Everybody gets them. The Monday blues. Even though it’s Tuesday, I’m still feeling the effects and aftereffects of ‘em. I think it must’ve been ‘cause the weekend got swallowed up in choir, church and the wedding that made it just zip on by, leaving my exhausted. I even woke up late cause my body was rebelling against my mind, insisting on the right to stay in bed.

But it’s Tuesday, and I’m still feeling like the days are too long, and the nights are too short, and somewhere in there I’m supposed to find time to zzz. But sincerely, and honestly, I try to get ready for bed around 11pm, but something crops last minute- phone call or other, that forces me to stay up again. I can think of a few classic examples. And I’m having a tough time learning to say NO to things- you know who you are! This isn’t to say that these things are NOT worthy causes- they are! But when they add up, they just become rest-depriving, and I get whiny. But the Lord is patient with me when I tell Him about my never-ending day, and He sustains me.

But still, the weekend seems so far away. Or even 530, the appointed hour of liberation. Nonetheless, in the tradition of the Puritans, I’ve decided to write a Monday Prayer. Here goes:

Thank you, Lord, for a new week.
For new beginnings, for fresh starts. Thank you for ending the chapter of this week and opening a fresh one for me to begin with.
The opportunities for creativity, enjoyment, provision, intercession, love, ministry, discipleship, and adventure are endless and they all come from you this new week.
Thank you for Monday.

Thank you for a new week.
For the breath of life that flows through the body, and air that is clean and sweet, that is like this new day, full of hope and promise.
What will I do with this next breath? Will I speak words of charity, of kindness, of encouragement, of comfort, of peace, of worship? Or will this next breath be one of lament, complaint, ungratefulness, mourning and unholy despair?
Thank you for Monday.

Thank you for a new week.
For renewed friendships and relationships; opportunities to savor the delights of companionship, kindredship, comradeship, and every manner of human enjoining. For the joy of community, the awkwardness of new acquaintance, for the excitement of new introductions, for the warmth of old friends. Make me grateful, because every week is a new week of love extended unselfishly, and every week is a testament of friendship that does not fail.
Thank you for Monday.

Thank you for a new week.
For the blessings of family, of parents and siblings which are precious gifts from you. Thank you for provision in the home, for food on the table, and water from the tap. Thank you for loving sacrifice and Christlike example in their service- for words of discipline and models of our heavenly Father’s love for us. Teach me to be appreciative of brothers and sisters, in the full diversity that you made us, and each week where you sustain with life, furnish us with homes of delight and comfort. Thank you for your provisions- our home, our food, and our car which we use so often without a thought of thanks.
Thank you for Monday.

Thank you for a new week.
For another week of sustenance through ups and downs, for the refreshing of the soul in the preached Word and the presence of your Spirit with your people in worship. I anticipate more spiritual food this week as I spend time with you. Thank you for the privilege to keep dining at your table as you feed me with Your Word. Thank you for another opportunity to live for you and experience your goodness in my life.
Thank you for Monday.

Thank you for a new week.
For a new beginning that reminds us of the new heavens and new earth to come, the home of righteousness. Thank you for the reminder that one day, all things will be made new, without any more tiredness or weariness, but through the risen Christ, we will be perfected. Thank you that one day you will wash away all the sins of last week, the week to come, and every sinful week. Thank you for the faith that looks to that Hope in Christ. Thank you for new beginnings you first began when you raised Christ from the dead. Thank you for a fresh start in Him. Thank you for new life through Him.
Thank you for Mondays.

THE SIMEON TRUST has interesting material on Biblical exposition which all and any would benefit from. The teachers in Philly this year (2010) are Mark Dever and Phil Ryken.

It kills me also to know that Josh Harris is preaching at Tenth’s Urban Ministry Conference this year on the topic of Sex in the City. This probably is a spinoff of his book, Sex isn’t the problem, Lust is.

See what the Gettys are up to! And introducing the liturgical calendar of Epiphany.

“Christ, that rich and pious husband, takes as a wife a needy and impious harlot, redeeming her from all her evils, and supplying her with all his good things. It is impossible now that her sins should destroy her, since they have been laid upon Christ and swallowed up in Him, and since she has in her husband Christ a righteousness which she may claim as her own, and which she can set up with confidence against all her sins, against death and hell, saying: “If I have sinned, my Christ, in whom I believe, has not sinned; all mine is His, and all His is mine;” as it is written, “My beloved is mine, and I am his. (Cant. ii. 16.) This is what Paul says: “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;” victory over sin and death, as he says: “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” (I Cor. xv. 56, 57.)

From all this you will again understand, why so much importance is attributed to faith, so that it alone can fulfil the law, and justify without any works. For you see that the first commandment, which says, “Thou shalt worship one God only,” is fulfilled by faith alone. If you were nothing but good works from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head, you would not be worshipping God, nor fulfilling the first commandment. since it is impossible to worship God, without ascribing to Him the glory of truth and of universal goodness, as it ought in truth to be ascribed. Now this is not done by works, but only by faith of heart. It is not by working, but by believing, that we glorify God, and confess Him to be true. On this ground faith is the sole righteousness of a Christian man, and the fulfilling of all the commandments. For to him who fulfils the first, the task of fulfilling all the rest is easy.” Martin Luther, On the Freedom of a Christian

Source:http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/luther-freedomchristian.html

—

The more we venture into 2010, the more I find myself inadequate and ill-prepared for the coming days ahead. Having had many opportunities to speak to people, brainstorm, present, canvass and lobby for support, I’ve been able to think through some of the planning and structures to come. However, as I’ve been talking, Satan has also been speaking to my heart. He’s been reminding that I am a hypocrite for talking about the needs of ministry, church and fellowship.

And of course, the Devil is right. But there is now no condemnation for those in Christ. Yes, I am ill-equipped. But He is furnished with wisdom, power and resources I don’t even have words for. Yes, I am tired somewhat. But He feeds me with energy I don’t have. Yes, I have offended and bristled many. But He is peaceable, kind and loving to all. Yes, I am impatient and foolish. But He is merciful, patient, and long-suffering.

By the word of His promise, I have these benefits and blessings extended to me. He has said that they are mine, and by faith, I take hold of them. I do not have them because I believe I have them, but because Jesus has promised them. If I look to my own store of confidence, there is no faith there. But if I look to the sureness and steadfastness of His promise, I have these guarantees inked in blood. And He has given me the Spirit as a downpayment to confirm His faithful character.

So, if I have offended you, please forgive me. If I have appeared rash, selfish, proud or foolish, you are right to judge me, and tell me off. Hypocritical, weak and sinful am I, but please forgive me, as Christ has promised His forgiveness, and I dare not call myself condemned when the Savior has borne my sins on His body on the tree. I am the harlot, now wed to the King. His promise and royal character sustains our union, and by who He is and what He has said, I am vermin, but through Him, royal and esteemed.

It just occurred me that a major reason why churches don’t grow is because they experience a combination of three diseases. These are the deadly trio of ‘invitation fatigue’, ‘prayer anorexia’ and ‘baptism anxiety’. Let me explain.

‘Invitation fatigue’ occurs when we get so tired of thinking of who to invite and bring to church, that we just give up altogether. It ceases to be way of life for us, and we forget that it’s meant to be a part of our DNA. We get worried about how open the church folks are going to be, and we end up huddling in a safe little bubble. In reality, the reason why we keep going to a particular church should not be reasons that keep others away from coming. This means that our creature comforts should not descend into exclusivism, and neither should our safe relationships with churchies push others away from God’s house and His people. There are no ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ zones. Either we’re inviting or we’re not- there’s no pretense about it. In effect, the spiritual root of ‘invitation fatigue’ is a performance based gospel- when I behave right and welcoming, then I’m a good Christian. Rather, we should cast off all fears and anxiety and admit who are- broken sinners in need of Christ and the healing power of His people living in grace together. There is no invitation fatigue for those who know they’re broken all the time.

‘Prayer anorexia’ is another word for ‘prayerlessness’. Luke 18:1 tells us that Jesus was all about persistent prayer- “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Lk 18:1 NIV). We do not have the power to grow His church because we don’t pray for the people in and outside of it! We don’t pray at all! There is a certain combination of laziness, cynicism and lack of faith that takes place when we refuse to get our knees to pray, and the power and change will never come when we refuse to pray. EM Bounds wrote that God is seeking men of prayer, who will rise up not to glory in their own strength, but who know all too well the power that comes when prayer unleashes God’s mighty reserve of riches and blessing. Our churches don’t grow because our prayer lives are weak and scant. If only we would cast off our anorexia and feast greedily on the richness in prayer, and be nourished to full health.

‘Baptism anxiety’ is another major trait of church-killing. We raise the bar so high for baptism that it basically effects a kind of spiritual ‘graduate school’ for us. There is a profound confusion with accepting the Gospel and taking the steps forward for baptism when we delay it needlessly. Agreed, one should never rush into baptism headfirst, and yet, we should not put it off without good cause. If we do, not only do we raise the baptism bar impossibly high and fail to ever jump it, we also degrade the value of church membership and belonging to a covenant body. Baptism should come to us as naturally as breathing, once we have life. Accepting Christ as Savior and Lord occurs when we have been regenerated, holy desires awakened within us, and baptism must never linger too far after that. It is not a semi-Pelagian moment of ‘committment’ to God at all. It is a public sign of obedience that follows His work of regeneration in the heart. Lest we separate regeneration and the sign of regeneration to our detriment and doctrinal confusion, may we be cured of ‘baptism anxiety’.

Consequently, if these there ailments ceased to plague Christ’s body, we would be honest, gracious and inviting to those eager for fellowship and worship, and empowered by God’s mighty Spirit and prayer, miracles would take place in our midst- remarkable things indeed. And surely, as in the apostolic church, many would be added to our number, being so baptized into Christ’s holy body, and the Bride of Christ prepared for her Groom.

The more time I spent online the more I’m finding such awesome material to enrich the life of corporate worship. I pray that this bears useful fruit.

CARDIPHONIA by Bruce Benedict, a pastor at Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC. Great stuff.

The Open Sourcebook, a growing resource of worship music, text, thoughts, etc. The concept of open sourcing your way through a wealth of material is, fantastic.

SOJOURN VISUAL ARTS based out of Sojourn Community Church in Loisville, Kentucky.

“Tyndale was willing to endure great trials because of what he believed about the gospel. C. S. Lewis explained that the “whole purpose of the ‘gospel,’ for Tyndale, is to deliver us from morality. Thus, paradoxically, the ‘puritan’ of modern imagination—the cold, gloomy heart, doing as duty what happier and richer souls do without thinking of it—is precisely the enemy which historical Protestantism arose and smote.”

(C S Lewis, English Literature in the Sixteenth Century [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1954], 187, but uncovered by Doug Wilson in 5 Cities That Ruled The World)

– Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

Source: http://www.saintandrewsonline.org/doctrine/standrew.php

I told myself I wouldn’t post anymore nonsense, but then I got half day (WOOT) and came home for a bit to post more nonsense hahah.

Observe the similarities between these pictures:

this one above is Trinity College, Dublin, and a picture that I included in my previous post on meditation, the one below is from Star Wars- the library inside the Jedi temple.

And a game sequence creation of the interior of the temple. Uncanny right?

THAT MEANS THAT LIBRARIANS ARE JEDI. THEY HAVE HIDDEN FORCE-POWERS.

Which reminds me of Dan Traister’s blog-subtitle:

A scholar is just a library’s way of making another library.

and this:

If you click on the picture above, it’ll take you Douglas Wilson’s page on ‘Musican Exhortation’. Apart from having an amazing beard and wonderful eyes (spotted by Muriel in the film, Collision), Wilson has a quick mind about him that he is using for the Lord’s work. Do refer to his writings on music for a reflective, thoughtful perspective on some ideas in music for liturgy, psalmody and public worship.

This link here, is the link to his father’s blog, 81 year old James Wilson.

Okay this post is deliberately misleading. The sacred art of meditation differs from religion to religion- the nature of the religion informs the nature of the practice. Consider this clearly Hindu dude:

and this less exotic, but still fairly ascetic lady:

this medieval philosopher meditating:

and these studious versions of textual meditation:

Not quite so sexy.

Which one does your meditation look like? Stephen Altrogge has a short post on how to meditate here.

I gave in to Facebook Stalker Disease (FSD) tonight and started looking up what some of my peers have been doing. Now these aren’t people that far removed from me, but my age and close to my social station in life, but the difference is palpably obvious. This person lives the high-life, moves from pseudo-relationship to pseudo-relationship, and mingles in a very select and exclusive crowd, traveling the world and evidently, enjoying all it has to offer. In contrast, my fast-paced, church-saturated trudge looks very different. I don’t want to wish-project, or self-console, or start to self-pity because my life isn’t boring, bad or making me resentful in any way. It’s just striking how lives that looked so similar can end up looking so different.

Here are some snapshots:

The old folks- hodgepodge of the brothers (plus sisters) left behind cum old fellowship.

Grace Baptist’s young adults plus youths- here pictured at the Collision screening at Hort Park.

And here, with the younglings of church at the Beh’s.

How differently have our lives and our hearts been wired? You care about the things you care about, and I care about the things I do. You slant to the left with the decisions you make, and I turn right. And besides, God has appointed for me to be where I am, with the people I am with, with the duties and responsibilities I have- and what a gift and privilege to enjoy these things.

But I’m just wondering- what does your life really look like, behind what Facebook shows, and would mine otherwise be?

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us…” Acts 17:26-27