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Well it’s official and i wanted to spread the word!
I’ve got a new website & blog!!!
Go check out ErikWillits.com // look around, check it out, ask me to speak at your next event. This website has been in the cooker for A LONG TIME! But i’m excited to finally share. This site also integrates by blog and all the other things you need to know about me and the ministry God has called me to. If you have questions or thoughts shoot me an email, i’d love to know what you think about the new site.
And since this new website will be integrating my blog, this blog will be going away.
I know a handful of you share my blog link on your website or blog. Now is the time to change that link.
The new link is www.erikwillits.com/blog/ so change the link and share the love!
Can’t wait to hear what you think.
Grace and peace
erik
Tags: blog, integration, website
I'm sitting at Starbucks today... i mean 5bucks (a clever nick-name some friends came up with)... sitting here getting ready for my Sunday School message tomorrow and since i left my bible at home i'm using the YouVersion online bible. I have YouVersion on my phone, iPad, and today i've been using my computer to read it. LOVE IT! Honestly i haven't used YouVersion all that much but today i saw their bible reading plans. BRILLIANT!
So i've decided to make my first New Years Resolution... READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE IN 90 DAYS!
YouVersion has a reading plan that takes you through the entire bible in 90 days. So i'm going to do it! Starting January 1st i'll be reading, i think it's only 3 or 4 chapter a day. Which i'm ashamed to admit is more than i read currently. I'll be posting here on my blog about my progress and you can also follow along on YouVersion. But i'm excited about it!
I'm sure i've read pretty much all of the bible at one time or another but i've never just read it all the way through like this. I've never done this primarily because i don't think it's the best way to read the bible but i think this is going to be good for me! And i'm excited about it. Remember, it's more about quality than quantity when it comes to bible reading but if your up for the challenge why don't you read along with me.
Grace and peace
erik
PS :: I think this is going to be a great way to get ready for Lent and then Easter. And since this is 90 days it should take us right up to that time of year! PERFECT!
Tags: bible, reading plan, YouVersion
Advent, just wait...
I tweeted the other day about the Advent Experience i was doing with my students. I ended the tweet & facebook post with “... just wait!” A clever pun on the idea of experiencing advent. I had one person say something but other than that i’m not sure anybody really caught the start to my Advent Experience but then again i don’t think many people really catch Advent in general. Which is why we had an Advent Experience!
And if your wondering what i’m talking about... you’re not catching it either! Just wait
Advent is all about waiting, anticipating, it’s all about getting ready for the One who was, and is, and is to come! I decided that i could just preach a message about this, there are TONS of scriptures about Advent, about waiting and anticipating but i wanted my students to experience it!
So here’s what we did...
We started our service off with with a countdown, all the student with one robust voice counted down the last 10 seconds and then... another countdown started. They WAITED 3 more minutes, counted down once again and we continued.
Then we played a game, kinda. I picked students, had them come up on the platform, picked some random pieces that they thought were going to be apart of the game and then i told them i had forget some of the pieces to the game and they were going to have to WAIT.
I also had one student come on the platform, I had found out his absolute favorite snack, honey BBQ wings from Pizza Hut. I told him we were going play a little game, he had to sit with the wings in front of him but we weren’t ready yet... he would have to WAIT!
I let all the students sit down, they would have to be PATIENT. I let the student stay on the platform with his wings though. Our worship leader came forward to lead us. He tuned... and tuned... and tuned some more. He continued to say, “Sorry guys, just be PATIENT, HOLD ON, we’ll be ready SOON.”
I then came up and said i would just give the message and we’ll worship later. By this time, those that were really paying attention (and most of them actually were) began to realize the theme.
I opened my bible and began to flip through, trying to find the passage i was looking for, “my bookmark must have fallen out, just HOLD ON, i’ll find it.” “I think i actually left my notes in my office, just be PATIENT.” I walked of the platform and this little video i make began to play.
When the video was done i walked up and began to share. My middle school students were engaged, they got it, they knew what we were talking about. Matthew, the student on the stage with his favorite wings quickly became my goto illustration. Because sometimes it’s really hard to wait, isn’t it! I preached, we worship together, it was a really great night!
The one nugget i wanted to communicate through my message and through the experience was that we know as Christians we need to learn to pray, to read our bible, even to live in community... but how often do we teach students the art of waiting, being patient, holding on for the Lord. We don't’ typically see this as a Christian practice worth giving any attention to but the more i studied and looked around bible the art of waiting is central to the Christian life. And what better time then Advent to usher our students and our churches in the Christian practice of patience.
We talked a bit about the double Advent we embrace. First we WAIT for the birth of Christ but we also WAIT for the return of Christ, knowing that He will return and make all things new, redeem our suffering, and quench our thirst once and for all.
We talked about trust and faith. It’s easy to think that God must not know what he’s doing because things aren’t happening on our timeframe or the way we think they should go. But learning to WAIT is essential for the Christian life, it teaches us to trust that God actually knows what he’s doing, he has a plan, that God is actually good and is with us! It’s not always easy to wait but often times that which we wait for is far better then what we could have had sooner. Our culture teaches immediate gratification but our Lord teaches us to WAIT! To Trust! To have faith that God has a plan!
There are a lot of culture implication that we talked about. Faith implication and a general challenge to WAIT ON THE LORD because he promises to hear our cries!
Here some some scriptures that i used...
Isaiah 64:1 // Luke 1:78-79 // Psalm 40:1 // Proverbs 16:32
Romans 8:25 // James 5:8 // Revelations 1:7-8
You can also check out some of my Advent posts from last year...
And finally if you looking from some great Advent ideas & videos check out Advent Conspiracy - they do some great stuff!
And look at their old stuff on YouTube -- really good!
Hold On!
w/Grace and peace
erik
Tags: advent, Christmas, practices, video
The church values beauty and creativity because God values these things, right? Maybe it’s because God IS beauty and creativity so when we live fully as we were created to live, made in his image and filled with this spirit, when we embrace beauty and creativity we are participating in the life of God. Maybe it’s something like that.
I think in our worship we often forget this kind of stuff these days.
Our buildings are big square office boxes next to other office boxes. Even when we spend LOTS of money on a building it probably just looks like the school down the street. Our art... wait, we don’t really do art anymore. Our music is often times mimics of a pop culture with very little redemptive imagination.
Mostly we come to worship / sing a few songs about Jesus and listen to a message about Jesus, we don’t value much else. And it better not last much longer than an hour... after all, we have things to do.
Well on a night like tonight i remember the value of sacred music and sacred spaces. I think of the good, the true and the beautiful and how the church has always valued these things.
Don’t get me wrong, i struggle with the amount of money that is spent on some church buildings and chapels, i personally don’t put a high value on appearances (in some ways), on pomp and circumstance, and on flashy kinds of things. I live in a tension when it comes to these things. I see value in space and beauty and creativity... but i also like low key, come as you are environments offered by many churches these days.
I’m not sure i like one over the other, i probably prefer beauty to bland but a mix of the 2... i guess.
I do know when i come to a night of worship at a church like the one i am privileged to work and worship at i remember that historically the Church has valued beauty and creativity and has lead the way in sharing it, often through architecture and art. I definitely think the church, in some ways, needs to regain that place in the world.
What do you think? How do we reclaim space? Especially when it comes to worship and buildings / architecture... or does it matter?
Do we care about beauty or art or creativity? What does this look like as communities of faith if we say we do value these things?
Is it possible to value mission and beauty at the same time? (i'm thinking of the argument, "we could have spent that money on the mission field instead of a building."
Alright, enough rambling.
My wife and i had an awesome night of enjoying Christmas music in a beautiful building created for worshiping God. It was great and these are some of my rambling thoughts at 1 in the morning.
Enjoy?
peace
erik
Speaking of rhythm, i get these daily devotional thoughts and the last two have been about developing a rule of life. Another way of talking about this concept of a “rule of life” might be having spiritual rhythm.
When i was growing up anything that had the word rule in it i ran from. Anything that was discipline wasn’t for me. Even when i became a Christian the concepts of spiritual discipline wasn’t very appealing to me. I thought that if you really loved God you did things “from the heart.” That’s kinda true but i think i’ve learned that doesn’t exclude having spiritual discipline. It might even be the more necessary for those who love God to be discipled in their spiritual life.
The idea of a rule of life comes largely from Saint Benedict, a monk from the 7th century. Honestly i don’t know a ton about St B. but he believed work and prayer were the most important things and i think he wrote a lot about living by a certain rule. I probably need to do more research on him, he’s seems like a cool fellow.
This idea of a “rule of life” is something to think about for sure. Something i want to develop more and more as i mature in my faith and relationship with Jesus. Mainly because i think i need it more and more.
Here are the reflections i’ve read the last couple days that have been an encouragement to me, enjoy.
“I INVITE YOU to consider developing and claiming your own patterns and disciplines for spiritual growth. In Christian tradition this is known as developing a rule of life. A rule is a pattern of spiritual disciplines and attitudes that provides structure and direction for growth in holiness. … Growth in faith requires commitment, structure, and yes, discipline. Developing a rule of life moves you beyond good intentions into the arena of daily walking with God.
=============
YOU CAN START developing a rule of life by choosing … some practices and disciplines to incorporate into your daily life. The behaviors, attitudes, disciplines, and practices you choose will soon become routine … in your life of growing intimacy with God.
Some people carry negative images of rules and discipline. You must remember that rules and discipline exist for guiding and training. Building a rule of life guides and supports your spiritual growth.
Your rule can be simple. Dorothy Day … committed to daily practice the presence of God by reading the Bible, keeping a journal, receiving the Eucharist, and looking for the face of Christ in the poor and hungry she served every day.
Both quotes are from Larry James Peacock book Openings And share via Upper Room daily devotional
Tags: holiness, life, rhythm, spiritual discipline
God created us to have rhythm. Sabbath, festivals / parties, worship, spiritual disciplines, family, community... all kinda of different rhythms. I really think when we are in tune to these spiritual rhythms we live at our best.
It’s been over a year (with the exception of a brief Lenten suggestion) since i’ve given a music monday recommendation. And since this monday is Halloween you might think i would suggest something like this or like this but that’s not what i’ve been listening to lately.
Somebody actually posted this album cover on instagram and i decided to take a listen, i’m glad i did. I’ve been listening to it all week. A few of the song are stellar the rest is solid. Make sure you listen to this one...
ENJOY!
and happy music monday
Tags: music, Music Monday, worship
It’s the end of my third week at Christ Church. I haven’t really even given the low down as to what i’m up to. The short story... i’m the middle school minister at a great church in Plano TX, a north suburb of Dallas. I’m still traveling, although minimally but don’t worry Erik Willits Ministries is still going strong, just morphing a bit. We’ll see what exactly it turns into. The long story i may share later.
But i’m beginning a new chapter, my family is beginning a new chapter and we’re pretty excited about it.
In the midst of my new beginning i’ve been thinking a lot about beginnings. Have you ever thought about this? Where do experts and aficionados get their start? I hadn’t given it much thought until recently.
As my family and i decided it was time for some changes -- for a slew of reasons that i won’t bore you with -- we decided we would each start shopping our resumes and see where God might open doors? I was up for being daddy daycare, youth speaker extraordinaire, or youth pastor in residence, we were just searching for a new beginning. But some interesting hurdles arose.
I’ve considered myself a youth worker for the past 10+ years but during that time i’ve served very little in your typical youth worker / youth pastor role. Stints of traditional student ministry here and there but primarily i’ve been anything but traditional in my pursuit of God and His call on my life. The hurdle that appeared as i began to talk with churches about youth positions, young adults positions, teaching pastor positions was that i hadn’t actually ever done any of those ministries.
Imagine my frustration, 10 years of doing exactly what i thought God was calling me to only to have church after church tell me i was’t qualified for the ministry position they were hiring for. A few churches after seeing my resume wanted to talk. So i interviewed at a few places, i interviewed at one of the largest churches in America, i interviewed at small churches, evangelical churches, mainline churches, all kinds of churches and every church i talked to and especially the couple churches i actually went and interviewed with, an aura of skepticism permeated the atmosphere. Everybody was skeptical of me because i hadn’t spent much time in traditional ministry roles. I guess i should be used to this, over the years not many people have been very understanding of the ministry i’ve done. So yea, it was frustrating, humbling, and discouraging to say the least.
But it all got me thinking, where do people get their start? The experts and aficionados, who took a chance on them? This is especially relevant as people left and right are losing jobs and looking for new beginnings. How many overly qualified people are working at Starbucks looking for another shot, a new beginning?
Beginnings are hard, chaotic, frustrating, and all too often they are elusive. Survey the Bible, this trend holds up, trust me.
I pray for those who are looking for new beginnings. I pray that the God of second chances would open doors and give a spirit of encouragement and persistence to those in need. And may the rest of us have hearts to perceive those that the spirit puts in our paths. And i pray that whether we deserve it or not, the God of grace would open the right doors and that we would have hearts to perceive and open eyes to see His provision.
Bottom line, I’m extraordinarily grateful and excited beyond measure for the opportunity i have, for the beginning that God has granted me. To work along side of some amazing people, share life with and minister to an amazing group of middle school students (at least the ones i’ve met so far are rad) and just in general i’m grateful and excited for getting a shot to do ministry and impact students and families for the kingdom of God in a new but also similar and exciting way.
[ Ramblings from a Starbucks... ]
Grace and peace
Erik