Tim Timmons, OK, Giddy Up Jesus
- Over time, he has learned that pursuing excellence is fine, “But I think excellence becomes an idol and it becomes another god and a dangerous god.”
Tim Timmons is no stranger to pain, sorrow, and failure; but he has also experienced joy and hope. Living with cancer for the past twenty-years, Tim says, “The gift of cancer is perspective.” In this Worship Sound Bite Tim has some wisdom to offer from his particular perspective.
When asked about his best worship team memories, he said, “The best ones are always the ones where we’ve had vulnerability as a crew together.” Vulnerability results from relationship. Sometimes it can take only a little time, or sometimes years, but relationship is key.
Relationship empowers people to answer the hard questions. Tim loves asking his team before a worship time, “Which of these songs do you need to pray today?” He also tries to keep the worship team’s mindset off the “God please be with us,” point of view, and on the, “Jesus, what do you want to do?” point of view.
For so long, Tim says his worship ministry was not primarily focused on what Jesus might want to do, but on doing the best set he could do; the pursuit of excellence. Over time, he has learned that pursuing excellence is fine, “But I think excellence becomes an idol and it becomes another god and a dangerous god.” That’s why perspective and relationship become so powerful for keeping worship teams united and focused on what God wants to do.
After leading worship for fifteen years in Orange County, California, Tim is now the Worship Pastor at Journey Church in Tennessee. He is also founder of the 10,000 minutes podcast and strangely convinced that Jesus was bald (look at a picture of Tim and you’ll understand why.)
More from Tim Timmons
Transcript
There are so many memories that I have of great worship communities and teams. I think the best ones are always the ones where we’ve had vulnerability as a crew together. So as I lead teams now or a band or even in my church community, I think the prayer that happens right before it every time, it’s like, God be with us, be with the instruments and make things, but be with us.
And I think it could be one of the biggest waste of time in our week, is that cliche prayer, because what if he’s actually going to answer and act upon the thing we’re about to agree on? It’s be a really different prayer. So when I’m with a group of people that are excited about that, like, OK, giddy up,
Jesus. What- what do you want to do? We just want to join you in what you’re doing. And we know each other. We have a rapport. Those are some of my favorite moments. I love asking the questions to my teams. Hey, which of these songs do you need to pray specifically today? And then why? And as we talk about that as a group, I get to know that person.
They get to know me and work together in this thing. So I just- relationship is so important and for a lot of my worship leading life that was not focused on. It was more about just kicking butt and doing the best set you can do. And- which is great, but I think excellence becomes an idol and it becomes another God and a dangerous God.
And so this relational aspect that is so powerful if we are one together in this thing. So those are my favorite moments.
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After two decades of ministry and a lifetime of looking for Jesus, Timmons is no stranger to pain, cancer, sorrow, failure, joy and hope. “For most of my life,” Timmons shares, “I found myself working FOR God, and not WITH Him, which lead to my tired soul desperately searching for more. Saying, ‘Jesus, is this all there is?’” His latest single, “You Never Let Go” featuring Tammi Haddon, is a prayer to remind us that regardless of the season we find ourselves in, how connected or disconnected we feel to God, He will NEVER, ever let us go.