Miami Music Ministry Training Heralds and Forerunners for the Kingdom of God

“Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to.”

Psalm 119:77
The Message

At a Starbucks halfway from each of our respective homes, Richard Aspinwall, A-list producer in Nashville & Co-Founder/Director of the Miami Music Ministry, and I share what God’s doing in our lives - and in South Florida through the music ministry that he started with his wife, Heidi Aspinwall, 13 years ago.

As we sip coffee and enjoy the background music selections which include Miles Davis’ unmistakable So What, Richard tells me how together with Heidi, National Director for Volunteers for Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR), they headed down to Miami, Florida, from Nashville, Tennessee, thirteen years ago to start what they felt was a clear mission from God – to establish a place for youth across all social, economic, racial and ethnic lines to gather in community and have their musical interests & gifts nurtured all the while providing the conditions to mentor them toward a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

Since then, God has brought countless youth to the Miami Music Ministry. For just a dollar a lesson, kids ranging in ages from 8 to 18 are paired with a skilled musician and receive 30 minutes of individual instruction in their instrument of choice. Students can choose from voice, guitar, bass, drums & percussion, piano and organ. Kids come from across Miami-Dade County and some from all different churches throughout the community. For those dealing with demonstrable financial hardship, “the ministry will make every effort to provide students who cannot afford their own instruments with loaned instruments [and/or] other music materials for free.”

According to their website, “The Community Music School is an innovative approach to the transformation of young lives through private music instruction, high levels of expectation, evaluation, and the development of personal relationships between students and instructors.”

The dollar a lesson is a way of introducing responsibility to each student. Kids become stakeholders as they invest in their music education. The dollar also represents the actual reason for why the Miami Music Ministry exists – it’s about God and not about material wealth or so-called “success”. The teachers, most of them having gone through the music school themselves, are now in a position of modeling servant leadership and mentoring each student in the areas of music, discipleship and community.

This is the spiritual component to the program. Students are prayerfully nurtured to offer up their gifts and talents to God for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are presented with the central life lesson in the long obedience following Jesus - He is the first priority. At the Miami Music Ministry, it’s not about going somewhere and being told you’re going to be a great musician, but rather, it’s about learning to devote themselves (and their craft) to the glory and greatness of God Almighty. In the beginning, the younger students may not grasp this radical concept, but they’re taught by their teachers who model the ministry’s ethos.

As the students demonstrate proficiency, they are grouped into bands. Here they learn to perform in community and to listen to each other. Here is where they learn to groove together and accompany one another. Here is where all the different parts of the “body” are recognized as essential.

On August 29, 2009, the new Miami Music Ministry year will begin. Each Saturday, from 1 PM to 5 PM, students meet with their individual teachers. Along with the one-on-one instruction, all students are taught to read music and music theory in a classroom setting.

The program follows the Miami-Dade County Public Schools school year calendar, including breaks and holidays. The music school commences on the Saturday after Miami Dade County Public Schools open. Consequently, the music school ends the year on the Saturday before public schools close for the summer.

Interested parents, guardians and church communities can call (305) 479-6132 and leave messages expressing their interest and/or requesting further information. Toward the middle of August, calls will begin to be returned in order to place students with teachers for the upcoming music school year. Please visit the Miami Music Ministry website at
http://www.miamimusicministries.com/.

The Lighthouse Prayer Room has Reopened!

Dear Friends in Christ -

After a few months of raw reflection on the many lessons learned as a result of previous prayer events, it's my privilege and joy to announce that The Lighthouse Prayer Room has reopened.

Was it ever closed per se?

What does that mean?

How soon can we start praying there again?

Let me try to answer these hypothetical questions in the following manner -

It means that the ministry will continue - no matter what. It means that as a direct result of prayer - not all of them my own - we've changed some of the methods we were using before to address events and get people involved. I'm confident that in the future, more participants will eagerly join us in community worship, intercession and in personal adoration of our God through our Lord & Savior via the Lighthouse Prayer Room.

How soon can we start? I believe God is reconfiguring some things - He's working on relationships within the body; in turn, members of the body are pouring into one another and finally - we've come to embrace the blessed reality that trials & tribulations are a wonderful way of measuring the success this ministry is having in the lives of many in the local Church.

So, I begin this new kairos in the life of the Lighthouse Prayer Room asking for your prayers for the ministry and for every single person involved.

Please stay in touch, tell us how this ministry is serving you, submit prayer requests and please - let others know about this ministry. Stay in touch with me, let me know how I can serve you and how we can serve one another in Christ.

Know of my prayers for each of you -

In Jesus,

Danny

Elegantly & Lovingly Challenged

About two years ago, I read a book entitled Unchristian. Authors David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons presented an extremely sobering account of the perceptions, impressions and views those outside of "The Church" have about those who claim the title of "Christian". Last night, an extremely dear and brilliant friend unwittingly challenged me to reflect upon these very same attitudes & perceptions.

I asked myself, "How have I contributed (directly or indirectly) to feeling & perceptions that Christians are:

Belligerent
Exclusive
Judgmental
Close-Minded
Self-Righteous
just to name a few . . .

As we go on our way "doing church", are we perpetuating among those who would consider themselves outside of the Church - or as it may sometimes come across - "outside of being religious" - to hold fast to their views that Christians are in fact living far from the adjectives that should be automatically thought of when the word Christian is mentioned? What are those adjectives? Here's a hint - they are all the antithesis of the aforementioned ones.

Friends, I do not think we can just simply ignore any of these epithets any longer. If the Church wants more than anything else to incarnate, transmit, enact and extend Christ, then there's no way we can simply dismiss these terms and suggest that those who feel that way are going to simply have "to deal with it", "go to church and see how it isn't that way" or "go out there and get a better education on what Christianity is all about". Let's face it - we got a lot of work to do.

It is our call to bless and receive all God's children. We are enjoined to be available, accountable and to love.

Maybe it's as simple and as powerful to take responsibility, as a member of the Church universal - claiming the heritage and mystery of our faith, and ask for forgiveness. Maybe it's about listening to why others feel the way they do, acknowledging and valuing their views - wholeheartedly and genuinely. And whatever we do - let's not excuse what isn't - regardless of "historical" ramifications - pardonable. We can argue until our faces turn blue, but the tragic truth is - the Church was not united against slavery, it wasn't unequivocally united for civil rights, for peace and for justice. Consequently, this means many people have been hurt, abused, ignored, marginalized and disenfranchised - on our watch.

Brothers & Sisters, we have two choices to make - we either begin to take the perceptions with heartfelt interest and with an intentional desire to seek restoration, healing and peace; or we can choose to ignore them. We have already seen the brutal and irrefutable price of ignorance. May we be the generation that breaks the chains of passivity and embrace a new era of accountability.

With heartfelt love and humbly offered -

In Christ Alone,

Daniel Medina

Break Out of Captivity

The Next Evangelicalism is mandatory reading for any member of the Body of Christ. This is a gross understatement, but it is sometime necessary to state the obvious nonetheless. In the midst of all the publications concerning issues of Church & Race, Church & Culture, Missions, Emergent/Emerging Church, Church Growth and the future of the Western Church, Soong-Chan Rah's book directly challenges most, if not all authors and "authorities" of said areas of "Church studies". His heartfelt love for the Church is undeniable. Yet, Rah unapologetically indicts the captivity of the Western Church by the dominant white culture as the elephant in the room which can no longer be ignored by leaders in the Western Church.

Chapter after chapter, Dr. Rah's book provides multiple cases, examples and references marking the manner in which the captivity of the Western Church continues to galvanize and suffocate the true mission of the Church of Jesus Christ. He describes how, "... our movie-theater sanctuaries (to appease the consumer looking for an hour's worth of entertainment on a Sunday morning) and our mall-like church buildings reveal our captivity to the materalistic and consumeristic culture of American society," (p. 53). As our individualism contaminates our understanding of community, the Western Church continues to transmit a distorted theology and warped sense of life in Christ. Spiritual marketplaces where we can try on churches, compare ministries as if they were products, goods and services, is a sobering reminder of how we - for I believe we are all to some degree held in captivity - seek, "... programs that came in a nicely packaged, preset curriculum. . .," without having to deal with the, "...relational messiness of the primary culture," (p. 102).

There's more to come as I continue to reflect on this impressive and thought & spirit-provoking book. It is my prayer that Rah's book becomes a source of humble, loving, but uncomfortable conversations among members of the Body of Christ. I pray that Rah's pain and tears are shared in Christ-centered communities across the West for the sake of addressing the good, the bad and the ugly of living together (or not) in the Western Church.

Prayer Room Update

"Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end - it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it - it will surely come; it will not delay."

Habakkuk 2:2-3

Dear Prayer Room Friends:

It's time for an update.

After four prayer events, we've seen what works and what doesn't. God's been loud and quite clear, to say the least. Regrettably, some of the support we thought we would get wasn't extended to us. On the other hand, this allowed us to see where God is actually taking the Lighthouse's prayer room ministry.

We hope many of you can commit your support through prayer and attendance at future prayer events. We thank you for all of the prayers and kind words so many of you have shared with us along the way of this amazing journey.

Please know that we covet the privilege of praying for each of you. Please feel free to use this site to share your prayer requests with us. We will lift them up in prayer!

Thank you for reading this note.

In Christ,

Danny

A Viral Gospel

In St. Luke's, The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 8, we encounter St. Philip the Evangelist spreading the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the midst of the murder of his brother-in-Christ, St. Stephen, and of persecution as recorded in the aforementioned chapter.

The chapter begins with the brutal stoning of Stephen and ends with the conversion of Saul. It begins with one of the most severe persecutors the Church ever knew and ends with his transformation into the greatest evangelist the Church has ever known. These are the consequences of a viral Gospel, a message that is contagious and rather than sapping life, health and hope from those contracting it's effects, it regenerates, transforms, heals and is life-giving.

Like a virus, the Church was also forced to spread through the neighboring regions of Jerusalem as a result of persecution. As they were scattered and spread, Christians, "went about preaching the word" (v.4). In the midst of dispersion there was declaration. As they were scattered by force, Christians scattered the seeds of love that propagated into new believers. Instead of destroying the Church, it grew and became - indestructible.

Philip was one of the seven original deacons of the Church. Along with Stephen, Philip was selected because he was a man, "of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He was reliable and faithful. He was full of the Holy Spirit, therefore equipped with every good thing necessary for the ministry. And he was wise. His wisdom, to be sure, was not his own. It was from God. Without Him - he could do nothing. In the midst of turmoil, seemingly insurmountable challenges and fear, Philip was a faithful servant of the Lord. He continued to serve despite the manifold reasons available to hide, put the ministry aside or give up all together.

We are called to be a virus. We are called to spread, disperse and scatter across our city, nation and the world over. To spread the Gospel is to spread a life giving condition that will never cause death, only life and in unfathomable abundance. May we also experience in the midst of turmoil, opportunities to spread our praises and proclamations of the goodness of our King of Glory.

Paramore: Born to Scream Hallelujahs

I just wrote this article for The Good News, a local Christian newspaper. I wanted to share it with all of you as the theme is, in my opinion, relevant to how Christians view the role of other Christians in the arts. It's controversial thing, to say the very least. As a high school student, I never imagined these bands would ever exist, or for that matter, be embraced to the amazing extent they've been. Being that the Miami Music Ministry is all about bringing Jesus discipleship alongside musical training and development, it's only a matter of time before one of our own is before the limelight. May it always be for His honor and glory.

Here's the article:

Paramore is a band you want to keep your ears peeled for! Multiplying its fans by the hour, Paramore has continued to blow the minds and musical expectations of fans and critics alike. That’s not all, though. Here’s the best news: Paramore is a band comprised of young, talented and unashamed Christians.

In their thank you notes on the “RIOT!” album, all four band members thanked Jesus Christ. Their lyrics speak of misplaced faith, brokenness and of screaming “hallelujah.” A number of sideline observers of the buzz worthy emo pop “punk” band from Franklin, Tenn., are looking for more information on what the band thinks about the so-called “Jesus issue.”

“I try to talk about struggles and imperfections,” says lead singer Hayley Williams about her Christian faith, “and even questioning your faith at times. I don’t have anything figured out that the next kid doesn’t. It’s the people who shove their faith down people’s throats who create the stigma against artists with religious backgrounds.”

Formed in 2004, Paramore has been supported by top notch producers and record gurus. In 2005, Paramore got their first “big break” when they were practically signed “on-the-spot” by John Janick, founder of the record label Fueled by Ramen. Janick, “… was instantly struck,” the official Paramore website cites, “by their presence and their dedication, he immediately signed the band to the label.” Williams adds, “Fueled By Ramen has been amazing to us. So many kids started checking us out because our name is on their roster. It’s like a big family. We all share such a massive unit of fans.”

It seems that current commercial success and touring hasn’t eroded Paramore’s testimony. As musicians, Paramore’s presence, hard work and music is worthy of all the recognition they’ve been duly given. From a Christian perspective, perhaps many who didn’t know Jesus before may now consider Him as they realize that “we are broken” and in need of being restored.

This is particularly true when one reads the very personal blog entry by Williams regarding the controversial use of God’s name and the phrase, “Once a whore you’re nothing more,” in the song, Misery Business. The song, as Williams explains, “… is a true story... written at a time in my life that I felt very bitter towards a girl, who I still haven't forgiven, for a lot of things that she did a few years ago.”

In July 2007, as concern grew for her and band members over the lyrics, Williams decided to write a moving and apologetic Buzznet blog entry on the story behind the song. “I’m ashamed to say that, although I’m a believer in Jesus Christ and I claim him as my God, when I wrote those lyrics I wasn't addressing him. I was using his name casually. In vain, to be blunt. if you know much about the Christian religion (which I’m not too fond of addressing my faith as), you'll probably know that one of the ten commandments is "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain"... it goes on to say, "...for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." As a believer in Christ, that last part scares the hell out of me. I don't want to be held accountable for being the cause of so many people using his name in vain. you don't have to believe in what I believe and no one in Paramore is ever going to go around forcing our faith into people's lives... but believer or not, I might have led some of ya'll to believe that I take my saviour lightly. and I don't.” Williams continues, “God brought me through everything that I say in "Misery Business". I believe that I am a stronger person because those things happened in my life. through that situation, I learned so much. when I sing that song now, I’m not the same person I was when I wrote it. when I sing those lines that I used to sing in vain, I mean them in a different way. I don't want to opportunity to be held responsible for causing a lot of people to use my God's name in vain. so, whether or you not you believe in Christ. whether or not you care if it means something when you say God. just know that as for me, when I am singing those lines, I’m telling God that it feels good to stand up for myself and be victorious after long months of confusion and pain. I don't hurt the same way anymore.”

Paramore will perform in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, June 3, at the Cruzan Amphitheatre, opening up for No Doubt.