My first GIVEAWAY!
I’m so excited! You’ll see the giveaway items and more details at the end of the
post. Random computer generator
will pick the winner – one entry for SUBSCRIBING to this blog (see right column
for signup), one for leaving a COMMENT, and one for sharing on FACEBOOK. So, you can enter up to THREE
times!
As long as I can remember, I’ve loved throwing parties.
My parents’ door certainly was swingin’ with kids from youth
group, New Year’s Eve parties, random ol’ friends dropping in, bonfires, and birthday “slumber”
(a.k.a. staying up all night) parties of 20 kids or more (praise the Lord for
my fun-loving parents... more on them and the adventures they took us on HERE) among other events. Even as I write this, my own 5-year-old McBaby #1 is
upstairs taping streamers to her walls and ribbons across her closet. She plans a party nearly nightly for
dinnertime. Everyone has a gift
awaiting as each person prepares to take a seat at the supper table and sees handmade
bracelets or necklaces she’s crocheted, pictures she’s drawn, designs she’s
beaded and glued, and love letters she’s written. With surprising assertion good management skills, she makes her
demands loving requests and tells everyone where to sit and when to talk.
(Above pic of McBaby #1... my kids are with me in the kitchen constantly... more on that HERE.)
In between my parents and my daughter, of course, there I am. (Lovable, huggable, me… as Elmo would
say, right??…) I don’t know that I could even begin to count the number of baby showers,
baby sprinkles, bridal showers, bachelorette nights, birthday parties,
half-birthday parties, Pampered Chef-Arbonne-Thirty-One parties, welcome-home
parties, going-away parties, tea parties, parties because it’s snowing, parties
because it’s sunny, parties because someone is getting
baptized/sprinkled/Christened/dedicated, or just-because parties that I’ve
hosted. (I know somewhere around
halfway through that list, many of you would say “just-because” parties kind of
covered the titles I gave the rest.)
The apple does not fall far from the tree.
(Above pic from "The Giving Tree" themed baby shower.)
And, nine times out of ten, I like to do it the “right” way:
get out the china (that’s what it’s for, after all), real napkins, ball jars
full of lemonade and sweet tea, from-scratch-everything, etc.
(Above pic from "Hello Kitty"-themed bday party... or at least our vintage-inspired-non-boxed version of it.)
So, perhaps it’s natural that I have begun to think of
worship leading in these terms.
Someone recently asked me what I feel the role of the worship leader is
versus the role of the worshipper.
It suddenly dawned on me - a new perspective. It feels that my role is to help God host a dinner party. It’s His house, it’s His guest list; I’m simply the hostess
for the evening. My role is to
help create an environment where no one is confused about what fork to use or
when to use it. No one wonders if
they’ve taken the right amount of food – they are ensured that the feast is
plentiful and satisfying. Everyone
has someone to help refill his or her cup. No one questions if he's truly welcome, but is assured by his individual, customized invitation to the
community - his rightful place.
This table is a place of freedom, of candor. This is a place of safety and ease. This is a place of rest and of
renewal. This is a place to both
toast wine glasses and cry over beers.
It has been and continues to be my immense honor and joy to serve various places in this capacity; to cry around the table with folks - some of whom I've only met hours prior;
to help encourage and be encouraged; to share about our bright spaces, dark
places, and, even, blind spots; to remind that nothing is too small or too big to bring up in the conversations.
Friends, cheers!
(The above pic is from McBaby #1 & McBaby #2 joint "Tangled" bday party. See post HERE.)
Being that today is a post about worship leading and I am, in fact, a worship leader myself, I am going to make this first giveaway a bundle of all of my projects and a shirt. Not a huge surprise there, eh?? That’s 4 CDs, a live DVD, and a "Sarah t-shirt" bundle for you or as a gift for someone! Thanks so much for reading/posting/sharing!
(Ends Friday, May 3 @11:59 pm.)
Great blog Sarah,
ReplyDeleteLook forward to the next entry
Thanks Jeff! Thanks for commenting. :)
DeleteGod bless you and your ministry, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! Appreciate you reading along!
DeleteSarah, thanks for the visuals, through your words, I imaged a table full of fun and laughter...I can't wait to sketch it!
ReplyDeleteKim, that's awesome!! I hope I can be privileged to see it!!
DeleteHey how did I not know you blog? Love it!!! I've obviously seen/heard your creative side in the music realm but look at those mad Martha Stewart skills and amazing parties!! Wow....you just got uninvited to any of my parties....I would end up just mortified!
ReplyDeleteLOL! It's just one glimpse into a whole party... anybody can make something good at the right angle, right? ;) Thanks for reading and posting!!
DeleteAs someone who considers hospitality to be pretty far down on my list of spiritual gifts, I am extra impressed with you. Love it!
ReplyDeleteOh, well don't be too impressed... a few pics can make anyone look great, right? It's all just a metaphor! :0 Thanks for reading and commenting!
Deletelove how you connected worship leading to hosting a meal. what a beautiful metaphor
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew! Thanks for reading too. :)
DeleteYou're so creative!
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! Hope you're doing well!
DeleteElmo has always been a big hit in our home, love the cupcakes!!
ReplyDeleteCan't live without him, can't shoot him!! :)
DeleteI love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
DeleteSarah, God has gifted you in so many ways! Thank you for sharing your written words here as well as sharing your music.
ReplyDeleteThank you sooo much Tasha! Thanks for reading and writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Appreciate you reading! :)
ReplyDeleteOk... My first try... Wish I would've given you all a specific question to which to respond on comments, but thanks for the kind words!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! Love the blog. You are just too crafty cute!
ReplyDeleteHey Julia! Thanks for reading and for the comment! In my book, every occasion is a big one, I guess. :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! I love the way you share your heart in your writing and in your music. Thanks for being willing and brave enough to do so. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Rachael for your sweet words!
DeleteYou are the WINNER! Thanks for reading and commenting! Would you drop me a line (via FB would be ideal) and let me know what size shirt you'd like? Thanks!!!
DeleteYour post makes me want to throw more parties and have more dinners...and to try to remember this analogy as I worship. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate compliment then! Thanks for reading!!
DeleteThank you ALL for reading, commenting, sharing, etc.! Congrats to Rachael K. who was randomly selected (through random.org computer generator) as the winner!!!
ReplyDeleteJust a stranger looking on Pinterst to be inspired to dream again..starting with the idea of shelving for my tiny kitchen. Saw your blog photo of the wall with a long counter and shelves above it and fell in love! I tried to move on but had to look again and saw the setup on that side of the kitchen as far as the wall, door, dishwasher, was so much like mine that I knew this was a call to not just wish and dream but to really imagine making my kitchen space I love. That led me to your blog or I found this post about God throwing a dinner party. There are truly no words yet, but I had to at least honor, for myself and for you, how God used your post to reach out to a dry, barren, God created part of me, whispered His love, began to revalidate, remind and stir up parts of me long burried and now even painful, kind of scary to even try to recall, passions, desires, ideas....ways He created me to reach out to my family and others, to celebrate and encourage them and life. This little window I had while my son slept next to me was powerful and touched my spirit and soul. Thank you for being obedient to begin this blig whenever you did, to write this post, share your thoughts and journey. I thought I was peeking aroubd at some shelving ideas for fun but God had an appointment set for me, way back when you first created this. I wanted to share that so you would have a tiny taste of how BIG God can make the tiniest of your steps. Thank you stranger.
ReplyDelete