My Holiday Tree

While spending late last night relaxing with friends, watching movies on tv and channel surfing, we came across a discussion about the Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas controversy. Here's my take on the whole subject: call it a Holiday Tree if you really want. Holiday is no different from Christmas - it means Holy Days, the Holy Days of Christmas. So it all means the same to me. It's a lot like people changing from B.C. and A.D. to B.C.E. and C.E. Both sets revolve around the same exact point in history - the birth of Christ (or close to it). So I really don't see why you would change to B.C.E./C.E. I also don't see why you would change Merry Christmas, because Merry Christmas is more nostalgic and has a more cheerful sound.

Not So Good

I've been reading some really good books lately. Mainly, C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. But I have been reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper and don't like it so much. I have been told that I am "turning Baptist" but I think I've always been a little Baptist since I was first introduced to Christianity through a Baptist church. I'm not sure what I don't like about Piper's book, but I guess I thought it was this amazing work, and I was let down. It is not completely bad, but it's just not something I am planning on reading again soon. Just my thoughts.

Idols

So we say we don't have idols, that we don't worship anything other than God. But, what if Jesus came back today? How many of us would be upset that we wouldn't get to watch the next episode of our favorite TV show or listen to music on our iPod? Just recently I thought I would have been very upset if I no longer could listen to my iPod or CDs, but now my perspective has changed.

However, I probably do put too much stock in my guitar. I love playing, and I can feel God working through me whether I'm playing "worship" songs or not. So I try to justify that, and maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't. But what would you be upset about not getting to do if Jesus came back...right now?

Love Sermon

Not long before I left the senior high group at Christ Community, I gave a sermon on I Corinthians 13. What follows is a sort of abbreviated version of my notes and thoughts.

(read I Cor. 13)

This summer (of 2004) I was encouraged by the unity in our youth group. I am even more encouraged to see us moving back towards that state. But what creates unity?

I speak today in love because I want only what is best for our youth group, church, and community. I am using my talents as a leader and public speaker to get my thoughts and feelings across to my brothers and sisters.

I am not perfect, and neither is anyone else, but that does not mean we cannot strive to be perfect. We should aim for perfection as individuals and as a group. Matthew 5:48 says, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Love is not easily angered. This is something I struggle with every day. I don't like that I get angered so easily, but I can control the way I handle it. If I blow up in my friend P.Diddy's face, I am not being very loving. If I let something slide until I can talk to him about it in private, I am loving him and the others around us.

Forgive and forget is what we are called to do. I have been working at forgiving others and then forgetting what they have done. I am still getting better. I see people like me friend Josh, who can't hold a grudge to save his life, and I am amazed at the power given to him by the Holy Spirit.

Hope for the future. That is what I have to do on a daily basis because it has been rough the last couple of months here in this room [due to administrative personnel changes]. But I have a hope that we will pull each other through this and be unified in walking through a new stretch towards heaven. I want there to be something for the freshmen and sophomores in a few years, and something for my little brother to look forward to when he enters high school. I strongly believe that the other seniors are behind me when I say that we are going to persevere through to the end for, and with, this youth group until we are no longer here. This is about more than any one person or small collective group; this is about a group of kids, teenagers, you adults, who get together to worship our God. Isn't that the whole reason this place was created?

Finally, we know that hope never fails. Some of you might say this would never work and that there are things that you just can't change or deal with. Let me say this, that I have been working on this for several months now, and I see a difference already in how I feel towards others, and hopefully that leads to how I treat them. Many of you have seen "Love Her" written on my hand and asked what that means. Well, here it is: take anyone's name and replace "her " with that name. Strive to love that person more. I wrote her only because I need to work on loving my sisters in Christ better. But it applies to the way I love guys, too, as brothers. How can you love someone better this week?

Leap of Faith

While home for Thanksgiving, which was quite wonderful, I came across something I had thought about before, but had never put into words. It had to do with trusting God when you don't know what to do. I made the analogy that it is like cliff-jumping. We make a decision, sometimes not sure if it is the right one, and that is when we jump. God is there, and He will either catch us immediately, or He will let us hit the side of the cliff and get brusied and bloodied a bit on the way down. However, He still catches us. It may not be as soon as we want to be caught, but we are caught. God promises to catch us, but He never promises we won't get hurt. He sometimes lets us hit the rock wall that slopes out, but what doesn't kill us only makes us strong. Or so I've heard.

Note: I just had to come up with this analogy for someone else, and I'm not being beat against the rocks, at least not now. Thanks for your concerns and prayers.

Feasting

I enjoy eating. Maybe a little too much here my freshman year. But my eating habits have changed since I moved out of a house where the food was always plentiful.

I was sitting out in the cold for college group Wednesday night, feeling very well fed from my dining hall dinner, when my ears perked up a bit. Kyle Dunn was speaking on God's grace and mercy. We don't have a limit to the number of times we can approach the throne. I began thinking about it in the sense of a feast.

Traditionally, we eat three meals a day. That is all the dining hall serves here, and once you've been there, there is no going back. However, God's throne is open more like my Thanksgiving Day buffet. Once it starts, there is no limit to how many times I can return - only when supply runs out if the buffet over. But God's grace and mercy have no beginning and no end, and the supply is infinite. So let's feast upon grace and mercy, but let us not be gluttons.

My Lullaby

I have recently been having a hard time sleeping. This stems from two things: physical uneasiness and pain from my back, and several nights of nightmares. The back pain I have grown used to, and only occasionally keeps me awake at night. However, the dreams I have no control over. I have to turn these over to my Father, and allow Him to hold me and carry me through. What follows is something that has come out of this time, and it brings me comfort to think that I have no control. The world would say differently, but we are not of this world, are we?


My Lullaby

As I lay me down to sleep
The night is creeping in
The darkness is too deep
I just want this day to end
I close my eyes and say a prayer
Fight off the night for me
I can feel you coming nearer
I can feel you setting me free

When I sleep, I feel your arms around me
Because I know I’m in the palm of Your hand
I feel safe when You’re by my side
Here is where I can be only Yours

When I dream, it’s up to You
There’s nothing more I can do
I can’t be in control
I want You in whole
Every waking hour
I want to give to You
But that’s never easy
Never the easy thing to do

When I sleep, I feel Your arms around me
Because I know I’m in the palm of Your hand
I feel safe when You’re by my side
Here is where I can be only Yours

Though the darkness comes
Though the light is not seen
It’s more than sight
I have seen the unseen

When I sleep, I feel Your arms around me
Because I know I’m in the palm of Your hand
I feel safe when You’re by my side
Here is where I can be only Yours

Creation

"God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." -Pastor Barry Camp, Senior Pastor at Highland Baptist Church in Waco

Loving Through It All

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. -I Corinthians 13:1-8a

I originally taught on this in the spring in my senior high youth group at Christ Community. What began as an experiment I called my "Love Her" experiment became a practical way for the people in our (or as I like to say "my", as the family in which I am a part is "mine") youth group to live out this passage. I had spent months dwelling over this and other passages, eagerly awaiting the week that I would get to share what was on my heart. My outline took many different forms, until the Sunday came. Since then, I have found myself coming back to this passage again and again.

Jesus calls us to first, love God, then love people, and especially love our enemies. In the last couple months, I have delt with having to love the people I know in tough situations. Starting with graduation night, I found myself weeping at the sight of what was going taking place. I originally did not want to go because I knew what I was going to see. However, a few of my friends convinced me to go, and I was deeply saddened by what I knew to be the last time I would see many of my classmates for a long time.

What I saw that night has only continued on campus. When I first met people, I could not tell if they were the drinking type, and it was hard to tell for the first couple weeks. During this time, most of the parties are dry, but that soon changed after two or three weeks. What really drove me back to this passage was seeing these people that I met and had become friends with do the things in which I do not agree. Like Donald Miller says in Blue Like Jazz, we can learn to love the person without supporting what they do. I have learned to live this out, because love is what distinguishes the Christians from the world. If it means that my friends trust me enough to ask about my faith, great. But I am not going to impose it on them. I just hope they will ask me, or someone else who loves them, and I pray that courage will cover each party to ask and answer.

Another reason I keep returning to I Corinthians is that it is the way we prevent rejection. When someone does something against us, we tend to close up and shut that individual out. However, love keeps no record of wrongs and lets the person back in, without guilt, without shame, covered in grace, clothed in mercy. Hopefully, this will lead to the person seeing more of Jesus, and seeing more of their sin. For as we move into the light, the things in the dark are revealed. So what's the best way to get this way? Love every single person you know - whether you like them or not.

The Triangle in the Orchestra

Kyle Dunn, the college minister at Highland Baptist Church in Waco, spoke tonight on grieving with hope – the hope we have in Christ that all believers will be reunited for the most glorious time of worship. He used this example for our lives on earth:

A triangle is a part of an orchestra. (Kyle proceeded to show just how good he is without having ever had a lesson or play the triangle before, for that matter.) Now imagine a wonderful orchestra is playing a set of five songs for a concert. The triangle player waits patiently in the back with the other percussionists for his part to come. Finally, for the first twenty-two measures of the third song, the triangle plays proudly, setting the rhythm for the rest of the orchestra. The listener enjoys the joyful tone and the music made by the triangle, but not until it has finished its part does the listener miss the triangle. He has played his part, and now it is another instrument’s turn to do its part. The triangle does not know or understand why it only played for the time that it did, other than that was the way the composer wrote his part. All the triangle can see is the music set for him; he cannot see the whole score. However, all the instruments trust that they are a part of something bigger and more beautiful than any one of them could produce on their own. We must not try to see the whole score, for we know not how to read it, and we would not understand it. We must play our part, and to the best of our God-given ability, trusting that we are a part of a bigger and better orchestra.

This illustration touched me because, as my previous post portrays, music is a big part of my life. I worship most fully when I am engaged in music. I can glorify my God by playing my part perfectly, and I learn to do that through my instructor, Jesus Christ, who has shown me how to play my instrument. In the words of one of my good friends, he’s a “Rock ‘n Roll Jesus”. This is my solo, where my composer can, and will, shine.

Anywhere and Everywhere

Today the masses again filed into Waco Hall here on the Baylor campus to attend the required chapel service. Many complain and whine about having to attend, but I don't mind sitting through the short service. Every now and then there are interesting speakers or a good band that plays for us, and today was one of those days. The band was the Dutton Band, which leads worship at University Baptist when David Crowder is not there. That is the same church in which the late Kyle Lake spoke from the pulpit. Front man Logan Walter mentioned that Kyle did not see a line between Christian and secular, something that I am beginning to understand - that faith should not be departmentalized. In Psalms 33 it says, "2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts." Logan, in response, said that since they didn't have any harps on stage, they would use their guitars. At this point I got chill bumps. God does not appear to man like He did in the times of the Old Testament, but I sometimes see these reactions as the Holy Spirit descending on me. A sense of peace and joy and fulfillment accompanied the chill. I took it as Someone saying that music is the way I best worship my Father. Over six hours later, I still have an immense joy that began at that moment of recognition.

Going back to the line between Christian and secular, I love seeing people use their talents to their fullest. It does not always happen because they don’t realize that they are God-given and should be used for His glory. However, I can worship God by realizing that these talents are, indeed, sent from above and meant for worship. In U2’s latest studio album, I can see evidence of the supernatural in the abstract and concrete. “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” relates to the accountability we need to live for the Lord and to live in community. Loving thy neighbor as thyself and the giving up of everything is portrayed in “Miracle Drug”. Very clearly, “Yahweh” is a prayer to our Father. There is no symbolism here, but straightforward requests for the Lord. I feel that the Holy Spirit, whether realized by the band or not, had a very big part in the making of this album. When I listen, I hear more than just notes and melodies, but I hear rejoicing and worship. Beautiful worship.

Thank God for Grace

I am a member of a church that has been said to preach grace too much. In other words, people hear that God gives grace to His people, so it does not matter what a man does. First of all, that is not the intention of the message. The imperfection of man does not excuse from the pursuit of perfection. Secondly, it's good to hear the same topic preached from another pulpit. The church that I attend here in Texas focused on grace this morning.
I was intrigued by several points that were made. Those who live in guilt do not understand grace. I don't really know how to explain why this clicked with me this morning, but it did. Grace sets us free from the sin that entraps man, and guilt is what holds us in that entrapment. Also, it was made clear to me that our sin does not change God's character. Just because we, as humans, do something wrong does not change grace. It is still feely given to us, and nothing will ever change about that fact. It is this grace that secures our salvation, that ushers us into the kingdom. Nothing by our own works, but by the grace of God. This should lift a huge burden of the shoulders of many.
Then the pastor brought up a story that sounded one very much like one that I know. His six -year-old girl was taken from him many years ago by a drunk driver. In light of the grace that he had been given from above, the pastor extended this grace to the driver. They began a relationship, and it led to the salvation of the driver. I thought of the Mullicans while he was telling the story. Mr. Mullican has met time and time again with the guy who killed his daughter for a meal. Grace extended through man to other men by God. Amazing. He used this in contrast with breaking the speed limit by a few mph to illustrate that breaking a rule is not as bad as breaking a heart. The greatest commandment addresses our relationship with our Heavenly Father, and the second with relationships between people. I take it that we should put some weight in relationships.

ADDITION ON NOV 3:
Here are the lyrics to a U2 song off All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Grace

Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace, it's the name for a girl
It's also a thought that changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she's got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She's got the time to talk
She travels outside of karma
She travels outside of karma
When she goes to work
You can hear her strings
Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace, she carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl in perfect condition

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things

Purpose and the House

Two things came to mind while I sat listening and absorbing the teachings at the college service tonight. They came to me in ways that I have never thought of before, and now feel led to share them. Feel free to forward this to anyone you wish, as I would do the same if I could.
First of all, the message was the second part of a series entitled "What am I Here For?" I have heard similar sermons, but a point that was made was that it is good to work at a secular job. You don't have to be called to a "ministry" to be called by God. He has called us, and internally wired us, to a certain profession. We are told to be the salt and light to the world, and that includes the "secular" world in which the church does not go. However, I would debate that there really is a "Christian" world and a "secular" world. Back to my point, this reinforces my feelings of introducing Christ to a business that is craving and screaming for love and attention. I was at first told that my strong beliefs, business would not be a major most fit for my strengths. However, I knew this going in, and my strong beliefs are the reason I wanted to get into business. I also saw that being "Christian" is not a Sunday-Wednesday thing; it is a life thing. I have known and been taught this, but now came the application.
Secondly, Psalms 122:1 was brought to my attention: "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" I have always been excited when a friend would call and invite me over to his house. It is a way of showing love and care for another person, and it is a very personal gesture. Here, the psalmist points out that God has called each of us to His house, and He has personally invited us in. What could possibly be a better invitation? Let us accept and rejoice with the ones with which we will enter.

Unity in Christ

In my reading of "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer, I found an illustration that hit me like a ton of bricks. It has to deal with unity, which has always, in my mind, been a desire of the church. From youth to elders, unity is a desire of the heart. Here is the excerpt from the text of which I am speaking:
Someone may fear that we are magnifying private religion out of all proportion, that the "us" of the New Testament is being displaced by a selfish "I". Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow. so one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and higher life.

I know that the church, including Christ Community in particular, in recent years has grown more and more "disunified". I see that it is a result not of something corporately, but of an individual lack of turning one's eyes heavenly. The high school youth group saw this unity happen 18 months ago when the majority of the group was disciplined in each one' s private religion: quiet times and reflections. Then some outside circumstances shook up the comfort, and we turned to our own strength. This lead to the demise of the unity that could be found there. I have also seen that in the whole of Christ Community, as an individual would look to see that the person sitting beside him in service doesn't think the exact same way as himself. Instead, his eyes, and mine as well, should be looking up to God, desiring to tune my heart to His.
This may all be well known to you, but I felt this passage of Tozer's stir in my heart. So now I feel lead to share it with you. I pray that it will bring encouragement to you and those around you, that unity may be found, not in ourselves, but in Him alone.