Munger Worship:Creepiness' & Fabulousness' - It's All Good

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3 loads of laundry, 52 emails and 7 Facebook posts later…

The topic: Munger Worship, An Inside Look.

Firstly, let's get semantics right. To me, an old Baptist girl, turned Non Denominational, turned bizarrely Methodist, 'worship' means the MUSIC bits. Please refer to this handy definition provided by Mr. Webster:

2worship

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): worshipped also worshiped;worship·ping also worship·ing

Date: 13th century

transitive verb

1 : to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power
2 : to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion

intransitive verb

: to perform or take part in worship or an act of worship

We don't 'worship' the announcements. We don't 'worship' the sermon. We don't 'worship' the tithe. We come together to worship God! And the music portion of the service is really the only thing befitting of the definition, as it relates to a church service.

Now that I've cleared that up:

I have no earthly idea what Munger worship is going to look like.

All I can tell you is what I know, who I am, and what has moved me, profoundly.

Now, I understand that I am looked at, as my title would exclaim, as Music Director.

But before that I am a girl:

Broken, full of joy, perplexed, hopeful, driven, harried, lazy, spirit filled and vain. (I'll spare you the comparison: Prov 31: I've checked - I'm not in there)

And before that I was fearfully and wonderfully made:

I was created by God.

He placed my creepiness' and fabulousness' in me, and wrote my story.

I have never been hidden from God presence.

I have only ever banished myself.

God has not ever stopped thinking about me.

I have spent my life thinking about me.

I was created by God.

I have broken God's heart.

God created me.

I have disgraced the faith I proclaim.

I am loved by God.

I am selfish with my money.

God loves me.

Yes, I'm a creep, and it's no secret to God.

Why?

Why is it that everyday God lets me do it, creepy, fabulous and all, all over again?

As if yesterday wasn't exhausting enough.

God has given me life, and daily, for whatever reason, He sustains my breath.

Maybe God keeps waking me up so that He has another shot at enjoying me.

Maybe God keeps waking me up so that I have another shot at enjoying him.

Yes, I'm a creep, and it's no secret to God.

But how long do I stay there?

For how long do I sit in God's chair and decide I'm not worthy? Rest assured, many have come to that conclusion on my behalf, thank you very much, but so far I know God as: King and Redeemer. Restorer, Sanctify-er. Healer. Victor.

You may ask yourself: How does Kate being a creep relate to worship?:

Because you're a creep too, and we've been told it's ok to worship God anyway. (enter, King David)

How many more times will we be granted the extreme honor of coming together, in worship, with other people and THEIR creepiness' and fabulousness' so that God can enjoy us, together?? Solely for His delight - giving way to His Spirit as He moves among us!!!?? Renewing us, reviving us, restoring us, rescuing us.

THINK ABOUT IT!!

Munger Worship, An Inside Look:

Our sanctuary will be filled with people who are being encouraged to be honest about who they are, and who they want to be.

People that want to grow spiritually, who seek accountability and community.

People that admit they've let past church/denominational hurts dictate their current church standing.

People that are ready to begin the laying down of social and religious fraud.

People that don't know anything about God and want to argue His existence.

People that accept truth when they are nose to nose with it.

People that give it UP during worship, like when their horse/team/sales dept/fav band/dealership/firm/practice/big idea is on FIRE!

People that dance like those kids at the foot of the stage in Cornerstone.

People that listen to The Muse, Rufus Wainwright, Coldplay and Pasty Cline.

People that appreciate elements of ceremony, liturgy, sanctuary and the Baptist hymnal.

We have all sinned and fallen short, quack quack quack.

Quit acting like that's not you. Get over yourself, already.

We are one and the same.

Kate Miner, CmD.

(creepy music director)

Kate's Bio

Kate Miner is an artist who "can't separate her performance from the song. The song, singer and performance are one and the same, inseparable." says Chuck Plotkin (producer for Bruce Springsteen and a host of other various artists.) Kate likewise refuses to compartmentalize her life from her art, her spirituality from her humanity, or the calling of God from her identity. As such, her music possesses a raw emotional transparency that crosses all demographic boundaries and cuts deftly to the listeners heart. Kate is "...someone who can move you and soothe you in equal measure." wrote Chris Willman of the L.A. Times.

Kate began singing publicly at the age of four when she performed a duet at her local church. And began vocal work on television commercials at approximately ten.


At twenty-one, shortly after she moved to Los Angeles and began working in local clubs, Kate landed her first recording deal, with Word Records, and an impressive co-publishing/ development deal with Sony Music Publishing. Kate has sung with Tonio K, Pierce Pettis, Christopher Williams, Michelle Pillar, Randy Stonehill, Mark Heard, The Choir, and FunderburkMiner. In 1992, she was named Female Acoustic Artist of the Year by the National Academy of Songwriters.

By 1997, Kate found herself at a dramatic career crossroad. While the road to further music business success and celebrity stretched ahead and was seemingly hers for the taking, she couldn't help noticing that her involvement with the music at church was becoming more meaningful and gratifying than anything represented by Hollywood. Her friend, and manager at the time, Susan Munao, sensing Kate's growing tension, issued a challenge to her to make a decision about the vision for her career. Kate acknowledged that God was pointing toward a special purpose for the talent He'd given her, and though nearly reluctant at first, she would ultimately refer to this new career focus as "the reason I was born." Since that time, and in her inimitable style, she goes at it with everything she's got, with no apologies, and no looking back.


Serving as music director for 10 years at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Malibu in California (birthplace of Jason Wade/LightHouse and Kendall Payne), she was given the opportunity to pursue what would ultimately blend the whole of her artistic passion, and formidable musical gifts into the service of God's purpose for modern worship music. The result has been nothing less than explosive, said by many to be like nothing they have ever experienced.


1999 would be a year of both triumph and tragedy for Kate. She would produce two very significant albums in the same year, but she'd also lose her mother to brain cancer.


Upon learning of her mother's terminal prognosis, Kate wanted to comfort her by recording a tape of herself singing her mom's favorite hymns. But, as they discovered mom's health was deteriorating more rapidly than predicted, it was also learned that countless doctor bills were falling through the cracks of the insurance system, threatening to leave her Dad not only devastated by loss, but also strapped with enormous unpaid medical bills. Kate immediately went on the offensive and pulled several music biz friends together to instead produce a full fledged CD, "Old Hymns My Mom Loves." She finished it in time for her mom to hear it round the clock during her final days. Then in the months after she passed away, sales from the CD produced enough money to pay off the entire outstanding balance of medical bills. As a benevolence project, it was a complete success, but it also serves as a loving tribute to her mother and the legacy of spiritual foundation she passed to her kids.

Just two short months later, Kate began pre-production on what would become her most passionate and definitive worship recording to date, "Live From the Sunset Strip." Recorded completely live at the Roxy Theater in Hollywood, it quickly became a landmark worship album with acclaim that was nearly unprecedented in its unanimous praise by critics and fans alike. From this record, a groundswell began. Kate's song, "Jesus You Are Holy", was picked up by Worship Leader Magazine (January 2000) for their Song Discovery CD. Then again, their February issue featured "We Believe". While "Carry Me" and "Jesus, You Are Holy" are fast becoming favorites with churches around the country, worship recording artists like Rita Springer and others are including songs from "Live" on their own CDs.


In September of 2001, she independently released a collection of tracks recorded between 1989 to 1999, all previously unreleased, that chronicle her career trek thus far. She calls it, "the journey that led to 'Live'" and wittily entitled it "These Could've Been My Greatest Hits." In 2006 she released “Prodigal Martha” - her ponderances after vocal chord surgery, and most recently, “Songs” a sort of Greatest Hits Never Heard, Vol 2.


Kate has been a front runner in worship leading and is especially excited as the number of female worship leaders continues to grow around the world. With a nod of respect to the interesting and unusual road she's traveled, she remains focused on being a mom, and an artist. In it all, she admittedly struggles with surrender, fails most days at forgiveness but remains convinced that God is on the throne.

THINGS I LOVE
MY KIDS:
Hannah, 22 who gave me a GRANDSON: TUCKER 3yrs old (YUM)
Liv, 16 guitar, piano, singer, writer, attitude for miles/days
Henry, 14 skater, drummer, eyes on Berklee School of Music
Ethan, 9 so smart you’ll want to nap, eyes on Harvard

MUNGER:
What I said to Paul was: It is the church’s privilege to step into the community, NOT the community’s responsibility to step into the church.


We will bless this neighborhood by our desire to be culturally relevant.


There is no template. RIGHT ON! We won’t be taking a popular church model that works in San Diego or London or, say Highland Park, and trying to smash The Mungers into it -how ridiculous. Our invitation to remain in the neighborhood will come from falling in love with The Mungers and seeking to bless them.

MOVIES:
I love movies. I love GOING to movies. I love movie POPCORN mixed with Milk Duds (I do not share) I like standing in line, looking at people as they leave to see what they thought of the movie. I like foreign movies. I like critically acclaimed & commercially trashed. There is no movie I won’t pay to see. I think, like children, they should all be given audience and THEN you can banish them.

FOOD:
Indian is my favorite, but I can not cook it. HOWEVER, I make a mean chocolate soufle! And for the right price, I will make one for YOU!


MUSIC:
Yes, I like it.
Aimee Mann. Bocelli. Rat Pack. The Osmonds. Rascal Flats.

FAV QUOTE:
... don’t have one I guess -but I’m highly enamored with most everything that comes out of my mouth...


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Discography

> Check out Kate's music on iTunes

• SACRED, recorded in 1995. My first record after having departed the club/rock star scene. Think a la naturale and you'll be pleased.
• LIVE FROM THE STRIP, recorded in 1999. This will always be my personal favorite. It's live worship, NO OVERDUBS or RETAKES or ANYTHING. The players are superb and the Spirit is soaring!!
• OLD HYMNS MY MOM LOVES, recorded in 1999. My mom was dying with terminal brain cancer. My intention was to record some of her favorite hymns, just for her. When I saw the Dr bills mounting I enlisted some friends and pressed up a few copies. We covered ALL medical bills with this record. My dad played it so much during the last weeks that mom lived, my sister retitled it: Old Hymn That Killed Mom.
• OLD HYMNS MY DAD LOVES, recorded 2003. Was such a hit with Mom, decided to do one for dad. His response: Do you know something I don't know?
• THESE COULD HAVE BEEN MY GREATEST HITS, compiled in 2001. Title, self explanatory. This record is a compilation of demos that span 10 years. If you're looking for a range of songwriting and some hair-don't pictures this record is for you.
• PRODIGAL MARTHA, recorded in 2005. I have no words for this record (I used them all up in the songs). Just listen to it.
• SONGS, compiled in 2009. My favorite music moment EVER is on this record: A live duet between Darrell Evans and me singing Dream Before You. This record is a smattering of everything I've done