Year 21: Together is Our First Value

Much of what I write about and work towards in life and ministry is grounded in the revelation I had in my 20’s as an introverted and hardscrabble young man was that God the Creator made humans for companionship and grouping together. The global Church (capital C) is the example of shared faith and gathering weekly as we celebrate the divine man Jesus on Sundays (and other days globally) and especially as we Easter together and align our intentions of worship in the world as a "together people". It is the very first value in The Visible Way and it is important that we remember to think about togetherness, work for togetherness, and exemplify togetherness, fighting hard for grace for others.

Modern America togetherness was coming undone in 2021.

The world had been fractured in 2020 through the pandemic and forces of division were rampant in the culture throughout 2021-2022. We stood our ground on the essentiality of the gospel of Jesus Christ coupled with an apolitical approach to ministry. We’ve enjoyed being an American college with international students from 30+ countries for 25 years now. Our 2021-2022 year was the end of an era between liberal theology and biblical orthodoxy and a full reminder of the practices of simple historic Christianity and biblical fidelity. So much togetherness had eroded within the Church in the US and globally, taking with it cultural breaking of past/orthodoxy/fundamental/inerrancy and future/liberal/western/interpretive lanes of the Christian world. Visible stands on the side of historic Christianity and established TOGETHER to mean a solid footing on the establishment of the school from 2000 and also 2,000 years of church history.

When words can’t be uttered without contempt, togetherness fails. Including the words “Christian music”.

Recent history has continued to show numerous areas where divisive politics, theology, mentalities, and devices easily tear at togetherness. Even the Christian music world continues down paths of political contention, genre self-loathing, worship wars, and every option of adopting anti-together postures. I’ve worked in a CCM where people didn’t want to be known as a Christian band. So funny. Visible Music College has stood with ministries from every denomination and country and angle as long as they are working towards expressing Jesus Christ’s love for people and the saving grace of God in the world. We proudly stood with the We Love Christian Music Awards again in 2022 as we worked on another event because of a together relationship with Kevin McNeese and his team.

Ministry is better together and it helps you to have grace for all people.

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