Music Mondays

We are in the middle of March Madness. 

 

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is must-see tv for basketball junkies like me, to say nothing of the fans and alumni of college teams.

The basketball is not always pretty, but every year it provides great drama. So great, that you get this kind of reaction when teams are trading baskets at the end of a tie game:

To me, I find that whole thing amusing, concerning, and understandable. I would absolutely react the same way had it been my favorite team. It’s one thing to go crazy in the moment as a game is decided. It’s an entirely different issue when sports lead to this kind of thing:

Yesterday I preached (sermon upload coming soon) on how our society has made sports an idol and how that can lead to harmful results. But I also wanted to emphasize how Christians can properly view athletics. 

Sports aren’t inherently evil – don’t hear me saying that. They can be played and viewed with a balanced perspective. I believe God has given us things like sports to find joy in this life and to teach us spiritual lessons.  You can listen to my sermon for my biblical rationale, but I also thought this could lead into a Music Monday.

Admittedly, there aren’t a lot of sports-themed songs that really stand out (though feel free to comment if one does), but this song kind of fits the bill in a fun, silly way.

This is a classic “Youth Group” song of the 1990’s about heaven. And the unique thing about it is the line about how we’ll be playing football in eternity. Some more serious theologians may object to it’s biblical inaccuracy.  But really, who knows? 

We’re not given a ton of specifics about what heaven will be like beyond the glorious presence of God. But one can make the legitimate case that if God has given us elements in this life for our fun and enjoyment, what’s to say that there won’t be opportunities to play catch, shoot hoops, or something along those lines in heaven?

The bottom line is, we can play sports to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31, 9:24-27,  James 1:17), and when we do that well in the here and now, we’re really just practicing for eternity.

Music Mondays

It's been a couple weeks. We took a mini-vacation to Gatlinburg on a Pastors and Spouses Retreat. It isn't necessarily warm in Tennessee this time of year. But it was definitely pleasant and a needed get-away. It proved to be the kind of scenario where one is refreshed by almost everything - the food, the fellowship, and the scenery.

That experience plus a curious case of deja vu led me to this week's highlighted song.

This is new single by Needtobreathe is just perfectly fit for retreats surrounded by nature and Spring's arrival (it's today!). It also has happened to be playing three consecutive Sunday mornings in a row as I've been getting ready for church. And of course I heard it again on my way to the office this morning. I began to realize that maybe I should be sure to "come to the fountain and be satisfied."  
I can't be certain - maybe it's a message from God, maybe it's random deja vu, maybe it's just the nature of Christian radio...whatever the case it has inserted a little joy into each of my mornings when I've heard it. 
 

Music Mondays

The Beatles lied to us. Love is not all you need.

Ok, they weren't intentionally deceiving us, given that they wrote their famous hit "All You Need is Love" for a TV special promoting world peace and harmony. 

But how many people have taken that line and adopted it as a romantic philosophy, no-questions-asked?

On this blog, I typically highlight songs worth considering. This week, I decided to go negative given that "Love" has become such an American idol, it's hard to choose just one pop song that illustrates our cultural worship of romance.

I've begun a sermon series that works through many of these "American Idols" and we kicked things off assessing the dangers of making love an idol. Specifically we looked at an episode in life of Jacob that effectively illustrates all the pitfalls of treating love like a god.

Love is a crucial part of the Christian life and a natural part of the human experience. But to pursue satisfaction from it is a fool's errand.

Music Mondays

As the pinnacle of the great sign miracles of Jesus, John records for us the Lord's raising of Lazarus from the dead. It is the glorious capstone of Jesus' works and it fully reveals who He is unlike any of the other signs He did.

For critics, John 11 is an easy target to aim at in their goal of reducing Jesus to a mere religious figure. They search for alternative explanations, they cast doubt on it's authenticity, and they deny it's reality. 

For believers, John 11 is an overwhelming wave of hope that washes over us and leaves us forever changed. 

John 11 is the story of Jesus confronting death and proving it is no match for his divine identity. There are beautiful details showing him calling his followers to faith and emotionally responding to the fallenness of this world. 
But the truly impactful part of this story is the dramatic demonstration of Jesus calling Lazarus back to life. It is a showcase of His infinite power and a foreshadowing of what is to come in His own person.

That is why this song resonates so much with me:

You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forevermore You reign

What a beautiful, wonderful, and powerful name it is - the name of Jesus. 

Music Mondays

The biggest award show in the music business - The Grammys - were held last night. 


My guys Twenty One Pilots picked up a golden statue and dropped their pants in the process. 

There were some legendary performers up for awards and on the docket for live performances - Beyonce, Adele, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga. The highlight of the night for me was Chance the Rapper performing a medley with Kirk Franklin that "took us to church" as they say.

He remixed Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God" classic and made it his own. Even if you can't keep up with his rap, the energy and emotion and joy is undeniably uplifting. And when you are able to digest his lyrics, the song's power is amplified even more.

Am I familiar with his entire catalog? No. Could his songs or his life have "objectionable" aspects that would bother the Pharisees among us? Probably. But when an artist like Kirk Franklin vouches for you, I'm willing to promote it too.

Music Mondays

As a pastor, one goal I have each Sunday is to leave the people hungry for more. Hungry for more of Jesus and His Word, more of worship and fellowship with the people of God.

Well, yesterday I made them hungry in a more literal sense. We were studying the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in John 6. Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fish and abundantly provided for this mass of people. But in the aftermath of the miracle, it became clear that there was a larger point. In verses 22-71, Jesus debates and discusses with the people the reality that he is the Bread of Life. He is true food from heaven, not meant to satisfy our bellies but our very souls. 

To accentuate this story, I remembered an idea from a seminary preaching class and I had some helpers bake Pillsbury rolls in our oven during my sermon. I should mention that our kitchen is right next to the sanctuary and they propped the door open a little and turned a fan on to waft the fragrance of baking bread through our sanctuary. Afterward a number of people made comments that it was really effective in causing them hunger pains. 

As to whether I made the proper theological connections and applications, you can judge for yourself here. But I wanted to highlight a song that captures the crux of John 6. Though it's not about 'bread', this Tomlin classic does extol the truth that Jesus is more than enough for all our wants and needs. He provides and gives us life. He is more awesome than we can even know.

To anti-refugee Christians

It is disheartening to hear of our President's Executive Order banning refugees and citizens from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. 

Disheartening but not surprising, since this is essentially what he's promised from the early days of his campaign. 

Disheartening but not surprising that the seven nations listed do not include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Turkey - all nations where Trump has business interests. 

But this post is not about bashing our President. Out of respect for God's Word and the Office itself, I will pray for him and his administration. 


No, this post is about those anti-refugee American Christians that support this measure. There is no biblical reason and very few practical reasons to view this as a good thing.

Let's start with the practical first - and I'm going to keep this short and sweet:

To anti-refugee American Christians, you are safe. 
Research shows that crime rates do not proportionally rise when we welcome in these refugees. You have a 1-in-3.64 BILLION chance of being murdered by a refugee. These are people who are thoroughly screened by multiple government security organizations. It is irrational and illogical to support this ban when people need our help.

Now for the biblical argument against supporting this Order.

It is a consistent biblical theme, that God expects His people to welcome the "alien and stranger" among them and treat them well.
No matter the covenant, age, or circumstance, God is consistent on this point - see Deuteronomy 10:17-20, Isaiah 14:1-3, Ezekiel 22:29, Jeremiah 22:3, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 25:35, Hebrews 13:2.  

One of the most powerful passages that highlights caring for refugees is Jesus story of The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. It's a story many learn from childhood because it's such a great example of love no matter your (or their) political or religious background.

And let me make one more philosophical-yet-biblical point:

This is an incredible opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus!

These people are fleeing closed, hostile-to-the-Gospel nations and seeking asylum with us. 

For decades and even centuries, missionaries have tried to advance the Kingdom of Christ and share the Gospel even in the face of persecution. It has been hard work and lives have been lost so that the Truth could set people free. Underground churches have formed and disciples have been made under great duress. I have been to one such place. It is inspiring to see people be faithful to Jesus despite the dangers. But while the Gospel has spread, these nations have continued to remain spiritually oppressive and antagonistic towards Christianity. It makes Gospel work very difficult.

But now Muslims from these restrictive areas are seeking to come to our nation where we can freely and openly share with them the hope of Jesus?  Are you kidding me? 

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY!!!

If it seems like I'm shouting, that's because I am. 

Let's not let this chance go to waste. Let's invite as many in (through the proper channels of course) - and let's as the Church, mobilize to reach out to these needy people. Let's help them with their practical and their spiritual needs.

Let's not give in to irrational fear, but let's seize upon this as an opportunity God is putting in our laps to advance the cause of Christ.

As the people of God, let's make our voices heard that we do not support this ban or any other measure that would similarly needlessly hinder people from entering our country.