The one where I walk around and talk to Mormons

Tonight I find myself in Salt Lake City, Utah. Also known in some corners as the world headquarters for the Mormon (LDS) Church. In all, I figure I spent almost three hours in and around Temple Square. How could I spend three hours in Mormon Mecca? I talked to missionaries.

I arrived at the South visitors center and looked around at some exhibits regarding the building of the temple. They have some neat technological stuff to play around with as well as five foot high model of the temple. I wandered around towards the opposite entrance where I met Sister Hardy. I asked about tours. She said "sure we can give you a tour." I was expecting a tour group. What I got was a personalized tour with Sisters Johnson and Bateman showing me around the square. It was raining and so we took umbrellas out and started the tour. We visited a few different buildings having some good conversations about various topics of faith. We got to the end of the tour and they asked me if I wanted to fill out a card to have a missionary come and visit me. I'm pretty sure they would have "saved me" on the spot if I hadn't shared with them my skepticism.

I made it a point to love on these women. I sang them songs. Literally. I sang a song we used to do in worship adventure at West Shore about the fruits of the spirit, as well as an old southern gospel tune ("He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today...."). We parted ways, but not before we got our picture taken and I gave them some candy. They allowed me to keep the umbrella with the assurance that I would drop it off at the visitors center on my way out. So we part ways and I wander out in the square with my "Temple Square" umbrella, taking photos. I get looks from other missionaries as I wander about with a tour guide umbrella, but no tour guide. I honestly believe that holding that umbrella allowed me to love on four other missionaries while I was there. It was fantastic!

I do have to admit that it's rather jolting to sing "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where?" and have blank stares looking back at me. That really brought it home for me. These missionaries had never heard the songs that I was singing to them. And that made me a little sad. But also glad that I was able to share with them and give them something to hopefully think about. And I'm praying for them as well, and I told them as such.

My trip out here has been great. I hardly saw anything, but I got to love on people. And that was worth it.

two things to bounce around in your head

1. I've been thinking about those miners in Chile and how it seemed like the whole world was glued to their televisions and radios as the rescue reached it's conclusion. I'll let you draw your own spiritual analogies there. What first came to my mind was children in poverty and how there are organizations like Forgotten Voices and Compassion who lift these children out of poverty and set them on more stable ground. I am thankful for the rescue services they provide.

2. Applause during a church service's worship set. I've recently started attending a church where they give applause after each song. I'm having a hard time with that. I honestly don't feel the need to clap after every song. I understand giving God praise, but isn't that what we're doing in worship? I don't clap. And I don't know if God appreciates our applause when there's an insincere heart behind the claps.

I think that part of my concern lies in the fact that having been a worship leader, it can be easy to feel like the congregation is giving it's applause to you for that awesome guitar solo or those killer vocal chops. And more often than not, that applause comes across as polite golf applause. If you're gonna praise with your applause, you need to bring the thunder with your applause. And shouting may also be appropriate. I'm just sayin'...

More on Catalyst

As my friend Annie has succinctly stated, it has been a while since I've posted. And I have to admit, I'm still somewhat undecided as to whether I want to continue this thing, or start a new thing. I've been musing about the possibility of doing a podcast, because I can talk on a podcast while doing other things. Not that that is going to make for a great podcast, but it seems like it's easier to talk than it is to write. So we'll see about that.

But I wanted to talk about this conference and what I got out of it. There was lots of great insight shared by various speakers and I found a suprisingly large amount applicable to me as a business leader. Here are a few of the notes I made:

Three things about appetites (courtesy of Andy Stanley):
1. God created appetite and sin distorted it.
2. Appetites are never fully or finally satisfied.
3. Appetites always whisper now, never later.

Christine Caine talked about the danger the Church faces when they stop being the Church and start doing Church.

Beth Moore talked about how our culture preys on insecurity. We live in a world that instantly scrutinizes everything.

I can't quite articulate what Francis Chan said, but it was along the lines of paying more attention to Scripture as it relates to how we should be living our lives. Trends come and go, but His Word remains true.

Perry Noble asked the question: "Why do we run from situations that God reigns over?"

This is just a fraction of what was shared at the conference. And I don't know that I've articulated well what was actually said. Suffice to say, there was so much meat being served up, it was like a Brazilian steakhouse. Good stuff.

Catalyst

I have been blessed to be able to attend the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA. Today I sat under the teaching of leaders like Andy Stanley, Beth Moore, and Francis Chan. It has been truly awesome. And the worship has been great.

Pray for Francis. He and his family are packing up and heading overseas. Where, he's not 100% certain, but it's somewhere in Asia. He's sold his house and doesn't know when/if he'll be back. He's steppin' out in faith, because he feels that that's where God is sending him. So please pray for him.

And while you're at it, pray for your church leaders. I witnessed a large number of pastors tonight who were hurting and it just renewed my interest in praying for church leaders. We need to have their backs!

Finally, I'm on Twitter. Here. I don't recall if I mentioned that in the past. It's been so long since I last blogged...