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.

Happy, Blessed New Year!!!

To all those I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful new year. Along with that I pray that God reveals more of Himself to you and those you minister to and care about. Let us wait and walk in anticaipation to see how God is going to reveal His Kingdom to those in this new year. Many blessings, and rember the presure moments are the truest blessings of all, for we are compelled to draw even closer to our heavenly Father. Chat with you all later.

Kickin' Chick-Fil-A Style

I am chillin' at the Chick-Fil-A I work at, and I am suffering the Net due the fact that the Hidden Vally Pwy. store has Free Wif-Fi. Yes I said Free I am so happy, come by and eat some good ol' Chick-Fil-A and surf the web.

It is a Saturday late morning and I am asking myself what is the next big adventure to come. This time of the year I am a bit more melancholy about life, for I reflect on what has taken place and start to look into the darkness of the unknown called 'future'. I am uncertain what 2008 is going to look like, I am not in school at the moment so that constant is not there, I am writng, but really going nowhere. So what am I going to do? Seems that we all have decisions to make, but some ones are not all that fun making. Wouldn't it be rad if we has a Ice Cream Truck that came by our homes that not only sold ice cream and good treats but also had options of what to do next and you buy one for a dollar try it out for a week if ti did not work or suit you you could buy another one from that Ice Cream Truck the next week. Child's thinking, I know, but it would be fun.

The eluding answers for me are employment at a place where I can really grow and be challenged, where will I be living in Cali or somewhere else, and the kicker of all where will I be going for Seminary. To be honest living in Cali is getting to expensive for this low-income person can handle. I know we are to place our trust in God in regards to our provision, but in other places like the Proverbs it says we ought to be about be productive and not be slothful in our daily living. So a question arises where is the balance?

Any who-ti-hoot, I am grateful for a year of great triumphs, one being graduating a 7 year plan of College. Whoot -whoot!!!!! I am the second in my family to have a Bachelors, and the only one of my siblings to have one. So that is a feat in of itself, it only took me until I was 31 to achieve such a goal. I am gaining more control over my lust issues, and why I fall prey to them. My faith in God has grown more this year, maybe not grown but has gotten stronger than in previous years. There has been a lot of good this past year and a bit of not so good moments. All in all I am excited to see what 2008 will bring. If I could make a wish list of things to happen here it is...

1. Have a deeper relation with God through a contemplative life


2. Meet my wife to be and court her


3. Get a job that pays at least $50,000 a yr. (something I will enjoy doing)


4. Get ahead in my finances


5. Go to seminary (hopefully Talbot)


6. Travel more


7. Spend more intentional time with friends and family


8. Explore how to run a coffee business


9. Lose more weight, hopefully get under 200 lbs in 08'


10. Go to more Angels Baseball games


11. Be open for other adventures that come my way

This is what I hope for in 08', maybe you all will be apart of the life with Uncle Mikey....

Are we really so Despondent

I wish this post was one of great insight into how God is molded His Church to be the light unto a dark world, but this is not one of those kind of posts. My heart was troubled last night towards the end of accountability group I am apart of. What perplexed my soul is the apathy towards the Narrative of Jesus' birth into this fallen world. I really do not care on what side on the many lines that have been drawn in the sand of this issue, the birth of Jesus has awoken many discussions that are to numerous to count.
Jesus' birth is of a miraculous conception, and a story of redemption in of itself, pre-crucifixion. Meaning that those within this narrative of Jesus' birth experience trials of disbelief and encounter God's redemptive love. As many follower's of Christ would say that nothing would stop God's plan, I agree, but just think of the stubbornness of Zacharias and the disbelief of Joesph. One did not think God would allow his wife to become pregnant due to her age, one thought to divorce his wife to be in secret. But both men found redemption in their disbelief from holding onto a slight faith that God was going to allow these two babies to be born, one being John the Baptist, the other being Jesus.
I have shared a brief snapshot insight to the narrative story of Jesus' birth, but in today's Church there is apathy towards this magnificent narrative of God's love for his children. Why is this so? Is it that the Church has bought into the consumerism lie of this pretentious holiday? Or is it that the Church has lost the excitement of the waiting for the Messiah to be born? What has caused our young men and women to not care to hear this story again?
You might think it is because they are young and have no sense of tradition? Yeah, I could see that point, but I will raise the level to say it is not that there are not interesting in hearing it, maybe we have been telling the narrative in a way that has aided them to grow despondent to this wonderful narrative. I be one of them for many years. I always look forward to the death and Resurrection more than Christmas, for the sear fact that people were a bit more genuine in their worship of receiving something they did not deserve. Man what would it be like if we treated the birth of Christ in the same manner, and try to utter the words of Simeon, "for my eyes have seen your salvation" (Luke 2:30) And praise God with the same intense vigor as we do with His death and resurrection.
This narrative is the beginning of the virtuous life of our Lord and Savior. WOW!!! I am excited to celebrate Jesus' birth, I am in anticipation for that star to shine brightly, to place myself in the shoes (or sandals) of the Sheppard's, the wise man, even the livestock, or the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. Let us live in a triumphant state for our hope and faith rests in the birth of Jesus.