It's almost New Year's Day and you may be thinking about starting a systematic Bible reading program. You could just do 4 chapters per day, which gets you through the Bible in a year. The program I am using was devised (or at least made known to me) by Grant Horner, elder at Faith Community Church in Santa Clarita, CA, and a professor at The Master's College. He suggests getting a large exposure to Scripture through his Ten Lists Reading System. You read one chapter each day from each list. Grant recommends (and I use) Post-it notes as markers to keep your places and keep track of the lists. The lists are:
1. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
2. The Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
3. Acts
4. OT History (Joshua-Esther)
5. Romans, 1, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews
6. Psalms
7. Proverbs
8. 1, 2 Thessalonians, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1,2 Peter, 1,2,3 John, Jude, Revelation
9. Job, Eccelsiastes, Song of Solomon
10. Prophets (Isaiah-Malachi)
Obviously, you will read through some lists faster than others, but always read 10 chapters. Your combinations will always be different, but you will be getting input from the various sections of the Bible every day. Grant recommends reading quickly--don't feel the need to linger long. He and others report that speed increases the longer you go. Of course, you can downsize to 5 chapters a day and you will still get through more than the whole Bible in one year, except for the prophets list.
Whatever method you choose, get into the Word in 2007.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
A Great Resource On Money and Life
I am a strong supporter of Randy Alcorn's Eternal Perspective Ministries. His writing, both non-fiction and fiction, have been a great encouragement to me, and present biblically faithful and challenging insights. His areas of interest are diverse, with excellent books on Heaven, financial stewardship, the church in China, and articles on many other subjects.
His site (linked to the header) is a great resource for Christians. Subscribe to his newsletter at www.epm.org/newsletters.html. I just read the last newsletter, and it was encouraging on a number of fronts. Give it a look.
His site (linked to the header) is a great resource for Christians. Subscribe to his newsletter at www.epm.org/newsletters.html. I just read the last newsletter, and it was encouraging on a number of fronts. Give it a look.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Christmas Day!
Well, it's Christmas morning, and we are well into our first "just us" Christmas celebration here in Ohio. A few random thoughts...
1. It is very different not to have small children at Christmas--ours wanted to sleep until 9! But, our boy still looks forward to present time with obvious excitement and plans to organize it.
2. Our dog, Trixie, certainly enjoys the holiday (she's wearing some of her tissue in the pic).
3. I haven't lost my touch with sausage and eggs!!!
4. As we took our time yesterday and today to play games, eat, watch movies, eat, cook, enjoy our breakfast, our presents, and then eat, I think we have found an enjoyable rhythm for the 5 of us. It is definitely a different experience without family around, but we are having a really great time.
5. I don't mind FM Static (my son's new CD), I like Mark Schultz (oldest daughter's CD), and haven't heard still not much of a TobyMac fan (second daughter's CD).
6. Best shopper outside of immediate family--Grandma H, who managed to hit home runs with all the kids.
7. I never get tired of seeing the kids' reactions to gifts they weren't expecting and like (gifts they weren't expecting and don't like have interesting reactions, too, but we didn't have any of those today).
Merry Christmas!!!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Way to go, son!
Recently our church had a Christmas Concert for kids, and as a part of the 
program a number of superheroes were to make an appearance and sing along with the kids. Well, my son volunteered to help the leader of the program, and here you see him, uh, I mean Spiderman, in the kitchen just after his first appearance. The kids loved it and loved him. But as he was out there jammin' away and getting the kids excited to sing along, I was so proud of the kid behind the mask. He has gone from resisting any call to ever do something where people would look at him or he would stand out, to being excited about doing something like this in front of God and everybody else. He is becoming a young man who knows God, knows who he his, and thinks about others. Kids love him, in and out of costume, and he loves helping them. My one question was where in the world he got all the moves he did so effortlessly with the music. That certainly wasn't from me, and no offense, but my wife no more gifted than me when it comes to looking good on the dance floor. Great job, buddy!
program a number of superheroes were to make an appearance and sing along with the kids. Well, my son volunteered to help the leader of the program, and here you see him, uh, I mean Spiderman, in the kitchen just after his first appearance. The kids loved it and loved him. But as he was out there jammin' away and getting the kids excited to sing along, I was so proud of the kid behind the mask. He has gone from resisting any call to ever do something where people would look at him or he would stand out, to being excited about doing something like this in front of God and everybody else. He is becoming a young man who knows God, knows who he his, and thinks about others. Kids love him, in and out of costume, and he loves helping them. My one question was where in the world he got all the moves he did so effortlessly with the music. That certainly wasn't from me, and no offense, but my wife no more gifted than me when it comes to looking good on the dance floor. Great job, buddy! "Why Don't We Sing the Old Songs?"
(The following was a pastoral letter to the congregation I serve seeking to address the thorny issue of musical preferences in a worship time. Since it is an issue many churches, pastors, and believers deal with, I am posting it here)
There is hardly a week that goes by that someone does not communicate to one of our worship leaders or me that they “miss” the old hymns, and wish we would sing them more. Some have been kind about it, a few have not. Those in the second category often dismiss our newer songs as trite, or repetitive. I think triteness is in the ear of the hearer (“trite” means stale, corny, commonplace, tired, banal, or unoriginal—hard qualities to judge objectively). Repetition is no sin—in fact, the psalms give us quite a few repeated phrases, and no one faults Handel for too many “Hallelujah”s in his chorus. Close scrutiny of our choruses finds many pulling their texts directly from Scripture. Someone complained that no one knows the new songs (which is what makes them “new”).
As one who has been raised in churches where the hymnal was second only to the Bible in usage, I understand why those of us who enjoy hymns miss them. I cannot present my complete perspective on music as a component of corporate worship here, but let me put a few thoughts out there to explain the reasons behind our choices in music.
1. Each service where we sing will seek to have music that appeals to the broadest spectrum present. On Sunday mornings, we have more new believers, younger people, students, and others who appreciate a wide range of styles and often prefer contemporary forms. This means we will be wide in our variety on Sunday mornings, so that as many as possible can find something that assists them best in praising God. Of course all of us should be more concerned about others in corporate worship than ourselves, so this is no problem, right?
2. Those who attend on Sunday nights find greater representation of traditional music, and on Wednesday nights, hymns are the staple form in our prayer service, while our youth programs use contemporary music. Plenty of hymns are available for those who want to find them in those first two settings. Even on Sunday mornings, songs that represent our heritage of music in worship are still present when the choir sings, when we sing older words with newer musical settings, and when the orchestra plays.
3. Let’s remember that Isaac Watts was considered dangerous in his day for introducing a contemporary style of music to the church—hymns based on scriptural truth, rather than just singing psalms. Martin Luther was criticized for using common-sounding melodies and singable lyrics for such scandalous songs as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” The gospel tunes of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were attacked for sounding worldly. A church that tells the generation growing to maturity that it had better not try to change the old ways of doing things will join the growing number of dwindling congregations rattling around in nearly empty sanctuaries, while younger saints create congregations where they can praise God with all their might. Watts’ (and then Wesley’s, and then others’) hymnal replaced the Psalter, which had replaced chants, which had replaced earlier forms of musical expression. Some of each have continued with succeeding generations, but most songs of each era passed away with the people of that time. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as the truth is what is being sung.
4. The next time we’re singing a new song that might or might not minister to you in its style, focus on the words that are being sung. Consider the truth that we are together proclaiming about the Lord to each other, or to Him in praise. It is the content that should take precedence, and does in our planning. Many contemporary songs (and more than a few old ones) have some great music with unscriptural or doctrinally incorrect messages. We do our best to make sure that the words we sing communicate truth we would say without instruments.
5. Having been in many worship services in other countries, I have often listened as people sang in another language a song I did not recognize. I really could not join in at all. Not only the words, but often the rhythms and cadences were just strange to me. Yet, I could worship and praise God. I could let the joy in the music and singing encourage me to rejoice in my God. I could thank God that I was with people who loved Him and wanted to sing to Him. I could thank Him for the privilege of participating with these dear people in worshiping Him. It would obviously have been very selfish for me to say, “Wait a minute! I’m here! Sing something I like and can sing!” So, when I hear someone say, “I just can’t worship with that kind of music,” I am saddened because it means that someone can’t find joy in being with others who love and seek God just because they prefer different worship songs. I hope that we all can avoid such thinking.
There is so much more I could say, but these letters are not meant to be books. I want you to know that I love you as your Pastor, and that if anything I say seems harsh, please understand that I only want to protect us from the harm the evil one wants to do by getting us to focus on ourselves, our preferences, our traditions, and our comfort instead of on our Lord Jesus Christ and then our neighbors. Let’s keep growing!
There is hardly a week that goes by that someone does not communicate to one of our worship leaders or me that they “miss” the old hymns, and wish we would sing them more. Some have been kind about it, a few have not. Those in the second category often dismiss our newer songs as trite, or repetitive. I think triteness is in the ear of the hearer (“trite” means stale, corny, commonplace, tired, banal, or unoriginal—hard qualities to judge objectively). Repetition is no sin—in fact, the psalms give us quite a few repeated phrases, and no one faults Handel for too many “Hallelujah”s in his chorus. Close scrutiny of our choruses finds many pulling their texts directly from Scripture. Someone complained that no one knows the new songs (which is what makes them “new”).
As one who has been raised in churches where the hymnal was second only to the Bible in usage, I understand why those of us who enjoy hymns miss them. I cannot present my complete perspective on music as a component of corporate worship here, but let me put a few thoughts out there to explain the reasons behind our choices in music.
1. Each service where we sing will seek to have music that appeals to the broadest spectrum present. On Sunday mornings, we have more new believers, younger people, students, and others who appreciate a wide range of styles and often prefer contemporary forms. This means we will be wide in our variety on Sunday mornings, so that as many as possible can find something that assists them best in praising God. Of course all of us should be more concerned about others in corporate worship than ourselves, so this is no problem, right?
2. Those who attend on Sunday nights find greater representation of traditional music, and on Wednesday nights, hymns are the staple form in our prayer service, while our youth programs use contemporary music. Plenty of hymns are available for those who want to find them in those first two settings. Even on Sunday mornings, songs that represent our heritage of music in worship are still present when the choir sings, when we sing older words with newer musical settings, and when the orchestra plays.
3. Let’s remember that Isaac Watts was considered dangerous in his day for introducing a contemporary style of music to the church—hymns based on scriptural truth, rather than just singing psalms. Martin Luther was criticized for using common-sounding melodies and singable lyrics for such scandalous songs as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” The gospel tunes of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were attacked for sounding worldly. A church that tells the generation growing to maturity that it had better not try to change the old ways of doing things will join the growing number of dwindling congregations rattling around in nearly empty sanctuaries, while younger saints create congregations where they can praise God with all their might. Watts’ (and then Wesley’s, and then others’) hymnal replaced the Psalter, which had replaced chants, which had replaced earlier forms of musical expression. Some of each have continued with succeeding generations, but most songs of each era passed away with the people of that time. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as the truth is what is being sung.
4. The next time we’re singing a new song that might or might not minister to you in its style, focus on the words that are being sung. Consider the truth that we are together proclaiming about the Lord to each other, or to Him in praise. It is the content that should take precedence, and does in our planning. Many contemporary songs (and more than a few old ones) have some great music with unscriptural or doctrinally incorrect messages. We do our best to make sure that the words we sing communicate truth we would say without instruments.
5. Having been in many worship services in other countries, I have often listened as people sang in another language a song I did not recognize. I really could not join in at all. Not only the words, but often the rhythms and cadences were just strange to me. Yet, I could worship and praise God. I could let the joy in the music and singing encourage me to rejoice in my God. I could thank God that I was with people who loved Him and wanted to sing to Him. I could thank Him for the privilege of participating with these dear people in worshiping Him. It would obviously have been very selfish for me to say, “Wait a minute! I’m here! Sing something I like and can sing!” So, when I hear someone say, “I just can’t worship with that kind of music,” I am saddened because it means that someone can’t find joy in being with others who love and seek God just because they prefer different worship songs. I hope that we all can avoid such thinking.
There is so much more I could say, but these letters are not meant to be books. I want you to know that I love you as your Pastor, and that if anything I say seems harsh, please understand that I only want to protect us from the harm the evil one wants to do by getting us to focus on ourselves, our preferences, our traditions, and our comfort instead of on our Lord Jesus Christ and then our neighbors. Let’s keep growing!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Guess Who Said it?
Who made the following statement?
“The church is the gym of the soul... You need help, you need a trainer, you need to go to a gym and you need guidance. You cannot train yourself. And I feel the same way about Christianity and I feel the same way about what the church is — the church is the gym of the soul. And the priests, the reverends, the ministers, and the pastors are the trainers. They are the ones that guide you.” He continues: “People say ‘I can do it on my own. I can have a one-on-one relationship with god.’ Well, it isn’t quite the same, it isn’t the same. I found that out the hard way. ... The more I go to church and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His word and having him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure’s off me now. ... You put in the time, you will reap the benefits.”
The answer, much to my surprise was none other than Sylvester Stallone, writer and star of Rocky Balboa, promoting his film as one that promotes a view of life from his newly rekindled Catholic faith (audio file available at www.thoughtquotient.com)
“The church is the gym of the soul... You need help, you need a trainer, you need to go to a gym and you need guidance. You cannot train yourself. And I feel the same way about Christianity and I feel the same way about what the church is — the church is the gym of the soul. And the priests, the reverends, the ministers, and the pastors are the trainers. They are the ones that guide you.” He continues: “People say ‘I can do it on my own. I can have a one-on-one relationship with god.’ Well, it isn’t quite the same, it isn’t the same. I found that out the hard way. ... The more I go to church and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His word and having him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure’s off me now. ... You put in the time, you will reap the benefits.”
The answer, much to my surprise was none other than Sylvester Stallone, writer and star of Rocky Balboa, promoting his film as one that promotes a view of life from his newly rekindled Catholic faith (audio file available at www.thoughtquotient.com)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Getting Back to Business, or at least to Blogging
I have not even looked at this blog since the last post, last year, so you can imagine how out of date it looks to me. And I'll leave to your imaginings why I haven't bothered to blog--it has not been due to disinterest as much as a conscious decision to rein in my various interests in hopes of keeping first things first. I think now I may be able to pick up blogging again, and perhaps use this as a means of focus rather than allowing it to distract. We'll see...
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