What if...?

What if I woke up tomorrow and everything was different? What if I lost my job? Lost my house? My savings vanished? What if our whole American system collapsed? What if there was a nuclear holocaust and I was one of the survivors?

If those things - or worse - happened, what would be my response? Would I, as Job's wife suggested (Job 2:9), "curse God and die"?

How morbid, right? Then let me phrase the question another way, a way suggested by one of our worship songs at church yesterday. It was my first time attending this church, Christ Fellowship in West Palm Beach and it was an awesome time of singing! So as we were singing, the words just jumped out at me as if the Lord were speaking directly to me:

Should this life hold nothing but my Savior,

I will praise you always.

And then later in the same song (What A Savior, Hillsong Worship),

Should this life I live hold nothing but the cross

Where Jesus took my shame,

Then with arms stretched wide and my hands held high,

My every breath will breathe again.

So here's the thing - when I sing that, how much do I mean it? It's easy to say all we need is Jesus. It makes for a nice emotional song on Sunday morning. But really. If life held NOTHNG but Jesus - nothing - would I praise him? Would you?

But that's what real faith is. Repenting and believing in Jesus - salvation - is not a formula to give us "fire insurance." Or just a ticket to heaven. It's not saying the magic words in a prayer and then going on our merry way. It's turning to him with our whole lives. And when we do that, we realize that we exist for his glory, not for our comfort.

Knowing that Jesus is all we need is where real freedom is. Because once we reach that point, we don't have a fret about elections. Or the economy. Or ISIS. Or anything else.

Take it all, but give me Jesus. Did you sing that Sunday? Did you mean it?

Then, as Frankie says.....relax.

My way

Recently I was blessed to hear and excellent motivational speech. It included a lot of good principles for being a good decision maker and creating a positive, productive atmosphere. At the end of the speech the presenter shared a video to illustrate the last point: "Choose happiness." In the video, there was a drummer who absolutely stole the show. A young woman was singing, but the drummer was having so much fun they moved the camera to watch him. He really was choosing to enjoy himself:



Fun!

But I could not completely enjoy the moment; I got distracted by the song choice in the video.

My Way is a ballad written by Paul Anka and popularized by Frank Sinatra. It has a catchy melody, builds to a powerful crescendo, and has very proud, even defiant lyrics. I have no doubt that many successful people have considered it to be their anthem as they have looked back over their lives. I know I have heard of it being sung at funerals.

How sad.

"I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway, and more, much more than this, I did it my way."

"Through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up, and spit it out. I faced it all, and I stood tall, and did it my way."

And saddest of all, the ending...

 "For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has not...The record shows, I took the blows, and did it my way."

The anthem of successful people? More like the anthem of the road to hell.

The Scriptures could not be any clearer on what has separated us from our Creator. Start with the garden, where the man and woman decide they know more than God and are going to choose their food their way. A few chapters later, humanity declares "My way!" and tries to build a tower as a monument to themselves - the Tower of Babel. The children of Israel cry out "My way! My way! My way!" as they worship false gods over and over, finding themselves in Babylonian  exile.

On and on it goes. Rulers build empires and kingdoms. Businessmen build large successful corporations. Politicians manipulate the system to their own gain.

But before we point fingers at the powerful...we all do it, don't we? We base families on the sand of giving our children a better (more comfortable) life - we do it our way. We spend our leisure time and our money on whatever makes us happy. We make minute by minute choices based on our way, without a thought of our higher purpose.

All the while subconsciously singing along with Ol' Blue Eyes.

You and I were created for a purpose. Like the rest of the universe, we are designed to reflect the glory of God. What a messed up world we've created by our insistence on our own way. What if more and more of us realized that "my way" is a dead end? That we were made in the image of God and should reflect that image? That we are not like the sun, giving out our own light, but like the moon, reflecting the light of the sun?

It will happen in totality one day, when all who have ever lived will bow down before Jesus. (see Philippians 2:9-11 and Revelation 5:6-14) In the meantime I pray that you and I will, with God's help, live life, not our way, but his way.

Let's try this again...

Blogging is now well over a decade old, and certainly it has been changing. As a new medium, it was the home to all sorts of clutter - daily ramblings about any and every thing that might be on a person's mind. As well as any and every thing they did. Then it moved on to have themes...sometimes. Today, there are so many blogs that it's hard to tell which ones are worth reading.

When I began my blog in 2010, the original motivation was to write about my missions to Africa. To let people know what God was teaching me, what he might want them to know, and yes, to hash out my feelings. But it was never intended to be especially focused. Here is a quote from my first post:

So here we go. (I won't post) every day or maybe even every week. I plan to post when there's something that would be fun, interesting, or informative.

Yeah, pretty vague.

Almost a year ago, I developed some sort of writer's block. It's been weird posting so infrequently, but at the same time I think it has allowed me to think more about why I did this. I need for it be focused and regular. In other words, if I want you to give me your precious time to read it, I want to respect and honor that decision. So now I plan to start back. This is what I want it to look like:

Frequency:

• Weekly, on Mondays.
• Extra posts when something significant is going on, like posting from Africa while on a mission.
• While writing fewer posts, share links to them more often so that they will show up in more newsfeeds.

Topic:

Insight on living life as a follower of Jesus. This will include things I've learned from Scripture, observations on culture where the right questions are being asked (TV, movies, books, music, etc.), and observations from around me. I will try to relate everything to this overall theme.

So here's the first post from the new blog. In the next few weeks, I will touch on:

• A book I recently read that nails what's going on in American Christianity, 
• Batman vs. Superman,
• A motivational presentation that was good, but missed the mark,
• And more.

I hope those of you who used to read will jump back on. I hope others will take advantage of the newfound consistency to start following. In any case,

Here we go.

Again.

Happy

Doesn't this just make you feel good?

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof,

Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth,

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you

Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do.

Before starting, let me say: I love the song. Catchy tune. Feel-good message. And it does have some elements of godly joy in it, especially the idea of not letting anything bring you down.

But it does have a problem right smack in the middle of it. How so?

Happiness is not the truth.

You see, in our society we have made being happy the ultimate goal. Whatever makes you happy, that's what you should do. We use it to justify all sorts of things:

• We pursue pleasure with every spare moment, instead of taking time to serve others. Because, well, that makes me happy.
• We drown out the voices of Scripture and our consciences when it comes to certain behaviors, because if it doesn't make us happy it can't possibly come from a loving God, right?
• We think that being happy is the reason to get married. So when we are no longer happy, well...that's what divorce is for.
• And it's not just marriage. We quit when things get tough in all sorts of areas. Whether it's at work, church, or just a friendship that's hit some rocky times. "This doesn't make me happy anymore. I'm done."
• We blame God when we encounter death, sickness, or financial troubles. "This doesn't make me happy, God. You must not love me. Do you even exist?'

Yep, we've bought the lie..."happiness is the truth."

If life and Scripture combine to tell us anything, it's that God wants to shape us back into his image through our time here on earth. Paul consistently wrote about how suffering was part of God's plan to shape us into the image of his Son, using his own suffering as an example. So did Peter. Jesus told us to take up our cross (an instrument of death!) and follow him.  He also told the religious leaders that a man who was born blind did nothing to deserve it and said that the Father causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall equally on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). 

There is nothing in the words of Jesus or his followers indicating that being happy was the goal of life.

And then there's Job. In the first two chapters of this amazing book, we learn that Job is going to suffer and suffer a lot. And then it happens, and we are told that none of it is because of his sin. How happy do you think Job was? Exactly. And yet he was right smack in the center of God's will, as the Lord used his circumstances to teach him and make him more of an image-bearer.

But really, go ahead...clap along. I do. Through faith in the Messiah Jesus, I am determined not to let life bring me down.

But when I'm not happy, when life is pressing down on me, I've got something better than happiness to carry me through.

Faith. Hope. Love. These are the truth.

Africa slideshow 2014

Here is a slideshow of pictures from our time in Ethiopia this week. I stand in awe of God for all he is doing there, and I am thankful he has allowed me to be a small part of it.

Enjoy....

"I Write the Songs"

Last week I was out walking my dog, and I was looking for some music to listen to while I walked. I scrolled through my iPhone menu and settled on something I had not listened to in a long time.

Don't judge me….okay, you can - I judge myself.

It was Barry Manilow. A greatest hits album.

Yeah, I know.

As I walked, and as I listened, I realized these songs did not appeal to me like they used to. Not because my musical taste has changed. (Although it has.) Not because I now realize just how cheesy his music is. (Although I do.) No, it was something more. Something that was a window into my soul.

Unlike when I have listened to this music before, I did not identify with the lyrics. At all. Music isn't just a collection of notes and chords. It is a powerful way to pour your heart out. And these songs….nothing. I felt nothing.

And as I walked, I thought…why not?

As I thought about it, this is what I came up with. In the 45 years or so since 5th grade, I have spent somewhere around 35-40 of those carrying a torch for some girl. Sometimes a girl that I was actually dating; more often, it was a crush that was never returned.

Rebecca. Amy. DeeDee. Jody. Betsy. Lori. Angie. Frances. Jaime. Linda. Stephanie. Cathy. Beth. Donna. Beth (yes, another one).

One after another, there was stream of young ladies that would cause the lyrics of these cheesy songs to tug at my heart. All wonderful girls (or women, depending on my stage of life). All worthy of having a guy pining for them.

But as I listened the other night, the songs went flat. Why? Because I am at a place in my life where that kind of pining away is just not happening. And that's a good thing.

Paul, speaking of material goods, said in Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

Me too. While I firmly believe that romantic love is a wonderful part of God's plan for the earth (and thus we are all here), and while it could be his plan for me one day, it can easily become an idol. That is probably the very definition of "pining." I love being at a place in my life where I am content. If God brings a woman into my life - wonderful! But right now he wants me to pour my life into family, friends, and those he shows me who need his love.


Contentment. Whether it's money, love, comfort, or work, that is God's will for me. I pray that whenever I'm tempted to get restless in any of these areas, he will remind me of how Barry Manilow's music went flat for me on a night in April.

We Believe

In a world stained by sin...

In a world marked by broken relationships…

In a world plagued by disease…

In a world haunted by death…

In a world where all these things are ever before us, there is one thing that gives us hope.

"Let the lost be found, let the dead be raised.
  In the here and now let love invade!'

We believe:

Heirlooms

I love Christmas music, and even 30 years after it was released, Amy Grant's A Christmas Album is still one of my favorites. Great songs:  Love Has Come is a simple yet powerful presentation of the incarnation. Little Town introduced me to an alternate tune for one of my favorite hymns. Emmanuel proclaims with authority who Jesus is. Tennessee Christmas grabs me with its simple message that is basically the same as that from The Wizard of Oz - there's no place like home.


And then there's Heirlooms.

I was driving around today listening to Christmas music, and there it was. Hitting me broadside like it always does.

This powerful and emotional song wraps together the two most wonderful things about Christmas - the coming of the King and the importance of family. I've got to confess: If I hear it and tears don't come to my eyes (along with chill bumps on my arms), then I'm only half listening. After all this time, it still gets me. It did today. Take a listen:



Can you listen to it without thinking of your family? Of countless Christmases with them, days gone by with your parents, and new memories being created with your current family? I can't. It's so vivid.

And then, as it moves to the second verse, I love the parallel she draws. Yes, my family is precious and the memories are irreplaceable. But an even greater treasure came into the world 2,000 years ago, and that is what we are celebrating. There are all sorts of heirlooms lying around my house to remind me of good times with family. But the greatest treasure of all came as a baby, and brought life.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I was especially susceptible to the emotion of the song today. Seven years ago today, my wonderful mother went to be the Lord. And so the song today - uniquely today - brings together two of the things I love the most. The memories of time with my mom, and the fact that I know she is in the hands of the Savior who was born in Bethlehem.)

Yes,

All that I come from (thank you Mom and Dad),
All that I live for (thank you Father God)
And all that I'm going to be (thank you Lord Jesus)…

Not heirlooms. Life.

And that's cool.

Nativity: glory through suffering

Last night I continued a Christmas tradition by seeing Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God for the fourth time. Every time I see this program, I am overwhelmed with the wonder of the fact that all of history is the story of God pursuing the rescue his children. But every year, there is a different theme from the redemption story that stands out. This year it was the way that God uses our pain to reveal his glory.

What are some of your favorite Christmas hymns? I have so many. Silent Night. O Little Town of Bethlehem. Away in a Manger.

There are wonderful themes in these songs, which I will probably write about in the future. But when I hear them, when I look at manger scenes on lawns, when I go to a traditional nativity play, it is always such a tranquil scene. Quiet. A few animals mailing soft sounds ("the cattle are lowing, the baby awakes"). A baby sleeping.

Nice. But here's something you may not think about much: Before there was a baby in a manger with Joseph and Mary watching him sleep, there was something called…..labor.

Ughhh. As a man I don't like to think about it. And I'm sure if you're a mom, you want to think about it even less. There is pain which I am told is much worse than anything I will ever experience. I can't even imagine it.

Well, as I was listening to the song Labor of Love from the program, I suddenly thought about it, really thought about it. There is no birth without labor. And there is no labor without pain. And 2,000 years ago…no, there were no epidural pain killers. So as I listened to the lyrics of the song, I began to think about what Mary went through so that Jesus could come rescue me. Here are the words that grabbed me:

It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town

And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love

Can you picture it? Can you picture what Mary went through that night so that the Messiah could be born to usher in God's kingdom and bring us back to him?
_________________________________

It's all through the Bible. There is a mystery in God's plan, and it seems that his glory is most prominent when it comes through suffering. Jesus' passion and death on the cross. His admonition to us that we would suffer on his behalf. One thing is clear: we do not follow Jesus because we want an easy pain-free life. That would be a mistake. Following Jesus is to realize that any suffering we experience is just a finger prick compared to the surpassing glory of knowing him.

Childbirth. An unpleasant thing, but one which brought us the world's greatest treasure, the glory of God wrapped in flesh. I pray that I, like Mary, will embrace whatever God sends my way so that he can be glorified.

No more night

No more night, no more pain

No more tears, never crying again.

Praises to the great I AM

We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

- No More Night, words and music by Walt Harrah

Easter 1996 - our family, including Kim, Holly, and Mom

There is nothing that can shake your world to the core like the death of someone you love. Especially when you have no time to prepare for it. Seventeen years ago tonight, like this year on a Thursday, it happened. I don't remember ever experiencing uncontrollable sobbing before that. Or eyes that were burning because when trying to cry, there was nothing left in the tear ducts. Or being awake for almost 48 hours straight. It was terrible.

As I wrote two years ago, this anniversary has progressed from a day of pure mourning to a day of honer and celebration. And it has turned into a day to remember not only Kim, but my mother, my niece, and other people I love who have passed on. Today has been a great day of reflection, thankfulness, and sweet memories.

But in this world wracked by sin and death, the pain is still there. 

Which is why last night was so sweet.

Our choir was rehearsing for this Sunday, and it just so happened that the anthem for this Sunday is No More Night. Wait, no. "It just so happened...?" No, it was from God. I went expecting to prepare for leading worship, but instead I worshipped on the spot. Chill bumps, teary eyes, and a sense of God's presence. Because as I sang, I saw a glimpse of the future. I thought about how inconsolable I have been after death left its ugly fingerprints on our lives, and I was filled with awe at the thought of "no more tears, never crying again."

But even greater was the truth that we will be praising the great I AM, the Lord of everything, forever. And that the light will come from the light of the world, the risen Lamb of God...Jesus.

Listen for yourself:

I still believe I have plenty of work to do here, living out the resurrection in my daily life to make the reign of Jesus a reality in today's world. But it is good to know that there is a day coming when all the pain will be a thing of the past. Jesus will come to unite heaven and earth in a glorious culmination of the work that he began in Bethlehem.

And as we sing the anthem this Sunday, all that will be pulsating from every lyric and every note.

No more night.

Amen.

Come to me

A few days ago I wrote about the Matchbox Twenty / Goo Goo Dolls concert I attended. While the post was about how much I enjoyed finally seeing Matchbox Twenty, at the end I mentioned how one Goo Goo Dolls song, their latest, lingered with me long after the concert. That song was called Come to Me, and to me it's full of meaning. Here is a video of it, complete with lyrics:



What was it about this song? On the surface, it's a just love song. And I certainly believe that was all the writer intended. But it's a love song with themes that strike to heart of unconditional love. Lines like "Come to me with secrets bared, I'll love you more so don't be scared" and "I don't care about where you've been, Don't be sad and don't explain" are full of the kind of love and acceptance we all crave.

In fact, the whole second verse strikes at the heart of what it makes such an awesome song. The object of the writer's affection has been burning photos, trying to erase the past on her own. The song says, you don't need to do that. All you have to do is come to me. "This is where we start again...start again."

And then, "Today's the day I make you mine, get me to the church on time.' A wedding. Marriage. A fresh start with an eternal commitment to love each other forever.
__________________

Yes, I'm sure it was meant as a simple love song. But it dug deep into my soul as I could hear my Redeemer Jesus calling out, "Come to me." All through the Bible, God uses the picture of marriage to demonstrate the relationship of God and his people. For example, in Isaiah 62:5 we see this:

As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

The Song of Solomon is a pretty frank picture of romantic love between a bridegroom and his bride, and most believe it was intended to be a picture of God's love for his people. The whole book of Hosea is a painful lesson where the prophet marries an unfaithful woman and God uses it as an object lesson of what it's like for God when we abandon him for other "lovers." In John 3:29, John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the bridegroom. Paul exhorts husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church.

And topping it off, in case we didn't get it before -  At the very end of the Bible, in Revelation 21:9, one of the angels who is showing John a vision of the end of all things says, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." Of course, the Lamb is "the Lamb who was slain" - Jesus. So he is the bridegroom and we are the bride.
__________________

And so, through this love song, I could hear God's voice calling out to me: Come to me. You are my sweetest friend. I will take you back to where you belong - where you've always belonged. I'll love you more so don't be scared. And more than anything else, this is where we start again...

Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

He who was seated on the throne said, "I making everything new!" (Revelation 21:5)

....start again.

At long last

Friday night was a long time coming.

I have been a fan of Matchbox Twenty for years, but somehow I had missed seeing them in concert. Ever. I love music more than I can describe and catching a live concert is one of my favorite things in the world. I've been blessed to see more of my favorite artists than I can possibly list. (I started to try, and then gave up. Thank the Lord for the backspace key.) Some of them several times. But never Matchbox Twenty.

They are a favorite for several reasons. The melodies that Rob Thomas writes stick in your brain, and have a way of being likable the first time I hear them. The lyrics on many songs dig deep into the human condition and ask all the right questions about who we are, what motivates us, and what haunts us. Sometimes the lyrics even give a picture of the answers to those questions - intentionally or not.

On example of all this is their latest release, called Our Song. I liked it the first time I heard it. And the lyrics...

I don't know if someone else could handle me

I don't know what I'm supposed to be

You're the only one who really sees...you get me. 

Don't we all want someone like that, who gets us?

But you know what? Mostly it's just fun music. It's music that I associate with how much I love spending time with my nieces and nephew, because we've spent countless hours listening to their music on road trips. It's fun.

And then there's Bright Lights. A few years ago I took a shot at making a list of my five favorite songs. Sure, a list like that will change over time. But it made the list. I consider it the perfect rock ballad. And so this moment was the highlight of their concert:



Wow!

Awesome, awesome night. But I've failed to mention: they shared the evening with another iconic group, Goo Goo Dolls. And it was a new song from them that had lyrics that had me thinking even as my head hit the pillow.

And that will be the subject of my next post..............

Lilies?

Tonight we were rehearsing a song I've sang a jillion times. Of course, The Battle Hymn of the Republic is a staple for the week leading up to the Fourth of July.

So we got to the part with the beautiful four part men's a cappella harmony. The third verse. We began to sing,

In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea............

Huh??

After singing this song all my life, I suddenly thought, Lilies? What lilies?

I have no idea whether lilies grow in Bethlehem. If they do, there is no way to know what time of year Jesus was really born, so would they even be in bloom?

Lilies?

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to sing it again without suppressing a grin. Unless you can help me. Anybody have any idea why it refers to lilies?

That's all I got. Good night.

A new wave

Last night was awesome. I spent the evening hanging out in Tallahassee with my friend Steve. But instead of going to a movie or a ball game, we went to listen to some live music. It was at a coffee shop called Redeye sponsored by his church. The music was excellent - there is a lot of talent in that community of faith. There was praise music, love songs, and songs that were just plain fun. But what struck me was the reason for the music. They were helping support one of their own in a major decision - a young lady maned Lindsey who has chosen to spend a year of her life following God's leading to the ends of the earth. It's called the World Race.

If you want to know more about her upcoming adventure and even support it, she can describe it a lot better than me, so check out her blog. Basically, she'll be spending 11 months of her life living in 11 different countries spreading the love of Jesus everywhere she goes. It's worth digging into.

But what really struck me is the wave I'm seeing in today's young adults. I am seeing an amazing enthusiasm for following Jesus and caring for the poor and oppressed of the world. Everywhere I go, it seems that I encounter another young person who is consumed with the desire to disregard their own comfort, pleasure, and even safety so they can be ambassadors for God's kingdom. It is so encouraging to see!

So I was happy to be part of an evening devoted to helping this one young lady, whom I had never met before. Yes, I enjoyed the music and the coffee. But more than that, I loved the energy and enthusiasm in the room for reaching the world.

And yes, the music was fun. One of the artists, Sydney Simpson, has a youtube video of a fun song that went, you might say, semi-viral. It was fun (especially for us Star Wars geeks), so here's my part in maybe getting rid of the "semi" part. Enjoy:



And check out Lindsey's blog. And support her or some young person you know who is following God's call. We are the verge of great things from these kids.

And I can't wait!

Drifting

It hit me like a ton of bricks. and I was not proud.

So this morning at church I was singing. It was one of my favorite hymns, and one of the classics of the faith. I was into it. We were created to worship our Creator and bring him glory, and singing songs of praise with other Christ-followers is one of my favorite ways to do that.Then a funny thing happened. We were singing the second verse, which is about how all of God's creation sings out in praise to him just by their very existence.

All thy works with joy surround thee,
Earth and heaven reflect they rays.
Stars and angels sing around thee,
Center of unbroken praise.......

Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea.
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in thee.

That's right. As you might have guessed from the font colors, I started to fade. My mind started to drift. And by the end of the verse I wasn't worshiping at all. Heck, I wasn't even paying attention to what I was saying, much less the God I was singing to.

And I know exactly where my mind went. I began thinking about God's creation and how beautiful it was. And then the meadow. My mind wandered to an incredible meadow in Salisbury, England. So beautiful, one of the prettiest places I've ever been. So breathtaking. And how I would love to go back there. And before I knew it, we were halfway through the next verse and I had not been thinking about the Creator of all that beauty at all. Kinda missing the point.

And a passage of Scripture came to mind. A picture of why we so desperately need to be rescued, beginning with our distortion of God's revelation and ending with us not knowing the difference between good and evil. Romans 1:18-32. Read the whole link because context is always important, but it was this verse that shot through my mind like an arrow:

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen. (v. 25)

Worshiped created things rather than the Creator. Ouch. Like a meadow in Salisbury. Like the enjoyment I get from hanging with family and friends. Like the satisfaction of a job well done at work. Like the money I receive for that work, as if God didn't provide it all. Like the fun of watching my favorite sport. Like the way a good story resonates in my soul, whether from a movie, a TV show, or a book.

All good things. All awesome things! Why are they awesome? Because they are provided by an awesome God, designed to point us toward him so we can worship in gratitude and thanksgiving.

But nooooooooo. So often I let myself enjoy all the good things the Father provides for the sake of themselves, without acknowledging the glory of the One who gave them.

Worshiping and serving created things rather than the Creator.
____________________

It's easy to see where I went astray in church this morning. After all, church is supposed to be about God. And it was, until I made it about me and my enjoyment.

But wait - life is about God. Not just church. And the path to all the horrible things in Romans 1 is a slippery slope, one that starts when I worship and serve created things. God, rescue me from that thinking. The next time I'm enjoying a movie, may I think of the creativity of the God who gave us minds to write great stories. The next time I'm hanging with friends, may I think about and thank the One who created us for enjoyment.

And the next time I'm singing a worship song, Lord, help me to worship. "Center of unbroken praise" indeed. Amen.

Pippin 2013

Pippin is back on Broadway.

Check out this video promo:



I could not possibly be more excited about this!

I was introduced to this powerful show in 1984, when I was a student teacher at Lee High School. (That's right - a student teacher. I've got layers, people.) Buddy Murphy directed the school's performance of this 1972 musical, and I was privileged to work with him and his students on it. I fell in love with the music, the script, and the powerful message of a young man searching for meaning in his life. How far will he go?

Here is a clip of Ben Vereen performing the opening number in the original production:



And now it's on Broadway, for the first time since I've even known it existed. Before you ask - oh yeah. That's gonna happen, God willing. Gotta find my corner of the sky.

Joy to the World

In 1719, Isaac Watts published a set of hymns based on the Psalms. Of all the hymns in that collection, this one is probably the best known:



It was pointed out to me recently that Watts really wrote this song about the expectation of Jesus the Messiah's triumphant return at the end of history rather than about his entry into the world as a baby in Bethlehem. After all, there are no mentions of mangers. Or shepherds. Or wise men. Or Mary. Or reindeer. (Just checking whether you're paying attention, ha!)

He did base the song on the last half of Psalm 98:

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for he comes to judge the earth, with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

But to me the wonderful thing about the song is that it is a near perfect expression of the mystery of the Kingdom of God. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures (AKA the Old Testament) the story of redemption was wrapped in a paradox. YHWH promised that he would rescue the whole earth from their sin and rebellion, and he would do so through his people Israel - not just for them but through them. And it also was filed with a promise that the God would one day exercise his right as King over everything. But...the promise contained interwoven passages of a triumphant reign and the fact that the Messiah would suffer to bring it about.

Israel's king but also king of the world (no Titanic jokes please)? Coming in power to rule but also coming in humility to suffer? Huh?

But both were (and are) true! God entered the world in a tiny town as a little baby. He lived, taught, and suffered in order to rescue his people from sin and begin the reign of God's kingdom. And he will come again to bring heaven and earth together, setting everything right once and for all.

So, as I read it, there is no reason to separate Christmas from his future Glorious Appearing. It's all part of one wonderful story that we are privileged to participate in. To insist on Watts' hymn being about one or the other is to make the same mistake the religious leaders of Jesus' time did; to do so is to miss the fact that the triumphal return in dependent on the mission of Jesus. It's one unified plan.

So joy to the world! The Messiah has come to initiate his kingdom, through his suffering and death. He reigns today through the subjects of his kingdom and he will come again to set everything right. Psalm 98 is not about just one part of that, and neither is the hymn.

The Savior reigns! Let heaven and nature sing with joy! Let men their songs employ. He does rule the world with truth and grace. And - in today's world - he does make the nations prove the glories of his righteousness.

Joy to the world!

Train: Bruises

Last night, for the first time, I saw one of my favorite groups in concert: Train. If you follow this blog, you know how much I like them. I can think of at least two blog posts I've done on their songs: I Got You and Maybe This'll Be My Year. Well, after seeing them last night, here's one more.

It was a wonderful evening, with great music outdoors in the new Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. If you haven't seen a show there, I highly recommend it. And let me tell you, Train puts on a fun show.

They played almost every one of my favorites, including the songs referenced above. It was especially poignant when they played Maybe This'll Be My Year, since the bridge of the song is about 9/11, and the concert was on the anniversary of the tragedy. I loved listening to a large crowd of college students sing along in the part of I Got You where it samples the Doobie Brothers hit Black Water (which was popular in my college days). They played with the crowd masterfully during the title song of the Save Me San Francisco album. They brought a pack of young ladies up to the stage and had them dance and sing during Mermaid. But one of my favorite moments is depicted in the photo above, when lead singer Pat Monahan chose a young lady at random to sing to during what he called his favorite song...Bruises.

Of course, it would have helped if the random gal had known the words (and he had plenty of fun with the fact that she didn't!). But it was still awesome the way that, by singing it to and with a partner, he illustrated what the song was trying to say. Take a listen:

(Warning: There is one instance of mild profanity in the song.)



Like many of their songs, this one touches a chord of real life in a way few lyricists do. These old friends haven't seen each other for about ten years, and in the meantime they both have experienced pain and in particular a broken relationship. The point of the song is that the bruises we collect from the pain in our life are not something to run from. They actually give us something in common - yes, a topic of conversation (the surface meaning of the chorus), but more than that. A reason to be there for each other. It reminds me of Galatians 6:2.

Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. (NLT)

Yes, we all have bruises. And we can share them with each other. We long to share them with each other. What a great song.

And what a great concert. Great music, but not just that...you get great music from the studio. Fun. Playfulness. A sense of "where did the time go?" Next time they come near, I'll be back. Maybe I'll see you there.

Late to the party

As I sit down to write this post, I have to wonder: how did I miss it?

I am a huge fan of musical theatre - it's my favorite thing about New York and even London. (Although right now the Olympics are a pretty cool London thing.) And I've loved Elton John's music since middle school. So how did I go until last night without seeing Aida, or even knowing much about it?

For those as clueless as I was, Aida is a musical with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice. It's a story of love and war, fate and choices, life and death, set in ancient Egypt. The short synopsis from broadwaymusicalhome.com goes like this:

Egypt has enslaved Nubia and the great power's prince, Radames, is engaged to the fashionable Amneris. However, when Aida, the princess of Nubia, comes to the palace as a slave, love turns everything upside down and leads everyone down paths they never could have imagined.

A complete synopsis can be found here.

So last night, I went to see a local production at Tallahassee Little Theatre. It was extremely well done with some talented actors and singers, and I was spellbound. In fact, I've been humming the tunes from it all day long. But it was not just fun - it was a compelling story in so many ways. I want to briefly write about just one. To set it up, watch this video of the one song from the show that made it into popular music:



This song takes place as the Egyptian prince Radames and the slave (and Nubian princess) Aida realize that their love is doomed by the hatred and war between their two nations. It is born of frustration, and causes them to wonder about whether they had any choice at all, or was their love some cruel twist of fate.

We all wonder things like this sometimes, don't we? Things go wrong, tragedy strikes us, or even we have a bad day, and we think, "why me?" Is it, as the play asks, just some god's experiment in which we have no say? Is this stretch of mortal time all that we are good for? Or is there something more?

These are excellent questions! I love when culture asks all the right questions. and this is a question for which the gospel has an answer. There is a greater purpose. When we go through suffering, it is just the birth pangs for something much greater, the coming of God's Kingdom. Yes, for each of us some day. but even more important, for the world. The Scriptures make clear that we are to welcome the chance to be like him in suffering, because it gives us the chance to effect change in the world.

Aida portrays a model of that. Because although the lovers are doomed to die for their treason (come on - you didn't see that coming?), their deaths inspire Princess Amneris (Radames' fiancé) to bring about peace between their two kingdoms, and so they didn't die in vain. Yet another redemption story that provides a reflection (albeit dim) of the redemption that Jesus' death brings to us.

Another great story, giving a glimpse of the Great Story. I'm glad I saw it. Even if I was about twelve years late to the party.

Train: Maybe this'll be my year

I love good songwriting. That's why I love the music of Train. So when I downloaded their new album California 37, I didn't just listen while doing other stuff; I sat down and really listened. And I can't say I was surprised when the very first song grabbed me. Here it is with a lyric video:



It goes pretty fast, so you may want to listen again, as I did. I can't imagine getting tired of it.

Yes, it goes pretty fast - like many other songs where the artist tells his story against the backdrop of his lifetime's news events. Think of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire. Or, in the case of a movie, how about Forrest Gump? Like those (and others I can't think of at the moment), the writer gives his personal story life by sharing the surrounding events. Love. It.

So what is the story interwoven through modern history by Pat Monahan? Well, as with so much music, it's centered around a girl. But not just a girl - the girl. In every verse, a year is summarized by events both well known (such as Clinton winning the Presidency in '92) and personal to the writer (such as his father's heart attack). And as it progresses, he reveals that there was a longing. A longing for something he didn't know yet, his destiny. His destiny to meet the girl. '85? Didn't know her yet. '89? He feels the hole in his life. '92 and '97 pass - nothing.

And the chorus of the song rings out through his personal history. He was counting down the hours, but he doesn't have to anymore. At times, his faith wavered (he stopped believing although Journey told him not to - love that!). But to him was all leading up to that moment - the moment when the thing he wanted most would happen.

And then, in May 2004, it happened. He met her. And nothing was ever the same again:

2012,
And all I know
Is everybody comes and goes
Everybody sings and cries,
Makes the grade and takes the prize
In somethin', nothin', I don't care,
Because I always know that you'll be here with me

All that history, all those "current events", the thrill and the tragedy....they're just noise. He doesn't care. Because all he knows is that his life has meaning, because she's with him.
_______________________________

What a great expression of the fact that life has to have meaning. We have to have a purpose. God made us that way. If we think we can just drift from day to day, task to task, weekend to weekend, vacation to vacation, and just function...well, we're kidding ourselves. Ultimately, we find ourselves dry and empty, with nothing but a list of things that have happened to us. And we will stop believing.

Fortunately (especially for me), that kind of purpose doesn't require romantic love. Yes, for most of us that will be part of God's plan - a mate to share our story with every day and night. But it doesn't have to be, and therefore it can't bring the real, deep purpose we all long for. We were created to be something more than that. We were made to love our Creator and each other. And when we find that purpose, well, like the last verse of this song would tell us, everything else is just noise.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8)