Pastor’s Blog

Avatars, Dust, and Psalm 139

January 16, 2012

In James Cameron’s graphically stunning film Avatar, the human hero Jake Sully is rescued in a forest of the planet Pandora by a native female there named Neytiri. He learns many things from her, not the least interesting of which is how they say “I love you.” in their culture: “I see you.”

A Strange Warmth

January 16, 2012

John Wesley has a well known line in his journal about his conversion to becoming a follower of Christ. He says that as he sat listening to someone reading some words of Martin Luther, “my heart was strangely warmed.” He was feeling the presence of God. How often have you felt such a presence. I believe that God’s presence is available to us at all times, yet we miss experiencing it most of the time. This can be learned. We can practice the historical spiritual disciplines to draw closer to God.

Song 85 (a Spiritual Growth Exercise)

January 10, 2012

Have you ever had it where you read a page of a book two or three times but haven’t the foggiest idea what you read? This can often happen when we are reading God’s Word, the Bible. Of course the spiritual realm is highly concerned with keeping us from being influenced by the Word. So, one practice that help get it to sink into our spirits is to rewrite it in our own words. This causes the mind to do more that push the eyes over the words, but to really think about them.

Sirens, Passion, and Higher Love

October 12, 2011

In Greek mythology, the Sirens are creatures with the head of a female and the body of a bird. They lived on an island (Sirenum Scopuli; three small rocky islands) and with the irresistible charm of their song they lured mariners to their destruction on the rocks surrounding their island.

Light over Dark

September 27, 2011

I sit at times

bathed in full light

as cloud on wind would fly

unveiling, blocking

Come Together

September 27, 2011

Here’s another attempt at capturing a secular song for the Kingdom. This one takes the Beatle’s Song “Come Together” which many believe to have been written about the four members of the band, and makes it into a song about the resurrection of Jesus instead. You will find references to the Trinity at creation, and the promise of perfection in heaven.

Your Love (song capture)

August 26, 2011

Along the vein of my recent piece about overtaking contemporary songs for the Kingdom, hears one based on the song “Your Love” by Outfield. The point here would be that we’re singing to Jesus as opposed a girl friend. The syllables and word order attempt to match the original song, but the meaning is all different.

He Can Work it Out

August 26, 2011

Martin Luther is said by some to have taken bar tunes and made church songs out of them. That “fact” is debated today, though it is clear that Luther used some of the known music of his day in his hymns. The concept isn’t only Luther’s even though it is a very Reformed concept to take an area of existence and give it to the honor and glory of God. William Booth is said to have questioned, “Why should the Devil have all the good music?” as a reason for taking music of the streets and putting Christian messages to them. Fanny Crosby took contemporary music of her day and incorporated it into some of her 9000 hymns.

Deadwood, Pretty Face

May 2, 2011

Am I half a tree with blossoms bursting in the breeze posing full for all who see me from my healthy side? My other half too free no blooms, just wood to cut the breeze stiff, and bare, an empty scene that which I’d rather hide?

Beyond My Dust

April 22, 2011

Lord, what is this life I lead this dust that walks o’er grass and weed and thinks, and eats, and drinks, and sits to comprehend much more than its own dustiness; there’s pain and praise there’s rain, and sun that brightens up the days.

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