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We will be introducing a new song called “I Just Love You” by Gateway Worship. We sang this song together at the Night of Worship & Prayer, and I wanted to share some thoughts with you before we continue to learn the song together on Sundays. I have been so thankful to be so warmly welcomed into this church family, and in addition to frequently thanking God for this new community, I have also been asking how God may be leading us to grow as a church family, specifically how we can grow in our worship and adoration of Him.

This song stuck out to me in a time a prayer, specifically the line “I will not bring that which costs me nothing”. In this day in age, our worship rarely costs us something, but one thing we can give each time we actively worship Jesus is our full selves (mind, body, and spirit). 

Many times when we worship, whether we are praying, singing, or sitting in silence with Him, we may feel uncomfortable, reserved, or even disconnected. Maybe you have felt this way when singing along with our church family. You may have had a thought cross your mind, “I wonder if the person next to me can hear me singing,” or “why is she always raising her hands like that?” or maybe you even feel prompted to lift your hands in a posture of surrender but a voice of doubt creeps in out of concern of what people might think of you. Maybe you find yourself wrestling with some of the words we are singing, wondering if you have lived them out well in your own life.

Friends, I want to encourage you to bring your FULL self in worship. If you have had a thought like that, or have been wrestling with a similar emotion, you are not alone. Like most other things with following Jesus, worship is a practice, and just like anything else, it takes practice. Bring your genuine thoughts, concerns, and emotions to Jesus in your worship. It may be challenging or uncomfortable at times, but I believe that our worship should cost us something. At the very least, we can be willing to be a little uncomfortable or step into something new. Let us be reminded as we head into each Sunday of what a privilege it is to gather with our church family and worship the name of Jesus. I look forward to each Sunday, and I hope you do too!

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

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Caleb Rogers

Caleb grew up in Anderson, Indiana and has served as a Worship Pastor in the Milwaukee area over the past 10 years before joining our staff in 2023. Caleb and His wife Anna have been married since 2014 and have two kids, Foster and Raelynn. Caleb connects with God best through music and nature, and he enjoys his time most when it's spent with people. If you see him outside of Venture, he will probably be outside with his family, running, playing disc golf, or doing a house project. A unique fact about Caleb: before being called into ministry, he was enrolled in classes to be a turbodiesel mechanic.