Grasping for Expression

Not sure that this falls into any official category of writing... perhaps a song or spoken word. At any rate I didn't want to change it from the way it is.

You may recognize the last portion from Counting Crow's "Anna Begins"

Grasping For Expression

I remember filling up and falling down to my knees

When Your love anew came over me

Gasping for air and grasping for expression

Long after I was born again

Desperate, frustrated and trying to earn it

Inadvertently, I almost spurned it

Till Your love cascaded over me

And finally…through me

Like bathing in a lightfall

Step down from golden throne through stars?

To take on flesh and pain .. be marred?

To feel the sting of broken nature

I cannot but worship this humble posture

Not just forgive but love your enemies?

Pray for the religious, rebellious murderer?

Touch the leper, comfort the prostitute

And even forgive the one who prostituted her?

You would heal  Malchus’ ear

So that he could hear

You say, “Permit even this”

How deep, how wide, how long, how high

Is this love?  Four dimensions –

A hint,  perhaps,  that it is beyond comprehension

And beyond condition – but not beyond the malnutrition

Of our starved and thirsty heart.

It takes both a father and a mother’s heart

To fully express how kind “Thou art”

To take back a wayward child

Though proud, rebellious  and wild

Not even a lecture to hear?

No.

Just an embrace… .and a tear.

What love is this?

This time when kindness falls like rain

It washes me away.

And He begins to change my mind.

His kindness bangs a gong,

 Its moving me along

And Oh Lord,

I’m so ready for this sort of thing

Judged

Its true that we have to deal with sin... but most people already know something's wrong - 

they are just looking for help

Let's not be the army that shoots its own wounded....

That Guy That Sounds Like Freddie Mercury

So by now you may have heard of or seen the youtube viral video that has Canadian, Marc Martel, covering Queen's "Somebody to Love".

What's so funny to me is that I've been listening to this guy for years as the frontman of a band called "downhere"  - and I've been saying for a while that "Wow that guy sounds a lot like Freddie Mercury!"

Now here is some real irony for you - and I hope its a good irony.  Martel's band "downhere" is a Christian band.  A band that is known for its deeply Biblical content and love for Christ.

I was fortunate enough to see these guys live at the Performing Arts Center in town a while back - and I was blown away by the raw talent and deep love and dedication to Jesus  that they clearly had.

So in other words - Marc is a devoted Christian and Mercury, as we know, was gay ( or at least bisexual).

And this has a lot of people talking.

Don't Christians hate gay people?

No.. no we don't. Not even a little bit.

I want so badly for my friends in the LGBT community to know that Christians , in fact, have a deep love for them... and where this isn't true  I want Christians to know that if they want to be anything like Christ that this love is only natural. Re-read your Bible!

Of course we disagree. I'm not sugarcoating that.

But as I've said a hundred times and still pray that people on both sides understand - Its possible to strongly disagree with someone and still deeply love them.

When Marc was asked about this apparent irony, he told the Wall Street Journal:

 “Freddie Mercury wrote songs that were real and true. Rock and roll reaches people because it’s honest, and doesn’t shy away from the issues. You can have a great voice, but people can spot a fake from a mile away. Our music may come from a biblical standpoint but we don’t shy away from true experiences  – doubt, loss, pain, sorrow – we want to deal with all of that. Queen’s repertoire deals with those emotions and feelings too and I love singing their music because at the end of the day, it’s just true.”


Also from belief.net      See full interview here

"Bonham: For the guy who’s fought the comparisons to Freddie Mercury, you’ve got to think this situation shows that God has a pretty good sense of humor.

Martel: Absolutely, and I think the last 10 years have been a preparation for me to be able to handle this. I don’t think I could’ve handled this 10 years ago. God’s moving in this very obviously.

Bonham: If you win this contest and get the chance to tour next summer with the Queen Extravaganza, how would you expect God to use you to impact others?

Martel: Obviously I would be working for Queen and obviously I’m not going to be preaching on stage or anything like that. I really believe that any influence this would have for the Gospel, God is going to be handling that. All I can do is be faithful with my gift, be faithful with anyone I talk to and let love be my guide and just be gracious with people. God will take care of the rest. I really believe that.

So at the end of the day my prayer is twofold - first that Marc does not just go completely "secular" but stays true to his faith and his first Love ( and I know that is his passion)- and secondly that perhaps this viral irony can build a bit of healing between these two communities of Christians and  LGBT.

Because really, in the Biblical perspective, there are only two communities of people in this world - sinners  who have come to Jesus Christ for redemption and sinners who have not.

Marc Martel cover's Queen's "Somebody To Love"

downhere's latest song "Let Me Rediscover You"

And finally for an amazing Christmas song, downhere performs "How Many Kings"

Showing how much He loves you

Today, I just happened to listen to the final track on the Jars of Clay album, “The Shelter”,  I had purchased a few weeks ago. 

The song was called “Benediction” and the first two lines took me by surprise.

“Go into the world

                                      Showing how much He loves you”

Why the surprise, you ask? 

Well I guess I mostly think of the Great Commission as going into the world to show others how much Jesus loves them. 

This is true enough, of course, but there was a subtle difference in the way this song writer put it – show how much He loves you.

Not the guy next to you – you. 

Not the people you’re ministering to – you. 

Not your Pastor, best friend, parent, sibling, or the lady who seems to have it all together – you. 

Not even the drug addict or the prostitute – you.

Of course Jesus loves all those people too, but at the moment, that’s not the point.

We ( and by we I mean me) can get so caught up in trying to serve others, defend our faith or just “save the world” in general, that we ( I) often have  “a tendency to forget to tend to me”. 

“We love Him because He first loved us.  1 John 4:19”

This is not about being self-centered – far from it, it is about being Jesus-centered and dwelling on His love for us. This fills our tank. This renews us.

In the Gospels, John is called “the Beloved Disciple”. 

It is often said that it was not because Jesus loved him more than the other disciples (which is obvious) but rather that John understood better than the others just how much Jesus loved him... and each of them. 

It is in this understanding of the “deep, deep love of Jesus” for us as individuals that we will be strengthened , motivated and empowered in our own lives and then to minister to others. Not to mention being more effective in that ministry.

It is also by this understanding that others will began to see the real Jesus – not someone we’re propagating but someone we are sharing… sharing because we cannot help but share out of the over abundance of His love for us (you).

Of course if your focus is first on your personal relationship with Christ and understanding this love for you, you (I) will tend to play the hypocrite much less and there will tend to be a real air of genuineness and authenticity of love about you – and that , I find, is what people are truly craving for these days.

Genuine, unconditional, unending love.

First learn to understand,  believe in and revel in what you have been given... then share it with others.

David Crowder Band " How He Loves Us"

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,  but have not love, it profits me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Evangelical : Why I Am and Am Not One

With the term "evangelical" being thrown about so much these days I thought it might be a good time to update and re-post this blog....

When the "E" word is used it can bring up any number of thoughts and emotions, depending on the connotation it has in any given culture or society. In North America - that connoatation is getting branded in a  worse and worse manner. And sometimes rightly so.

However, we all must be careful of building a "Straw Man" argument against any group of people. That is, taking the most extreme ( and thus often the worst) examples and using them to label and portray what the larger group is really like. This will always result in a false reality, ignorance and often hate.

I know many who would fall under the label of “Evangelical”. Sure there are some that don’t really understand some of the modern issues we face and are opinionated about it but then again that describes most of our grandpa’s - but I still love mine.

Most of the “Evangelicals” I know though are well reasoned people, educated, and full of love for Jesus Christ and for their neighbours, the poor and needy and even their enemies. 

At the very least, they are no worse than anyone else.

My pastor recently recounted a story of when he was speaking to an Arab man in Israel. The man asked him  "What "variety" of Christian are you?" . My pastor answered "Evangelical" but when the Arab man said "O yes I know what kind that is..." and then proceeded to explain something that my pastor certainly was not nor desired to be  - well, my pastor started thinking maybe he should be careful about using that term.

At the very end of this article I’ve listed the statement of faith of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. I agree with it wholeheartedly -  You may not agree with it and that is your right.   But you need not hate them - because I know the vast majority do not hate you.  

It is possible to deeply disagree with someone and 
still deeply love them.

My real point though is this though -  although I firmly believe in that same statement of faith, I am very much an individual with freedom of thought, faith and reason.

I understand the desire to categorize and label everything but, although I am certainly not ashamed of what I believe,  I do not like to be pigeon-holed as “Evangelical”.

I simply believe in the Bible and believe in and follow Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  

I am simply a Christian, a disciple of  Jesus Christ. 

“So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”  Acts 11:26

Nothing more, nothing less.

I will most gladly be labeled as that!

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Affiliates of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada agree on the following statements:

• The Holy Scriptures, as originally given by God, are divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy, and constitute the only supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

• There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• Our Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh; we affirm his virgin birth, sinless humanity, divine miracles, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, ongoing mediatorial work, and personal return in power and glory.

• The salvation of lost and sinful humanity is possible only through the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, received by faith apart from works, and is characterized by regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit enables believers to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The Church, the body of Christ, consists of all true believers.

• Ultimately God will judge the living and the dead, those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

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P.S.   One depiction of an “Evangelical” on TV that I really enjoy is Sheldon’s mom off the Big Bang Theory. She, of course, is the ultimate stereotype, always reminding her Vulcan-like son to think about what Jesus would do.

“Leonard, the Lord never gives us more than we can handle. Luckily He blessed me with two other children who are as dumb as soup.”  

But I have to admit – its hilarious.  And at the end of the day, everyone turns to her when Sheldon’s really gone off the map.

But speaking of ultimate stereotypes (or strawmen) , that’s usually what I see in the media when they reference “Evangelicals”.  I especially notice that in the U.S.  ( especially the Southern U.S.), there seems to be a very great polarization and we often only see the extremes.

Canada is a little more laid back. 

A Beautiful Response to An Ugly Event

“We are not here to condemn anyone. We are just here to talk to (them), to let (them) know that false teaching and deception have always been in the church..."  

Pastor Jacob Denys speaking about his churches efforts to help and support those who bought the lie of Harold Camping and are now jobless and devestated.

 From the article here:  IB Times article

 

Members of churches near Oakland, Calif. based Family Radio, are pouring out in droves, offering comfort and spiritual support to the dejected followers of false Doomsday prophet Harold Camping, who has predicted that the World will end on May 21, 2011.....

Many of Camping’s followers, believing his Doomsday predictions to be true, had sold their possessions and quit their jobs before the May 21 date.
For instance, Adrienne Martinez and her husband have reportedly quit their jobs and planned to spend their “last” days in Orland. She said, “We budgeted everything so that, on May 21, we won’t have anything left,” said Adrienne.”

But with days still continuing after the appointed time, what would happen to the deceived followers who might have lost everything by now?
Some Christian leaders, such as author of “Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse” and “O Me of Little Faith” Jason Boyett, have expressed their concerns about the followers’ plight devastation.
“Camping's faith will survive the impending disappointment, as will his ministry and radio empire. He'll make excuses and set another date. I don't worry about him; I worry about his followers and their families,” wrote Boyett on The Washington Post On Faith page.


He added, “It is easy for us to sit here and to poke fun at Harold Camping...he'll get past it… But what we got to remember is that he has a whole lot of people whose lives and faith will be devastated… As a result, many of them will have lost money; many of them who quit their jobs will be in a tough spot.”

Other Christian leaders and church members have extended their support and help for those who were affected by the false Doomsday prediction.

Pastor Jacob Denys, head of the neighboring Calvary Bible Church of Milpitas, Calif., was among the first to extend his hand of support and offer counseling to Camping’s followers.

Denys, who led a group of his church members to Family Radio headquarter in Oakland, Calif., on May 21, 2011 around 4 p.m., told IBTimes it was their duty “to reach out to those people who might have bought the lie.”

“We are here to counter the message of Harold Camping and his End of the Day prediction – the Rapture prediction – that is supposed to be today. And of course we are standing here in a beautiful day, knowing that God still has given us a day to enjoy.

“But we are here to reach out to those people who might have bought the lie and who might have hurt themselves financially. What we are hoping is that we would be able to invite people who might have been affected to our church in Milpitas and hold a special service (at 10 a.m. on May 22) that would embrace them and reach out to them.

“We are not here to condemn anyone. We are just here to talk to (them), to let (them) know that false teaching and deception have always been in the church, and even it says it rises within the church. And so we want to help those people who are going to wake up tomorrow, realizing this was a bad dream for them.
“In a nutshell they are deceived, because he (Camping) has a very unorthodox way of interpreting the Bible. It’s sad to see that many people repeat this mistake over and over and over again. Here we are again, and we are here to just let people know that we are not supposed to do this as the church, but wait for the Lord. ‘Watch and wait,’ is what he says, and be ready anytime,” Denys said.

James Bynum, a deacon of the church, also shared his concerns with IBTimes about the mental anguish Camping’s followers must be experiencing now.

“He was a false prophet and his lies have deceived so many people. People have been hurt by this. That’s what we are, Calvary Bible Church. We are here, offering help to people who realized now that what they heard from this man is wrong. People who may have given away everything that they had, believing that he was telling the truth. We are here to tell them that we are going to offer counseling help.

“You know, basically Harold Camping has taught that the church – we are a small church, and churches like ours, he says, are of the devil, that the Holy Spirit left the church and all is left now is a shell. Even though this is what they’ve been believing and they’ve been teaching, we love them and we care about them. We don’t want them to be hurt. Today is a hard day for them,” said Bynum.