Not Prepared for This.....

Well here I sit, 4 months down the road, my journey of changes, and not one bit clearer about what happened to Healing Flow, the music, the band, the church, and Frances and myself.  Never before in our lives.....literally, have we been in such a predicament.  We have always known not only where we were to fellowship as a church, but also what the Lord was calling us to do.  Now we are dealing with the ultimate elephant in the room, are we getting too old for this.

Contemporary Praise and Worship is a fast evolving genre of music and churches that worship in this style are evolving rapidly as well.  The "new" church is relevant in style and worship and the music we love is central to that end.  Here's the rub (as Shakespeare would say).   The worship leaders in this kind of church look like the fisherman on the left, my son Daniel, who is an immensely talented and anointed young musician and not like the old guy on the right, who though he is a gifted musician and a heck of a fisherman is way down the road age wise for what he loves to do.

God put a call on my life in 1979, and has taken me all over the country to minister to all kinds of people.  We have never had to go looking for our next place of ministry.  It has always come looking for us.  We have served many great churches and Pastors and have met thousands of the Lord's Saints in churches, tent meetings, festivals, schools, parks and homes and have loved almost every minute of it.   We're just not prepared to go quietly into that good night.

Pray for us. Our greatest joy has been making music with my family.  Pray that the Lord would speak clearly what His plan for us might be.

May His Peace be on you this Christmas season.  We love you.

Jack and Frances

Changes

Transitions are always a challenge.  Why is it we are so quick to rebel against change?  Change takes us out of our comfort zone.  Change usually happens in the valley instead of on the mountain top.  Change often causes us to say goodbye to people we care deeply for and to fellowship with people we just don't know.  Change is hard.

Healing Flow is in a season of change.  This is not something we were looking for at this time, nor is it something we particularly enjoy....but here we are.  This is more than a Praise Band,  more than a Contemporary Christian Band, this is a family of people who share joys and sorrows, mountain tops and valleys, good times and not so good times, but most of all we have shared the life changing Presence of the Lord.  We have a motto, "Worship that takes you somewhere".  This is the most important part of our music, and when we miss this, we have missed the point.

Walk on Water World Outreach Church has been a huge part of our lives for many years.  The people of Walk on Water are near and dear to all of us, and the last thing we would want to do is hurt them.  Pastors Perry and Angie Burgess can take a lot of credit for how our music has developed and we will always love them for that.  They will always have an important place in our heart.

That being said, please pray for us as we continue on this Journey.

in the flow,

Jack

Pushing back against the naysayers.....

I'm pushing back against the naysayers.  Yes, you heard me.   Those that might denigrate

the music I do, Contemporary Praise and Worship.  First of all, I have every right and may I say responsibility to be a musical snob, a Bachelors Degree in Music and a Masters Degree in Music Education from The University of Georgia, 30 years experience as a music educator, 5 years experience as a Music rep with a large school music dealer, Performance experiences ranging from Symphony Orchestras to Jazz Bands and everywhere in between,  and 35 years in Ministry, from evangelism to Youth Pastor to Choir Director, to Worship Leader.

That being said

The greatest satisfaction I get is from making music with my Healing Flow band, and leading worship at Walk on Water Church.  There is more energy, more creativity, more influence in what we do than anything this world has to offer.  I'm not saying it's everyone's cup of tea, and if you love your hymn book more than life itself, or insist on legit music at your place of worship, have at it.  But don't put down what we do as uber repetitive, lower class, or "devil music".  

What is the purpose of Worship, anyway?  To point us to Him, right?  I know some of the music that Christian bands put out don't always choose the best styles or lyrics, but I do hope they have the best of intentions.  But after all, doesn't it beat some of the junk that is out there on secular radio?

I know it seems funny to some that at my age I prefer Jesus Culture to Gaithers but it is because hearing Anointed Contemporary Christian music changed my life back in 1978 and I hope in some way I can help someone else someday.

In the flow, 

Jack