Monthly Archives: June 2010

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Seeds Worship

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If you’ve got kids, work with kids, or want to find an easy way to memorize scripture, check out and listen to this music from Seeds Worship. There are several CD’s which actually contain good music that both children and adults can listen to and enjoy. I recently ordered disc one of the series, and it actually comes with two discs so that you can give one to a friend or neighbor. It could definitely be a good resource for family worship time, driving in the car, children’s church, sunday school, etc….Again, this is an easy way to memorize scripture for all of us and the music is actually good for a change.

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Responsibility wasn’t enough for this poor lad

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A spiritually healthy Calvinist embraces the truth of God’s Sovereign control of all things and yet still upholds the need for human responsibility. Different people, usually related to personality more than personal theology, will land on one side of the equation. Since I’m uber-pragmatic, I will always err on the side of being too responsible, and am constantly needing reminders of the truth that God is indeed in control. 
Last night, via SportsCenter, I witnessed not only these truths, but the healthy application of these complementary (not opposing) truths.
Armando Gallaraga of the Detroit Tigers was pitching a perfect game (all outs and no base-runners) through 8 and 2/3 innings. He only one out to go. Then the batter hit it to the first baseman, and he tossed the ball to the pitcher who came over to cover the bag. The throw beat the runner, but the umpire called him safe. But the replays clearly showed him to be out and he was out by a good bit.
Armando was reminded that no matter how responsible he and the position players were, there was still another factor at play of which they had no control over: umpires. Until baseball gets instant replay, which will be never, players will always have to be aware that God’s Sovereignty (in the form of human umpire error) will still be part of the game.
Gallaraga was amazingly gracious to the umpire, capitulating to the element of human error in baseball. After the call, the distraught pitcher didn’t display defeat or disgust, but simply disbelief. He had come so far and was clearly frustrated. But unlike the 1st baseman or the manager, he didn’t get in the umpire’s face and yell. Disappointed, but also clearly pleased that he had simply been responsible in pitching to the best of his ability.
In the end, he may even have realized that his “responsible” pitching performance was itself a gift from a Sovereign God. Check this out from espn.com:
Galarraga struck out three and walked none, and was a most unlikely star. He was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on May 16 after pitching poorly during spring training, losing out in a competition for the final spot in the rotation to Dontrelle Willis, who was traded Tuesday, and Nate Robertson, who was dealt to Florida toward before the team broke camp.

He probably won’t get a shot for a perfect game again. But in the end, I think he gives us a good example of what it means to be responsible and yet rest in God’s Sovereignty. 

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I like nothing!

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The other day a conservative political analyst said something to the effect of, “You know what I like about Obama? Nothing.”
Now I didn’t vote for our current president, but he is still our president and should receive just as much prayer and respect as a president for whom I did vote. Some people love Obama and some people hate him, but regardless of feeling, is this extremism impractical and unbiblical? I think both are true. Here’s my take.
1.) Men are created in the image of God. All men. Yes all men and women are messed up and capable of so much evil, but are also the pinnacle of creation (Psalm 8). This is called the paradox of man, and Pascal really captured it well here. Can it be that there is nothing commendable about Obama? What about his drive, confidence, boldness? Can it be that there is nothing commendable about your neighbor or co-worker? If Acts 17 depicts Paul commending the Athenians for being religious (b/c they had many idols), we can certainly find commendable traits about presidents, neighbors, co-workers. Give it a shot.
2.) Extreme statements which overlook any hint of God’s image on men/women (sometimes called Common Grace) also negate any hope of dialog. Who will listen to this man except those who already listen to him? Will he ever endear himself to others who disagree with him? Will he ever have an opportunity to be heard by someone other than his present audience? I really think that in Acts 17, Paul endears himself to his hearers, who possess a radically different worldview, and so gains a platform upon which to stand.

I can sometimes be an extremist. Not politically, but certainly in other areas, and so this became a challenge to me in how I view those who hold radically differing theological positions.

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Self-evaluation on Sundays

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In worship on Sunday, our lead pastor Barret challenged us to evaluate our worship experience in a different manner than we would normally think. Instead of driving home and thinking, “Wow, that was good music or a good sermon…..,” we ought to ask the question: “how did I do in worship?” 
I’m not saying that it is not important to evaluate the sermon, music, flow of liturgy, etc…, for Barret and I do these types of things every Wednesday when we meet. However, because worship isn’t a “spectator sport,” and our true audience is the Tri-une God, it makes just as much sense, if not more, to really evaluate our own hearts. 
Questions like, “Was I engaged with the confession of sin, did my heart resonate with what I was singing, how much did I really cherish Christ when He was preached,” can make a huge difference, particularly when the pastor has an “off” day or the music didn’t sound good. 

With the power of the Holy Spirit, those types of things are much easier, and more necessary to change.