Max and Anne - Views on Prayer

While scrolling down through my Facebook feed, I came upon a snippet of an interview on the 700 Club with Max Lucado. Max is my all-time favorite Christian author. His book, He Still Moves Stones, was one of the first Christian books I ever read. I love his writing style….I love how clearly he expresses the love of God for his children. 

They talked about two things in the interview:

His support of Husain Abdullah in a recent USA editorial where he said:

Which is why the sight of Abdullah, a Muslim who sat out the 2012 season to go on a pilgrimage, being penalized was hard to watch. Tim Tebow brought gridiron prayer to the forefront with his iconic kneeling in gratitude. And countless other professional football players have been seen kneeling in an end zone prayer. 

For decades competitors have bowed their heads, crossed their hearts, kissed their rosaries and lifted their eyes to heaven as they sought favor on the fields of competition. Is a little petition or gratitude so bad? If the act is sincere toward God as opposed to insincere, for show, what is the harm?

Indeed, what is the harm? And while so many evangelical Christians got themselves all worked up at Tebow’s critics, where was the outrage about Abdullah’s fifteen yard penalty? Oh yeah…..he was bowing to the “wrong” God.  I think it was quite gutsy of Max to come out in support of Abdullah.   
         

And anyway, the story had a happy ending because the NFL apologized and said the official was wrong and that players can, indeed, pray.

The other topic of the interview was his new book, Before Amen. Max admits to being a prayer wimp. He’s mentioned his difficulties with prayer in other books he's written. He said “doing something for God” comes more naturally to him that “praying to God.” (That is a paraphrase, by the way) Through the years he’s developed what he refers to as the pocket prayer. He studied all the prayers in the Bible and summed them up into six short sentences.

Father, You are good. I need help. So do they. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.

I love it. He succinctly sums it all up in those short sentences.

I rarely say a traditional prayer. I truly believe I always have God’s ear. I feel like he is paying attention as I go about my day….typing reports, checking my email, eating lunch, going to the bathroom.  Doesn’t “pray without ceasing” mean that I thank him for small blessings throughout the day, tell him I love him, ask his to watch over my children or let him know I am quite miffed at the way he is allowing some things to play out.

Anne Lamott (another of my favorites) also has a book out about prayer. In my next post (no, not an empty promise) I’ll talk about “Help, Thanks, Wow: The ThreeEssential Prayers” by Anne Lamott.  

At the Butler Hospital – You Are Awesome In This Place…

Written ‘now”
The following post was written during my mom’s hospitalization and surgery to have a faulty, leaky valve replaced.  She has been plagued with complication after complication requiring more and more invasive, painful, frightening procedures.  I was there for the surgery (6 days prior to and 6 days after) but she has gone through the past week alone. Yesterday she had to endure another surgery…with full anesthesia.. to drain fluid and blood from her lungs. It was hard being here while she is there, alone.  They didn’t know the extent…if they would be able to do it through 2 small incisions or if they would have to do the open heart thing again.  Fortunately the least invasive procedure seems to have worked and she is doing well.  Thank goodness. I am weary for this to end.  And she probably feels like she is lost in some macabre nightmare.
I still believe what I wrote in the following post.  That God is there…that he is in fact…everywhere.  The other day my daughter Emily posted the following “verse” on her FB wall….
‎"You were made with a purpose. The God of this universe will hold your hand through everyday of your life, for every laugh and every moment that takes your breath away. For the moments, the phone calls, and the news that make your heart drop and turn your world upside down. Yeah, my God is big enough for those moments as well."
I googled it…thinking it must be scripture from The Message Bible or lyrics to a song…but I couldn’t find it.  When I asked her about it later she said it was from one of her old journals. She wrote it.  She is indeed one of the living epistles the Bible speaks of. 
My post follows…but really…how can I improve on the sentiments expressed by my 17 year old daughter? 
Written “then”
I feel God all over the place in this hospital. Perhaps because I am not in patient care areas in the hospital where I work, I don’t notice it as much.  Perhaps it is because I am out of my normal, usual surroundings here (and very, very homesick) Maybe I am more attuned/ receptive to spiritual things here than at home… figuring out when to go to the grocery store....and the timing of other mundane tasks. Time has lost its meaning this past week.  Almost like it has been suspended.  I'm in a time warp.  A bubble...
Perhaps that is why I notice that the air here is heavy with His presence.  Almost tangible. 
Here in this hospital, the family of heart surgery patients wait in the ICU Waiting Room.  On the day of my mom’s surgery, I was there early...long before regular visiting hours began.  The solitude in the room was interrupted when, one by one, members of a big family started to arrive.  They were distraught.  Some of them were crying. Some of them were hugging.  One woman started to sob.  Let's face it....the waiting room in ICU is often not a very happy place. 
A woman who was part of the group struck up a conversation with me by the coffee pots.  She was here from Florida.  Her best friend was the ICU patient.  She came to say goodbye to her friend.  That morning they were removing life support.  She told me her friend and her family were all believers.  Strong believers.  Later, I heard them say that one by one they went in and said their goodbyes.  Then they all gathered in the room to be with her when she died.  Very sad.  Yet, I felt Him there with that family. 
I feel Him now...sitting in the lobby waiting for ICU visiting hours.  He permeates this place.
A song has stuck in my head for the past few weeks.  I listened to it a couple of times this morning....sitting here typing on my mini dell.  And it occurs to me that it is true.  No matter what place we find ourselves in....He is there.  And He is Awesome.  And He is “big enough.” Video follows....

Banning Christmas-the slippery slope to banning Christianity…?

While following links, researching this impromptu series about Christmas and the "war" against it, I happened upon a site called...well....it's really not important what the name of this particular site is.  I've seen the same sentiments expressed in several places in varying degrees of paranoia. To see for yourself, just type a few variations of ACLU and Christmas, War on Christmas etc. etc into google and the results stretch into infinity. But here is a quote from just one of the many...about halfway on the paranoia scale....

Over the past two decades the ACLU has fought Christians on every front to eliminate all vestiges of Jesus from Americana--even to the extent of outlawing the use of the word "Christmas" because it contains the Greek word for Messiah, the "Anointed One"--Christos--in its name.

Pathetic, misrepresentation of the truth.  Note that "the ACLU" is a hyperlink in the quote above.  If you click on it, it will take you to two other articles on this website entitled American Christian Loathers Association and Christianity attacked by ACLU Terrorists.  Uh-huh...right. 
The truth is that the ACLU does defend Christians.  In fact, they were involved in a case with none other than Jerry Falwell fighting against the state of Virginia and its refusal to allow churches to incorporate. They won by the way. 
On their website, the ACLU describe themselves as

….our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
These rights include:

• Your First Amendment rights - freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
• Your right to equal protection under the law - protection against unlawful discrimination.
• Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
• Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

The ACLU also works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.

If you want to check out quite a few other cases in which the ACLU defended Christians....and Christmas go HERE...and HERE....
In the second link, scroll down to the bottom in the footnotes.
Imagine that!!!
Oh...and if you want to read their views on freedom of religion, check out this page....
I think the ACLU rankles many fundamentalist Christians because the ACLU vigorously defends religious freedom for everyone.  Religious freedom is not the agenda of the outspoken warriors in the “Christmas war.” They want religious preference.  Those who lean toward the dominionist/reconstructionist point of view really want religious exclusion. My way (Christmas) or the highway.  And the ACLU stands in the way of that pipe dream.   

From atheist to "freelance monotheist"

In my last post I mentioned the short video Brian posted of Karen Armstrong voicing her views on the controversial Mosque near Ground Zero. I was not familiar with any of her writings other than a few quotes I've come across in the course of checking out other stuff. So I googled her. Interesting lady.


Former nun.  She spent 8 years in her late teens in the Society of the Holy Child Jesus....left the convent at 24. She wrote a book called Through the Narrow Gate describing her experiences as a nun.  She was bitter. She was angry.  She was pissed.  When she became a nun she dedicated her life to the search for God.  Now she describes herself as a person of faith and she writes books explaining and discussing humanity's search for God.  In between the nunnery and her present vocation/ministry she was an atheist.  So she went from atheist to "freelance monotheist." 


I found several quotes in the articles I checked out....

"I get my spirituality in study," she said. "The Jews say it happens, sometimes, studying the Torah."

            and

"My study is my religious discipline. There are little moments of transcendence, of awe, which Rabbi Blue tells me is what the study of the Torah is about. St Benedict [of Nursia] also refers to it as the lectio divina in which during study, there are these miniseconds of oratio or prayer."

Interesting that she finds moments of transcendence while studying. Sometimes I wonder if I should read less and do more of the touchy-feely spiritual stuff.  You know, spend more time meditating or praying...or sitting in silence. Granted, I do most of my "research" on the internet...and it is far to haphazard to call study. 


And in the spirit of inclusivism/plurality she says

"It's inevitable that people turn to more than one religious tradition for inspiration," she said. "It's part of globalization."


"Religion is like a raft," she said, explaining the Buddha's view of it. "Once you get across the river, moor the raft and go on. Don't lug it with you if you don't need it anymore."

I think the point is akin to the finger pointing at the moon analogy. The finger (religion) points you in the right direction...but don't mistake the finger for the moon. 

She's written quite a few books.  Previews and overviews can be found on Google Books.

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Fun and Faith...in the same sentence.....

I came across an interesting book today...in my web travels.  I've been all over the place this morning and have happened upon dozens of interesting web sites, books, snippets, ideas and thoughts. What differentiates what actually makes it to the front page of this blog and what ends up on a list of Blog Post Ideas...I'm not sure.  Something just piques my interest enough to digress from whatever the series du jour is (which is probably a digression from a digression from a digression from a by-gone "current series")  This book..."Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin" in the Moment...contained a quote in the introduction that piqued my interest enough to postpone my nap long enough to write a short post about it.  The quote follows....

Imagine a man meditating on a secluded mountaintop.  Imagine another man with juggling manboobs dancing at a rock concert.  Now imagine something in between, and you have me and my approach to life. 

Wow..that conjures up quite the mental image....

I tell you this not because I want you to envision me chesty and hairy while showing up to meet you for lunch.  rather, I want you to think about fun and faith in the same sentence.  Because there is a place where the party and the prayer can coexist peacefully. There is a place where the chocolate tastes sweeter, the music sounds better, the inspiration feels richer and the visions look clearer. That place is The Moment. 

Hmmmm....The Moment.  Another way of saying "Living in the Now?"  Another way of describing mindfulness? 

It occurs to me that Jesus had it down pat when it came to combining faith and fun....and it got him into trouble with the religious police of the day. 

'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and "sinners." (Luke 7:33-34)

He was known as a wine bibber and a glutton...aka a party boy...spending way too much time with "those people."  You know...the tax collectors...the whores....the unclean... ewwwwwwwww.....sinners.  Perhaps, in part, Jesus came to teach us how to live a life where the party and prayer co-exist peacefully....how to enjoy the moment....and enjoy the people sharing the moment with us.  A valuable lesson to learn. 

 

                                  

Church...Good or Bad?

A week or so ago I wrote about Stephen Knapp...his website and some of his views on religious unity and religious divisions.

Here is some more from Stephen Knapp on religious unity. The whole article can be found on his web site….HERE.

If we are mature enough to see the purpose of each religion or spiritual path, we will recognize that there is very little difference between them. Once we get past the superficialities and variations, like dress, language, rituals, diet, or architectural styles of churches or temples, we can see that the essence of each religion is the same. That is to pray to God, sing His praises, discuss His pastimes and instructions, study the guidance of the prophets or messengers of God, and to think of God or meditate on Him in any number of ways. The process is the same, summarized as hearing about God, chanting or singing about Him, and remembering and serving God. That's it. Anything else is an expansion of these items. The goal is the same: To learn how to surrender to God and love Him with all our hearts and minds, and then to treat and love others as parts and parcels of God. Simple.

Why do we gather at temples, churches or mosques? Simply to learn and practice how to do this, and associate with others who wish to do the same. Thereby we all help each other in this direction.

So Knapp seems to take a pretty optimistic view of religion…all religions. He see it as the finger that points to the moon. Recently, I read parts of a book called “How God Changes Your Brain.” Some of the activities that take place in organized religion (praying, chanting, meditating, contemplation) actually make changes in the brain chemistry…..stimulating certain parts of the brain that govern good stuff like empathy, goodwill, compassion etc. A few quotes from the book:

But religious and spiritual contemplation changes your brain in a profoundly different way because it strengthens a unique neural circuit that specifically enhances social awareness and empathy while subduing destructive feelings and emotions. This is precisely the kind of neural change we need to make if we want to solve the conflicts currently afflicting our world. And the underlying mechanism that allows these changes to occur relates to a unique quality known as neuroplasticity: the ability of the human brain to structurally rearrange itself in response to a wide variety of positive and negative events.

And

When you intensely and consistently focus on your spiritual values and goals, you increase the blood flow to your frontal lobes and anterior cingulate, which causes the activity in emotional centers of the brain to decrease. Conscious intention is the key, and the more you focus on your inner values, the more you can take charge of your life.

The emotional centers the book talks about are the areas of the brain that control anger and like emotions.

So we find different religions the world over…and contained within these varied religious traditions… we find practices and activities that stimulate the parts of the brain that make us kinder, gentler people. Doesn’t sound like a bad thing…does it?

Well, according to Preston Eby organized religion is a very bad thing. He refers to it often as Babylon, the Harlot…the Mother of Harlots....the Whore…..the Great Whore. According to Eby, It is fueled by the spirit of antichrist. (which means “instead of” not necessarily “against” Christ) And the goal of spiritual maturity and a right relationship with Christ is to “come out of her, my people.”

In his series, The Heavens Declare, Part 18 he says:

All religion is the invention of man in his effort to meet man's spiritual need — apart from the anointing! Alas! they understand not that the reality of God's life is not contained in, nor ministered through, doctrines, programs, rituals, ceremonies or ordinances. Those who live in that realm know nothing of the mighty power of the indwelling Christ of God. Man's religion is of the world, for it is outside of God, being not of the Spirit, nor by the anointing.

Generation after generation, people have been raised up from childhood in this atmosphere and have absolutely no knowledge of anything else or another way. It never even enters the minds of these people that THE CHRIST WITHIN is the Head of the church, the life of the church, and the whole sufficiency for the church, its people, its work, and its needs. Each church must be constantly creating new plans, programs and activities to keep the people busy "doing something". The idea is to keep the people busy and to keep up the interest, so that they may be kept in that church. In the church world such a church is known as a "lively" church, and the pastor is known as one of the "successful" pastors. Spirituality has little, if anything, to do with it, for the whole group, including the so-called pastor and church leader, is simply a natural body of people, carrying on what they imagine is a church.

So while Knapp sees the religions of the world as more or less of a good thing that bring people closer to God, Eby sees them as an obstacle. Eby also writes from a very Christian paradigm. He does not think that people from other religions can really know the Christ and their relationship with God is, at best, second rate. At worst, it is bogus and the spirits they are in relationship with are not the true Christ/God. He talks about this in (among other places) The Seed in Every Man.

In How God Changes Your Brain, they discuss fundamentalists and how their activities and beliefs actually stimulate the wrong parts of the brain. Well, wrong if you are going for kinder, gentler. More on that tomorrow.

Cardboard Testimony....

Last weekend while browsing through some of the blogs I have saved on my bloglines account, I happened upon a blog...linked from Kansas Bob's blog, called Altered.  It chronicles the journey of a Christian woman diagnosed with ALS....self described as:

My purpose in writing this blog is to share what God is teaching me in my battle with ALS. In a revealing and honest way. My desire is to constantly be transformed by Him. Changed. ALTERED.

I am amazed at the courage, honesty, kindness and faith displayed in her writings.  Awed. 

In one of her recent posts, she included a link to a video, Cardboard Testimonies.  The video has probably been online for a while. There have been over 2 million hits on You Tube.  When I went there just now to get the code to embed the video in this post, the count was 2,164,796 and 305,464 Views on Tangle (formerly God Tube).  That's a lot of views.

I've watched the video several times.  The other night, Emily and I sat on the couch and watched it together. We talked about some of the stories depicted in the video. Life stories condensed to a few words written in bold black letters on pieces of cardboard.  Side one...who I was.  Flip it over to side two...who I am now.  A new creation in Christ. 

I tear up every time I watch it. What a visual testimony of the difference God can make in our lives.  From spiritual rags to spiritual riches.  From emptiness to my cup runneth over.  From despair to joy.  From turmoil to peace.  From hopelessness to trust.  From fear to victory.  From bondage to freedom.  Watch the video.  It is well worth the investment of nine minutes of your time.  And check out some of the other Cardboard Testimony videos listed on You Tube.  On Altered there is a post about the testimony that took place at Jill's church last Sunday....video included.

So what do you think your sign would say? 

  

              

Amen Revisited

The following quote from Mother Teresa came from the World Prayers website I mentioned in my last post on prayer. 

Prayer is not asking.
Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God,
at his disposition,
and listening to his voice in the depths of our hearts.

mother teresa - in her own words

Yeah...I like that.  I'm not there yet, of course, because my prayers are often made up of "please help me" and "please do...or do not (depending on the situation)...allow this or that happen." But "thank you" peppers my prayer life as often as "please" so I am getting there.  This quote also reminds me of a tidbit definition I found while looking around the world wide web for commentary on the word "Amen."

From Questions and Answers on the Liturgy of the Church of England

Q. What is the meaning of Amen at the end of this and other prayers?
A. It means, so let it be, or, my heart agrees with my tongue.

Hmmmm....something to think about.  How many times does the heart disagree with the tongue?! And not just in prayer...but in our everyday interactions with others...our family, our friends, our peers? How many times are our words insincere...simply "lip service" meant to appease, convince, placate, manipulate?  And what about the opposite end of the spectrum?  Those who, without hesitation, "speak their minds" with little thought of who might be hurt?  Sometimes in our human interactions "telling it like it is" might not always be the best policy?

But when we pray...especially when we pray....shouldn't our hearts agree with our tongues? It's not as if he is unaware of what dwells within each and every heart. Eloquent, pious, high sounding words offered up in the best "king james english" are not going to fool him one bit. When we pray I think it is best to "call a spade a spade" and bare our hearts to God.  Another snippet from a book called Religious Instruction For Young Children by Elizabeth Mayo touches on that thought...

The meaning of "Amen" is, "So be it," or "So it shall be;" and when we use it, we declare that we believe what has been said to be true.  We give our assent to it.  By this word, we mark, that we have joined in spirit in the prayer or praises offered up by another.  What mockery and impiety to use this solemn word at the end of prayer, when our thoughts and wishes have been wandering after other things. 

And in another snippet from The Companion to the Book of Common Worship by Peter C. Bower

......"Amen," a Hebrew word meaning "So be it!" or "I agree!"  "Amen" does not mean, "I'm finished now, so you can open your eyes."  Rather, "Amen" means "I am with you" or "I concur," and, therefore, belongs by definition, to the assembled congregation.  "Amen" is a word to be spoken or sung by the people, not the leader. 

So perhaps we should not mutter "Amen" during corporate worship if what we've been contemplating is nothing more spiritual than what entree we will order when we hit Denny's for lunch after the service.

More on Amen in my next post....

Amen...

I came upon a web site a while back...World Prayers.  Self described below:

The objective of this website is to gather the great prayers written by the spiritual visionaries of our planet into an online database representing all life affirming traditions. Many of these prayers have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years. Others are from spiritual contemporaries in today's intricate global fabric. Though these sacred verses arise from divergent paths, voices, languages, cultures and heritages, they all carry within them the same burning flame - the same impassioned love for life and the divine mysteries.

There are hundreds of prayers on this site "representative of all life affirming faiths and spiritual practices." They are divided into the following categories:

 ADORATIONS
Prayers of devotion, surrender, love, praise and offering.
CELEBRATIONS
Prayers of thanksgiving, initiation, affirmation and blessing.
INVOCATIONS
Prayers of petition, supplication, calling forth and healing.
MEDITATIONS
Prayers of reflection, contemplation, being and teaching.

The site is searchable by author, tradition, source, type, keyword and quote.  There are more than a dozen traditions listed...

• African Traditional
• Asatru
• Baha'i Faith
• Buddhism
• Celtic
• Children
• Christianity
• Confucianism
• Gaian
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Jainism
• Judaism
• Native American
• Sikhism
• Sufism
• Taoism
• Zoroastrian

Many of the prayers were more poemlike than prayerlike. Many (most) expressed my own thoughts and beliefs, worded a bit different than I might put it...but still expressing a viewpoint, an understanding of God that I share.  Prayers that I can wrap up in my own heart and mind with "Amen."

I've heard Keith say many times that Amen is the equivalent of "Those are my words."  Meaning that the prayer so reflects the  heart and beliefs of the listener that to add anything would be redundant. 

I like that.  I've experienced that many times with prayers...and with quotes, which are snippets of encapsulated truths...broken down to their lowest integer.  My favorite quotes are those which take profound truths and express them in a bare bones fashion...not all dressed up and wordy.

Tomorrow I am going to look a little more closely at the word "Amen" and pepper the post with some quotes (a few a bit wordy) and interesting facts that I found in the "virtually" unending resource library available on...the World Wide Web. 

Praise Him With a Dance - 3

Psalm 30:11

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy

More from the article about the Dancing Saints....

The Dancing Saint whose life, in Dukes's (the artist)opinion, most poignantly embodies the message of the work is Malcolm X.

"The justification for having him here is very powerful," Dukes says. "Here is someone who was a gangster. A racist. So he went from that, and he grew. And I think that's holy, to be on that spiritual quest. No one starts out perfect, and very many people don't end up perfect either. It's the quest. He had a revelation of seeing all men as being brothers. No more, ‘if you're black you're my brother, and if you're white you're a devil.'"

Which is kind of what Roy talked about in his email...that the orchestra is not only mankind as a whole...but mankind individually...and perfecting the harmony is something that happens in everyone...just like the change that occurred in Malcolm X.  Just like the change that is occurring right now in you and me. 

"Let them praise His name with the dance"

Psalm 149:3

And one more closing thought...something Keith reminded me of this morning.  He remembered something in one of Preston Eby's writings about an orchestra.  He found it for me online, so I am copying and pasting it below. 

A brother related the following experience. “When I first went to Nashville, Tennessee, some friends, thinking they were doing me a favor, called me and said, ‘We have tickets for the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra that’s coming to town, and we want to take you as our guest.’ Well, I love music, but I know nothing about it, and I can’t sing it — I always help congregational singing by keeping quiet. Frankly, I couldn’t think of anything more boring than a whole evening of symphony! But I had to go because they were so kind and I wanted to be polite, so I accepted graciously and went along.

“I had never been to a thing like that before, and I was impressed by what I saw. We went in, took our seats, and in a few minutes there began to drift out from the sides the musicians. They were in shirt sleeves for the most part, and each man went up to his instrument and started tuning it. The fellows with the fiddles too big to put under their chins sawed back and forth — oh, it sounded terrible. The fellows with the little ones they put under their chins squeaked up and down with those. The ones with the horns — oh my, nothing was in harmony. It was a medley of discordant, confused noise. Then after they got through with that kind of a disturbance, they all disappeared again, went out through the wings.

“Another five minutes went by when all of a sudden the lights in the auditorium went off, the lights on the platform came on, and the musicians walked out. This time they had on their coats. My, they looked so nice. Each one came out and stood or sat at his instrument. Then there was a hush in the auditorium, a spotlight was focused on the wings, and the conductor stepped out. When he did there was thunderous applause for him. He bowed. Then he came to the podium and picked up a thin little stick. He turned around again to the audience and bowed, then turned his back to the audience, lifted that little stick — total silence came over the auditorium, you could have heard a pin drop — then he brought that little stick down. And, my friend, there were goose pimples all over me. I never heard such music in all my life. Oh, what harmony, what wonderful harmony there was!” — end quote.

The above excerpt is part of an article entitled:

KINGDOM BIBLE STUDIES: THE UNIVERSAL SONG by J. Preston Eby

Praise Him With a Dance - 2

In yesterday's post, Roy talked about the different instruments mentioned in Psalm 150. And he mused whether all mankind is the orchestra...the different instruments representing the many, varied aspects of mankind? The trumpet, the lyre, the harp, the organs, the crash of the cymbals...

The NIV renders Psalm 150

Praise the LORD . Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD .
Praise the LORD .

In the Young's Literal Translation, verse 6 is translated

 All that doth breathe doth praise Jah! Praise ye Jah!

When annie posted a link to an article about The Dancing Saints mural at St. Gregory's  Episcopal Church in San Francisco, it fit so well with the back and forth musings between Keith and Roy.

Psalm 150 also talks of praising the Lord with dancing...and the mural is an awe inspiring work depicting the saints...both likely and unlikely...as they praise the Lord with dance.  Yes...that is Jesus...larger than the other Saints...dancing in the center of the mural.

The artist, Mark Dukes

....recently completed a ten-year commission to create a giant, neo-Byzantine, iconographic mural titled The Dancing Saints, which covers the entire modernist rotunda of St. Gregory of Nyssa Church, home to a progressive Episcopalian community in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.

There are other pictures of this amazing work or art that can be viewed HERE and HERE. 

More tomorrow....

 

Praise Him With a Dance....

This post is another example of several things...from different areas/aspects of my life...no doubt stored in different "folders" in my brain suddenly coming together...with an almost  magnetic like force to form an idea for a blog post.  I think I mentioned this a few days ago. 

A week or so ago, Keith emailed me to tell me his views on the last verse in Psalm 150...what is usually translated "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."  He thought perhaps the word "let" might not actually belong in the text if one was faithful to what the original language conveyed.  Sure enough...after checking in a literal translation (Young's) and a Hebrew Lexicon (Interlinear Analyzer 2 at Scripture 4 All) we discovered that the verse should actually read more along the lines of,

Everything that has breath praises the Lord.  

In an email he wrote to our friend Roy, he said:

In addition much can be added about the act of breathing in Scripture. God breathed into man and he became a living soul. It has been said that when God exhales we must inhale. I also think that the Hebrew word Ruach means spirit as well as wind and breath and air. And in saying that, if I am not mistaken it is the same word that is translated as "cool" as God walked with Adam in the "cool" of the day.

To which our friend Roy replied:

I wonder also if it is not a prophetic picture? We have the example of an entire orchestra here.....those that play all forms of instruments each instructed to praise the Lord. It would seem ALL instruments are instructed to praise. So. if all mankind is the orchestra is there a day ahead when all will praise Him in benevolence, mercy and all other wonderful aspects of kindness, love and goodness? We know all man's works praise the Lord now though hard to understand those that cause such misery at the present time. But, does this Psalm, on one level, point to that day when all will turn their own "music" (that higher life that is within them by His power) toward Him openly and freely, unhindered?

     So many depths and variances of meaning!
     Again then, if we apply the Psalm's meaning inwardly on an individual basis is it not necessary that the orchestra within each of us be subdued and coordinated to give off a harmonic music toward the Lord? My stringed instruments are not in unison with my wind instruments and such.....But, He is orchestrating the music within so that on a certain day and in brief blasts now the music harmonizes and comes together in Him. There shall be a day within when the last trumpet shall sound, that is, the last trumpet/ instrument shall come into harmony within me in Him. Then, He shall set me free to descend upon mankind with a shout, that is, He in me. And, even at that moment that beautiful music brought together in my heavens shall descend within me to the lowest parts of my earth gathering me together as it enables me to be a vessel to gather all around me together this last trump setting free the orchestra of His life within raising me to the heavens and gathering all around me in Him and by His excellent grace! We are blessed to see and experience those glimpses now......

More on this in my next post....

Still More From Frank Laubach....

So back to what I was talking about the other day...Frank Laubach, the modern day mystic.  I read through about half of "Letters By A Modern Day Mystic" which are excerpts from his journals written during the year 1930. Because of health issues, his family was unable to join him on the island where he was a missionary so he spent much of his time alone...with God.

I have been so desperately lonesome that it was unbearable save by talking with God. And so every waking moment of the week I have been looking toward Him, with perhaps the exception of an hour or two.

My brain is a bit foggy this morning so I am just going to post snippets from his writings and if a seemingly worthy comment comes to mind, then I'll toss one out there...direct from the peanut gallery....

There is, there must be, so much more in Him than He can give us, because we are so sleepy and because our capacity is so pitifully small. It ought to be tremendously helpful to be able to acquire the habit of reaching out strongly after God's thoughts, and to ask, "God what have you to put into my mind now if only I can be large enough?"

Frank Laubauch sought to put on the mind of Christ...to live out of his spiritual nature rather than his egoic/adamic nature.  It is interesting to note that he, like Brother Lawrence, was not just zapped into the mystic mindset.  They yearned for it...they sought it out.  "Letters" talks about his burning desire to seek God every waking minute of every day. 

But this year I have started out trying to live all my waking moments in conscious listening to the inner voice, asking without ceasing, "What, Father, do you desire said? What, Father, do you desire done this minute?"

And he is candid in his failures. 

This conscious, incessant submission to God has proven extremely difficult, and I have surrendered for the past few days. And today and yesterday I saw evidences of the result.

A crowd of people arrived who, when they are in a crowd, wish to talk or think nothing of religion. I fear I have not wanted some of them to think me religious for fear I might cease to be interesting.

In an effort to be witty I have said biting things which have hurt the feelings of others, and have been short and impatient. I tremble, for I have told at least one of these men of this experiment, and he will think this is the result. It is very dangerous to tell people, and yet, I must tell and I must start over now and succeed. This philosophy that one can begin all over instantly at any moment, is proving of great help.

And so he continued with his quest..looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. 

Now that I have discovered Him I find that it is a continuous discovery. Every day is rich with new aspects of Him and His working. As one makes new discoveries about his friends by being with them, so one discovers the "individuality" of God if one entertains him continuously.

He sought the mind of Christ...have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus.  Put on the mind of Christ.  The new man....the new creation man.  Live out of that nature.  Cast off the old nature...

Can I bring God back in my mind--flow every few seconds so that God shall always be in my mind as an after image, shall always be one of the elements in every concept and percept?
If our religious premises are correct at all then this oneness with God is the most normal condition one can have. It is what made Christ, Christ. It is what St. Augustine meant when he said "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our souls are restless until they find their rest in Thee."

And when you live out of that nature you see the way God sees....and think the thoughts God thinks.  It spills over and out of you and touches all those around you.  You become God's Christ...walking the earth again and talking to those whose veils are thick.  Those who don't know their great and grand and wonderful father who is ever reaching out to them.  As Neale Walsh says (paraphrased) God is always speaking...but we are not always listening!! 

And I know that He makes my thought--life beautiful when I am open all the day to Him. If I throw these mind--windows apart and say to God, "what shall we think of now?" he answers always in some graceful, tender dream. And I know that God is love hungry, for he is constantly pointing me to some dull, dead soul which he has never reached and wistfully urges me to help Him reach that stolid, tight shut mind. Oh God, how I long to help you with these Moros. And with these Americans! And with these Filipinos! All day I see souls dead to God look sadly Out of hungry eyes. I want them to know my discovery! That any minute can be paradise, that any place can be heaven! That any man can have God! That every man does have God the moment he speaks to God, or listens for him!

I was blessed by these excerpts...and hope that you were as well. 

More From a Modern Day Mystic

I read through Frank Laubach The Game With Minutes at the gym yesterday.  At first glance, as I mentioned in my last post about him...it seems hokey.  More of a Purpose Driven Life kind of thing but even hokier than that.  It was written before I was born...in the early fifties.  It is from a totally different era.  No doubt, it was a different world then, a different culture.  It was probably a simpler time. 

I also read, about half way through, the excerpts  from Laubach's journal during one particular year of his many years as a missionary.  I think it was the year 1930.  (running late...no time to check for sure...but around that time)  It was much deeper and more poetic than The Game With Minutes....and I am going to write one more post about this guy, focusing on what he has to say and what he learned during that year.  The excerpts, published with permission by his son, is called Letters of a Modern Day Mystic. 

So, the point of The Game With Minutes is to bring Christ into our day....to have him dwell with us.  We know he does dwell with us, but how do we develop an awareness of his indwelling.  That is the tricky part.  And trickier still is how to keep this from being a "have to"...or a "try to" from self effort...and to be sure it is Christ...not a delusion that Christ is walking and talking with us. 

For me, when reading the simple suggestions, "I want that" kept running through my mind.  Situations, possibilities came up as I read. 

But for this post, I am copying a few more excerpts from "The Game" with a comment or two from the peanut gallery (yes, me)

We whisper ‘God’ or ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christ’ constantly as we glance at every person near us. We try to see double, as Christ does—we see the person as he is and the person Christ longs to make him.Remarkable things happen, until those in tune look around as though you spoke—especially children.The atmosphere of a room changes when a few people keep whispering to Him about all the rest.Perhaps there is no finer ministry than just to be in meetings or crowds, whispering ‘Jesus’ and then helping people whenever you see an opportunity. When Dr. Chalmers answers the telephone he whispers: ‘A child of God will now speak to me.’ We can do that when anybody speaks to us.

And is my day not ripe with this opportunity?  Some days I answer the phone hundreds of times a day.  Would my day take on a holier feel if, rather than sighing at the interruption when the phone rings, I would say to myself, "A child of God will now speak to me"

And when in a group, in a conversation, he offers several suggestions.  One is to silently hum a hymn (which today would be more likely to be a praise and worship song....or Christian rock) and while I do oftentimes hum to myself....the following two suggestions resonated more with me. 

 Silently pray for each person in the circle.

Keep whispering inside: ‘Lord, put Thy thoughts in my mind. Tell me what to say.’

He closes the article by saying....

We may have a glorious succession of heavenly minutes. How foolish people are to lose life’s most poignant joy, seeing it may be had while taking a walk alone! But the most wonderful discovery of all is, to use the words of St. Paul, ‘Christ liveth in me.’ He dwells in us, walks in our minds, reaches out through our hands, speaks with our voices, IF we obey His every whisper.

I am reminded of a verse from the Psalms.  A verse that has not fully actualized in my own life....but to which I aspire...and I am closer, much closer than I was just a few years ago.....

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy; 
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Brother Lawrence

One of the books mentioned in yesterday's post was the Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  I read the book at the gym....in about two sessions.  It is not a long book but it is written in a rather odd way.  It is not a first person account. This work was compiled after Brother Lawrence died by one of those whom he inspired, Father Joseph de Beaufort, later vicar general to the Archbishop of Paris. It is full of he said, he did, he reasoned, he related etc. etc. 

A few snippets about Brother Lawrence's life from the Practicing the Presence of God web site.

Brother Lawrence was born Nicholas Herman around 1610 in Herimenil, Lorraine, a Duchy of France. His birth records were destroyed in a fire at his parish church during the Thirty Years War, a war in which he fought as a young soldier. It was also the war in which he sustained a near fatal injury to his sciatic nerve. The injury left him quite crippled and in chronic pain for the rest of his life.

Ouch...ouch...ouch!!!!  I had a bit of trouble with my sciatic nerve when I was pregnant with my near term first born son, Matthew.  He was a big baby..and rested his head squarely on my sciatic nerve...and sent me to bed with a heating pad for several days.  I also came down with a good old fashioned case of emerods...but we won't go into that in this post. (However, if you want to read a hilarious rendition of the biblical affliction of emerods check out this link)

So pretty much, for sure, Brother Lawrence was in a lot of pain...and there were no extra strength Tylenol back then...or Aleve for 8 hours of relief.  No...he pretty much just had to endure it.  And from what I read, he hated to cook...but his duties were usually in the kitchen....cooking.  In the words of Brother Lawrence:

We ought to give ourselves up to God, both in temporal and spiritual things, and seek our satisfaction only in fulfilling His will. Whether He leads us by suffering or consolation, all is the same to one truly resigned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The time of work," said he, "does not with me differ from the time of prayer. In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Supper."

So neither his pain...nor his duties....dampened his enthusiasm for communing with God.  Nor did it make him bitter or resentful or grouchy.  His life was filled with the joy of the Lord.  He epitomized the verse in Psalms

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 16:11

Another bit of advice from Brother Lawrence?

We should, once and for all, heartily put our whole trust in God and make a total surrender of ourselves, secure that He will not deceive us.

At the Practicing the Presence of God web site, the book is available to print or read online.  There is also a page of devotionals based on the book and the Godly wisdom of Brother Lawrence. 

You Think Your Job Is Bad?

Today is Saturday...evening.   Tomorrow is Sunday (which is usually how it works out :) First Saturday....then Sunday...at least most weeks anyway....

The day went so fast!! The weekends always do.  Friday night starts out filled with promise and anticipation....Saturday morning comes...and goes before you know it.  Sunday morning follows (too closely) on its heels.  About 3 pm on Sunday, I get this sinking feeling.  The weekend is over.  Bummer. 

My job is not bad.  It is not the highest paying job...but neither is it the lowest.  My boss is a great guy.  He and I hit it off.  We are friends.  He is great to work for/with...BUT....some days I am bored to death with the details of what I have to do.  Data entry...meeting minutes (the WORST)...financial tracking...report writing...and answering the always ringing phone.  In addition to doing all the secretarial stuff, I also have to help man the help line.  Answering and processing the calls for service from all three hospitals...service or repairs needed from biomedical, housekeeping, dietary, maintenance, couriers and lately they have added patient transport to the list.  So the phone rings all the time.  ALL the time. 

I mentioned the Max Lucado book I read on our trip...The Cure For the Common Life. The gist of the book was to offer guidance and suggestions about how to devote our workday lives to God.....not confining our faith and Christian witness to Sunday but to live it out every day of the week (sort of like the comtemplatives in the market place way of thinking) To make him look good through us.

Heaven’s calendar has seven Sundays a week. God sanctifies each day. He conducts holy business at all hours and in all places. He uncommons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, café’s into convents and nine to five workdays into spiritual adventures.

Ideally, he guides us to a job we both like AND excel at.  However, if we find ourselves stuck (for whatever reason) in a job we are not all that crazy about...or even a job we hate...well, bloom where you are planted. Do it as unto the Lord.  And as he often does, Max offers a story about someone who did just that. 

Hold it there. I saw you roll those eyes. You see no way God could use your work. Your boss has the disposition of a hungry pit bull; hamsters have larger work areas, your kids have better per diems. You feel threatened to the outposts of Siberia, where hope left on the last train. If so, meet one final witness. He labored eighteen years in a Chinese prison camp.

The Communist regime rewarded his faith in Christ with the sewage assignment. The camp kept its human waste in pools until it fermented into fertilizer. The pits seethed with stink and disease. Guards and prisoners alike avoided the cesspools and all who worked there, including the disciple.

After he’d spent weeks in the pit, the stench pigmented his body. He couldn’t scrub it out. Imagine his plight, far from home. But somehow this godly man found a garden in his prison. I was thankful for being sent to the cesspool. This was the only place where I was not under severe surveillance. I could pray and sing openly to our Lord. When I was there, the cesspool became my private garden.” He then quoted the words to the old hymn, I Come To The Garden Alone.

"I never knew the meaning of this hymn until I had been in the labor camp” he said.

God can make a garden out of the cesspool you call work, if you take him with you.

Now this guy had a really bad job.  This would be hard to top...even on the TV show about the world's worst jobs.  And yet...against overwhelming hardship, he knew how to look beyond this temporal realm and commune with God.  I am so not there yet.....

Back to Reality...

I started this yesterday morning...but have been having some trouble getting back into the swing of things...and so....a day and a half later it is still in draft form. After a quick sprucing up, I am going to post it and then be on my way, here, there and everywhere to pick up/drop off/ and pick the girls up again.  Back to reality.....and......

Back to work today after ten days off. ….ugh. To say I would much rather stay home is an understatement!! Kind of ironic since the book I chose to take to read on the plane(s) was by Max Lucado….The Cure For the Everyday Life. Max’s point was that we all have a sweet spot…which is where God intends for us to live and work. Like all Max Lucado books, I found a lot to be edified by. I marked passages that struck me…quotes and ideas that I will probably write about in tomorrow’s post. We’ll see. Nothing like that is ever a sure thing, though, since so often something else swoops in and carries off my focus.

Today, though, I am going to post a quick summary of the trip (because I have to get ready for work in just 15 minutes…oh, say it ain’t so!!!!)

We arrived in Corpus Christi on Sunday evening…flew out Friday at noon. We spent about a day in San Antonio (from 2ish on Tuesday to 2ish on Wednesday) where we, of course, toured the Alamo and the Riverwalk. So cool. So very cool. We ate Mexican food at Casa Rio…the oldest restaurant on the Riverwalk. Neither of us is particularly fond of Mexican cuisine but we ended up there anyway. From where I was sitting, I literally could have stuck my foot in the water with minimal stretching. Several ducks swam nearby…no doubt waiting for the inevitable floating nacho chip.

On Wednesday, on a whim, after a quick google query, we decided to check out one of the missions on the San Antonio Mission Trail. There were five missions (including the Alamo) that were built in the early 1700’s by Franciscan missionaries….to “save” the natives (convert them to Catholocism) and to colonize the area for Spain. Supposedly, a large part of their purpose was humanitarian.

The natives were in the midst of a drought….people were starving. The missionaries promised to teach them a trade (blacksmith, stone mason etc) and how to grow their own food. The natives were hunter-gatherers and didn’t grow any of their food but lived off the land. Sometimes this worked. Sometimes this didn’t. Whether the Franciscan’s methods and their purpose were noble…and whether they were kind to the natives is debatable. Some sites I read depicted the Franciscan priests who ran the missions in a negative light…but I didn’t get that feeling from the visit to the mission.

Our guide was a retired nurse, single, full time RVer…a volunteer guide… very knowledgeable and full of so much information she got frustrated trying to convey it all. She followed us around a bit after the tour, talking…answering some of our questions. She told us that the Franciscans were very protective of the Indians. The trades they taught them seemed to stick. The farming methods seemed to stick….but as far as their conversion to Catholicism, long term…not so much. She said the Indians slipped back into the spirituality of their own cultural. This makes me believe that the emphasis was more on helping than converting.

I was so taken by the first mission we visited (San Jose) that we went on to visit all four of them. Conception, San Juan, Espada….each with their particular history and personality. All four have active parishes. The churches were open to tour at all four missions.

Even though the Catholic Church is a bit too ritualized for me, there is a certain awe about standing in a church where people have worshiped for three centuries.

The churches were all fairly small…and very quiet. I think that if we lived in that area, I might visit the sanctuaries once in a while…just to sit there in the hushed quiet.

Very cool… the day we toured the Missions was probably my favorite part of the trip ….

Lifesong....

I've been listening to Casting Crowns a lot lately. When I heard the praise band at church sing LifeSong a few years ago, it became one of my favorite songs....

"I want to sign your name to the end of this day...knowing that my heart was true. Let my lifesong sing to you" Something to aspire to.

While browsing through the CD's at the library the other day, I found two by Casting Crowns. I've been listening to those two CD's for the past few weeks at work. Here at home, I've been watching their videos on You Tube and God Tube. There are a lot of them. Very inspiring stuff. Very moving.

The lead singer, Mark Hall, seems like just a regular guy...a sincere guy...a nice guy. From a short biography I found via google, it seems that he never aspired to be a star...or in a band...and thought he would always be a youth pastor. That is where his heart is. Mark Miller, the lead singer of Sawyer Brown, and Steven Curtis Chapman played a pivotal role in bringing Casting Crowns into the public eye. An excerpt from the above biography:

....Miller knew it was time to go out and recruit what would become the imprint's flagship artist. "I called Mark back," Miller says, "and his response was exactly what you'd want to hear. Rather than saying 'When do we leave?' or 'How much money am I going to get?" it was 'Am I still going to be able to be a youth minister?" "My response was something like, 'Sure, Mark, but your congregation may be a whole lot larger than you would have ever imagined.'"

And indeed it is! And the lyrics and message they spread far and wide does not just touch the hearts of youth...but spans the gaps between people of all ages.

On one of the videos I saw on You Tube...can't remember which one....Mark said this:

You can say what you think...but you will live what you believe....Casting Crowns

Isn't that the truth. It reminds me of another quote from a bygone era that I ran across the other day in my internet meanderings.

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

It seems "Lifesongs" involve more than just "lip service" and correct theology. It is a "put your money where your mouth is, practice what you preach" way of living. It does not come about by sheer effort....but with a humble heart, guided by the christ within...and a sincere desire to be His hands and feet to a world in need.

My friend Martha posted this on Emerging Universalist last night.

To us - worship isn't going to church, singing good choruses, raising hands, holy dancing... it's what you do when you're flying down Rt 80 and you get cut off - it's what you do when some joker butts into line then argues with the cashier - what you do when your spouse acts like a jerk - what you do when your child puts herself in harms way again and again and again. You're sacrificing your will, your need to punch someone's lights out, the desire to say every bad word you know - the desire to run away and isolate yourself - and that's worship.

In ways both large and small...that is the lifesong we are called to sing.....

Robert Rutherford of Rock Fellowship

I can't remember how I came across the ministry of Robert Rutherford who is the pastor of Rock Fellowship in Georgia. About a year ago, perhaps a bit longer, Keith and I ordered some DVD's from an Inclusion Conference we saw mentioned on he Tentmaker message board. Around that same time there was a TV show on The Learning Channel called The Messengers. Probably one of those two venues was the link to his ministry, but however it was that we happened upon him, his ministry is a great blessing. Following is his short bio from The Messenger's site. (Scroll down through the other contestants to find him) All of his messages from the show are there, too, available to listen to online or as MP3 downloads.

Pastor Robert Rutherford is the consummate family man. Located 55 miles outside Atlanta, his camp, Rock Fellowship, houses not only his wife and their 11 children but also an ever-changing extended family from all over the geographical and spiritual map. Muslims, Jews and Christians, along with the homeless, are all welcome at Rock Fellowship. Robert has played with a Christian rock band for the past 20 years, and the experience shows in his entertaining, thought-provoking speaking style.

The Messengers was similar to the American Idol type shows. Each week the speakers were given an assignment (spend a day in a hospital for critically ill children, spend a day as a handicapped person) and then they had to give an inspirational message on that topic. Each week one "messenger" was eliminated. I think Robert made it through five or six weeks before he was eliminated.

The message I remember the most clearly was the week they had to speak about their experience at the children's hospital. Robert, as a pastor, with a pastor's heart, spent his time with a 16 year old boy who was dying of AIDs. His family was not with him for whatever reason, but Robert was...and in the message birthed from that experience, he spoke of God as a loving father who welcomes all of his children home. Robert preaches universal reconciliation.

Well, I have heard him deny that he preaches universal reconciliation or inclusion, and he declares that he preaches only "Christ." To my way of thinking, they are pretty much one and the same. There are many messages available on his site, recorded from the services at Rock Fellowship. He is an engaging preacher, with a southern drawl and his sermons are filled with those southern idioms that I remember from living in Nashville for several years. Granted, Nashville is not as "southern" as Georgia....but it provided some exposure to sayings like, "I'm fixin' to", "hose pipe" and "fooler" (pacifier). With 11 kids, he has lots of material for his sermons which he blends in as amazing analogies about God's character and nature and how to live the "Christian life."

I think he sees the atonement more along the lines of penal substitution. He is a bit more traditional about his view of sacrifice etc. but he is very knowledgeable about scripture and his sermons are quite entertaining and touching. Drop by his site and listen to one of his sermons....or one of his songs because he is also a great singer. I loved his musical medley of "I Come to the Garden" and "There is None Like You". I was a bit disgruntled when Robert was disqualified on "The Messengers" but he continues to be a great messenger of the true God through his website and his CD ministry. Also check out his sister site....Robertruthford.org. Logo for that site follows.

With a Song in My Heart

While "researching" this post on google, I came across the lyrics to a song by Frank Sinatra that comes very close to describing the reaction Christian music has on my heart. The name of the song is With A Song In My Heart. I thought that it was rather interesting that this is a secular song, yet it describes the experience of praise and worship so well. I have no idea what the tune or the tempo might be. I tried to find it on Project Playlist (to no avail). I know it is an old song. The lyrics to the first verse and chorus are:

With a song in my heart
I behold your adorable face.
Just a song at the start
But it soon is a hymn to your grace.
When the music swells
I'm touching your hand
It tells that you're standing near, and ..
At the sound of your voice
Heaven opens his portals to me.
Can I help but rejoice
That a song such as ours came to be?
But I always knewI would live life through
With a song in my heart for you.

Nothing can make me more aware of the real and tangible presence of the Lord than hearing a praise and worship song or an old time hymn. I am transported to the throne room in an instant. Just like that. 0 to 60 in 1.5 seconds. A song at the start...soon becomes a hymn to his grace. Heaven opens its portals to me. I behold his adorable face. He's standing near. My eyes fill with tears, an invisible force pulling my hands upward like a magnet. . I'm touching his hand. Can I help but rejoice??

Granted, my “rejoicing” is somewhat low key. I go to a United Methodist Church afterall. Charismatic they are not. But I go to the 11:00 “contemporary” worship service which is a bit more charismatic than the other services. I swear that I feel the presence of the Lord there as much, if not more, than at the most boisterous, charismatic, slain in the spirit services I have attended. Mere volume and fever pitch excitement is not always an indicator of his presence. I credit the praise team there for exposing me to Christian music that I might never have listened to otherwise. Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, Mercy Me….and others. I truly had never heard them before I started attending church there regularly.

A few months ago, I bought an MP3 player. After some initial software glitches and frustrations, I managed to get most of my online music and CD collection saved on the player. That is a post in itself. Computer savvy I am...gadget savvy I am not. The "Not Savvy" list includes digital cameras, cell phones, MP3 players, I Pods, DVD players and recorders...even VCR's...and the list goes on. If someone put a gun to my head and threatened to pull the trigger, I doubt if I could figure out how to program Keith's DVD recorder. But I digress. Anyway, I just recently figured out how to sync Windows Media Player and my Sansa MP3 player. This opened up a whole new world of musical possibilities and portability. It amazes me that I can carry all those songs around in my pocket. Technology. You gotta' love it!!! I don't understand how most of it works but the fact that it does is downright amazing!!!

Since this blog is a menagerie of loosely related posts, (which means that nothing is really disqualified as the topic dujour) I thought I might start a series on songs...new and old...which evoke strong feelings. Please feel free to chime in and comment on any favorite songs you might have. I do appreciate comments, so do not hesitate if you have anything to add or ask or dispute. This applies to any post you find on this blog. I’ve tried to make it easy to comment by not requiring registration. I, also, clicked off the option that forces you to decipher a row of letters and numbers….some on their sides, in different fonts, and colors, upside down (is that a capital letter???) and then type them into a little rectangular box above or below. I guess this is to prove that the comment is not from an automated spammer since only a human eyeball can read the letter/number combo. So again....comments WELCOME!!!

Oh…and one more thing….and my family can attest to this; God put a song in my heart, but he did not put a melody on my lips. I couldn’t carry a tune in a five gallon bucket!! But that does not stop me from praising him. In the words of the Psalmist, I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.