local radio station parodies Usher

Jennifer told me about this until I had to go look it up... hilarity

this is worth repeating (for Groves)

"The Word of God is the gathering point for all the content and all the action... In Christ means in the Word made flesh, and this means that the centrality of Christ guarantees the centrality of the Word, even as we sing or pray or preach or celebrate the Eucharist. It is because of this centrality that all liturgies, whether traditionally framed, denominationally created or "experimental," will stand or fall in direct proportion to the centrality of the Word of God."

-- Harold Best

one conversation we like to avoid

Modesty.

This is a huge issue. You might think, "Gee whiz, Stephen; you attend Southern Seminary and a church full of seminary students and their wives. SURELY this is not an issue." Unfortunately, it is. However, I am extremely thankful for a few timely blog posts from C.J. Mahaney on this topic. Here are 7 links for your scanning/perusing/forwarding pleasure.

Resisting-the-Seduction-of-a-Fallen-World
Modesty-The-Attitude-of-the-Modest-Woman-(pt-2)
Modesty-The-Appearance-of-the-Modest-Woman-(pt-3)
Modesty-A-Pastors-Concern-(pt-4)
Modesty-A-Word-to-Fathers-(pt-5)
Modesty-The-Right-Adornment-(pt-6)
Modesty-The-Modest-Womans-Allegiance-(pt-7)

a couple of great links

Here are some links to some articles I have found quite interesting recently, and will likely revisit:

How to Waste Your Theological Education

Principles for Song Lyric Slides in Corporate Worship

Hymn of the Week; "Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul"

I have often gone to a Sunday morning gathering of Christians and felt like a second class Christian. There are many times when I am not in a place where singing of God's greatness or goodness or lovingkindess are the first words on my lips. The voice of the suffering Christian is often lost for lack of language, but not so with Anne Steele. Enjoy this hymn of the week, maybe taking one verse per day (there are thirty-nine verses in the IGraceMusic.com hymnal).

"Thy mercy seat is open still, here let my soul retreat." When faced with suffering, I pray that my family and friends and fellow Christians will be reminded by the words of this hymn that there is a refuge for our weary souls.

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

by Anne Steele

1. Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel

2. But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust

3. Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner's prayer
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there

4. Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet

Harold Best, Hymn of the Week, Online Hymnals

There are three subjects in the subject line. I think I like this better than three separate posts. Here comes the stream of consciousness flowing from my brain into my fingertips and out to you:

1. Harold Best

Harold Best has written a lot of good stuff about music and a Biblical theology of the arts, particularly music. The thing I like most about the way he writes is that he gives you a lot of Biblical and theological framework but makes no distinct preferences on musical style or liturgical setup or any other issue that we tend to make the "real issue."
His book, "Unceasing Worship," is a "Biblical perspective on worship and the arts." I don't have enough time to really unpack what I'm learning, but I will offer up some quotes.

Under the heading, "The Corporate Gathering and the Roots of True Diversity" on page 64:
"Think of a symphony orchestra. Think of how dramatically different an oboe is from a violin or bass trombone. Then think of the countless possibilities in color and texture that these and other instruments offer when guided by the imagination of a skilled composer - the more kinds of instruments there are, the more exponential the possibilities become.
"Turn this analogy toward corporate worship - the more diversity there is, the more spiritual color and texture there can be. Then ask yourself about the ways we have anomalized diversity in the name of diversity by separating people from each other. Secular concepts of generational preferences do not, and cannot, take account of the unseen, immeasurable and unifying work of the Holy Spirit, whose task is to draw all people to Jesus Christ."

"People want you to lead until you do."

Under the heading, "The Corporate Gathering and the Significance of Liturgy" on page 72:
"The Word of God is the gathering point for all the content and all the action... In Christ means in the Word made flesh, and this means that the centrality of Christ guarantees the centrality of the Word, even as we sing or pray or preach or celebrate the Eucharist. It is because of this centrality that all liturgies, whether traditionally framed, denominationally created or "experimental," will stand or fall in direct proportion to the centrality of the Word of God."

"As authoritative as preaching must be, and as empowered as the Lord may wish to make it, the Word goes beyond the sermon and thus carries the sermon along with it. It seems contradictory that those who would give their lives for the primacy of the Word of God often give little time to the systematic and generous public reading of it."

And finally, on page 140:
"As much as I love music - many, many kinds of it - and as much as I realize that we are commanded to make music, I will say over and again that we have placed far too much faith in it and not nearly enough in the power of the Word, the authority and sweep of fearless prophecy and earnest, yet hope-filled, intercessory prayer."

Wow. This truth has laid bare how much I have (never vocally, but practically) trusted the power of music over the power of the Word of God. And yet we have paid so little attention to the Word, and replaced it with any number of things. What we need, just like the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37, is to hear the Word of God so that by His Word we will be raised from the dead, bones will come to bones, ligaments will join the bones, skin will come upon those bones, and breath will be breathed into us.


2. Hymn of the Week

If Chip Stam can put out a "Worship Quote of the Week," I am going to try a "Hymn of the Week." This will be a bit more of a concentrated field, and will hopefully bring me to find new hymns for the good of the church.

For this first hymn, I would introduce you to a classic Wesleyan hymn, "And Can It Be?" Professor Stam has often encouraged us to read this text with the question marks in the first verse in order to fully understand the flow of the poetry and the incredible questions that lie therein.

I encourage you to sing, pray, and meditate upon this text during the week, letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

(Indelible Grace has written a catchy and rhythmically syncopated melody to go with this wonderfully gospel-soaked hymn. You can find lead sheets and chord charts here.)

1. And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain?
For me who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be That
Thou, my God, should die for me?

Chorus: Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

2. He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

3. Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

4. No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own

3. Online Hymnals

Last night, I enjoyed a wonderful evening with a friend of mine, our guitars, and his laptop on a few online hymnals. We sang and enjoyed worshiping the Lord together with an array Gospel rich texts. Here are a few to get you started:

The Indelible Grace / RUF Hymnbook

Red Mountain Music's Resource Page

CyberHymnal.org

wow....