Stone Speak A symposium on worship, arts and the prophetic,
here and across the pond...

Each time I try a new Chinese restaurant on my own, I start with my staple familiar dish; General Tso's Chicken. I know what good General Tso's taste like, and I can get a reasonable feel for how good the restaurant is by first trying a "control" dish. Once I have experienced this dish, I then feel free to become more adventurous.

When I try a new restaurant that serves more authentic dishes, I ask them for their suggestions.  Why?  Because often times the menu is completely different. After all, did you know that General Tso's was first invented and served in Manhattan? In a way, the common menu found at most Asian buffets is a counterfeit cuisine. It is predictable, it's safe and engineered to please us. This has a strong appeal. I can walk into a carryout almost anywhere in America, order my dish, and receive exactly the same dish as I would at one of my regular places. When I want something predictable, I can find it.  But why have the predictable, when the potential for a great experience is right in-front of you?

Last year my wife and I visited Hawaii. We were hungry and saw a Chinese buffet, but not far from there was a farmer's market. After some discussion, we opted to check out the market instead of the standard Chinese buffet. There, we found a guy standing beside a large bbq roasting boar meat; freshly hunted the day prior.  He made his own sauce from the local plants, and it came with a side of breadfruit...something that looked like a hybrid between a cantelope and potato.We took it back to our room and enjoyed one of the very best meals we have ever had in our lives.

Now that I have thoroughly made you hungry and pondering the comparison between wild pig and MSG goodness, I will get to my point.

Stepping out is worth it.

Worshiping God is a dangerous act. If you like safe worship, then you are missing the point and have settled for a form of MSG enhanced music. Is it wrong to enjoy takeout worship from time to time? No. But how will you discover new callings, new gifts, and new opportunities to glorify God without sticking your head out?  True, there are times when you might encounter a bitter taste or discover something is too sweet. But that is part of the adventure!

This adventurous spirit challenges us in why we believe what we believe, why we worship the way we worship, and who we are in the eyes of God. If something is bitter or sweet, it forces us to better understand why we believe, feel, or worship the way we do. God has created many venues, and each venue speaks to particular people, draws them in, and serves their purpose in the kingdom. The danger is to use this as an excuse for stagnation. The danger is to stick with your own General Tso's worship for the sake of it being predictable.

I was raised in a very traditional church. I loved it. To be honest, there were some of the most powerful movements in the spirit in absolute silence that I have ever felt. I remember the elders debating over the sanctity of a drum set in the sanctuary, and how that predisposed me to be skeptical of contemporary worship settings. I now have the privileged of worshiping in such a contemporary worship church. Had I not permitted myself to be challenged, I would have continued to be skeptical and rely on third party knowledge of how the spirit will and will not move.

I am glad I stepped out, and continue to do so.
I ask... when have you stepped out? What did you discover?