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See you over there!

Welcome To America

A recent Facebook status headline that has been rearing it's ugly head over the last few days reads as follows:

"WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Press 1 for English. Press 2 to disconnect until you learn to speak English. And remember only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, JESUS CHRIST and the AMERICAN SOLIDER. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. If you agree... copy and paste in your status"

Posts like this one make my head want to explode.  Especially when I see professing Christians making the post. 

I assume that this "welcome" is addressed towards aliens/foreigners coming into America, yet it is anything but welcoming.  I find the intent of such a "welcome" to be ignorant, smug, and it even borders on racial intolerance.  

Christians should be ashamed of themselves in posting such dreg.  Is the statement  above really representative of our God and His welcome for us?  Indeed, I think not.  His welcome towards us has no condition other than we accept what He has offered.  Remember, we are all "illegal aliens" in His sight.  It is only by His grace, compassion, and love have we been restored to "legal" status.

If our only concerns as Christians regarding immigrants is if they speak a European language, and if they bow to our faiths and to our military triumphs...then I fear for our hearts.  

I encourage you to evaluate your heart and your attitude concerning immigrants...read the following poem by Emma Lazarus - which is written on our Statue of Liberty:

"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,  

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset hates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame 

Is the imprisoned lighting, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon hand 

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she 

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

And, if you still haven't gotten it yet, check out how God feels:

"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." - Leviticus 19:34

 "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing." - Deuteronomy 10:18

 There are many more Scriptures expressing God's heart towards the oppressed, the fatherless, and foreigners...search for yourself.

I can't express my distaste and the sadness I feel when I see fellow brothers and sisters in Christ make statements like the one above.  I encourage us all to seek humility, to honor others above ourselves, and to extend the love of Christ above and beyond our own prejudices and opinions.  And don't take my word for it, take God's Word.

As a Christian,  I hear a lot about "Keeping Christ In Christmas" over the holiday season with one of the major issues being the "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays" debate.

Here's a typical scenario: Jake, who is a Christian, has just finished his purchase at a local retail store.  Becky, the store employee who completed Jake's transaction, smiles and wishes him "Happy Holidays" as he exits.  Jake, in his noble effort to keep Christ in Christmas, responds with a wry, "Merry Christmas".

So, what's the problem?  Well, if this were simply just a simple exchange of good tidings between strangers, then no, there would be nothing wrong this scenario.  However, I don't see that as what is really happening. 

Let's look at the above scenario from a different angle:   Jake wants to Keep Christ in Christmas, so the motivation in his response towards Becky probably had nothing to do with wishing her a merry anything.   Rather, Jake's "Merry Christmas" response was probably motivated more by spite than it was kindness.  Come again?  You see, anytime Jake hears someone wish him "Happy Holidays", he takes offense.  Jake no longer hears someone wishing him good tidings, but instead hears someone taking another stab at keeping Christ out of Christmas.  And so this is where things begin to unravel - because in a case like this, Jake's response of "Merry Christmas" resembles more a stiff middle finger than it does a warm, friendly wish of good tidings.

Listen, I'm not saying that none of us have a right to be offended.  There are a lot of people out there who would like to dismantle our faith. But, I'm sure it's not Becky over at the Gap.  I'm sure she's just trying to make a wage like anyone else, probably working under demands and pressures just like anyone else, and probably could use some genuine kindness and love shared with her just like anyone else.

Maybe Jesus isn't so much concerned about whether or not someone wishes you a "Merry Christmas" this season.  Christ came into this world to offer love, grace, and peace; he came to us offering forgiveness.  Maybe if we really want to make a genuine effort to keep Christ in Christmas this season (and seasons to come), then maybe we need to start enacting and sharing the same kind of love, grace, and peace with others that Jesus has shared with us. Let's not turn "Merry Christmas" into a middle finger.

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." - Philippians 2:1-5

Advent Week 3 - Rejoice!

"Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
       shout aloud, O Israel!
       Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
       O Daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away your punishment,
       he has turned back your enemy.
       The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
       never again will you fear any harm.
 
 The LORD your God is with you,
       he is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       he will quiet you with his love,
       he will rejoice over you with singing." - Zephania 3:14-15,17

Today, our celebration is one of rejoicing.  Through the birth of Christ, the Kingdom of God entered into our world.  Through His death and resurrection that Kingdom has been activated.  Our story now - as a people of God - is a work of preparation and anticipation for the full reality of God coming to be among us.  On that day, God will bring restoration and peace; and His presence will satisfy all of creation as He rejoices in the joining of His Groom and Bride.

Until that day, we wait.  But, let us rejoice in our time of anticipation.  We have much reason to celebrate: God has drawn near.  In Jesus, we discover our invitation to draw near to Him...

"O Come All Ye Faithful"
"Joy to the World"
Hark the Herald Angels Sing"
"SMS Shine"
"Doxology"

Worship Tricks

...I really suck at blogging.  I just have not gotten into the groove of posting new stuff.  I hope that will change.

For now, I'm going to send you over to a blog by Jonny Baker where he posts creative ideas for worship elements that he calls, "worship tricks":

http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/worship_tricks/wtindex.html

There is a world of creativity out there relating to the worship arts: imagery, music, icons, and on and on.  Sometimes it is all to easy to get stuck in a routine of worship planning.  I know that I personally have a tendency to focus all my creative energy on the musical arrangements of songs - and while that is certainly not a bad thing, I do wish that I could produce more creative elements for worship beyond just music.  There are times when I'm browsing through a site like the one I linked to above when I feel a bit guilty or jealous, thinking to myself, "why didn't I think of that!"...often times, the ideas are so simple that just a bit of time thinking outside of the box could produce them.

So, here's to more creativity and originality within the church and the worship arts - and here's hoping that I'll spend a little more time trying to produce my own unique elements.  Or at least rip them off from someone else!

Advent Week One: Hope Amidst Suffering - A Liturgy

As music director for a local church, I am planning on leading an observance of the four weeks of Advent this Christmas season.
Here is a liturgy I've prepared for the first Sunday of Advent, November 29:

Hope Amidst Suffering - An Advent Liturgy

Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16

Prayer/Lighting of the Advent candle:
“Dear Lord, our world is groaning. Wars, violence, terror, economic crisis – these are all very real threats. Yet there is hope. You came once to redeem us, and You will come again to restore us – to complete the good work begun in all Your people. Many of us know and love family and friends who are serving abroad engaged in conflict and suffering; we pray that they may know Your Hope. We also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that live in the many countries of conflict: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and beyond – for they too are husbands, wives, daughters, sons: all are Your beloved. Jesus, there is no hope apart from You. We pray that these present sufferings will produce in us a reverent and trusting humility, having faith that You have come to us and will come to us again. Amen”
"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
“Hosanna”
“Shout to the Lord”

Reading: Psalm 25:1-10
“The Christian’s Hope Can Never Fail”
"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"

Keep 'Em Separated

One of the mantras being invoked by many Christians in America today is "Put God Back Into School". And in that mantra is a proclamation that there needs to be enacted certain laws and other mandatory ordinances imposing purely Christian dogma into a particular school.

To prove this point, let's establish what private rights students in public school have:

"Public school students have the right to express their religious beliefs in public school under the First Amendment right of free speech. 'Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.' As noted in Widmar v. Vincent, 454 U.S. 263 (1981), the law is well settled that religious speech, even prayer, is protected free speech under the First Amendment." - source www.answersingenesis.org Gibbs & Craze Co., L.P.A. 2009

Other rights include: being able to read the Bible, share faith with other classmates, organize Christian clubs, etc. In fact, there are no hostile mandates against a student exercising or expressing their particular religious belief whether they be Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, etc.

So, what's the problem? Why the beef about putting God into school? Is that suggesting teachers must lead classes in Christian prayer? That there must be Christian icon and dogma posted in classrooms and hallways? That the (public) school institution itself must "become" Christian?

I fear that what is being suggested here is that private right become public mandate. Really? Seriously? What about the rights of, say, a Muslim student? How would they feel if they had to be led in mandatory Christian prayer? Or, flip it the other way - how would the Christian student feel if it was Islam that was being imposed on them through the school district?

Listen, if there is any hope of our faith making an impact in anyone's life, then the answer does not reside in public mandate of laws and ordinances. Christianity is not a political power or rule. No, I would encourage you in that if you really want to make an impact, do so through the power of relationship and friendship, not law and legislation. Let our lives (as Kingdom citizens) be as yeast or as the mustard seed (Luke 13:18-20). Our faith should be lived, experienced, and expressed relationally, not institutionally.