Strategic Sabbath
I feel like I’m not the best person to talk about taking a break, but I am noticing some symptoms that are causing me to think that I need to talk a break:
1. I’m not being as intentional about building diverse relationships as I have been.
2. I’m not being as intentional about working with someone to do song translations.
Now, I point these out in particular because these are things that I’ve been really passionate about in the past. In fact, this is a lot of what I teach others, especially the first one.
But with all the different things going on in my life this past year with my youngest son’s health, working at the church, working on this blog I do see some breakdown in my close relationships. That is a cause for concern.
In a recent conversation with a worship leader friend of mine in Texas he noticed some burnout. He then proceeded to invite me and my family to visit him and his family and take a vacation. He said he’d provide free lodging and food, but I had to get plane tickets for my family.
I’m not sure if we’ll go yet, but that conversation in particular opened my eyes about how much time I’ve spent working, but neglecting other areas of my life.
Question for you
What are some things you notice about yourself when you are getting burnt out?
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2012 – 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
Is multicultural worship another form of racial reconciliation?
This is a tough question, but I believe the answer is yes. But that “yes” answer comes along with a lot of expectations.
Play skillfully
(I’m going to primarily talk about music and multicultural worship in this case, but it’s certainly not limited to just music.)
A lot of work needs to go into doing multicultural worship. I don’t necessarily mean that the goal is to do multicultural “right“, but I do mean that hard work needs to honor the people where the music comes from, the people in the congregation, and God.
Needs means several things for the worship leader: digging in the Word, praying for intentional cross cultural relationships, doing research on the stories behind a song through the internet and with people, making sure the team is well prepared to pull off a new style/song, listening to different kinds of music, taking time to build your own skills in leadership and music, etc.
If I don’t put the hard work in those areas, then the music that we play and sing will seem fake, inauthentic, or patronizing. And that doesn’t glorify God.
Subcategory
I would also like to say that whether it’s multicultural worship or racial reconciliation it’s all part of God’s main purpose to bring the nations together to give Him glory. Reconciliation is something that God is encouraging and initiated Himself. When Christ died on the cross He reconciled us to Him, but He also reconciled us with one another.
Colossians 1:19-20 says:
For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Questions for you
What kinds of things do you do to prepare well for a multicultural worship service? Is multicultural worship another form of reconciliation? Or is there a bigger overarching theme?
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2012 – 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
Do I have to embrace my own culture’s heart music?
This question continues to challenge me as I wrestle with it. In the past few years I feel like in some indirect way like I’m supposed to love traditional Korean music like this video below:
I’ve certainly grown in my appreciation for the Korean culture and the music of Korea. This process began as I began to serve as a cultural bridge between my family, who are Korean, and my wife’s family, who are Caucasian with various cultural backgrounds there.
Now, I don’t think that my culture’s heart music needs to my heart music. BUT I do believe that if that music serves to help me build a bridge to another person, then I need to embrace it.
Is it possible to use this style of music to praise God? Absolutely.
I think we need to mindful in the multicultural church to see how all the different styles of music, especially as worship leaders and worship team members, can serve the Body. It’s not a matter of “my gift vs. your gift” or my “preference vs. your preference“. It’s a matter of embracing you as my brother and sister in Christ, acknowledging your gift, and giving ALL the glory to God.
I want to leave you today with Psalm 67:5 which says:
May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2012 – 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.