When I want to get some encouragement, I go to the fire bowl café. Depending on what you order, it could be called the fire bowel café, but that’s beside the point. Usually there’s this guy who goes around to the tables offering ice cream. No kidding. He’s not from the fire bowl either. No, he’s coming in with all the authority of a federal agent carrying a clipboard. He’s vamping the Asian cuisine coming from Maggie Moos down the way. I’m not sure if they got permission to pull this off but it took me back to the day when I was filling up waffle cones at a TCBY (short stint). The manager said, “Hey go take some samples to the people at the sub shop next door. I responded with a resounding ‘heck no’. I thought of all the reasons why it was a lousy idea. It’s an invasion of their territory. I mean how would we feel if they came in with pastrami on toothpicks? If those folks wanted fat free frozen yogurt they wouldn’t have gone to a place where everything is either on wheat or white. On top of all this, it’s embarrassing. Just let me stick with what I signed on for. Standing behind this counter and waiting for people to come to me. Doing my time and collecting my paycheck along the way.
But not this kid. He came by, not once, but twice during my lo mien dinner. First offering chocolate/peanut butter, and second offering cinnamon/vanilla. Not being one to turn down a freebie from Maggie, I obliged to both. It’s amazing how well chocolate/peanut butter goes with Lo mien. I was so impressed with the guts and the product, I ducked into Maggie’s and cooled the fire bowel with some of what the kid was dishing up. I would have probably never done it otherwise. The point is, Jesus said go ye, and we said ‘heck no’ cause if they wanted what we got they would be here getting it. I mean it’s an invasion of territory. How would we feel if the other business came in here offering temptation on a toothpick? On top of that, it’s embarrassing. Let me just stick with what I signed on for. To get to heaven and be a decent person with some cool blessings from God along the way. Let me tell you that if you have the guts to live your faith before a lost world, they may respond to your message of hope the same way I responded to Maggie's moo. They may respond because they’re impressed with the guts that you have in representing Jesus Christ, and in this world, a solid foundation is worth more than gold. Second they may respond because, if presented well, they’ll taste and see that the Lord is good. Since it’s the kindness of God that leads us to repentance, why don’t you give that a chance to work with those you meet today?
By the way, thanks for lunch Dale.

Thoughts on music... The worship leader is that part of the priesthood of believers responsible for guarding the sanctuary with regard to music. All Christians have an obligation to bring glory to the Lord in the music they employ when worshiping Him. However, those Christians who are called to be musicians have an even greater responsibility in guarding the music of the sanctuary. This would include any musician who exercises leadership in choosing or leading music, in worship composers, music directors, choir directors, arts pastors, musicians, etc.
The music director is responsible for overseeing the music education of the congregation. The levitical musicians at the temple were divided into twenty-four courses (worship teams) according to 1 Chronicles 25. These courses were established in order that all the musicians would not be at the temple at any one time. Thus they were on duty in the temple two weeks of the year. What were they doing the rest of the year? Most likely the same things that all musicians do when they are not performing—they are practicing their craft and teaching or passing it on to others. Nowadays we would think it a waste of money to compensate a worship team for 'practicing' all but 2 weeks out of the year, which is probably why most of the music in churches with this mentality is hardly excellent and therefore less than glorifying to God. God seemed to take this role seriously and when the people followed suit it paid off. The Israelites were famous for their music skills all over the world (see Psalm 137). Music skills are not something that develop on their own. They must be taught. So the Levite musician would be at the temple two weeks while the rest of the time he was developing his own skill while teaching others how to sing and play instruments as well. Even in the synagogues, the "reading" of the Scriptures was not actually a reading but a chanting of the Word. The glory of God shines through us in this especially when it is performed "skillfully". Does God care about skillful excellence, volume, and modern worship? In Psalm 33:3 all three of these issues are covered. We are to 1. Sing a new song. 2. Play it skillfully. 3. Let it rock! Ok that last one was a stretch but the word for 'loud' in the original means 'loud'. I'm not condoning bleeding eardrums or physical damage but the idea that worship must be soft and soothing to be holy is unscriptural. God encourages us to shout, dance, and let the sound of our worship be as big as our heart of love for God. The worship director, the levitical musician, would be expected to teach the skills needed to accomplish this with excellence.
Music is a glory cloud we put around the words that God gives to us for our edification and around the words we offer back to Him as a spiritual sacrifice in our gatherings of worship. It's part of the job of the worship leader, not just to lead the congregation in a corporate setting, but to see that everyone enters worship with the necessary skills and understanding required for the collective musical worship that is brought before the Lord. (Portions from Credenda Agenda - Schuler/Wilson 2005)
Credenda Agenda is a reformed publication headed up by one the great Christian writers/theologians of our time, Douglas Wilson. My uncle, Dr. Paul Brown, has written for them on the topic of Creation Science over the years. I have been blessed and challenged by the articles in CA and I encourage you to subscribe to the magazine at http://www.credenda.org/

Life is a blind man riding on a rollercoaster and this week I'm wishing the loops would stop. This coming from a guy who likes, no, loves spectacular, spontaneous change. To say that life can be unpredictable is like saying that a nuclear bomb makes a loud noise. Something happened to a friend of mine this week that I still can't comprehend. I'll sure have some thoughts to share about all of this later but for now I would like to draw your attention to the need for each of us to maintain a healthy community. The Bible calls this church. We all function within the context of a community, which in turn functions within a larger society, nation, and world. Our family's well-being is bound up with the community's well-being, and likewise its well-being is inseparable from the peace and prosperity of the society, the nation, and ultimately, the world. Not that negative outward circumstances dictate inward destruction. Rather we are strengthened by the power of Jesus Christ when adversity exposes our weaknesses so spiritual victory is possible even in physical destruction. Practically put, martyrs could praise God for his goodness while standing in the flames or facing the lions teeth. Biblical precepts undergird community by teaching the virtues of cooperation, brotherhood, and justice. These create the spirit of unity by which community can thrive and prosper. I know this is boring to read but bear with me. What happens when community breaks down? The breakdown of community is isolation disguised as quiet privacy. You discover this to be true when one among you takes an action you would have never thought possible. I don't advocate an intervention and invasion of privacy. On the contrary I do advocate a healthy measure of transparency that makes us not only vulnerable to some hurt, but also some healing. Who knows you? There are about 5 people in my life who know as much of me as there is to know. The rest think they know. I met a famous person once who I had observed in movies as many different characters. In speaking with them I became aware of a disturbing reality. I didn't know this person. I knew about them but didn't know them. How much can we know about each other? Only as much as you allw to be known. So tonight I leave you with this question. Who knows you?