"She was moving her butt from side to side..."

Anyone who has ever been involved in full-time ministry has probably received a call like this from time to time. You have to hear this. It's amazing.

(HT: Scooter)

Quote

I think life should be more like tv. I think all of life's problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don't you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns. I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothes, and men should carry powerful handguns. Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don't you think?

- Calvin and Hobbes

Invisible Children

Click here. Take a minute to look around and especially click on "Global Night Commute", which takes place in cities all around the nation tomorrow night. Click here for details on this event. Please consider getting involved in some way, shape, or form. Our God is a God who cares for the oppressed, thus we should be as well.

United 93

David Beamer, father of Todd Beamer, reviews the film in the Wall Street Journal opinion section.

(HT: Big Mike)

Mercy Me in the New York Times

Very interesting article. You can check it out here.

Quote:

In an overwhelmingly Christian country, it may seem strange that Christian rock even exists as a niche genre; if rock better reflected American demographics, then secular rock would be the niche. But at a time when rock radio commands a dwindling core of listeners, and when major labels are struggling to create the multi-million-selling stars they depend upon, niche status might not seem so bad. MercyMe already has a devoted fan base, a ready-made touring circuit and lots of loyal album buyers. The Devil may still have the best tunes (for now), but can he match that business model?


(HT: Justin Taylor)

The Wrong Side of Modern

To me, this seems to be a very insightful article by Tim Willard from Relevant magazine. In it he discusses the new trends embodied in the emergent movement and brings to light some of the dangers that we should be aware of. It's worth the read.

Keane

Here is a great article to help promote Keane's new ablum due out on June 20th ( BTW - that's my wife and I's anniversary, has to be a great record).

In this interview the band talk about how they nearly called it quits. Two years of being on the road together brought the band to the edge; the result of the drama, they say, is a much darker, more complex album.

For those of you who have not heard of Keane, they are a pop super-group that has emerged in the last 5 years. They hail from the UK and as their frontman they have one of the best pure singers on the face of the planet since Freddie Mercury.

Their record Hopes and Fears is one of my favorites of the last few years.

Together for the Gospel Confernce

Tim Challies is live-blogging the conference. Be sure to check it out.

The Overload Syndrome

Great article from Phil Ryken in the new issue of Reformation 21. In it he says,

In order to carry out God’s calling for your life, you will have to learn to say “no.” Many good things in life—many wholesome entertainments, many useful ministry opportunities, and many God-given pleasures—get in the way of God’s calling and therefore must be declined. Later this week I am taking a short trip to a beautiful golf resort in Florida. I will be teaching, but to my disappointment, I will not be golfing. Not that there is anything wrong with a round of golf. In fact, from what I’ve seen in the brochure, it’s such a beautiful course that it almost seems wrong not to play it. It’s just that if I stay to do that, I will get back too late on Saturday night to be a good husband to my wife, a good father to my children, or a good pastor to this congregation.

Discerning Reader.com

Challies.com announces what looks to be a great new website for those who love theology and those who love reading books.

Check it out here at www.discerningreader.com

Here is a statement from challies.com:

As you may know, one of my passions is reading. I absolutely love to read and to help others find books that are worth reading. With tens of thousands of Christians books hitting the shelves every year, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sort the good from the bad and the better from the best. This is where Discerning Reader comes in. It is a site that features reviews written by discerning readers. There are currently several hundred reviews available with many others to be added in the near future. There are author biographies as well as a whole list of new (or upcoming features). Among the features are:

New York Times Bestsellers - We are reviewing many of the books that appear on the New York Times list of bestsellers. We hope to be able to expand this section to include all the books featured in the top position in nonfiction.

Expert Lists - We have asked some of the most discerning and widely-respected authors and teachers to send us lists of books they recommend for various purposes.

Where To Start Lists - Interested in beginning to read about a new topic? Let our experts guide you to books that will bless you as you read about spiritual disciplines, church history, systematic theology, family issues and more.

Church Bulletin Mini-Reviews - Discerning Reader now offers short, discerning reviews suitable for placement in church bulletins.

Bookworm Reviews - Discerning Reader has looked high and low to find other discerning book reviewers. Our "Bookworm" program features off-site reviews written by a wide variety of discerning reviewers. Check any of the titles in our database for these bookworm reviews.

Not all of these features are fully available yet, but they will be added in the near future. You may recognize the "bookworm review" program as the heart of what was once Diet of Bookworms.

I am quite excited about this site and am confident that it will prove to be of great benefit to the church. I invite you to visit the site, to take a look around, and to provide me with your feedback. Please spread the news as you see fit. Tell others about this resource!

Hot Mom's Handbook

It seems that "Christian" book publishing is soaring to new heights! Check it out here.

Music Monday - Kevin Max - "Holy Night"

On Monday's I've decided to highlight music that I deem to be worthy of your attention. Thus the title, "Music Monday".

Recently as I was scrolling through a friend's iPod, I stubbled upon a new Christmas album by former member of Christian super-group, DC Talk, Kevin Max. I have long been a huge fan of Kevin's voice and I personally think he is literally one of the best singers in the world. I know what you are thinking... "Who needs another Christmas album? Allow me to contradict myself. You don't need another Christmas album, but you absolutely need this one. I know April showers don't exactly get you in the mood for, "Deck the Halls" but this record in one that you don't want to pass up when the snow starts to fall and the over-the-top marketing blitz begins to overtake all five of your senses. These arrangements are very fresh, but at the same time reverent and true to the orginal melodies of these time tested songs. Like I said earlier, Kevin's voice is one of a kind and he does not disappoint on this record.

You can purchase the record here and on that same page you can find the link that allows you to audio stream the whole record.

You can read another great review here.

"Fat-Bottom Girls" and CCM

Last night we played a show at Baylor University in Waco, TX. It was an amazing night, 70 degrees and no wind. Needless to say, it was a great night for an outdoor concert. We were slated to play at around 9pm and there was an opening band (that shall remain nameless) that started things off at 8 or so. Usually when there is a band playing before us I like to take a second and check them out, and tonight was no different. This band is a good band three-piece rock band and is signed to a small Christian record label. I stood there for a bit and listened and after my curiosity was satisfied I headed up to our dressing room to get ready. A few minutes before show time I wandered down to the stage to get my gear in order. As I was headed to the stage I heard this following classic Queen chorus echoing from the speakers:

Are you gonna take me home tonight
Ah, down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out
Fat bottomed girls, you make the rockin world go round

Surely, this couldn't be the opening band playing this song... It was. It was their final number of the night and the college students they were playing for loved it, for it is a great, fun, rousing song by one of the most well known bands of the 21st century, but I really couldn't believe it was coming from the stage at a "Christian" show. Why not just play “Big Bottom” by Spinal Tap?

This experience has led me to a number of thoughts. Generally, the lack of accountability in Christian music in general is rather troubling to me. Maybe their record label does not know that they are playing this song, or perhaps they do know they are playing this song and they don’t care. Either way I think it speaks to the fact that our industry by definition has to focus more on entertainment than on substance. I’m not sure that should be lodged as a sharp criticism though since this is a Christian entertainment industry.

I guess the bigger question could be, should Christianity have an entertainment industry at all? Some would say that simple entertainment does not embody the weight and substance that true Biblical Christianity implies or demands. I can understand that, but it is wrong to want to be entertained? Probably the answer lies not in a sweeping condemnation of the idea as a whole, but should be judged on a case-by-case basis.

This judging process leads me to a dream I have held since I began thinking about the music industry as a career. Although there are many great things that come out of CCM, there are many problems as well that I think can be directly traced that fact that CCM is a business and in business the mighty dollar is the bottom line. You get signed to a recording or songwriting deal, not because you have good theology, but because you represent profit to the record companies.

Why couldn’t there be a church that would have the vision, finances, artistic savvy, ministry accountability, and business structure to house and own bands that could be launched to the national Christian mainstream? I have a strong desire to see ministry not have money be the bottom line, but have true Biblical discipleship be the goal for all involved. Maybe I am too naïve and idealistic, but it seems that there would have to be a means to this somehow if someone would just have the risk-taking vision and capital to get it started. Who knows, maybe I will someday.

The Mission Bell

Read a great article about Delirious' new record here.

Doubting Thomas

If you haven't heard this song (iTunes) from Nickel Creek, then you need to. It is a staggering song as a confession of sin. I simply stand amazed at it's honesty and marvel at what a well crafted song it is. Here are the lyrics:

what will be left when i've drawn my last breath,
besides the folks i've met and the folks who know me,
will i discover a soul cleansing love,
or just the dirt above and below me

i'm a doubting thomas,
i took a promise,
but i don't know what's safe,
oh me of little faith,

sometimes i pray for a slap in the face,
then i beg to be spared 'cause i'm a coward,
if there's a master of death i'll bet he's holding his breath,
as i show the blind and tell the deaf about his power

i'm a doubting thomas,
i can't keep my promises,
'cause i don't know what's safe,
oh me of little faith

i'm a doubting thomas,
i can't keep my promises,
'cause i don't know what's safe,
oh me of little faith,

can i be used to help others find truth,
when i'm scared i'll find proof that its a lie,
can i be lead down a trail dropping bread crumbs,
that prove i'm not ready to die,

please give me time to decipher the signs,
please forgive me for time that i've wasted,

i'm a doubting thomas,
i'll take your promise,
though i know nothin's safe,
oh me of little faith

Pastoral Study

"I think that the priority for every pastoral leader must be his own personal time with God over the Scriptures, and anything he does by way of preparation must flow out of that. The first requirement for authoritative, perceptive communication of the word of God is that you yourself should be experiencing the power of it. The Puritan John Owen said, 'A man only preaches that sermon well which first preaches itself in his own soul.' He was profoundly right."

-J.I. Packer

(HT: T4G Blog)

Examining Emergent

For those (myself included) who are still wondering about the whole Emergent thing, check out this blog for some helpful insight.

Big Mike Thought of the Day

My boy, financial guru, and fantasy football commissioner, Big Mike Miesen has started a blog. Definitely one to bookmark. You can find it at www.theblazingfire.blogspot.com

Pastor as Theologian - Part 3

Al Mohler wraps up his series here.

MacArthur on Larry King

Here is the transcript.

Bill and Tony

Recently I purchased the famed jazz duo CD of jazz piano giant and pioneer, Bill Evans accompanying one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, Tony Bennett. I had always heard that this was a must for anyone with an appreciation of jazz. Until now, I had neglected to acquire it, but recently I have done so and it certainly lives up to the recommendations.

You can purchase it here.

Here are some great bio's of Bill Evans and Tony Bennett.

Easter in Iraq

This story documents what it was like for some to go to Easter services in Iraq. We need to be thankful for our freedom in the USA.

Top Christian Records of 2005

Christianity Today posts what they believe to be the top Christian (whatever that means) records of 2005. Personally I was rather impressed with the list, taking exception to Switchfoot at #1 with "Nothing is Sound". It's a good record, but not near as good as "The Beautiful Letdown".

Screwtape Letters on Worship?

Bob Kauflin's blog has a great post today that is sage commentary for our current worship scene in evangelicalism.

Pastor as Theologian - Part

Here is part two from Al Mohler's series.

American Idol

A great commentary on the show, American Idol, by Carl Trueman from Reformation 21. In it he says,
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have said it many times in class, and now I write it in my column: the key to understanding and critiquing so much of human culture is total depravity. The drive to be like God is that which brought Adam to grief in the Garden of Eden; the desperation engendered by the success of a sibling was what drove Cain to murder. We might be more polite and superficially respectable than these two, but so many aspects of our culture, even trivia like American Idol, indicate that the central concerns of fallen human nature remain stubbornly intact, even in our most apparently harmless pursuits.

The Difference Between God and Man

R.C. Sproul says in, One Holy Passion: The Consuming Thirst to Know God:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The grand difference between a human being and a supreme being is precisely this: Apart from God I cannot exist. Apart from me, God does exist. God does not need me in order for him to be; I do need God in order for me to be. This is the difference between what we call a self-existent being and dependent being. We are dependent, we are fragile. We cannot live without air, without water, without food. No human being has the power of being within himself. Life is lived between two hospitals. We need a support system from birth to death to sustain life. We are like flowers that bloom and then wither and fade. This is how we differ from God. God does not wither, God does not fade, God is not fragile.

Spurgeon Quote

"I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterwards; and he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why he should have looked upon me with special love. So I am forced to accept that doctrine," (Lectures, book 2, page 47).

(HT: Mark Dever)

Pastor as Theologian

Al Mohler posts, part one of this very important series for the health of the church.

White Limousine

I have long been a fan of Duncan Sheik's music. His new album, White Limousine, is definately worth a listen or a purchase.

Personally, I think one of his finest tracks comes from one of his more obsure albums, Phantom Moon, where he has a song called, Far Away, featuring jazz guitar monster, Bill Frisell.

Kill Anger Before It Kills You or Your Marriage

Great word from John Piper. In it he says...

In marriage, anger rivals lust as a killer. My guess is that anger is a worse enemy than lust. It also destroys other kinds of camaraderie. Some people have more anger than they think, because it has disguises. When willpower hinders rage, anger smolders beneath the surface, and the teeth of the soul grind with frustration. It can come out in tears that look more like hurt. But the heart has learned that this may be the only way to hurt back. It may come out as silence because we have resolved not to fight. It may show up in picky criticism and relentless correction. It may strike out at persons that have nothing to do with its origin. It will often feel warranted by the wrongness of the cause. After all, Jesus got angry (Mark 3:5), and Paul says, "Be angry and do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26).

Read the whole article here.

Tornadoes in Iowa City

As many of your already know, my former hometown of Iowa City recently sustained some major damage from tornadoes that hit a few days ago. Click here to go to Scooter's blog to see the pics.

Spurgeon on Easter.

From sermon, April 9, 1882:

The learned are going to destroy the Christian religion. Already, according to their boastings, it has pretty nearly come to an end. The pulpit is effete, it cannot command public attention. We stand up and preach to empty benches! As you see-or do not see. Nothing remains for us but to die decently, so they insinuate. And what then? When our Lord was dead, when the clay-cold corpse lay watched by the Roman soldiery, and with a seal upon the enclosing stone, was not the cause in mortal jeopardy? But how fared it? Did it die out? Every disciple that Jesus had made forsook Him, and fled, was not Christianity then destroyed? Nay, that very day our Lord won a victory which shook the gates of hell, and caused the universe to stand astonished. Matters are not worse with Him at this hour! His affairs are not in a sadder condition today than then. Nay, see Him today and judge. On His head are many crowns, and at His feet the hosts of angels bow! Jesus is the master of legions today, while the Caesars have passed away! Here are His people-needy, obscure, despised, I grant you, still, but assuredly somewhat more numerous than they were when they laid Him in the tomb. His cause is not to be crushed, it is forever rising.

Driscoll on the Passion

Mark Driscoll has a great post here about prophecies concerning the passion of Jesus. Great reminders for the Easter season.

Help with Soaring Gas Prices

My man Dave Ramsey has some tips on dealing with the price of gas going up quite a bit recently.

XXXChurch

XXXChurch.com has a new website. Check it out.

Girl Talk

The Girl Talk Blog (The Mahaney Ladies), just in time for summer, are currently doing a series on modesty. I would highly recommend it!

iTod

Check out what my 3 year old is getting for his birthday so he can listen to all his Daddy's rocking tunes.

Best church promo video ever

Bush visits High Desert Church.

More Dave... Baby Steps

Here is his plan in a nutshell. There is way more to it than this, but in essence this the framework for his plan for most people.

Consumerism in the church

Great post from Ligon Duncan from the T4G blog. You can read it here.

Crash Course in Car Loans

Dave Ramsey on car loans... Great stuff. Here is what he says:

Cars are exciting, but getting a loan to buy one can be a disaster. One of the worst money decisions you can make is to finance a car but, sadly, people are doing that more than ever. Not only is financing of cars up in recent years, but people are borrowing for longer periods of time. The Consumer Bankers Association notes that more than half of new car loans are for five years or longer, which is a first. The reason? People want more luxurious automobiles but want to keep the payments the same. As a result, they are stretching out the payments for years and, in doing so, take on more debt and more risk. How idiotic is this? If you buy a brand-new $25,000 car and finance it over 60 months at 7% interest, your monthly payments will be around $500 a month, and you will pay almost $30,000 for the car. But if you try to sell the car at the end of the term, you won’t even get $10,000 for it! What happens if you take out a $20,000 loan on a new car and you total the car in a wreck a year later? You’ll only get about $14,000 from the insurance (whose rates will skyrocket, by the way). You’ll also have a huge payment and nothing to show for it. You cannot afford this! The longer you borrow, the more you will destroy your chances of becoming wealthy enough to give new cars away. Only after you make a six-figure salary and become a multi-millionaire can you buy a brand-new car. Then you can afford to lose a little on depreciation and not notice. The average car payment today is about $378 a month. If you stuff that money under your mattress for 10 months, you can buy a $4,000 car (if you use cash, you can very likely get a discount). If you drive the car for 10 months and keep saving the car payment, you can trade up to an $8,000 car. Do it for another 10 months, now you have a $12,000 car with no car payment! The feeling you get from driving a nice car with no payment, and knowing that you worked and saved for it, is much more fulfilling that taking on an absurd payment for a vehicle that is dropping in value like a rock. Jack Nerad, editorial director at Kelley Blue Book, said it perfectly. "A lot of these people who are buying new cars shouldn't be buying new cars, period." Save up and pay for a car with cash. There’s nothing like it!

For all you LOST freaks

This article tells of some exciting news for all you people who can't get enough of the TV show "Lost".

My Weekend in Las Vegas

I know that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, but I guess I’ll deviate from the rule for the sake of this blog entry.

My reason for the trip to Vegas was due to a gig booked for the band that I play in (Matthew West). I was eagerly looking forward to our trip since I had never been there before. The first thing that I noticed that clued me into the fact that I was setting foot on a whole new culture was the slot machines that greeted me as I exited the plane. For the next 48 hours I was bombarded with the not so subtle message that infinite happiness was just as close as a quarter in the ever-present slot machine. If you think that our free market system over stimulates you with messages about what to buy, where to go and how to live, Vegas is all that on steroids. My first thought when driving to our hotel was “Whoa, welcome to over stimulation and sensory overload”.

In terms of gambling, my wife Kim gave me a $20 dollar allowance for “entertainment gambling”. I thought this was fairly generous move on her part since she is not a huge fan of flushing money down the toilet. I was determined to squeeze as much entertainment value out of my gambling allowance as I could. I decided to dive in on Saturday morning. I spent the first $5 on quarter slots with less than satisfactory results, thus I decided to turn to more “human” pursuits at the $5 minimum black jack table with a real dealer and other real people sitting next to you. I set my remaining $15 dollars on the table and the dealer gave me my three $5 chips. Usually most people sit down and lay a hundred or two down on the table just to get started, this being the case I knew I had “rookie” or “cheap skate” written on my forehead. Insecurity abounded, but I attempted to look cool like a real Vegas pro, akin to Vince Vaughn in “Swingers”. I started slow and was betting only one chip at a time and before I knew it my $15 had turned into $45! Not bad for a gambling virgin from Iowa. This is when the greed and cockiness set in and I started betting, not one, but two at a time. I know, I’m wild. Much to my dismay, my $45 was turned into a big fat $0 in about 10 minutes. I guess Kenny was right when he said, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em”.

Vegas would be a very dangerous place for me since I can tend to have a bit of an obsessive personality at times. After I lost my $20 I really wanted to quickly go and find the nearest ATM and get another one, but fear of a stern rebuke from my beloved bride upon my arrival at home deterred me from my fleshly pursuit. I know that left unchecked I could really get into gambling. I could taste the lure and quickly understood why it is a multi-billion dollar industry in our country.

That afternoon we played our show in the dry Vegas April heat to a decent crowd outside the arena where Nevada-Las Vegas holds their sporting events. From there we went back to the hotel to shower up and catch a quick nap. Around 6:30 we headed over to the Belagio for the world famous buffet. As we were gathering in the lobby our fearless leader, Matthew West, was trying his luck on the dollar slots. Our drummer and I were chatting a bit when from around the corner a frenzied Matthew motioned us to get the heck over there quick! Matthew put three one-dollar bills in. The first two… nothing, the third… $300. He was ecstatic. From there on out the five us of band mates felt like five high rolling Vegas mafia mobsters. Matthew got his picture taken with the cashier lady handing him his three crisp one hundred dollar bills and called everyone he could think of to tell his exciting Vegas news. From there it was on to the world renown Belagio Buffet.

Our walk over to the Belagio was marred with Latino men attempting to hand us pornographic business cards for call girls. They are all over the place and everywhere you walk the ground is littered with these cards. You can’t get away from it on the strip, it’s pretty depressing. “Don’t look down” was what we kept reminding ourselves. Sex sells all over the world, but it seemed to me that Vegas might be the world capital. On a similar note, breast augmentation also seems to be the norm for many more women that one would usually see. I guess superficiality reigns high on the throne in Vegas. For those fighting for purity of thought and believing the blessing of God’s promises about sexuality, Vegas does not serve to help the fight.

When we got to the Belagio Buffet we waited in a line for about 45 minutes. The line was very similar to one you would find at any amusement Park, but instead of getting to ride Space Mountain we were waiting to indulge in some of the finest food that Vegas had to offer. After Matthew coughed up probably about half of his recent gambling earnings the five of us were seated at our table. The buffet truly lived up to the hype and when we got our plates to start loading up we almost didn’t know where to start. Keeping with the theme of over stimulation, the buffet offered more tantalizing treats than you could ever hope to ingest in one meal. That said, we gave it our best shot. Lobster, king crab, lamb, prime rib, all sorts of fish, and list goes on and on. It was amazing and we left thankful for the blessing of great food and a generous employer who pays. From there we perused the casino of the Belagio and saw guys with literally $50,000 sitting in front of them on the black jack table, a great jazz piano duo, more implants, and the magnificently and stunningly beautiful garden of flowers in the lobby.

From there I was off to bed, since I had a big week ahead. All in all it was a good trip, but Vegas is probably going to be one of those places that I won’t be all that concerned about visiting again anytime soon. If you don’t have a ton of money to blow, Vegas is really not a great place to go. All the food is very expensive, the shows are at least $100 a ticket for the good ones and you won’t last long gambling unless you are willing to unload some serious green. I’m glad I got to experience it but welcome the return to real life and real love with my wife and kids.

Two Movie Recommendations

In the past two days I have watch these two movies. I have to say that both of them are now probably in my top ten of all time.

First, currently in the theatres, Inside Man. Extremely creative and not your usual suspense, action, thriller that rambles along to a very predictable conclusion. Denzel, Jodie Foster and Clive Owen give amazing performances. Go see it!

Second, from 2001 and noted by megablogger, Justin Taylor as his favorite movie ever, is To End All Wars. I think this movie somehow slipped under the radar of the general public. After I watched it, I couldn't believe I had never heard of it. This is probably the most blatantly "Christian" movie that I have ever seen that was not billed as a Christian movie. The gospel is clearly portrayed and Christians in the movie are not typecast or seen as the village idiots. Plus, the acting and story are absolutely first rate. I can't recommend it enough, especially since it is based upon true events.

A Great Movie Review Site

This is the only site I use for movie reviews. You can find almost any movie there.

Rotten Tomatoes

The Truth About Debt

From DaveRamsey.com a great article about debt. Like I have said here before, nothing has changed our stress level concerning money more than following Dave's program. It is truly financial freedom. For sure we don't put our hope in money, but most people (like we used to be) don't have clue how to manage the resources that God has provided in a way that respects them and honors Him.

Read the article here.

Worship: From the Frying Pan Into the Fire

Great post from Challies.com...

Worship: From the Frying Pan Into the Fire:

Here is a quote:

"...Since I read that, these words have often played in my mind, causing me to examine many of the worship songs I have encountered. I listened to some of the worship albums I have accumulated over the past years and was struck by how true Carson's words are. Carson also writes, "Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship worship rather than worship God. As a brother put it to me, it's a bit like those who begin by admiring the sunset and soon begin to admire themselves admiring the sunset." It is all too easy for us to engage in "worship" which does not worship God."

Jesus Walked On Ice?

I would much rather have this guy just say the miracle is not possible and the Biblical account is a hoax.

Colson vs. Storms on Worship Songs

Chuck Colson in his article "Soothing Ourselves to Death" has some good things to say about trends in worship in our churches. His opening paragraph says this:

"When church music directors lead congregations in singing contemporary Christian music, I often listen stoically with teeth clenched. But one Sunday morning, I cracked. We'd been led through endless repetitions of a meaningless ditty called "Draw Me Close to You," which has zero theological content and could just as easily be sung in any nightclub. When I thought it was finally and mercifully over, the music leader beamed. "Let's sing that again, shall we?" he asked. "No!" I shouted, loudly enough to send heads all around me spinning while my wife, Patty, cringed."

One thoughtful critic, Sam Storms, responds with this.

Read both.


My take on the issue would be as follows:

Does it not say in Revelation 4:8 that the seraphim use "endless repetition " in their worship of God? At John Piper’s pastor’s conference a few years back in response to similar criticisms from James Boice he mentioned that he thought there is a value as times in corporate worship of “lingering” over a thought about God. I think he is right. I think the lingering can be abused by many worship pastors who want to feel the rush of being able to manipulate the emotions of their people, but used with careful Holy Spirit discernment it can be very worshipful.

Could it be that some of us men (myself included at times) are so emotionally crippled and cerebral that the thought of singing “Jesus I love you” is hard for us to do? On a similar note, I have also observed this as a gender issue at times. As a former worship pastor I found that sometimes when I looked out upon the congregation when we sang the Matt Redman’s song “Let My Words Be Few” and we got to the line “Jesus, I am so in love with you” the women had an easier time singing it than the men. Not sure what this totally points to, but it may be that as men we have a hard time singing lyrics that are sometimes thought of as romantic in nature to a God we conceive of as primarily masculine.

Also, I think this issue can dance a bit close to legalism if we let it. May we all confess that we have preferences in worship that are extra-biblical and may we surrender those before the cross and pray for our worship leaders and pastors that we could have the right content and emotional response in our worship.

Great Sign from the Zoo

(HT: Girl Talk Blog)

The Pain of Learning

Amazing quotes from my boy, JT's blog. You can read them here. It greatly edified me today as a person and a parent.

Henry VIII and Humility in Leadership

Great lessons to be learned here from Mark Dever at the T4G blog.

Sometimes as I think about the CCM industry that I work in I wonder if the same is true of many of us artists and writers . If we surround ourselves with people who are too impressed with us to be most honest with us, the chances of us becoming stagnant creatively is greatly increased. There is great power in a leader asking for correction and heeding it, both for his/her followers and for himself.

Christian Sex Testimonies?

Surely the apocalypse is upon us. I really hope this is a spoof, if not, God help us all. Check it out here.

Google Reader

My boy, Scooter, has a great post about the Google Reader, where you can sign up to have all your favorite blogs listed for you on one page that automatically updates for you. All you Google dorks out there probably new this already, but I am just now being brought up to speed, if you are like me, check it out, it's really cool.

Colson and McLaren

McLaren critiques Chuck, here.

Chuck responds, here.

Very interesting stuff. Well worth the read.

Wesley, Luther, Watts, Crosby, and...Bono?

Churchs across the country are starting to use U2 songs in their worship services. Read the article here.

More Emerging Church Stuff

Mark Driscoll posts on his blog some helpful links to understanding Emergent stuff. It comes from the Criswell Theological Journal. His article is reprinted in it's entirety on this link.

Desiring God Ministries 2006 National Conference

Click here (Quicktime) to see a great promo video for the conference.


The DG National Conference

Upcoming Conference

2006 National Conference

Theme: Above All Earthly Powers: The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World
Date: September 29 to October 1, 2006
Speakers: David Wells, D.A. Carson, Timothy Keller, Mark Driscoll, Voddie Baucham, John Piper

David Wells: "The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World"
D.A. Carson: "The Supremacy of Christ and Love in a Postmodern World"
Timothy Keller: "The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern World"
Mark Driscoll: "The Supremacy of Christ and the Church in a Postmodern World"
Voddie Baucham: "The Supremacy of Christ and Truth in a Postmodern World"
John Piper: "The Supremacy of Christ and Joy in a Postmodern World"

John Mayer Podcast

Very interesting conversation with John Mayer via iTunes Podcast. Check it out here.

Don't play soccor in Nigeria

Click here to see why. Wild stuff.