Worship, Word, And The Week Ahead

Ever feel your heart lift during a hymn while your hands stay at your sides? We unpack the many shapes of worship—joyful shouts, quiet tears, and the steady listening that honors God as much as any chorus. Our talk moves from light banter about cruises and hockey to a deep dive on why some songs hit like a prayer and others fade like background noise, and how the sermon can refill an empty week when worship first sets the table.

We share personal stories of being moved by CeCe Winans’ Come Jesus Come and Charity Gayle’s anthems, and the way Johnny Cash’s Were You There carries a lived-in ache that feels like standing at the foot of the Cross. Hymns come up again and again because they strip the music down to truth and let reverence lead; modern worship can carry the same fire when it’s sincere, Scripture-rich, and sung for God rather than charts. We explore inward worship versus outward expression, the freedom to praise without performance, and how God meets us in both the roar and the whisper.

What emerges is a simple pattern: worship primes the heart, the word sharpens the mind, and community binds it together so Monday doesn’t feel so heavy. Miss a Sunday and you notice it by midweek. Show up and you leave with fuel, a melody, and a verse that carries you. If you’ve ever wondered whether your quiet counts or why certain songs undo you, this conversation will feel like home.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Tell us: which song or hymn draws you closest to God?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Welcome back. This is Nick Offforter out of Organic Church. This is Growing Together. This is the podcast where we talk about everything Jesus, everything that we've got faith in, everything we're hoping to see come to pass, and just sitting around talking to good friends and just trying to find how we can get closer to the Lord every single day. So I feel like we just saw each other just a couple seconds ago. I don't know. Strange feeling. Time's going fast. Time's going fast. Yeah. Uh it's February now. So I think when this episode posts, or when this episode finally airs, we might be in March, which is a good thing. I'm ready for March.

SPEAKER_08 1:26

I'm more than ready. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

So the time change will be coming. Easter will be coming. So yeah, that'll be more like it.

SPEAKER_08 1:34

Yeah. I'm I try not to rush things. I know. I am looking forward to warmer weather.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Margie and I got three days, and we'll be off to the Bahamas. Stop.

SPEAKER_08 1:49

I thought it was where we're at in the Bahamas. Do you know?

SPEAKER_03 1:55

Yeah. We're going to Celebration Key first, which is Carnival's Island. So that's their newest one. And then we're going to Nassau. And then the last stops, I don't know how to say it. It's like Bemi or Bimini.

SPEAKER_08 2:06

Bemini.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Yeah. So that's our last stop.

SPEAKER_08 2:09

Yeah. We went to we went to Blue Island. We went to Grand Bahamas, Nassau, and Freeport.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

I've been to Freeport too. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 2:21

Freeport is Freeport's nice, but it's got like a little rundown section in it, too.

SPEAKER_03 2:26

Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_08 2:27

We took a took a horse carriage through uh to Freeport. Yeah. It was really nice.

SPEAKER_03 2:33

They have a great snorkeling place in Freeport. You go, you have to get on a bus, and it's like, I think it's half an hour, 45 minutes away from where the ship is. And you oh my goodness, the stuff you see. We saw sea turtles, we saw everything. It was beautiful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 2:51

Oh my gosh. And and you haven't done anything like that yet.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

No, it's my first cruise.

SPEAKER_08 2:57

It's my sixth cruise. I've been on five before. See, she has me outnumbered. Connie has me on everything. She I have two cruises, both to the Bahamas, which I don't mind because it it's a great place. It really is. It's a lot of a lot of things to see and a lot of relaxation. So and and the people are just so you know hospitable. They're just like service you wouldn't believe. They teach people how to how to serve. Because it was like when we were on Blue Island, I think I told you already that I was sitting on this like Shays Lounge or whatever, and I'm in the sand and just relaxing. Next thing I know, this guy comes up. He's like, hey mom, get you another drink.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

And I'm like, yeah, you can't.

SPEAKER_08 3:53

But it's like, and it's like almost like right on cue. And yes, yes. I don't have to move, and they're like, Can I take your order? And they're coming up, and yeah, but they have like a little menu, and I'm like, oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 4:06

I know, yeah. Paradise. Yeah, even on the ships. I mean, you don't you don't lift your finger for nothing. No, that's what I told Nick, I said there's no trash cans because they pick everything up. As soon as you're done eating your plates, gone.

SPEAKER_08 4:17

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Yeah, it's the best vacation for a mother. Yeah, it's all right.

SPEAKER_07 4:24

I can't speak on that, but I would assume it is because well, if it's a good trip for the mother, then it's gonna be a good trip for the father.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Dad's gonna dad's gonna love it.

SPEAKER_03 4:34

Yeah, because we don't have to do anything. Because if you go and you rent a condo, you go to the beach, I still have to do laundry, I still have to do the dishes, I still have to clean, I don't have to do nothing. I love it.

SPEAKER_08 4:45

And you have to, and I I said this to Nick, you have to do all inclusive. Once, once you go, you gotta do all inclusive where you can your drinks, your food, all of that, and just nonstop.

SPEAKER_04 4:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 4:59

And I'm like, uh-oh, loved it. You gotta have a couple of uh plans on this on the sea. Once you get off the boat, you gotta have plans for to do something because it's just just not enough to be on the boat. The boat is great. Oh yeah. The boat is great, but when you get off, it's it's nice to to have some things planned that you guys can the family stuff and if it's if it's at all possible, just stuff that the two of you can do.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

Yeah, um we do. We have excursions already lined up.

SPEAKER_08 5:30

Yeah, that's what that's what Nick was saying.

SPEAKER_03 5:32

Yeah, the first stop, we just got a big cabana so everybody can be in it, because it's just a big swimming pool and then the beach. That's pretty much what Celebration Key is. So we got a big cabana, so we have seats and shade, and then there's drinks and stuff that's included in this cabana. And then the second one, him and I are just going to tour the island of Nassau. So like just the church. I know the churches one. There's a real pretty church we're gonna see, and some other things, but it's just him and I. And we were supposed to do something with Charlie Elatris and Meg, and they sold out a ticket, so it kicked us out of it. And Nick's like, well, that's probably for the better. Now it's just I'm like, that's true. We probably will have a good time.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Love you, Elatris.

SPEAKER_03 6:12

They get Maggie. Maggie's gonna go Charlie and Elatris to see sea lions. So they'll have to.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

I did want to see the sea lions, but I thought that was gonna be pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 6:20

But that's okay. Just touring the island's gonna be cool too.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Yeah, so we're excited. Just get all this cold weather.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Yep. I told you, I don't even need to know where I am. Yep, don't need it. I don't it doesn't matter to me.

SPEAKER_08 6:34

And that won't change when you get there, you know. Because you'll be like, I don't care where I'm at. I'm gonna uh yeah, fill her up.

SPEAKER_05 6:43

Oh man.

Why Talk About Worship Tonight

Different Ways We Engage In Worship

SPEAKER_00 6:44

So yeah, we're ready. We're ready. All right, guys. Well, tonight we're gonna uh just have a short but hopefully meaningful discussion about worship. Now, I'm the odd man out of this conversation. Let me tell you why. When I come home from work, if Margie's home, you know, when I come home, say I gotta do kitty litter, whatever. I want to listen to my pro wrestling podcast right now, that's what I'm into. Or I want to listen to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers or the Beatles, you know, something secular. So that's what I tend to listen to. Now when she comes home, it doesn't matter what we've got going on. She tells Alexa to go right to worship music. So that's that's her music to listen to anytime. Not to mention, when we're in church, she's all geared up for the worship part. She's really into it. She's singing the whole time, you know, she's really engaged. Me, I'm more reserved. You know, and I I'd be very respectful and I'm in the moment. You know, I would never like leave to go to the bathroom or sit down, or you know, I believe that, yep, it's you know, I'm supposed to be reverent in those moments. But I'm waiting on the word. I'm waiting on Michael, Pastor Michael to give his sermon. That's that's like what's gonna make my week. So her and I are, I think, a little different on that. But like I said, she has the passion for the worship. And Dale, I know you do because I've watched you, and that's and sometimes that's and I'll let everybody in on a little secret. Sometimes that's what I'm doing in those moments. And I'll even admit this, Pastor Michael. Sometimes when he's leading everybody in prayer, there are times when I like to observe. So I like to just watch Michael give the prayer, and I lock like to watch the people who who are in the church who are you know in prayer. I just like to do that sometimes. Because it's just because even though I maybe I'm not there yet, but I feel like I'm not built that way, but I still really respect it, and I still really I do get something out of it, but maybe it's on a different level. Yeah. Like I said, I know you're into it, Dale, because I've watched you. You sing all the songs, you clap. I mean, you can tell like this really builds you up, fills you up for the week and and and moves you into getting ready for the word. And so I just wanted to first ask, like, so so what explain to me what is it about the music that inspires this love of of worship in you guys?

Songs That Stir The Soul

SPEAKER_08 9:50

Do you want to go first or you go? Go ahead. Okay. Because there's a there's a lot that music's always done something for me. Even when I was just before I was like heavily into listening to Christian music, when I was listening, when I would go to when I would go to clubs and stuff like that, as soon as I heard that right beat, I was I was I was I was into it. But it just kind of flipped when it has not just physical effect on you, but but uh emotional and spiritual effect on you. And there are certain songs that I hear, like I I'll I'll be honest, I don't know all the new songs, but the songs that we play at church the older ones have a lot of meaning for me. But lately what we've been we've been singing uh some of them. There's a song by C C Wynans, Come Jesus Come. And I always I almost always want him to play that because it hits me immediately. It's like and you you probably see me as soon as that song plays, I'm like it it just puts me in the presence of God. And I I always pray before before church. No my wife knows this, but I I sit in a seat, or at least I try to. Sometimes I get interrupted or busy or whatever. But I try to try to get to where God knows that I'm trying to be reverent to him. So I sit there and I pray and get in a space where I'm I know I'm in his house. And whatever comes out of me is what he intends to come out. And so worship as far as music goes, because I don't I don't think music is the only type of worship, but worship to me is the way I pay him back in church. It's the way I outside of tithing or my service outside of church. It's it's another way of for me to pay him back. It's like this is my praise to you. This is how I tell you. You are my everything. And so I I I hear a song and I'm like, first my first thing is like oh, I love this song. And then it's the emotion, and I'm like, it's like what whatever the song is, I just I just feel it and I love it. Like, I know a name. Yeah. Yeah, I love that. I love that song. Lion. Yeah, I'm just gonna say her name a bunch of songs, yeah. But you guys know I like I roar when that part says roar.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

Yeah, but gratitude, that's a great oh my goodness. Beautiful name, that's one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_08 13:00

There are there are so many. There are, there are. And um I like to, you know, give credit to the artist, but it's I don't I don't think I can. I mean, I can because they wrote the song.

SPEAKER_04 13:16

Yeah.

Reserved Hearts And Private Praise

SPEAKER_08 13:17

But it's it's God inspired. And so whenever whenever you hear one that you like, I feel like the spirit just goes like, okay, what do you want to do with it? Where are you gonna go with it? I mean, because I take what the song is saying and I feel it. That's why I like Come Jesus Come so much. Because it's like it says, Come Jesus come, and it's just like you we do. We all want, you know, we wanna see him. We wanna, you know, we wanna let him know how much we appreciate what he's done and what he's you know, that sacrifice that he made that none of us could ever make. And so you hear that song, and she's so soft and powerful at the same time. And and that's a hard thing to do, is to be quiet in a song, like just have that softness. But behind it, you hear that push of the spirit, and it's just like it just every time it hits me, and I'm just like, I either want to cry, I either want to cry or raise my hands. Yeah. And so that's I don't I don't have like a particular song that does that for me, but any one of them can do it at any time. And I have no you guys already know I have no qualms about hands in the air and as you shouldn't.

SPEAKER_03 14:58

You you should be able to do what's what's comfortable for you.

SPEAKER_08 15:01

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And and I don't I don't begrudge anybody that doesn't, you know, that doesn't do it because I feel like everybody worships in their own way. Because that's why God didn't make us all the same. Sorry. But uh He made us uh David dance before the Lord and He tell you to uh make a joyful noise into the Lord. But it doesn't say musically make a joyful noise. You can make a joyful noise in any way you choose to to the Lord. You can you can you know uh in in your own in your own heart and in your own spirit be like God I love you for all you've done for me and you're not saying it out loud, but he hears he hears everything. So if you're in that spirit, in that frame of mind, that's just as good as me sitting there shouting, you know, lying all at the top of my lungs.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

So Yeah. I mean, I've loved music since the time I've been in diapers. Like those are my first memories is my mom playing certain records when I was just little. Like first record I remember is Michael Jackson's Off the Wall. Like I remember hearing that. I I was still in diapers, I know I was. And to this day, like I can still see my mom's record player, and I can still see myself in that house and being just that little and hearing that record. And so I've always loved music and I loved it so much that I wanted to learn to play piano and guitar, and I've done those things. But like you were saying, like you could go, you could go to a club or something and you could dance, right? I can't do that. Like I have to have the guitar to play or perform or to sing music. Like I I couldn't, like I never I went to a couple school dances. I would just sit there in the bleachers. Same. I wasn't going out there and I wasn't going out there and dancing. Oh, yeah. So I never had that type of ex that type of expression musically, even though I love it very much. And talking about spiritual music, I'm an old school guy. Like I love like Johnny Cash's Were You There when They Crucified My Lord. Yeah, the way that he sings that and the way that Anita Carter comes in with her background vocals just sends a chill up my spine. But that's and it's almost introspective for me, like you were saying. It's not something necessarily that I want to pour out, but it's something that you take it. I take it in. And and and I just learned to be a very reserved person. And in a lot of ways, I think I did because that's what I had to do to survive. Like I couldn't let my emotions show. I felt like if I let my emotions show, I'm gonna be in trouble, like I'm gonna fail. Like, because there was just a lot of things happening in my young life that I thought, gotta keep it together, gotta keep it in. So I built this amount of reserve into my character and who I am to where I feel personally, I feel I'm doing my duty to God by being reserved. Because that's how I've been able to succeed in life. And that's my relationship with Him is to be, you know, yeah, you keep it, you keep it together, you stay strong, you you don't act out, you you know, you don't tell too many people your feelings. And if you got feelings, tell it to God. Don't tell it to anybody else. So I don't know if that kind of affects the way I worship or the way I think about it, because I'm not that expressive of a person that way, like I can't let loose. Let's just say it like that. Like I don't feel comfortable letting it loose in front of other people in that regard. I just don't. Yeah. So that that one's hard for me. But like I said, there are just certain songs that when I hear them, like it does get in me, but it stays in me. Yeah. And it does fill me, but I can't let it out. And that's just the way it is. And I haven't maybe I'll find that someday. But that that's where I'm at with the way that I worship, and it's just a little bit different than you do. And I stand next to Margie every week, and she's always holding my hand. That's the thing. Like if I'm not holding her hand, she grabs my hand. But she's always moving. So when I'm holding her hand, I'm kind of like, I'm kind of moving because she's moving.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

Yeah, I can't help it. I try not to do that, but I just I can't help it. I do move.

Inner Worship Versus Outward Expression

SPEAKER_00 19:50

So kind of explain your what worship means to you and what the music means to you. Because, like I said, you you look you don't just listen to this at church. You go home. If we're in the car, that's what she wants to put on. When she gets home and she's making dinner, that's what she puts on. If she goes to get her bath, that's what she puts on. So it's just not something she does in church. It's something that she really does.

SPEAKER_03 20:13

I do listen to pop too, because I listen to everything that the kids listen to, but I do I love worship. I love to sing. And and I I feel like I sound pretty good. But I get so much criticism from my kids from my my whole entire life, people would tell me I sounded terrible. So I don't sing for people. I won't sing. But by golly, if I'm in the kitchen, I'm harping because I love to sing. So I do sing in a lot, but in church as far as too, I do hold Nick's hand the whole time. I do dance around, but but I don't hold my hands up. But I will tell you, in my mind, my hands are high. They are high. But I just I don't know why I don't, but I don't, but the whole time I'm there, they're in the air. And I know that sounds crazy, but they are they are high in the air, but they're not for anybody to see. But they are, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 20:57

See, and that's and that it's exactly what you said. It's that's why I was talking about what you do in in your spirit.

SPEAKER_04 21:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 21:06

If your spirit, your hands are up, I I know a lot of people want to see an outward expression of your of your your enjoyment or your faith or whatever. But sometimes the love of God is is internal.

SPEAKER_04 21:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 21:24

And you are feeling him, you're over, you're overjoyed, and but at the same time, you're in that quiet place. Yeah. It's like it's just me and you. It's just me and you. And so nobody knows what's going on in that moment but you and him.

SPEAKER_04 21:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 21:41

So you meet in in the pre in the presence of God, your hands may be like they are way out here. But but it outside, you're just like holding Nick's hand. Now, if you weren't holding Nick's hand, then maybe they would be up. Who knows? But yeah, but we'll never know because that's not the that's not the dynamic.

SPEAKER_04 22:02

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 22:04

Your spirit is is drawn to praise him vocally, and your spirit is drawn to lift its hands, but that's but it's not an outward show. It's the same as like your I don't want to call it bottled up, but you fill the spirit, you contain it, and then you you rejoice with him through whatever the the the pastor brings to us. That is your way of rejoicing, that is your work. Worship because as like I said, I don't believe that you know just singing songs is worship. It's obviously worship, but it's not the only kind of worship. I worship God by taking in his word. He inhabits the praise of his people, yes. But that is one way to to praise him is to pay attention to his word. Because when my dad used to speak to me and I didn't I wasn't paying attention, there was a price to pay.

SPEAKER_04 23:10

So it's like I told you that.

Hymns, Authenticity, And Old Voices

SPEAKER_08 23:13

So but there was nothing made me happier than when I did something that my dad was overjoyed for. And when you do something that the Lord has called you to do, whether it's sing for him or do what he's asked you to do in in service, like knock things over if I'm not careful. But uh God is happy when you're doing those things that he's called us to do. And so no matter how you do it, because everybody does it differently, that's that's the joy of it, is everybody does it differently. And you looking around the room to see people doing their thing their way, I I think that's fine and perfect because I don't always do that. There's just times where I'm like, I know, because I do the same thing, because especially lately I've done it because we have so many new people in our church. I've looked to see either whether they're enjoying it or whether they're checked out or or whether they enjoy the you know the service, whether they're singing too, or you know, different things. That's just the the human part of it. But it's like you just you just want to worship in whatever way is pleasing to God. And there are so many different ways to do it. There is I listen I listen to that sermon, I go home, get in the word so I can get close to you. And that's that's your worship. You you say I'm praising you with my hands held high in spirit. And I go home and I still carry that with me. Because I'm gonna hear some, I'm gonna hear some gos um I go home and I we're we're the same, except Connie and me, when we go home, if we're washing dishes, she has she has the gospel music on, stuff like that. And we all we always have gospel music on, usually if we're doing something. Because we we have so much stuff to do, we don't usually get a chance to listen to anything. So like we'll have Crowder on, or we if we're playing Crowder, it's because Elsa's asked for it. That's that's her boyfriend. But it always cracks me up when she uh she sings with me. Because she sings. I I know you guys probably heard her every once in a while. She sings Lion with Me. Uh-huh. Oh my gosh. I love when she does that when she sings with me. She don't do it very much anymore because her and Adolin have gotten to be such good friends that she sits with Adelaine. So she doesn't really sit with me, so we don't do that.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

But now were you when you were young, Dale, when you went to church, what kind of songs were you singing?

SPEAKER_08 26:25

What mostly hymns.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Okay. Is that the same for you?

SPEAKER_03 26:29

Yeah, I love hymns. Yeah. I miss hymns.

SPEAKER_08 26:32

I I do too. Yeah. A lot of I mean, I'm I miss I miss hymns because in my mind they are almost like prayers. Yeah. And so you get a i it's it's a way to draw closer to him than I think a lot of the songs that are out now, like I'm not I'm not trying to be critical of these people, but like like Forrest Frank, I don't consider his songs to be worship songs. Because like like lemonade, that's it yes, he mentions Jesus, but he's like, my Jesus making l, and you just can't I don't even know what that is.

SPEAKER_03 27:15

So I must not have heard that one. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_08 27:18

But he has yeah, he has a lot of songs that are all bubbly and yeah and and stuff like that. And it's just sometimes you just want to hear something like solemn and almost sacred. Yeah. When you're when you're listening. So that you feel like you're at the feet of the Master. Yeah. So you you feel like you're with God, you feel like you're in His presence.

SPEAKER_00 27:45

Yeah, that is more my speed. Yeah. Like you said Johnny Cash sings that. Yeah. I'm like, that's that's how I feel. Like I'm at the foot of God with it. Yeah. Like I'm actually at the crucifixion.

SPEAKER_08 27:57

Yeah, and and they they come through with such power. Yeah.

When Faith Crosses Into Pop Radio

SPEAKER_00 28:02

They're there's you can hear the hurt in their voice when they're when they're singing those songs, and it just well, and and these were and I think for me, you know, there's there's the scene in the Johnny Cash movie, Walk the Line, where he goes in to audition for Sam Phillips, and he starts singing this gospel tune, which I think it was an old Jimmy Davis tune. I was there when it happened. And of course, him and the other two guys are auditioning, singing this song, and Sam Phillips tells him to stop. And he's like, Well, it's fine for Jimmy Davis. He's like, but I don't believe you. And he's like, Well, what are you trying to tell me? I don't believe you're trying to tell me I don't believe in God. And he's like, No, it's not what I'm trying to say. It's just the way that you're singing it. It's the same song that we've heard everybody else sing, and the way that they sing it, it's been recorded a hundred times. Like it's almost to the point where nobody's even listening to it anymore. It's not believable. So he's saying, You gotta sing me something that's actually coming from your soul. From the heart, yeah. Yeah, from your soul. He's and and of course he does. He goes on to sing Folsom Frison Blues and all and all those. But then later he does he does carry over when he moves from Sun Records over to Columbia. It's in his contract that he's going to be allowed to release so many gospel albums, which I just think is incredible for you know secular rock and roll country artists to to make that demand. Like, this has to be part of my contract. I want to record these songs because they mean that much to me. But it's that kind of thing. And for me, I I tend to gravitate towards those types of songs because it's like, I'm like, yeah, I believe them when they sing it. Because, like you said, you can almost feel because these are the songs that they would sing when they were all together out there because Johnny Cash and his family they were sharecroppers. And so they'd all be out in the fields picking cotton or you know, picking crops, doing whatever they had to do to survive. And mom has them out there singing all these gospel tunes to get them through the day. Yeah. So you could tell they weren't just songs that they felt they needed to sing or that everybody else was singing. No, they were singing these songs to survive, yeah, to be closer to God in the hard times they were in. And you can, like you said, you can hear it in their voice when they sing it.

SPEAKER_08 30:30

Well, this is gonna kind of crack you up because I'm gonna like transition from that, but MC Hammer. Yeah. Yeah. He had he had where he had to have at least one song about God on his CDs. And he had a song called Pray, which they never they don't play very much.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

But they did at the time, though. Oh, yeah. Do you remember they did it at the time?

SPEAKER_07 30:57

I used to unfortunately I used to dance to that one too.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

You know, and you know, and that's the thing, is and that's really something because every kid loved you can't touch this. So the kids are in. Yep. And then but then if you have an artist that sings about praying, guess what? Them kids are gonna want to learn how to pray. Yep.

SPEAKER_08 31:20

Well, I I found it odd. I grown through a lot of decades and the realization that our country, we used to have pop and Christian was blended. Like you could have you could have a song that mentioned God in it, and and it would be on the radio, and then one day that stopped. I don't I don't know why. I don't know why why we felt like we couldn't put keep the two together or anything like that. Because I know they have like separation of church and state, but I'm like, eh. I know.

SPEAKER_03 32:03

It seems like lately they've been sneaking their way back in. Lauren Die Eagle was on there for the longest time when she was came. And and people didn't realize it was a Christian song because Maggie at that time was coming to church, loved her her music, her worship music here, and her dad was listening to Lauren Diego's song. And Maggie's like, you do know that that's a Christian song, Dad, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 32:23

And her dad's like, no, it's not. Maggie's like, yes, it is, Dad. So, you know, they just like put that in there and then jelly roll with Brandon Lake. That one's a huge one. Uh oh yeah.

SPEAKER_08 32:35

Even uh Forrest Frank, I mentioned just a little bit ago, he's had he's had a couple, like he had that that song his up plays on plays on secular radios every now and then. But yeah, he's he's really good. I like for King and Country. They had Dolly Parton on one of their songs, and I like that one. I love Dolly. Yeah, it's it's called God Only Knows. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, she's she sings. They they have a couple of versions, uh-huh, but on one version she sings with it, and it's their it's their it to me their best version is with her singing it because she's got that, you know. I'm not even gonna try it. Because she's Dolly. Yeah, we need no one.

SPEAKER_03 33:19

Yeah, because that was that one she sang with I can only imagine that guy. Mercy Me. She sang that one with it.

SPEAKER_00 33:27

Well, she sang the one with uh Mercy Mean. We went to see him. We went to see him. Oh no, that's what I'm talking about. Who was it? Um terrible.

SPEAKER_03 33:37

You can look at my playlist. But yeah. She's so good though. Dolly.

SPEAKER_08 33:43

She's uh I've always liked Dolly Parton. Just can't. She's very sincere about her her intact. The way she treats people.

Sincerity, Vocals, And Singing To God

SPEAKER_07 33:58

Oh, yeah. Well, there was Jesus. There we go.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

Well, not too long ago. Yeah. Well, not too long ago, which you may not know this name, we only know it because of our stepdaughter, but Sabrina Carpenter wanted to my daughter, not our stepdaughter.

SPEAKER_03 34:14

That's my girlfriend.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

My stepdaughter.

SPEAKER_03 34:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

Sorry. I know her, but I don't know. So Dolly, Sabrina wanted to record a song with Dolly. And Dolly said, That's fine. Said, but at no, at no time can you criticize the Lord or say anything against the Lord or anything like that. Like she drew the line in the sand right away. Like, yes, I'll sing with you, but just so you understand, there's a yeah, a lot of people This is what I won't do.

SPEAKER_08 34:47

A lot of people want that voice because she's one of the few people nowadays that if you hear her sing, you know who it is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:57

She was trying to say, I won't sing anything outside of what I believe in. Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_08 35:03

Yeah. Her, Reba McIntyre, they are they're people that I I like to hear sing. Yeah. Because I like I like distinction. Oh, yeah. People.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

And that's that's definitely missing from today's music. We don't want to get off on that tangent. I mean, I could go on that one all night, but you know, Dolly Parton, she makes no bones about the fact that she loves being portrayed as this blonde, not a bimbo, but because she definitely makes it clear, like, you know, I'm an intelligent woman. Yeah. But, you know, she loves the makeup, she loves the, you know, her outfits. The outfits, all that stuff. But but she, you know, makes it very clear that who she is spiritually, and yeah, she doesn't, you know, blur those lines. And that's uh that's what's missing from yeah, like you said, that sincerity. Even if she didn't say it, when she sings it, you can hear it. You know. Okay, so I have a question for you.

SPEAKER_08 36:09

Do you feel like you worship when you come to church?

SPEAKER_00 36:16

I feel like I said, I am always there are a lot of times where I'll come in on church on Sunday and I can tell you where I almost feel empty. Like I've emptied the tank out for the week. And the word is what fills it back up. So when I'm during worship, like I I'll be completely honest, like I'm reverent, I know it's important, but it's not it's not lifting the gauge very much for me. Certain songs will, like certain songs that I really like or can get into more so than others will, but still that gauge isn't going up. It if if it was just worship and I didn't get the word, I'd be in trouble. And that's that's being a hundred percent honest. I I don't I wouldn't be able to fill the tank back up without the word.

SPEAKER_08 37:13

I don't think that any any church service one without the other is very is very good because in my mind w even though it doesn't move the needle for a lot of people, because you're not the only person that's like, uh I just I just want to hear the pastor, I just want the message, I just whatever. But for a a huge amount of people the music, if it's if it's sincere, yeah, you know, if it's that's why I said certain songs wouldn't move the needle for me either in worship. Like I s like I said, there are some artists like I love Toby Mack, but if you play him in church, it's probably not gonna move the needle much for me.

How Worship Primes Us For The Word

SPEAKER_00 38:03

Because you know, another problem I have though is I'm such a music critic because, like I said, I'm a music lover and I've listened to all types of music from clear back in the we're talking old 20s, jazz, oh yeah, like Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington. Oh my gosh. I I'm going all the way back. So I've studied everything, and so I'm a big music critic anyway. So I I can unfortunately I I can judge even Christian music that way. Like if I don't, if it doesn't hit me the way that I feel that it needs to, then it doesn't do it for me. Like I can't, you know, like if if Michael would play Hank Williams Sr.'s I saw the light, I'd be like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But and and I know that's totally that's not gonna happen. That's not, you know, and I'm not saying he should. I'm just saying if he did, that would like be like, because those are the type of songs that when I gospel songs that I did would get me like excited, like that I really like get into, and and it's just that's the way it is. I'm not gonna lie about that. So yeah, so I I can I can be hard on music anyway because I I've studied it so much and I feel like I know what's good and what's bad. And so mus sometimes I'm looking at it from a musical standpoint rather than from a worship standpoint, you know. So it's just like because like Margie would listen to the stuff I listen to. She's not gonna listen to Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. She she hears me listen to that stuff, she's like, that's stupid. I don't necessarily think it's stupid, but when I'm thinking like this is genius, like these are the guys that built the house, you know. They I I love that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_08 39:51

Yeah, I'll be honest though, because like I said, I've listened through through a lot of decades of music and uh like Cab Callaway and just different artists that just brought a different style and how they how they sang or how they how they played their instruments. Like Louis Armstrong. He even though he didn't really impress me as a singer, his the way he played the trumpet when he was when he was singing oh Satchmo or whatever, but they they all have they have all have a style, but it it does in in my mind a lot of people may disagree Christian music has the most going for it. And when you get into Christian music, hymns to me have are are where it's at because hymns allow you to feel him. Some of these songs that you hear now, it it's you know, it's the beat and then the the singer and and and all that, whereas the hymn is stripped down, stripped down, and it's just yeah a lot of times just the piano. Yeah. And so it's it's a lot easier to to feel connected, if you ask me, through through a hymn. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

I love pianos and organs, yeah, that's where it's at.

SPEAKER_08 41:29

Like old rugged cross. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I mean, if you if you can't feel in the spirit from listening to on a hill far away. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:40

Just well, yeah, and that's the thing, because you know, some of the worship songs. Glorious day is probably one of my favorites because you can feel that song. And when Jesus comes out of the grave and just I I think I cry every single time we sing that one. But there's some of them, I like them because of the beat. And that's that's it, because you're not getting much of the the word in those songs. It's just the beat, it's a fun song, but there's some that there's so much into it, and it's they're just great. And but those seem to be not few and far between, but there's a lot less of those ones that you can feel inside you. But I mean, I love them all because I would say probably 75 to 85 percent of the time I'm crying during worship because there is usually that one song that started the just yeah, it just starts it. And I know for like two weeks solid through worship, I cried and I just thank God that he kept me here for everything. Because then I went through such a time in my life where I didn't want to be here anymore. And I just so for like two weeks, it was the worship songs that I just I just stood there and I cried because and just thanking him because the things I would have missed if I would have been able to check out when I wanted to, you know?

SPEAKER_08 42:57

Yeah, it's like the the one song that uh I don't know her name, but we sing her all sing her song like every other Sunday, and she's about Charity?

SPEAKER_03 43:11

Yes, yes, Charity Gale.

SPEAKER_08 43:13

Charity Gale.

SPEAKER_03 43:13

Yeah, I've been singing that all the time. It's the only reason why I knew that too.

SPEAKER_08 43:17

You were talking about playing that every time she comes on.

SPEAKER_03 43:22

That's a great one.

SPEAKER_08 43:22

If I'm not crying before she came on, I'm crying when she's done because she she says everything that I feel in a prayer. Yeah, and it's just like it's it's a prayer in a song, and it's just like that's how I feel, God. That's what I that's what I want. That's you know, I'm saying what she's saying. I'm not saying it as eloquently, but that's that's what I feel, that's what I mean. Like I speak Jesus, is that the one speak Jesus and I try to get when I sing it, I don't try to sound like her, but I try to feel whatever it is she's feeling, because I see her and she's like Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she's feeling it, and I'm like, I hear I hear all of it and I'm like, Oh I just I just want to get that close to you, God. I just I just want to do it. And so you start singing it. And the sincerity. If you're I mean, some people are sincere, some people aren't, doesn't matter. But in my mind, when I'm singing, I'm trying to give him sincere praise. I'm trying to sincerely say. What that person is saying. I'm like, God, I feel that. That's what I feel. And if I can sing it loud enough and high enough and whatever, even I know it don't sound good. I don't care.

SPEAKER_02 44:51

You sound good, Dale. You do. I hear you. You sound good.

SPEAKER_08 44:56

Like, I just I just want to show you that everything is there for you.

SPEAKER_04 45:03

Yeah.

Community, Rhythm Of Sunday, And Next Steps

SPEAKER_08 45:04

All of it. My my my songs, my my prayers, my praise, everything for you. And she says it so perfectly that every time she sings it, I'm gonna cry.

SPEAKER_04 45:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 45:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 45:18

Don't look over when that song comes on.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

Yeah. Oh, I cry, I cry.

SPEAKER_07 45:22

Well now I'm going next time it comes on.

SPEAKER_02 45:24

Yeah, I know you will. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 45:26

Because I will be. I you won't even have to worry about that is a good look at me, Nick.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

Stop. I'm crying, man.

SPEAKER_00 45:35

That is a good it is. She did she does deep. Yeah, yeah, that's a beautiful. Yeah. Because you could tell she she gives it everything she gives it.

SPEAKER_08 45:45

And that uh song with the Brandon Lake sings and the one lady sings with him. This is a move. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 45:54

She reminds me of Louis Armstrong. I'm sorry. Because she's got sweat towel there. Yeah, and the big puffy cheek. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, and she's a big thing. Yeah, she gives it all, but yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_08 46:05

She believes it all on the stage. Because I was like, Yep, I'm like ghost sister.

SPEAKER_00 46:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:14

And I'm always thinking. Because most of these female singers, right, that are big stars, they can't hold a candle to her vocal. Oh no. And I'm like, why is like why can't we have singers like this?

SPEAKER_08 46:27

You know why? You know why? Because they've chosen. Yeah. Because that lady has chosen. She said, and I don't want to put words in her mouth, but if I had to guess, I would say she said, I'm following God.

SPEAKER_04 46:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 46:46

And if if he wants riches and fame and glory for me, then he'll give it to me. Yeah. But until then, boom, deal with these vocals.

SPEAKER_01 46:57

Because she's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

Follow that one. Yeah. It's like, yeah, follow that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:04

Old Sabrina can't touch Shall Row. No, no.

SPEAKER_00 47:08

No.

SPEAKER_03 47:09

They're all auto auto-tune, is it called? They don't even have to do that.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

They sing in a whisper.

SPEAKER_08 47:13

I'm like, what? And and this is another thing. When you are singing, not to make not trying to bring finances or anything into it, but when you are singing to the glory of God, you are you are in a class by yourself. Yeah. So you can bring everything. Yeah. Because if you're like different, like if you're lit playing secular music, they will like, okay, that was good, but we're gonna like use an auto-tune this, we're gonna bring these up and bring the she went to the case.

SPEAKER_00 47:48

Well, and I even think that about even like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. I mean, yeah, they were great in their own right with the secular songs that they had in their top 40 hits. But when like when Elvis sang Peace in the Valley, and when Johnny Cash sang, Were You There When They Crucified My Lord, it was it went to another level. Like there was another piece of their soul that was in that, and it even goes beyond how great they already were. I mean, so it just yeah, I get it. Like when you're singing to the Lord or about the Lord and it's you're being genuine, I mean, there's just something about it that's it.

SPEAKER_06 48:21

Well, it's like I said, he inhabits the praise of his people.

SPEAKER_00 48:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 48:24

And so when you start to do what he what he would have you do as far as worship, whatever it is, but if you're doing it and you're doing it because it's what you feel like he's called you to do, he's gonna be in that. And so when he's in it, you're gonna you're gonna you're gonna hear it, you're gonna feel it, because uh nothing he says returns void. So it's like, okay, I'm gonna take that and I'm gonna boost it. Yeah. Amplifiers ain't got nothing on me. What's this? But yeah, I I I think for me, worship is super important. And I I try to think about I think about whether I could go to a church that doesn't have worship, like conventional worship.

SPEAKER_00 49:19

But no, and I wouldn't want that, no.

SPEAKER_08 49:22

I I don't think I would if they just you just came in and went straight to the message. Because any any church I've ever been in that was any good, I shouldn't say any good, but that held my interest it was music that put your spirit in that in that spot to hear the message. Because a good a good pastor, and I think we have a good pastor, will put the music together to where you're feeling something by the time he gets up there to say something. You are even even if you don't sing it, you're feeling something. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:05

Yeah, it's prime in you for the message.

SPEAKER_08 50:07

Yeah, it's not like they they get up there and they go lollipop, lollipop, you know. So yeah. So so when you when he approaches you, you are already feeling something. And then he gets up there and takes it to a direction, and you're able to come to you're able to go to the throne because of the entire setup, because of the music and because of what that pastor spoke, and then you can go home, which is what we're supposed to do. Go home take that and go. I'm still energized by that. And whatever you happen to do with your friends or the rest of your week, you should be able to energize them too, because of because of the combination of all that stuff coming together to make something that that stirs your spirit. And that's that's what worship and the word do for me is it just gets me it gets me going. I'm like, yeah, if I don't if I don't go to church on a give on any given Sunday, I don't know why. The rest of my week isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 51:20

Yeah, no, I agree. Yeah, that's that's how it is for us too. And we're gonna be we're gonna be MIA for three Sundays because we're gonna be on that cruise for two of them because we have to leave, and then by the time we get off, we'll be back home. But then when we get home, we have a birthday. Our grandbabies can have a birthday party. And then we have a hockey match the following Sunday.

SPEAKER_00 51:38

Yeah, Seth bought us hockey tickets for Christmas. Who? The penguins and blue jackets.

SPEAKER_03 51:47

I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_00 51:48

Columbus? It's in Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_03 51:50

It's in Pittsburgh, yeah. So we're gonna we're going to hockey match, yeah. And that's three weeks in a row.

SPEAKER_08 51:56

That's gonna be but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:58

We do I don't like to do that.

SPEAKER_08 51:59

Hockey is my favorite sport. Is it?

SPEAKER_03 52:01

I we used to watch the the nailers. We used to I I took the boys when we were little quite a few. Yeah, and that's fun, especially when they slam against that Sierra Star playing.

SPEAKER_08 52:11

They're the uh they're the ECHL, so there's a lot of fights in the ECHL, that and the AHL, because I've gone to watch a couple of monsters games, and those are fun, those are fun to watch because once one team starts to to beat the other one, it's when the fights break.

SPEAKER_07 52:33

Yeah, and the third flinger gloves third third period, those gloves are coming off.

SPEAKER_03 52:39

They're like, we might lose. Bam! Yeah. Everybody starts cheering.

SPEAKER_00 52:43

Oh, yeah, yeah. But um Yeah, it's be my first cruise and first hockey game.

SPEAKER_07 52:48

Yeah, now I'm a little jealous.

SPEAKER_08 52:50

Yeah, it is my favorite sport. My uh my daughter got me for Christmas, she asked me what I wanted, and I told her I wanted a hockey jersey. I said I want a real one because they're not cheap. Yeah. So she she got me one. My favorite player is Sergei Babrowski. And this is Columbus? Huh? What team? He used to play for Columbus, that's why he's my favorite, because he's a goalie. My favorite position is the goalie, and he used to play, he used to play for them, and then they had to trade him because it's Columbus and they couldn't afford him. So he went to the Panthers, got a couple of championships with them, and that's where he plays right now. So she got me a Florida Panthers jersey.

SPEAKER_03 53:37

Nice. Oh, that's nice.

SPEAKER_08 53:39

And so Connie's like, you should wear that to church sometime. I said, I will not be wearing this. I'm gonna find a frame, yeah, and it's going on my wall. Yeah. But yeah, hockey is absolutely my favorite sport.

SPEAKER_03 53:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 53:58

I know that's like way off topic, but That's okay.

SPEAKER_03 54:02

It was my fault. My bad.

SPEAKER_08 54:03

Oh no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 54:06

But that's why we're gonna miss worship.

SPEAKER_08 54:08

So I mean But yeah, even even just like one week missing, I know missing is is you can feel it.

SPEAKER_03 54:17

Yeah, you can feel it in here.

SPEAKER_08 54:19

I'm like, if you'd spend any time in church and it it becomes it becomes part of you. And and you can't you can't miss it. No. And then when you when you do, uh it's like the rest of your week is is is is a chore. And yeah, you can read the Bible to yourself and stuff like that at home, but it it doesn't I think it's the unity. Because yes, you can read the word, and yeah, he's reading the word or whatever, but it's like-minded people striving at work and knowing that we're all you know, we're all sinners, we've all fallen short of the glory of God, and yet here we are in this one place trying to get something, and trying and trying to show God we love him. Yeah. And and that's what does it for me, because I like seeing Marcus, I love seeing Jenny, I love seeing you guys. I just and then you get then you get the worship music, and then you get the the sermon, and then it's just it just pulls your week together. And it's it's uh to me anyway, a great way to kick off your week is is church. Come to church, people.

SPEAKER_00 55:35

Yeah, you shouldn't look at it as the end of your week, but the beginning of your week.

SPEAKER_08 55:40

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's the way to start. I always say that because Sunday's first day on the calendar, isn't it? Yeah, it's not a weekend, it's a week start. It's where you it's where you get the fire to start your weekend. Yeah.

Choosing The Topic And Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_02 55:53

Because that's why Monday is such a drag to me anyway, is because I spent Sunday having all this fun and enjoying myself in church, and now I have to but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:11

All right. Yeah, I just wanted to say that I knew this was gonna be a good topic. I didn't have an idea going into church on Sunday. And actually, I was laying in bed Saturday night thinking about it. And being the host of the show, I think it's my responsibility to come up with the topic, and usually I'm being a little selfish thinking, well, what can what can I bring to the table? And then I thought, wait a minute, think about this. You've got two people who are very passionate about worship. Why not talk about that? I mean, it's perfect.

SPEAKER_08 56:50

Yeah, man's a genius.

SPEAKER_00 56:53

It's just like it's like stop thinking so hard about it. Because I was really thinking, like, man, I gotta come up with a topic. Like, I don't have one. We got to do two more on Wednesday before we go on vacation. Just don't have it. And then all of a sudden it was like, well, quit thinking so hard. Yeah, we're being selfish and just think about it for a second. Like, oh yeah, that's perfect. I've got and sit standing there on Sunday, I'm thinking, I'm looking over at you, Dale, like, yep, I got it. That's that's a great topic. And I'm moving along with Margie because she's shaking me back and forth. I'm like, yep, I got it. Okay. So it's just like that's key.

SPEAKER_07 57:28

It's just oh man.

SPEAKER_00 57:30

That's too much. Quit thinking to the heart, and just don't be selfish and and think about the people around you and how they affect you, and something will come to light for sure.

SPEAKER_08 57:40

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 57:41

And it did. So yeah, so I'm glad we did this one.

SPEAKER_08 57:44

And it was it was a good topic as far as I'm concerned.

SPEAKER_02 57:47

It was something that I don't mind talking about.

SPEAKER_07 57:50

Yeah, yeah. I love worship.

SPEAKER_02 57:53

Same.

SPEAKER_07 57:54

All right, Dale.

SPEAKER_00 57:55

You want to pray us out?

SPEAKER_02 57:57

Sure.

unknown 57:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 57:58

Let me get a rolling here.

SPEAKER_08 58:06

Father God, we thank you for bringing the three of us together today to share in what it means to worship you. Because, Father God, there are all types of ways in which to give you praise and worship and honor. And we try to be diligent and serious in our commitment to show you, Father God, that you are our everything. Pray, Father God, that you just give us traveling mercies as we leave here. And let us never forget, Father God, that no matter what the song and hymn or whatever it is, that all songs, all praise are for you to give you glory, to bring you honor, Father God. We thank you once again, and in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.