Got Word?

Every single one of us knows we should read the Bible. It isn't even a question. We know we should read the Bible.

We also know that everyone should, (in no particular order,):

eat right,
exercise,
spend time with your family,
assist the less fortunate,
get regular check-ups,
take your vitamins,
attend church AND Sunday School,
tithe,
_{[Tired Yet?]}

have a personal quiet time,
pray with your children every day,
prepare for retirement,
do special, thoughtful things for your spouse,
teach your children to walk in the Lord,
succeed in your chosen profession,
be a good neighbor,
vigorously celebrate the usual personal events and national holidays,
_{[Now are you tired?]}

stay informed on current affairs,
listen to your spouse AND your children,
entertain,
consult your elders,
"be there" for your friends,
be environmentally responsible,
support "Feed the Children", "Christians Children's Fund", AND "UNICEF".
be sexually attractive and engaged with your spouse,
mentor a younger person,
care for your parents,
_{[How about now? Is weariness creeping in?]}

be involved in community affairs,
support the ministries of your church,
support a charity with money AND time,
pay your bills on time,
take vacations that entertain and rejuvenate,
spend time with your friends,
perform timely routine maintenance on your car,
get preventative vaccines,
Groom, dress, and speak well,
_{[I'm getting tired just writing this!]}

maintain your residence and yard,
read and continue your education,
keep a spotless house,
prepare healthy meals,
have a hobby,
be punctual,
be organized,
be happy, relaxed and popular,
"give something back",
prevent forest fires,
give a hoot AND not pollute...
_{[I'll stop. You get the idea.]}

Oh. And did I mention, you need to read your Bible?
_{(I know. You're very welcome.)}

I feel guilty even discussing something you should do, knowing the burdens that the world is trying to lay on responsible, well-meaning women and men. But here's the thing:

God's Word is the answer to the problem of an overcrowded, hectic life. It's more than another "should" in the endless list of "shoulds" that assail us. It's foundational!

"The Word of God" is a title for Jesus. And Jesus knows what is being asked of you these days:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30

How do you keep from being swept away by the overwhelming demands of our world? It takes two steps and the very first one is "hearing" the Word of God.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

- Matthew 7:24-27

As believers we mustn't allow reading the Word to become just another "should" on the list. Again, God's Word is the solution to the "shoulds" in your life!

But there's even more going on here... Reading God's Word has greater benefits than just coping in this world.
(To Be Continued...)

A New Low in Navel Peering...

I went to YouTube to look at a sermon that a friend had mentioned. They now have these little transparent "Ads by Google" that they overlay on the botttom of the video. Here is the ad that popped up on the sermon:

"Could my Husband be Gay?
Worried your husband might be gay? Take the test and See. Free Online"

Can you imagine?

My first thought when I read this was, "What is wrong with us?" (but I guess I know the answer to that.) But can you imagine the poor rascals who are going to have those "test results" waiting for them at home some evening soon? And to get them from the woman you've pledged to honor and love and cherish for the rest of your life?

((shudder!))

It brings to mind...

Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Proverbs 21:9 NIV

But let's face it. There are great odds the "test" was written by a man.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth."

2 Timothy 3:1-7

Rather than going on further about how misguided and terrible "they" are, this would be a good time to for all of us to stop and pray for our nation.

Two Months and Two Days... One God Almighty.

It has been necessary to be elsewhere, doing other things, but it is so good to be back posting. Thank you for still being around.

I woke up this morning with The Doxology playing in my head. I's a good way to start the day and I like to sing it when I'm alone. (Sometimes I sing it when my daughters are with me, but I have to kind of cool it... I'm already making that eventual institutionalization decision way too easy for them.)

Something is telling me I've shared this in the blog before, but I have to get back to work and I don't have time to check it out. And this is a song that is worthy of a repeat.

THE DOXOLOGY

[A] doxology in widespread use in English, in some Protestant traditions commonly referred to simply as "The Doxology" and in others as “The Common Doxology”[2], is "Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow". The words are thus:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

This hymn was written in 1674 by Thomas Ken, a priest in the Church of England.[3] This hymn was originally the final verse of two longer hymns entitled "Awake, My Soul, and With the Sun",[4] and "Glory to thee, my God, this night",[5] written by Ken for morning and evening worship, respectively. It is usually sung to the tune "Old 100th", but also to "Duke Street" by John Hatton, "Lasst uns erfreuen", and "The Eighth Tune" by Thomas Tallis, among others. Many Mennonite churches, especially those composed primarily of ethnic Mennonites, sing a longer and more highly embellished version of this doxology to the tune "Dedication Anthem" by Samuel Stanley.[6] This version more fully utilizes the a cappella harmonizing for which Mennonite services are known.

Ken wrote this hymn at a time when the es­tab­lished church be­lieved on­ly Script­ure should be sung as hymns, with an em­pha­sis on the Psalms. Some con­sid­ered it sin­ful and blas­phe­mous to write new lyr­ics for church mu­sic, akin to ad­ding to the Script­ures. In that at­mo­sphere, Ken wrote this and sev­er­al other hymns for the boys at Win­chest­er Col­lege, with strict in­struct­ions that they use them on­ly in their rooms, for pri­vate de­vo­tions. Iron­ic­al­ly, the last stan­za has come into wide­spread use as the Dox­ol­o­gy, per­haps the most fr­equent­ly used piece of mu­sic in pub­lic wor­ship. At Ken’s request, the hymn was sung at his fun­er­al, fit­tingly held at sun­rise.

_{Doxology. (2009, June 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:01, June 9, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doxology&oldid=295448685}

Even if you are tone deaf and have a terrible voice it all arrives at the Throne as beautiful praise! All together now:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

And Amen.