It is time some of you watchers out there get brave and start posting. This is a fun convenient place to share your thoughts. I am the worst grammar and spelling person in the world and no one makes fun of me (to my face that is), so no one has any excuses. See everyone in the morning.
Well today Livia Rachel Land is 7 months old. It just seems like yesterday that we were in the delivery room. I can’t believe how much she has grown and what a great blessing she is. There is nothing better. I also cannot believe how fast time passes by. I was thinking about that the other day when I stepped up to plate for the softball game. This was the first time in years that I had swung a bat and I was really worried that I would embarrass myself. Well not counting my first swing I did not embarrass myself. Don’t get me wrong I was no Big Mac. When I stepped up to the plate I was thinking that it just seems like a couple of years ago when I was playing little league.
The older we get the faster time moves. People have said that for years but I really realize it now. After thinking about this over the weekend I picked up Sunday’s Lookout magazine and the Living Word article was on this very subject. The brevity of life is a regular subject in the Bible. Psalm 144:4 says, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.”
I say all of this to say two things. 1) We should enjoy everyday because God does not promise us another breath on this side of heaven. Everyday is a blessing. 2) We should make the most of every opportunity to serve Him and do all we can for the Kingdom. One of my greatest motivations as a minister is not to waste my life and let opportunities past me by to add to the Kingdom where time last forever. That’s all, God bless have a good day.
I just have to say that I love the fact that Adam Meyer got the church softball team started.
I have played baseball since I was about 6 or 7 and my father really instilled a love for the game into me. He taught me to switch-hit (being able to bat both left-handed and right-handed) and taught me all the ins and outs of the game. I only played until I was 15 and then started the job scene so there was no time for playing anymore. I always missed playing and, occasionally, I would go to batting cages just to be able to hit a ball every now and then.
When Adam said he wanted to start a church softball team I didn’t know if I would have the time because of all the other activities I have in life. However, once I started, I just loved it. (Begin commercial) It’s free exercise, a chance to be outdoors and it’s a chance to use my glove and swing the bat again. (End commercial)
I hope, maybe, next year there can be more of an official league and there can be more games in town but, if not, hopefully we can get some more games and keep this going.
Liz, if you read this, let Adam know how thankful I am that he started the team. I know you and Shannon may not play and it may not interest you all that much, but I am glad you all let us guys go out and re-live our childhood fantasies. 
Living in the country, it’s relaxing to watch God’s creatures. Deer eating the neighbors apples, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks skirting across the yard, bright yellow American Finches and hummingbirds eating at our feeders, Blue Herron’s catching fish at the waters edge. But this morning, I had a “spiritual moment”(check out: http://www.mountainwings.com/) . We had opened the windows to enjoy the cool night air and very early we were awakened by the sound of geese flying over head, crows squawking, baby House Finches chirping for mom to feed them. The open windows were allowing the sounds in and disturbing my rest. It was either get up and close the windows or get up and enjoy the beginning of a new day. That’s when I heard God’s still small voice saying “How many times do you close the windows of my blessings so you can stay comfortable? (Mal 3:10)”. Last week we discussed our “comfort zones” and how hard it is for us to want to leave them behind in order to grow in the Lord. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times I’ve closed the window to tune out the sound of God’s voice so I could “do my own thing”.
This is just a plain silly post. Nothing spiritual but just thinking. I have always wanted to go to Australia on vacation. I would love to visit the outback and check out the wild animals. In the city there is plenty of culture and some of the worlds greatest beaches. (A friend of mine played pro basketball there and said it was a surfers dream.) Every since watching a video in World Geography during my sophomore year in High School I have wanted to check it out. Not to mention when the Facts of Life went down under for a TV movie. Did I typed that out loud. Anyway, where would your dream vacation be?
God Is Not A Republican (Or a Democrat)
This is excellent reading. I highly suggest taking a few moments to read the essay by Michael Janke of the Web site cmcentral.com.
Here’s the key graph:
What good does it do to spend all of this time getting non-Christians to act more moral, be “better people” and be sympathetic to Christian lifestyles? Are we here simply to make the world a nice place to live? Making the world a nice place to live is not what is important, from an eternal perspective. Does an America (or whatever country you are from) that acts like a “Christian nation” in reality serve the Kingdom of God any better than a post-Christian America? No! Not if its people still do not know the Lord. Non-Christians who are moral and go to church a lot are no better off than non-Christians who are more blatant in their sinful nature. If there is no change on the inside, the outside moral and upright behavior is simply window dressing on a soul that is just as tarnished and in need of a Savior.
This is something I’ve been coming to grips with for a long time. I became a political junkie around age 15. For many years, I was one of these guys the writer talks about. I’m glad my views have changed.
Jesus was always asking his disciples to do weird things for reasons that were completely obscure to them. Sometimes Jesus asked his disciples to gather up tiny scraps of food so he could feed a multitude! Sometimes Jesus asked his disciples to go fishing in empty waters! Sometimes Jesus asked his disciples to sit down with tax collectors, prostitutes and other well-known sinners! Sometimes Jesus asked his disciples to stay calm during a life-threatening, violent storm! Sometimes Jesus asked his disciples to leave their families and security to follow him!
The disciples who went to claim that colt were being asked to take a real risk, to act in a strange, unprecedented manner. Why did they do it? Because the Lord asked it of them. As 21st century disciples we will be called upon by the Christ whom we serve to do or act in ways others may find really bizarre. We are asked to do so in the name of the Lord. I know I sure am challenged with a couple of big request.
What might the Lord be asking you to do this week that seems a little odd or out of your comfort zone? Lets find a way to be faithful to him this week even when were not sure what He is doing. From His track record I would say He probably has something bigger in mind. If we are faithful one can only imagine what impact and eternal significance might come from it.
We haven’t done this song at CCJ (but the band will in the coming months). I first heard it on the Passion Worship Band’s album, Our Love Is Loud. It’s called “Famous One.” It’s another one of those modern, upbeat worship songs but something about it is special to me. It’ so simple but it’s so clear. God is great.
Chris Tomlin / Jesse Reeves
© 2002 Worshiptogether.com Songs/ Sixsteps Music/ Ascap
(Admin by EMI Christina Music Publishing)You are the Lord, the famous One, famous One
Great is Your name in all the earth
The heavens declare You’re glorious, glorious
Great is Your fame beyond the earthAnd for all You’ve done and yet to do
With every breath I’m praising You
Desire of nations and every heart
You alone are God, You alone are GodYou are the Lord, the famous One, famous One
Great is Your name in all the earth
The heavens declare You’re glorious, glorious
Great is Your fame beyond the earthThe morning star is shining through
And every eye is watching You
Revealed by nature and miracles
You are beautiful, You are beautifulYou are the Lord, the famous One, famous One
Great is Your name in all the earth
The heavens declare You’re glorious, glorious
Great is Your fame beyond the earth
In a post a week ago, I linked to a essay about where we are headed as “The Church.”
Now, Get Religion, a blog that takes a hard look at the media’s coverage of religion, has an interesting post called The post-megachurch maze.
It is a look at the North American Christian Convention (CCJ is a part of this movement). Get Religion’s Terry Mattingly is a contributor to The Lookout, a magazine that is handed out at church, so it’s not fair to say that he’s just trying to bash the movement. His ultimate point is to lament the media’s lack of coverage of such a large gathering but it also questions some of the activities taking place.
Is this a column? Is this even a news story? If so, what is the story?
Here is what I saw. On one of the quieter halls of the convention center was a small room set aside for private prayer. Since this was a Protestant gathering, the room contained no traditional religious art. Yet there was an icon, of sorts. Over on a low table was a framed portrait of President George W. Bush, with a candle in front of it. The meaning was clear — pause here to pray specifically for our president.
So was this a Religious Right shrine?
Maybe not. A few steps away was another door leading into a larger candle-lit room. This one contained a large prayer maze called “The Desert.” It was based on Native American prayer traditions and, whether its creators intended it or not, is part of a larger movement with branches into all kinds of alternative forms of spirituality.
So was this a liberal, even New Age, shrine? Was it both? Is it OK for modern Protestants to draw on non-Christian artistic traditions while avoiding traditional Christian forms of spirituality? Meanwhile, back in the worship services, is it now more traditional to use rock music and Hollywood film clips than traditional forms of liturgy and hymns?
And is any of this a news story?
Just asking.
Does anything in our church concern you? I’m not trying to be a rabble-rouser, honestly. I think that if this is a forum for discussion, then we should honestly discuss our concerns. Do any of the things mentioned in Mattingly’s post concern you about our movement?
I think he’s blowing the “praying for Bush” thing out of proportion a bit but I do have genuine concerns about the influx of New Age, feel-good doctrine in today’s churches, Restoration Movement or not. I don’t think CCJ is guilty of that and I hope we never are.
If you are like me and are interested in the media’s coverage of religion, you should bookmark Get Religion.
Stolen Summer
Tuesday I saw the movie “Stolen Summer.” I really liked this movie and highly recommend it. There may be a few issues in there that I disagree with, but my totally agreeing or not with the characters’ religious beliefs or the writer’s take on some of it was not the point. This movie grabbed me and won’t let go! The actor who played “going into third grade” Pete O’Malley…awesome!
To give you a a little insight, Pete is a young Catholic boy who is on a “quest” to help the Jews get in to heaven. One of the great scenes, I think, is a conversation between the rabbi and his secretary. The rabbi has befriended Pete and, very graciously, allows him to set up a “free lemonade” stand outside the synagogue. Several in his congregation are complaining that Pete is advertising Christianity to which the rabbi responds: “I’ll tell you something about this congregation. They hardly notice this synagogue unless it’s the high holy days…All (Pete’s) doing is asking people to think, and you’ll notice that when you ask people to think, that’s when they start complaining…He’s advertising thought…He’s asking people to have a free cup of lemonade and maybe gain some insight about heaven. If that goes against some people’s beliefs, so be it.”
Go Rabbi! We all have times when we need to ‘loosen our halos a little so our horns can go down.’
There are many memorable lines and conversations in this movie, another one when Pete’s priest explains first communion and ‘accepting’ Jesus (a Catholic view) and Pete says, “That doesn’t sound like the Jesus I know.” Such pure and simple faith.
What are some of your favorite movies? I’ll give some of mine in the comments.
One festival I’ve always wanted to go to is the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, IL. It’s home to a lot of hard ”Christian” bands and a general gathering of non-mainstream Christians. The Washington Post did a story on it. (Registration Required)
Hallelujah Palooza: Faith and Rock Mosh Together At Christian Music Festival
This kind of thing may not be your thing and I may not agree with everyone’s stances but it does give kids the chance to have a release in a relatively safe environment.
“If the kid gets approval from Mom and Dad,” he says, “they can go to a concert, jump around in a mosh pit, and just go crazy. It’s not super-spiritual, necessarily, but I think that serves a great purpose.”
This is not an important post but I thought it was an interesting article if you are interested in that scene.
Daniel’s post about Koinonia reminded me of something I read that I’ve been wanting to share with regard to Koinonia and other activities with our church families. Again from My Personal Daily Prayer Book:
There are times, Lord, when it is good for me to be alone with you, to contemplate my life, to reaffirm my need for you and your care for me, and to listen to you. I need to be quiet, for in quietness I find you. But there are also times when I need to be immersed in community, to have vital connections with those around me, to feel their needs, and to share my own needs with them. I need to be in fellowship, for in community I also find you.
I am thankful for the friends I have made at CCJ, most definitely those strong connections with Koinonia and the praise band.
We haven’t gone a day since we started CCJ Freestyle without at least one post so here’s one for today (it’s getting late though):-)
We have been doing these Koinonia Groups for almost two years now and I think it’s safe to say that without these groups and others at CCJ, I honestly don’t know that Shannon and I would still be in southern Indiana today. However, at these groups we have found friends and spiritual family. In fact, I dare say that most of our Koinonia Group is closer to us than much of my family.
Tonight’s lesson was entitled “Show Me The Way.” It was all about the basics of becoming a Christian and how we can present the Gospel to unbelievers in a way that goes beyond “token answers.” We really shared a lot about our lives and our struggles with each other tonight. This is not something that would have happened two years ago when we first began. I feel really good about what happens each week. You can see the growth taking place right before your eyes.
So, to all of you who may not be in a K-Group, I really encourage you to give it a shot. Try it for a month and see if your life isn’t better off because of it. I know ours is.
Over at this post, a good discussion has broken out about depression. This is a topic that is worthy of its own post and so much more. I can’t claim to have suffered severe depression myself but I do have close, intimate knowledge of its paralyzing effects. When I was growing up, I always heard depression was a demon that could simply be shooed away by “giving it to God.” I think that’s a simplistic answer. Don’t get me wrong, some depression can be overcome, but for many people, it’s just not that easy. Can God heal anyone? Absolutely. However, He doesn’t choose to heal everyone of every illness does He? I’m afraid modern Christendom has favored the ’sweep-it-under-the-rug-and-let-God-have-it’ approach instead of looking at this as an illness in need of our compassion and understanding.
I really believe that there are more people coming to CCJ right now that have depression issues than we can fathom. I really think we would all be shocked at the people who sit next to us (who we think have it all together) who have problems with depression. Whether it be clinical or situational, depression isn’t something to be taken lightly with a ‘get over it’-type attitude.
Perhaps a discussion group is in order for all at CCJ who are suffering. (?)
[stepping down from soapbox now]
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The other day I was looking through some old pictures that really brought back some memories. I was truly thinking about the time when the pictures were taken. Sometime I look at pictures and wish I could experience the moment again. Do you ever feel that way. Maybe it is a picture of a baptism, the birth of your child, a championship, a graduation, your wedding, a vacation or something that really was a great experience for you. I really get those feelings when I pull out the pictures from my Haiti trips.
Some people call those pictures moments or postcard moments. I think they are reminders. I think that is why worshiping together and taking the Lords Supper is so important. It is those times when we see the snapshot of Jesus’ sacrifice and it reminds us of the heavy price he paid. Like a picture it is no where near the real thing but it takes us as close as we can get and motivates us to repentance and hopefully improvement.
Then there are the days you wish you had to do over. You want to experience it again for one of two reasons. One, you liked the experience and want it again or, two, you want to do something differently. I look at a picture of a wrecked vehicle of mine and wish I could have avoided the accident. I guess the overall point of my babbling is that you can’t go back in either case. The picture can only motivate you for the future. It can make you work to experience the good again or try to not make the same mistakes of the past. Either way those pictures come in handy. We can’t be like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day and keep improving on a past day, but we can improve on the future days. Well that’s all. Have a good day!
PS - If you could experience one “groundhog day” from your past what one would it be?