So your friend asks, “What is worship?” It seems like such a simple question doesn’t it? I think that we often think to ourselves that we have to go to church and worship… or we’re going to a worship service… or because we are singing it is the “worship part” of the service. But what is worship really? I think that the answer is much more complicated than just singing, praying, or anything that brings worship down to just one thing.
This question is a lot like if I were to ask you to explain Football, Baseball, or any other sport to someone that has never seen the sport played. You couldn’t just say “You throw/catch/run the ball” or “you have to score a touchdown/basket/run.” Neither of those would be an ample explanation for what is going on during the game. Neither could you just hand your curious friend a book and tell them to read it through so that they understand without the hassle of your explanation.
What do we do then, in response to our friend’s inquiry about what we do every Sunday morning? Could we show them a bulletin and try to explain the whole thing to them? This might help a little bit to know what is going on in that particular service. Could we just send them to a Pastor? Perhaps he would have a rather informed answer for our inquisitive friend, but I think it more important for us to know about what it is that we do when we worship… and for that we must turn ourselves to the Bible.
The Psalms seem to be the first logical choice to turn to; they seem to be overflowing with “worship language:”
Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come let us Worship and Bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker…”
Psalm 109:30 “With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.”
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
So worship is Praise, Prayer, singing, kneeling, clapping, and even bowing? It would seem that if you look to the Psalms for direction in worship, it would suggest a very physical response to worship. In fact, the words that the Hebrews used for worship are suggestive of that as well. In fact, the Hebrews, when the Word of the Lord was read, would stand in reverence, and would bow with their faces to the ground in times of prayer.
Looking to the New Testament, Jesus, and later the Apostles, takes the idea of worship to the level that it was intended to be. Worship was never intended to be simply an event that was limited to a single day, week, festival, or celebration… worship was meant to be a way of life! Jesus points this out to the religious leaders in Matthew 15 when He quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Later, Paul talks about giving our lives to God in what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Worship isn’t something that we should be saving for a Sunday morning… worship is a life transforming act. When we sing songs, pray together, and hear the Word, it is to be something that changes our lives each and every day. Remember: WORSIHP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT and just as athletes have to change their lives to train and play the game well, so we need to refocus our lives on God, read the Word, Pray, Sing, and train for our lives for worship as well!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Worship Matters
During these hot summer months, I am reminded of my times playing little league baseball and what that all entailed for my family: Pain staking, hot practices in which we practiced catching pop-flies for hours on end, practice on throwing the ball straight, and long games at night or early on Saturday morning. We put in a lot of work to get the results that we were seeking… A WIN!
I remember one other part of my short and limited baseball career, my parent’s involvement. They would be sure that I got there, my clothes were clean and on correctly, but then they would just sit there and watch while we did the work. Now, for the record, I am not discounting my parents at all… but bear with me for the sake of the topic…
My teammates and I practiced a lot and our results were team work and the ability to play together. Had my parents tried to just get up and play with the team (especially in the later years) their actions wouldn’t have really been of much benefit to our team. They were spectators, like most of us at sporting events… we come, sit, and are entertained by what is happening on the field that day (good or bad).
Sometimes I wonder how much that resonates with our church life as well. Do we come on a Sunday morning with clean clothes that are on right and then just sit in the stands and watch things happen (good or bad)? I think too often we do. We want to sit and be entertained, to get out of church what we want to hear from the pastor, to sing our songs, but not really get involved. We aren’t truly seeking life transforming worship or opening our hearts to the Spirit, it’s really all about what we want.
Is this right? NO!!! WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
We cannot just show up and sit in our seats and expect to worship. We can’t just sing some words and expect them to affect us. We CANNOT just idly listen to the words in the sermon and expect to be changed!! We NEED to get out of our seats and get into the game!!! It’s time that we put off the things of this world that seek to distract us… It’s time that we open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming work… It’s time that we put Jesus back at the center of our lives… It’s time that we really worship!!
In our look at the Fruits of the Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit…” and implies that by doing this we will be not walking in the desires of the sinful nature. To me this implies an active, meaningful effort on our part. James writes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This too implies that we have to make some sort of effort.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that we can get to God by our own effort, for we all know that this is not true. We only have access to God through the Blood of Christ. However, if we are truly seeking to worship, to be transformed by the Spirit, and to be renewed by the saving power of God Himself, we need to do our best to make sure that we are in a place in which that work can be done! The words we sing need to be more than words… they need to be truth for our lives. The Word we read needs to be more than a book… It needs to be truth to our lives. Our Sundays, and every day, needs to be more than just sitting and being entertained… it needs to be active, meaningful, worship!!
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
I remember one other part of my short and limited baseball career, my parent’s involvement. They would be sure that I got there, my clothes were clean and on correctly, but then they would just sit there and watch while we did the work. Now, for the record, I am not discounting my parents at all… but bear with me for the sake of the topic…
My teammates and I practiced a lot and our results were team work and the ability to play together. Had my parents tried to just get up and play with the team (especially in the later years) their actions wouldn’t have really been of much benefit to our team. They were spectators, like most of us at sporting events… we come, sit, and are entertained by what is happening on the field that day (good or bad).
Sometimes I wonder how much that resonates with our church life as well. Do we come on a Sunday morning with clean clothes that are on right and then just sit in the stands and watch things happen (good or bad)? I think too often we do. We want to sit and be entertained, to get out of church what we want to hear from the pastor, to sing our songs, but not really get involved. We aren’t truly seeking life transforming worship or opening our hearts to the Spirit, it’s really all about what we want.
Is this right? NO!!! WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
We cannot just show up and sit in our seats and expect to worship. We can’t just sing some words and expect them to affect us. We CANNOT just idly listen to the words in the sermon and expect to be changed!! We NEED to get out of our seats and get into the game!!! It’s time that we put off the things of this world that seek to distract us… It’s time that we open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming work… It’s time that we put Jesus back at the center of our lives… It’s time that we really worship!!
In our look at the Fruits of the Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit…” and implies that by doing this we will be not walking in the desires of the sinful nature. To me this implies an active, meaningful effort on our part. James writes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This too implies that we have to make some sort of effort.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that we can get to God by our own effort, for we all know that this is not true. We only have access to God through the Blood of Christ. However, if we are truly seeking to worship, to be transformed by the Spirit, and to be renewed by the saving power of God Himself, we need to do our best to make sure that we are in a place in which that work can be done! The words we sing need to be more than words… they need to be truth for our lives. The Word we read needs to be more than a book… It needs to be truth to our lives. Our Sundays, and every day, needs to be more than just sitting and being entertained… it needs to be active, meaningful, worship!!
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Supporters!
Recently, I received a check in the mail... it simply said "For Seminary." Now, this isn't a post to ask for more of those (however unopposed I would be to getting them) but just to express my thanks. The person that wrote the check will probably never read this, but her support of me has been probably only been paralleled by my parents.
Millie Burman is probably in her 80's, very loving, tender, and wonderful elderly Christian woman. When I was in high school she approached me for the first time and told me, "Jon, I really feel like God is calling you to seminary. I'm going to pray that you go to seminary."
My initial reaction was, NO! Please God, No! Pretty much every time that I've seen her since then she has made it a point to tell me that she is still praying that I go to seminary. I even made it a point of avoid her sometimes so that I wouldn't have to hear it... but she persisted... and prayed...
Ever met one of those people that, when they pray about something, its pretty much guaranteed that its going to happen? Yeah... that's Millie. So, though it made her very happy, it came as no real surprise to her when I told her finally that I was actually going to seminary.
Now, after an overwhelming amount of prayer support (which in and of itself I'm sure will get me through the next three years) she sends me money as well.
I'm floored... astounded... what a truly wonderful person. I am so thankful for her!
I only hope that I can be as committed a prayer warrior and as giving a person as her some day...
Thank You Millie Burman! God is truly using her in many, many ways! (I told her this too, for the record, seen as she probably won't see this particular posting)
Grace and Peace...
Millie Burman is probably in her 80's, very loving, tender, and wonderful elderly Christian woman. When I was in high school she approached me for the first time and told me, "Jon, I really feel like God is calling you to seminary. I'm going to pray that you go to seminary."
My initial reaction was, NO! Please God, No! Pretty much every time that I've seen her since then she has made it a point to tell me that she is still praying that I go to seminary. I even made it a point of avoid her sometimes so that I wouldn't have to hear it... but she persisted... and prayed...
Ever met one of those people that, when they pray about something, its pretty much guaranteed that its going to happen? Yeah... that's Millie. So, though it made her very happy, it came as no real surprise to her when I told her finally that I was actually going to seminary.
Now, after an overwhelming amount of prayer support (which in and of itself I'm sure will get me through the next three years) she sends me money as well.
I'm floored... astounded... what a truly wonderful person. I am so thankful for her!
I only hope that I can be as committed a prayer warrior and as giving a person as her some day...
Thank You Millie Burman! God is truly using her in many, many ways! (I told her this too, for the record, seen as she probably won't see this particular posting)
Grace and Peace...
Friday, June 10, 2011
Worship Matters
I feel the need to post this... I am creating a column to post in my new church's monthly newsletter... and I thought that posting it here would be a good thing as well! It was an especially difficult, and always ongoing examination of my heart...
After writing in and reading last month’s edition of the Overview, I was somewhat encouraged by what a wonderful resource this is for the church! So much going on from so many different angles, it seemed to me a shame for a resource like this to go to waste, so I am going to start a new column in it that I have affectionately called “Worship Matters” after one of my favorite books on Worship by Bob Kauflin. Why steal a book title name, you may ask… to which my response would be, Because Worship MATTERS! Would you not agree? Throughout the last 2 or 3 decades it seems like worship, or more appropriately music has been at the forefront of church discussion, direction, argument, conflict, thought, frustration, vision, etc… I mean really, we have even come up with the term “worship wars” to give an overarching name to that which has been one of the church’s biggest sticking points in recent history. It is my hope that through this column I can convey my thoughts about this subject as well as my heart, conviction and passion that come with it. Through these writings and continued discussion and exploration, I hope we can come to a point at which we are seeking true worship of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I guess the first thing that one is supposed to do when starting a new column is to prove to the reader that it is a good read… I mean it wouldn’t make much sense to write something that no one wants to read, would it? So what’s in this that makes it a good article to read once a moth? I hope that it will perhaps be both necessary and informational? Maybe some humor? Worship is a very important thing for us to talk about, to know about, and to do. We come here every Sunday, sometimes twice, to “worship” God… we ought to know and understand why… and so that, I guess, is where we shall begin.
We come here each and every Sunday to Worship God. Why? Is this something we do out of a staunch, traditionalistic religiosity (big word for religious zeal)? Do we do this because our parents tell us to, or simply because it’s what we have always done on Sunday morning? I think that first and foremost, before we even look at what worship is, we need to know and understand why it is that we are here… not just here at Overisel, though that is a part of it, but here on this Earth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (aka. the easier one to read) says in its first question and answer, Q.1. What is the chief end of man? A.1. Man's chief end is to glorify (worship) God and enjoy Him forever. Things don’t really get any simpler than that do they? What is the purpose of our being here? To Worship, Glorify, Honor, and Praise God! Not just on Sunday mornings either… FOREVER! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Given that Worship is the primary reason for our existence, I think it goes without saying that these things are important (probably closer to “vital, imperative,” or even “central”) to talk about… yes? Coming back to my favorite book, Bob Kauflin writes that worship is a matter of “infinite importance!” He goes on to ask the question, “Is it [worship] a matter of infinite importance to you?” Honestly, if the chief purpose of our creation is indeed to worship God, then shouldn’t it be the chief purpose of our lives as well? Too often we try to fill our lives with temporal things (idols if you will) to fill eternal holes.
God wants us to love (one definition of love being “worship”) Him more than anything else in our lives. Until we do just that, everything else in our lives will be out of sorts. Our worship extends beyond the few hours we spend at church each week… it is OUR LIVES. Worship is more than an opportunity to sing, use musical gifts, a heightened emotional experience, the latest songs, the best hymns, or even the instruments we use; worship is about Love, about what we live for, about who we are before God, and about the true focus and adoration of our hearts.
The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heard engaged steadfastly for God. –Isaac Watts (a really great hymn writer).
My Friends, as we embark on a journey to find the true meaning and focus of our worship, it is time that we deeply examine our lives as well…
How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday Morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most?
Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or goes we love and worship.
That’s why as worship leaders [and worshipers] the primary concern can’t be on song preparation, [instruments used, style of music] creative arrangements, or the cool gear. Our primary concern has to be the state of our hearts. – Bob Kauflin (with additions).
Grace and Peace…
After writing in and reading last month’s edition of the Overview, I was somewhat encouraged by what a wonderful resource this is for the church! So much going on from so many different angles, it seemed to me a shame for a resource like this to go to waste, so I am going to start a new column in it that I have affectionately called “Worship Matters” after one of my favorite books on Worship by Bob Kauflin. Why steal a book title name, you may ask… to which my response would be, Because Worship MATTERS! Would you not agree? Throughout the last 2 or 3 decades it seems like worship, or more appropriately music has been at the forefront of church discussion, direction, argument, conflict, thought, frustration, vision, etc… I mean really, we have even come up with the term “worship wars” to give an overarching name to that which has been one of the church’s biggest sticking points in recent history. It is my hope that through this column I can convey my thoughts about this subject as well as my heart, conviction and passion that come with it. Through these writings and continued discussion and exploration, I hope we can come to a point at which we are seeking true worship of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I guess the first thing that one is supposed to do when starting a new column is to prove to the reader that it is a good read… I mean it wouldn’t make much sense to write something that no one wants to read, would it? So what’s in this that makes it a good article to read once a moth? I hope that it will perhaps be both necessary and informational? Maybe some humor? Worship is a very important thing for us to talk about, to know about, and to do. We come here every Sunday, sometimes twice, to “worship” God… we ought to know and understand why… and so that, I guess, is where we shall begin.
We come here each and every Sunday to Worship God. Why? Is this something we do out of a staunch, traditionalistic religiosity (big word for religious zeal)? Do we do this because our parents tell us to, or simply because it’s what we have always done on Sunday morning? I think that first and foremost, before we even look at what worship is, we need to know and understand why it is that we are here… not just here at Overisel, though that is a part of it, but here on this Earth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (aka. the easier one to read) says in its first question and answer, Q.1. What is the chief end of man? A.1. Man's chief end is to glorify (worship) God and enjoy Him forever. Things don’t really get any simpler than that do they? What is the purpose of our being here? To Worship, Glorify, Honor, and Praise God! Not just on Sunday mornings either… FOREVER! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Given that Worship is the primary reason for our existence, I think it goes without saying that these things are important (probably closer to “vital, imperative,” or even “central”) to talk about… yes? Coming back to my favorite book, Bob Kauflin writes that worship is a matter of “infinite importance!” He goes on to ask the question, “Is it [worship] a matter of infinite importance to you?” Honestly, if the chief purpose of our creation is indeed to worship God, then shouldn’t it be the chief purpose of our lives as well? Too often we try to fill our lives with temporal things (idols if you will) to fill eternal holes.
God wants us to love (one definition of love being “worship”) Him more than anything else in our lives. Until we do just that, everything else in our lives will be out of sorts. Our worship extends beyond the few hours we spend at church each week… it is OUR LIVES. Worship is more than an opportunity to sing, use musical gifts, a heightened emotional experience, the latest songs, the best hymns, or even the instruments we use; worship is about Love, about what we live for, about who we are before God, and about the true focus and adoration of our hearts.
The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heard engaged steadfastly for God. –Isaac Watts (a really great hymn writer).
My Friends, as we embark on a journey to find the true meaning and focus of our worship, it is time that we deeply examine our lives as well…
How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday Morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most?
Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or goes we love and worship.
That’s why as worship leaders [and worshipers] the primary concern can’t be on song preparation, [instruments used, style of music] creative arrangements, or the cool gear. Our primary concern has to be the state of our hearts. – Bob Kauflin (with additions).
Grace and Peace…
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Still Here...
Well it seems as though May 21st has come and gone... and the only things raptured yesterday were Harold Camping's websites. Clearly the fallout has been... unfortunate for Christianity. Fortunately, I think that most people understand that Mr. Camping does not represent the whole of Christianity, but sadly non-Christian groups are wasting no time in speaking out against Camping, his followers, and Christianity as a whole.
While I'm sure I could join in the throngs calling for Harold's public apology and repentance (not to mention that he pay back those people that have given everything to his cause); however, I think this is a great learning opportunity for us!
If there was one thing that Harold Camping lacked in his campaign to the rapture, it was scriptural credibility. Having had the chance to look at his website and his explanation about how he managed to figure out something that no other person save God Himself knows, what I found was a miscellaneous grouping of random verses which had absolutely nothing to do with each other, and really have very little contextually to do with the end times, the rapture, or Christ's second coming.
Camping's timeline also lacked theological credibility, as it followed none of the major eschatological views of the end times either (not that we really truly know what is going to happen any more than he thought he did). But to create a brand new point of view about the end times with, again, no scriptural evidence, lays a huge blanket over his argument... not to mention the fact that we are all still here.
So... what can we learn from this? Not to listen to people that say they know these things? Well... yes... in a way... but I think there is more that we can glean from this. Rather than turning a deaf ear to people like Camping and ignoring what they say, dismissing it as the ridiculousness than it is, we need to ourselves be informed about what Scripture says in light of this!! People will undoubtedly ask questions, about Camping and others like him, and we as Christians should be prepared. This is why we NEED to be in the Word all the time.
As Christians we believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, meaning that we know it is reliable and trustworthy, but it is the sole place we go for Truth. We are to test all things against scripture, so we can see it for what it is truly worth. For all that Harold Camping used scripture for in his philosophy, he failed to recognize Christ's words on the matter which really settles the question entirely: "36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36. In that Truth, Jesus' own words, there really needs be no more discussion about when exactly that day will be. We would not claim ourselves to be God... therefore we do not know when Christ will return.
What we DO know... is that we are still here!! Which means there is still work to be done for the kingdom! There are people out there that are desperately seeking Christ and there is still time for us to help bring them to Him!! Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." He also goes on to say in verse 22, "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me."
May this be our prayer and goal... that as long as we live, as long as we are here... that we live for Christ!
While I'm sure I could join in the throngs calling for Harold's public apology and repentance (not to mention that he pay back those people that have given everything to his cause); however, I think this is a great learning opportunity for us!
If there was one thing that Harold Camping lacked in his campaign to the rapture, it was scriptural credibility. Having had the chance to look at his website and his explanation about how he managed to figure out something that no other person save God Himself knows, what I found was a miscellaneous grouping of random verses which had absolutely nothing to do with each other, and really have very little contextually to do with the end times, the rapture, or Christ's second coming.
Camping's timeline also lacked theological credibility, as it followed none of the major eschatological views of the end times either (not that we really truly know what is going to happen any more than he thought he did). But to create a brand new point of view about the end times with, again, no scriptural evidence, lays a huge blanket over his argument... not to mention the fact that we are all still here.
So... what can we learn from this? Not to listen to people that say they know these things? Well... yes... in a way... but I think there is more that we can glean from this. Rather than turning a deaf ear to people like Camping and ignoring what they say, dismissing it as the ridiculousness than it is, we need to ourselves be informed about what Scripture says in light of this!! People will undoubtedly ask questions, about Camping and others like him, and we as Christians should be prepared. This is why we NEED to be in the Word all the time.
As Christians we believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, meaning that we know it is reliable and trustworthy, but it is the sole place we go for Truth. We are to test all things against scripture, so we can see it for what it is truly worth. For all that Harold Camping used scripture for in his philosophy, he failed to recognize Christ's words on the matter which really settles the question entirely: "36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36. In that Truth, Jesus' own words, there really needs be no more discussion about when exactly that day will be. We would not claim ourselves to be God... therefore we do not know when Christ will return.
What we DO know... is that we are still here!! Which means there is still work to be done for the kingdom! There are people out there that are desperately seeking Christ and there is still time for us to help bring them to Him!! Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." He also goes on to say in verse 22, "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me."
May this be our prayer and goal... that as long as we live, as long as we are here... that we live for Christ!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Home Body...
It is always a truly wonderful experience for me to be able to come home to Zion Reformed Church, a place that I would consider my home church body. Having grown up there and even gotten my first tastes of ministry experience there, I feel like I'll always have a connection with the body of Christ in that place. Perhaps you have a similar feeling about a church body, favorite place, favorite people? I don't know what it is really, but I have such fond memories of growing up in that place... from youth group to praise band to flying paper airplanes off of the balcony on Sunday afternoons when mom and dad had meetings to go to! (I probably wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that).
I am so thankful for these memories too, for the people that were involved in them, and how they helped to shape my life. These are the people like your favorite teaching, baby sitter, professor, or inspirational person. Not some actor on TV that you think is cool, but someone that has had a profound impact on you... or something that you associate with a great change in your life.
I think that these people are those who the writer of Hebrews referred to when He speaks of the "great cloud of witnesses."
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
When he writes "therefore" we know that he is saying "because of all that I just said..." The writer is referring to all those that have gone before us from that special Sunday School Teacher to Christ and all the way back to Abraham!! Are we not truly blessed to have these people in our lives?
I know that they have meant so much to me, and I was once again humbled to stand before the congregation that helped me grow in my faith and be affirmed and prayed for as God leads me down this new road in my life.
May you never forget these people in your life and may you, even now, say a prayer of thanks for them... and even let them know what a wonderful impact they have had on your life.
Grace and Peace...
I am so thankful for these memories too, for the people that were involved in them, and how they helped to shape my life. These are the people like your favorite teaching, baby sitter, professor, or inspirational person. Not some actor on TV that you think is cool, but someone that has had a profound impact on you... or something that you associate with a great change in your life.
I think that these people are those who the writer of Hebrews referred to when He speaks of the "great cloud of witnesses."
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
When he writes "therefore" we know that he is saying "because of all that I just said..." The writer is referring to all those that have gone before us from that special Sunday School Teacher to Christ and all the way back to Abraham!! Are we not truly blessed to have these people in our lives?
I know that they have meant so much to me, and I was once again humbled to stand before the congregation that helped me grow in my faith and be affirmed and prayed for as God leads me down this new road in my life.
May you never forget these people in your life and may you, even now, say a prayer of thanks for them... and even let them know what a wonderful impact they have had on your life.
Grace and Peace...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
So I heard Osama....
Well, I'm sure by now that this isn't the first thing that you will have read about the death of Osama Bin Laden. I don't think there has been a news channel in the world that hasn't said something about it either... except perhaps maybe DIY and possible the food network... I've seen news paper headings from "He's Dead" to "Rot in Hell" with Osama's face plastered all over it...
and rightly so... right?
I mean He killed thousands and thousands of people! He designed and trained an organization that is bent on the merciless destruction of innocent people!! He clearly is true evil!!
But really... should we as Christians join in the celebrations that have taken place over the death of a man? Is it right to feel happiness over a life lost? Should we feel guilty for feeling this good about the "justice" that has been done and what is in many ways vengeance that America has taken for 9/11?
Just running a simple search in Bible Gateway... I find 3 Psalms (44, 60, 108) in which the words "victory" and "enemies" appear together. David himself rejoiced over the victories over his enemies... We can read in many different portions of the Bible in which Evil people were killed because of their works, oppression, and even killing of others... and in most of those times, God was praised for it...
So is it ok for us to be happy about Bin Laden's death or for us to celebrate over the killing of a mass murderer?
Well... I don't think that it is at all an accident that in each of these Psalms that the lines of the verses that follow "victory of my enemies" contain phrases:
" With God we will gain the victory" and
"In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever."
This is an important perspective check for us... We need to remember that it is ultimately God who brings victory in any situation...
We also read the words of Jesus who says that we should "love our enemies" which, as difficult as it is, would include Bin Laden.
But I don't think that these things really get at the heart of the matter. Whether or not it is right, we still feel good about Bin Laden's death. I know that I was pretty much all smiles when I watched the President announce that we had successfully brought him down... and I've been watching news coverage about it from CNN to Comedy Centrals' Daily Show and Cobert Report about it... feeling like we had done some good...
...and I think that is exactly it... we feel that this is a point in which good has prevailed over evil... and we want to feel good about that!! As well we should too!! In recent months we have endured Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, Radiation, Tornadoes, Political Fights, Murders, etc etc etc... and this is something good that we can latch on to!! GOOD has finally prevailed in something!! So everyone celebrates...
Yet again the reality is that Bin Laden, a sinner as far as we know him, has died without coming to the saving knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ... and it takes a truly cold person (especially a Christian) to think that Hell is ok for anyone. I think this needs to check our attitude towards this situation, and may need to serve as a wake-up once again for Christians... that people are dying without the life-changing, soul-saving love of Christ, and that too is wrong!
So what should we do about this? CELEBRATE!! The forces of good have won this day!! That, as Tolken writes in his Lord of the Rings book, "There are other forces at work in this world... besides the will of evil." This event is evidence of that in a very big way! I would encourage happiness about good advancing... and celebrate it along with the stories of people helping each other, unity, and stories like that from the tornado ravaged south, earthquake torn Japan, or flooded Australia. These too have evidences of good triumphing over the results of evil and brokenness in the world.
We ought not celebrate a death... but when good prevails we shall rejoice!!
Psalm 44:8
"In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever."
Grace and Peace...
and rightly so... right?
I mean He killed thousands and thousands of people! He designed and trained an organization that is bent on the merciless destruction of innocent people!! He clearly is true evil!!
But really... should we as Christians join in the celebrations that have taken place over the death of a man? Is it right to feel happiness over a life lost? Should we feel guilty for feeling this good about the "justice" that has been done and what is in many ways vengeance that America has taken for 9/11?
Just running a simple search in Bible Gateway... I find 3 Psalms (44, 60, 108) in which the words "victory" and "enemies" appear together. David himself rejoiced over the victories over his enemies... We can read in many different portions of the Bible in which Evil people were killed because of their works, oppression, and even killing of others... and in most of those times, God was praised for it...
So is it ok for us to be happy about Bin Laden's death or for us to celebrate over the killing of a mass murderer?
Well... I don't think that it is at all an accident that in each of these Psalms that the lines of the verses that follow "victory of my enemies" contain phrases:
" With God we will gain the victory" and
"In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever."
This is an important perspective check for us... We need to remember that it is ultimately God who brings victory in any situation...
We also read the words of Jesus who says that we should "love our enemies" which, as difficult as it is, would include Bin Laden.
But I don't think that these things really get at the heart of the matter. Whether or not it is right, we still feel good about Bin Laden's death. I know that I was pretty much all smiles when I watched the President announce that we had successfully brought him down... and I've been watching news coverage about it from CNN to Comedy Centrals' Daily Show and Cobert Report about it... feeling like we had done some good...
...and I think that is exactly it... we feel that this is a point in which good has prevailed over evil... and we want to feel good about that!! As well we should too!! In recent months we have endured Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, Radiation, Tornadoes, Political Fights, Murders, etc etc etc... and this is something good that we can latch on to!! GOOD has finally prevailed in something!! So everyone celebrates...
Yet again the reality is that Bin Laden, a sinner as far as we know him, has died without coming to the saving knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ... and it takes a truly cold person (especially a Christian) to think that Hell is ok for anyone. I think this needs to check our attitude towards this situation, and may need to serve as a wake-up once again for Christians... that people are dying without the life-changing, soul-saving love of Christ, and that too is wrong!
So what should we do about this? CELEBRATE!! The forces of good have won this day!! That, as Tolken writes in his Lord of the Rings book, "There are other forces at work in this world... besides the will of evil." This event is evidence of that in a very big way! I would encourage happiness about good advancing... and celebrate it along with the stories of people helping each other, unity, and stories like that from the tornado ravaged south, earthquake torn Japan, or flooded Australia. These too have evidences of good triumphing over the results of evil and brokenness in the world.
We ought not celebrate a death... but when good prevails we shall rejoice!!
Psalm 44:8
"In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever."
Grace and Peace...
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