Merry Christmas to all.
If you get a chance to listen to an acceppla group called Haven, they have an outstanding Christmas album. I here a part of one song on the Hugh Hewitt show, ordered it. This morning I listened to it. The vocals are excellent. They are from southern California. A few years ago, Bill Geist reported on CBS Sunday morning that there are over one thousand acceppella groups thr0ughout the country. This is a very good one.
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
2 types of leaders
I've been thinking about leaders these days. There are two types. One is the cattle driver. Cattle are driven not lead. They do not follow well but scatter when on their own.
The second is a shepherd. Sheep are lead not driven. Sheep will scatter when driven but follow the trustworthy shepherd. In scripture, humans are compared to sheep not cattle.
Consider some of the leaders I have worked with both in secular and sacred work, it is a lesson few realize. The best results come from a leader who leads by example, not one who barks orders.
The second is a shepherd. Sheep are lead not driven. Sheep will scatter when driven but follow the trustworthy shepherd. In scripture, humans are compared to sheep not cattle.
Consider some of the leaders I have worked with both in secular and sacred work, it is a lesson few realize. The best results come from a leader who leads by example, not one who barks orders.
Monday, November 30, 2009
my favorite time of the year
Went to see Mannheim Steamroller last night. Good performance though Chip Davis was not there. We saw them a few years ago and as the leader, he made the show. They have a 25th edition album out of their best - worth having.
There is an accapella group who did a funny version of the 12 Days of Christmas about 10 years ago. Well some Hollywood guy saw it and they have just released their 2nd Christmas album. They are good whether serious or funny. They are called Straight No Chaser. They started at Indiana U., went their separate ways, and now have reunited. It is worth listening to.
There is an accapella group who did a funny version of the 12 Days of Christmas about 10 years ago. Well some Hollywood guy saw it and they have just released their 2nd Christmas album. They are good whether serious or funny. They are called Straight No Chaser. They started at Indiana U., went their separate ways, and now have reunited. It is worth listening to.
Monday, October 19, 2009
labeling
It is so easy to label someone isn't it? This past week, radio host Rush Limbaugh was labeled a racist because someone read something that someone said that Rush said, yet no source can be found. Of course that never happens in the church, right?
Today, we use the word liberal as someone we do not agree with. The first one to say "liberal" has successfully labeled another person. This poisons the well of discussion because now everything the labeled person says is suspect. It is meant by the labelor to cause this to happen so people will not listen to his point of view. Other words that have become useless by bad use are conservative, legalist, traditionalist, and progressive. With all the baggage found in these words, the only reason people use these labels is to raise questions of those labeled.
A friend and I were talking about this once. He said that he just wanted to be Biblical and go wherever that led. For some this is a good thought; wanting to study the Bible and realize that we might see things differently from our previous understandings and traditions. Others find this frightening for the same reasons.
I doubt that this will change but it is a sad state of affairs that good people now have to live with false labels all for the sake of maintaining control.
Today, we use the word liberal as someone we do not agree with. The first one to say "liberal" has successfully labeled another person. This poisons the well of discussion because now everything the labeled person says is suspect. It is meant by the labelor to cause this to happen so people will not listen to his point of view. Other words that have become useless by bad use are conservative, legalist, traditionalist, and progressive. With all the baggage found in these words, the only reason people use these labels is to raise questions of those labeled.
A friend and I were talking about this once. He said that he just wanted to be Biblical and go wherever that led. For some this is a good thought; wanting to study the Bible and realize that we might see things differently from our previous understandings and traditions. Others find this frightening for the same reasons.
I doubt that this will change but it is a sad state of affairs that good people now have to live with false labels all for the sake of maintaining control.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Power
Richard Horsley said this in his book, The Liberation of Christmas: "But biblical texts suggest that people in positions of relative power and privilege (kings, princes, priests, scribes, Pharisees) tend not to test their own prejudices and horizons but to use their power to impose them on others" (p. 148).
When I read that I thought that he could have included preachers and elders. Traditions and traditional views often become laws that cannot be broken because that will cause one to lose his soul. So only certain views are accepted and others rejected because those in power have the control, even though good brethren disagree on various texts. There can be no disagreement. Long gone are the days in which various views are found in brotherhood papers. Only those views that the editors accept are acceptable.
Read blogs by various brethren and you will see that many do not accept the traditional line. People have left churches because they have been criticized for questioning traditions or looking at texts in other ways.
What is forgotten is that Jesus is Lord and He alone has all authority. It is time for us to come to grips with this before we destroy ourselves through bitterness and anger.
When I read that I thought that he could have included preachers and elders. Traditions and traditional views often become laws that cannot be broken because that will cause one to lose his soul. So only certain views are accepted and others rejected because those in power have the control, even though good brethren disagree on various texts. There can be no disagreement. Long gone are the days in which various views are found in brotherhood papers. Only those views that the editors accept are acceptable.
Read blogs by various brethren and you will see that many do not accept the traditional line. People have left churches because they have been criticized for questioning traditions or looking at texts in other ways.
What is forgotten is that Jesus is Lord and He alone has all authority. It is time for us to come to grips with this before we destroy ourselves through bitterness and anger.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
hidden people and history
If you get a chance, take a look at Patrick Mead's series on hidden people and hidden history. It is a really fascinating series. Patrick has two sites, http://patrickmead.net and http://patrickmead.net/tentpegs Both are worth reading.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Caesar worship
In recent studies, it is becoming clearer that Caesar worship or the Imperial Cult started much earlier than thought. It began with the first Caesar, Augustus, espeically in the Middle East. He was worshipped because he brought peace through his armies to the Roman world. Even the mighty Parthians returned the standards of three defeated generals to Augustus around 26 B.C. Herod the Great built at least three temples and two cities in honor of Caesar Augustus and appears to have been involved in the worship of the Emperor; not surprising since he really wasn't a Jew.
Jesus was declared Lord by His resurrection and part of Paul's message was that Jesus is Lord. This Lord brought true peace, the shalom of God, to people. Eventually this would lead to a conflict between Caesar and the followers of Jesus. Such conflicts continue today throughout the world. Dictators fear Christians and want churches closed and Christians silenced. In the old Soviet Union, many were surprised when the Berlin Wall came down and communism collasped, that one of the first things that happened was the reopening of churches. The opposition to communism was often led by believers in Christ.
There is always a danger in elevating anyone to the role of lord. One of the Herods died a horrible death when that happened to him (Acts 12). Today we need to be careful in how we view our political leaders (and dare we say our church leaders as well?). In the past, we have honored famous leaders. I have been to the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as well as Mt. Rushmore. These men are remembered for their leadership but we do not, or should not, worship them. In the U.S., all political leaders are just citizens of the country. They are not to be seen as something special even though they hold an important office.
Unfortunately, these politicians have, to quote the words of that famous American philosopher...
"Dirty Harry," they have become legends in their own minds. George Orwell also captured the current attitude in his book, Animal Farm, where he said that all are equal, there are just some who are more equal than others.
There is only one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No one else can make that claim, nor should we make that claim of anyone. Of course, saying such could bring conflict with the elites, but it doesn't change the truth - Jesus is Lord.
Jesus was declared Lord by His resurrection and part of Paul's message was that Jesus is Lord. This Lord brought true peace, the shalom of God, to people. Eventually this would lead to a conflict between Caesar and the followers of Jesus. Such conflicts continue today throughout the world. Dictators fear Christians and want churches closed and Christians silenced. In the old Soviet Union, many were surprised when the Berlin Wall came down and communism collasped, that one of the first things that happened was the reopening of churches. The opposition to communism was often led by believers in Christ.
There is always a danger in elevating anyone to the role of lord. One of the Herods died a horrible death when that happened to him (Acts 12). Today we need to be careful in how we view our political leaders (and dare we say our church leaders as well?). In the past, we have honored famous leaders. I have been to the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as well as Mt. Rushmore. These men are remembered for their leadership but we do not, or should not, worship them. In the U.S., all political leaders are just citizens of the country. They are not to be seen as something special even though they hold an important office.
Unfortunately, these politicians have, to quote the words of that famous American philosopher...
"Dirty Harry," they have become legends in their own minds. George Orwell also captured the current attitude in his book, Animal Farm, where he said that all are equal, there are just some who are more equal than others.
There is only one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No one else can make that claim, nor should we make that claim of anyone. Of course, saying such could bring conflict with the elites, but it doesn't change the truth - Jesus is Lord.
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