Modern worship songs, true to pop culture, are not timeless. Therefore, this list changes often, but these are the songs that are connecting most with my soul right now. As you'll notice, they're all from Hillsong United. These Australian brothers and sisters in Christ are amazing. They write irresistible melody hooks, with tasty guitar riffs, and non-conventional and soulish lyrics. They are a breath of fresh air from the often trite, acoustic driven, adult contemporary worship music coming from America. Moreover, our best writers (David Crowder as an example) are writing songs that are more concert driven (the experience of the concert is worshipful, but it's very difficult to reproduce in a corporate worship setting). What do you think?
(In no particular order)
Lead me to the cross (Hillsong United- All of the Above)
Hosanna (")
Solution (")
My future decided (")
Came to my rescue (Hillsong United- United We Stand)
The Stand (")
Fire Fall Down (")
Take it all (")
Till I See You (Hillsong United- Look to You)
Mighty to Save (Hillsong- Mighty to Save)
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Homeschooling Response
Some of our good friends from Portland, Andy and Erin Meschke, wrote a thoughtful response to my take on home school (via email). I posted it under the comments section of "Homeschooling- John Denver's Mistake." I think there are some great points to consider- thanks Andy and Erin...
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Props to Moms
Yesterday was one of longest days of the year.
Sick mom. Sick kids. Nowhere to go. Just stuck inside all day.
I told Leatha how long the day felt, and she asked a piercing question- How do you think I've felt all winter? ("It's only 9 AM?! How am I going to make it through this day?")
One of the things I appreciate about Leatha is that she runs a tight ship. She has a plan and direction for the day. If I were the mom, our lives would be summarized in one word: chaos. Sure, we would have a lot of fun, but in the end, disorder would rule the home.
I was planning on taking care of the kids so Leatha could rest. But as the aforementioned chaos ensued, Leatha pulled me aside to remind me that there was a plan- the Saturday routine. The kids needed to gather all the dirty clothes in the house, then sort them. One of the kids needed to do the dishes. Rooms needed to be cleaned. Ava was to help me figure out the laundry. Then snack time. Room time. Lunch. Naps/Reading for the 2 older kids. Games. Dinner. Pajamas. Brush teeth. Bed time. (I snuck in some TV time, which is critical for Saturday survival).
Discipline and order takes work. But it's the only way to remain sane when you're home all day, every day with small kids.
Life is like entropy (inevitable deterioration of a system or society). Therefore it requires constant work- kitchens don't clean themselves, kids don't roll out of bed obedient humans, clothes don't stay clean, toys never stay in the toy box, cheerios always find their way to the floor, marriages don't stay a honeymoon...
Parenting is like entropy- and it requires the selfless service of a mom to maintain order and love. I'm a pastor and I can tell you that your work is just as (if not more) spiritual than mine. Sacrifice. Servant hood. Unconditional love. Your Father in heaven sees what no one else does- bless you and may the joy of the Lord be your strength!
Sick mom. Sick kids. Nowhere to go. Just stuck inside all day.
I told Leatha how long the day felt, and she asked a piercing question- How do you think I've felt all winter? ("It's only 9 AM?! How am I going to make it through this day?")
One of the things I appreciate about Leatha is that she runs a tight ship. She has a plan and direction for the day. If I were the mom, our lives would be summarized in one word: chaos. Sure, we would have a lot of fun, but in the end, disorder would rule the home.
I was planning on taking care of the kids so Leatha could rest. But as the aforementioned chaos ensued, Leatha pulled me aside to remind me that there was a plan- the Saturday routine. The kids needed to gather all the dirty clothes in the house, then sort them. One of the kids needed to do the dishes. Rooms needed to be cleaned. Ava was to help me figure out the laundry. Then snack time. Room time. Lunch. Naps/Reading for the 2 older kids. Games. Dinner. Pajamas. Brush teeth. Bed time. (I snuck in some TV time, which is critical for Saturday survival).
Discipline and order takes work. But it's the only way to remain sane when you're home all day, every day with small kids.
Life is like entropy (inevitable deterioration of a system or society). Therefore it requires constant work- kitchens don't clean themselves, kids don't roll out of bed obedient humans, clothes don't stay clean, toys never stay in the toy box, cheerios always find their way to the floor, marriages don't stay a honeymoon...
Parenting is like entropy- and it requires the selfless service of a mom to maintain order and love. I'm a pastor and I can tell you that your work is just as (if not more) spiritual than mine. Sacrifice. Servant hood. Unconditional love. Your Father in heaven sees what no one else does- bless you and may the joy of the Lord be your strength!
Friday, February 1, 2008
My Sudanese Brother
I saw Joseph Madoul walking into church last night, and I gave him a big hug. There are some people for which small talk is impossible. Joseph is one of them...
His dad was killed before his eyes. Last month his uncle was crowned by President Bush as the first President of Sudan. His other uncle was one of the most famous Sudanese political leaders. Last year that uncle was assassinated. Joseph is good friends with Manute Bol. As a 12 year old, Joseph led a group of 115 children on a walk across Sudan. Only 60 survived.
We walked over to a map and I asked him, "How far did you walk again?" He pointed to the middle of Sudan, moved his finger down to Kenya, over to Ethiopia, back through Kenya to Uganda, to Sudan, and finally to Kenya. About 2,ooo miles. It took 3 years.
At age 12, he was the oldest of the wandering children. He provided food for everyone by hunting birds and eating leaves off of trees. He watched children die of starvation. Others he watched get torn apart by alligators while crossing rivers. He described the gruesome scene. They were attacked countless times by lions. In all, he saw over 55 children die on this journey for freedom.
He carried an AK-47, but rarely used it. They hid during the day and traveled at night. He didn't want to give away their location to the enemy. The one time he shot an attacking lion, the enemy heard the gun shots. His leg is scarred over with gun shot wounds and shrapnel from the mistake. He said being attacked by a lion is better than being attacked by men.
His life experience is surreal.
He has a different view of life and death. A modern Sudanese holocaust survivor, Joseph told me that God watched over them. He wants to get back to Sudan to help more people.
These conversations with Joseph always have a way of bringing perspective. God help me to make the most of this brief existence here on earth. Be with our brothers and sisters in Sudan and thwart the plans of the wicked, while defending the cause of the fatherless and widow.
His dad was killed before his eyes. Last month his uncle was crowned by President Bush as the first President of Sudan. His other uncle was one of the most famous Sudanese political leaders. Last year that uncle was assassinated. Joseph is good friends with Manute Bol. As a 12 year old, Joseph led a group of 115 children on a walk across Sudan. Only 60 survived.
We walked over to a map and I asked him, "How far did you walk again?" He pointed to the middle of Sudan, moved his finger down to Kenya, over to Ethiopia, back through Kenya to Uganda, to Sudan, and finally to Kenya. About 2,ooo miles. It took 3 years.
At age 12, he was the oldest of the wandering children. He provided food for everyone by hunting birds and eating leaves off of trees. He watched children die of starvation. Others he watched get torn apart by alligators while crossing rivers. He described the gruesome scene. They were attacked countless times by lions. In all, he saw over 55 children die on this journey for freedom.
He carried an AK-47, but rarely used it. They hid during the day and traveled at night. He didn't want to give away their location to the enemy. The one time he shot an attacking lion, the enemy heard the gun shots. His leg is scarred over with gun shot wounds and shrapnel from the mistake. He said being attacked by a lion is better than being attacked by men.
His life experience is surreal.
He has a different view of life and death. A modern Sudanese holocaust survivor, Joseph told me that God watched over them. He wants to get back to Sudan to help more people.
These conversations with Joseph always have a way of bringing perspective. God help me to make the most of this brief existence here on earth. Be with our brothers and sisters in Sudan and thwart the plans of the wicked, while defending the cause of the fatherless and widow.
Homeschooling- John Denver's Mistake
I recently read an article on homeschooling.
Here is one of the quotes,
Let me give you an example of why this is a lame argument. Consider the following statement...
Christians should not live in the suburbs, take out mortgages, drive cars that cost over $10,000, attend a church that has a building, attend church on Sunday... "you can search the Scriptures high and low, but it isn't there" - it's simply not biblical to do any of those things.
Precisely.
If God wanted to give instruction on these things, he would've put it in there. That's why you can't find it. You're not meant to find it.
The problem might just be that you found somewhere in the Bible where God says to home school. I'm just not convinced that Jesus' reference to Caesar had anything to do with how we educate our kids. Voddie Baucham, who this person referred to, is a great Bible teacher. He should know better than to proof text like that.
I have personal reasons for advocating public schools. Although I think they may be good ideas based on what I know about the Bible, none of them are biblically prescriptive.
I did youth ministry for four years, and I've worked with college students for 5 years. Here are some observations (generalizations, of course, for the sake of discussion):
1. Home schooled kids are much less effective in evangelizing lost friends.
2. Many home school parents made their decision to home school out of fear (what's going to happen to poor Johnny if he hears someone drop the F-bomb? Oh no, his virgin ears... I can't send him out as sheep among wolves.)
3. Home school kids tend to be socially awkward with their peers. If you took a poll, they would be labeled "weird" by their peers.
4. Home school, private school, and public school kids tend to turn out like their parents. If their parents are loving, smart, driven, nerds, worldly, committed to the church, lukewarm in faith, immoral, unfaithful...so their kids will be.
5. Home school parents tend to be more militant about their opinions, which ends up making them aliens in their neighborhoods, schools, etc. and irrelevant for the gospel.
6. Home school parents can shape the culture of a church or youth group, making it ingrown, family centered, and cultic. Not all bad.
7. Home school kids tend to relate better to adults.
8. Home school parents tend to be more legalistic and conservative culturally.
9. Home school kids are more likely to play games that require dice with more than 6 sides.
10. Home school kids tend to be more avid readers.
11. Home school kids are more likely to wear tight jogging pants and jeans that are too short.
12. Home school parents tend to have an "Us vs. Them" view of the world that makes public school teachers out to have a liberal, homosexual, indoctrinating agenda.
The best argument I've heard for home school is that parents want to shape their children's hearts before sending them off. On the other hand, I think public school is a perfect training ground.
John Denver loved the environment. It broke his heart to see rare trees destroyed. At the time, he made a decision that seemed reasonable, but ended up having unintended consequences. He built an indoor wooded area for these special trees. At first the trees seemed to be doing well- the environment was controlled and the trees were closely watched for progress. On the outside, all was well with the trees.
The only problem was that the trees grew to a certain height, and they began falling over. There was a fundamental lesson from this tree debacle, namely, trees need everything the environment has to offer (blazing wind, scorching heat, sub zero wind chill, imperfect soil, etc) so the roots can grow deep and strong. Environment manipulation doesn't work well for trees. I think the same is true for our children. A little wind isn't going to destroy them. It may make them stronger.
I'm not against home schooling. It may be the best option for some families and children. But as for our household, we're still debating this issue
Here is one of the quotes,
Christians should have no part in the government school system. However, I would challenge any Christian to give me a Scriptural basis for sending young children away from their parents for eight or more hours a day to be indoctrinated by a system which is anti-God. You can search the Scriptures high and low, but it isn't there.
Who has the burden of proof? Me to demonstrate that it's "biblical" to send kids to public school?Let me give you an example of why this is a lame argument. Consider the following statement...
Christians should not live in the suburbs, take out mortgages, drive cars that cost over $10,000, attend a church that has a building, attend church on Sunday... "you can search the Scriptures high and low, but it isn't there" - it's simply not biblical to do any of those things.
Precisely.
If God wanted to give instruction on these things, he would've put it in there. That's why you can't find it. You're not meant to find it.
The problem might just be that you found somewhere in the Bible where God says to home school. I'm just not convinced that Jesus' reference to Caesar had anything to do with how we educate our kids. Voddie Baucham, who this person referred to, is a great Bible teacher. He should know better than to proof text like that.
I have personal reasons for advocating public schools. Although I think they may be good ideas based on what I know about the Bible, none of them are biblically prescriptive.
I did youth ministry for four years, and I've worked with college students for 5 years. Here are some observations (generalizations, of course, for the sake of discussion):
1. Home schooled kids are much less effective in evangelizing lost friends.
2. Many home school parents made their decision to home school out of fear (what's going to happen to poor Johnny if he hears someone drop the F-bomb? Oh no, his virgin ears... I can't send him out as sheep among wolves.)
3. Home school kids tend to be socially awkward with their peers. If you took a poll, they would be labeled "weird" by their peers.
4. Home school, private school, and public school kids tend to turn out like their parents. If their parents are loving, smart, driven, nerds, worldly, committed to the church, lukewarm in faith, immoral, unfaithful...so their kids will be.
5. Home school parents tend to be more militant about their opinions, which ends up making them aliens in their neighborhoods, schools, etc. and irrelevant for the gospel.
6. Home school parents can shape the culture of a church or youth group, making it ingrown, family centered, and cultic. Not all bad.
7. Home school kids tend to relate better to adults.
8. Home school parents tend to be more legalistic and conservative culturally.
9. Home school kids are more likely to play games that require dice with more than 6 sides.
10. Home school kids tend to be more avid readers.
11. Home school kids are more likely to wear tight jogging pants and jeans that are too short.
12. Home school parents tend to have an "Us vs. Them" view of the world that makes public school teachers out to have a liberal, homosexual, indoctrinating agenda.
The best argument I've heard for home school is that parents want to shape their children's hearts before sending them off. On the other hand, I think public school is a perfect training ground.
John Denver loved the environment. It broke his heart to see rare trees destroyed. At the time, he made a decision that seemed reasonable, but ended up having unintended consequences. He built an indoor wooded area for these special trees. At first the trees seemed to be doing well- the environment was controlled and the trees were closely watched for progress. On the outside, all was well with the trees.
The only problem was that the trees grew to a certain height, and they began falling over. There was a fundamental lesson from this tree debacle, namely, trees need everything the environment has to offer (blazing wind, scorching heat, sub zero wind chill, imperfect soil, etc) so the roots can grow deep and strong. Environment manipulation doesn't work well for trees. I think the same is true for our children. A little wind isn't going to destroy them. It may make them stronger.
I'm not against home schooling. It may be the best option for some families and children. But as for our household, we're still debating this issue
My apologies...
For those of you on the "outside" of the Christian faith, I want to apologize.
I apologize for Christians who..
...think homeschooling is the "biblical" way to train your children.
...think there's a "biblical" way to breast feed.
...think it's "biblical" to be a Republican.
...don't believe God speaks and acts as he did in biblical times.
...think "courtship" is the "biblical" way to get married.
...think natural family planning is the only right method of birth control.
...firmly believe the Left Behind series is how the end times is going to play out.
...think Israel is above the law and has a right to oppress Palestinians because they are "God's chosen people."
...ostracize you for believing the earth is millions of years old.
...think there is a biblically prescribed style of music.
...are out of touch and irrelevant.
...have compromised biblical truth to be "in touch" and relevant.
I'm also sorry for sometimes being one of those people...
I apologize for Christians who..
...think homeschooling is the "biblical" way to train your children.
...think there's a "biblical" way to breast feed.
...think it's "biblical" to be a Republican.
...don't believe God speaks and acts as he did in biblical times.
...think "courtship" is the "biblical" way to get married.
...think natural family planning is the only right method of birth control.
...firmly believe the Left Behind series is how the end times is going to play out.
...think Israel is above the law and has a right to oppress Palestinians because they are "God's chosen people."
...ostracize you for believing the earth is millions of years old.
...think there is a biblically prescribed style of music.
...are out of touch and irrelevant.
...have compromised biblical truth to be "in touch" and relevant.
I'm also sorry for sometimes being one of those people...
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