Sometimes the best thing about the Superbowl is the ads!
Man, if I ever meet Jon Acuff in person, I’ll have to give him a side hug! Such a great, great writer: http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2010/12/the-r-word/
Why not take a thirsty heart with you into God’s worship tomorrow rather than an Olympic score card. Drink, don’t judge.
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| — | Scotty Smith, from twitter |
Prayer stands cruciform at the place where the world is in pain, to hold together Jew and greek, slave and free, male and female. To hold together a broken and battered world and say, ‘No! there is a different way to be human.’ That is gospel work.
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| — | Tom Wright |
Fresh Genesis
I’m reading through Genesis currently as part of a 90 day reading plan (yes, so of course, I’m just beginning) I’ll post a few brief reactions to the readings on this blog. Here are some unfiltered reactions to the first 17 chapters:
— the prose is poetic in places, and stunning in its scope and vision of God’s world. Reading it brings much anticipation that something great is about to happen.
— also striking how some folks show up without explanation. Melchizadek! I get that he is a type of Jesus according to the Hebrews writer, but I wonder what the Israelites made of him in their temple sermons.
— some wonderful humor too: Sarah lied and said he didn’t laugh, but God said, “you did too laugh.” beautifully understated
— Some moments of puzzlement: God declares that people will not live beyond 120 years, then they promptly continue to live 200+ years.
— God’s patience in accomplishing his will and/or promises is striking. Dozens of years can go by between God’s call and providence.
— Abraham taking matters into his own hands: God promises a son. No son. So he tries to make his servant a son. No deal, says God. So he tries a surrogate Mum. No deal, says God. It turns out God meant exactly what he promised, just not on Abraham’s timing.
— Tough lesson for us humans including this very human human.
20 things babies born this year will never know
Need to feel old? Look no further than this article.
My favorites on the list:
Forgotten friends: Remember when an old friend would bring up someone you went to high school with, and you’d say, “Oh yeah, I forgot about them!” The next generation will automatically be in touch with everyone they’ve ever known even slightly via Facebook.
Forgotten anything else: Kids born this year will never know what it was like to stand in a bar and incessantly argue the unknowable. Today the world’s collective knowledge is on the computer in your pocket or purse. And since you have it with you at all times, why bother remembering anything?
Yellow and White Pages: Why in the world would you need a 10-pound book just to find someone?
oddly, I just received a yellow pages on my front door this week and wondered why in the world they are still making one. so many trees!
Benedictine Spirituality
I did a two day spiritual retreat at a Benedictine Monastery last week and came back refreshed and invigorated for the coming season.
I’ve done many spiritual retreats before, but never one so structured and “other.” The Benedictines practice the daily office - a rhythm of 7 worship gatherings a day (starting at 4:50am! Youzers) and they sing Gregorian chant style.
The setting was rugged and beautiful and the chapel was simple and elegant. The Nuns were very hospitable, full of great cheer and a delight to be around.
A few observations:
- Monastic life has no parallel in the protestant tradition. It is distinctly Catholic and was a reminder of just how wide and diverse God’s Kingdom is.
- The only part of the worship service not sung or chanted was a brief Bible reading. Everything else is chanted - the invocation, prayers, petitions, psalms, etc.
- Benedictine spirituality incorporates repetition and physicality that protestants lack. 3 or 4 times per service, 7 times per day, we bowed and sang, “Glory be to the Father, to his Son Jesus and to the Spirit who resides in our hearts. Amen.” We sang this at the end of every Psalm and every Hymn. We sang it in a bowing position to show our subservience to God. A powerful experience, proclaiming allegience well over a dozen times a day, while bowing down.
- The Nuns sit up front, across from each other and sing to each other antiphonally. The rest of us (sometimes just two or three of us) sit in the pews, and sing with our side of Nuns. So for about half a service we listen and for half we sing. I loved that.
- The Benedictine worship service is 100% for God. The Nuns could care less that a couple of us were in the pews, stumbling along trying to chant. I was struck by just how much our protestant worship gatherings consider the needs of the worshipper in contrast to this fully God centered offering.
- Listening to serene and cheerful nuns singing Psalms of violence and despair is a highly surreal experience. The Pathos of the Psalsm is amplified by the chant style of singing.
- Chant is as first foreign and odd. Then it becomes incredibly serene and peaceful. I came away from each worship gathering with an overwhelming sense of peace and rest. These chants are 1300 - 1700 years old. Someone back then really knew how to connect spiritual well being with simple melody.
- I LOVE our modern worship music, but we protestants could do to learn from music and style that has lasted nearly two millenia.
- As much as I have tremendous respect for Catholic Spirituality and have much to learn, I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to such reverence for Mary or petitions to saints to “pray on our behalf.” I simply cannot find any precedent for this in the Bible, so I’ll stick with the Spirit’s intercessions.
- Holy water, candles, incense, kneeling before the cross: I’m in. Catholics really know how to use the five senses, physicality and space to help us worship.
- 4:50am. Are you kidding me? It felt crazy, until I came into a beautiful candlelit chapel, chanted 3 psalms in a row and generally sang for to ask God’s guidance, protection and presence this day. I needed this experience to get me beyond my usual thoughts of coffee and the “to do” list.
- 7 worship gatherings, and 3 meals. Not much time left for “work.” The Nuns work VERY hard and long hours, but their primary work is worship. Another good reminder for this “busy” pastor.
I greatly appreciate the hospitality of the monastery - I met some wonderful people, - met God and God met me.
Glory be to the Father, to his Son Jesus and to the Spirit who resides in our hearts. Amen
King Jesus at Christmas
I know I’ve not been posting many of my own thoughts lately, but rather finding thoughts that provoke me and sharing them here.
Mark Galli is a writer for Christianity Today and he always provokes me! Here he is again:
(full article is here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/decemberweb-only/151-52.0.html?start=6)
“So how to respect time, yet honor and obey King Jesus who likes to interrupt our lives? Here’s one thing I’m doing: I’m trying to build into my schedule ten- to fifteen-minute blocks of time so that I can feel less pressure when King Jesus taps me on the shoulder. For instance, I’m trying to get into the habit of leaving for appointments and meetings ten to fifteen minutes early. If I arrive at my breakfast early, I look for opportunities to ask the waitress a few more questions than I would normally, or I spot a friend in the restaurant and try to find out what’s going on with him. And if a complete stranger approaches me and needs a listening ear or a ride or even a meal, I have the space in my day to make it happen.
If no opportunity presents itself, I take it as a sign that the Lord simply wants me to spend the time quietly or in prayer. (Which I then have to remind myself is not a waste of time!)”
It is difficult to imagine the world in the year A.D. 2000, by which time versatile micro-processors are likely to be as common as simple calculators are today. We should certainly welcome the fact that the silicon chip will transcend human brain-power, as the machine has transcended human muscle-power. Much less welcome will be the probable reduction of human contact as the new electronic network renders personal relationships ever less necessary. In such a dehumanized society the fellowship of the local church will become increasingly important, whose members meet one another, and talk and listen to one another in person rather than on screen. In this human context of mutual love the speaking and hearing of the Word of God is also likely to become more necessary for the preservation of our humanness, not less.
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| — | John Stott. Written in 1982 with keen prophetic insight. |
