To entertain or not to...

I heard this morning a podcast on the issue of Church and Entertainment. It was a one sided arguement on this issue, though there were some vaild points on this issue of over dramatizing worship services. I was saved and serverd in a Charamstic chruch, where there could have been consider times of just entertianment of man than having a meeting of the Spirit's guidence. By in large I am grateful for those times of where there was a great sense of God's Spirit in the service that lead many to an emotional repsonse. For it was proceeded by scripture that drove those emotions, meaning there was logical thought before an outburst of emotion. There was a balance of both logical thought and responsive emotion. So as you can mybe discern I am of the thought that you can have both logical thought and a emotional experience. The argument that states that we ought to disallow such "entertainment", I would say as God's Spirit move within His people through rational thought there will be an natural out pouring of raw emotion. I would contend that in differing culture and sub-cultures this out pouring of emotions will look and feel different.
Honestly how can any person project a standard outcome within in all people, when all people respond differently in a given situation. I believe this is a great travisty with in modern Church as a whole. I have never read in scripture that there is a right way or a for sure worong method in worshiping God or even calling His people to worship Him. What does Jesus say in how the true worshipers are going to worship God... In spirit and in truth!!! (John 4:24) There are questions that arise from this verse, how, in what manner, where is the limit. I believe that God does things in order and in a way that commiuncates His truth and His ways. In saying this, there is a limit of no return in a sense, to measure this has to be the objective truth that God would not bring about confussion within worshiping Him nor bring about an choatic assembly that would not bring drawn unto Him. In Acts we read about thousands of people coming unto Christ, this done in an oderly fassion, especially when it was done on the day on Pentecost. Other moments were when the Apostles encounter demon possed people, sorcceries, and etc...
Now that I have ranted and eaved a bit, my point is this entertainment has always been involved in human existence, as history tells us, so what are we as Christians do with the fact that there is a level in whuich people want or need some vaule in drawing them towards God, is this wrong for the Christian to think about or does God allow the believer to act in such manner? I believe... yes it is ok to think in these terms as long as there is a clear balance of God being the one reciving the honor and glory not man. How this looks is different in all circutamces, but God has given to His creation the ability to be creative, so why not use it for His glory.

Memoirs of An Ordinary Pastor

Let the ordinary speak out and have a name. Yes ordinary Pastors do have a voice and that voice is measured through their faithfulness to God and those that God has called them to.

I say this for there is a book now out by D.A. Carson in which he writes a biography of his father that has been a Pastor in a small town in Canada. I am in waiting to go buy it and read it to see a run of the mill Pastor Joe lives and pastor's for God Kingdom.

The book is entilled, Memoirs of A Ordinary Pastor, by D.A. Carson. I hope you all find this information good and useful. I look forward to post my review of this book soon.

Let Us Repent....

Prayer of Manasseh

O Lord, Almighty God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment; who hast shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all men fear, and tremble before thy power; for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne, and thine angry threatening toward sinners is importable: but thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compassion, longsuffering, very merciful, and repentest of the evils of men. Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee: and of thine infinite mercies hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved. Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which have not sinned against thee; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner: for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied: my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of mine iniquities. I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I cannot life up mine head, neither have any release: for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thee: I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments: I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences. Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities: wherefore, I humbly beseech thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquites. Be not angry with me for ever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me to the lower parts of the earth. For thou art the God, even the God of them that repent; and in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness: for thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy. Therefore I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life: for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.