Hope in a House of Blues

prayer for troubled times

This week as we finish the Hope in a House of Blues series, we will look at trouble. (Talk about your universal blues themes...)

We all find ourselves surrounded by trouble at times in our lives.  As we walk through these times,  it’s hard to find the way; we are overwhelmed and feel lost, hopeless.  David felt the same way; he was in a dark place.  His own son was trying to kill him…he wrote about it in Psalm 3.  Here's what he wrote:

God! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: "Hah! No help for him from God.  Fearless before the enemy mobs. Up, God! My God, help me!  Slap their faces, first this cheek, then the other; Your fist hard in their teeth!       

Before the week is out, if you haven't had the chance, i hope you can sit in the trouble room and listen to the prayer that i've copied below.  It was written by one of our artists.  You can download an MP3 of the prayer below.                    

                                                                              

Hear the mockers God, as they throw insults at me, tossing lies in my face, uncaring hatred.
Do you hear the screams?
My heart is bombarded; I've seen the frustration, intense pain, unfeeling intimidation, and the sheer overwhelming force of darkness.  The jagged edges of pain rub on me.  I can barely cling to the edge of hope-- and my grip is slipping.  My feet can no longer carry me, God.
I am done.

Yet, when the world is crumbling, You hold me.
When it is all too much, I awake to hear You sing in joy over me.
You set my feet on firm ground and guide my steps through the labyrinth of this broken world.
I call to You.
When I lift my head to see You-to the mountains, there You are.

There You are.
There You are--I see you in the darkness
There You are--Your light penetrates the night that has gathered around me.
There You are--You draw me close to hole me in my weakness
There You are--from the mists of Your glory, You bring the dawn of a new day.

Heavenly Father,  be my peace in troubled times; let me hear your voice.
In Your power be my shelter as the storm rages throughout this dark night.

I look to You
You are my Lord

Download Trouble.mp3

Celebration of Hope!!

This weekend we will finish up the Hope in a House of Blues series.  It's been quite a journey through a few of the psalms of lament, as we've practiced singing our blues in the direction of God.  These prayers we've offered to God as worship; bringing our tears, doubt, and hate before God grow us as followers of Jesus, authentic and honest in a world that's full of trouble.  This weekend that's the topic we'll address: trouble. 
In this, we will be celebrating Hope that even in the middle of all the junk of life, there is an abundant life that is ours for the taking.  I hope you'll join us and invite a friend. 
We're having Paul Langford and Rene Ledemsa in from Chicago again this year and as an added treat, the Grace Covenant Church Choir led by Derek Floyd will be leading us in singing our blues as well!  

We are excited have them worship with us.  Can't wait to see you there!!

your fan in the journey,
tracy grubbs...creative arts team

The Doubt Wall

Part of my job at Lake Forest is to create a fresh and provocative atmosphere where people can worship God more fully, and i hope more honestly.  I was blown away by all of you who were brave enough to 'speak your doubt into being' by writing it down in worship.  Later that week as we 'published' many of your prayers onto the doubt wall, my own faith was encouraged.  I echoed the prayers that so many of you uttered and laid before God on that piece of torn, brown paper. 

'am i good enough?'
'does God really care?' 
'where was God when my child called out to Him?  He didn't answer.' 
'will I ever break free from this??'
'if God is here, why did my mom and dad divorce?'
'is my marriage a sham?'

Being honest with God is the way to begin to trust Him, i've found.  I am grateful to all of you who opened up your heart 'in the direction of God' and i pray that He meets you in that open space your honesty created.  That's my prayer for us all.  And if you've not had a chance to pray your doubt, i hope you'll take time to worship God in this way.

If you've not read Mike's blog, his last two entries on doubt will encourage you.  Check it out at www.purplepastor.com

Your fan on this journey!

tracy grubbs, creative arts team

A Little Blues to Take With..

Listen to "I'm Gonna Get There," by Mike Farris, performed by Mike Farris and the Lake Forest Church Band, September 7, 2008.

What a moment this past weekend was for all of us with Mike Farris and our band.  I know it will be one of those worship moments that I will bring back to mind and heart when a real "blues" moment hits.  I try and take the opportunity to remember the details of my surroundings when I have huge God moments like Sunday.  That way I can push through my blues moments as I remember that I serve a big God and these moments will pass.  That He's in control.  That's the hope we have in Christ!  Mike said to me as we were leaving to go to the airport, "This is the best church experience I've ever had".  That made my day. 

I had the opportunity to ask him on Saturday when I picked him what his whole story was and he and I and a couple guys in the band sat eating BBQ (cause you know that's blues food) and just listening to him tell of how God has healed him.  Wow!  I love the stories of God's greatness.  It's what inspires me to write, and lead other in the worship of our great God.  Let's commit to telling stories of God's greatness to one another till we all die.  Then we'll start all over again in heaven.  Cause there ain't enough time in eternity to describe fully the God we serve.  See you Sunday!

Responding to the greatness and glory of God,
Kyle

House of Blues thoughts

From Lead Pastor, Mike Moses...

Last Sunday we kicked off Lake Forest's annual 'Hope in a House of Blues' series.  Mike Farris (www.mikefarrismusic.net) (or google Screamin Cheetah Wheelies) was our guest blues artist.  The worship services were truly a 'God moment' for almost everyone who attended - a moment that will stand out for years in Lake Forest's communal memory.

What I took away was this - through the Psalms of Lament, God models for us the fact that the truly human, abundant-life way to handle the Blues (suffering, pain, tears, trouble, hate, doubt, loss) is to NOT solve them, NOT systemmatize them, NOT demand understanding.  Sing the blues.  In verse, poetry, art.  Sing the Blues.  As prayer.  Singing our blues 'in the direction of God' is what it means to trust God and follow Jesus in our blues.  That is the most profound way to live as a person of faith in the midst of suffering. Singing the blues along with Mike Ferris and our worship band experientially cemented for me this truth from the Psalms.

We get the treat of singing the blues together for three more weeks, with our special musical guests from Chicago (remember the ba-da-da-da-da McDonald's commercial/worship singer friend of Kyle's, Rene?) on September 28 to culminate our HOPE in a House of Blues worship.

Can't Get Enough

WOW!
What a first day of Hope in the House of Blues at Lake Forest Church.  Mike Farris rocked the house with Blues Worship, leading us through the blues with songs such as "Oh, Mary Don't You Weep" and "Lonely Road" to soul-filling themes of redemption, joy, and hope found in songs like "I'm Gonna Get There" and "Can't No Grave."

We sold out of Mike Farris' CDs yesterday.  For those who can't get enough of his God-gifted "sweet balm for the ravaged heart," purchase his album Salvation in Lights on Amazon.com and Itunes.

Pictures of yesterday's service will be posted soon.  Until then, listen to yesterday's message "Praying our Tears" from Lead Pastor, Mike Moses.

God in Art

Each year during the House of Blues series, the creative arts team at Lake Forest looks at ways to represent both the blues in our lives along with the Hope we can find in God through art.  We try to do that through our stage setting and also in other artistic pieces that we place throughout the building…painted doors, windows where folks have expressed their sorrows and their hope through various mediums.  This year, the Hope in a House of Blues stage environment is a dark dingy back alley, which is reflective of the struggles of or lives - the battered and worn facades, repaired and patched walls, but sturdy despite the wear because of the Hope that we have in God.  We’ve also constructed a ‘house of blues’ that is interactive; four rooms that represent the Psalms of Lament we’ll be diving into.  We invite you to experience these rooms yourself.  Hope to see you there!

More Construction Pics

Original Blues

Our blues sermons this year come from the Psalms.  The Psalms are the original blues.  No lie.  They are among the oldest world literature poetically expressing the angst of the human condition, and doing so as prayer and worship to God.  The blues in worship of God?  Yes.  For 3,100 years now.  That is our model for House of Blues.  Two thirds of the 150 individual Psalms are what scholars call 'Psalms of Lament' - fancy words for what we all know to be the blues.  The four Psalms we will learn about can be titled 'Tears,' 'Doubt,' 'Hate,' and 'Trouble.'

2008 Hope in a House of Blues

It’s not decent, polished, pretty or nice.  It’s a protest against injustice, a headache of doubt, and tears of despair.   It’s an honest and heart-wrenching cry, giving voice to the experience of being human.  It’s the Blues of living in this world.

Every Sunday in September  join Lake Forest Church for the annual Hope in A House of Blues series, which looks at living in a world of doubt, despair, and injustice and seeks to find Hope in the midst of these circumstances.  As we press into the painful Blues of this world we’ll find and celebrate the Hope that God offers us.

Each week Blues Worship will be a sweet balm for the ravaged heart, the broken spirit - communal, powerful, elemental, essential, and ultimately redemptive.  Soul Man, Mike Farris, will join us September 7 and Chicago Blues artists on September 28.