Interactive Sermon

My Summer Reading List

A few people have asked me what I read over the summer.  Here's the list and a brief comment on each:

How To Become A Famous Writer Before You're Dead by Ariel Gore - I heard about this book online, and really enjoyed it.  Time will tell, I suppose, if I got anything out of it.

The Truth War by John MacArthur - I heard that this was MacArthur's latest rant, and this one concerns the Emerging Church movement.  You know I had to read it.  You read my review here.

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - And one from the Emerging side of the fence that I read at the same time as The Truth War.  I also reviewed that one here on the blog.

Real Christianity by William Wilberforce - This was a book I picked up to read during my Namibia trip.  I enjoyed it.  Very thought provoking and culturally relevant, surprisingly.

Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - A friend of mine really is a Harry Potter fan, and I figured I'd give this book a read - the first in the series.  I enjoyed it.  Scandalous, eh?

The Story We Find Ourselves In by Brian McLaren - I first read this book when it came out back in 2004 and recall that it really challenged my thinking in good ways.  I decided to take a second trip through the pages.  I'm reading it now, and remembering how much I liked it, and why I like McLaren.  Scandalous again!

1776 by David McCollough - Simply the best biographer I've read (John Adams is amazing!).  This is his biography of a year.  I'm enjoying this one as a slow read all summer... and will be into the fall.

The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan - Interesting to read the thoughts jotted down daily by one of my heroes.  When I sit in the Oval Office, I'll keep a journal too.  Maybe someone will read it, and then I'll be a famous writer before I die.

So, what did you read this summer?

Technorati Tags: Ariel Gore, David McCollough, William Wilberforce, Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, John MacArthur, J.K. Rowling, Ronald Reagan

Toivo Update

We did it!  The first payment for Toivo's education this year at the Windhoek International School has been wired.  Here's an update for those of you who are participating, and for those of you wanting to participate going forward:

1) The total amount for the first half of the year went up.  Instead of $2200 that I originally posted, the bill came requiring $2700.  I'm guessing that the $2200 was last year's tuition that I had copied down in error.

2) I appealed to YOU here on the blog in order that we form a support team to raise the money.  I also appealed to others via email.

3) I petitioned W.I.S. requesting that we be able to pay the tuition in four payments instead of two.  I received (just yesterday) confirmation from the school administrator that this was acceptable.  They also provided a new spread sheet with a breakdown requiring four payments due Aug. 31, Oct. 31, Dec. 31, and Feb 28. 

4) As of yesterday we had gathered $1175.  With the conversion rate at a favorable level today, our first payment came to $1165 in U.S. Dollars! 

So, those of you who gave - thank you!  And, please pray about giving again before our second payment is due.  Those of you who meant to but weren't able to give for the first payment, you have another chance.  And for those of you who are reading of this for the first time, join us.  We're changing the world, one life at a time.  I'll bring you updates as Toivo starts the year.

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Change The World, Windhoek International School

Blogiversary Celebration!

My, how time flies when you're having fun!  Can you believe that it is already time to celebrate my having completed a second year of blogging?  Interactive Sermon heads into year three!  THANK YOU!

You know what this means?  Time to throw a party!  Friday... August 31st... 6pm to whenever... my house in Amherst... a bonfire in the front yard (got to do something with the remains of the 40 pine trees that we took down)... bring something to throw on the grill for your supper and maybe something to share like chips or a salad.  Oh yes, and I am happy to accept blogiversary gifts.  I'm looking forward to a great evening of fellowship and fun.  I hope to see you. 

Comments... we've accomplished another year together in the blogosphere.  What do you say?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Blogiversary, Blogging

You Supply The Caption

What's In A Song? pt. 3

Continuing to consider the music we sing together on Sundays, here is one from yesterday to consider.

God Moves In Mysterious Ways is a hymn that was written by William Cowper (pronounced Cooper, and pictured here) in 1774.  Cowper, a very close friend of and discipled by John Newton, is said to have battled depression and legend says that on the very night he wrote this hymn he had planned to take his own life but that God intervened.  You can read more of this story, and hear the hymn in its original musical score here.

The version we sang yesterday was set to a new tune by a couple of friends of ours at Northland back in 2002.  Here are Cowper's lyrics, which were not changed at all in this new version of the hymn:

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines, of never failing skill;
He treasures up His bright designs, and works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break, in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.

Cowper's strength was artistic poetry - he authored scores of poems during the years of his association with Newton.  This is a wonderful poetic piece in my thinking.  He speaks richly (in illustrative language) of God in terms that lend to the Divine mystery.  Sometimes, recognizing God for His entire 'otherness' adds great sense to worship.  I absolutely love the line "Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head". 

An observation: I do note of this song that it sings 'of' God more so than it sings 'to' Him.  What I mean by that is that as we lend our voices to this song we are uniting our voices in proclaiming God's worth corporately more so than individually.  We're, in a sense, saying of God "He is worthy" rather than saying to God "You are worthy".  But, in the end, each manner (of and to) proclaim his worth.

What do you think?  Theologically shallow?  Doctrinally void?  Or, is there content here for a sojourning soul?  Your thoughts?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Worship Music, Lyrics, Hymns, William Cowper

3 Chords & A Rack Of Ribs

Interactive Sermon Exclusive

3 Chords & A Cloud of Dust will be playing two sets of music tomorrow (Saturday) night at Shenanigans Restaurant and Bar in Milford as a part of Randozz's Rockin' Rib Fest. 

We are scheduled to play a set from 7:30 to 8:30 and then a second set from 10:30 to 11:30.  Two other local bands will play in between our sets, and Randozz himself will close the evening.  If you plan to come out for the evening's music, there is no cover charge or cost.  If you would like to eat ribs, the cost is $15. 

What's on the 3 Chords set list tomorrow night?  You'll have to come and see.  But, count on many of your favorites from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's, and a few 3 Chords originals too.  We hope to see you there.

Another Reason To Spend Time With Your Kids

This is former Buccaneer and current Oakland Raider defensive lineman Warren Sapp.  D-Linemen are usually not known for having a trimmed physique.  But Warren has always sported some serious love handles (buckets of love, really).  He showed up to training camp this season having lost 53 pounds, and at 34 years old (nearing the end of your career in professional football), he is looking like the player he was 10 years ago.  How did Warren lose this weight?

"Do you have children?" he asks.  "I have an 11 year old and a 9 year old.  I spent all summer running around with them in the Florida heat.  That's it.  Spend time with your kids."

Here's the rest of the story.  Warren managed a very respectable QB sacks last season while he was carrying a fourth grader around his waist.  Opposing QB's should be afraid of the new, svelte Sapp.

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Family, Weight Loss, Warren Sapp

Please Update Your Links

One of the realities of my switch from Blogger to Typepad back in April was that the status I had with sites like Technorati took a huge hit.  These sites track the amount of links in other blogs that point to Interactive Sermon.  So, when I changed to a new blog address, all the links others had pointing to me, point to the old blog. 

When we switched, we directed the old blog to forward to the new one.  So, your old links still work to get to Interactive Sermon, but they don't catch the tracking sites.

So, if you maintain a blog and have a link to Interactive Sermon on it, would you please update that link to read http://interactivesermon.typepad.com/ for me?  Thank you.  If you have a blog and you don't link to Interactive Sermon, well now would be a great time to (self-serving plug) add a link, no? 

Many thanks, friends!

What's In A Song pt. 2

For those of you who thought I was kidding, how about this 18th century preacher?  See, Crowder looks pretty normal now, doesn't he?  Any guess who this handsome fellow is?

Continuing with the lyrics of Wholly Yours, verse 2, pre-chorus, a bridge, and a final refrain go like this:

You are everything that is bright and clean, and You're covering me with Your majesty; and the truest sign of grace was this: That from wounded hands, redemption fell down, liberating man (to a chorus repeat)

But the harder I try, the more clearly can I, feel the depth of our fall and the weight of it all; and so this might could be the most impossible thing: Your grandness in me, making me clean (to a chorus of Glory, Glory, Hallelujah)

So here I am, all of me, finally, everything, wholly, wholly, I am wholly Yours

The second verse seems to include content similar to the first verse, pre-chorus and chorus - more elements of praise, more illustrative words of the reality of our situation.  Again, what has this grace (see last posting) accomplished?  From wounded hands flow redemption, and that is the setting free of souls.

The bridge is personally moving to me.  I'll try to explain.  If there is a place where you could allege that the lyrics of this song are shallow, I would suppose it is here - phrases like "and so this might could be", for instance.  But, to me it is very moving.  I grew up in the south.  That is everyday vernacular there.  So in my experience with this song, this bridge includes a great word of testimony - and by the way, a word of testimony that is fully my experience and should be yours - "the harder I try, the more clearly" we see our need for our Savior.  The most impossible thing?  That God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for me, that I might have the righteousness of Christ accounted to my life: "Your grandness in me, making me clean".  And from there to flow right into shouts of "Glory, glory, hallelujah", I find it to be very personally moving.

Lastly, the refrain at the end.  I'd say that this speaks an application of all that's been sung before, or a prayer of commitment, if you will.  "Here I am, all of me..."  Very much like Isaiah's, and other's cries unto the Lord.  Crowder utilizes a play on words - changing from 'holy' to 'wholly' to express this commitment.  We're wanting of holiness, but we commit ourselves wholly to be followers of Christ.  By the way, the Scriptures are absolutely littered with plays on words.  A most famous one being "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" in Matthew 16:18.  Go ahead, look it up.

I'm not seeing the 'light on content' charge sticking on this song.  I see it as an artistic piece proclaiming God's divinity and our depravity, confessing our need for Him, and professing our commitment to follow Him.  What do you see?  What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Worship Music, Lyrics, David Crowder, Hymns

What's In A Song?

Is it true that most of the newer praise and worship songs we sing in church today lack theological and doctrinal depth?  Let's look at a few we sang this past Sunday over the next few days.  Here's the first verse, pre-chorus and chorus of the song Wholly Yours by David Crowder.

I am full of earth, You are heaven's worth, I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity; You are everything, that is bright and clean, the antonym of me, You are divinity

But a certain sign of grace is this: From the broken earth flowers come up, pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy; all heaven cries holy, holy God; You are holy, holy, holy, I want to be holy like You God

My take on these lyrics ~ The first verse speaks of both our depravity and God's divinity.  For my thinking, that is confessional in nature.  In other words, as we sing these words we are professing both our condition and our need for God.  The pre-chorus reads to me like an illustration.  How do I understand this slice of God's grace (His divinity stooping to meet me in my depravity)?  Crowder gives us an illustration of what that looks like - sort of like a flower pushing through the dirt.  Then the chorus both praises God for His holiness and professes our want of holiness.  I think you'd find that remarkably similar to a number of popular hymns.  Check 'A Mighty Fortress' for Luther's use of illustrative words - bulwark for instance.  Check 'Come Thou Fount' for the confessional tone - 'Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the Lord I love'. 

By the way, the picture I've included is of David Crowder - the man who wrote these lyrics.  Before you make a remark about how unkempt he looks, do note that he looks remarkably like some of the old preachers and hymn writers of the 1600's.  I've got pictures to prove it.

I don't know that I think these lyrics lack depth.  I think they are more picturesque, perhaps - references to dirt, earth, flowers, and so on, than many familiar hymns.  I'll be back with verse two in a bit.  What do you think of the first verse and chorus?

Technorati Tags: Worship Music, Lyrics, David Crowder, Theology, Hymns