CD I want to expose it wherever possible to new audiences and that involves promoting it in whatever ways I can. At the same time I want to honor my job and responsibilities at home.

But after I read these verses in Haggai, I knew I had to do a refocus. It's too easy for me to say I'm building God's house, when I'm really busy with my own. I want the music that I make to be successful, but I don't want that to happen at the expense of my relationship with God. I believe that He has called me to do what I am doing, but I also know how easy it is to lose focus and make it about me first, and God second - but make it sound like it's the other way around by using the right language.

Why am I writing this? I suppose in some way it makes me accountable to whoever might read it. It's also a little opportunity for me to consecrate, or dedicate my life, my family, my music back to God again, for His purpose and for His glory. I want to build His house. I know that if I do that, the rest will take care of itself.

The Price of Freedom

Hi friends, here's an interesting reading from author and theologian Elton Trueblood on discipline. This was a good reminder for me on my own faith journey and perhaps it will be for you as well. Jon

"When we begin to ask what the conditions of inner renewal are, we receive essentially the same answers from nearly all of those whom we have most reason to respect. One major answer is the emphasis upon discipline. In the conduct of one's own life it is soon obvious, as many have learned the hard way, that empty freedom is a snare and a delusion. In following what comes naturally or easily, life simply ends in confusion, and in consequent disaster. Without the discipline of time, we spoil the next day the night before, and without the discipline of prayer, we are likely to end by having practically no experience of the divine-human encounter. However compassionate we may be with others, we dare not be soft or indulgent with ourselves. Excellence comes at a price, and one of the major prices is that of inner control.

We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom, to the effect that we are most free when we are bound. But not just any way of being bound will suffice; what matters is the character of our binding. the one who would like to be an athlete, but who is unwilling to discipline his body by regular exercise and by abstinence, is not free to excel on the field or the track. His failure to train rigorously and to live abstemiously denies him the freedom to go over the bar at the desired height, or to run with the desired speed and endurance. With one concerted voice the giants of the devotional life apply the same principle to the whole of life with the dictum: Discipline is the price of freedom."

Elton Trueblood

A Bit of History

When I was in my teens, I wrote a song called HEAR THE MUSIC.

'Well I hear it from the left, and I hear it from the right

Sometimes I hear it in stereo, sometimes it's outta site

And I really don't know why, but without it I just can't get by

When I HEAR THE MUSIC I'm gonna praise the Lord

And I'll lift my hands to the sky'

It had a few verses, and a chorus...a bridge, a solo...all the components of a pop/rock song, and while I am convinced it would not have won any songwriting awards for me, surprisingly almost 10 years later when HEAR THE MUSIC night started, I realized that song was a seed. It was a seed for the name – yes, but also a seed for the 'sprit' of the event. To lift our hands to the sky – to reach out to Jesus – to praise God. That's really the whole point. In John 12:32 Jesus talks about being lifted up from the earth and that when that happens He will draw us to himself. There's a lot to unpack there – we lifted Him up in crucifixion, yes. But because of that, ultimately his resurrection has brought us new life – eternal life. And we can also lift Him up in praise through music. And that also fills us with life, and glorifies Him at the same time! I hadn't thought about it in a long while, but the 3rd line of that verse has had great meaning for me too. 'I really don't know why, but without it I just can't get by'. For me it's a very simple way of saying 'music saved my life'. More times than I can count, God has met me and changed me through a song or a musical moment. The Aldous Huxley quote makes so much sense to me...'After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is MUSIC'.

Jon Buller

Transformed

Hi everyone,

I recently read in my bible the following from 2 Corinthians 3: 17. 'Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.'

I have been involved for quite some time with a music event called Hear the Music Night. Those words crystallized for me what Hear the Music night is really about as it relates to our 'worship experience'. I believe that God is always with us, but that He wants to reveal Himself more to us and that is one big reason why we 'worship' together. When we do that (at HTM and everywhere else!) we are saying to God, 'open our eyes to who You are', and 'help us to experience You'. Before you know it we are caught up in the presence of God through His Holy Spirit, and altogether we experience a very special spiritual freedom. This freedom shows itself in different ways - through the joy that we feel when we're there, our 'playing at the feet of God' while we're jumping around or just enjoying the experience of music and praise. It also shows itself in what is changing inside of us as we invite God into our lives again through confession, repentance and praise.

And so, we reflect God's glory to each other, and we become more like Him. All because we have simply done what we were created to do - WORSHIP GOD.

Jon Buller

Another Blog that's not My Blog

Hi friends,

Well, it's a little too easy to write a blog that's not my own blog - but this one was too interesting to not share with you. Again, it's from Dr. John Stackhouse and I think it will spur you on to some good thoughts, on the danger of over-simplifying important things like FAITH.

Enjoy, and do follow the link 'continue reading' to get the whole picture.

Jon

Prof. John Stackhouse's Weblog Simple Is Good; Oversimple Is Bad

I recently guested on a TV show hosted by a notorious critic of the Christian faith. As we worked through his Top Ten List of Things He Doesn't Like about Christianity (not actually what he called them, but that's what they were), he chided Christians for "all that theology that complicated things." Why not, he challenged, just say, "Love your neighbour"?

Since he had been both a lawyer and a politician, I countered with this observation: "Law seems awfully complicated too, doesn't it? I mean, why not just say, 'Mind your own business. Don't steal. Keep your word'–you know, stuff like that? Could it be that the adult world is a bit complicated and so adults need complicated laws?"

Continue Reading...

http://stackblog.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/simple-is-good-oversimple-is-bad/

Silence

Hi everyone,

Instead of writing my own blog right now, I had in mind to share this one with you. Dr. Stackhouse is a reputed theologian, writer, musician and friend. His blog is thought provoking and this one in particular is a great read. To get the whole blog entry (it's worth it), follow the link to 'continue reading'.

God bless!

Jon Buller

Prof. John Stackhouse's Weblog And Now It's Time to Be Quiet

After all the excitement generated by my last two posts, it's time for something completely different. One correspondent sent along the following note:

"What about the disappearance of the musical language of silence? It seems to me that a problematic aspect of our modern context is over-stimulation and a resulting loss of the language of silence, which I believe is part of what has robbed much music--and the spoken word--of their power. I lead contemplative services which include a lot of music, but I feel the silence which is practised as part of that service makes it so much more powerful. It's a sign of the times when two minutes of real silence is experienced as threatening."

Continue Reading...

http://stackblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/and-now-its-time-to-be-quiet

Go to Church

Last Sunday I was very tired. Various different circumstances, all of them good - contributed to my weary state. I am not complaining, don't get me wrong...it's just part of life - there are seasons where you rest, and there are seasons where you need to keep the gas pedal down. And there are days when you 'hit the wall'. A friend told me that will never change. But what will change (God willing) is the varying speed at which you hit the wall. The older I get, the easier it is for me to see that wall approaching! I am slowly learning...But I digress...

What I meant to say was, I didn't particularly feel like going to church last Sunday. Yes, I work at church - so normally I don't have a choice in the matter. But my job is a wonderful blessing to me, and I love doing it, so I don't need a choice in that anyways, because I enjoy it. However, on occasion I have parts of weekends with outside gigs, or have a weekend off (trying to learn to pace myself), and it's those weekends that I am tempted to stay home with a pot of coffee, with my family or just by myself. Add to that, I am an introvert (albeit an 'outgoing' one), but an introvert nonetheless and so my best excuse to not go to church I think is fairly legitimate. To recharge I just need to be alone. But even that doesn't always hold up really...I can sneak in the back a hair late, and sneak out the back a hair early and it's a win - win. I am still with people, but I am still 'under the radar'.

Anyway, I went to church with my family. And I was still really tired. But it was really good. There were no spiritual fireworks but it just felt so good to be there. Much better than my newspaper or tv would have been at home...It was the best place that I could have been.

I don't want to comment on the big picture 'seasons', desert times or even painful times when one feels 'pushed away' by the church or religion or whatever it may be - maybe that's for another blog...But what I do want to say is that in the regular course of life, you've usually got one chance in the week to be with a group of people seeking after God's presence. Once chance to recharge, to be encouraged, to sing, to listen, to pray, to offer, to be taught, together with God's people. ONE chance.

Don't miss it.

Go to church.

Charisma, Grace and the Fire of God

I read and heard some interesting things about 2 Timothy 1:6 a few weeks ago. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you...

That word 'GIFT'. As I understand it is related to the Greek word(s) 'CHARIS' or 'CHARISMA'. While I am not a bible scholar, I do find this quite interesting for a number of reasons.

Paul is writing to Timothy and saying 'fan into flame the gift of God'. One translation of the word 'CHARISMA' is 'a gift of grace – an undeserved benefit from God'. My wife shared her thoughts with me on this from her own personal bible study (credit to Beth Moore), and it resonated with me. 'CHARISMA' refers not only to Salvation as given by God, but also to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed as God deems necessary to every believer. Even our talents were not earned, but were given by God.

God lit a fire, upon our confession of Christ, but it is our job to fan the flame. As I exude the 'CHARISMA' which I can take no credit for, it is God's fire, coming out through me – an undeserved benefit from God. Churches and Christians are called 'charismatic' for many reasons – I suppose that this is one of them – the fire of God, gifts of grace given to us to point to God.

I wonder another thing...this word CHARISMA and the related word CHARISTMATIC. Is it an accident that we like to be around people that exhibit that personality trait? Leaders that have huge followings are characterized as 'charismatic'. Great entertainers are said to have 'charisma', and that makes them attractive to us. Whether we know it or not...whether we choose to use it for His glory or not...we have been given CHARISMA – GOD'S GIFT – HIS FIRE – HIS GRACE.