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?