15 Years

Posted by zaneellis | Posted in | Posted on 11:40 PM

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Alot happens in 15 years.  15 years ago today, I lost my brother, best friend and mentor, Josh Ellis.  He was 16 at the time and was killed instantly in a car accident at 10:58 on a wet, rainy, miserable night.  I thought I would write Josh a letter 15 years later.  

Josh,
It's been 15 years since I've seen you or spoken to you.  I'm 27 now.  So much has changed.  The past 15 years have had their ups and downs, of course, but I've always missed you.  I've always wished you were here to help guide me, listen to me, talk to me.  I played baseball in school, trying to follow in your footsteps, trying to be you.  You taught me everything I knew about it.  I even wore an old number of yours.  26 was retired of course, so I chose #5, your Dodger number.  I hope I wore it well and I hope I made you proud.  We practiced in your field house quite often and I know you would be honored to see it. 
I graduated and went onto college and got pretty involved in leading worship.  You loved music, but didn't have much of a voice yourself, so you enjoyed it through me I think.  That's what I do now.  I'm still in ministry as a worship leader part-time.  The other time during the week I work with our dad doing some home repair and small remodeling jobs.  I know both of us never thought I would end up doing that, but I really enjoy it and that's what matters I suppose.  I wonder quite often what you would've ended up doing.  
Speaking of dad, he was sick a while back.  5 years ago he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  It was an incredibly difficult time for us, another time when I wish we could've spoken.  2 years ago, all of our prayers were answered and dad has been cancer free since then.  God healed him and gets all the glory for it.
I got married 5 years ago to the love of my life, Ashley.  You would love her.  She's HOT (obviously), she's funny, and she's so supportive of everything I do.  You never got to meet her, but she's heard so much about you and looks forward to meeting you in heaven.  Last year, almost 3 weeks after your birthday, we had a son.  We named him Emery Joshua.  He carries your name with him and has your picture in his room.  I still cry every time I think about it.  He never got the opportunity to meet someone who shaped my life so dramatically.  I wish so much that you could meet him.  He even looks like you at times and I wish he could know the man that you would've been.  I think about what kind of an uncle you would've been and I wonder what kind of an uncle I would've been to your kids. 
I hope that you would be proud of the man I am today.  I think about you so much and I miss you more than I can express in words.  Alot happens in 15 years and I wish we had a few hours so I could catch you up.  I can't do it all here.  There's just too much to say.  I just need you to know that I love you.  I need you to know that my life has been missing a very important piece since the day you left.  Maybe I just need to know that I've made you proud. 
I love you and I miss you so much.  
Your brother, 
Zane


Be Prepared

Posted by zaneellis | Posted in | Posted on 11:34 AM

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I would venture to say that most worship leaders don't realize the influence that they have from the stage every week.  At least I didn't until not too long ago.  The fact is, as a worship leader, you get 20 or more minutes to lead the community of whatever church it is that you are leading for.  I encourage you and challenge you to use that time to allow the spirit to lead you while you lead them!  God put you in the position that you're in for a reason!  Here is a great blog on this subject: http://elevation-worship.com/blog/?p=1331

Most of the time in the past, I would pick my set based on what I feel like people responded to or requested or whatever I was asked to do and then just play the music on the stage and let that pretty much do the leading.  Most recently, as God has developed my leadership ability, I've learned to lead, not just play.  Worship, I've learned, is about so much more than music.  Much like the Elevation blog, I go over every set list and prepare with scripture, prayer, dialogue.  At times, much dialogue isn't needed.  You can DEFINITELY have too much.  The sermon is left up to the pastor :)  However, God speaks through His word.  Why not give Him the most opportunity to speak while you're in the position of leadership from the stage?  After all, we're worship leaders, not song leaders.  Worship is a response to God.  When we worship through song and scripture, we are simply responding to what He has already said and done for us as worshippers.

So, if you're a worship leader, consider this a challenge to you to be prepared before you even think about stepping foot on the stage.  Pray over what songs God will have you lead that week.  As you feel led, pray over your set list for scripture and dialogue in order to best lead the congregation in worship.
If you're not a worship leader, prepare your heart to be open for worship as you're led.  I can't begin to describe how your corporate worship experience will change as a result of simply inviting the Holy Spirit to take control of your heart during that time.

That's my challenge for you today.  Be prepared as you worship tomorrow.  Take some time to consider what God would have you do in order to prepare your heart to worship as well as lead worship.

Clarity

Posted by zaneellis | Posted in | Posted on 11:46 PM

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I led worship for the first time in a long time on Sunday.  I can't even begin to describe the feeling in my heart in the moment and after it was over.  Have you ever felt that amazing feeling of clarity?  That's what it was like, only so much more.  The past few months have been somewhat discouraging, but I feel like I'm coming out of whatever funk I've been in.  I feel like I have direction and purpose now.  I have no doubt of who God has called me to be now.  I felt more passion, I felt more connected, I felt closer than I ever have when leading and I have no doubt that I will pour all of myself into it with any opportunity that I get now that I've walked through this process.

I don't want to say I took my opportunities for granted, but I don't know how else to put it.   I'm more grateful for any opportunity that someone gives me than I've ever been.  It's like I've been given the opportunity to start over.  Wipe the slate clean and start over again.

So what's next now?  Well, I'm a worship leader and I always will be.  So now I'm looking for opportunities to do just that.  Any event that you have where you need a worship leader, let me know!

I have clarity, purpose and direction and it feels so good to know what to do.  Now....how do I get there and where exactly am I supposed to go?  There are some difficult questions that I'm praying through, but I'm positive that God is going to speak through this process.

So what are you looking for some clarity about and how is God speaking through your situation?

A New Direction and Echoing His Word

Posted by zaneellis | Posted in | Posted on 10:17 PM

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Recently I've started reading through the New Testament as part of a series from One Life Church called New Thru 30.  We are committing to read through the entire New Testament in 30 days.  It's a pretty intense reading schedule, but it's been so good for me.  

Lately I've been stuck in this "what's next" rut.  It's like I've just pushed pause and I really haven't been sure which direction to head.  I haven't really been sure whether I'm done with ministry altogether or what.  Because of how things worked out in ministry and also as a result of a few other things going on in my life, to be quite honest I've just been angry.  I felt like I didn't have a direction and I just felt like things weren't going in the way that I had planned.  It apparently because pretty clear that God needed to get my attention.  His Word has helped to get my attention back.  

It's amazing what the Word of God does in your life.  I haven't been given specific instructions when reading through Matthew or Acts.  And today through 1 and 2 Thessalonians I didn't get some insight into God's plan for my life.  However, I have direction.  That sounds odd, but it's true.  God gives me direction through His Word and it just means that I follow Him.  I've got a clearer picture of where I'm headed even though I don't know what's going to happen 10 steps ahead.  I know the next step.  
There is a verse in Psalm 119 that tells us that God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  A lamp puts out light, but not enough light to see 10 yards ahead.  Just enough is illuminated for you to take the next step.  This is the direction that God is giving me in my life right now.  

He's helped do that through our new church, some friends and most importantly, His Word.  I'll be blogging periodically throughout our New Thru 30 series to share what God is teaching me.  

Today as I was reading through the very first part of the reading schedule I came across this passage in 1 Thessalonians and felt a stirring in my heart of the movement that God desires to bring to His people.  It reminded me of the message that I heard on Sunday.  Faith without works is a dead faith.  The church without action is a dead church.  God desires to wake up His people and to wake up His church.  He desires for us to have steel in our convictions, as Paul says.  When we live the message of Christ out in our lives, people WILL talk about it.  Paul says that their lives are echoing the Master's Word.  This is my prayer for the church.  That our lives would echo His Word.  That people would talk about how we expectantly await the arrival of the Son of God- Jesus Christ- who rescued us from certain doom.  

Here is the passage from today.  I've been reading along in The Message Bible so that's what I posted here.  Hope it inspires you as much as it did me.  Continue to check back here for more updates on the New Thru 30 series.  

2 Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers3 as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father.4 It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special.5 When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions. 

You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you,6 and determined to live that way yourselves. 
In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.7 Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you?8 The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message!9 People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God.10 They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom. - 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10



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