I highly suspect that subconsciously the existence of this running "Music Monday" theme goes back to my childhood when my parents were invested in a traveling music ministry. Both of them were very talented and would travel to various churches and cities to present special concerts and I got to tag along as a pre-school aged kid. Many memories still rattle around in my brain, like the time our van started rolling away in a church parking lot as dad and some volunteers were unloading equipment. Likewise, many of the songs have stuck in my head too. This week's selection was one of those songs. An early eighties single from the group Truth, it is a mini-time capsule taking us back to those early days of contemporary Christian music.
Why feature it? Well, it popped into my head last week as I was preparing my sermon on Isaiah 36-39. Those chapters recount some tension-filled days in the reign of King Hezekiah. For the most part, the King trusted the Lord - relying on him completely despite great odds. But alas, in chapter 39 he makes a foolish blunder. I believe the whole story, taken in the context of Isaiah's book, is meant to leave us wanting more. Isaiah had promised a coming King who would set things right and faithfully lead God's people. King Hezekiah (and others) did so to a point - but they were just place holders until God's true Messiah-King would arrive. To a great extent, Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus' life and ministry as a fulfillment of God's promises in Isaiah. The crowds of Matthew 21 were celebrating Jesus' kingly arrival even though they didn't fully understand God's plan or the nature of Jesus' kingship. So, in a round-about way, Isaiah 36-39 connects with Palm Sunday - reminding us that there is one faithful king who succeeded where human kings failed. The beauty of Palm Sunday and Easter can indeed be summed up in the concise phrase - "Jesus Never Fails".
Sometimes a song will come along that may not be your style, but you recognize how good it is. You can appreciate it's excellence and value. I'd put today's Music Monday selection in that category. I came across it when a few Facebook friends shared it. The artist, Andrew Peterson, is someone I'm only vaguely aware of. The song, Is He Worthy?,probably won't end up on any Christian radio charts. But wow is it hauntingly good, taking us to the scene of Revelation 5:
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
The creative inclusion of question and response along with the unique visuals of the video make this one of my favorite songs to consider as we head into this Easter season.
UPDATE: It appears as though Peterson's video created a small social media firestorm for featuring no actual diversity for a song that is inspired by the heavenly picture of those "from every tribe and tongue and people and language". Peterson published a lengthy apology and explanation of the glaring oversight. Though some may read it differently, I find it very honest, contrite, and sincere.
At the end of this blog, I'll post a music selection for this week. But I wanted to feature something else this week. Last Friday I sent out a bunch of tweets regarding biblical interpretation and theological discussions. It seemed to be well received but because of the character limits and the format of Twitter, the entirety of my rant was hard to follow. So, thanks to one friend's suggestion, I'm posting it as a whole here. I am likely to add some short additions but I hope you enjoy and maybe even are provoked to think deeper on these things. ----------------------- I've been in ministry around 15 years with a M.Div that was 90+ credits. But the most helpful theological instruction I ever received was something I got early on in my first Systematic Theology class when I believe I was a freshman in college. What follows is from the late Dr. Dave Plaster. There are levels of authority/certainty when it comes to asserting theological truth. To quote Dr. Plaster, "An understanding of where a statement rests in authority helps us to determine our attitude towards others who disagree with us." "(The level) does not mean we do not hold various statements with conviction even when others disagree...but we should avoid a 'flat' theology which does not distinguish between levels of authority."
These are the 6 levels: 1. Direct Statements of Scripture.
These carry the greatest weight of authority. The plain statements of God's Word offer us doctrinal truths that should be non-negotiable. But let's be sure these essential truths are not interpretations. 2. Direct Implications from Scripture.
These are very substantially established truths from Scripture but are implications (maybe even applications) and not always 100% directly stated in the Bible. 3. Probable Implications of Scripture.
These are inferences drawn tentatively. Some evidence is probable but these are theological statements not totally provable from the Bible. 4. Inductive Conclusions from Scripture.
This is where statements/beliefs come from the overall data of Scripture with lots of deducing. There is less direct Biblical evidence being employed. 5. Conclusions inferred from General Revelation.
These involve assertions that come from nature, science, and non-biblical wisdom/knowledge. Dr. Plaster taught that if the clear Biblical truth is opposed to this "General Revelation", the Biblical position should be taken. 6. Outright speculations.
These are theological statements that could possibly be derived from obscure references in the Word. The early levels will have more direct ties to a lot of Scripture, but this will lessen the further down the continuum one goes.
Also, we should hold firmly to Level 1 truths, but loosen our grip the further we go. For example, I will never compromise on faith in Jesus Christ as God's way of salvation. That's Level 1. I would die for that.
But I am not willing to risk my life on whether or not the Church will live through a 7 year literal tribulation in the end times. That is more a Level 4 (maybe 3) truth, mostly because there is plenty of biblical data for different viewpoints. These levels are important to think through for a lot of other issues of course. When life begins, Human Sexuality, Creation vs. Evolution, the reality of Heaven/Hell, and Eternal Security are all popular hot-button topics that even people outside the faith engage in at times. These topics need to be viewed through the lense of these levels, even before we ardently defend our views on them.
I have seen more basic versions of these levels of interpretations - where core doctrine is differentiated from traditional dogma which is differentiated from personal preference. But I appreciate this more-specific lens through which to look at theology. We will better understand our own beliefs and better engage in discussions if we accurately assess what level our positions come from.
Good reminders for us all, thanks Dr. Plaster.
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As promised, here's a musical selection for anyone who has persevered this far. This song is directly connected to my sermon from Sunday, which was out of Isaiah 24-26.
It's by a well-known worship artist, Chris Tomlin but it is not one of his popular tunes. I fell in love with it off of his "Live from Austin Music Hall" album of 2004. The cool thing about it is that it features David Crowder and really improves on the original.
A tempo change in the live version plus addition of the lyric "Jesus, Lord and Savior" within the chorus were perfect ways to improve the song - at least in my opinion.
I'm a pastor, so my world is unique. The people I meet, the conversations I have, the routine of my job - all unique. And one part of the uniqueness of my calling is that from time-to-time, I will encounter people who still want to fight a war that's already been lost. Ultimately, in the larger American Christian culture, this issue is settled. The worship wars were waged and the "contemporary side" gained the most ground and is the most favored form of worship music in (American) Christendom. The traditional side still staunchly continues and those of us who prefer a blended approach still hold pockets here and there. But contemporary worship that involves bands and soft-rock music and lights and visual presentations has won the day.
They will lob snarky criticism at contemporary worship, creating straw-man arguments and generalizations about how nobody writes with any theological depth anymore. All the new music is simply sensual love songs repackaged and rewritten with "God", "Jesus", and "the Lord" edited in. The classic hymns passed down throughout history, resplendent with all of their progressive verses and rousing choruses are far superior than the repetitive and shallow songs of this generation. And I understand their comments and to an extent they have a point. However they are completely fixated on the mediocre while ignoring the large quantity of evidence that contradicts their assertions. Well, let's add more to the growing list of modern worship songs that reflect the popular cultural styles but include strong biblical theology:
I'm sure some curmudgeonly nit-picker will find fault with a word or phrase or other detail. But wow is this creative and comprehensive. And the best part in my opinion is that it's not merely a feel-good song, but a song of commitment. It enlarges our vision of God and pledges to faithfully follow Him. So Will I, indeed.
Reg. E. Cathey died last week. He was a distinguished supporting actor in a variety of notable TV shows and movies. I always recognized him from a treasured PBS show from my childhood - Square One. Square One was a educational show typically broadcast right after school. It was a sort of "Saturday Night Live" sketch show that taught kids stuff. And Cathey was one of it's featured actors. My particular favorite was always the episode-concluding "Mathnet" mystery stories - think "Dragnet" where they solve crimes through good ol' fashioned arithmetic. Cathey wasn't part of that part of the show from what I remember, but he was in most everything else. I think back nostalgically and am amazed how creative that show was. Beyond the "Mathnet" features, all of the skits and songs they came up with were equally memorable. So this week, in honor of Mr. Cathey, I give you one of his "big hits" The video quality isn't great, but I'd bet my house this song will get stuck in your head.
Rend Collective's newest album was my latest purchase on iTunes this winter. It's probably my first purchase in a year and a half actually. It's a complicated story, but needless to say, my Windows had a corruption that, of all things, prevented me from signing into the iTunes store and purchasing any new music. Weird, but I was thankful to get it fixed recently when my laptop required professional attention because the issue began affecting it's WiFi receptivity. You could accurately say, I was counting my blessings when it was fixed and I discovered my iTunes was working properly. That's kind of a lame lead-in, but this week's song is in fact "Counting Every Blessing" by Rend Collective. So far it's my favorite track off their excellent album. Enjoy:
I'm not doing my traditional Music Monday feature today. Instead, I'm going to share a post I've been writing in my head since the birth of my son. It's a bit of a lengthy story, but it's our family's story and I hope it will encourage you and turn your gaze upon our trustworthy Savior. ------------------------------------------------------- Let me start in 2016. That was a tough year for my wife and me. We had an ectopic pregnancy in the spring and then a 'normal' miscarriage in the fall. We struggled through the pain, tried to look at the positives, and sought to trust the Lord with this process of starting a family. We both did not want to start having kids right away when we got married in 2007 and by the time other life circumstances opened it up, we discovered in a painful way that God wanted us to make this "normal part of life" a matter of faith. When we discovered we were pregnant again in the spring of '17, our excitement was tempered by caution. Going through what we did the previous year will do that. We were grateful as each doctor's appointment gave us indications that this baby was healthy and the pregnancy was looking good. Nine months seemed to drag along as we went about our lives and prepared here and there for our new arrival. Finally, as we hit December the excitement really began building. We had a due date of January 4 and had conversations with seemingly everyone we knew about the positives and negatives of having a baby around Christmas and/or New Year's. Tate was not especially anxious to come early, which was fine (tax benefits notwithstanding). Our primary doctor assessed Stephanie's situation and decided to induce around the due date. So, we were admitted into KCH Tuesday night, January 2nd, so we would be ready to begin the process. The steps they take to induce didn't really work on Wednesday and by Thursday - the actual due date - they added Pertussin or something like that, which really kicks in the birth process. Stephanie wanted to do it natural and avoid the epidural, but after long, painful contractions and little progress, we went with the shot. The epidural sped things up Thursday night and by about 10:30 pm, it was game time. The doctor and nurses were great all week and they were especially comforting and encouraging at this point. We got to the point after midnight where the baby was right there, but pushing was not getting this little guy out. I was feeling a little anxious and frustrated when the baby wasn't coming and I can just imagine how drained my wife must have felt. The doctor then went with the little vacuum/suction cup apparatus to pull him out, sensing Stephanie's fatigue. First try didn't work, the cup popped off - ugh. After a few minutes and in line with the next contraction, the doctor was able to pull our little boy out. The next moments are both very clear, but also a complete blur. To finally see my son born and them laying him on my wife's stomach was something I'll never forget. He had a little weird color but I'd never seen this before so I had no clue what to expect. His eyes were open and head happened to be turned right towards me. The doctor, who had an hour before confirmed with me that I'd cut the umbilical cord, asked me to do so - "Boy," I thought, "that seems really immediate". Oh well, I'd never been here before. And one snip later, the cord was cut. The doctor and nurses had also stated several times during our stay that they promoted "skin-to-skin" care right after birth. It's where they place the baby on mom's chest right away so that mother and child can bond. Tate was laying on her as I cut the cord but pretty quickly after that, they took him off and placed him into what appeared to be a computerized changing station that had been in our room since our arrival. "Huh, that was quick. I thought the 'skin-to-skin' thing would be more prolonged." But my mind was overwhelmed by everything I was just taking it all in, not realizing my wife was also wondering the same thing. As I was taking it all in, I began to sense some tension in the room. The doctor, flanked by two nurses, were speaking in quiet and terse sentences as they powered up the computerized station and cleaned off our son. But they were really doing more than cleaning. The doctor was rubbing his hands over Tate's body. It was then that I realized that Tate had been kind of limp since he came out. That, plus the color I'd noticed earlier began setting off minor alarms in my mind. I tried to ignore them and play cool, realizing my wife couldn't see much from her position and was certainly in a lot of discomfort. Moments later, one nurse began putting a CPR-type breathing mask over Tate's mouth and it started to hit me. By now the changing station was powered on and the heart monitor was beeping and showing about the same numbers that the monitors' had while he was still in the birth canal. Ok, his heart was beating - good sign. But not breathing - that's a problem. Now worry was beginning to build. Soon, our medical team decided they needed another hand and the quickest way to do that was to hit the blue button by my wife's bed - a 'code blue' I guess (?). This called all available hospital workers to our room (!). We did get that extra hand pretty quickly, but chaos ensued as more and more people poked their heads in our room and offered their services. That certainly didn't help soothe the mounting anxiety inside of me. "C'mon little guy, pull through" and "No God, don't let this happen!" are some of the panicked thoughts I still recall as I shot up some prayers the rest of which I'm pretty sure needed the Holy Spirit's interpretation. There wasn't a lot of sound coming from our little guy. Just the piano-key-like beeping of the station that was monitoring him. These minutes felt like hours and every little baby noise made my heart flutter with hope. At one point I buried my face beside my wife's ear and prayed for the both of us on behalf of our son. I could tell her concern level was matching mine. Later on, one of those nurses, Cory, who providentially was a neo-natal resuscitation specialist, would tell us the ordeal went about four minutes. But Cory, Megan, and Dr. Cook did get our little guy breathing again. It was a relief like I'd never known when their tone changed and they shared that he was doing ok and breathing on his own. Sometimes this happens they would explain, when the baby comes out of the womb and is shell-shocked at this new world they are entering and they don't realize they need to actually breathe. Relief and joy and gratitude washed over us. They took him to the nursery to monitor him for a little bit and despite all the machine beeps and alarms, our little guy stayed wide-eyed and pretty chill - just taking in everything, and of course breathing on his own. That's where this picture was taken, probably about 3 am.
It's a scary thing to imagine how close we came to being utterly devastated. We know couples who have lost children late in term. We have heard stories of babies who died at birth. I can't offer a perfect theological explanation for those situations, but in our case I can confidently say that God was so gracious to us. He was looking out for us. We had the perfect set of medical professionals for this kind of problem and the Great Physician watching over us.
Someday, we will tell our son about his first four minutes. I hope to do so in such a way and at such an age where he will truly understand God's protective and providential hand on his life. I hope he will recognize how even with his birth, we can see God's grace and love for us tangibly at work.
Someday we will tell our son about his first four minutes and how they were a reaffirming experience for us of God's infinite goodness and infinite mercy.
