Combatting Praise Repression
Being born and raised in a very traditional Presbyterian church has made the transition to a more contemporary service somewhat uncomfortable. Coming out of the “sit or sing” culture into one where we are allowed to clap adds both a little uncertainty and also requires a good bit more coordination (lets just be honest no one wants to be the one clapping off beat). I bring this up because I recently realized something. As I used to look at Pentecostals and think “you know they are just trying to draw attention to themselves, they aren’t trying to praise God” (Which I’m not sure I actually think. It’s just something that has crossed my mind, and justified my treelike praise posture.) I realized that if I am putting them in...
A pharisee who wants to be a builder
Ok, so I really got obsessed by the scripture that crabb posted last week. Those two verses are just a really powerful image for me. In case you don’t remember it: James 1:23-24 – “23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” What I specifically started thinking about was the idea that we should seek our reflection in God’s word. I think that if we want some insight on our true selves, we could do worse than to look in the scripture and try to discover what God says about us in general and as individuals. I wanted to turn this idea into a Sunday School lesson for my class and I...
A Lack of Resolution
So its January. And every year I watch as twitter and facebook is swarmed with all the great things folks are going to do to change their lives for the better. I don’t really get resolutions. I don’t understand why all of a sudden because its a new year I would be renewed with this awesome bout of self discipline. There are a lot of changes I would like to make in my life and I have said that I would change these things before. But just because its January doesn’t mean anything to me, I need a renewed heart. Its whats broken and will cause me to break even the most awesomtastic resolution. So my resolution is to do one thing. Ask more people to pray for me and all the things that I want to change.
So long, 2010!
The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.–Numbers 6:24-26 As we approach the end of another year, I want to wish everyone a fruitful and blessed 2011. This is the time of resolutions. Those little promises that we make pretty much expecting to break within the month! Even though I know how often futile they are, I am still a fan of resolutions. I have made (and broken) more than I can count! Every year, people talk about how many resolutions are about physical health and well-being. I don’t recommend that anyone run out and get a gym membership, but this IS a great time to kind of look over your life and figure out what improvements we...
What keeps you from loving?
I’ll admit it there are some Sundays I don’t like my pastor. Some Sundays he stands at the front of the congregation and gently nudges us along. then other Sundays I worry someone is going to ask “Is that your blood?” and I would respond “Some of it,yeah” (note: Fight Club reference). Yesterday was one of the later both for me and for people I know who I believe and profess to be Christians. We are going through Galations and this week we finished up Chapter 3 and went a little into chapter 4. Galations 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The preacher drove home that it should be easier to befriend and be in relationship with a...
What are you talking about?
I have been talking a lot about weight loss recently. In 10 weeks I’ve lost 30 pounds and still want to lose another 30 pounds. Depending on how it goes, maybe more. My wife commented to me the other day how much I talk to people about it, and find ways to engage people in conversation about it. Why? Well, partly because a part of me wants to be held accountable. By talking about it and putting it out there, I commit myself to a course of action where other people might judge me based on my success in this endeavor or failure should I choose to not stay the course. Another reason I talk about it so much is because I am focused on it. It is what I think about before I eat anything at any time of day, it is what I think about when I feel the...