It's Just a Song?

Yesterday during a discussion in Sunday School about a particular song played on Christian radio, I heard words that made me wonder at what contemporary Christian music is teaching us. Now granted, I was probably wrong in the way that I pointed out my dislike of the song because of its lack of theological correctness (with a sneer and a twinge of spiritual arrogance unfortunately ... that is what happens when truth is spoken outside of love, but that is the subject of another blog for another day). However, the words that were spoken next by someone who was well meaning have been playing over and over in my head since the moment they were spoken -- "It's just a song."

Those of you reading this are probably thinking the same thing. However, all of you know that songs get stuck in our heads (and hearts). I mean, if I were to ask you what your favorite song is, you could probably sing it word for word, and just the mention of the song causes it to be stuck in your head for hours (or days). I know that during my quiet time I will often read Scripture that will make me think of a song or hymn or psalm that will then be on my mind and heart for the next few days. Just yesterday I made those riding in my car with me to lunch listen to "In Christ Alone" no less than six times because it went so beautifully with the sermon that Jared preached on Galations 3:15-26. Songs are an important part of our spiritual walk. They express our feelings of love and gratitude to God through the gift of music that He has given us.

In Ephesians 5:19-20, we are told of the importance of corporate worship. As a church, we are to speak to each other through songs, hymns, and psalms. Does that mean that we walk around looking like a musical with only songs coming out of our mouths? I hope not because there are some voices (and mine is included in this category) that only sound pretty to God and can only be classified as a joyful noise! Instead, I think that the verses mean that we should take the opportunity in corporate worship to speak to each other through the songs that are chosen. This means that we should preach to each other through song and exhort each other through song. I know that I have a hard time singing so many of the songs that are focused on myself. I think that as a church, we should sing things like "Open the eyes of our heart Lord" instead of "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord" because that takes the focus off of self and places it on the purpose of the church. We should sing songs focused on God, who He is, and what He has done for us. I think that we should carefully examine a song to see its purpose before singing a song that has I, me, my, etc. in it.

My views of music also lead me to like hymns in corporate worship more than choruses (with the exception of the chorus that are directly from the Psalms or Revelations -- a little heavenly choir practice is fine with me!). Many of you are probably inclined to make fun of me right now (because I have heard you make fun of people, especially those in the younger generation, who like hymns), but I think that those who make fun are probably not really reading the words on the screen or in the book so that the truths can be branded in their minds and hearts. I know that as a child, one of my favorite hymns was Holy, Holy, Holy. As a child, I learned important truths about God by singing this song -- the concept of the Trinity, the eternality of God, the fact that we must worship God for who He is, etc. Therefore, I think that it is important to remember that we can teach those sitting in the congregation doctrine and theology through our songs. A song I mentioned before, In Christ Alone, teaches so much about the work of Christ.

Some of you that know me well (and know some of the songs mentioned) are probably thinking, but isn't one of your favorites also It is Well with My Soul and doesn't In Christ Alone start out "In Christ alone my hope is found"? Like I said earlier, we should examine the songs that contain these words. Here is what I think. These songs enable us to exhort others in the congregation when we are able to sing them out to God. When we go through trials, we need to me reminded of the personal testimony of others who have gone before us and were able to say "When peace like a river attendeth my way." We need to proclaim to a lost world (some of whom are sitting in our church services) that Christ is our personal hope.

Some of you also might be saying that David is very personal in some of the Psalms, and if those were made into songs, it probably would go against what I am saying right now. I think that type of music has a place in my personal time alone with God. I think that there are songs that can help me voice prayers to God when I have a hard time putting words to what I am feeling. I think that it is perfectly fine for me, in a time of personal worship before God, to sing out for Him to open my eyes.

Having given my view of songs and their proper place, I am finally going to reach my main point. Songs that are not theologically or doctrinally sound have no place in the church or in our personal lives. We should be Berean about the songs we sing, not just the material that we teach and use in Bible study. We must remember that there are children and unbelievers in our congregations that do not need to be deceived by the music we are singing. There are children and unbelievers that do not need to be deceived by the music we play on the radio. Our own hearts need to be guarded against false teaching and unsound doctrine. Too many in the church choose their music based upon how easy it is to learn, the type of beat it has, whether it is peppy enough for them, etc. instead of basing their opinion of music on the words contained in the song. I don't know how many times I have heard that someone liked the special music at church (although usually the singer does a good job of singing the material), but it stirs up uncomfort in my heart because the words are not sound. I know that many people would tell me to lighten up a little, "It's just a song," but that is not how we should look at music that we are singing while worshiping God. Our goal is not to play on the emotions of those listening. Our goal should be to sing praises to our Heavenly Father, to exalt His name as He prepares our hearts to hear His truth. This cannot be done by playing on the congregation's emotions (although emotions may be involved because we are emotional creatures) or on the musical likes of those in the congregation, but by singing songs that are meant to teach and to exhort during the time of worship for the glory of God.

I encourage those that have an opportunity to pick songs for corporate worship to really think the songs through before the songs are sung. Also, for those of us sitting in the congregation that have a hard time singing some of the songs, change the words a bit to enable yourself to worship God. I know those around me probably look at me funny when I sing "Open the eyes of our heart," but that is what enables me to focus on our purpose as a church and to glorify God in my singing praises to Him. So the next time you are sitting near me and hear me change the words, I promise I can read what is on the screen!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Yes, I read Harry Potter. Here recently people seemed to be surprised to learn that, but I do. I resisted reading the books for a while, but decided to read them because kids I knew were reading them, and I was hooked. I have never been one to run out and purchase the book the moment it goes on sale, and with the first four, I actually waited until they were in paperback before purchasing them. However, I knew that this book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7), would be different if I wanted to be surprised by the ending, and I purchased it a little over two days after it went on sale. Additionally, I read to the end of it as quickly as I could (bought on Monday, finished Thursday ... I thought it would be excessive to read too much more than 200 pages a day) so that I could discover the end for myself.

I have to say that J.K. Rowlings is an extremely gifted author. I am impressed by her ability to keep the attention of the reader page after page. I was also relieved in the final book to find that she didn't overwhelm her readers, but seem to schedule informative but less intense chapters when it seemed that the tension was building to an unbearable point. Plus her ability to start a story in book 1, complete that story in book 7, and seem to make every little detail in each of the seven books matter is outstanding. I am also impressed at her ability to write the books so that they grow up with Harry and the reader. The first starts out as a fun fantasy filled with adventure and friendship. By the 7th book as Harry has grown up, it is still a fantasy, with a lot less fun, but still filled with adventure and friendship. We follow Harry on a journey that keeps you in suspense until the end. The way that she makes everything come together in the last few chapters is nothing short of genious.

Don't worry -- I am not going to compare Harry Potter to Jesus (although, naturally, the comparisons can be made since it is a hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others), and I am not going to suggest that kids should read the series just to be exposed to the concepts. What I will say is that if you have children who want to read the series, I would suggest that you read the first book, see what you think, then either allow or keep your children from reading the books. Also, if you work with kids, I would suggest reading the books because you can pretty much guarantee that the kids are and you should be informed about what is being read so that you can have a proper conversation about the books. I do think that this series will become a classic because of the abilities of the author. The series is one of the best series that I have read by far. In some ways I am sad to see it end, but I also hope that she ends this series for good, and starts with a clean slate of characters if she should ever decide to revisit Hogwarts again. I would love for her to set another adventure at one of the European schools or create a new school. All in all, she is a gifted author whose imagination seems to be limitless.

Hairspray and Dreamgirls and Hitch ... oh my!

Well I am sitting here at work taking a bit of a break, trying to think of something semi-mindless to write about, and thought I would do a review of the movies I have seen recently.

Hairspray-- cute movie. John Travolta makes it hilarious. I was impressed to learn that the lead actress was a random person chosen from a nationwide search. You could not tell that this was her first movie/musical, and she did a great job making the movie worth seeing. I haven't seen the '80s version of the movie, but overall I liked this one.

Dreamgirls--outstanding! I was impressed with the music. Jennifer Hudson did an outstanding job as Effy. Although the musical version of Effy had a better voice (in my opinion), you would not know that if you watched the movie version only. All of the acting and singing was exceptional. I think this might be one of my favorite musicals of all time (and therefore, the DVD will be added to my birthday/Christmas list this year).

Hitch-- didn't like it. I thought that something that had Will Smith and the guy from King of Queens would be funny. I was wrong. I think I laughed once (probably because all of the other funny moments were in all of the promos, and therefore were no longer funny). As far as romantic movies go, it wasn't that great at that either. All in all, I was not impressed and thought the writers did a disservice to the cast by not making it funny. Even some dry humor would have been better than the humor that was attempted.

Why is it important to study God?

This past weekend I picked up a book that I bought a while back and started to read, but put down probably to read another book that interested me more. As I began to read the book again, I quickly became overwhelmed with different terms used to describe various views of God and His interaction with man. So overwhelmed that I found myself wondering whether it would be beneficial to continue reading the book, especially since there are many others that I have not read and that definitely look easier to read.

The more I thought about it, the more important I realized it is for me to continue reading the book. I think that one reason is that too many people who label themselves as Christians or Evangelicals or who even claim to believe in the same God I do even though they do not call themselves Christians do not understand who my God, the God of traditional orthodox Christianity is. Unfortunately, I often do not understand enough about their view of God or my own view of God to be able to carry on an intelligent conversation where I can start at the point of disagreement instead of having them try to convince me based on the points of agreement. Over the past several weeks, I read the debate between Mohler and Card (mentioned in a previous blog I believe), and I realized that the only way that Mohler was able to distinguish Mormonism from Christianity was by pointing out the differences. This took a knowledge of what Mormons believe about Jesus. However, it also took knowledge about what Christians believe about Jesus and knowing the issues that we refuse to compromise on. Of course this knowledge must be obtained somehow, and I believe it is by studying the Bible and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us about God through Scripture. It is only then that we are able to read the words of other men and know that they speak truth when describing God.

Anyway, I think that I am embarking upon an interesting journey during which I hope to learn about the areas that modern (or postmodern) man with his worldly wisdom is seeking to make God Almighty, Creator of the universe, Savior and Redeemer, Sovereign Lord into something or someone that God is not. Maybe this will prepare me to respond to people who attack who God is. It will definitely enable me to better understand the points of difference. So in conclusion I think that it will enable me to be better prepared to give a defense.

Pvt. Malcolm McEwen

This past weekend Malcolm finished Basic Training, and had his graduation from Basic on Friday. I got to talk to him after he graduated. His mom and Miss Jennifer were able to travel up for his graduation, although I was not since I had a wedding in Louisville to attend. I am very proud of him and the perseverence that it took for him to finish Basic. Now he is receiving his specialized training still in SC, and is able to have contact with the outside world via internet and cell phone again. I pray that God will continue to work in his life and show His faithfulness in the trials ahead. I also pray that Malcolm will continue to persevere!

Sanctity of Life?

It has been a while since I blogged, and even longer since I ranted, but today I saw something that has made me want to rant. There is a story on CNN about a couple who was successful in a lawsuit for "wrongful life." I may not get all of the facts straight, but this couple had a child a few years ago that was born with a genetic defect. A doctor diagnosed the defect, and the family is dealing with it. Apparently the child can't break down cholesterol, communicate, and is in need of constant care. Family is pregnant with a second child. This child is born and has some of the same complications (which might be significant because I think that a genetic test ruled out the defect that the first child was diagnosed with). Anyway, both children are now diagnosed with a different genetic defect and are in need of constant care and will probably never be able to communicate. So what does the couple do? Sues the doctor that mis-diagnosed the first child's defect because if he had diagnosed it correctly, the second child could have been tested for that particular defect and been aborted. Not only that, but a Florida jury awards the family $21 million because the baby should not have been born.

There are so many things wrong with this scenario. First, why should a baby have its life taken just because it has a defect? Since when have we defined humans as those who can communicate or care for themselves? Whose quality of life are we really concerned about here? Isn't it the parents' quality of life that is more at issue than the child's? All that both children need is to feel the love of their parents. Instead they are treated as a burden because they cannot provide anything in return? I know that I haven't been faced with a situation like this so I don't understand what the parents must be going through, but to actually bring a lawsuit saying that this baby should have never been born is awful. Apparently the award was based on the medical expenses that this baby will experience throughout its life. I know that it must be difficult, physically, emotionally, financially, to deal with two children like that, but to sue because the child lived is absurd. It shows that we live in a society that puts certain standards that one must meet in order to be allowed to live, and those standards are decided by people who justify their decision on a number of things. Parents should be selfless and make sacrifices, not sue because their children are an inconvenience and/or financial burden. However, this is what happens when abortion becomes another form of birth control and children are terminated in the womb for any reason.

Lil T Update - for his grandparents :-)

I just have to tell you what seems to be Lil T's new favorite passtime. He gets on either the couch or the loveseat, throws his ball to the other couch/love seat, then throws himself across to get it. This really isn't that surprising given his love of flying. Also, while I am cooking/baking, he likes to growl at my feet until they chase him or try to kick him. It makes him turn into Tazmanian T when they finally do what he wants. I think he is just a little spoiled.

Contending and Enduring

In our study of the book of Jude this summer, I learned that we are to contend for the faith (Jude 3). I am also learning that contending for the faith takes lots of energy, as well as lots of time in the Word. What I mean is that so many people around us do not have a firm grasp on what they believe, which means that they ask questions about all sorts of things. I have to be prepared to answer. So how can I do that, especially when learning and standing firm takes so much energy? Especially when at times I am discouraged and just want to give up? The way is to persevere and run with endurance by the grace of God. God gives us the endurance and ability to run the race that He has set before us. Here are some verses that John Piper recently pointed out in a promotional regarding the upcoming Desiring God Conference (or some conference that he is putting on):

“rooted and grounded” (Ephesians 3:17)
“having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13)
“stand firm thus in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1)
“not carried away with the error of lawless people” (2 Peter 3:17)
“we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9)
“love . . . bears all things, . . . endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
“suffering produces endurance” (Romans 5:3)
“stay awake” (Matthew 24:42)
“the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11)
“keep alert with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18)
“the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13)

We are called to endure! Contending requires endurance, and endurance requires training, so keep training in the Word of God!

Are Mormons Christian?

Recently I have been reading a series of blogs that are supposed to be a back and forth discussion between Dr. Albert Mohler (president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Orson Scott Card (some science fiction author and a Mormon) debating whether Mormons are Christian. As most of you are aware, Mitt Romney, who appears to be one of the top three leading candidates for president in the Republican Party, is a Mormon, and his openness about his faith has led to quite a bit of debate on the issue of whether Mormons are Christians. The debate can be found here http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/.

Well, I decided I wanted to weigh in on the issue. I think that the only religious systems that can call themselves Christians are those who believe in the historic Jesus Christ, as portrayed in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations. This means that you have to believe in the deity of Christ, understand redemptive history as revealed throughout Scripture, and believe in substitutionary attonement. From the little that I know about Mormonism, they do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, making Him 100% God but also 100% man (a concept that is difficult for our minds to comprehend, which is where faith comes in). They think of Jesus as Savior, but from what I know (and I might be wrong), they believe Jesus' did not save us by taking on our sins on the cross and dying in our place (accepting the punishment for our sins), and/or He wasn't resurrected (which shows the completeness and sufficiency of the sacrifice, and therefore, is one of those issues that defines Christianity). Also, I believe that to be considered a Christian religion, the religion must believe in the Trinity. Although many claim that the concept of the Trinity is not found in Scripture or laid out for us in the Bible, clearly those persons have not read Ephesians (although Mormonism probably doesn't teach the writings of Paul because they also clearly mark out the deity and humanity of Christ and substitutionary atonement). Ephesians starts out by laying out the role of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in salvation. Throughout, Paul teaches the different roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in dealing with the Church (invisible church, that is) and building of the body of Christ.

It is so important for Christian (and now I am talking true Christian churches, and not Mormons) churches to teach issues of doctrine so that we know what to look for in other churches claiming Christianity, such as the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses. We need to be grounded in our view of Christ, and know why it is important to believe what we believe. I am saddened as I read some of the comments that think just because the Mormon church uses "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" or whatever the name is, is Christian because it contains the words "Jesus Christ." Others think the Mormon church is Christian because they say Jesus is Savior. That is not the test. We need to learn who Christ is through study of God's Word so that we can recognize Him. As part of the Christian church, we need to contend for THE FAITH, which means that our opinions will not always be accepted in our world that touts tolerance. I admire men like Dr. Mohler who are willing to stand up against popular opinion to point out the truth to a world that does not believe in truth.

Busy Week ... and Haggai!

Wow, what a busy week this has been!! Although it was nice to take some time off during the week to spend with family, it made the work week crazy!! Overall, good family time, good 4th, good week at work. All of that equaled less time to blog than usual.

This week I have been studying Haggai in preparation for teaching the Sunday School lesson tomorrow. Wow! The study of the minor prophets has been so encouraging to me in this time of my life. As James Montgomery Boice says, the remnant that returned to Jerusalem at the end of the exile period was the right people, at the right place, at the right time, with the right motives, but there was still a problem with their priorities. That is what is wrong in my own life so many times. I know that I am in the right place at the right time with the right motives, but my failure to really put God first instead of saying that I do results in a failure to the right things. I can't become discouraged (though I often do) because the current situation is not better than what it has been in the past. I must remember to be strong and courageous, which is going to result in a boldness that is going to come from God. Right before God encouraged great leaders and the nation of Israel to take big steps to advance His glory, He told them to be strong and courageous because He is with them. We need to remember that today, especially in times of discouragement. In my obedience to God, I need to be strong and courageous knowing that He is with me. It is time I started acting out what I know!