I remember a couple of years ago at PWI, the LORD really spoke to me about trusting the people of God to be the people of God. It is hard when you have been hurt or let down by believers (which we all have) to really trust God’s people to be who they are in Him. But, if I am not careful, I tend to put all the responsibility on myself, like I have to be the eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands, kidneys, and elbows all at the same time. That is not right or healthy. I can think of so many times when I have sat back and watched the people of God at PWI minister to one another, and it is beautiful!

Now it’s your turn… What’s something God has taught you, or done in your life at PWI??

• A mentor is going to be someone who “gets” you; someone who knows what makes you tick. You just click.

• While a mentor should be someone you respect and look up to, he/she should NOT be someone who agrees with everything you say. You must be willing to be challenged in different areas of your life. (Sometimes these areas have nothing to do with the original purpose of your mentoring relationship.)

• A mentor is someone who is farther down the road than you are. Usually this means older, but not always. Maturity … strength of character …. more life experiences are all key elements.

• A mentor is probably going to be someone outside of your family. Family voices become too familiar and blend in with the other familiar voices in our lives. A mentor’s words should hit you like a brisk breeze on a warm and comfortable day, waking you up to a new way of thinking.

• A mentor must be someone you can trust. The relationship should be sacred and safe.

Notes from one mentor to another:

• Be willing to be “inconvenienced”. It takes time and energy. And depending on the age of your mentees, it may take more text messages on your phone and more facebook time than you are used to!

• Be willing to truly listen. Most of the conversations I have with mentees have very little to do with songwriting. It is usually the “life” stuff that trips them up and makes them question. Hearing what is behind the words that are being said will open up the doors to effective communication.

• Be willing to invest. Much of my mentoring is done long-distance. While my words have a measure of weight, I know that my presence makes a huge difference. So occasionally, I make a trek to be face-to-face.

• Be willing to admit your short-comings. Perfect people cannot mentor effectively. It is our failures and our messes that brought us the greatest lessons. Without them, we would have nothing to share. Be real. Allow yourself to need forgiveness.

It is my hope that you will be open to the idea of mentoring and/or being mentored. If God presents the opportunity, I would encourage you to take hold and enjoy the ride. Mentoring has definitely changed my life!

At PWI, I sang in Swahilli, took a basic dance class, led a worship team, helped paint during a group project, learned some jazz chords and wrote a song . . . but the “Colab” project may have been the most stretching. It was also the most rewarding.

In the “Colab” project, the PWI students were split into groups of three or four and given about an hour to complete a special assignment. As our group gathered together and began to brainstorm our assignment, it became evident that this was no ordinary project . . .  and no ordinary group.

Meet my “Colab group”:

Katie –  talented visual artist. She could often be found painting, and it was a privilege to look through her sketch book.

Jay –  dedicated musician, particularly passionate about electric guitar

Chelsea –  dancer who uses her dynamic talent and personality to lead people in worship through dance

Mariah (me)  – worship leader and language lover, most comfortable singing and playing guitar

Our assignment was to lead people in worship using the track to “Our God” by Israel Houghton. We had one hour to complete our project, and everyone had to be involved. As Jay plugged his guitar in, Katie gathered her materials, Chelsea started thinking through some dance moves and,  I went to find Karen to help me with my part of the project ( American Sign Language) my thought was,

“I don’t know anything about dance, or really anything about painting . . . and I don’t play the electric guitar. . .  and I just learned ASL!  How am I going to manage this project?“ As we spent time listening to the song  and ideas began to develop, I saw that we were unified not by our common giftings but by a common goal . . . to lead people in worship using “Our God”  by Israel Houghton.

When we got onstage to share our piece, I had some idea what Katie was going to paint, and I knew that Chelsea would freestyle. I knew Jay would play on the interlude and that I should start ASL on the first chorus. I knew my part exactly . . .  but did I know exactly what Katie was going to paint and the exact steps Chelsea would do?

No,  but I could trust them and the giftings God had given them. Have a look at what happened. I am glad someone had their camera!

In the human body, all the parts are very different. The foot cannot do the eyes’ job no matter how hard it tries. It doesn’t need to! As each part of the body functions differently, life results. The diversity in the body of Christ is freeing. It challenges us to trust other peoples strengths and to be content with our role. When we are unified toward a common goal for Jesus Christ . . . the result is so much more than we could accomplish on our own.

When I was a kid, I used to love to watch Wimbledon. Every minute that I could during those two weeks of the summer, I would watch tennis. My favorite players back then were Andre Aggassi and Chris Evert Lloyd. (That clues you in on how old I am…) But, not only did I watch tennis, but I was inspired to play tennis just by watching those greats. And so I did… I would watch for a couple hours. Then, after the match was over, I would grab my racket and go outside and hit the tennis ball against the wall on the back porch for hours. I couldn’t just watch…I had to do something!

That’s the way I feel each year at PWI. Every summer, for a whole month, God-worshiping creatives from all over come together at our Proskuneo Worship Institute. They learn their craft. They worship. They write new songs, paint new paintings, choreograph new dances. And it is inspiring. I can’t help but be more creative when I am around them! Last year, though it was by far the most busy month of my year, I ended up writing 5 songs during PWI, and starting a few more. (And some of the songs I wrote during that month are on my top 10 list of favorites I have ever written!) Normally, when I am busy, songwriting is the first thing to go. I can’t explain what happened last summer any other way than to say: Being around other creatives inspires my own creativity. I love it!

Come join our PWI family this summer, and be inspired. Find out more at: www.thepwi.info

We are excited to announce the launch of PWI 2012! Check out our brand-new, hot-off-the-presses promo video with testimonies from last year’s students:

We are also excited to announce that PWI2012 has a new director! Becky Thurman, who has been an integral part of PWI since 2010 is going to take up the reins this year. She is an administrative creative (rare combination) with a deep passion for life change, empowering, and pouring into others. She is the person I know who is the most excited about PWI! And I am excited about how PWI will be richer and better this year as a result of her leadership. If you have any questions about PWI, email Becky at: pwi@proskuneo.info!

Last, but not least, we are pleased to announce that registration for PWI2012 is now OPEN! Ready, set, register! You don’t want to miss this…

[www.digitaltrekker.com] “Matt Brandon has a special eye for portraits of people set in their natural environment. He speaks English, Urdu and Hindi. Having lived in South Asia for over 13 years, Matt has a cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity. This allows him to effectively work in both his client’s world and the world of the subject he is shooting. He photographs images of the unknown, the forgotten and the helpless. These are often the stories that most people overlook.” I think that is what moves me the most.

[www.help-portrait.com] “In December, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. But, this is about GIVING the pictures, not taking them. These portraits are not for their portfolio, website, or for sale. Money isn’t involved here. This holiday season, photographers have the chance to give a family something they may have never had before—a portrait together.”

[www.visualpeacemakers.org] “Throughout history people have fallen into the trap of making enemies with, demonizing, stereotyping, and fighting the “other.” There has been a flood of conflict based on ethnic, cultural, and religious identity in the post-cold war era that has ended the lives of millions, destroyed economies, and torn apart families. We are visual communicators devoted to peacemaking and breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty and dignity of various cultures around the world.”

How can you use your skills to serve others? [To worship is to serve. See translations of Romans 12:1-2]

How can you use your art to meet needs in our world?

How can you use what God has given you to bring people together?

At PWI there is also a true sense of community. From what I’ve seen people really like to be around one another. I’ve noticed that when people from PWI go somewhere they are usually the last to leave because they are talking to each other.

There is also time and space for God to work on people’s hearts. God is breaking through to students, calling them closer to Him and affirming who He has made them to be. And not only is God working in the students’ hearts but also the teachers’ and volunteers’.

I remarked to someone yesterday that I believe the ministry and teaching at PWI will yield results for years to come. We are grateful for your continued prayers as we seek to train worshipers and artists for the glory of God.

View photos from PWI

The PWI folks do an amazing job of blending musical styles from multiple nationalities into one beautiful presentation. But it’s not just music; it’s painting, drawing, singing, drama, and basically any other creative art form you can think of. It’s eclectic, it’s different, it’s not for the stone of heart, but when it’s put together and performed by men and women so obviously in love with the language and power of art?

It’s magic.

What’s neat about PWI is this workshop they’re conducting runs three full weeks at my church, and then the participants will have the opportunity to take what they’ve learned about songcraft and singing and painting and writing and playing and worship and put it into practice for a week in Costa Rica. And I’m not talking about some in-the-future thing; I’m talking about the week after the last week of class. As in, they get done with instruction on a Saturday and they fly out on Sunday.

That, my friends, is what you call hands-on.

Even if you’re not a church-goer, you can still identify with this statement: most churches do a horrific job of incorporating the creative arts with faith. Even some of the most media savvy churches make use of creative artistry without necessarily promoting it as a part of Christian practice. The artist – in many churches – is persona non grata. Until we need a VBS backdrop or something.

Personally, I know several people who live under the sad conception that art has no place in the world of faith. I also know several people who fully believe that art is something God considers an abomination. Both points of view are wrong. I mean, for heaven’s sake, the first few chapters of the Bible are about God creating the universe from himself, about the power of his words to bring life into existence. Whether you believe that account or not, the metaphorical power of creativity is apparent.

If God is creative, and expresses that creativity through creative acts, then shouldn’t humanity (made in the image of God, according to Genesis) also do the same?

Sadly, because art is subjective and can’t be confined to a guarded little box of rules and regulations, many people would answer that question with a resounding “No.” But PWI is a challenge to that mode of thinking. And to see the young men and women, as well as the older men and women, who are devouring the chance to express their faith through their chosen artistic bent is to see the power of art for the soul.

It’s beautiful to see, beautiful to hear and just as beautiful to be inspired by it all.

If you’d like to read more by Jason Brooks visit his blog here.

Stayed tuned for more updates from PWI!

I don’t think we are often conscious of the one of the most important aspects of worship… the way we live our lives.

There is so much more depth to worship than just singing songs on Sunday morning. It’s our entire lives offered to Him in complete submission. In Romans 12 we are exhorted to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. It then goes on to say that this is our spiritual worship. So worship needs to be more than just songs if we are to follow this verse.

Worship is laying our lives down in complete surrender and acknowledging GOD as Sovereign.  This can be done in any context whether on the way to work or at home with your family.

With this in mind don’t throw out music and song. In fact, the command to sing is found many places throughout the scriptures.

Anything NOT God can be a god to us. It is so easy for me to put things before God whether it is my preferences, my feelings, or even my comfort. All these things can become idols.

I heard a quote once that your priorities reveal what you worship. I find in my own life that is many times the case. So what or who are you worshiping today?