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 Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:48 am
I think it's the last option... I know my own mind is a wee bit crazy. Wait, if a crazy person knows they're crazy are they really crazy?
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:44 am
First things first, I would like to say that I love Casting Crowns, and love this song.
Second, I would like to point out that, getting past the music and singing along with it, the lyrics really do hold a wonderful message that we should all meditate upon more, and act upon. It's so easy to listen to the song in passing because it's something Christian, it's something safe for us as we guard our minds and our hearts. But it's not only that. This is a reminder of our call as Christians.
Why do we go to church every time the doors are open, and spend our time disguising our gossip as prayer requests? Why do we go to church and instead of getting a little out of our comfort zone to welcome newcomers, we go to our same group of people we sit with every week and critique their clothing, their style, and come up with ideas about what they may be like from that, instead of talking with them and giving them a chance before we stick them with potentially false labels? Why aren't we more like Jesus to the rest of the world? We pass the homeless on the side of the road we see every day, we ignore the signs of abuse present on the body of a girl in class until it's too late, because we don't have time to get involved.
But if we aren't here to help those in the world, to love them and bring them into the world, then what are we here for? How different are we really from the world? We think we are better because we have the church, and then we act just like the world.
We hide our Bible on the shelf. We go to church, we listen (or perhaps we do not) and we forget it before we even get out of the door.
Are we simply in church to believe we are better than the world, believe that we are saved and can get to heaven? Do we believe salvation and church are simply cushions to keep us safe, giving ourselves permission to continue on in the same rut we are living in, because it will be ok now, we're saved?
Our salvation should lead to much more than that. If the love of Christ is truly in us, if we truly accept His Spirit into our lives, should it not rock our world so much as to change us? We are called to reach the world. We are called to a relationship with Christ, and to continuing in His work. It is not a call to comfort, to sit in the cushioned pew every week half-listening to the sermon. It's a call to get out of our comfort zone, to reach others with the truth. The church is designed to minister to our hearts and our minds and our souls, and to train us up to reach the world. How many times a week do members in your church reach out to the community? How many times in your church does a new member who may not quite fit in actually feel completely welcomed, rather than receiving the awkward stares of the members of the church as they look down upon the person? How many times do you reach out to the new member to welcome them, while those around you stare down their noses at them? How many times have you risked your social position to reach someone for Christ? How many times have you given up your comfort to reach someone and love them?
Christianity is not about comfort. It is not about us. It is not about our safety. Christianity is hard. Before we can accept the good news, we must accept the bad. We are all sinners. We aren't perfect. We sin. We are damned to hell. Then we can accept the good news, that Jesus Christ loves us, and died to save us from that damnation. But if we are to be truly committed to being a Christian, a follower of Christ, we must then be prepared to get out of our comfort zone, to answer the call to all of His followers, to reach the world for God, to continue the work Jesus did as an example for us. We are called to lead a life of sacrifice, giving up our own pleasures and comforts for His work. And we must learn to present both the bad news, and the good news, and do so in love. Jesus gives us the example. We can read about it every day. We can meditate on it every day. The church is the Body of Christ. We are part of His family, we are his Bride. And we are called to do His work? So why don't we?
All of this ranting is not to say that I'm perfect. I need to listen to my words as much as anyone else does. I do not say all this to try and seem better than anyone else. I do try to reach out sometimes, but I tend to be a loner. I'm shy. I don't like to connect with people. This makes it very, very difficult for me to build relationships with people and to minister to their hearts. I go and I work on houses, but while I'm working I let the other members of my group talk to the homeowner out of fear of getting out of my comfort zone. I need to do more reaching out. I took last year and I grew tremendously at my school (I attend Liberty University). My spiritual walk deepened quite a bit. But I've not shared it with the world. I've worked for others, but it was only a week out of my summer. I would lose my temper at work and curse before I controlled it and brought a smile to a face of an upset customer. I need to work on reaching outside of my school while I'm hear. I tried once or twice last year, and it was uncomfortable, and I gave it up. This year, my goal is to go do something in the community at least every other weekend. This can be helped by the fact that I have to begin my community service credits this year as a sophomore. I really want to go above and beyond in doing my CSER and reach the community not because I have to for school, but because I want to out of love for my Savior, love for the people out there, and because it is a calling to each of us.
And I challenge each of us to work on doing better as well. If you already think you are doing great, examine your life. I bet you can find some way in which to do more, or to do it better. Pray about it and ask God to show you how you should be out there serving. But don't grow comfortable praying about it and sit and do nothing either; be proactive about it. If you aren't doing anything, start getting out there. Pray for God to give you the courage to break out of your comfort zone, to give you the words to say to reach the hearts of those you come in contact with. He's there to help you.
And as an extra word of caution, strengthen your spiritual life. Be wary of presenting yourself as perfect. Be real with those you work with, rather than appearing fake and like a hypocrite to them. Acknowledge your sin, but also admit it's wrong, and that you need to work on removing it from your life. You are the only Bible many people may read. Be sure you represent Christ well as you are trying to do His work.
Well, I suppose my rant is over. If you read through the entire thing, I congratulate you. One of these days I will learn to get out everything I want to say more concisely. In the meantime, I shall continue posting long messages and wonder if anyone ever bothered to read the entire thing.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Christcore songs with a similar message: "To The Church" by Sinai Beach and "Scream" by Jonah33
Because Christian hardcore is depressingly overlooked.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:59 pm
i definitely have to agree with you there poetic. Demon hunter has some good songs too. Gets the blood going. Which is great at 7:30 AM ^.^
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:11 am
I love demon hunter, and I have heard some Jonah33 before. ^_^
It is good to get the blood flowing at 7:30am. And I have to be up at like 6:30 because my roommate and I are both trying to get up and ready at 7:30 and she takes the bathroom the whole darn hour.
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