Dear Friends,
My Journey to date:
Having been raised with parents in church leadership, for me, singing songs in church became commonplace. Aside from the question, "do I know this one?" no further thought went into what I was singing. Not to say that it wasn't enjoyable, but it was up to my mood; it was not worship. I guess you could place me in the "learns the hard way" file because it took a season of me trying to figure out life on my own to grasp the attitude of humility and gratitude God deserves. This season left me selfish, empty, divorced, apathetic, and eventually broken. Yet looking back I realize one thing it never left me...abandoned.
Hindsight shows God relentlessly made His grace available to me until the moment I surrendered. Then the unexpected happened. Opportunities began to arrive. I soon found myself praising God through a blues band and playing some amazing venues. Despite this, five years later I found myself depressed and wrestling something inside. I finally took the time to be still and listen to what God was showing me; I was allowing my service for God to replace my relationship with Him. Ouch! That one was hard to hear. But I was listening. I gave the news to the band that I would be stepping away from music because it had become my idol. I thought I would never sing or play again and I had a peace in my heart that can only be credited to the Holy Spirit. 6 months went by and I was content, awake, and recognizing God's presence. I was asked to pray about taking a Worship Leader position. After a time of prayer and fasting my wife and I knew the decision. I took the position in June of 2007.
My Heart:
We were created to worship...I'm talkin' literally, specifically, functionally built to give glory, but so many have bought into the lie that we can give it to just anyone and satisfy the need to express our worship. Everyday we hear of another celebrity burning out or going into rehab or worse. Some even try and make themselves their own hero but man was never made to be worshiped. We can't handle it. Still, with the world trying to shut out even the "option" of God, as if He could even be reduced to an option, they will continue trying to figure out why they have this need to express praise and watch as their idols fall flat over and over again. I believe my calling and my deepest desire is to help people discover that part of their biological make-up that was designed to worship and channel it into it's proper direction; Glorifying Jesus Christ the Risen Lord.
My thoughts on what's to come:
One of the most important things God has shown me is that we are just beginning to scratch the surface and as I spend more time in His word, acknowledging His presence, and clearing out anything that takes up His space in my life...this unchanging God of ours will continue to shake my world in new ways which in turn will create a new song in my heart and on my lips!
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29
Now we keep pressing forward,
~Milton
