Over the past 2 years, our family has been privileged to serve along side some wonderful people each week in our ministry setting. Each Sunday, our family gets up and everyone has their assigned tasks and we get busy.

Usually my wife and 3 younger children get ready for church and head to town to pick up our supplies for our “Hope Cafe”! You know, muffins, donuts, napkins, coffee cups, sugar, creamer, etc, etc… They also go by the “Golden Arches” and pick biscuits for our set up team. This is a big blessing to all the folks that come out early to set up.

For 2 years now, I have gotten up early to spend time with my Lord and go over my message before the busyness of the day begins. It’s wild that on this Sunday morning as I sit here contemplating my usual Sunday morning, I am missing my routine. You see today will be different. Usually by now on Sunday mornings I have already had a time of “Unhindered Worship” in my garage apartment, just me and Jesus.

After that time in my garage, the busyness begins! My 2 oldest sons and I hit the road! We head by our mother church to pick up our weekly worship guides and then we make a bee line to the High School to set up for our worship services. As the Planter/Pastor, I have been the “Key Keeper”. That means, since I have the keys, I go to set up every week. The only people in our church that attends set up every week is the Worship Pastor and our family. We are paid staff so we have to attend, right? Well, that’s what I’ve always thought. I have bought into the lie that if I do not go, who will take care of the details? You know, making sure the trash is picked up inside and out. Setting the projectors where they are straight on our screens and adjusting the lights where they are set just perfect…

As I sit here and think about how silly that sounds, I realize that each Sunday my worship has been hindered because I’ve been too concerned about the things that someone else can be concerned about. In fact, each week during the service, I’m micro managing my son who serves as our audio /visual guy during the service from the front row with my cell phone. Like I said, my worship has been hindered.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were in Houston Texas attending the SBC and NAMB provided a worship time for church planters and NAMB staff. We didn’t have to unlock the doors, set the lights, pick up trash, adjust projectors or screens. We simply showed up and worshipped! We realized that day that we were in need of “Unhindered Corporate” worship. We are thankful today to have the opportunity that our church has afforded us to ride to church together and just worship.

Today, we are headed out to a church in Athens to hear from Heaven as we worship our Lord. I miss being at Hope Church already but I’m confident God will use this time to refresh our family and minister to our people. I do feel a little weird not being the “Key Keeper” but I believe that if I can give up the keys, God will give me everything I need to have “Unhindered Worship”!

I’m Committed!

Matt