Saddleback Arts Conference Day 1

Wow! What’s not to say about this conference!? Great general sessions, meaningful and engaging worship, and well planned breakout groups have made the whole trip worth it. It probably doesn’t hurt that we’re in arguably the greatest city in the world when it comes to weather and temperature, but even that aside it is great to be here.

The day started with possibly the most challenging main session that I have ever been a part of. Rick Warren challenged us all in so many ways as things got started. I agree with a fellow blogger from the conference that if I get nothing else out of this conference, I will be changed. (That won't be an issue though, because there were many other portions of the day that "brought it") We followed the first main session up with an hour long worship session with Tim Hughes, author of a little known song titled, “Here I Am To Worship.”

During the lunch break, we had the opportunity to sit outside and listen to David Pack, who many of you might know from the 80’s with hits like, “Biggest Part of Me.” It was strange to see Henry (my senior pastor) standing up holding a lighter during the visit to the 80's portion of the concert, but I just smiled and realized that some day I will be the one standing up and holding a lighter while somebody sings, "Lord I Lift Your Name On High..." Oh glory!

We came back from lunch and ran up to our breakout sessions. I was able to attend two great breakouts on recruiting worship leaders and leading worship. Many challenges there to cross in time, and many different ideas to apply to my life. Very meaningful.

We broke for dinner and headed to Henry’s favorite Mexican restaurant here in the city for some seafood stew, and what a great find it was. I’m trying to convince him to go back tomorrow, but to many of you who know me, you know it’s never hard to get me to go to a mexican restaurant...

Following dinner, we headed back to the campus for a concert with Tommy Walker, Jonathan Butler, and the Saddleback High School worship team. Jonathan Butler was a great surprise in that I'd never been exposed to him while he worked in the Jazz circuit, but what a talent and worshipping heart. We've got to learn to sing a little like that in the church! I’ve also sung Tommy Walker songs for years now, and I was very excited to see him live, but the high school worship team stole the show. I was watching the worship being offered up from those young hearts and it touched me. It really gave me a better picture of what it is to have a childlike faith and being able to worship to the point of being undignified.

I’ve heard the song by the same title what seems like hundreds of times, but tonight it struck a chord. I could have stood there and watched that high school drummer worship all night. He was a great model for even the most seasoned veteran to experience. Sometimes we can get so used to what we do that we can almost dial it in on command, but he was in it for one reason only, the worship of Jesus. What a testimony while simply playing on the team.

How many of us can say that we’ve had that kind of impact on someone lately because of what we do on Saturday and Sunday? Is there a lesson for all of us that we can learn from a 16 year old about what it’s like to worship with abandon? I know I learned today from him, and I hope it’s contagious!