Mental Musings

I am on vacation, but we are not leaving the area, so we decided to go to our church for worship and Bible study today. It was much less stressful than visiting a new church. We knew the routines, we knew where everything was, we knew what to expect. Wendy decided to go ahead and play keyboard at the Contemporary service as usual since it is not work for her. The boys and I sat in the balcony. Something happened that I hope others experience each week. When the praise team and band finished the last song before the sermon, I had this longing for more. Usually by that time of the service I have been running for around three hours (sound check, prayer with ministers, meet with choir, direct first Traditional service, rehearse with praise band and team, sound check for second service and lead Contemporary worship). I am usually ready fora break and my first chance to sit down for the morning. But that was not my experience yesterday. I wanted more. I felt somewhat like the little orphan O...

(For authenticity, check out Urban Legends concerning this) With the recent school shooting at Virginia Tech, I thought this reminder from Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was timely. Mr. Scott was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's sub-committee. These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. They need to be heard by everyone. Transcript Below: Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the...

While attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I learned that the various schools on campus had different opinions about the primary purpose of the church. The School of Christian Education believed that Discipleship was the primary purpose. The School of Theology believed that the primary purpose was evangelism or proclamation of the Word of God. The School of Music believed it to be worship. I am sure that they all felt the other areas were important, they just believed that their area was the most important. Almost every seminary graduate that I have encountered has told me that their first church after seminary was a complete failure. They entered their new ministry believeing that they were doing the proper thing in emphasizing their area of ministry. They were taught that preaching, teaching, worship, missions, etc., was the most important and they did everything they could to help the church understand that. When a church member, or more often another staff member, f...

A mother asked President G.W. Bush, “Why did my son have to die in Iraq?” A mother asked President Clinton, “Why did my son have to die in Saudi Arabia?” A mother asked President G.H.W. Bush, “Why did my son have to die in Kuwait?” Another mother asked President Johnson, “Why did my son have to die in Vietnam?” Another mother asked President Truman, “Why did my son have to die in Korea?” Another mother asked President F.D. Roosevelt, “Why did my son have to die in Iwo Jima?” Another mother asked President W. Wilson, “Why did my son have to die on a battlefield in France?” Another mother asked President Lincoln, “Why did my son have to die at Gettysburg?” Another mother asked President Washington, “Why did my son have to die on a frozen field near Valley Forge?” Another mother asked, “Why did my Son have to die on a cross outside of Jerusalem?” The answer is the same for each – “So that others may have life and dwell in peace, happiness, and freedom.”