Sunday Stuff

My small elf is supposed to take notes in church. I got her one of those notebooks with the top half of the page blank and the bottom lined, so after she writes 4 sentences about the sermon, she can illustrate. Generally she writes down the title and passage, then puts a - on the next four lines for her points, skips a line (in case any of her notes are longer) and fills the bottom lines with random words from the sermon. Today she got a sentence for lines 1, 2, and 4, and then tried to convince me that she should get to draw a picture since she had taken the fourth note! Yeah...nice try, kiddo!

You know, of course, that true worship in church only happens with a good band, modern songs (or maybe some hymns with "updated" music) and lots of movement: dancing, hand raising, random shouting, you know. It's all about setting the mood and involving emotions. It's the only true worship.

Or not. This morning we stood in nice rows, with only an occasional bit of hand-raising, and a flute introduction followed by only the keyboard and singing Amazing Grace (published in 1779). And we sang out with absolute enthusiasm and praise and joy, and it was very good.

Just remember that, okay? It's not about what song we choose or how old it is or how much emotion you can perceive outwardly. Worship starts in the heart and works its way out because it cannot be contained. And that person who stands quietly and sings? Chances are, her worship is just as joyous and true and the person who dances her joy.

Thoughts on Inspirational Videos

Here's the thing: my boss is big on "inspirational" videos. We watch them at meetings and he used to send them around to inspire us during sales competitions. I am not motivated by videos (I am also not motivated by competitions, but that's another story). Actually, the last time he sent a video during a competition, it was of some guy singing opera, one of those "who would expect such an amazing voice from this guy" things. I told him that I was suddenly motivated to become an opera singer. I'm sure it's just coincidence that he stopped sending around videos after that!

Now I get that there are people who are motivated by videos. These are the same people who got upset when some fast food restaurant had an ad making fun of vegetables and people who bring them to parties, because, as we know, everyone makes diet decisions based on commercials.

This is what actually bothers me: a lot of these inspirational videos have to do with people overcoming terrible odds to do even the normal things in life (also, Rick Hansen going bungee jumping). It seems wrong to use them to inspire me to be better at sales. I think that it cheapens them somehow. Use them to help inspire people who are undergoing life altering challenges of some sort. They need to be inspired to keep going when life seems to be too big to handle.

Inspirational videos, posters, talks...none of them work on me. There always seems to be a disconnect between the talk and the real world. That some guy can overcome great physical handicaps to do great things has nothing to do with my sales record and I can't make them fit. I always walk away thinking "what does that have to do with anything?" Plus, I always get the feeling that someone is trying to make me feel guilty about not doing something or being better at something. I don't like feeling that I (and my emotions) are being manipulated.

Which is not to say that I don't like to watch the occasional inspirational video. I just don't like to use them and I don't like people using them on me.

Something's Not Quite Right

Four of the high school students from my church and two from work are off on short term mission trips with their school this week. The trip is 10 days in length, so it's very short term.

I've been talking a bit with some of the kids going, as well as a couple of the parents. Some things I like: one mom told me about the mission prep classes, and how her son had to write about what being a Christian meant, how to give his testimony, someone who had impacted is life. This is good stuff.

There are too many things, however, that bother me. Most if it has to do with the purpose of the trip. When I talk to the students, they talk about things like building houses, interacting with kids at an orphanage, being involved with a sports ministry. None of them talk about bringing the gospel to the unsaved. Most of it sounds like regular volunteer trips that could be done by any secular school.

When the parents ask for prayer, it centers around their children. Now, I'm good with prayers for safety. I totally understand that they are sending their children into a foreign country, most of them for the first time. The rest of the prayer requests, though, bother me. They want prayer that this trip will have a great impact on their children, that their lives will be changed. They do not ask that their children will bring the gospel to the lost, or that God will do a mighty work in the unsaved.

This is wrong. A mission trip is not supposed to be about the missionary. It's supposed to be about the recipients of the missionary's message.

Listen: if it's all about the children, don't send them to some foreign country for 10 days. Instead, get them involved regularly in volunteer work in their own city. Get them learning to reach the lost and needy around them.

Also, why the foreign country? I find it a bit suspect that all the mission destinations are places where it's hot with nice beaches. Why not bring the kids up north, maybe to the reserves where there is great need? That way, they can go more than once through the year.

The more I hear about these school mission trips, the more concerned I am. It seems to be too much about the people going and that's not right.

Why Visit New Zealand?

1. They don't eat their enemies anymore. Cannibalism has been banned for many, many years.

2. It's beautiful. Seriously: anyone who has seen The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings knows that.

3. I'm pretty sure the Shire is somewhere in New Zealand. After watching The Hobbit, I've decided that I want to live in the Shire.

4. Sheep. They're remarkable stupid and not as cute and fluffy as they should be, but I still like sheep, especially after reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.

5. Blogger's spell check can't handle Zealand. It wants it to say "zeal and," "zeal-and," or "Dreamland." I like the third choice. It makes New Zealand sound magical.

6. This:

Another Sunday Post

Honestly, I do intend to write more often. I have stuff to say, and now that work has settled down to manageable, maybe I'll have time as well!

Our senior pastor, as you may or may not know, has retired. His last Sunday was the end of December; we had the kids all go up at the end and we all gave the benediction together (from Leviticus; Pastor Lyle did it so often that everyone had it memorized). Then the pastor and his wife managed to hug all the children, I think. They're still at the church, but now Pastor Lyle can rest.

All of this means that our young associate pastor is now doing the entire service. This is his third Sunday on his own and he's doing a good job. Last week he led communion and we decided that our baby pastor was all grown up now!

Today we almost had a fight in my Sunday School class. We were talking about guarding your hear and being careful about what influenced you. We got to being careful of what you read and I asked them what type of books might be a bad influence. Someone said The Hunger Games and someone else protested and there would have been trouble but I stopped them and told them that I wanted types of books, not titles, and that everyone could have his or her own opinion on specific titles.

Work is better and now I have to get going on schoolwork. I'm behind where I should be, and it doesn't help that everything is due on the same day. I do much better with deadlines. Also, the professor approved all three of my potential topics for the major paper so I still don't know what I'm writing about!

And on that note, something to make you smile:

Sunday Update

Sunday school started this week. I wasn't teaching; it was a missionary week with the other teacher. She taught them about Wilfred Grenfell, a missionary to Labrador in the late 1800s and early 1900s. My small elf was on nursery duty, so I was alone in church. It's amazing how much better I can focus without that little distraction!

She, by the way, doesn't really want to be known as a small elf. I tried leprechaun and hobbit, but she doesn't like those either. I'm open for suggestions.

This afternoon I went with a friend to see Les Miserables. It was really, really good. It's on the short list of movies that I plan to purchase one day.

Next week will be rather long. At some point I need to focus on homework.

Sunday Stuff

We started Galatians today. Most of the sermon was background about the situation at Galatia. Eventually we got through the first five verses. My small elf was taking some notes. She started with "The Galatians didn't have Romans in their Bibles." I explained that they didn't have the New Testament at all and she was surprised. Then I pointed out that when Paul wrote to the Galatians, he was writing part of the New Testament. She understood then. Her picture was of Paul writing the letter while thinking about the people in Galatia. She scribbled out the mailbox once I told her that he couldn't mail the letter; someone would have to deliver it.

Sunday school starts next week. I've been enjoying the break. I have managed to write the next few lessons so I'm ready to go. Someone asked me what I'm going to teach them next year. I should have that planned already? I'll worry about that in the summer.

It's Epiphany today, so I think it's still okay to play a Christmas song.