Holy Kiss Church Culture

2011-04-06T13:17:00.001-07:00

Follow Livingsword on Twitter?

By popular demand (what are people thinking?) I am now on Twitter (you can see me if you click that fancy Twitter button.

My twitting and tweeting promises revealing insights that may be shocking to some, preposterous to others and sizzling to the uninitiated…

What shall I Twitter about?

Well it will always be the Unedited Uncensored Video of my Mind…I will reveal my inner thoughts like never before…this is personal…and I mean business (what does that mean? Good question says I).

Everything the Blade Vision Network already slashes and burns shall fall victim to my arsenal of wordishness (except much more abbreviated, no not inebriated)…but as I said this is personal…you want the depth of shallowness of my mind this is it! (Somehow that does not seem quite right…but I promised not to edit didn’t I?)

Follow me on Twitter as I expose life as it is and life as it should be…there could be some dirty images for the theater of the mind…my ideas and ideals stripped naked (that should do it for the marketing, I should do product placement for Survivor)…

Beware the Blood the Blossom and the Blade!

Youth Baptism: Holy Kiss Church Culture

2010-06-13T00:06:00.000-07:00

It is usually an interesting experience to visit various Churches and I had such an opportunity this past week…the 14 year old daughter of a close friend of mine was getting baptized…along with 9 others in her youth group…yes 10 youth getting baptized at the same event!

The building is large, modern and slick, the music rocked…that is it was jazzed up typical Christian Church music…it was played louder than normal with more chutzpa, kick and the two drummers added a dimension of earnestness to the times of worship…and I am not just saying that because our 14 year old friend was one of the drummers…the worship band and singers were plentiful and talented…

There was a LARGE crowd of polite, friendly, enthusiastic, energetic and very committed youth along with the addition of a fairly large group of us older auxiliary worshippers…The youth pastors seemed solid, intelligent and enormously dedicated.

The testimonies of the youth were inspiring…interesting coming from my perspective…that of a person that did not become a Jesus follower till my late 20’s…Some of their stories were heart breaking, parental divorce, abuse…all of the stories were poignant and well presented…this was a prime example of Holy Kiss Church Culture…

What most stood out was the rapturous love, respect and grace the youth had for all around them…if a person was feeling dry walking into the auditorium they would feel soaking wet at the end…not from the baptism splash zone but from tears of joy and the overwash of the Holy Spirit being in the house…dead in sin…alive in Christ…celebration….

Are you fully emerged into Holy Kiss Church Culture?

I Walked Out During a Church Service

2010-05-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Blogging Holy Kiss Church Culture…

It happened again…now I have not done this many times...this is the third that I can remember…I have purposefully gone to services at Churches (and also churches, meaning knowingly non-Christian such as Roman Catholic and Orthodox), mosques, temples etc…But this is the third time at my home Church…the Church to which I am an actual member…that I have walked out during the “service”…certainly I was respectful, quiet and humble in my exiting…

I expect to profoundly disagree at a non-Christian event thus I have attended as learning experiences and/or acts of friendship to a practitioner of the said religion…

Yet at my own home Church I have walked out when the “service” descended into prolonged entertainment or mere human advice…Each time I have walked out I had my thoughts on the “service” confirmed by those that could not force themselves to leave as they later told me that things continued as I had left or got worse…

I am not talking a few minutes of fluff (although it included that and more) but a trend that decorates entertainment, churchianity and a talk show veneer under the guise of a spiritual God worshiping Bible teaching “service”…

The first time I walked out it was when we had a guest speaker during a time when we were between lead pastors…the rotating guest speakers were almost entirely horrid (with the odd exception)…and many of them were teachers of preaching…the time I walked out was when the speaker was continuing to almost entirely neglect the Scriptures and once again was primarily concerned about expressing their feelings about events of their life…and trying to provide comic relief…

Another time was during a “service” that plummeted into parental “advice”…from a couple…a couple I quite like…but I am not interested in “advice” I am interested in the living Word of God…that truly transforms lives…

The third time was today…I should have been prepared…it is Mothers Day…and so there was the usual plethora of videos for us to watch and flowers handed out to ladies with such and such many children and grand children…

Then four ladies of the Church were invited onto the stage to sit on couches around a coffee table…and the pastor sat on a stool on the main auditorium level…and he proceeded to introduce them and develop a talk-show-like conversation…I like the four ladies…and I also like the pastor…

…but this is not how a combined main Sunday morning service should be…there was no preaching-teaching…if there was I shall hear of it…certainly there will be the odd reference to Scripture in order to make it seem like a proper time of teaching-preaching…now I am not saying there should not be moments like this around the coffee table but they should not dominate the service…

When I attend a Sunday morning main service I expect it to include not just worship music (another topic far too large for this article) but also solid expository preaching-teaching…we should worship God and hang on every word that comes from the Word of God…as the pastor-teacher exposits the Word we are transformed by that interaction with the Living Word…

Human “advice” just does not cut it…it does not do spiritual surgery that the Bible does…

Am I alone in my revulsion at so much entertainment, fluff, feelings-oriented and dominated “service”? Indeed I know I am not…but how can we turn our pastors from being Oprah wannabes to the man of God Bible centered Jesus oriented pastor-teachers they should be?

This problem is so pervasive that to merely suggest finding another Church is problematic…

Introducing: Science Fantasy: Star and Dragon

2010-04-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

What is your fantasy?

Speculative fiction as expressed through science fiction and fantasy is a passion of mine. The intellectual and creative process combining to contrive the probable and the possible…as well as the impossible and outright miraculous…

Much of the creative writing that appears in our blogs is seeds of experimentation in speculative fiction. Exercises that have aided me in developing a novel of science fantasy…a yet uncompleted work but one that is well along…perhaps you can help me develop my craft…or maybe you want to watch a train wreck…

Star and Dragon is a logical outworking of that passion. It will boldly go into all aspects of science fiction, fantasy, myth and legend with blends of unique ideas, characters and places…and favourites from the worlds of science fiction and fantasy…

Yet we will not stop there…as speculative fiction is a wonderful launch pad for conversations it will also be philosophical and more…what is the meaning of why we create such characters, creatures, empires, technology and planets?

Beam over to Star and Dragon and have a look.

Resurrection

2010-04-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

He is risen!

Do you have Jesus resurrection power in your life?

Song and video is Resurrection by Nicol Spongberg from the group Selah

Good Friday Video Words

2010-04-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Good Friday from Bryce Harvey on Vimeo.

On Good Friday what words play in the video of your mind?

Shame Penalty Burden Punishment Sin Suffering Sorrow Payment

My words to God are “sorry” and “thank you”…

A Top Gear Christmas

2009-12-20T11:59:00.000-08:00

Jesus was laid upon a manger that first Christmas Day…a manger was the feeding box or trough the animals ate from within the barn or barn like structure….a place for the animals. Goats and sheep, donkeys and horses were parked in the barn which also acted as the garage of the day. Horses and donkeys were modes of transport thus they were parked in their garage.

This mode of thinking changed to top gear for me as I thought that if Jesus had been born today in a modern garage what kind of car would He have been born in?

Now I am not implying any particular type of car with the above Top Gear video for it does seem evidential that neither of the above autos would be practical for birthing…neither the VR Tuscan or Weissman seem to be built for giving birth, the engineers of those vehicles seem to have been rather lax in that area…yes I know clever insight…well we do not claim to do car reviews here…

What kind of car would Jesus be born in if He first came today?

I suggest your answer and mine to that question says more about how we envision Jesus than how He really is…or is that so…

Four Views on Hell BOOK REVIEW ALERT

2009-11-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

BOOK REVIEW ALERT

I have just published an article about a book on thetopic HELL…

What is Hell?

Do you view Hell literally…as metaphor…is there purgatory…isthere annihilation?

Read ourbook review FourViews on Hell…

Check outour book review blog The PurpleBookmark…

In Flanders Field: Lest we Forget

2009-11-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

RemembranceDay…

Thank you to the men and women of the Canadian ArmedForces….

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- - In Flanders Fieldsby John McCrae

Lord…thankYou for those who serve our nation…thank You for their commitment even under tyrannyand terror…thank you for freedom…may we use such freedom to Your glory….

amen

Church Worship Music: U2 Spiritual Spectacular Experience vs Churchianity

2009-11-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

This past week I had an opportunity to experience the U2360 Tour in concert here in Vancouver (formore commentary and photos click here). The extravaganza of music, sound, light,visuals and theatre was spectacular. Bono and his cohorts (note here that “his’is not capitalized…I don’t want anybody thinking I am worshiping Bono or U2)were amazing…with the highlight for me being Bono singing Amazing Grace alongwith most of the rapt full capacity crowd at BC Place Stadium.

The fans were enthralled to the magnificence ondisplay…God was in the house as they say…I personally knew at least fourpastors that were in attendance and many other people from my local Church and others…

I understand that for many followers of Jesus…many whomuch prefer to label themselves as Christians…the songs and the persons of U2often make them feel…uncomfortable…it is this discomfort that I find soalluring…and I mean this for the proper theological reasons…

I did not become a Jesus follower till in my late 20’s(presently, gulp, 45). I was profoundly touched and transformed by studying theWord of God…the Bible. I was completely unchurched and did not trust the Churchin many ways…However over time I grew and understood the role of the Church andmy life within it…I embraced this life…unfortunately churchianity is alive andwell. The North American church subculture has many unbiblical tendrils withinit and these began to attempt strangling my Jesus following.

It was at this time when churchianity tried tostrangle my spiritual life that I encountered U2 afresh…before being a Jesusfollower I had a distinct dislike for the band…but I found my new encounters withtheir music etc to be invigorating to my faith and my spiritual walk grew healthier,deeper and exceedingly sublime…while transforming my thoughts words and actions…thisI found was because of the way the music outwardly manifested the hard truthsof Scripture in creative ways…it was Biblical without being churchy…Kingdomhere living transformed my life in a way that no churchianity religiosity evercould.

Surely U2 and Bono are not worthy of worship, but I applaudthem for their creative and artistic representations that have worked throughme in innovative worship. I hear all the time that style of music does not makethe worship any more or less significant…if this is so then why does the Churchnot drop playing continual adult contemporary music? Let U2 and the boys intothe House…you may be surprised…

Holy Kiss Church Culture Counting Christians

2009-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Holy KissChurch Culture Counting Christians

1 2 3 4 how we Christians like to go counting…comewith me lets go counting…

1 2 3 4 we count your sins and ignore my sins…

1 2 3 4 we count the offering like we keep score…

1 2 3 4 we count attendance to measure how successful weare…

1 2 3 4 we count the laws like we think we can keepthem…

1 2 3 4 woah oh oh how we like to count…

1 2 3 4 we count the pounds of the preacher…

1 2 3 4 we count the minutes of the sermon like itmatters…

1 2 3 4 we count how many programs the Church offers…

1 2 3 4 we count how many Sundays our neighbors havemissed but not our own…

1 2 3 4 we count the ways we think we have made ourselvesmore holy…

5 6 7 8 ok…so we don’t do these things…do we?

…woah oh oh….1 2 3 4 Counting Christians….

When Holy Kiss Church Culture and Pop Culture Intersect: Church Reimagined: Battlestar Galactica Video

2009-10-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

Acollision between Church Culture and Pop Culture via a Battlestar GalacticaVideo…

“What isyour favorite TV show?” I was asked…I knew my answer immediately…I did considerwho the question was coming from so I knew my answer may not be takenpleasantly…“BattlestarGalactica” (the reimagined 2004 TV series) I responded…

“Thatpagan program that has sensuality, espouses Mormonism and uses fake words tohide their profanity?” came the outraged response.

I thenresponded “well the Bible speaks of sensual issues, speaks about paganism and uses‘profanity’…would you prefer BattlestarGalactica actually use profanity?”Certainly the Bible is not promoting such things but it does speak of them. “BattlestarGalactica also frequently shows the consequences of immoral behavior…itfrequently raises moral issues including of the spiritual dimension…would youprefer a program that ignores such topics?”

Now I amnot saying that I agree with everything on the program, far from it, howeverthis raises the question of being in the world but not of the world…I’mcertainly no supporter of Mormonism…but does this mean I should never readtheir information and be ignorant of their beliefs?

I canactually say that personally observing BattlestarGalactica has deepened my spiritual walk…my faith has grown as has myconviction as a Jesus follower…The outlandishness of pagan beliefs and practicesis exposed…the sandy ground upon which life is built when not built upon Jesusis exposed…an understanding of creative processes, thinking styles andphilosophies under girding a system that is not attuned to Jesus following is asI have seen been profitable. I have applied this knowledge when speakingof my faith to others…I have learned how to speak their languages…I have usedthis program as a launch pad for creative Biblical conversations…

In the Biblewe have the uncomfortable questions and comments of Ecclesiastes and the uncomfortableintimate conversation of Song of Songs…

Does watching BattlestarGalactica make me less “holy” or “worthy”? Should I not watch TV…should I never leave myhome…what is your favorite TV show?

Can thishelp us view Church Reimagined?

If youwould like an example of “profanity” in the Bible guess and/or ask….

The Simpsons Video: Will there be Animals in Heaven?

2009-10-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

TheSimpsons video entertainingly asks the question…Will there be Animals in Heaven?

Thisquestion is asked so often I should develop an auto reply email for it…for childrenand equally so for adults…

Petshave become so much part of the modern family in so many societies that their significanceto people’s lives cannot be overlooked. Why are pets so important to people? Whyis there a felt need to have pets in our lives? What is the theologicalsignificance of this?

Animals wereplaced in our lives in the garden…actually no…we were placed in their lives…typicallypets come into our lives but back in the Garden the animals were already frolickingin the water, running in the woods, sniffing flowers, soaking up the sun andchasing cars before we came around…alright allow for some artistic freedom herealright?

Theanimals were being animals and we decided to play dice with the universe…we willinglyand prideful fell for Satan’s slithery plan and declared war against God…the animalsdidn’t do this…we did…so let us take this into consideration when some in theChurch get carried away with dominion…

Tolearn more about Biblical-Guardianship-Stewardship-Cultivation click here

Animalswere protected by laws put in place within Scripture, working animals feed etcwas to be taken into consideration and cared for…animals are of such incredibleimportance that they were placed at an essential position within Temple life…theirblood is deluged with our own…Noah took care to bring animals in the ark withhim…The Holy Spirit chooses to use animal terminology to symbolically speak ofJesus the Lamb and the Lion…indeed the Holy Spirit takes on the representation ofa Dove…clearly animals are of great importance to God their Creator…

Will there be animalsin Heaven? The question arises and is frequently answered as “no” since they donot appear to be precisely placed in Heaven from Scripture…However they were inthe Garden…before us…and they were not the ones committing cosmic treason…Ofcourse as a follower of Jesus I am pleased to bend my knee to whatever His willis…but it seems the default position is there probably will be animals in Heaven…theywere in the Garden and in the Temple…and they are here with us now…why wouldthey not be in Heaven?

St Paul’s Cathedral London: Amazing Grace: Amazing Respect?

2009-09-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

After having just arrived home from vacation in London I wanted to share a flavour of this great city and its plentiful Christian heritage. We visited St Paul's Cathedral and were struck by the amazing beauty of its architecture and art. We took in the abundant sights such as the memorials to Lawrence of Arabia, Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson among others….

While there we witnessed that upon the hour the priest would speak over the loud speaker system announcing that he was going to pray and invited others to do so with him but if they chose to not take part to please be respectfully quiet during that time.

As he prayed the Lord’s Prayer I found myself praying along then was struck by the fact that people did not quiet down but carried on as if he had not spoken and was not praying. It was not a linguistic barrier as the vast majority were speaking English with some form of accent although there were obviously some who did not speak English so did not understand what was going on. I should mention that there must have been many hundreds if not over a thousand people in the entirety of the cathedral so the talk was loud…however the priest continued with the prayer which was audible, gracious and short…

This lack of respect I found of interest and I ruminated upon buildings such as this and their current status in the world…could it be that since people paid to enter the building they felt they had the right to ignore respect for its purpose? Is this part of the Christian heritage of London?

Christians have NO Sense of Humour: Church is Boring: Churchy Video

2009-09-20T00:47:00.000-07:00

Christians have NO sense of humour and Church is boring…I have heard this zillions of times (that’s hyperbole folks I do not mean literally a zillion times…I am not even sure if zillion is an accurate form of measurement…is it? Should we take everything literally? Is the US national debt getting close to a zillion?)

Before I became a Jesus follower I would have agreed that followers of Jesus and Church are “no fun zones”…however now I have learned that indeed followers of Jesus can be VERY humorous….and Church when ministered in a biblical way is NEVER boring….

Some of the most humorous people I know are followers of Jesus so the stereotype of “no fun Christians” does not hold up. As a matter of fact I have noticed that often Christian humour is quite sophisticated...it has to be we can’t rely upon cheap profanity to lure in the laughs…

I have a friend that is a follower of Jesus and his frequent text messages to me are laughter splash zones! Funny without profanity…they often twist an idea making you think of things creatively with clever leaps in logic…humour that provides food for thought…not cheap indulgences into sexual innuendo...anybody can do that…it takes a much cleverer mind to be truly creative and thought provoking drawing laughs in dynamic ways….particularly within the confines of a text message…why does it seem so much humour is driven by what is “sexy”?

Is the above video funny?

Is spirituality supposed to allow for humour? Do you have a humorous text message for us?

The Church is an Apprentice to Money Money Money

2009-09-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

The Church is about Money Money Money…I hear it all the time…you likely hear it also. I heard it this past week “the Church is all about money, their always asking for money, bunch of thieves!”

Often (as in this case) such as tirade is joined with a misunderstanding of the following:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
- - 1 Timothy 6:10 TNIV

If anybody is part of an organization that calls itself the Church and they are all about money and attempt to get money from their congregation etc in an anti-biblical way then they are not the Church but the church…fakes.

The Church must not be all about Money Money Money…it must not even have the appearance of being primarily concerned about money…it must not look like an apprentice to money…

Money is not evil…the love of money can be a problem…for one cannot have two masters…and is a root of all kinds of evil…Money may be a song some listen to but it should not be thus with the Church..

I responded to the person that said the above to me “I am the Church…am I all about money?” They responded “no” to which I replied “then perhaps you have to rethink money and the Church.”

Money is not our “trump card”….

John Piper Video: The Miracle: Would you please stop thinking about yourself? LIFE IS NOT A TEST!

2009-09-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

A tour de force of but a few words packed with profound meaning John Piper delivers unto us a view of ourselves asking the question…Would you please stop thinking about yourself?

What deeds of intense good must I do…how many times a day must I pray…how often is enough to sit in a Church pew…how many worship songs must I sing…how many pilgrimages are enough…how much money must I give…what food and drink should I shrink from…how do I fulfill my mission….

IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU! IT IS NOT ABOUT ME!

It is about Jesus, His righteousness…your religion…and mine…your good deeds…and mine…cannot set us free…we will never be good enough…relax…

You want profound meaning for your life? You want a look behind the veil of this life? You think you need to devise a blend of religious personal beliefs that are a spectacle of you?

The Miracle: Would you please stop thinking about yourself?

Are we so boastful, so arrogant, and so delusional as to think we can earn or deserve what only Jesus can deliver?

Relax…worn out…burned out by religion…the treadmill of morality? Take off your track suit of religious morality goody two shoes focusing on your family and churchianity and be graced with the perfect clothing of Jesus.

Think you are perfect…measuring yourself against the next person…wake up to how you look in the mirror…we are all broken…relax…

Worried about how you look to others and what is in your closet? Don’t know what to wear? What do you look like to God? God knows what is in your closet….Wear the righteousness of Christ…You can’t buy it in a store! You are bankrupt before God…Yet Jesus offers you His infinite perfect sinless wealth of righteousness…ask Him to dress you in it…

Would you please stop thinking about yourself? LIFE IS NOT A TEST!

If you think life is a test you will fail. You shall fail…..Relax…forget the mirror and wear the righteousness of Christ…

Profound truth…but does it bother you that you can’t keep score?

Rock Stars Video: Expository Preaching: Charles Spurgeon and John MacArthur

2009-08-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon is often referred to as the “Prince of Preachers”, if you will allow he was a “Rock Star” in cultural relevance, fame and the Church’s impact. His preaching was as a force of nature yet delicate and sublime. It was not thus because of his brilliance but because of his character and declaration of the truths of Scripture.

Spurgeon’s dedication to expository preaching was central to his success. This dedication also put him in a storm of controversy and in the crosshairs of those that despise solid Biblical expository preaching. He spoke and wrote about the shift to preaching that nay should not even be characterized by such a description as preaching. Christian leaders that tell us “read and study the Bible” yet are negligent in doing this from the pulpit.

Spurgeon called this the "Down-grade"...in modern times we would call it the Bible losing its primacy. The preaching of the Word adapted to entertainment as prime focus, sound bites, lack of depth, lack of cross references, deficient word meanings, inadequate context, disregard for doctrine, more concern for the clock than truth, more concern for tickling peoples ears and being popular then declaring the full council of God through His Word...

John MacArthur is a champion of expository preaching in our present times. He is an example of Godly character pointing to the grace of God, Jesus as Lord and Saviour, bold declarations of Biblical doctrine and the importance of solid Biblical expository preaching.

Yes, they are but men and would be the first to say such, yet I pray for more such men. Pastors and leaders that do not “sell out” the truth of Scripture for popularity and a sickly sweet feeling that inhibits and prohibits Biblical expository preaching.

We live in an age where I often hear more Bible from “rock stars” than pastors. An age when I go to a business leadership conference whose speaker is a Buddhist that literally does more expository preaching about Jesus than I get at my home Church’s Sunday morning...ear tickling...bring on the “Rock Stars” of preaching! Men that do not shy away from bold Biblical expository preaching! Pastors that will “get down and dirty” with the Word and not worry about their personal popularity. Leaders that are in the world but not of the world...Men that will speak about Jesus as not only Saviour but also as Lord...and will teach from the Bible to prove it!

Alright...I know some will take issue with my usage of “rock star”...the term is meant in the way God is referred to as the “Rock”....

"The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
- - 2 Samuel 22:47 TNIV

What kind of “Rock Stars” should our pastors be?

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

2009-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

What a Friend We Have in Jesus is what many in the Church would consider a classic hymn. This video version has an almost haunting melody and reverence that even those outside the Church could appreciate.

I have a friend that became a Jesus follower at a very early age and grew up among a family of Jesus followers with Church the de facto way of life. He is a genuine wonderful man, a good and godly person whom I love and respect.

He bristles when the familiar usage of friend is used by followers of Jesus towards God. I understand that he likes to emphasize the Lordship of Jesus, that He is God and Master. However to a genuine Jesus follower He is also Saviour and Friend.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
- - James 2:23 TNIV

For more on Abraham being God’s friend see 2 Chronicles 20:5-9 and Isaiah 41:8. Notice that it is the fact that “Abraham believed God” not “good deeds” that was credited as righteousness. It is about believing/trusting God. Abraham was a sinner just like me and just like you yet his trusting God made him God’s friend. The same is true of us today, and if we are God’s friend then He is our friend.

This is an alien thought to many people. Many want God to be unapproachable and unfriendly even unknowable, perhaps more of a puppet master. Yet to those who are genuinely trusting in Jesus there is true friendship. We dare not forget that Jesus is God and Master yet we equally dare not forget that those that want to get things right with God have Him as Saviour and Friend.

To those that deeply drink in the relationship they have with Jesus there are words that are comfortable and warm to the soul…What a Friend We Have in Jesus…

How do you describe true friendship?

Profound or Profane: The Curse: The Imputation and Atonement: 911 and Life Recovered

2009-08-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

A teaching that some may find Profound or Profane…or perhaps both….The Curse…

A humanity of 911 crisis-sin demands the 911 rescue from the God-and-Saviour…it is arrogance and prideful sin that we use to delude ourselves that we can rescue ourselves with “religion” or “being good”. The fall of the towers is but a part of humanities Fall. All of our “good deeds” and “religion” are but rubbish from our collapse and Fall. Yet we can be rescued by Jesus on the tower of His cross…

The Imputation and Atonement

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- - 2 Corinthians 5:21 TNIV

The Complete End of the Curse: Life Recovered

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
- - Revelation 22:1-5 TNIV

Death to the Curse…Life to the Children of the Lamb…Are you “building” a life of cursed rubble or living the Jesus life? He is no 911 hoax or conspiracy but the God-man 911 rescuer……

Learn more about R. C. Sproul of Ligonier Ministries

For more see Genesis 3 and Isaiah 53

Church Music Video: Worship or Party or Something Else or Everything?

2009-08-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Church Worship Music always a hot button topic…

What music in Church should look and sound like in the form of praise and worship is it seems a hotly contested issue. While it is clear from Scripture that ALL of our life should be lived in worship Scripture also delineates structure for organized gatherings of the Church.

In Scripture we are gifted with leadership models, teaching, worship and praise and many other clear instructions on how God wants His Church to do things. It is not our Church but His Church therefore we are His as His genuine followers are the Church. We should not be legalistically following instructions but our lives should be transformed by the Scripture so that we conform to glorifying God in the unique ways He has designed each of us.

This topic is vast in its panorama and depth and will be one of the many recurring themes here at Holy Kiss Church Culture. Therefore the video is probably best used as a fulcrum of conversation lest we stray far and wide. Is this video an example of God glorifying worship and praise? Is it a matter of historical and cultural nuances within the Church or is it pop culture and/or black US subculture pressing and molding the Church? Does it step outside of the freedom of the Church? Is it pure madness or pure worship? What of the confluence of the music and the actions? Does the video lack context or is it proper to even assess these kinds of things?

Does the music and dance of the video focus upon glorifying and worshiping God or is that deemphasized by the music and dance?

First I would say we do not have the entire context however let us for the sake of conversation say that this video meets the trend of this particular gathering. The dance reminds me more of my younger pre-Jesus-following days in late night partying at night clubs than a Church service. Yet does that speak more to my sub-cultural younger life and my present mid-life sub-cultural urban Canadian Church life? Could some say that this form of worship is redemptive of the greater cultures club scene?

Certainly it seems that if this form was used throughout the entirety of the service that the teaching portion could be problematic. If emotion swells to drown lucid thinking then the intellect drowns. A genuine follower of Jesus wants their lives transformed to be lovers of God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength (actions). A worship service should encapsulate this life transformation. Thus a service that does not engage the mind in its depth could be seen as lacking. At the same time a service that intentionally protractedly diminishes the emotions could be seen as being deficient.

Could it be that some seek merely an emotional high while others are scared to allow their worship to move beyond the intellect? It seems that a healthy Church life/culture needs biblical balance in expression of love towards God in an organized group format and beyond…

What says thou?

About Holy Kiss Church Culture

2009-08-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Church has often been seen as culturally irrelevant supposedly self destructing upon its own inward culture. Myopic and entirely lacking vision among other accusations has been laid at the feet of the Church. Often the Church is viewed as adversarial, mean spirited, or a dinosaur (churchasorus?), the list is extensive. Yet many that hate the Church do like Jesus. Why is this so very often the case?

It could be said that many in today’s larger culture do not have a proper understanding of either the Church or Jesus. Is this ignorance bliss? For many years the Church has been seen as the ”morality police” waggling judgmental accusing fingers in the face of wide eyed and at times wild eyed pop culture and popular consent.

Are we seen as more like the Thunder in the Desert of John the Baptist or Sign Posting Jesus…of course both were murdered by pop culture and popular consent…

When I look at the Church I also recognize there is the church, those who may seem to be of the genuine Jesus following Church but who are really not of His Kingdom. They are the propagators of churchianity, rules and religion not genuine life transforming faith and grace.

While the Church is often viewed as carrying the Stick of the Law how often is it seen as delivering a Holy Kiss? We are told…

Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- - 2 Corinthians 13:12 (TNIV) (See also Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, note 1 Peter 5:14 calls this a “kiss of love”)

An astute Bible student should now venture “alright, but all those verses are speaking of how the Church should interact with one another not how it should respond to the world.” They may even decide to point out the Judas Kiss finishing off with “that’s how the world kisses the Church goodbye, so much for Holy Kiss Church Culture.” Others may even remind us that it is possible that even in the early Church such a Holy Kiss would never have crossed gender lines.

Holy Kiss Church Culture is a conversation about what the Kiss looks like within the Church but also what the Kiss looks like when the Church is supposed to love the world and not be trapped into narcissism…

The Scripture is clear that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16) and that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). What does all this love and kissing look like? How did Jesus interact with His followers and also those that rejected Him? How should the Church live with one another but also with the world it lives in? What are Church culture, life and community and what does it look like when engaging with popular culture?

This conversation is not just for the Church it is a dialogue to encourage understanding for those in and out of the Church. Holy Kiss Church Culture is a conjunction of translation between Church Culture and Popular Culture.

Confession time now…I didn’t grow up around the Church and didn’t become a Jesus follower till in my late 20’s. I love the Church but there are things that drive me crazy about the Church! The crux is I am also part of the Church so I need point my finger no further than myself, I am part of the problem but also want to be part of the solution and this blog is also about exploring that opportunity. So watch your step and don’t trip over my piles luggage, take care to watch your head that you don’t hang yourself on my clothes line of previously dirty laundry…this may not be pretty but there will be lots to talk about!

What do you think of the Church?

Above art is Theotokos of Vladimir