Sunday, August 19, 2012

Olympics, Singing, and Worship

My wife and I watched a LOT of the Olympics broadcasts this year: live events in the early morning while getting ready for work, some during lunch in the breakroom at work, and lots more in the tape-delayed evening broadcasts.

I noticed that many of the American gold medal winners would mouth the word to the Star Spangled Banner while it played. A few even shed a tear or two. The British winners proudly sang God Save the Queen, along with the Brits in the stands. Winners from other nations sang their country's anthem as well. (I assume they were singing their anthems; I didn't understand most of the words.) The athletes expressed a pride in their country by competing AND by singing.

Watching them sing along - however silently - made me think of singing in church. All too often, many people don't. Maybe they think they have a lousy voice. Maybe they don't know the words to the songs. Guys are especially guilty of simply standing there, expressionless and mute.

I have a question - for the guys, especially, but for anyone who chooses to remain silent during corporate singing as part of corporate worship: If Heaven had a national anthem, would you sing along?

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Why Doesn't it Happen More?

Well, it's been AGES since we posted anything to the blog. Life has been incredibly busy, and as the ministry has taken a new direction, we've taken some time to get our new bearigs. Sorry for the absence (hope it's made your heart grow fonder for us!)

Anyway, I wanted to share this, which was sent by my pastor, Bill Phillips, of Fellowship of Grace, PCA (Peoria, AZ). Thanks, PB!


Aurora, Colo. theater shooter James Holmes makes first court appearance for

killing 12, wounding 58 at 'Dark Knight' screening” - these are the headlines as I

write this months personal Thanks and Prayer.

The big question is “why”? What would lead James to this horrible action? The press all look for secular psychological answers. No one, not even on FOX News, the conservative counterpart to the mainstream liberal media outlets, considers or makes mention of the Fall and man’s resultant depravity. Only the biblical world view gives us a satisfactory answer. The question isn’t so much why did this happen, but why doesn’t more of this happen?

God’s common grace is the answer.

The fact that we live in relative peace is not just happenstance. It could be Aurora all over
save for God’s common grace withholding mankind from the horror of his sinful nature.