Bobby Ross of the Christian Chronicle sent out an email asking for people's top ten lists. In part, this is what he wrote.
" I am contemplating a column featuring various Top 10 lists submitted by Chronicle readers, such as:-- Top 10 movies with faith themes (or TV shows).-- Top 10 country songs with faith themes (or pop or rock).-- Top 10 favorite hymns sung at church.-- Top 10 favorite Church of Christ bloggers (feel free to rank yourself No. 1!).-- Top 10 favorite Christian university rules (of today or your own era).-- Top 10 best things about summer Bible camp (of today or your own era).-- Top 10 requirements to be a Church of Christ preacher.-- Top 10 (you come up with the category)."
I submitted my top ten hymns. They are as follows with a few notes.
1. It Is Well (Besides being a personal favorite, as a song leader I get more requests to lead this than any other song.)
2. Be With Me Lord (A favorite since I was small. When leading this, I've seen people cry in the audience.)
3. This Is My Father's World (I can remember my dad leading this at a nursing home when several church members went there to sing one Sunday afternoon. I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5.)
4. I Will Sing The Wondrous Story
5. Nearer Still Nearer (Probably the second leading request I get when leading.)
6. Abide With Me (A woman whose husband was dying at the time came up to me crying and thanked me for leading this.)
7. Fountain Free
8. I Know That My Redeemer Lives
9. The New Song (But only when sung by a large group...and assuming they know how to sing it!)
10. Oh Lord Our Lord (Same thought as #9.)
Top Ten Favorite Preachers I've Heard In Person
1. Dan Winkler
2. Dennis Lloyd
3. Willard Collins
4. Marlin Connelly
5. Joe Barnett
6. Tom Miller
7. Tom Holland
8. Joe Barnett
9. John Steele, Jr. (If you ever heard my Pa Pa preach you'd remember it!)
10. John Steele III (It wouldn't be right to leave this guy off the list!)
I just thought that might give you something light hearted to think about. Share yours if you care to.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
A Few Odds And Ends
I apologize for not posting here more often over the last couple of months. Like everyone else, I've been pretty busy and have spent some time out of town and out of state. It's not as though thousands are waiting anxiously for what I write. I do know somebody reads this because a couple of you have talked to me about it (and you're not even related to me). I appreciate that.
I read on a website earlier this summer about new ways we could praise God this summer. I'm sorry I can't remember the site or the author. A couple of ideas he had though were good and I thought I'd share them as well. Give some money annonymously to a family in need at your congregation. Read the book of Psalms outloud this month.
I was reading in the book of Mark this past weekend. I read the story of Jesus curing a man's demon possessed son in chapter 9. Jesus talks about the need for the man to believe for his son to be cured. The father emotionally professes his belief in verse 24. Jesus then heals the son. When the disciples ask Him later why they couldn't cast out the demon, Jesus tells them in verse 29, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
So that got me thinking about fasting. Why don't we talk about it more? When's the last time you heard a lesson on fasting? More importantly, why don't we fast or fast more than we do if we even do at all? Jesus fasted. True there are no direct commands in the New Testament that say Thou shalt fast. If Jesus is our example though and we strive to be Christ like, why do seem to fail at this? There are other examples in Acts that show us Christians fasted. Why isn't this discussed more in Bible classes or from the pulpit?
I really don't know. I have decided though after thinking about this to study it a lot more. I hope you do as well. If you have any comments on this subject I'd love to hear them. If I'm able to get some ideas together about the subject I'll try to post them on here. Think about it and thanks for reading.
I read on a website earlier this summer about new ways we could praise God this summer. I'm sorry I can't remember the site or the author. A couple of ideas he had though were good and I thought I'd share them as well. Give some money annonymously to a family in need at your congregation. Read the book of Psalms outloud this month.
I was reading in the book of Mark this past weekend. I read the story of Jesus curing a man's demon possessed son in chapter 9. Jesus talks about the need for the man to believe for his son to be cured. The father emotionally professes his belief in verse 24. Jesus then heals the son. When the disciples ask Him later why they couldn't cast out the demon, Jesus tells them in verse 29, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
So that got me thinking about fasting. Why don't we talk about it more? When's the last time you heard a lesson on fasting? More importantly, why don't we fast or fast more than we do if we even do at all? Jesus fasted. True there are no direct commands in the New Testament that say Thou shalt fast. If Jesus is our example though and we strive to be Christ like, why do seem to fail at this? There are other examples in Acts that show us Christians fasted. Why isn't this discussed more in Bible classes or from the pulpit?
I really don't know. I have decided though after thinking about this to study it a lot more. I hope you do as well. If you have any comments on this subject I'd love to hear them. If I'm able to get some ideas together about the subject I'll try to post them on here. Think about it and thanks for reading.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Only Judgement Day Will Stop Them
Several years ago talk began in the news about American tobacco companies being sued for producing a dangerous product. A lot of us laughed. After all, everyone over the age of 8 knew cigarettes were bad for you. The first several lawsuits failed but those who pursued the lawsuits kept hammering away. They kept refining their arguments and learning from each previous setback. Eventually as you know, the tobacco companies did lose. They had to pay out billions of dollars. Something most of us thought could or would never happen came to pass.
Not too many years ago we started hearing about the idea of gay marriage. We laughed. After all, that was so far from reality and possibility how could anyone ever believe something like that would happen? Again, those pursuing the idea never gave up. Evil never ends. As you now know that concept is now reality in Massachusetts and California. Hawaii almost approved it a few years back and it's being reported that state will reconsider it again next year.
Obviously I'm not saying tobacco companies shouldn't have been sued. I mention that situation to remind us of how quickly and easily what seems impossible can become the reality. I bring up the gay marriage issue for two reasons. One, those who support that idea will say they only want equal rights and that's not true. It's not all they want. Secondly, forces of evil don't stop when they accomplish their objective. They continue to reach for more. A story came out last week that only proves that last point but also I believe, is another first step to something most of us would like to think is not possible.
The following story is reprinted from religionnewsblog.com.
"Christian publisher Zondervan is facing a $60 million federal lawsuit filed by a man who claims he and other homosexuals have suffered based on what the suit claims is a misinterpretation of the Bible.
But a company spokeswoman says Zondervan doesn't translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations. Instead, she said in a statement, the company relies on the 'scholarly judgment of credible translation committees.' That is to say, setting aside whether the federal civil rights lawsuit is credible, the company says Bradley Fowler sued the wrong group.
His suit centers on one passage in scripture-I Corinthians 6:9-and how it reads in Bibles published by Zondervan. Fowler says Zondervan Bibles published in 1982 and 1987 use the word homosexuals among a list of those who are 'wicked' or 'unrighteous' and won't inherit the kingdom of heaven. Fowler says his family's pastor used that Zondervan Bible and because of it his family considered him a sinner and he suffered.
Fowler says he came across the discrepancy while researching a book. He says Zondervan Bibles published in the 1980's use the word homosexuals in the Corinthian passage in question but earlier and later ones don't. 24 Hour News 8 (WOOD in Cedar Rapids) went to a library to do some research of our own and found Zondervan Bibles published both in the 80's and post-2000 use the word homosexuals in the passage.
Some translations, like the New American Standard use the word. Others don't. The American Standard version uses the phrase 'abusers of themselves with men.' The King James says 'abusers of themselves with mankind'. Still others, like the New American Bible use the word 'sodomites.'
Fowler says the idea that those phrases are another way of saying homosexuals is a misinterpretation as well."
I think we can all be pretty sure this guy won't win this lawsuit. I also think we should be pretty sure that this isn't the en. Situations like this don't end after one step. This is only the first step. As if the entire thought process behind the suit isn't scary enough, reread the last sentence of the article. Bradley Fowler and those like him want to eliminate all references in scripture that condemn their lifestyle.
There are several points that could be made about this suit and the overall attitude of those in today's world that don't agree with the Bible. For now though I just wanted to inform as many people as I could. Now more than ever we need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it and we had better be able to give a "ready defense."
Not too many years ago we started hearing about the idea of gay marriage. We laughed. After all, that was so far from reality and possibility how could anyone ever believe something like that would happen? Again, those pursuing the idea never gave up. Evil never ends. As you now know that concept is now reality in Massachusetts and California. Hawaii almost approved it a few years back and it's being reported that state will reconsider it again next year.
Obviously I'm not saying tobacco companies shouldn't have been sued. I mention that situation to remind us of how quickly and easily what seems impossible can become the reality. I bring up the gay marriage issue for two reasons. One, those who support that idea will say they only want equal rights and that's not true. It's not all they want. Secondly, forces of evil don't stop when they accomplish their objective. They continue to reach for more. A story came out last week that only proves that last point but also I believe, is another first step to something most of us would like to think is not possible.
The following story is reprinted from religionnewsblog.com.
"Christian publisher Zondervan is facing a $60 million federal lawsuit filed by a man who claims he and other homosexuals have suffered based on what the suit claims is a misinterpretation of the Bible.
But a company spokeswoman says Zondervan doesn't translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations. Instead, she said in a statement, the company relies on the 'scholarly judgment of credible translation committees.' That is to say, setting aside whether the federal civil rights lawsuit is credible, the company says Bradley Fowler sued the wrong group.
His suit centers on one passage in scripture-I Corinthians 6:9-and how it reads in Bibles published by Zondervan. Fowler says Zondervan Bibles published in 1982 and 1987 use the word homosexuals among a list of those who are 'wicked' or 'unrighteous' and won't inherit the kingdom of heaven. Fowler says his family's pastor used that Zondervan Bible and because of it his family considered him a sinner and he suffered.
Fowler says he came across the discrepancy while researching a book. He says Zondervan Bibles published in the 1980's use the word homosexuals in the Corinthian passage in question but earlier and later ones don't. 24 Hour News 8 (WOOD in Cedar Rapids) went to a library to do some research of our own and found Zondervan Bibles published both in the 80's and post-2000 use the word homosexuals in the passage.
Some translations, like the New American Standard use the word. Others don't. The American Standard version uses the phrase 'abusers of themselves with men.' The King James says 'abusers of themselves with mankind'. Still others, like the New American Bible use the word 'sodomites.'
Fowler says the idea that those phrases are another way of saying homosexuals is a misinterpretation as well."
I think we can all be pretty sure this guy won't win this lawsuit. I also think we should be pretty sure that this isn't the en. Situations like this don't end after one step. This is only the first step. As if the entire thought process behind the suit isn't scary enough, reread the last sentence of the article. Bradley Fowler and those like him want to eliminate all references in scripture that condemn their lifestyle.
There are several points that could be made about this suit and the overall attitude of those in today's world that don't agree with the Bible. For now though I just wanted to inform as many people as I could. Now more than ever we need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it and we had better be able to give a "ready defense."
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