It's Been Way Too Long...

So, after some gentle prodding from a few individuals (thanks, Slater), I've decided to make a concerted effort to return to blogging (I never really "quit", I just let it get swept away with the rest of life). And I'm going to attempt to post a blog at least once a week, amidst the job hunting, music playing, people seeing, book reading, Scrubs watching, Final Fantasy VII playing summer I have ahead of me.

A Discussion on Worship
Over the past few months, possibly even over the past year, I feel that my knowledge and view of worship has been expanded tenfold. I used to only think of worship as the act of us singing songs and playing instruments on Sunday mornings and (in college) Thursday nights for twenty to thirty minutes. Even predating that, I used to only think that worship was songs written by Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Charlie Hall, and I had even "broadened my horizons" to Australia with Hillsong United. And of course your standard hymns.

However, God revealed a huge truth: while all of the prior things mentioned are a part of worship, they do not make the whole.

To begin with, lets start with musical worship. Maybe its second nature, maybe its the American exceptionalism that influences our culture, but for the longest time, I assumed that God was only worshiped in English. I just pictured people in Kenya, China, Eastern Europe, and millions of other people around the world singing praise and worship songs in English. However, this is definitely not the case. Multi-cultural worship is a clear picture of what Heaven will be.

Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."


This is a picture of Heaven that John portrays in the book of Revelation. He says that there was "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." The worship in Heaven will not be pertained to Chris Tomlin and David Crowder, or the old hymns. It will include praise and worship songs in Mandarin, Swahili, the languages of Native American tribes, and thousands of languages that none of us can count the total number. We will all be there, singing the praises of God in our own tongues. The worship of God is not contained to one style or language, but encompasses all.

Now onto worship itself. At a retreat I went on earlier this summer (Rockbridge for all those who know it), I was provided a simple definition of worship. Worship is the act of ascribing worth to an object, person, idea, etc. When we are worshiping God, we are ascribing worth to Him. However, we do this with some many other aspects of our culture. Money, sports, celebrities, you name it, and you can think of at least one or two people (including myself and yourself) that ascribe worth to it. This new perspective on worship really helped solidify a lesson I was learning: Worship is a lifestyle. It is not contained by songs on Sunday mornings or Thursday nights, but it is a daily part of life.

Go read Genesis 22:1-19 and you will see what I mean. To give a short synopsis of what happens, God commands Abraham to go to the region of Moriah with his only son Issac ( I repeat only son), climb a mountain, and then offer his son Issac as a burnt offering. Let me repeat: Take only son --> climb mountain --> bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. No joke people, I promise you I'm not making this up.

Anyway, as Abraham, his son, and his posse of servants near the mountains, Abraham stopped and looked up at them. I could only imagine what was running through his head. The craziness of the situation, whether or not he was going to go through with it, memories of teaching his son Issac how to survive, nights of telling Issac stories when Issac was younger. After staring off at the mountains, Abraham tells his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Genesis 22:5)

"We will worship". Abraham didn't have an acoustic guitar and a songbook for him and Issac to go "Holy is the Lord" or "Reign in Me" on the mountaintop. No, he had a knife, some wood, and a fire. But here's the crazy thing: Abraham meant what he said. He wasn't telling his servants "we will worship" as a way to cover up what he was about to do, or possibly try to make himself feel better. His sacrifice of his only son was an act of worshiping God. He was saying to God, his son, and himself that "Look, I ascribe more worth to God than my son, or my role as a father". Abraham identified himself in God above all else. Not in himself, not in his son, not in his role as a father. If he did, I'm going to assume that he would have never started climbing that mountain in the first place (I know I wouldn't). Worship is how we live our lives. Worship is in our words, our actions, and our songs.

Currently Reading- Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
How People Grow by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Wow! A New Post!

So, I feel like for those of you who actually read my blog, I'm sorry. I haven't posted in about a month. I'm going to try to post on more of a regular basis from now on, but if I start slacking, call me out on it. Please.

(On with the post...)
So I believe one of my most exciting classes this semester is Intro to Fiction Writing (ENGL 130). For those who even have a slightest interest/joy in writing, take this class. It'll make you a better writer, and how many times do you get to write fiction for a class? (Plus, there's no midterm or final exam.) Anyway, I thought I would use the blog to share some of the works in progress I have for class (short stories and assignments, etc.) This post is the first of these sorts.

Some Background Info: The assignment for class was to write one scene, just one. So I wrote a scene for a possible short story called "Requiem" that I may use later on in class. I've set up the story to take place from multiple points of view, so this scene is just one point of view.

P.S. The feelings expressed by the character are not actually felt by me, no worries. Just me being "creative".

Hope you all enjoy, and any feedback is welcome.

________________________________________

Light filters in through the stained glass, the blues and reds clashing with the black dresses and coats we’re all wearing. Dust spins and falls on everyone and everything. It’s quiet except for the occasional foot shuffle or cough. The light winds under and around the seats, fighting its way through the crowds of legs, feet, and purses. I’m up front. Mom’s to my left, with Mama to her left. Dad’s in front of me. Lying in his casket. Mom and Mama pull out handkerchiefs, dabbing their eyes and wiping away their tears. My eyes stay down, too afraid to show their clearness. I look at the wood floors, studying the grain, wondering what kind and how old it is. Maybe mahogany. Or oak. I follow the grain up to where Dad is at. He looks calm, cool, relaxed. He’s wearing one of his favorite suits, this navy number with subtle gray pinstripes that he picked up on a business trip to New York. He always wanted me to go into business, to “follow in his footsteps”, “keep up the family name”. When I majored in business at school, he was happy. Told me that it was one of the few “smart decisions” I’ve made. I always hated business.

He was only in his mid 50s when it happened. I got a phone call from Mom late one night, telling me that Dad had had a heart attack after dinner and that I needed to get home as quick as possible. She was crying pretty hard. Hate to say it, but we all knew it was coming. None of us said it out loud, but we all knew. Grandpa died of one; his Dad died of one. So we all knew it was coming. I’ll probably die of one too. Just “following in the footsteps”.

The organ begins to play “The Wind Beneath My Wings” as we slowly move towards the casket. Mama and Mom are in front of me, paying their last respects. They both take their time, whispering their last goodbyes and their last “I love you”s. I unpin the rose from the lapel that all the pall-bearers had to wear. I twirl it between my fingers, feeling the cool stiffness of the plastic stem. I run my finger over the petals, the plastic making them too rigid to separate. I lift up the rose to my nose; there’s no scent.

Now it’s just me and Dad. I look down at his face, his salt-and-pepper hair and moustache neatly trimmed like always. He looks at peace, he looks happy. I search to say something to him, but nothing comes to mind. I stand there, rolling the rose in my hand as we both stare lifelessly back at one another. Finally, I drop the rose onto the casket and lean down to where only me and him could hear:

“Dad, I never loved you.”

Currently Reading- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Currently Listening To:
Song- "O, For a Thousand Tongues Can Sing"

Artist- David Crowder Band

Album- "Remedy"

Ringing In the New Year

So, 2007 is officially gone. Fin. Done. Game Over. It was an interesting year, to say the least. A year full of difficult times, jokes where I laughed myself to tears, hard decisions, growth, transitions, the start of new wonderful relationships and friendships, the close of other friendships and relationships, and a lot of change in myself and the people around me. I feel like 2007 was a growth period from me in all aspects. Spiritually, I feel more matured. I now have somewhat of an idea what my life may look like for the next few years. My life has been invested into by some amazing people, and I'm also investing into the lives of other amazing individuals. I've learned more about who I am as a man of God, what my strengths are, as well as what my weaknesses are. Maybe it's just something I've noticed, but I hope my growth is noticeable to others as well.

To all those who made this past year memorable, I want to say thank you. Goss, M Bare, Kevin, Noah, Joe, Whitney, Erin, Rebekah, Chase, Natalie, Alex M, AK, Kelsey, Courtney C, Courtney G, Emiwee, PJ, Deese, Josh W, Chase, D-Bowes, Nathan, Nate, Lindsey O, Mattt, Kemp, John F., Sam, Eric, MAB II, Lori, Rebecca, Wyatt, Robert, Anthony, Kendall, Chad, Jacob, Dan, Q, Vans, EVB, Adam, Josh, Mom, Dad, Chad, Johnny D, Maroon, Carmen, Blake, Will, Nick aka "Pops", Professor Kaufman, Kathryn, Mlot, Graham, Michael, Alex C, Cassidy, Murph, Max, Vogler, Roy, Phil, both Andy Ds, Rachel, T-Hans, Christine, Alex T, Leila, Katie, Sarah H. Thank you, thank you all.

(If I left you off the list, I'm sorry, there's a lot of people, these are just the first names that come to mind)

As for 2008, I'm ready for the new year to come and bring what it has to offer. The fun times, the difficult nights, an ridiculous trip with three awesome guys, the heartbreaks, the romances, the discoveries and rediscoveries, the evolution of current relationships and the beginnings of new ones.

Bring it, I'm ready.

I hope everyone has a happy new year and that God blesses you innumerably.

Currently Listening To:
Track- The Strongest Flame

Artist- Papertongues

Currently Reading:
Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller

The Actions of Christ

Sometimes, I feel like the actions of Christ speak to me more than His actual words. I was reading in Matthew last night and it happened again.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagouges, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Matthew 4:23-25

Last night, as I laid in bed attempting to fall asleep, pictures of the events described in these two verses kept running through my mind. I looked something like this:

Jesus walked through the streets of Galilee, preaching of His arrival, the arrival of the Savior of Man, at any opportunity that presented itself. He preached on the street corners, in the marketplace. He even taught in the Jewish synagouges, though he faced opposition from Jewish leaders and was not an ordained rabbi. The Good News, this Gospel of Truth could not and would not be contained by law or custom. While preaching, he walked through the masses, healing all those who were sick and disease-ridden. He placed His hands on the paraplegics, the lepers, the ones deemed "unclean" by society and loved upon them and cured them.
Soon, news traveled throughout the neighboring lands about a man in Galilee who had the healing power of God. People gathered spouses, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends and journeyed for days to come to see the man who called himself the Son of God and healed the sick. Thousands upon thousands of the sick and disease-ridden arrived in Galilee, lining up to be healed. Jesus, though weary from travel, placed His rough, calloused hands upon the face of the first person in line. Then the next. And the next. And the next. And the next. He put His hands upon those suffering in agonizing pain, and released them from their bonds of anguish. He put His hands on those possessed by demons, and cast out the evil spirits. He calmed those suffering from seizures. He lifted the burdens of the paralyzed and allowed them to move. Those that society drew back from, Jesus reached out with His weathered hands and grasped onto.
Jesus stayed there for days, healing and casting out demons. The line stretched past the horizon and neared infinity. As more and more left rejoicing and telling of the name of Jesus, more of the sick and needy arrived. Though tired and weary, He did not turn away a single person in need of healing. He stayed and healed every last disease, sickness, and pain in every last individual until there was no one left to heal. Because of His wondrous acts, the thousands that Jesus healed and many, many more followed Him. They formed a sea so vast and numerous that it was impossible to count. They had seen of this man's healing powers and of His love, and were ready to follow faithfully.

This is the Christ whose birth we celebrate on this blessed day. The Christ who ushered in healing, redemption, freedom from pain and sickness, freedom from sin, and an unconditional, undying, everlasting, agape love.

Merry Christmas.


Currently Listening To:
Track- "Again"

Album- "Undeserving"

Artist- mel washington band

Currently Reading:
Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

The Glory of It All

This song has been stuck in my head for the past couple days:

At the start
he was there, he was there
In the end,
he’ll be there, he’ll be there

And After all our hands have wrought
He forgives

Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
For the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all
for the glory of it all

All is lost
find him there, find him there
After night
Dawn is there, Dawn is there

After all falls apart
he repairs he repairs

Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
for the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all

oh he is here
for redemption from the fall
that we may live
for the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all
the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all

After night
comes the light
dawn is here
dawn is here
it’s a new day
it’s a new day
everything will change
things will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same

Oh, The glory of it all is
you came here
for the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all

Oh you are here
with redemption for us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all
for the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all

Well put Mr. Crowder, very well put.

Currently Listening to

Track- "Glory of it All"

Album- Remedy

Artist- David Crowder Band

Currently Reading

Rant, An Oral Biography by Chuck Palahniuk

Some Christmas Reccomendations

Since everyone else is, I thought I would share some of my favorite Christmas albums and films. They are:

Albums
"Charlie Brown Christmas"- Vince Guaraldi Trio
This is some of the most beautiful renditions of Christmas music I've heard. Guaraldi is a masterful piano player, playing poignantly and expressively. With a laid-back feel, this album was instantly put you in a good mood, at ease, and ready for Christmas Day.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Technically this is an artist, not an album. Nonetheless, they are amazing. Tons of technical electric guitar leads and amazing orchestral arrangements that make you want to head-bang to "Silent Night".

Films
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"
By far, my personal favorite of the franchise of films. Great lines, great slapstick, and one awesome sledding scene.

"The Christmas Story"
A classic, I feel like everyone should see this at least once. A simple story of one kid's pursuit to gain his dream gift, and once again proves the theory that if you put your tongue on a frozen pole/piece of metal, it will stick.

"Die Hard"
Possibly the manliest Christmas movie ever made. Who doesn't want to see Bruce Willis take out an entire terrorist organization in one night? And yes, it is a Christmas movie, just watch it and you will see.

If you haven't seen/listened to any of this, it is imperative that you do so. NOW.

Currently Listening
Track- "Voices"
Album- "Saosin"
Artist- Saosin

Currently Reading
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Putting the "fun" in dysfunction

When I was younger, I used to think that dysfunctional families only happened on television shows. You know, you have the lovable dysfunctional family of TV sitcoms where everyone still has their problems, but they make you laugh, so it's okay. Or you have you dysfunctional families of TV dramas, where [insert family member(s)] may be dealing with substance abuse, abusive to their kids/spouses, emotionally distant, and the list goes on and on. The issue of dysfunction was something of an abstract concept to me, something that only happened in the world of Hollywoodland. Man was I wrong....

Over the past few weeks I have been reawakened to the frightening realness of dysfunction and the epidemic our world is suffering from. I've been reminded of my own family's history with dysfunction and abuse, and also had conversations with those I never expected to come from dysfunctional families. Last week, I grabbed lunch with a friend one day, and a mutual friend proceeded to join us. The conversation started off light, talking and laughing, but then it became a bit darker. They both began to share about their families and their dysfunctional pasts. Non-supportive parents, manipulative relationships, adultery, lying, hypocrisy were just some of the topics mentioned. I sat there in complete silence, not knowing what to say, amazed with the battles they have to fight daily. However, I was even more amazed by the fact of how good these two people are. How loving they are, the compassion in their hearts, their servant attitudes. (I can come up with a million other things to say, but I'll save you and me both time and keep it short) I was then reminded of the story of a family member, who came from a physically and sexually abusive home and they are one of the most loving and caring persons I have met in my 19ish years. None of it seemed to make sense. I felt like there was a disconnect. I found myself thinking "how can such good people come from such horrendous situations?"

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.- Philippians 1:15-18

(Most of you are now probably wondering why I randomly quoted Philippians. I promise it'll make sense, just work with me)

I was doing a weekly bible study with a friend and we came along this passage. At first, neither of us understood it. "How can good come out of selfish motives?" "How can Christ be preached from a prideful heart?" It seemed like faulty logic. Then, God dropped some knowledge on me like a ton of bricks. This passage is a reminder of God's power to overcome even the worst situations and evil desires to perform His good and righteous will. He can overcome selfish desires, pride and envy, greed, and dysfunctional family histories to create something beautiful and glorious. Heck, He can use selfish desires, pride and envy, greed, and dysfunctional families to produce something beautiful and glorious. This is the power of God. The power of God is not held within the limits of human sin. His infinite power cannot be contained by our finite actions. The moment Jesus sacrificed himself upon The Cross, all boundaries established by our sins were broken down. There is no more wall dividing us from God. It's truly a beautiful thing to realize.


Currently Listening
Track-"Bright and Dirty Lights"
Album- Justin King and the Apologies
Artist- Justin King and the Apologies

Currently Reading
Blue like Jazz by Donald Miller