April 25th, 2009
How many times have you sat down in a worship service and felt like something was out of place? How many times do you walk away thinking that it was something with you and how you approached God? How many times are we tempted to blame it on the worship band not doing their job, or not singing the right songs? Our approach to worship determines how we worship. No other external factor should be interfering with our worship. If it is then it is an idol and it must be dealt with as such.
Reading 2 Samuel 6 this week has been an interesting experience. Why is it that God would strike Uzzah the High Priest dead for touching the Ark? He was simply trying to keep it from falling off the cart? Why was it that David’s dancing and praising earned the scorn of Michal and why was it that God caused her womb to be barren? These all seem to be pretty harsh things. I think that they were two symptoms of a greater problem, the problem of hindered worship.
2 Samuel 6:3-7 (NLT)
3 They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house, 4 carrying the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. 5 David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, singing songs* and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
6 But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. 7 Then the LORD’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this.* so Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.
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January 22nd, 2008
Today is supposed to be a day where we all stop as a nation and remember the life of Martin Luther King. I am afraid that instead it has become another excuse in the life of our nation to take the day off and rest from our lifes that are getting busier and busier. One question keeps rolling around in this bloggers head though and the question is “where has our compass gone?” By that I mean where are the men and women who are willing to risk life and limb and reputation to stand on the side of justice, of mercy, of compassion?
I am afraid that society today no longer places value on the traits of character, leadership, integrity and honor. Sure there are the exceptions, sure there are good people out there doing good things, but as a whole our nation has lost it’s bearing on what matters most. What matters most is taking care of those less fortunate, is giving a voice to the voiceless, is guiding the next generation to follow in our footsteps in being virtuous, showing largess in all we do and following the God of our forefathers as best as we can in our short time on this earth.
I am afraid that my generation is drowning out the voices of reason, of love and forgiveness with the IPOD, the Playstation and the computer. No longer do we take time to go to the library, (who would when we have the internet?), go to public meetings and debates. We only go to that which is required in order to survive in daily public life. We no longer focus on others, we only focus on ourselves and our bottom line. It is a lonely and dangerous place to be for to long.
As long as we look at national tragedies such as rampant steroid abuse in baseball, academic cheating in high scholl and college, corporate greed and money grabbing and so on as the cultural norm we will never get better as a society. Generation after generation will loose further and further the tenuous grip we have now on reality. Sooner then later our entire nations moral fabric will collapse. What will take it’s place in the moral vacuum is to scarry to even contemplate. It is the stuff that gives me nightmares. I shudder to think that my son could grow up in a world where the predominant religion is Islam and we look to them to define for us as a culture what virtue is.
I challenge myself, as well as anyone reading this to stop and listen for the voices that are trying to change the fabric of society. The voices of people like Chuck Colson, Ben Stein, Colon Powell and the like. There are so many people out there who are voices in the wilderness. We must astutely listen, follow, and then model for our children the way of life they are reminding us will lead us down the golden path, the path to a unified nation and unified world. To do any less is to abdicate our responsibilities to the generations looking to us for guidance. We need more people like Martin Luther King who are willing to put it all out there, to answer the call God gives them and say I count my life but as loss as long as God be glorified.
December 17th, 2007
My Most Memorable Christmas
The High Calling Blogs has asked it’s members to post about their most memorable Christmas. Here is mine.
In October 2003 I went to Ukraine for two weeks of ministry to orphans and under priviledged children. It was the most wonderful trip. It was my first time out of the country, it was so very very COLD, and I loved every minute of it. Although it was not exactly on Christmas, it was close and we gave lots of Christmas gifts to these children. Little did I know they would give me the greatest Christmas gift, a greater awareness of Jesus and His love for children. A few highlights of the trip were:
1) Giving 200 mattresses to an orphanage that needed them. The ones they were sleeping in were circa 1954, I am not joking. Many of them had been robbed of their stuffing by young ladies….I will let you fill in why they needed it. It was apalling.
2) Singing Christmas carols with children who were learing their English by learning our songs.
3) Being acosted by a 3 year old who was trying to get in my bag so I would take him home. I am NOT joking, and he almost succeded. It if had not been for a wise mentor there I might have tried!
4) Shopping for Christmas Gifts in open air markets in Kiev. It was cold, but it was well worth it. I came home with many hand made gifts. I could not have asked for better gifts for my family.
If you ever have the chance to go to Ukraine, do it. The country is wonderful, it has lots of need for Christian guidance and it needs our support!
September 7th, 2007
I have recently come across two coffee companies that are promoting social justice and providing new opportunities for the people where they grow their coffee. I thought I would share them with you.
The first one is called Saints Coffee and it is a new company thats “Bottom Line is to provide our customers the best coffee they’ve ever tasted while funneling much of the profit to the most needy people of the world.” Those needy ones are of course…orphans. Check it out!
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The second one is The Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee
This coffee is farmed in Rwanda. 15 years ago Rwanda went through the most brutal form of ethnic cleansing we have seen since Hitler. Now, regardless of tribal affiliation and creed they are working together learning micro finance and learning to love one another.
Both these coffees look great to me. I look forward to ordering mine soon.
September 5th, 2007
I have been watching Samir Selmanovic for awhile, ever since he first appeared on Emergent Village a few months ago. I am really falling in love with the theology of this man. Please take a moment and Read this. If you are not familliar with Samir he has recently left a good position as a pastor and moved to New York to start Faith House Manhattan. Basically it is a place for open and candid inter faith dialogue, and then taking the wisdom of each religion and growing our knowlege of God. It is a great idea really.
Please take a moment and listen to this podcast called Finding our God in the other by Samir. It is a little long but very worth listening to. I am sure that you will not agree with everything he says, but what he says causes me to stop and ponder and mull over why I believe what I do, and then challenge me to grow in my belief. This is a rare thing in a lot of preaching anymore.
Take some time and mull over his website for Faith House Manhattan which is in my blogroll and get to know the heart of this man. I think we will be hearing more of him soon.
