Busted Water Main at PCC

Not cool...

Misusing the Word "Hate"

I’ve just reached the tipping point with our culture's use of the word “hate.”

The last straw came with the uproar over the nomination of Joni Eareckson Tada’s song “Alone Yet Not Alone” (from the movie with the same name) for an Oscar.

For those who don’t know who she is, Joni is a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down, and is confined to a wheelchair.  She has become an accomplished painter using a paintbrush with her teeth, and has authored more than forty books.

She is also a Christian.

Gasp!

The nomination has received numerous negative reactions that have nothing to do with the song.  It has to do with the fact that she is a believer and the song is tied to a faith-based film.

Film.com immediately said the film was being endorsed by “anti-gay hate group activists.”  The Boston Globe chimed in with a headline, “The Oscar that Stinks to Heaven.”

As I said, this was my tipping point.

The word hate used to mean just that – hate!  Nowadays it means anyone who disagrees.  Even worse, it means anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.

I must say that the using the word “hate” or “hater” in this way is shrewd.  It brings to bear every volatile emotion against those who have been labeled “haters” – even if they're not such, but just simply disagree.

It’s a shrewd move, but it’s also a false move.  Here’s why:

It cuts-off at the knees the word “admonishment” – which means to address, to confront, to challenge, to stir.

I don’t hate someone just because I disagree with them.  Actually, it might be a demonstration of my concern.

To label someone a “hater” (just because they disagree) is to take a very powerful word and dilute it, then misapply it.

Observations on Worship

Jesus said... "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).  

And here's a quote from actor Brad Pitt:  "I didn't understand this idea of a God who says, 'You have to acknowledge me... you have to say I'm the best, and then I'll give you eternal happiness.  If you won't, then you don't get it.' It seemed to be all about ego.  I can't see God operating from ego, so it made no sense to me."

Can we talk about worship?

1.  When we worship God, who is perfect and flawless in every way, we are simply showing our intelligence and good taste.  We watch someone spend a hour at the museum of art, pausing in front of framed paintings and sculptures to take in every detail, and we conclude this person is cultured, educated, and wise, or something like that.

When we bow before the God of the universe, we are doing a lot of things, but one is revealing ourselves to be a person of good sense.  It makes sense to acknowledge God, the Creator of all.

2.  Although God seeks for true worshippers, He does not need it any more than the moon needs another crater.  He’s totally complete within Himself.  If the whole world became true believers overnight, it would not add one thing to God.  And if the entire world became infidels, it would not take one iota away from God.  He is I AM.

While God doesn’t need our worship in order to be complete, our worship is still a duty – something we owe to God.  But it is a duty we can perform cheerfully, knowing that, in doing so, we are participating briefly in the life of heaven.

3.  Humans long to worship.  God has created human beings in such a way that we long to give ourselves over to something or someone.  If it’s not directed to Him, we’ll devote ourselves to something else (i.e., materialism, pursuit of pleasure, self, false religion, etc). 

4.  There are good ways and wrong ways to worship God.  When Jesus said “worship in spirit….,” I take that to mean that "our spirit” is involved in worship,  not just our bodies.  It’s more internal than external.  After all, God is a Spirit and we connect to Him on that level.  And to “worship in truth” involves the revelation of Jesus Christ according to the Word of God.

The Scripture is overflowing with teachings concerning bad worship.  Isaiah 1:10-15 and Malachi 1 comes to mind.

5.  The carnal mind cannot comprehend true worship.  Not even all Christians get it.  Sometimes you will hear someone say, or even pray, “Lord, help us to get something out of the service today.” 

Think of it as a paradox.  Here’s why:

When we come to church – that is, when we come to a worship service on the Lord’s Day – and believe the goal is to “get” something or “receive” something ourselves, we will always leave empty-handed and frustrated.  We will walk out of the door critical of the preacher, the music, and the teachers, all of whom failed to meet our needs.

Sound familiar?

The fault is not with the preacher and the others.  God has not equipped them with the power or ability to change your life and meet your needs.  You are expecting of them what they were never intended to give, expecting what they cannot do.

The essence of true worship is GIVING.  We give glory and praise to God, give Him ourselves, our hearts, our time, our offerings, our prayers, and our faithful obedience.  We lay ourselves bare before Him in surrender.

And when we leave the service, we are charged.  We have touched the Lord and been touched by Him.

This happens only when our focus is on Him first.

6.  All of us worship poorly in this life.  No matter what style or system of worship you use (even free style), we do it poorly.  It’s difficult to worship One you cannot see.

If we “see through a glass darkly” (I Cor. 13:12), and “do not know how to pray as we should” (Rom. 8:26), then it follows that everything else we do in the service will be incomplete at best.  “I know in part and I prophesy in part” (I Cor.13:9).

But we should not let that stop us from worshiping.  Just because I cannot do something perfectly doesn’t’ mean I should stop doing it.   I’m a parent and a grandparent, imperfect at best, but I’ve gladly thrown myself into these roles.  Likewise, I’m a Christ-follower and not a very good one, but I’ve gladly thrown myself into this role as well.

I will keep striving to worship Him in spirit and in truth as best I can.

And for reasons only known to Him, He keeps accepting my imperfect worship.

Caught This Morning - One Hour After Sunrise - 27 Degrees

A friend of Jonathan's caught these five Speckled Trout this morning about an hour after sunrise. The sixth fish on the far right is a mullet he actually caught with a lure!  Can you believe it?

The fish are on fire right now.  The cold weather and low tides have them schooling in deeper holes where the saline level is higher.

I didn't gain permission to use this photo, so that's why I cropped the top.  

Fishing on MLK Day

Me and Renae at sunrise.  30 degrees.  Lots of ice.  Water was slick as glass. 15 fish before the day was over.

First 5 Casts = Five Speckled Trout

My oldest son, Jonathan, went fishing this morning just before daylight.  It was 28 degrees.  He caught 13 speckled trout before sunrise.  These were his five keepers that fell within the slot limit.  (He caught several that were over 20 inches, but had to release them).

This is a picture of the sunrise he was able to enjoy looking over Escambia bay. It's an unfiltered shot with no special effects.  Oh yea, that's a picture of the lure he used; a suspending twitch bait.

We love Florida, especially living in NW Florida.

On Liturgy and Being Liturgical

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle"  (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Many of you at PCC have never heard of Liturgy (Lit–ur–gee) or even know what it means to be a liturgical church.  Basically it means to observe certain traditions or practices in a worship service.  Most are Biblical, some (I think) are man-made.  Words like formal, formalism, rites, or observances come to mind. 

Liturgical church services will often include elements like an order of service, pre-written prayers, scripture readings, reciting familiar phrases, and a consistent (if not predictable) church service which many find comforting.  Of course, it will also include Communion and Baptism services.

While we have never used the word “Liturgy” at PCC, you have been exposed to it because we incorporate certain liturgical elements in our church services.  For instance, when we receive communion I almost always quote the Apostles Creed.  From time-to-time we will close our Sunday morning services by singing the Doxology (usually acappella – that is, with no music).  Aside from being full of good doctrine and Biblical theology, singing the Doxology without any musical instruments just sounds good.  There’s something special about hearing nothing but the voice of God’s people (without a screaming guitar riff) that ministers to me on a deeper level.  Beyond that, I also use Numbers 6:24-26 as a closing Benediction from time to time.   It’s very traditional, time honored, and feels good.

These are just a few examples of liturgical elements that we use at PCC. 

For some, however, the idea of being liturgical means “dead traditionalism” or “religious formality” that has no life, and lacks the Holy Spirit.

Not so fast.

Let me offer another perspective.

Many people who attend liturgical churches believe they can actually “experience” Christ or the Holy Spirit in the elements of the service.  I agree. 

And why not?”    You experience the Holy Spirit in a communion service, right?  What about a baptism service?  Sure.  What about in a scripture reading?  What about in public prayers?  Sure. 

God hovers over these things.

Believe it or not every church has a liturgy.  It is simply an order of service which they follow.  Some are more formal than others.  That’s all.

Non-liturgical churches do the same thing when they follow their predictable order of service each week (i.e, two songs, a prayer, a sermon, and all done within the allotted time frame).  The main difference between the two – in my observation – is that one group prefers prior planning (to ensure God-honoring excellence) while the other group is often more spontaneous in nature, and chooses to assign “whatever happens” to the Holy Spirit.

My observations aside, it is clear that America’s youth are leaving churches in droves.  Could it be that many churches are so “hip” and “cool” that their lack of Biblical traditions fails to anchor youth to the Church? Furthermore, many of those who do remain in our pews - particularly the older generation - long to be connected to the traditions of the forefathers because it's simply so reassuring.

Christianity today has become a touchy-feely religion of precious memories, sentimentalism, and cultural trends.  It’s like angel food cake; soft, spongy, and unsatisfying.

I think sacramental hunger exists in the heart of every believer – including those who attend PCC.  We may not understand what it is, but it's there on some level.  We are wired to experience God.   

Speaking for myself, I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit more often and on a deeper level when things slow down enough in the worship service that I'm able to actually reflect and think about the elements being offered (such as scripture, the words to a spiritual song, communion, etc). 

Doug Holmes, a good friend of mine and pastor of Christian Life Church in Milton, wrote, “One of my daughters visited a hipster/clever church recently and told me something like: ‘I can’t drink enough caffeine to keep up with this church.  My week is so hectic that I need a slightly slower and more predicable pace.’”

I get it.

I think most adults, including younger ones, would rather experience a worship service that includes certain traditional elements of Christianity rather than the fast-paced, screaming nature of today’s designer pop-gospel.

PCC follows a liturgy, just like every other church.  I would just like to see ours become a bit more deliberate.

I'd also like to know what additional insights my pastor friends of liturgical churches could offer to explain what it means to "experience Christ" in the elements.

Thoughts?

Garden Enjoyment

For me, there’s something very enjoyable about being in my garden.  No matter how stressful my life is, puttering around in the garden seems to bring calm.  When growing season rolls around, I will make time for my garden every single day without fail.  It just feels like something I need.  And maybe I do.

I hope spring comes early this year.

After a very cold winter I am ready to get started in my spring garden.  It will still be couple of months before I can plant warm weather vegetables, but that doesn’t mean I’m not busy right now.

This is the time of year that I look through seed catalogs, brush up on planting dates, make decisions about what I’m going to plant, and plan the garden layout.

In mid December I planted garlic and onion – just before the cold snap.  I covered them with straw which helped them survive – just barely.

Yesterday I bought 100 lbs of seed potatoes.  I will begin planting them at the end of January, in succession over several weeks to control the harvest – I don’t want everything coming in at once.

I’m excited about planting peppers too.  This year I will plant Cubanelle peppers in volume.  They are a hot pepper, but very mild.  They are at the bottom of the Scoville Scale – just above bell pepper.  To give you an idea, their rating is 100-900 units, whereas a Jalapeno pepper is about eight thousand- to-10,000 units.

FIVE BENEFITS I EXPERIENCE FROM GARDENING:

STRESS RELIEF.  Gardening relaxes me.  I can feel the stress simply melt away when I’m busy in the garden. Having a positive outlet for stress is good for my health.

I EAT WHAT I GROW.  Whatever is in season makes up the bulk of my diet at the time. 

This is the time of year I eat a lot of greens.  Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food.  They are rich in minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium) and vitamins, (K, C, E, and B).  Greens are packed with fiber and low in carbohydrates, which explains why they have little impact on blood sugar levels.

I do the same in spring, summer, and fall.  Whatever is in season is what I’m eating.

Here’s the point:  Consumption of home grown vegetables and less processed foods means more nutrients, antioxidants, and less toxins going into my system.  Win-win.

EXERCISE.  Lifting plants, raking, digging, and hauling… it all requires full-body activity that is labor-intensive.  Sometimes it’s even strenuous.  Either way, it engages me in productive, healthy work.  Breaking a sweat in the outdoors strikes me as being a more sensible way to get exercise than driving to the gym and mounting a machine for a workout… and having to pay membership fees to do it.  Another win-win.

HOME-GROWN TASTES BETTER.  It really does.  I’ve always heard people say this, but never really believed it.  My attitude was, “so what?”  Now I know. 

Vegetables and fruit found in the grocery store are grown for a “long shelf life”, which means they are GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), are saturated with chemicals, and have thick tough skins.  Furthermore, the longer a vegetable or fruit sits on the shelf the more the internal sugars and starches change – making it taste even worse.    Then you have to pour on sugar, salt, and all sorts of other flavor enhancements just to get it down. 

Home-grown, on the other hand, is usually eaten fresh and is bursting with flavor.  Backyard blueberries don’t need whipped cream and added sugar to excite my taste buds.  The sweetness of the natural fruit itself explodes on the palate.  Even backyard broccoli tastes sweet.

SHARING.  I like sharing what I grow with family and friends.  Feels good.

McVictims

The New York Times suggests calling it the McVictim Syndrome – the rush to find a scapegoat for America’s obesity epidemic.  We’re getting fatter, so we must find someone to blame.

McVictimization teaches Americans to think that obesity is someone else’s fault – and therefore, someone else’s problem to solve.

The truth is, in the vast majority of cases we just eat too much and make poor choices.

But finding a scapegoat isn’t unique to the obesity epidemic.  It’s become one of our most cherished crutches for any problem we encounter.  i.e., We make a bad choice, by our own free will, and we look for someone or something to blame as if we are merely the victims of circumstance.

It’s my parent's fault…

It’s the school's fault…

It’s the preacher's fault…

It’s the government’s fault…

Ad infinitum

By convincing yourself that you are a victim, you are guaranteed to have no progress, no healing, and no victory. If you continue to cling to the belief that the problem can’t be your fault, you will never create lasting change in yourself.

Your flight from personal responsibility will prevent you from putting the bit in your mouth, yanking the reins, and going to work on controlling your life and actions.

Your best chance of getting better is to stop blaming others.

You have to own it.  All of it.

Mr. Keyser Update

Mr. Keyser has been admitted to a room at West FL Hospital after spending a good part of the day in the Emergency Room and undergoing a number of tests.

They have ruled out a stroke, and a number of other possible causes for his fainting spell.  He will undergo more tests tomorrow.

Renae and I were able to see him in the hospital this afternoon.  He is doing much, much better.  His color has returned, he's alert, and appears to be well.

Thank you to everyone who responded so well in the service today.  And a special shout-out to Polly B. for staying with the Keyser's all day long.