There is a light. It shines bright. Yet it remains hidden. Afraid. Comfortable where it is accepted. But, this Light longs to break out. To go to a darkened world with love, compassion and a better way of life. Let us shine before them, so that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father up in heaven. (Mt. 5:16)

One more for the road - Fix You

I love the words and imagery of this Coldplay song. Fix You.

Ready Now

Jared Anderson of Desperation.

A taste of the new Hillsong album

A Hymn of Sleep by Prudentius (358-413AD)

Draw near, Almighty Father, Ne'er seen by mortal eye;

Come, O Thou Word eternal, O Spirit blest, be nigh.

The hour of rest approaches, The toils of day are past, And o'er our tired bodies Sleep's gentle charm is cast.

The mind, by cares tormented Amid life's storm and stress, Drinks deep the wondrous potion That brings forgetfulness.

O'er weary, toil-worn mortals The spells of Lethe steal; (Note:In Classical Greek, Lethe (λήθη; léthé) literally means "forgetfulness" or "concealment". The Greek word for "truth" is a-lethe-ia (αλήθεια), meaning "un-forgetfulness" or "un-concealment". Sad hearts lose all their sorrow, Nor pain nor anguish feel.

For to His frail creation God gave this law to keep,

That labour should be lightened By soft and healing sleep......

And, though the weary body Relaxed in sleep may be,

Our hearts, Lord, e'en in slumber, Shall meditate on Thee.

Iphone Fever

I think I'm getting a fever. It's a bug called the Iphone and it's very contagious. It is spreading rapidly and the cure drops on June 29th.

Bonus Material Pt 2

Well some folks were asking for this quote which is a good one. It is from John Ortberg's book If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat.

Greg Levoy calls the common cold of the soul ' To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed, abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed-until weeks become months, and months turn into years, and one day you're looking back on a life of deep intimate gut-wrenching honest conversations you never had; great bold prayers you never prayed, exhilarating risks you never took, sacrificial gifts you never offered, lives you never touched, and you're sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul, and forgotten dreams, and you realize there was a world of desperate need, and a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself- you see the person you could have become but did not; you never followed your calling, you never got out of the boat'

Brian and Jenn Johnson

You should be aware of this worship couple. Their song 'O taste and see' is really good.

http://www.brianandjennjohnson.com/

Rick Warren Article on Worship

Rethinking worship
by Rick Warren

Worship is our first responsibility to God, yet most church members don't understand it. For many, worship is just a synonym for music. They say, “At our church we have the worship first, and then the teaching.” Or they think of worship as something for their benefit. As pastors, we often receive notes that say, “I loved the worship today. I got a lot out of it.” Others associate worship with ceremonies, candles, and communion or healing, miracles, and ecstatic experiences.

One of our primary responsibilities as shepherds of God’s flock is to lead people to become true worshippers." Rick Warren

Yet all of these ideas fall short. Worship is far more than praising, singing, and praying to God. We worship God by enjoying him. C.S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.”

One of our primary responsibilities as shepherds of God’s flock is to lead people to become true worshippers. Anthropologists have noted that worship is a universal urge, hard-wired by God into the very fiber of our being – an inbuilt need to connect with God. Worship is as natural as eating or breathing. If we fail to worship God, we always find a substitute, even if it ends up being ourselves. The reason God made us with this desire is that he desires worshipers! Jesus said, “The Father seeks ... worshipers.” (John 4:23 NAS)

Our job is to connect the God-given desire to worship with the One who seeks true worshippers. To do this you have to expand your understanding of worship as well. You need to stop thinking in terms of church services and begin to see worship as anything that brings pleasure to God.

Your church will become a church filled with true worshippers as you show them how every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when done for the pleasure of God. The Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31 NIV) Martin Luther said, “A dairymaid can milk cows to the glory of God.” When you use your life for God’s glory, everything you do can become an act of worship. The Bible says, “Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.” (Rom. 6:13 NLT)

How is it possible to do everything to the glory of God? By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it! The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Col. 3:23 NIV)

This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship – doing everything as if I was doing it for Jesus. The Message paraphrase says, “Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.” Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of his presence.

This moves worship beyond church services not only in space but also in time. We are told to “worship him continually” and to “praise him from sunrise to sunset.” In the Bible, people praised God at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Praise should be the first activity when you open your eyes in the morning and the last activity when you close them at night. David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Ps. 34:1 NAS)

When I first fell in love with my wife, I thought of her constantly: while eating breakfast, driving to school, attending class, waiting in line at the market, pumping gas – I could not stop thinking about Kay! I often talked to myself about her and thought about all the things I loved about her. This helped me feel close to her even though we lived several hundred miles apart and attended different colleges. By constantly thinking of her, I was abiding in her love. This is what real worship is all about – falling in love with Jesus. And this is where we need to lead the flocks God has placed in our care.

Until next week,

Melanie and Devan sing 'Lead me to the Cross'

Looking for some cool clothes?

www.c28.com

St. Augustine Marketplace Ministry

A monthly luncheon for Christian business people.

www.upray2.com

Chaplain Ken Asplund and wife Norma are some wonderful people seeking revival for our town.

Forgiveness

We must forgive. Though it is not in our nature it is crucial for our own spiritual health. We must also do it to be forgiven by God. We are hurting ourselves (and also others) by holding on to painful words, actions, thoughts, etc.

The Word...
'With You, there is forgiveness' Psalm 130:4
We must believe in order to receive forgiveness Acts. 10:43
Forgiveness is in Christ (Eph. 4:32) and is through His blood (Eph. 1:7, Heb. 9:22)
We must forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col 3:13 - note the verb tenses)

Lord, may we truly be a people that strive for reconciliation. Let us bear with one another, considering them better than ourselves. Humbles our sense of pride and let us put on love above all things. Is there room for compassion in our hearts? Is there a place where wrong is acknowledged? Let us always take the first steps, let us not go to bed in a state of anger, but to clothe ourselves with patience, kindness, gentleness and peace. Peace for the world, peace for our souls. amen. bc

Sermon bonus material

This a clip showing Fantasia's 'turning point' in her church.
From a movie on her life.

Storyside B CD release concert details

Louie talks about worship

http://www.268generation.com/videoplayer/player.php?videoid=worship4&quality=hi

Salvation for the bass players

Bass Guys - This one's for you
Bonus fun if you move your mouse around.

Caring for His Creation

I am a big believer in caring for God's creation. We can see and know something of God through his handiwork. If we pollute it, we are not only spoiling our God given home; but we are keeping people from seeing God.

http://www.creationcare.org/resources/declaration.php

2 Peter 3:12-14 (NIV)

"as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

Tomlin's Amazing Grace

Sometimes old things can sound like new.
Sometimes old souls can renew.

What's your interpretation of the old piano?

Music, Noise, and Rest

The only difference between music and noise are rests. It's the space between the music that defines it and sets it apart. It's the times of rest where we can see the song of our lives being played out in God's hands, where we can refresh, refocus, and re-create. If we have no rest, the busyness of our lives becomes monotonous noise. God rested on the seventh day - think about that one. I am thankful for the opportunity to rest in order to rest-ore.

Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you. Psalm 116:7

Back from vacation

We are back from the beautiful keys. Thank you Lord for the rain!
bc