Still My Soul, Be Still – Keith and Kristyn Getty
February 7, 2010
Big Snow Storm!
Wow! Another weekend, another snow storm. That makes four for this season. It also makes around 58″ for the season. The average for Albany, NY is 64″. It has definitely been an interesting winter in the Shenandoah Valley.
That would be the major news and update for the week. We didn’t have church. There were around 14 to 16″ on the ground this morning. Hopefully, it will warm up soon. Have a great week. Seize the Day!
February 5, 2010
Weekly Lectionary Reading
Posted by Dale Argot under Epiphany, Lectionary, Ordinary TimeLeave a Comment
Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany
February 7, 2010
Isaiah 6:1-8 * Psalm 138 * 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 * Luke 5:1-11
1 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Today we get a picture of how Isaiah was called to proclaim the message of God to Israel. Here in this passage of what the worship in heaven might be like. Immediately we discover that worship is not something to take lightly. While the seraphim were singing, the whole temple shook with the voices of their singing and the building was filled with smoke. This smoke is symbolic of the Lord’s presence. The Lord’s presence was so strong that Isaiah was completely undone. That’s what happens when we encounter God in all of his fullness and his holiness. That has happened to me. Several of those times have been during FLAME while I was leading worship. I have been made aware of God in all of his holiness. My response has been much like Isaiah’s, “I am doomed.” But the Lord comes to us in those times that we are keenly aware of our lack of holiness and his complete fullness of holiness and he comes and touches us. It is an amazing process — not always pleasant, but amazing nonetheless. Another thing that I take away from this passage is that when we encounter the living God like this — our response is to go and tell others of the good things God has done. “Here am I, send me!”
February 4, 2010
Tim Tebow and the Super Bowl Ad
HT: [blog.worship.com]
Today, Dale was browsing through his blog reader and came across the article linked above about Tim Tebow and the controversy over the Super Bowl ad. Over the past few days, this has been a topic of conversation at our house. I’ve wanted to write a post about it, but apparently someone has already beat me to it. There are two opinions written about the controversy — one writer is pro-life–the other is pro-choice. They point out the intolerance of those who find the ad distasteful. Click on the link to see both perspectives….
I thought the perspective that Sally Jenkins wrote from was interesting. Here is an excerpt from her article:
I’m pro-choice, and Tebow clearly is not. But based on what I’ve heard in the past week, I’ll take his side against the group-think, elitism and condescension of the “National Organization of Fewer and Fewer Women All The Time.” For one thing, Tebow seems smarter than they do.
Tebow’s 30-second ad hasn’t even run yet, but it already has provoked “The National Organization for Women Who Only Think Like Us” to reveal something important about themselves: They aren’t actually “pro-choice” so much as they are pro-abortion. Pam Tebow has a genuine pro-choice story to tell. She got pregnant in 1987, post-Roe v. Wade, and while on a Christian mission in the Philippines, she contracted a tropical ailment. Doctors advised her the pregnancy could be dangerous, but she exercised her freedom of choice and now, 20-some years later, the outcome of that choice is her beauteous Heisman Trophy winner son, a chaste, proselytizing evangelical.
Pam Tebow and her son feel good enough about that choice to want to tell people about it. Only, NOW says they shouldn’t be allowed to. Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one. [emphasis is mine]. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn’t.
I do find it interesting that the same people who would decry this commercial for playing on television, see nothing wrong with women in bikinis selling beer, web-site domain names, and a host of other things that make women objects and not people. Here is a positive story about how one woman chose life and yet the Tebow’s are accused of pushing an agenda down people’s throats. (By the way, those are not my words, but the words of some of the those who made comments on the Jenkins article.) Unfortunately in today’s culture you are only tolerant if you agree with the other’s point of view. I think that it is still possible to agree to disagree — that is we can respect a person even if we don’t agree with them — and we definitely need more of this in all arenas of life.
February 3, 2010
“Surely that which occupies the total time and energies of heaven must be a fitting pattern for earth.”
Paul E. Billheimer
February 2, 2010
The road to success is always under construction.
Unknown
February 1, 2010
Keith and Kristyn Getty – “By Faith”
January 31, 2010
8 + Inches of Snow
[Pictures]
- This has proved to be a wild winter — and it’s not over yet. Yesterday, we got walloped with 8 inches of the white stuff. Originally, we were supposed to get about 2 to 4. There’s talk of another winter storm next weekend.
- While watching the closing announcements — came across this ironic closing — Due to the snow, the snowflake party has been canceled
- We decided not to have church today — too cold and too icy.
- This will be my one and only post today and a short one at that.
If you are from our neck of the woods — stay warm. Everyone be blessed and Seize the Day!
January 30, 2010
On this coming Monday, it will be one year since I received the first call about the possibilities to come and serve on staff at Parkway Wesleyan Church. In light of that, I changed the name of the blog to Transitions. This past year has been a year of transitions. We are now settled into our brand new parsonage and serving on staff. Since my primary responsibilities lie in the areas of worship and student ministries, I wanted the title to reflect at least part of that. Worship has always been a subject I have written about and so I thought it was appropriate to use a title that reflected the idea of worship.
Since I began this blog it was written about the reflections of a small church pastor, who did a little bit of everything and the posts reflected that. Now that my area of ministry is more focused, I thought that I would focus on that. Not that I will ignore other topics, but worship is a passion of mine and I will be focusing on that area.
Welcome to Worshiping…in Spirit and Truth. Blessings…
January 29, 2010
Weekly Lectionary Reading
Posted by Dale Argot under Epiphany, Lectionary, Ordinary TimeLeave a Comment
Fourth Sunday After The Epiphany
January 31, 2010
Jeremiah 1:4-10 * Psalm 71:1-6 * 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 * Luke 4:21-30
4 The Lord gave me this message:
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
10 Today I appoint you to stand up
against nations and kingdoms.
Some you must uproot and tear down,
destroy and overthrow.
Others you must build up
and plant.”
As I have mentioned before, Epiphany is a season of light. It speaks to the mission of Jesus — the mission to tell others about the Light of the World. In this short passage this morning we have the narrative of God calling Jeremiah to speak to the people of Israel. Jeremiah is reminded as David reminded us in Psalm 139, that God knows us before we are formed in our mother’s womb. God had plans for Jeremiah before he was even born. God has plans for all of us before we are born. I often think of my journey to the ministry. If you were to look at it with a quick glance, you might say that I took the long way around to the ministry. Yet, as I look back, God had his plan in place, so that I would be ready to serve Him as He wanted me. I will admit that when God called me to the ministry during my high school years I felt like Jeremiah; “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” In my own mind, I felt and still feel that I am not a great speaker. You can imagine my surprise when God called me into pastoral ministry and preaching. However, he has given me the grace that I need to serve Him. God reminds Jeremiah of that in verse 8, “Don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you.” God even tells Jeremiah that He will give him the words to speak. What a comforting thought for those who are called of God — no matter what age they are. God will be with us as we share the light of Jesus. Blessings….
