Spatial Awareness

Posted by Josh Jamison | Posted on 2:15 PM

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Spatial Awareness: The perception of ones-self in context of other peoples, places and or things around them. Simply put, it's your ability to be aware of yourself and the things going on around you.

You have, no doubt, had at least one encounter with a spatial unaware person in your life.
Maybe you, yourself are a self-admitted spacial inept individual. (If so, I commend you on your honesty) I am guessing some of the first thoughts that come to your mind are similar to the ones that I have encountered. Bad drivers.

Not just people who don't understand the concepts of driving etiquette, but more so the people who struggle to see and understand what is happening around them while they are driving. I.E. People who do not speed up or slow down to allow someone who has a blinker on to merge, people who change lanes too closely to other cars, people who basically have no awareness of the needs and safety of those around them.

I am sure, I too have frustrated other drivers at times, so don't think this is a self-righteous post. Just simply an observation.

I have also come to the conclusion that people who tend to be poor drivers, tend to also be poor walkers. You know what I am talking about: the people at the mall or the grocery store who walk slowly down the middle of the isle, making passing or proceeding at your own comfortable pace impossible. They step where you need to step, they walk at a pace that inhibits your ability to get where you need to go and yet they have no clue that they are causing such a problem for you.

I am guessing as you are reading this, memories of such spatial unaware people are flooding back to you and no doubt causing your blood pressure to rise and the frustration to return. Take a deep breath. It's all good.

The truth is we can be frustrated with poor drivers and walkers, but we ourselves as Christians have become a "spatially unaware" people.
Our ability to perceive and understand what people are going through around us, and especially, our desire to do something about it has grown dormant, or even non-existent.

This is not to say we don't care or want to make a difference, but desire or intention are much different than action.

This idea came into greater light yesterday during a discussion with our interns.
We were looking ahead at 2010, brainstorming and dreaming about reaching our community and the people in our surrounding region who have yet to come to know the life changing relationship found in Jesus.

As ideas began to be tossed around I was suddenly confronted with a scary reality.
I realized that our default thinking of "outreach" was in the context of providing opportunities and events that would be a good enough cause for people to come to our building.

Call me crazy, but this idea of "spatial awareness" came flooding to my mind.
Have we become so spatially unaware as The Church that we have lost touch with the true needs of our community, resorting to "come to us" outreach, instead of being willing to roll up our sleeves and get out there and do a little work to actually meet the needs of our community IN our community?

Let's make 2010 less about services and events (without neglecting them or diminishing their importance) and more about becoming more aware of the needs of those next door, down the street and in our communities. Let us be a "spatially aware" church that does more than open our doors, let's get out and begin to actually "reach-out" to those God has put around us-

Just a thought-
Josh

(feel free to leave your comments or thoughts below)

Be you.

Posted by Josh Jamison | Posted on 2:48 PM

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Have you ever fell into the comparison trap?
I know I have, plenty of times and I think if we're all honest, we've all been there. Foolishly playing the "grass is greener" game between the person we see in the mirror and the people we see across the room.

I know for myself, there have been times when I have seen things my friends and peers are doing or that they are talented and gifted at and felt like what I have to offer and who I am didn't measure up.
Talk about a crappy feeling.

The sad truth is, too many of us allow that type of attitude and mindset to not only rob us of our joy, but ultimately rob us of our God-given potential.

Paul speaks to this issue in 1 Corinthians 12 when he writes about "One Body- Many Parts".
His paints the picture for us of the human body being made up of many different parts: Feet, ears, eyes, hands, etc.
None of these parts have been created to look the same because they all serve a different purpose, yet without each part, the body ceases to function the way it was designed.

The Body of Christ (the Church) needs each of us to simply be whom God has designed for us to be.
The Church needs you to be YOU!

I find great comfort even in the classic story of David.
In 1 Samuel 17 we find the tale of David and Goliath, but before David took the Battlefeild, King Saul offered for David to use his armor in battle.
As David put on Saul's armor, he found it to be uncomfortable and cumbersome to his movement.

I think the same thing happens to us when we try to put on the appearance of someone else.
We put ourselves into a mold that we were never created to look like and in doing so, we hamper the ability and progress we could be making by simply being ourselves.

Wherever you find yourself at this moment, take great comfort in the fact that God created and designed you just the way He wanted while you were still inside your mothers womb.
Giving you all the gifts, talents and qualities you would need to fulfill the mission he designed for you alone!

My good friend, Pastor Tyler Sollie, passed on a quote to me years ago from Pastor Jude Fouquier of The City Church. He said, "God's anointing is on the real you."

He's not asking you to be someone your not. He isn't asking you to look and function like another part of the body. He isn't even asking you to put on someone else's armor.
He is simply looking for you to be YOU. That is when He will unleash His full anointing on your life.

-Josh

Worship: more than the music

Posted by Josh Jamison | Posted on 10:10 AM

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The other night Pastor Tyler and I were involved in an interesting discussion with some of our students regarding the role of music in worship. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject:

I think one of the common misconceptions about worship is that we think of "worship" and "music" as interchangeable words, but in reality they are two separate things all together.
Worship is an amazingly broad expression. We hear the phrase thrown around that "worship is a lifestyle.", I would agree but I think the more accurate phrase would be "worship is your life".
It's not just a part of your life or something you do, it's everything you do. It's your speech, your thoughts, your actions: it's all worship to God. With that in mind, what does your worship look like?
Over the last 30 years music has changed dramatically and has played a huge role in the ever changing landscape of our culture. Worship music has also changed dramatically. Worship bands getting record deals, putting out DVD's, launching mega tours and ministries.
None of these things in themselves are wrong, they are great tools that we need, but they have become our definition of worship.


Music is an amazing expression. It moves people, stirs emotions and breaks down cultural barriers, but it is exactly that, an expression.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (New Living Translation) 

1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

 

The NIV uses the term "a form of godliness". Without a life that worships God, our expression of music and song becomes nothing more than a powerless form.


So in our pursuits of excellent music, worship teams, look & feel, let us not forget that these things, while important, are nothing more than an expression of what we need to be living out in every area of our lives.

I don't want my voice, my instrument, my expression to be a form that brings no true worship to my King. 
Let's live our worship with every word, every action, every thought and then bring some crazy, passionate and powerful expression to our song!


- Josh 

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