2006 July archive at isaac downing

Archive for July, 2006

15JulNew Links Page.

I decided that I don’t like having links on my main page. Too much stuff gets on there because there are a thousand blogs available and yadda yadda yadda… and after a while it just begins to looks like.. well… you know…

So, when I jumped from TypePad to the WordPress bandwagon, I left all of the links off of the sidebar with the exception of the two for Twelve Oaks. But since I read quite a few blogs and like to pass on the goodness when it comes my way, I decided to add a links page to the sidebar. If you click on it, you will be taken you to the list of “Saints and Sinners” known as my blogroll.

I just listed some of my favorites, but if you think you should have been mentioned but I left you off… send me a note, and I’ll see what I can do.

in Weblogs. 2 Comments

13JulInspiration.

I’m typing with paint on my fingers and a canvas drying behind me. I just feel alive with passion. Like this is what I was born to do: create. paint. draw. design.

I love it.

Some inspiration fell my way today in these places:

www.ideasonideas.com
www.cahanassociates.com
www.flowerdust.net
www.noisydecentgraphics.com
www.loslogos.org
www.frederiksamuel.com/blog

Now I have to redesign this page again… because I can.

in Art & Design. 2 Comments

12JulHeroes.

A lot of thought has been given to this topic the past couple days. And I’ve come up with a few that I look up to quite a bit, either by watching them and learning from them personally, or from a distance…

1. Dad/Ken Downing. I have a great relationship with my Dad, and can’t believe what an idiot I was growing up and how I could possibly have gotten away with my attitude. If I was my older brother, I would’ve beat my tail. Not to say that Dad didn’t beat my tail, but I would’ve broken it in half. But all around incredible guy, extremely hard worker, dedicated husband, father and provider, and a spiritual leader by example. He walks the walk.

2. Wife/Rachel. I married an incredible woman. I don’t know how I pulled it off, but somehow I managed to end up with a brilliant, strong, intelligent and insightful woman with a level head and kind heart. Oh yeah, did I mention she’s a knock out? Yeah, there’s that too. Some very nice icing on the cake, that’s all I gotta say about that. Yay, God, for giving me this miracle of a great marriage. Every day she inspires me to do big things (work harder at work) and little things (mow the yard or do the dishes). And y’know what? I love to do those things! Because I feel like I am loving her by doing them, and that makes me lover her even more.

3. Rich Mullins. I truly count Rich Mullins as my initial inspiration for wanting to lead worship. I remember seeing a video of his, and watching the end credits. It was a clip of him playing guitar by an open fire, with native Africans singing along. I realized in that moment what worship really is. It isn’t the notoriety. It isn’t the flashy stage antics. It isn’t even a rockin’ team, even though those things can be fun. But as I look back at my personal times of worship, a few stand out:

Playing and singing by myself on a hillside in Russia.
Singing by the campfire on the beach in Los Angeles.
Leading youth group worship in the basement at our church with just an acoustic and me.
Seeing the way Rich Mullins can worship the Lord through the lyrics of his songs, how he can receive so much praise and not live an extravagant life, how he can remain so humble… that’s a radical thing.

4. Paul Baloche. If there is anyone deserving of recognition while receiving none, it would be Paul Baloche. He’s written several hundred songs, of which, many appear on CCLI’s website for churches. His songs are Grammy-nominated, they’ve been sung by everyone from Sonic Flood and Smitty to Randy Travis. But he doesn’t even put his name as the domain for his website. (www.leadworship.com) He dedicates the entire site to helping empower other worship leaders. It’s hard to find people that are so dedicated to worshiping God and helping other people experience God in a new, fresh way.

So, those are a few of the heroes in my life. They aren’t the ONLY heroes, by any means, but they are the ones on my mind right now.

in Friends, Marriage and Worship. 1 Comment

07Julfour stroke.

Tomorrow morning I get it back from the shop where it has been sitting for much too long. It isn’t the most attractive piece of equipment today, but after some cleaning, polishing and good ol’ fashioned TLC, I’ll be riding next to the big guns in no time.

Honda v45 Magna

And by “good ol’ fashioned TLC,” I mean, replace the gas tank, seat and clean the carb’s. So, it might be a couple weeks before I ride with the big guns.

in My Life. 2 Comments

07JulGod/Culture.

Is it one or the other?

Part of me, actually the majority of me, wants to lean toward the modern church movement. The emergent’s. The relevant’s. the hippie’s. The house churches. The McLaren’s…and I want to see my church, Twelve Oaks, develop into something like that. I want to see people get excited to come to church and to worship and fellowship. A place where the music is energetic, the message is engaging and entertaining, and the coffee is fresh… and it’s just so much more fun than traditional stiff-collared types.

But there’s also a part of me, which at times also seems like a majority, that wants to lean toward the traditional teaching of people like John Piper, Ravi Zacharias and Alistair Begg. Teaching that searches the scriptures for deeper truth and meaning. I can’t listen to their messages and NOT be moved to a place of being very uncomfortable. I don’t mean uncomfortable as in a legalistic, guilt-ridden path of forced action, but as an inspiration to follow and pursue Christ’s teachings out of love and authentic joy.

Why does there have to be a one-or-the-other mindset at all? Why can’t we mix this sort of teaching and doctrine with the music that people get excited to hear/sing? Rick Warren said that he didn’t have his church make music with organs and choirs at Saddleback because that “wasn’t what people were listening to on their car radio.” I’m not a pastor, I’m a worship leader (and a volunteer one at that). But it doesn’t take a seminary educated church leader to see where people are truly worshipping God and where they aren’t. And where God’s Word is having an impact through teaching… and where it’s not.

in Christianity, Culture, Marriage, Twelve Oaks and Worship. 1 Comment