FROM THE ROAD #1

Here is a video blog from the road this weekend after a concert I played in San Antonio, TX. It is from me and my best friend/road manager Allen.

NWLC: DAY 4

You are God of forever and ever, amen
The Alpha, Omega
Beginning and end
We sing Hallelujah
We worship in awe
Immortal, invisible God

This song, as yet untitled, was written by Laura Story, who pastored part of tonight's worship, and Ed Cash. This top picture is Laura leading worship tonight (Thursday). She wrote Indescribable, which was made popular by Chris Tomlin.

One of the things that I loved about this conference was that the people who led the services, were not the 'rock stars' who made the songs famous. Instead they are the people who wrote the songs for use with their congregations. They don't have record deals, they don't want to be famous rock stars. They are simply worship pastors at heart. And these were the men and women who pastored our worship this week. It has been wonderful.

This afternoon Francis Chan preached; he's a pastor in Simi Valley, California. He asked some serious questions. Like, if we love our neighbors as much as ourselves, why don't we spend as much money on them as we do ourselves? If we really believe Jesus is starving (cf. Matthew 25), then why aren't we doing anything right now to feed him?

So convicting. So true. It reminded me that we can actually make a different - and that we are not asked to, we are commanded to.

I've learned so much about worship this week - about who God is, and who I am. I am a different person, because I had an encounter with the Holy.

God is great and He will be praised by all creation. He doesn't and won't beg for our worship. He doesn't need us to worship Him. He doesn't need us to make His name great or known. That will happen anyways. He will be worshiped regardless.

Instead, it is us who should be begging to worship.

NWLC: DAY 3

Today (Wednesday) was another day of worship - true worship. I went to a seminar this morning on burnout. Shaun "Puffy" Groves taught it. I got a nifty picture of me and Groves - will post later. He raised some serious issues about how we treat ourselves and our bodies - and how it all contributes to our health, physical and spiritual. Sometimes we need to be reminded of such things. Thanks, Shaun.

Dr. Marva Dawn preached this afternoon. She kicked some serious _____. No joke. She preached on authentic worship. And how we must be authentic to who God is in our worship. We must lament the state of the world, we must act on our prayers, such as "Thy kingdom come..." In other words, we must act on that and do everything we can to bring about God's kingdom. It was a very convicting sermon. We must feed the hungry and understand our worship as a part of our place in a larger picture of God's creation - all of which calls our to praise His name.

Matt Maher pastored this afternoon's worship. He wrote Your Grace is Enough, among many other songs. He's a worship pastor in Arizona. Big Daddy Weave pastored this evening's worship. God really spoke to me. And I'm dealing with some serious stuff.

It's amazing what we can hear from God when we finally shut up long enough to listen.

NWLC: DAY 2

Let the worshippers arise.

Phillips, Craig, and Dean pastored most of tonight's worship service. They closed with 'Let the Worshippers Arise." It was gorgeous. The vocals from the congregation (all worship leaders) was phenomenal. People harmonizing - perfectly - off the fly. Simply gorgeous.

Ana Laura also sang. I GOT AN AUTOGRAPH!! WOOT! WOOT!!

Today's conference was amazing. I went to a seminar this morning on arranging music for a volunteer worship teams (i.e., not paid professional musicians). Mark Townsend talked about how to best accomplish a good sound. Having a quality worship team beats having a quantity of people on stage with instruments. Music should add to and enhance the worship experience, not be a distraction. We, as communities, should offer our best - musically and otherwise, for worship. We owe it to our king.

This afternoon, I attended a class on songwriting taught by Paul Baloche (writer of Above All, Hosanna, Open the Eyes of My Heart, and Your Name - to name of few). (That's a picture of Paul teaching today at the top of this post). It was amazing. Paul is a great guy with a hilarious sense of humor; he's very personable. It was a lot of fun. He talked about writing worship songs by not trying to write 'hits,' but instead, by simply singing our prayers to God.

On another note, I will be speaking on worship this weekend in San Antonio, TX and leading a bit there, so I'm using this week to prepare spiritually for that. I'm excited to finish seeing what God has begun to show me this week.

NWLC: DAY 1

Day 1 at the National Worship Leader Conference began with me getting a parking citation on the University of Texas campus. I've already got enough issues with UT, and now there's a dang longhorn on my parking citation!

Anyways, I finally found Riverbend Church, where the conference is being held. Tonight's worship was incredible. It was led by the folks who write the worship songs we sing, like Paul Baloche. Amazing.

Voices of fellow lead worshippers lifting up the name of God. Amazingly beautiful.

More tomorrow. God will work; I know it. I can't wait to see and to experience Him again tomorrow.

Amen and amen.

WHERE I'LL BE ALL WEEK

I'll post regularly all week, finally. I've got free wi-fi in my hotel. Yay.

THIS is why Shaun's my hero!

CLICK HERE if you're late to the party.

FATHER'S DAY

My dad is one of the most dedicated men I know. He has worked so hard to support us, growing up. Today I drove down to Temple, TX, where my dad pastors a church and we had dinner.

We talked about what any two 'Reverends' would talk about - bridging the generational gap between teenager and middle-aged adults in Southern Baptist Churches. Sounds like a fun discussion, huh? (jk)...

Many kids want to be just like their dad when they grow up, especially boys. I wonder if my dad ever thought I'd one day be "Reverend Cruz," just like him... I sure didn't.

Anyways, here's to you pops. I love you.

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

BEASTLY QUOTE

"Here are forty thousand men gathered together on this plain. What are they going to do? See, there are thirty or forty thousand more at a little distance. And these are going to shoot them through the head or body, to stab them, or split their skulls, and send most of their souls into everlasting fire, as fast as they possibly can. Why so? What harm have they done to them? O none at all! They do not so much as know them. But at man, who is King of France, has a quarrel with another man, who is King of England. So these Frenchmen are to kill as many of these Englishmen as they can, to prove the King of France is in the right. Now, what an argument is this! What a method of proof! What an amazing way of deciding controversies!"

-John Wesley