It's getting dusty in here

Ok, I'm going to do better about posting more often....for realz, yo.

I've got a lot I've been wanting to blog, but I just haven't had much time what with this career change and moving across the country and all. I did get our cars registered in MS today. That was exciting. I figured since it was the last day to legally do it before I had to pay a fine of $250 per car, it would be a good idea to get it done.

---

Nancy Grace is so offensive. She's always been offensive to me. She yells at the TV camera and she is rude to her guests. This last week though, her offensiveness hit home. She accused the Church of Christ of being a cult. She said we claim that the CofC has sole knowledge of the truth and sole hope of heaven, and she went even further to say that our cultish, women-opressing ways likely contributed to Mary Winkler shooting her husband.

One guest, a SBC Pastor, didn't have our back, like a brother in Christ should. He didn't necessarily encourage Nancy's ideas, but he didn't correct her either. In fact he somewhat condemingly condemned us for being condemning. Ouch. Perhaps he isn't acquainted with the prevailing attitudes in today's Stone-Campbell movement. The Disciples of Christ, the Christian Church, and the Church of Christ are more and more striving for unity and acceptance among different denominations of Jesus followers. I pray this fellow will be blessed with a new perspective on the current CofC.

Then when Nancy sought out the insider opinion of Rubel Shelly, a prominent minister within the CofC, she was incredibly rude to him and continually cut him off without letting him answer her questions.

There has been a lot of discussion on these events in the CofC blogging community. I won't go into it a great deal, except to say that it hurt my heart that the CofC was painted in this light. Like all denominations, the CofC has a wide variety of practices and thoughts from congregation to congregation.

Unfortunately there are some congregations within the CofC that claim they have sole knowledge of the truth and do have a misunderstanding of women's roles within the church. That doesn't mean we are a cult. That means like all denominations, we have people in our tribe that have misunderstandings. I hope we can teach them to move away from their legalistic ways and show them that God's plan for salvation isn't dependent on where you attend church.

Even more appalling, I know Nancy Grace has probably gotten a lot of rude email from CofC members this week. Hopefully this won't serve to confirm her opinion of us. Hopefully enough people have written her in a positive manner to inform her of what our tribe is really like.

---

In other news, Dixie and Jaylie are at a ladies retreat this weekend. It's just the boys in the house. We had a good burping session at the table during supper. Fear not, I prefaced it with, "this is something you don't do when girls are around".

Just so you know, I won the burping contest. My boys have a long way to go to catch me. Gotta love them though. They try hard.

---

I've got some other news, but I'll share it in the future. This entry is exceedingly long.

The art of worship

Robert Shaw is without a doubt America’s greatest choral conductor of all time. He was truly gifted in his art.

Moreover, Mr. Shaw was a minister of music.

Mr. Shaw was known for crafting meaningful choral concerts that not only left the audience amazed at the quality of musical performance, but also intrigued the spiritual senses of the listeners in an effort to tap into the desire for God in their souls. He believed that art is a gift from God, by which humans can more closely relate to their Creator. To that end, he carefully intertwined his art and his ministry.

Furthermore, he subscribed to the belief that our coming together in corporate worship helps us more fully understand each other and our relationship to our God. Shaw says, “This is where art knocks on the church door.”

Let me share with you this comment made by the great Robert Shaw. I especially appreciate his reminder of both the horizontal and vertical elements of worship:

“Assume with me two things. First, that form in art is also a factor of value and meaning. That is to say, if one has exactly so much space to shape, as in painting or sculpture, or if he has so much time to inform, as with poetry or music, the achieved proportions of that time and space . . . are root, trunk, branch and leaf, seed, sap and substance of meaning.

Assume with me also that worship is an art . . . or at least similar to the arts in that it has a certain amount of corporate time in which to consider matters of worth, in which to propose and proportion beauty and truth.

It is no small wonder that formal worship should evoke the sensation of sight and sound as well as reason. And that sound need not always be fortissimo. The "Benedictus" of Bach’s B Minor Mass calls for only one flute, one cello and one tenor -- and three incredibly great human beings.

Worship must also be able to inspire and instruct us in a vertical, God-to-man sense as well as in a horizontal, man-to-others sense. To these ends a creative liturgy should be one of the greatest natural resources of the liberal church.”

I'm back!!!

I have rejoined the blogging world.

The move went great! Dixie and I, and the kids are pretty well settled in our new house. The neighborhood is such a blessing. We've met most all of the neighbors and the special treat is that 3 or 4 great families from church live in the neighborhood.

Looking back at this whole transition, we can certainly see God's hand involved in every step along the way. We know God is blessing us - not just handing out good things to us; but truly blessing us, as if to say, "This is where I want you, children." I really feel like God has made himself clear on this point.

Isaac is enjoying his new school. He goes to school everyday now for 3 hours a day. It's great having him across the sidewalk from me. I get to take him to school everyday, and sometimes I get to take him home for lunch. If I have other stuff going on, then Dixie comes and gets him, but it sure is nice to get see my family occasionally during the day. Just another blessing...

My new career is going splendidly so far. I kind of wish I could work for about 80 uninterrupted hours or so in order to get some ground work accomplished. I have so many goals and dreams and so many mundane tasks to accomplish. It takes me forever to send emails as I'm building my address book. Things like that get better every day which make me more efficient. My office is pretty much set up and I'm functional. I'm just not quite as efficient as I want to be...but I'm making good strides.

I'm looking forward to our worship this Sunday. I know God will meet us there. He will be glorified and my hope is that we will be inspired to draw near to Him.

I'm still extremely busy, but I'll be making time to post more often. I'll get some more pictures up soon...