Redirection

Please Check out my new blog, Worship Discussions, for more blog posts.

Stay tuned...

As I come to the end of the semester, I have been (and hope to do more of) reflecting on the things that I have learned and gained from these past 15 weeks.  One thing that I have truly enjoyed is this blog and the continual posting that I have been encouraged (by threat of grade reduction) to do.  I say that jokingly as it was exactly the push I needed to get back into this.

What I have realized about this blog is that I've been kind of all over the place in the things that I've posted about.  We really haven't engaged too many topics involving worship or liturgy... and I feel bad for that.

Yet, I think that the goal of blogging is engaging in the greater conversation that is going on all around us... about life in general and about specific topics that are important to us.

I certainly do not wish for my voice to be lost in the incessant rambling of most blogs, going on and on about life.  Nor to I desire to become another angry anonymous voice that complains about everything.  Least of all, I would hate for this part of my life to slip into the background and fade away.

And so, with great hope and anticipation, I look forward to time over Christmas break in which I can redevelop this blog.  It will involve a change of blog address... expansion of topics... and (of course) a hip new look.

The current posts will go with this blog to the new one... all will not be lost...

So stay tuned... things are about to get crazy!  More to come soon!

The End of the World?

                I have heard in recent days an increasing amount of chatter and discussion about the coming doomsday, “prophesied” about in the Mayan calendar.  Even within the circles in which I run, people are talking about it more and more.  Presumably, should this horrid scenario play out as depicted in the film 2012 (which I have yet to see), my writing this for whatever purpose will be quite futile and those that do read it, either before or after the coming cataclysm are welcome to become part of what I’m sure will be a cacophony of “I told you so” to all those, like me, who don’t believe it will happen (sarcasm intended).  I guess if I think about it, in the event that this debacle does not take place on fateful coming of 12/21/12, this subject will make little difference, except that I will be able to join the chorus of folks also able to say “I told you so.”  In any case, I think a quote here from Marvel Comic’s Character Nick Fury may at least provide some sort of platform on which we can stand and address this topic:

 

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on”

                As I reflect on this though, I think there is a significant amount of theological insight that can be brought to this discussion, some of which has to do with worship, all of which has to do with our faith.  It is no secret that discussions about the end of the world and things related to it such as terrorism, nuclear disasters, and even politics tend to generate, even at the most basic of levels, a small amount of anxiety and perhaps some inner angst that we have to deal with.  It is, simply put, Worry.  It is the most basic of emotions and thought processes arise when things present themselves in our lives and we either do not have the capacity to deal with them or have no answer, good or bad, for them; a spiral of problem ever seeking a solution that is not or seems not to be present at the time.

                But, apart from asking whether or not we should be talking about this particular topic, which I suggest at the present time, is practically unavoidable, I would like to address the reaction to this topic as a topic of conversation.

                In the extensive history of doomsday-predictors, the Mayans are, at least by some standards, the philosophical ancestors to our modern day versions.  Even the last ten years have been quite full of cults like Heaven’s gate, predictors like Harold Camping, and even the anti-climactic crisis of the millennium all predicting our impending doom.  In fact the world has survived about 180 (thank you Wikipedia) dooms day predictions, at least those made public, with ten more that we know of coming up between now and approximately 10 to the 100^th power years from now when the universe is supposed to burn itself out.  It’s a wonder that we’ve made it this far…

                So how are we supposed to face these false predictions, and the anxiety associated with them?

FAITH

                Like all things, this too is an opportunity to live into what we say we believe.  What do we believe?

                Genesis 8 – The last time a major cataclysm struck the earth it was sent by God in the form of a worldwide flood.  According to Scripture, God wiped out every living creature on the planet with the exception of Noah, his family, and those animals on the ark.  After this happening, God made the following promise:

“I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”  Genesis 8:21-22 (ESV)

Though often associated with the flood, there is no direct reference to God only promising to not send a flood.  We do not serve a deceitful God who makes thinly veiled promises, but hold a trump card in God’s back pocket just in case.  This is an all-encompassing promise.  God will not destroy all life on earth again.

                Matthew 24 – Here Jesus speaks about the signs of the coming of the end of the age.  This has often been quoted, sometimes pulling in random proof texts from all over the Bible, as a way of point to the continuing degradation of society which is supposed to mark the end of time.  While I won’t deny that things often seem bleak, and even that some of these things appear to be coming true, Jesus makes a blatant statement here:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”  Matthew 24:36 (ESV)

Yes, this passage seems to thinly reference that the moral fabric of society will unravel and it will be “as in the days of Noah,” but that doesn’t mean that tomorrow, or 12/21/12, or any other day is going to be the day.  I myself believe that this passage actually makes the point of saying “it will be a day like every other day,” which stands firmly within the context of the rest of the passage.  Jesus is saying that, like when the flood came, no one was paying attention (much like our Savior’s coming at Christmas that we anticipate now in Advent).  We simply don’t know when it is going to happen.  According to Scripture, anyone who predicts this sort of thing is wrong.

                Revelation 21 – With these two passages in mind, we come to the mystery of Revelation.  Some would say that Genesis 8 ensures only that the earth would continue to spin as long as the earth exists, and that the text of Matthew 24 also references global catastrophe, both of which give us reason to be afraid.  I cannot argue with these statements, but rather lift up Revelation 21 in light of them.  John the Revelator doesn’t say, “and God destroyed the earth,” but rather that he sees a “new heaven and a new earth.”  The imagery here is not that of God doing away with creation, but rather God’s restoration of creation.  John heard these words in his vision:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”  Revelation 21:3-5 (ESV)

What we see here is the fulfillment of the work of God throughout the course of human history.  Though I would not presume to know the will of God, it is clear that God has been working toward the complete and total restoration of creation.  All that was made wrong in the fall would be put right.  There will be no more death, pain, crying, and mourning because all of that will have passed away.  God will dwell on earth and all of creation will be restored.  While there is a great deal of imagery in the Bible that has to do with the end of time, the seat of God’s throne will be here on earth, in a restored and glorified creation.  Even though society may be degrading, we know that God is working in ways much higher than we’ll ever understand to restore and renew God’s creation.

So, what are we to do with this?  In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus instructs us to not worry about tomorrow.  God will be faithful to us, as God has always done in the past.  God’s promises are true and God’s love for us is unrivaled.  God will always provide for us all that we need.   Worry is really our attempt to control things that are out of our control.  Jesus could come back tomorrow, or in a hundred years.  We don’t know and we have no control over it.  In the present time, we simply need to rest in the peace of God and the promised that have been made to us (hard as that may be).  Every day we must continue to try and live into these promises, casting aside our fear and worry.

 Jesus also says, in Matthew 24, that we need to be alert, always ready for the day and hour when Jesus will return.  We shouldn’t be caught unprepared.  Jesus references his coming like that of “lightning” or “as a thief in the night.”  It will also happen when we least expect it.  We will never know the day or time that He will return until he actually does.  Therefore we should be prepared at all times.  All we know is what Jesus says at the end of Revelation:

“Behold, I am coming soon.”

Amen.  Come Lord Jesus.

Thanksgiving

            Well it seems as though another year as gone by and the holiday season is upon us once again!  Where does all that time go?  Taking a step back and looking at this past year I cannot help by be awestruck by the over-abundance of blessings I have received in the past year.  God, as God always does, has blessed me so richly in my life, I know I do not thank God enough for all of everything that I have been blessed with.

            In this time of thanksgiving, gift giving, family gatherings, and holiday parties, do you find yourself taking a moment to stop and look around at how blessed you are?  Sometimes I think that we get so caught up in the busyness that we don’t take a minute to see God at work in our lives, especially in this season where we are supposed to be placing Jesus at the center of our focus.  The holiday season has been filled with things to distract us it seems.  Be it shopping, parties, commercials, commitments, work, school, kids, family, or the plethora of other things that I cannot name right now, our lives have been filled with good things, and yet we need to make sure that our focus is still where it needs to be.  Satan would have these things distract us, but let us, in this time, be mindful not of the gifts, but of the giver, keeping our focus on The Reason For The Season, giving God all the glory, honor, praise, and thanks!

            I wonder too in this time, if we bring this posture of thanksgiving into worship with us.  Do we come to worship God with thanksgiving overflowing from our hearts?  Or do we come because we want something for ourselves?  Are we worshiping out of the overflow of God’s grace in our lives?  Or are we here because we want to hear a certain song or music type?

            What about when there are distractions in the service?  Think of this: you’re sitting in a worship service, listening to the pastor, when the child in front of you pops up over the pew and starts playing with his action figures, making all sorts of childish exploding noises (in whispered tones of course).  Maybe you can recall a time when you were praying in church and a child started crying, or wailing due to some unforeseen disaster that had befallen her coloring picture.

            Perhaps you can remember a time when you were listening to a sermon and the words that you heard burned in your heart.  The sting you felt was deep, almost to the point of making you upset.  You’re mind starts to spin as you wonder how it is that the pastor knew your deepest secret, and how he/she dared say something like that so directly to you.

            What would your reactions be in these situations?  Take a moment to think about it before you read on…

            I wonder if thankfulness was the first thing that came to your mind.  It certainly wasn't for me, and yet the more I think about it, the more I realize that even these things fall in the realm of us being thankful.  We can be thankful that the Spirit is working in our lives, convicting us with the Truth of God’s Word.  We can be thankful that the church is learning new songs and that there are ways for all generations to express themselves in worship!  We can also be thankful that we are blessed with the opportunity to worship with our mothers and fathers, grandparents, children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.

            We can even be thankful for the abundant life that is in the church when a child cries or plays with toys.  Instead of giving sour looks at the child or the parents, smile and take a moment to thank God for new life and the energy that children bring into the church!

            We are so abundantly blessed!!  Be sure, in this busy holiday season, you make sure to take time to thank God for everything that God has blessed you with in your life!

Rest

For a student, there is nothing quite like a weekend in which you have no assignments or readings due for that next week.  Sometimes I think that this is truly the Sabbath of a student.  After a rough week, or semester, breaks like this one are a welcome breath of fresh air.

Again, my the best words to describe this come from Scripture:

Psalm 23

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Persistence

There are times in our lives where we feel bogged down, overwhelmed, and just plain worn out.  It is that time for me in the semester.  The end is coming, but it isn't that close yet.

In light of this, I have little to say this week... and I think I will just let Scripture speak as I should probably do more often anyway...

Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  James 1:2-4

Lord, please grant my patience and perseverance in this time...

Remember remember...

Remember remember the fifth of November

The gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot...

These are famous words referring to the plot of a man named Guy Fawkes and his attempt to blow up the houses of parliament and made more famous in the 2005 film V for Vendetta.  The film takes place in a dystopian future in which a society has been taking over by a particular political party.  Rising to power through the use of fear, they govern with an iron fist convincing the populace that without them, the world will plunge into chaos.

The main character, “V,” elaborates on this in a speech:

And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now [insert political office], [insert politician’s name]. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.

Now, before you dismiss this blog as simply another political ranting with baseless accusations, let me assure you that it is nothing of the sort.  Much of this is inspired by a brief conversation I had with my good friend Cody (http://blowingontheembers.wordpress.com/).

It seems like, with the election looming and the barrage of political ads and attack at their peak today, we too are confronted with a message of fear.  Slogans like “take back our country,” “fire Obama,” and speeches about how we should be afraid if we elect this or that person have become all too common place.  Practically impossible it has become to not be affected by this; and as Americans in the United States, we should embrace this electoral process.  The election and the campaigns are part of this democracy and are part of the freedom that we have been blessed with.

And yet… there still seems to be something wrong with this whole process…

With the unbelievably large amount of media coverage that happens these days, whether biased or not, it seems like every slip-up or misspoken word is another opportunity for an attack, a chance for a candidate to say, “See!!  If you elect them, this country is doomed!”  Ads have been run against both candidates that direct our attention to the other’s shortcomings whilst skirting past their own.  And, especially as I have observed this campaign process, I have noticed that fear has been the prevailing message of the times.  The vote this election is not for a certain candidate, but rather a vote in fear against the opposing candidate.  Whether this is one person or party’s fault versus the other is not the point, what is the point is that we are getting to the point where fear could indeed get the best of us… and that is a poor place for us to be certainly as Americans and absolutely as Christians.

Scripture is very clear about our posture as Christians in this world.  Paul writes in Romans 8,

…For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear…

The writer of Hebrews echoes this Truth in the 13^th chapter,

For he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

While there are some very real things that we deal with and struggle with in the world today, the election being a prime example, we need not be subject to the fear that some would seek to use to control.  Though this world, with its overabundance of issues and struggles might be full of difficulties, remember that Jesus says,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Though it may seem as if everything is clouded in the darkness of lies and deceit, remember that Jesus says,

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

It may seem like the world is going to hell in a hand basket, we may stand in confidence knowing that our Savior is the Lord over the world, He sits on the throne at the Right Hand of God and reigning.  Remember, He is in control.  God is sustaining the world, working His will.  And we know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that no matter what evil or fear that we face, the outcome has already been decided.

So have your political opinions.  As Christians we should have them, we should vote, we should support those that we feel best represent our beliefs and convictions, but not out of fear.  God is in control.  When you step into that voting booth tomorrow, and you definitely should do that, cast your vote in the confidence that we have in Christ the true Lord of all and remember these words of God from Isaiah,

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Grace and Peace…

Never Once

I think today, 

amid the busyness of a hectic schedule...

and the weariness that I feel...

I'll let this song of hope speak for itself...

and for my thankfulness...

for the sustaining, strengthening, ever faithful, ever present comfort of God...

each and every step of the way.

Hebrews 13:5-6

I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

Beauty

What a Beautiful Sunset!!  I just had to share it!!

God is Amazing!!

Pete and Repeat

Repetition (noun)

1. The act or process or an instance of repeating or being repeated.

2. A recitation or recital, especially of prepared or memorized material.

                                                                                    http://www.thefreedictionary.com/repetition

            In the past several months I've been approached several times with questions about the music that we sing.  While this isn't unusual, the comments that have come from these encounters have been quite similar.  “Why do we sing these songs that have all of the same words again and again?”  This question has sparked a great, on-going conversation within some people in our community.  I've been told that people would rather sing hymns, or certain praise songs because of their many words, or rather, because of their lack of repetition.

            I've discovered that people hate doing things over and over without purpose.  Personally, I say that I would rather do something right once rather than do it mediocre multiple times in a row.  We define repetition as something that a child should be doing to memorize multiplication tables or the spelling of words.  This probably conjures up all sorts of not so wonderful memories in your head of long hours of homework; lots of repetition.  For me, it brings back the fateful days of practicing piano.  My mom and I fought for long hours about my practicing.  I HATED IT.  She knew it was good for me.  I threatened to quit.  She wouldn't let me (much as she probably wanted to).

            It strikes me also that, when looking at the definition of this word, the synonyms for it are words like continuity and dullness.  Apart from the fighting with my mother, I could relate my piano practicing to a rather dull experience I suppose.  We've related the idea of repetition with this notion of being worthless, wasteful, and dull.  However, if you look into Scriptures, you’ll notice that there is repetition everywhere.  Does this mean that a vast amount of the Bible is just repetitive dullness?  BY NO MEANS!

            The Hebrew notion of repetition doesn't have anything to do with being bored or trying to fill space.  There is no feeling of angst or thoughts of “why this again” for the Hebrews in Scripture.  Repetition in Scripture happens because those things they were repeating are important!  Jewish writers in the Old Testament didn't use punctuation (or vowels); they could place emphasis on a sentence simply by placing an exclamation point after it!  So, to make sure people knew that a certain thing was important, they would repeat it.  Sometimes this would happen in a sequence:  God is “Holy Holy Holy.”  Other times, like in the creation account or the story of Jonah, things were repeated throughout the narrative to draw the reader’s (or hearer’s) attention to specific details.

            Our culture today is vastly different from the Hebrew culture.  Words and word usage have changed with it as well.  However, the meanings behind the way the words were used have not changed and this can be true for us in the music that we sing as well.  God does not deem worship acceptable simply because the words were or were not repeated.  Jesus Himself said that prayers are not heard because of their many words (Matthew 6:7).  What is important is the heart from which they are sung (Psalm 51:17). 

            Repetition, in the definition, points towards memorization.  I wouldn't be the piano player that I am today without that practice my mom forced me into.  Whether my heart was in it or not, the things I played stuck with me.  The next time you hear something repeated, instead of asking why, think about what God is trying to teach you through it… or what is so important in the repetition that it bears repeating.

Confessional

Recently, I was asked why it is that we take time in our worship service to confess our sins.  "If we have accepted Christ we know that our sins are forgiven," my friend stated.  "Why is it, then, that we take time in the service each week to remember that we are sinners again?  Isn't that focusing on the wrong thing?"

These are great questions and this can often be a confusing part of the service.  Indeed, if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior and believe in Him, your sins have been forgiven and you are washed clean in the sight of God.  This is a once for all action, but it doesn't mean that we are instantly sinless in our lives.  You and I (and probably everyone else) knows and understands that no matter what amount of belief, faith, work, or whatever else in our lives will make us perfect.  But God is perfect and He calls His people to Be Holy as I am Holy.  (1 Peter 1:16).

So we are imperfect, and God calls us to be Holy.  As believers in Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit that works in our lives on many levels.  One of these is the process of "sanctification," a big word that points to the process of a Christian becoming more like Christ.  This is an ongoing life process, a transformation that will be completed only in the consummation of all things when Christ comes back.  In the meantime, as faithful followers of Christ, we are to be open to this work of the Spirit.  This is where the time of confession comes in during a worship service.

As we come into the presence of Holy God, we see ourselves reflected there and we see ourselves for who we really are.  Imperfect.  We could sit in the despair that this brings, knowing that there is nothing that we can do to save ourselves, to make ourselves right before God.  Our Heavenly Father knows this too and He did something about this!!  He gave us His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  If you believe in Jesus, you have claimed this gift of grace.  And so the time of confession calls us to remembrance of this.

Not only that, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, God calls us again to a posture of repentance knowing that we are redeemed in the blood of Jesus, for those things in our lives that still draw us away from God.  In this, we are called to confess those things to God both privately and corporately.  For some, this could be where it ends.  We say we are sorry and then move on.  But truly this is only half of this moment in our liturgy.

Ephesians 2 says, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

Rejoice friends, we who believe are not those that are dead in our sins, but we have been made alive in Christ!  In this posture of repentance we are able to lay our sins before God and through this repentance we open our hearts to the work of the Spirit to help us in our weaknesses, those things that we have confessed, that we may be strengthened in our walk and continually transformed into the likeness of Christ.

The time of confession is not a time to focus solely on our brokenness or to put us down again as sinful.  This special time is to bring us through our sins, to lay them at the foot of the cross, and then to remind us once again of the truth in which we are to live our lives.  WE ARE FORGIVEN!  And it is in that reality that we continue to worship the Lord on Sunday morning, and every day of our lives.

World Communion Sunday

Yesterday was World Communion Sunday.  Though we should always be thinking of our brothers and sisters around the world, this Sunday in particular we recognize that when we gather, we are not alone, but celebrate and worship God with the whole Church!

At my Church this Sunday we encouraged our congregation to walk to church as a reminder of our brothers and sisters around the world that walk to church each and every week.  We also were blessed to hear about the experiences that some of our congregation have had, worshiping with other cultures.  Both were wonderful experiences.

Did you do anything special for this Sunday?  How did your church body remember the Church Worldwide this week?

One other thing that we did was sing a beautiful song by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend called Behold the Lamb.  The words are printed below.  I pray that it blesses you this week.  May we always remember in thankfulness the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins!

Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away

Slain for us and we remember

The promise made that all who come in faith

Find forgiveness at the cross

So we share in this Bread of Life

And we drink of His sacrifice

As a sign of our bonds of peace

Around the table of the King

The body of our Saviour Jesus Christ

Torn for you eat and remember

The wounds that heal the death that brings us life

Paid the price to make us one

So we share in this Bread of Life

And we drink of His sacrifice

As a sign of our bonds of love

Around the table of the King

The blood that cleanses every stain of sin

Shed for you drink and remember

He drained death's cup that all may enter in

To receive the life of God

So we share in this Bread of Life

And we drink of His sacrifice

As a sign of our bonds of grace

Around the table of the King

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise

To respond and to remember

Our call to follow in the steps of Christ

As His body here on earth

As we share in His suffering

We proclaim Christ will come again

And we'll join in the feast of heaven

Around the table of the King

What its all about?

The other day I saw a sign that simply read "What if the Hokey-Pokey is really what its all about?"  Instantly I was transported in my mind back to the days of skating parties and school/church social gatherings at the local skating rink.  Round and round we would go, sometimes racing, sometimes avoiding, sometimes even flirting?  Most memorable of these times were the ridiculous dances they made us do to music, the Hokey-Pokey being one of the most infamous.

I'm pretty sure that I have never done the Hokey-Pokey outside of the skating rink.  Whether this is by design, or simply due to the fact that the dance would be too easy without wheels attached to one's feet, I'll never know. What I do know is this: no matter what skill level you are at skating (or Hokey-Pokeying), almost everyone enjoyed it because we all looked ridiculous together.  How many times did you look around  and see the judgmental eyes of someone else looking down on you because you didn't but your right foot in good enough?

Sometimes I wonder if this is the case in our churches today.  I mean not to imply that worship is just a bunch of people getting together an looking ridiculous, but I am more drawn to the idea that we're all having fun because we're all in it together.  Too often I find worship on Sunday to be an awkward time for many people who are worried about how they look when they worship, perhaps worried that they look like they are dancing with skates on.  The problem here is that they are often right in their worries.  Sunday Morning worship can be one of the most judgmental times we will encounter week in and week out.

But why is this?  We are taught in Scripture that it is not our place to judge.  Christians will even jokingly remind other Christians of this fact.  However, when we get to worship on Sunday we find ourselves worried about what others will think while looking at what others are doing wondering how they could be so foolish.

I wonder what worship would be like if we could get past this.  What if we could come before the Lord truly unconcerned about the thoughts of the brothers and sisters that we worship with?  What if, instead of judging our brothers and sisters in worship, we prayed for them, and instead of wondering what people thought of us, we thought more about God and what He means to us?

Good Enough?

                A young boy was working on a school science project.  With the help of his parents he was constructing a giant volcano that, when certain chemicals were mixed, would simulate fake lava running down the sides covering the makeshift Lego town he had built at its base.  As he was finishing up the final touches of this project stopped and looked at it, eyes full of pride in all he had accomplished and said, “I hope this is good enough!”  The boy’s father stopped for a minute and asked, “why do you say that?”  Rifling through his book bag, the boy pulled out the assignment sheet which read very simply: SCIENCE PROJECT; with a simple explanation: It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it is science related.  The father continued to read, taken aback by what he saw next:  Grading Scale: to receive a passing grade the project must be good enough.

                The very next day, in front of his whole class, the boy presented his project.  Explaining well how he created the miniature volcano and what he was going to do to make the pretend lava flow, he wowed his classmates.  With gasps of amazement and aw they excitedly watched as the boy mixed the chemicals to the best of his ability and volcano bubbled over and washed over the tiny Lego town.  Suddenly the teacher stood and the class was instantly silent, waiting anxiously for the grading verdict.   Without even hesitating the teacher said, “I’m sorry, its good, but this is not good enough.”

                The boy, somewhat taken aback by the teacher’s sweeping indictment, asked the teacher, “Excuse me sir, but I tried my best.  What more can I do?  What would make this good enough?”

                “This is not a real volcano son,” the teacher replied.  “You’ll need to build a real volcano for it to be good enough.  Dismissed.”

                While this is not a true story, some of the themes held within it tend to ring true for us in our lives, and especially in our worship.  We tend to think that, on any given Sunday morning, we've decide to get up, we've dragged ourselves out of bed, we've gotten the family ready, and we've driven ourselves to church so that we can try really hard to worship and give God our best hoping that it is good enough for God.  All of it was our decision and it is therefore up to us to make it all happen.  We tend to do this in our lives as well.  Whether at work, school, home, or away, we think that we just need to try a little harder to do our best and perhaps that will be good enough for God.  Maybe then, we reason, God will bless me and my family.

                Sadly, this reality often gets mixed with a level of confusion about what goes on in a worship service on Sunday.  We look at the bulletin as see phrases like “Call to Worship” and “sending” and think, what does this mean, a call to worship?  I decided to come here to worship.

                When we think like this, we often end up like the young boy in this story, doing everything we can do ourselves, or even with the help of others, trying to just be “good enough” for God.  It isn’t long before we are confronted with the reality that we simply aren’t good enough.  Whether by the realization of our sinfulness or the greatness of God’s holiness, we find out quick that we can never be “good enough.”

                These questions of Liturgy, the call to worship and the sending as well as many of the other parts of Christian worship are not simply old traditions that we just use because they have always been there.  Rather, they point us to a greater reality about worship that is so much broader than what we often think.  The Biblical view of worship is not one in which we try our best and hope that it is good enough for God, but rather that in worship, the God of Grace is the primary mover.

                Friends, we have a call to worship because we believe that it is indeed God who has called us to worship Him.  We believe that God the Father, the God of all Grace and Mercy, has, through His Son Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit reached down into our lives and called us and has even drawn us into worship and communion with Him.  God has initiated this calling and it is in God that we respond as well!  Through the prompting, leading, and guiding of the Holy Spirit, through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, we are able to bring our worship before God the Father, in full communion with Him because we have been washed clean and our worship has been perfected! God knows that our best could never be good enough for Him, but through His mercy and grace we are able to come before Him, offering our best, knowing God has shown us a way to Him in Christ.

In The Beginning

The concept of nothing, absolutely nothing, is not something that we can comprehend.  No land, no water.  No light, no air.  No time?  Complete nothing, except God.  Only God.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:1-2

Here is where the conversation of liturgy begins, in the beginning.  Before all things were, God was.  But things didn't stay that way:

"And God said..."

...and so progressed the wholeness of the world; every living thing brought into existence by the very words of God.  Genesis describes the creation account in full, and from that time all of creation has been declaring the glory of God.

When we come to worship, we acknowledge this as well.  Before anything happens in worship, or even in life, we acknowledge that it is first and foremost God that speaks; it is God that initiates worship.  None of it would even be possible without Him.

As we come into worship this week, what would it look like if we recognized God as the beginning of it.  How would our hearts and minds change if we acknowledged that church isn't just something that we are doing on Sunday morning because its what we've always done, but rather something that we do because God Himself has called us to it?

Ezekiel Saw the Wheel

For church on Sunday, the choir is singing the song Ezekiel Saw the Wheel. I was asked to give a brief introduction to the song and the vision of Ezekiel... this is what the Lord has laid on my heart tonight:

From the Visions of Ezekiel in chapters 1-3 and 10-11.

 Prophetic visions come to us as completely disconnected from anything that we have ever known and experienced in our lives. Descriptions of beasts with multiple faces and multiple wings, crazy looking wheels with eyes and even an attempt at describing the Glory of the Lord may and often does frighten or even confuse us. Too often we who are so far removed from anything that even resembles this type of picture of vision dismiss these baffling images as something completely irrelevant to us. I do not, however, believe that this is the case. I think that there can be some truth for us here!

 Clearly the people of Israel were not taken back or surprised by something like this for if they were the Hebrew elders would have dismissed Ezekiel with a Hebraic “what have you been smoking” statement (that I’m sure I’ll learn in next year’s Hebrew class). No, this vision meant something to them, and it is recorded in the Bible, God’s revelation to us, which means that it means something for us today as well.

 This vision comes to Ezekiel on the banks of the Khabur River which is located in Babylon. Ezekiel also says here that he was among the exiles, meaning the people of Israel that were forcibly taken from their homeland. He is a prophet, likely a priest, dwelling amongst a dislocated people. To say that in today’s context means very little as we are able to move great distances without batting an eye, but to be an Israelite not living in Israel means that you have lost everything. Their homes were destroyed. Their cities plundered and demolished. Their fields burned and animals either killed or taken. But none of this compares to the ultimate dislocation they were experiencing, their disconnect from God. You see the Hebrew people saw the presence of God as being based on a location. For hundreds of years they met God at a place, whether the tabernacle or the temple, and that place was the place of their worship; and that place was now gone. They could not go to it, and they would see that as being removed from God.

 Sound familiar? Do you ever find yourself dislocated from God? Do you think you that you are in a place where you cannot worship God, or a place that God cannot be present with you?

 This song, Ezekiel Saw the Wheel, is an African American Spiritual. Why? Because there have been many people throughout history that have identified with the exiled Hebrews, taken from all they know. African slaves were one of these people. Lost, alone, separated, and enslaved, full of hopelessness.

 But God is a God of hope, faithful and true to His people across all ages. In the midst of hopelessness God speaks powerfully and brings this vision to Ezekiel, a vision with powerful images that the Hebrews would have picked up on. So let see what they see…

 -->The Throne of God resting on fierce storming clouds, flanked by the cherubim on each side, and all placed on four wheels. These are your everyday Goodyear tires either, these wheels are unique: they are a wheel within a wheel. You see, most cars and just go forward, and to turn takes time. You cannot go just anywhere at any time, you need space to make the appropriate moves. But God’s visionary vehicle can go anywhere and everywhere and is anywhere and everywhere. With wheels that can drive both north/south and east/west at the same time, God can be anywhere and is everywhere! More than that, these wheels are covered in eyes… so not only can Yahweh be anywhere and everywhere, but He also sees all. Nothing happens by blind chance or fortune, there is no change that God did not see or foresee.

 This is what the slaves began to discover as they were introduced to Christianity. They identified with these dislocated Hebrews, taken from all they have known. But they found a God of hope that was with them in their suffering and they believed that just as God promised the people of Israel that He would save them and return them to their land, so God would act on behalf of them as slaves and free them from their suffering. They encountered a God is the all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing God that He has always been and he is there with the Israelites in their exile in Babylon and was with the slaves in the fields of America and He is with you now no matter where you are in your life. Because we know in this Easter season that God has not abandoned us to our sin and suffering but He sent his son who died and rose again, breaking the bonds of sin and death and hell and through Him we have life forever more AMEN!

 Perhaps you are suffering in your life right now… perhaps you feel distant from God… you may not encounter a vision experience like Ezekiel, but my friends, we have a vision like that… our vision is Jesus!! Our Savior and our Lord. He is our all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing Lord and He is there with you in your exile as well. Turn to him… He is there… no matter where you are!