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| Another update!Good Morning Xanga world!
I was challenged last year to invest more of myself in others. I think that includes my friends here in the blogosphere. :) I have needed to clear my schedule, though. Imagine realizing that I need to make room for loving people other than myself. As I consider the idea it is a sad commentary on how I have been living the past year. I am to easily pleased with the things of the world that tickle my eyes and ears and come between myself and others. Not to mention myself and God.
I would appreciate prayer in this regard. First that I would have the wisdom to not over, or under, commit myself; Second that I would love others because of my love for Christ; Finally, that God would remove any vestige of worldly love from me. In 1 John 2:15-17 it states that those who love the world do not have the love of the Father in them. If I have not the love of the Father I am lost in this endeavor.
Back to what I posted on earlier;
Our lives are to be worshipful. God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. On the other hand, (if we look at worship as a distinct act or element of our actions) the attitude that is to be characteristic of our live is humility. What? Have I just gone off the deep end with a rabbit trail? No.
We are called not just to worship God, but also glorify Him. If we look at worship as a distinct act then the thing which is to characterize our worship, and any other part of our lives, is a seeking after His glory. (1 Corinthians 10:31) This desire for His glory is to color everything we do.
I'm not finished yet, I have just run out of time for this morning. :)
Music Review!!:
I'm going to start including reviews of the CDs that I take out of the library (which I do often). My current listening selection "Handel's Messiah" conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, is interesting. Its old (1959), but the sound is very good. The orchestration is not original. It is romantc in the size of the orchestration, but not tasteless. Although it is an odd experience to hear woodwinds where I am used to hearing strings (not to mention the brass that suddenly Pops out at you every so often).
The one big drawback is the choice of tempo. It (so far) never changes (I haven't heard the whole thing yet). Sir Beecham sems to have a penchant for Adagio. Stately is a word that comes to mind (unfortunately "Stiff" also comes to mind).
Breakfast time!
Josh out :)
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| More worship and hello everybodyGreetings Fellow Xanglians,
Ah a long absence.
I have been studying worship lately and reading some materials on it. I have come to the conclusion that if we are to properly understand the position of music in worship we must understand the distinctiveness of worship itself.
Worship in the scriptures is almost always linked with an act. The words used, in the Greek and Hebrew, identify it as an act of outward humility to an overlord, king or God. Of course with God it is more than an outward position, but it is also an attitude of the heart.
In either case, I think it would be proper to distinguish music from worship. Music can be part of the act, but to play music is not necessarily always an act of worship.
I'll try to keep this updated more often, but for now I leave you with 1 Chronicles 16:29
"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
Josh out
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| New Stuff and Old Stuffwinningthelaural had a good point about my last post. Cleaning my room does not clean my heart. My main point was that I do what I do because I think what I think and I think what I think because of who I am. What I do affects my surroundings and the fruit of my actions in those surroundings is what God has used to show me what is in my heart.
So I've been thinking about music standards. Not as much as I have been thinking about freedom, but the two go together, so I'll start here.
We could obviously argue for ages about certain aspects of the whole debate. I am sure each one of us comes at it from our own perspective and experience. The overarching rule of our life, however, should be to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The questions that I find important are as follows:
What is my motivation for playing and listening to any music?
Is there a Biblical basis for making a moral judgment about music (is there righteous and unrighteous music)?
What room (if any) is there for personal preference?
Is the idea of worship styles Biblical?
What relationship does all of this have with our idea of our freedom in Christ and our relationship with God?
Does it matter?
Any other questions people?
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| Thunkering The Bible emphasizes, by example, in Proverbs 23:7 that a man is as he thinks in his heart. In the New Testament Jesus Christ reminds us that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man. So if what is inside me defines me so much in the sense that what surrounds me reflects who I really am, I should give more energy to change within in order to change the without.
God has made this most evident in the way that I have taken care of my room and my papers, these last 2 years. I have noticed that I have allowed myself to continually become more and more disorganized in my "exterior" life. A couple of weeks ago I was wondering to myself why that was. I hate disorganization, but I had become so self-indulgent that I had allowed my rooms and work areas to become cluttered. Why was this? Then it hit me. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. If my surroundings are a mess what does that say about my mind? My soul? My spiritual condition? If I have unfinished projects that pile around me what does that say about my spiritual perseverance? If I have lost a spirit of service toward others I should not fool myself into thinking that I have a spirit of service toward God.
My Heavenly Father is very gracious. He has given me a vacation to get things back in order. Please be praying that I won't lose sight of what He has taught me here and that I will stick it out and be faithful.
J. Ingersoll
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| This world that is mind I need to stop sometimes.
I get so caught up in my own struggles and life that I tend to forget what is really important. Yup, I'm the guy who will sometimes miss the forest for the trees.
Well, I'm home on "Vacation" from Verity for a couple of weeks. This has been the fastest year of my life. I have been so busy I have had hardly any time to think, let alone write anything down. I now am working on some curriculum development, helping to head up our dual-enrollment program, conducting choir, and trying to keep up with the rest of the music department responsibilities. I have had free time, though, and I have learned that I am rather selfish with that free time.
That's right. The man who loves people has learned that he really loves himself to much. It's amazing what stress will make evident in your life. I have learned that I need my brothers and sisters in Christ more than I thought I did. I also need the Word and prayer. My life truly is hid with Christ in God. I cannot find life anywhere else. I agree with Peter; Jesus, alone, has the words of life.
I learned that God is my Father. Now you may think that this is a rudimentary truth that every Christian knows. For me it has become more important and vital as I have moved out of the house into an apartment. My heart is wrapped up in my family and I needed it to be wrapped up in a spiritual family.
I have been thinking about free will and music standards lately. I'm gonna try to start hashing some o' that out here, but for now I leave you all with a poem.
As I look in the mirror do I know what I see?
A man of God or man of me
Within my heart there are two ways
A road of dark and one of light
Two men intent on their own place
One alive one under blight
The Dark one's death does seem unknown
For all the trouble he would cause
His presence maketh me to groan
For although dead he causes loss
The Light one groweth day by day
Strengthened by a Greater Light
His sight looks out beyond the gray
Changed, alive, infused by Might
I know, the both of them are me
I always choose between the two
To be a dead man bound by flesh
Or walk in light nothing to rue
As I look in the mirror do I know what I see?
A man of God or man of me
J. Ingersoll
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