Meredith Rounsley

You Are What You Eat – Thoughts on Worship

How many times have we heard this phrase? I distinctly remember my eighth grade health class; sitting in rickety desks and being taught how to read food labels. The sad fact is that there are a lot of people who don’t give this concept a second thought. Because of that, there are over 750 million people in the world who are classified as either overweight or obese. While I could go on a rant about how the media sensationalizes the “perfect body”, the sad truth is that those extra pounds wreak havoc on a person. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even several types of cancer are linked to being overweight. All of this can be managed or even reversed with more access to solid truth about nutrition.

In the same way, our spiritual lives are being affected by the nutritional value of our worship music. We survive on a steady diet of soaring lead lines, catchy melodies, and pounding kick drums. These, just like the occasional candy bar, aren’t bad at all. In fact, they are brilliant. Music is one of the most transcendent forms of communication out there because everyone listens to it. I find myself humming lines from songs that are new to radio within hours of hearing them because I have connected with them. One of my friends always tells me that she loves music because it is a way of proclaiming the truth without getting punched in the face. People listen to music and take it to heart.

So what are you listening to? What songs are you allowing to influence your life and feed your ideals? Music, if we truly stop and think about it, has a way of forming our worldviews without the slightest effort. Three and a half minutes and BAM! We have a new perspective on something. Often we forget that worship music does not have any special type of lyrical immunity. If it isn’t grounded in truth it can be totally misleading and even contradictory.

I say this to myself and to all worship leaders. Let us always acknowledge the responsibility that we have to write and lead people in songs that are Biblically sound. We are living in a generation where people remember the hook to a worship song better than any sermon or verse. Take a minute and let the weight of that rest on you. It’s not meant to be something that freezes us up and keeps us from ever trying to write again. What it should do is encourage us to deepen our relationship with God through the knowledge of His Word, writing new songs that convey the love that we have for Him (and that He has for us!).

I’d totally love to know what you all think on the subject. How do you think that we could improve our worship music? If you’re a writer, what lyrical gaps have you seen yourself trying to fill?

Stop and Smell the Burgers

I have now officially been through two full weeks of classes at college. Both my brain and my heart are about to burst! The band that I have been placed with for worship is incredible, both in skill and in personality. I can’t wait to spend the next few months with these people.
Today found me at the local McDonalds, enjoying one of the few “American” things in this fine land of Australia and sending e-mails through cyber space. Steph and I took advantage of the free internet there and, when my computer finally died, I settled into a stiff wicker chair with a book and a Coke. Rest.

Tonight at a leader’s meeting for middle school ministry, the speaker talked about serving from a place of rest. I think that, my life being so intertwined with the church, I often neglect this. There is a Sabbath for a reason. Everyone needs time to unwind from the business of the week, to enjoy the company of others, and remember that there are seriously solid reasons for breathing. So let me encourage you, friends. If you are about to throw yourself upon the ground while flailing your limbs and yelling because you are so busy, get away from people and take time to just breathe. You don’t have to nerd out like me and read for hours, but do something! Go for a walk; listen to some music, journal, or take a drive out to the beach. That way you are refreshed and ready to jump back into the rest of your week.

So maybe you’re not the type to sit at a McDonalds for three hours. That’s okay. It’s not for everyone. But take time to rest so that you won’t be a grumpy gills.

Home

I don’t mean for this to be a pitiful blog post. Honestly, there are so many good things that have been happening to me over on this side of the world. I wish the whole of Salisbury could be here with me. And I wish I knew how to handle it the right way. But, the truth is, I had refused to let myself get homesick until today.

Perhaps I didn’t want to be “that girl”. Describe her however you will. The kind that cries when she’s left in her room by herself for the first time, the kid who can’t function because she’s just been overwhelmed by how much she misses home. These are very real things that everyone here has had to deal with. But, in an effort to be the strong one and the one that everyone could come to when they got homesick, I haven’t let any of that out. I always do it. And it always backfires.

I’ve spent the past few weeks with some of the most incredible people on the planet. They are genuine, sincerely lovely, heartfelt people. At first it was a mystery to me as to why I feel so at home with them. But slowly I’m realizing it’s because they remind me of friends from home. People of immeasurable character who have been with me through thick and thin, smoothing over the toughest parts of life with love and loyalty that is fiercer than I can even put into words. Every time I walk into a room full of people here I get excited. Not because it has some kind of Hillsong-y sheen about it. But because I am reminded of what it’s like to be at home. A home I miss and cherish with all my heart.

Maybe I don’t tell you guys this enough. And that’s a sad state of affairs. But I miss you. Don’t let the fact that I’m trying to be super Meredith cancel that out for even one second. I think I love you guys more over on this side of the world than ever. And the fact that I am sitting here in a puddle of every emotion possible is a testament to that fact. I miss my church back home; with it’s larger than life heart and a desire to turn an entire community towards the love of Christ. I miss the friends who would be willing to sit in a circle on my floor and talk for hours over Italian food and Disney movies. I miss the worship team, who have been a second family and some of the most outrageously awesome people I have ever had the privilege to walk this life with.

So now I am going to go do what all distraught teenage girls do. I’m going to go sit downstairs, listen to music, and eat cookies. I’m sending my love across oceans.

It’s Getting Intense Over Here

You know what that means! Well, maybe you don’t. But I am going to fill you in.

Intensives are a part of the first two weeks of school over here at Hillsong. These two weeks are packed with nine to five classes preparing us for the semester ahead. It allows for teachers to mark a few lectures as “done” on your transcript, but I also think it secretly differentiates between the mice and the men. We’re all doing pretty well, though.

But let me tell you a little bit more about intensives. First of all, the classes are long. Two to four hour classes with minimal breaks and over one hundred and fifty new students in them can be pretty daunting. Fortunately we have the best teachers imaginable. They are helpful, funny, encouraging, supportive, and very serious about the students that they have been entrusted with. We have barely scratched the surface of this semester and I already know that I am with teachers that are going to challenge me and help me when I need it.

We’re also not in the traditional learning environment. We’re in a church. Portions of the upper level are sectioned off and we diffuse over rows of seats, each having it’s own pull out “desk”. At first it’s really awkward. But once you find out the names of the people you’ve been tripping over to get to your seat, it’s all good. Intensives have actually worked as a pretty strong bonding agent for most of us. Somehow the people that were helping you find your next classes are now your new friends.

As trying as the long hours and packed seating is, the subject matter is what earns these two weeks their title. All of us have been challenged about the very basics of what we know concerning what it means to be a leader and a follower of Christ. Things we may not have thought about before are being brought to the forefront in a very abrupt fashion. That’s something that I’m going to have to elaborate on once the whole set of intensives has run it’s course. Let’s just say its life changing.

I’ll be updating with pictures, videos, and other stuff soon. My internet is on the fritz. Yes, the fritz.

Also, I posted this to my twitter but I also want to put it here. Is there any way I can pray for you guys this week? Big or small, shoot me an e-mail, tweet, leave a comment. I’d love to pray for you guys!

Welcome Home

I told you that I would dedicate a whole other post to my housemates. That statement is about to come true! When plans to live with one of my friends here in Australia fell through, I ended up having to settle with college housing. At least, that is what I thought until I met these four incredible people.

To mention my two South African housemates separately would seem entirely wrong to me. Ruani and Liezl, two best friends who moved to Australia to go to Hillsong together, are the most perfectly mismatched pair I have ever met. Ruani is a sarcastic, uproariously funny, and highly opinionated member of the T.V. Media stream here at college. She is very particular about things like cooking and cleaning, making her seem very intimidating at first. The intimidation factor lasts for about two minutes after you realize that she is probably one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. Every time I have seen her so far she is wearing a hoodie that dominates her tiny frame and wandering about the house speaking loudly in Afrikaans. Liezl, who is a worship student, is her calm and quiet counterpart. Classically beautiful and wise beyond her years, she has made everyone in the house feel more welcome than we would have ever thought possible. She is quick to offer comfort and advice to any who are seeking it. I honestly would have had a mild panic attack about going into my stream if she wasn’t willing to stay up late nights, sharing stories from both college and South Africa.

Arika, who is one year my junior and a fellow worship student, is from Texas or California (depending on if the foreigner she is speaking to has any preconceived notions about either state). She is my next-door neighbor down the bedroom hallway and I usually wake up to her voice either humming a song or speaking with a member of her family on skype. She is wonderfully excitable and wears bright blue pant with yellow shirts and knee high converse shoes. I’m forever passing her as I wake up in the morning, both of us trying to tame our short brown hair. She is a joy to have around, bouncy and expectant and forever looking forward to the days ahead.

Have you ever met a born storyteller? I have. Her name is Steph and she is my housemate. I cannot even begin to tell you how nice she is. She is wonderfully patient, staying up late into the night to hear the stories of everyone in the house. Every time she gets on the computer it is to type two or three page e-mails to people back home. I often find her in her room reading long letters from her army of friends in Canada, all of whom have been obviously touched by her generosity and friendship. We cook together, we watch One Tree Hill together, we talk about writing and admire journals together, and we buy matching bikes. Suffice to say, we get along pretty well. Our closets may be completely different but our hearts are a lot alike.

I am so excited to do this season of life with these four incredible women. They have unmatched hearts and a desire to see God do incredible things in their lives and, by extension, their communities. I love them. That is all.

International Macintosh Fest

That’s what it looks like when all of us get together to facebook our families. A rainbow of black, white, and silver macbooks opened on the kitchen table while we cook dinner and unwind from our day. I can’t even explain to you the simple joy of letters from home or picture updates on the internet. If one of us has tears in our eyes when we check the computer…it’s probably an e-mail from mom or dad.

While the classes at college won’t start until the end of the week, there has still been plenty of time to get to know other students. And you get to know them in the coolest settings ever.

United night for the youth programs at Hillsong was on Friday and it was insane. Hundreds of (possibly closer to a thousand) kids gathered at the Hills campus to worship, hear the Word, and connect after a term of intense fellowship. It is the loudest and most passionate group of people that I have ever met in my life! You are immediately swept into the building by a tidal wave of skinny jean clad and hairsprayed teens. The music is so loud that your heart actually begins to beat in time with the kick drum. As you are pressed into the auditorium, you start to realize that these “teenagers” are really anywhere from 12 to 35. Leaders are all over the place to welcome new kids and just be easygoing and informative. Not only that, but they have huge hearts and are some of the most giving people that I have met thus far in life. They don’t just serve as traffic directors. They are friends, mentors, family, and sometimes they are the only spiritual leader in a kid’s life. It’s a big party, but make no mistake that the entire evening is about Jesus. From the welcome to the request for clothing donations for city ministries to kids praying for each other and encouraging each other’s spiritual walk, this is the real deal.

As if youth night wasn’t enough to knock you socks off, Sunday mornings at Hillsong are nothing short of incredible. Before you ask me the most typical question, I will just answer you by saying that of course the worship was great. And though it is a huge part of my life, I can honestly say that I was relieved that it wasn’t the main focus of the morning. Everything centered on a relationship with Christ. The music was less of a concert and more of a church wide declaration of hope, faith, and love. There were sweet moments of parents dedicating their children and asking for the assistance of their friends and family in raising a child that would know Christ. The guest pastor for the day spoke on the sheer greatness of God and the generosity and love that he showed in bringing his greatness to us through Christ. Prayers were lifted up for the broken, the run down, the abused, and those who simply needed a job or were having relational struggles. Not only that, but there was a reminder of the fact that the church was actually doing something about it.

Hillsong Conference, which just finished the week before I came, draws in people from across the country and the world to worship and prepare to make an impact on their churches. Swathes of children were sponsored through World Vision and Compassion International, houses build in Bangladesh, clean water brought to Africa, desks given to schools in India, sex trafficked women represented in court, and people in Sydney were given clothes and meals simply due to the generosity of one group of people. How incredible is that? Nearly five thousand people gave of their time and energy so that thousands more had the opportunity to meet with Christ in a life changing way. (By the way, there were just over 2,000 decisions made to accept Christ during the conference alone). To see numbers like that slide across the screen are both impressive and humbling.

My housemates (there will be a post dedicated to them VERY soon) and I returned to church that evening for the night service, during which dozens of people were baptized and thousands more joined them in prayer and worship. So good. Afterwards I began to meet people who would be attending college with me. Heaps of us are in the music stream, so I know that I won’t be without a large group of people to hang out with. That’s pretty cool in and of itself, but the best part of all of this is that everyone is really nice. A diverse and interesting group of top notch people. I met people who are sure to be great friends at college breakfast this morning.

I am so prepared, excited, and expectant of God to do great things during this next season of my life. I’m still missing home, but I’ve been reminded rather quickly that my home is in Christ. I have been blessed beyond belief to be given these incredible housemates and be living in this fantastic country. How much more am I going to love it when I start classes?!?!

So what about you guys? Have you seen God moving in big ways in your life, church, or home?

View From The Top

I am scared of heights. And flying. But a great deal of that is related to heights. So when my aunt and uncle informed me that we were going to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, I was a tad bit distraught. There were mental images of me falling off of the bridge and into the icy waters below, none of those images pleasant.

However, I am pleased to tell you that I did it! It was worth every terrifying second, too. It was a windy, freezing day but the view was spectacular. We could see about 60 miles in either direction! Perfect.

So that’s what’s up in my part of the world. How about yours?

Harbour With a “U”

I made it. This evening finds me nestled into a couch, the smell of my uncle making spaghetti wafting through an apartment overlooking the Sydney Harbour. A half a mile away from me across shimmering waters is the famous Harbour Bridge. It’s heavy metal structure soars above toy size boats while the Opera House peeks out from underneath of it. The whole city is lit up and I am one of the lucky few who are watching it twinkle with excitement and vibrancy unmatched by any other place.

From the moment I stepped off of the plane here I have been completely and utterly excited. Almost everything I say is finished off with an exclamation point. Mundane facts like, “Toilets are that way” or, “Oversized baggage is located near carousel thirteen” are met with a “Perfect!”, “Excellent!”, or “Wonderful!” on my part. I don’t normally say stuff like that, but this city is having me make exceptions for it, namely in the way of food. Malaysian food? Sure. Kalamari? Of course. Vegemite? On the to do list. I experienced driving on the other side of the road (they do that here) and familiarized myself with Australian phrases. I often find myself muttering some awkward sentence under my breath in an effort to sound more native. While checking the price on towels today I ended up mumbling something along the lines of “sevuhhnteen dullahs”. Luckily, most people seem to like me better as an American. I’m exotic here…sort of.

I have been led by my fearless Aunt Jo and like wise adventure minded Uncle Kevin through the city for the past few days. The first was a blur of shops, trips on the water taxi, bridges, harbours, tunnels, and skyward glances. Houses here hug the coastline, stacked on top of rocky cliffs cut out by small roads. Most of the trees are tropical looking and there are sunrooms and balconies dedicated to Australia’s more famous summer season. Across the harbour there are stunning skyscrapers rising to meet an overcast sky. This city surprises you at every corner, massive enough to be considered metropolitan and yet cozy enough in a great deal of places to be as inviting as your best friend.

Winding roads and motorways lead me to Hillsong College today. I held my breath as I walked in the doors, greeted by a sweet and hospitable student and led to a foyer filled with even more people like myself. Hands were shaken, names exchanged, housemates met, and rental payments made. I seem to fail miserably at the “guess where I’m from!” game. To my credit, I had never met an Indonesian until today. I must also point out that he had never met a Marylander. So there!

Waves of gratitude are sweeping over me second by second. Why I am blessed enough to find myself in this incredible place I have yet to find out. Ah, friends. I wish you were right here with me to witness the miracle of finding yourself in the most incredible place you’re ever been. Until that time comes, G’Day!

Welcome to JFK Airport

All I can hear in my head right now is that little turtle from Finding Nemo. “Do you have your exit buddy?!?!” Why, yes. I do!

While wandering through the airport I noticed a sea of burgundy shirts. Middle school students all excited about one thing or another. It turned out that they were members of an organization called People to People. They’re going to Sydney, too! I got to know their lead chaperone and she took me under her wing, allowing me to tag along with her kids so that I don’t get lost heading through LAX at my next stop.
Right now I’m sitting in a semi-circle with three girls (one of whom has a GIANT bag of candy) who are terribly excited about their adventure. Now that my eyes have gone back from puffy read to their normal color, I’m right there with them.

While masses of people weave back and forth through each other, my heart is trying to beat itself out of my ribcage. The next 36 hours are going to be the craziest I may have ever experienced. Thankfully, it looks like I’m taken care of.

I’ll be tweeting the whole way to Sydney. Thanks for keeping up with me! I have internet in the airports so leave me a message and I’ll get back to you for sure.

Here We Go…

I’ve thought a lot about how to start off my first blog on this new site format. One of my friends told me that he absolutely detests the “welcome to my blog!” entry. I have a bio page for all of that goodness so I suppose I’ll spare him and just dive into a real, honest to goodness, blog entry.

My move to Australia is now imminent. There are suitcases to be filled, travel documents to be photocopied, and people to see before I leave my homeland. I am listening to old Bethany Dillon songs as I begin to throw away trash in my room (don’t want anything to mold while I’m gone) and gather things that need to go with me. I never realize how much stuff I tote around until I pack for a trip. Now that I’m paring down to the necessities I find the whole ordeal slightly comical. To buy SPF 50 in Australia or to bring it with me…that is the question!

Something in me has always desired to be adventurous. I’ve left the country on a mission trip before and I have dragged my parents along with me on car and plane rides to places like Nashville or Colorado. This time, however, is a very different deal. No one boards the plane with me. I will spend almost a day with the acquaintances (hopefully friendly and believers in deodorant) that sit to my right or left. My decisions go from “What time should we all meet for dinner?” to “How am I going to get to the grocery store without a car?” Scary as that may seem, I’ve never been more excited!

Though I have seen a few different places in my lifetime, I know that I will never have seen them like this. Australia is going to become home. There will be a barrage of new traditions and cultures. Hillsong College is flooded with international students that I am excited to meet and share a common goal with. I will be seeing my Uncle Kevin for the first time in years and meeting his Australian wife, my Aunt Jo, and getting to know a side of my family that I may not have known existed. My life is going to flip upside down. And not just because of the hemisphere differences.

God has been so faithful in bringing me to this point. I’ve had some big dreams during these nineteen years, some of which seemed downright impossible. And now I’m about to see the biggest one of them all come to fruition. Some nights I can barely get to sleep. I’m too psyched about all of the incredible things that I will experience this next year. I am absolutely humbled by the kindness of those who have helped me pay for tuition, sent me encouraging letters, given me travel advice, given me a place to sleep when I get to the country, and prayed for me as I prepared for this journey. There are things that I didn’t even know I needed…and you all have been there to lend a helping hand. You are incredible, wise, and honorable people. Thank you so much!

So this is it. I’m going to Australia.