Powerful Christmas Songs

Old hymns can sometimes not hit the mark in worshipful attitude and theology, the two components to a great worship song. But of course hundreds of christian worship songs are written monthly and a lot miss the mark as well. However, as I prepare and lead advent and Christmas services I began to reflect on these hardy little tunes that have endured so long. Often their music is so full and robust you can miss the message and worship of the song. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was never a song intended to live past 1868, but fits the bill here.

The first stanza is perfect for advent. It sings,

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.”

Advent is a time of waiting and often in darkness. Everything compared to Christ is dark and we await his second return as Israel awaited the messiah those many years ago. From darkness to light is not only the message of Christmas but of the gospel as well.

The last stanza also hits me in the theological heart,

“O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!”

As we live in this dark world and know how great God’s kingdom is, we can only pray as Jesus taught us, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” Matt 6:10. Descend to us Lord. Only he can “cast out” our sin and make us pure. John 3 concerning being born again is here as well as John 15 of abiding with us. How amazing to have a God who not only casts out sin from our lives but he also lives with us.

As we sing songs like this one this Christmas, may they not be simply nostalgic candy to our ears but robust worship moments, engaging our lives with God’s to see a glimpse of his kingdom as he brings it.

 

Longing for the End

As a follower of Jesus I always want to get know him better. One of the best ways is scripture. As I began the book of revelation I was fearful of the amount of suffering that it talks about. But for some reason, as I got to chapters 14 and 15, I got excited. The suffering got more intense but I got excited. The question is why? One word. Hope.

When we read the book of revelation we know we are coming to the end. The pages are running out and the story is surging to a riveting end. Seniors understand this well. They get so excited about the idea that they’ll finally die and go to their true home, with Jesus in eternity. It is there where there is no more pain, nor death. I guess my excitement may come from knowing chapters 20 and on. The passage I was reading today was about bowls of suffering, but the comment is made, these are the last of the wrath of God.

This aspect that the end comes on a day where I’m tired and sore and in a little bit of a grumpy mood. To read of this suffering of the world that signifies the end gets me excited, because I know the Kingdom of God is nearer then ever and one day I will feel no pain, sadness, grumpiness, but live in eternal joy with The Lord.

This thought helps me live joyfully and thankfully in today. Hope. Hope builds courage to continue on with everyday, no matter what today brings. So everyday I pray I find hope.

 

Dying Denominations to a Thriving Community

I recently attended a class at Ambrose in Calgary and during the class on the History of the Christian and Missionary Alliance a comment was mentioned that I feel I need to expound upon. The comment was something to this extent: Denominations are changing. Loyalty to denominations are changing and so their identity must change as well.

These comments were made to sound like the idea of denominations are dying. Of course denominations are not a biblical idea, but I can see how they can model the idea of community. I have never been a denomination guy and have desired for the church to be one as God is one, but since being at Briercrest and joining the Christian and Missionary Alliance, my mind has changed.

At Briercrest I found the value of rich Christian community. Before, I was scared of the idea of a hanging around a bunch of guys all the time. I was always intimidated. Being in Eliason Manor (My dorm) showed me that guys can live in a rich community environment surrounded around Christ.

Denominations may be failing with their current model. Many denominations are shrinking. But, what if denominations reshaped their thinking and models to be more of a Christian community. This could look more like a fraternal union. But now I am starting to sound like AB Simpson. Of course it will look different than the beginnings of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, but have similar values.

Denominations look more like they surround around a central model or business smothered with doctrinal beliefs and practices. The denominational head determines laws, doctrine, programs, etc. Denominations being a community of believers looks different. It is a means of support in Christ. It looks like a place to go for prayer and healing rather than looked at as a boundary and chains within which we are slaves to. It can be modeled as an encouragement and discernment centre for local churches and to ignite passions that start ministries. Getting into the denomination will look less like something to “achieve” and more like something to desire to be apart of. A denomination as a community becomes a movement for Christ rather than business to produce Christians. A denomination as a community ignites passions to spread the Kingdom of God so that people can do nothing but want to be a part of Christ.

Of course community can be developed in many ways and should be locally within each local church and its respective community, but there is something to say about being intimately connected to a larger body. It is impossible to be a part of every body of believers in this world, so denominations can become a community in which you thrive in Christ and other denominations are other Christ communities working for the Kingdom.

If denominations in their current model or paradigm are dying then it may be time for a paradigm shift. Denomination as community for Christ sounds great to me. Thoughts?

 

Lessons Learned from the Poor

Lessons Learned from the Poor. By David Guertzki

The link above is a post from a professor and mentor of mine. At first I thought it was simply another account of a missions trip. But not with David. Thanks David for this post.

Context: David is observing a class in Ecuador. Its a partnership class with Briercrest and Compassion International to combine in-class theology with the outworking of theology. Love the idea of this class and hope to join one day.