At least I’m going to try. After a 3:30 removal this morning and not getting back to sleep, I may suddenly drop to my keyboard mid-sentence. If so, you’ll know wh

Just kidding.

Mark 1, a man with leprosy came to Jesus begging for mercy and healing. “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

You probably know the story, but if not you can read vv.40 – 45 to refresh your memory.

When I was preaching (or attempting to preach, depending on whom you ask), I loved the challenge of finding an angle or an application that I’d never seen nor heard before. Sometimes I even found that elusive angle / application without stealing it from Swindoll or Ortberg … but let’s not go there.

As our preacher walked us through the passage again this past Sunday, he gave us an angle I’d not considered. Lepers were forced to live outside the community, their disease viewed as a curse from God. When they did go into the community, they had to dress in tattered clothing, their hair unkempt, and warn others by crying loudly, “Unclean!”

For the most part, they appeared in public as would a mourner … and rightly so, for they were mourning themselves.

After Jesus healed the leper, Mark tells us, “Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.”

The angle: Jesus and the leper exchanged “places” … for the leper to live in a whole community, Jesus was forced to live in lonely places.

Dave’s point on Sunday (followed by good, practical application) was that compassion is costly. But well worth the cost for the sake of Christ.

When was the last time your compassion was costly?

Cinderella

Little Red Riding Hood

Sleeping Beauty

Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Snow White (below … for some reason, the blog site stopped putting pictures below titles???)

Hope you have a relaxing Labor Day. More tomorrow . . .

So one day we were walking to or from downtown Sheffield (you’d have to visit there to believe it) and I saw a sticker in the back window of a car that proclaimed: ALABAMA.

I figured my cousin would be very impressed that someone was as proud of his state as he. I’d never heard of University of Alabama or the other, lesser institute of learning in some hick-town-cow-pasture about 160 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa was, after all, home of (at that time) the winning-est coach in college football – the esteemed Paul “Bear” Bryant and his formidable Crimson Tide.

David quickly informed me that sticker had nothing to do with the sovereign state of Alabama and was, in the context of football, as bad as any profanity I might ever allow to slip from my lips. And I’d been known to let some profanity slip from my lips on regular occasions.

In time, we moved to Montgomery and I learned that every resident of the state was required to announce allegiance to Alabama or that other school. To live in the deep south was to be an SEC football fanatic. My choice was mainly by default … my parents loved Alabama football, so we never watched the other school unless it was the Iron Bowl. The final game of the regular season when the two schools played each other.

During the season, every Sunday afternoon we watched “The Bear Bryant Show” where he would go over the game tapes of the previous day. Bear didn’t really talk as much as he growled. But we loved him … and still miss him. I look back on it now and realize it had more to do with advertising Coke and Lay’s Potato chips than the actual game itself. When Alabama won (which was often), Bear never took credit for the victory, and when they lost (seldom) he always took the blame.

One thing for sure: No matter how the rest of the season went, there was no telling which team would win this game until the final moments of the final quarter. It was, and continues to be, collegiate football at its very best.

With the 2010 football season now upon us, I just wanted to share this wonderful graphic:

And if you’re interested in a theologically-sound treatise on college football, check out this blog by Dr. Michael Brown.

My cousin, a retired university professor still pledges his heart to that hick town southeast of Tuscaloosa. You’d think with six years (!) of high school and a Ph.D., he would be smarter than that.

Be that as it may: Let the season begin.

ROLL TIDE!

He can get sounds from his guitar that absolutely amaze me, all from various effects peddles and combinations and permutations (just thought I’d throw in that MATH term, meaning the effects are in a certain order … just wanted to impress myself one more time while I still can) of effects. I’m talking about one guitar sounding like a band!

Here is a picture of his effects board, complete with guys (and one gal) worshiping drooling.

And a close up.

And, once again, I struggled with lust. Maybe it’s time to stop thinking “guitars” and start thinking “effects!” Or, better, think acoustical. No need for all that stuff when you’re playing pure guitar.

I’ve been reading Frank Viola’s book, Pagan Christianity, in which he argues that most of what we do “in church” has its basis in pagan religions and philosophies rather than Scripture. A most interesting read to say the least.

So I’m listening to these gifted musicians (so far as history reveals, instruments were not used until several hundred years after the church was established), worship leaders (Frank Viola argues against worship pastors in favor of spontaneous singing, prayer, and sharing from the Word), and tech people talk about how to better draw people into an environment of worship … and I’m thinking how complicated we’ve made worship.

After all, in the first century Christians gathered and one had a song, another a word from God, another a prophecy, another a word of encouragement for a brother or sister. They shared a common meal in which they took time to remember the death, burial, resurrection, and second coming of Jesus. There was no preacher (as we experience preaching as the center of our time together). No praise team. No tech issues. No building maintenance. No church staff. Just fellowship and Spirit-led worship.

But that was then and this is now. A different culture. Trying to reach a different generation.

And I heard these leaders express time and again their passion to bring people to know Jesus and to worship him from the heart.

Yes, we’ve complicated things. But as our heart remains centered on Jesus and we can keep a passion for bringing ourselves closer to God … others to know Christ … and providing an atmosphere for praise … God will honor that.

This past Sunday, Dave’s sermon was so good, I stayed to hear it again. (Janice says I stayed inside because it was pushing 100 outside. Not true.) He is working through a series called “Jesus in 3-D” … not just hearing the stories, but experiencing Jesus again.

On this particular Sunday he took us back through parts of John 3 and 4.

Nicodemus, a very respected teacher in Israel, perhaps the teacher in Israel, comes to Jesus at night. Hiding under darkness. If you want to remember the story, here’s the way to do it: Nick at Nite!

From all we can tell, it took Nick three years to decide that following Jesus was worth the cost. After all, he was a leading member of the Pharisees and sat on the Sanhedrin (Israel’s Supreme Court … sort of) Council.

To follow Jesus was to give up everything he had obtained in life. Prominence. Prestige. Position. Possibly some other words that start with “P.” But in the end, we find him showing up with 70 pounds of spices to prepare Jesus’ crucified body for burial. That’s a very public proclamation.

In John 4 we have the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. She is the talk of the town, and goes to the well during the middle of the day to draw water. The “good” women of the town draw water in the early morning or late evening when the temperatures are cooler. You don’t find women at the well of Jacob at noon.

Oh … and Jacob’s well was a common type of well. A deep hole into which water seeped, so the water was cloudy. Dirty. In need of filtering. Jesus talks about “living water” which can also be rendered “fresh” or “running” water.

But we find this woman. Five times divorced. Shacking up with a man to whom she is not married. A rejected woman hiding under the cover of daylight. After her encounter with Jesus, it takes her about 30 minutes to show her allegiance to the Savior.

A respected man hiding under the cover of darkness.

A rejected woman hiding under the cover of daylight.

But they both discover the same truth: You can’t draw living water from the empty wells of our lives. His empty well was religion. Her empty well was relationship.

Though it takes him 3 years and her 30 minutes, they both come to know the only source of Life.

As I listened to Dave the second time around, my mind was flooded with the empty wells from which I’ve tried to draw living water. And without exception, it always came out cloudy. Dirty. Leaving me thirsty.

What about you? Been there? Done that?

It was a good morning at Chorus Church. The musicians with me really had my back! (Worship leadership is not one of my strengths. I’ve been told I do a good job, but if so, it comes with great effort and no little amount of stress to me.) The teaching touched my heart. The people touch my life.

And I was reminded, again, that Jesus floods my soul with living water.

Very loudly and constantly. I wondered how a bird could sing that much for that length of time. Do doves ever have throat issues? Lose their voice? Sing a different song?

To add to the problem, the bird was sitting on the top of our chimney cap, so the song was reverberating through the house … as if the bird was singing over a PA system.

I finally went outside to see this singing wonder only to discover two of them. Singing back and forth. Explaining part of the mystery of how a dove could sing so much, and possibly that this was the only duet they knew at the time.

My friend said he would take a BB gun and shoot them. I have shot birds in my life, but always to eat them. Not just because they were a nuisance. Well, except for some crows over in Long Beach, but I don’t think I ever actually hit one. BB guns are not very accurate at those distances.

But doves? Shoot a dove just because the bird is singing, albeit constantly and I was tiring of the song … sort of like being on “It’s a Small World” all day long? After all, the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove in the Bible. What if????

Too, I have read (or heard, can’t remember which) these birds are monogamous. Meaning in their life time, they only have one gamous. But there is a point to be made . . .

Just because I am annoyed with the song, do I shoot the birds and possibly break up a bird marriage? What if Junior is back at home waiting for mom and dad. Worse, what if mom and dad decide to move Junior to our house?  What if Junior is just one of several offspring and they all think they can sing? This is becoming more complicated by the moment.

To kill or not to kill. Life has so many tough choices.

Great kid. Always a joy to be around … now that he’s out of high school!

Played in praise band with us Sunday, which was a treat for me and the Chorus church.

Planned on catching a ballgame last night, but the temps were triple digit and game started at 5pm. Decided it was just too hot, so we planned for tonight’s game. 7pm. Even if the temps were still high, at least the sun would be almost down at game time. Steven is very close to my children … has been from the moment he took his first breath. With Jessica living about 100 miles from here and the traffic situation everywhere in SoCal, we finally decided on dinner together before the game tonight. She really wanted to see Steven.

Then Cecil called and in the course of the conversation, I asked him to confirm when Steven was flying home. Steven and Cecil thought it was Tuesday morning. Turns out the flight back is this morning!

Good that I asked for the confirmation.

Bad that he has to go back a day earlier.

But then … my grandson, Jackson, seems not to notice me lately. He just wants to know where Steven is, so I guess it’s about time for Steven to go home.

Can’t be having that kind of nonsense going on with my grandchildren. You understand. Right?

For just over three years, I’ve not had to worry much about my “A-game” (if I ever had an A-game). But occasionally I get tapped for worship leadership and I feel the stress all over again. Such is the case this week.

Had a good rehearsal last night. New bass player … did a good job. Considering we only play together “once in a blue moon” I was pleased. We’ll work out some vocals Sunday morning during sound check. But I tell you, I feel completely out of my element leading worship these days. Were it basically an acoustical set, singing songs we sing and know, that’s one thing. But that’s not the “thing” here, so I stress out probably more than I should.

My nephew, Steven, from Florida (son of a guy who once maintained a blog – cwinwc) played with us. He’s a very special kid in our lives.

Got home from rehearsal, took a much-wanted shower, and had a first call. Got back home about 11:40 and had no problem falling asleep. We had three first calls yesterday, which keeps us busy and is good for our type of work, and are expecting another any moment.

This one I regret. It is a dear sister in Long Beach. Been fighting cancer (valiantly and with a wonderful spirit of Christ throughout the ordeal) for a couple of years now, but her fight is just about over. When the phone rang last night, I was expecting it to be a call from there. I hope that call doesn’t come Sunday morning as I want very much to be able to go over there when the time comes to pick her up.

I pray Cindy has a peaceful exit from this life to her forever home. She needs the rest.

I pray God will use us on Sunday to create an atmosphere of praise so that people can freely enter into a spirit of worship. (Is that even  biblical? Shouldn’t we always be in a spirit of worship … our lives a sacrifice of worship?)

I’ve been reading Mark lately (having just more of less gone back through the entire New Testament … amazing how quickly the church found itself over-run with legalists who were destroying the faith of those people). I can read these days without having to think of a sermon. Or an angle for a sermon. Or an illustration. Or how to keep this under 30 minutes!

I am praying that I can once again become lost in the mystery of God. Not trying to understand. Just trying to stand. In awe. So that my heart can continue to be shaped into that of Christ.

I have a L  O  N  G way to go in that respect.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s a comin’.

My task: Lead a discussion with worship leaders on the topic of relationship and conflict resolution.

The people putting this together seem to think I might have some valuable insight as I’ve been on the leadership (pastor) side and now the volunteer (just another bloke in the pews) side.

I have pretty much pulled together my thoughts, but maybe you can add something that will be superior to what I’ve thought of doing.

If you are actively involved as a volunteer in your church, what motivates you to be involved? What makes a good leader versus a bad leader?

If you are on a worship team (non-paid), what would make the experience better?

Or maybe you just have some input that is not covered by these lame questions. I would love to hear from you!