Thinking on These Things (ToTT)
Thinking on These Things is a worship ministry of Randy Vader, of PraiseGathering Publications.
Here's what Randy says about ToTT:
I am a lover of words and have long been fascinated by the rhythm and nuance of language. In ToTT my thoughts proceed from the principle that complexity need not be voluminous anymore than profound need be loud. (Now there is a quote with both language and musical overtones...pardon the multiple layers of puns.)
Thinking on These Things is updated whenever Randy has something to say. Please check back often.
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A Christmas Meditation – 2008
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
As we celebrate the wonder of the incarnation, let us consider one of the key words in the vocabulary of God’s love….that word is initiative.
God came to us for the express purpose of making a way for us to come to Him. Even though many do not receive Him or even recognize Him, He reaches to us - not only when we are at our best, but when we are at our worst - not because of our merit, but because of His mercy - not because we deserve Him, but because He desires us.
In the loving initiative of God’s plan, the Word of the Father became Mary’s little Son, and His love still reaches all the way to where we are.
His love went on longing;
and His love went on reaching
right past the shackles of my mind.
And the Word of the Father became Mary’s little Son,
and His love reached all the way to where I was.
- Bill and Gloria Gaither
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For the last 15 years I have enjoyed the creative freedom that comes from owning the company that publishes my music. There is a measure of security that comes from knowing that my publisher loves almost everything I write. However, the key word here is . . . write. I have found myself in a situation that I never find myself in. I missed several TOTT deadlines in the past few months. . . and I have been thinking about that on every other day of the week. I never miss deadlines. Lest you think that this is a misprint - let me say this again - I just do not miss deadlines. If the leader of the company misses deadlines, the signal that is sent through the whole organization is that deadlines are now guidelines.
All that being said, I think the lesson I have learned is - I need to think on a few less things and hopefully think with more focus and clarity. I appreciate Vern Sanders' open invitation to contribute articles when I have something to share. And I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to write and share your thoughts. I will still be preparing devotions on my website praisegathering.com every few weeks . . . would love to have you join us.
Blessings - Randy
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October 9, 2008 - I have been thinking about leadership a great deal lately. Leadership seems to be the quality that those who would serve us in the public arena want most for us to see in them. Leadership is more than the exercise of power – it is equally the exercise of restraint. Leadership is not the entitlement to the one who pushes or slanders everyone else out of the race.
A leader articulates the dream and urges everyone to accept some ownership in the dream. . . based on the merits of the dream . . . not the demerits of lesser dreams. A leader understands the priceless value of common courtesy and mutual respect.
I have been thinking about leadership a great deal lately. I am so thankful for a guidebook I went to early on in my career to help me be a better leader, a better co-worker, a better friend, and hopefully a better person. Here is an excerpt from this excellent resource for leadership.
Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:13-15
A leader understands the difference between compassion and weakness and is not intimidated by those who do not.
I have been thinking about leadership a great deal lately. I hope you have, too.
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September 26, 2008 - Perhaps sometime this week you might take the opportunity to turn down Brian, Katie, Charles, Wolf, John and Obama and listen to the Word of the Lord God Jehovah, Maker of Heaven and earth. His credentials are unfathomable, His riches unsearchable, His love unbounded, His grace unending, and His love endures forever.
Randy
Psalm 37
Excerpts
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust Him, and He will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for Him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those He curses will die.
23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
and He will never abandon the godly.
30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from His path.
34 Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along His path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
He is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in Him.
NLT
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September 17, 2008 - One of the things that writing THINKING ON THESE THINGS every Thursday has taught me . . . there is not always a direct correlation between having to say something –and having something to say.
The End
But then, this is an election year –
Thomas Jefferson would have called this truth
self-evident.
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September 10, 2008 - I sing because -
I have the SONG to share!
1 John 1:3
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Over the last two decades there has been a great change in the way our culture listens to music. What used to be a shared experience has become a vehicle for isolation. There are now millions of people attached to their own musical worlds by mp3s and tiny in ear phones that require no interaction with anything but their own preference and imagination. There are moments of communal experience such as concerts and parties and riding in cars with subwoofers more suited to stadiums than automobiles – but just look around you and notice how many people are plugged in and tuned out.
The one exception where music is still primarily a shared experience on a regular basis is in the church. We sing in many different styles, in many different settings, from many different cultural and personal predilections. From Cathedrals and Communes, Tabernacles and Temples, Home Churches and Huts, the SONG reverberates around this planet. And to the untrained ear the combined sound may seem a cacophony – but to those in tune with the Spirit-regardless of whether we embrace each others style or form – the combined music gives testimony to this eternal Truth. . . there is only one SONG.
We sing as the Body of Christ across the world because we have the SONG to share.
The SONG is the source of all music.
The SONG is the reason for music.
The SONG is the foundation of harmony.
The SONG is the only source for hope in this world.
The SONG is not dependant upon my favorite tempo.
The SONG is not dependant upon my preferred harmony.
The SONG is not dependant upon my preferred volume.
The SONG is not dependant upon my favorite accompaniment.
The SONG will survive my mastery and my mistakes.
The Song will be effective even in forms I can hardly put up with.
I will endeavor to bring my best to the Master and ask Him to bless and multiply my offering beyond my gifts just as He did with the loaves and fishes long ago.
I sing because I have the SONG to share. . . .Jesus, Messiah, Blessed Redeemer, Son of God.
Father, let us never forget that we are the singers – not the SONG. Teach us to live in the rhythm and harmony of Your grace and not keep the SONG to ourselves. Amen
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August 27, 2008 - Whenever I Feel Afraid
A few weeks ago I was visiting a church and the pastor mentioned in his sermon that those of us in Christ should have no concerns at all about the things of this world and should not be anxious about things like the tremendous upheaval in the economy. Now I understand the eternal perspective of this – but sometimes it is hard to not let people suspect I am afraid because my mouth is too dry to whistle a happy tune.
My question on this topic has always been this - if we were never supposed to be prone to worry, why did God give us so many verses of comfort and encouragement in His Word?
I know the point the pastor was trying to make – but for me – I not only had to deal with the anxiety I was already feeling – I had to deal with the guilt for even feeling that way. I really do want to set aside fear and indecision for trusting and obeying – for discovering what the Message calls “the unforced rhythms of grace”. I believe in the great Hope of the There and Then, but for the moment I am clinging to the promises of the here and now.
I have a feeling that there are those of you out there whose mouths might be too dry to whistle a happy tune everyday as well. So for the parched mouths and parched souls, here is a cup of cold water from none other than the Master -
"Come to Me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light."
Jesus
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August 20, 2008 - EVEN IN THE VALLEY
I lost a very close friend this past Sunday. Simeon Nix, Worship and Music Pastor at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, FL suffered a massive heart attack in the early hours of the morning. He was forty-seven and leaves behind his wife, Beth and 2 seven year old children, Bre'Ana and Sterling who they adopted from Russia five years ago.
Simeon and I shared a lot of things over the last fifteen years. He was a great singer and I produced a CD for him at the Gaither Studios a few years ago. He was a giant of a man with a voice to match. . .and he was a warrior of the Cross. I do not think I have ever met anyone more focused on the things of the Kingdom – and this is not posthumous hype – this would be the testimony of anyone who was ever close to him.
I am still in shock – but I know what is coming. Over the last several years I have lost five members of my immediate family. Losing Simeon is no less painful. What comes next is that season of grief that I do not welcome – but I do not deny. I have come to understand that my faith is not an anesthesia to the pain of life – it is, however, the great balm of hope.
I know there are many of you reading this who either are on this same kind of journey or are about to start this journey. From my experience of loss in these seasons of grief, I do know this to be true . . . even in the valley, God is good – His promises are sure – Jesus Christ in a life does make a difference – there is power and comfort in the prayers of the saints, and you can trust Him. I am so thankful that I finally learned that these were not clichés – they were promises that came to mean everything.
Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
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July 28, 2008 - The opposite of thanksgiving is not taking things for granted – the opposite of living a life of thanksgiving is living life with a sense of entitlement.
. . .in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18=============
July 15, 2008 - His Love Has No Limit
Thank you to those who contacted me last week when I used Psalm 46 for my TOTT. It seems there were a number of us that needed to hear that reassurance. This week I thought I would share one of my favorite poems that eventually became one of my favorite hymns. . .with a few more words of assurance from Hebrews 4. This is much more than poetry and prose to me . . .this is my story.
He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Annie J. Flint (1866-1932)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16
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July 10, 2008 - After listening to and reading the news day after day these past few weeks, I find it is more comforting to read than it is to comment . . .
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way
And the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy place where the Most High dwells. (Psalm 46:1-4)
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July 3, 2008 - To Tell the Truth
In the years that my children were still in high school and college I co-taught the college Sunday School class at our church with Bill and Gloria Gaither. We had students from freshmen all the way to graduate students in seminary. I loved them all – even the first year seminary students . . .and those of you who have taught will understand that at times it is a real stretch to love a first year seminary studentJ
Every year before Christmas break I would ask the class to fill out index cards with any questions they would like to discuss when we came back in January. They did not have to sign the cards and they could ask anything they wanted to. You can imagine the kind of questions that came in – everything from the gender of God to the unpardonable sin – to homosexuality – to knowing God’s will – to the inerrancy of Scripture and a dozen more.
I enjoyed the process and the challenge to pray over these questions and study and try to address them from a Scriptural context. The most difficult question I ever received was this . . .”What do you do when Christ has been a disappointment to you?” I remember sitting there both stunned and saddened. I set that question aside and came back to it later that night.
Here is the only answer I could come up with. If Christ has been a disappointment to you – you are the victim of false teaching. The Christ of the New Testament – the Incarnate Son of God is incapable of being a disappointment – that charge falls to us. As teachers and leaders we need to be sure that we are teaching Truth – not conjecture.
I have had many discussions with students over the years about learning to differentiate between success and fulfillment. They can coexist – but they are not synonymous. Success is a standard that is set by external observation and is as fleeting as the wind – fulfillment is internal and is anchored in something greater than the approval of others. Of the two – fulfillment is the greater – and fulfillment is the promise of following the Master. That may be as the chairman of a major corporation or as the teacher in the inner city or as the mayor of your town or as the volunteer at the local clinic. The great news is – you will have the desires of your heart.
I am always amazed that God would entrust the perfection of His story to the imperfection of His storytellers – but He does – and it should be imperative that we tell it right. Christianity is not an anesthesia to life – but it is indeed the open door to a fulfilling and eternal life.
Aren’t you just so glad you are a part of the family of God?!
1 Corinthians: 1-6
Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as Your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a]made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
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June 26, 2008 - Beginnings and endings tend to confuse me. More often than not they occupy the same space. Birth is the end of protection in the womb. Growing up is in direct proportion to leaving childhood behind. Graduation day is really New Beginning Day. Mortality is the beginning of Eternal Life. Beginnings are almost always preceded by endings. Many times we cannot recognize the difference and that can be frightening. I am not always aware of the beginning and the end - but I am thankful I serve a God who understands that confusion. He is present in both - He is with us each step of the way. He even told us this... remember... "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". Revelation 22:13
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June 19, 2008 - "The story of America's quest for freedom is inscribed on her history in the blood of her patriots."-Randy Vader
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June 12, 2008 - On Being a Dad
I love the joy of giving myself away to something greater than my own interests. I love the living metaphor of God’s family that I am a part of.
I love the fun of first choices. I love the gift of second chances.
I love the treasure of acceptance. I love the assurance of forgiveness.
I love taking care of those who look to me for help. I am learning to be helped by those I am used to taking care of.
I love the healing mercy brings. I love the mercy healing brings.
I love seeing the gentle nuance of my bride’s physical and spiritual presence in my children and grandchildren.
I love my family. And for reasons that humble me – that bring me to my knees before my Heavenly Father – that give me fulfillment that can only come from Him – they love me in return.
And so on the eve of this day for Father’s . . .
I cherish the memories of yesterday.
I embrace the wonder of today.
I rejoice in the promise of forever.
I love being a dad.
Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
The fruit of the womb His generous legacy?
Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!
Psalm 127:3-5
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June 5, 2008 - Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Timothy 4:2
I have often wondered why there are professional critics but not professional encouragers. Sometimes a critic will perform the function of an encourager – but the very name of the profession has a certain negative connotation to it. I wish there were such a thing as the “Encourager’s Corner”. . .that is the place I would choose to hang around.
Then of course let us not forget the cynic – which many confuse with a critic. This is a totally unfair criticism of a fair critic. A fair critic will give an assessment based on an attempted unbiased, informed observation. A cynic will observe only that which substantiates an already totally biased conclusion.
It has been my observation that cynicism is to criticism what childish is to child-like.
“A cynic is someone who found out at ten years of age that there wasn't any Santa Claus, and is still upset.”
James G. Cozzens
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May 29, 2008 - I wrote this a few years ago and although I have continued to face the day to day challenges that are part of a diabetic’s life – this marked a turning point in my perspective on living with diabetes and reassessing my personal responsibilities as an apologist of the FAITH. I have received numerous comments from those who share both the physical and spiritual struggles addressed here. Hope this encourages you.
I have endured an ongoing battle with diabetes for the last 7 years. When everything is going well, I forget about it. When everything is going bad, I am consumed by it. On my last visit to my doctor, things were not going well. I told him how I probably didn’t use the best judgment here and there, on this and that . . . .he stopped me in mid-sentence and said, “Randy, I don’t need you to confess, I need you to conform”. Wow! The parallel to my spiritual life was quite obvious. Why confess if I do not intend to conform? Why profess if I am not willing to perform? Why impress if I am not committed to inform? Sooner or later, regardless of my Theological inclinations, there needs to be a connection between my belief and my behavior.
Confess – conform; let the forgiveness of God change your heart. Profess – perform; let the actions of your life be in alignment with the proclamation of your faith. Impress – inform; the great prerequisite of an apologist of the faith is not the technique with which they communicate, it is having something to say that is worth hearing. Aren’t you thankful there is something worth hearing and doing and following?
22Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25
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May 22, 2008 - In the last few years I have been increasingly drawn into conversations about the exclusivity of the Christian faith. I am always willing to enter these discussions – and willing to state what I believe the Scriptures teach. This is part of a discussion between Jesus and His disciples on the eve of Calvary . . .
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. 2In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we don't know where You are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14
It is important to note that Jesus did not say that He “knew the way”, that He could “show us the way”, that He could “point the way”, He said that HE WAS THE WAY . . . THE ONLY WAY.
I believe that ultimately justice and mercy are in the mind and heart of an Almighty, Loving God.
And so I trust and obey -
Randy Vader has enjoyed a brilliant and distinguished career as a writer, composer and speaker. Randy, and his wife Carol, are the owners and senior executives of PraiseGathering Music Group, one of the most respected and influential publishing companies in Christian music. Mr. Vader has been a part of the Gaither Music family for over two decades and oversees the development and publishing of choral works for PraiseGathering Music Group and Gaither Music Company. He is a Dove Award winning producer and with his associate Jay Rouse, has composed over three hundred songs and anthems and over thirty major musicals that have consistently appeared on the best seller lists. He remains one of the most sought after clinicians and speakers in the nation. The Vaders reside in Anderson, Indiana. Randy can be reached by clicking here.