Songs

I never know what's going to be on my mind first thing in the morning, often it's a song.

This morning it was a kid's song from years ago, "So Noah, he built him/He built him an arky, arky/Noah, he built him/He built him an arky, arky/Built it out of gopher barky, barky/Children of the Lord"   

I don't know why I remember a lot of the words to Tennessee Ernie Fords, Kiss Me Big. Often it's a song I hear bouncing around in my mind (there's a story behind that we need not unpack). 

I love it when a song we sang in church gets stuck in my mind. The hymn Salvation's Song is one of my favorites right now, "So with every breath that I am given/I will sing salvation's song/And I'll join the chorus of creation/Giving praise to Christ alone/Singing glory, honor…" 

Waking up to "Giving praise to Christ alone" is better than "Kiss me baby till my eyes pop out." 

I wonder what God sings? I'm sure it's not a hymn from 2010, 1975, 1840, or 1532. God has his own list of songs that He sings over the people He has redeemed.I'm guessing His songs aren't sappy. His songs would be about a love that would pay a huge price and be strong enough to break the power of death. His songs would be in minor keys and have intense rhythms. A song that God sings would be about His grace that is beyond exact duplication. A God song would somehow be about both Himself and those created in His image, about how He makes all the difference and can defeat any enemy that stands in my way.  

Imagine hearing a song that God was singing with all of heaven. I can't grasp what that would sound like in my feeble imagination. I can't find any human expression of music and velcro it to God assuming they match. But, I can imagine it happing even if I can't imagine the sound. I can live in the poetic expression of its reality even if I can't feel the vibrations of it in my ear. I can be free because of the song of love and victory that God sings.  

I can sit with the Psalmist and listen with my faith...
 
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)
 
Maybe I'm taking it out of context. Maybe the Psalmist is hearing the songs of deliverance that the people are singing because of God's protection. Maybe you can't handle the thought of God singing. Zephaniah could -
 
Zephaniah 3.17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
 
We think of God being the Audience of our worship. Have you ever thought about being the audience of His concert? Listen well today.


Surrounded,
 
Pastor Dave

Who do people say that we are?

"The wrong question for the church is, How many people are present.  The right question is What are these people like?"

Quoted from Rethinking Church, James White

Jesus asked his followers the question, "Who do people say that I am?" (Mark 8:27)

Jesus was asking a deeper question than I will ask.  He always does. 

This was not an insecure poll to find out what Jerusalem's TMZ was saying about him.  He really didn't ask the question for his insight.  Jesus was dusting the junk off the spirits of the disciples that had been placed there by people who didn't know who He was. 

Who do people say that we are?  The answer for Jesus involved the sins of the world.  The answer for us - not so much.

But, it's not an insignificant question, Who do people say that we are?

Your name is a copout answer.  "People say I'm Dave."

Church people should "be" something.  They should be able to be described.  They should be able to have characteristics that are identifiable and attachable to the One they serve.  

It may surprise you, but I'm not looking for the word "holy" here.  "Everyone in that church is holy."

If we don't have people in the church who are not "holy" yet, we are not being obedient to the call of the One who makes us holy.  

What are we like?  

I'm somewhat fond of the thought of changing.  If we aren't being changed we aren't getting to the point of our need.  I want to be a church of changers, a church of growers.  People who are being transformed from whatever we were to whatever He called us to.

Everyone, even people who haven't crossed the faith line yet, can be changing so they are closer to Christ.  That's what happens when you gather where Jesus shows up - you change.

Growing,

Pastor Dave