July, 2007
Haven’t you every felt the way the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 73 felt? (2) But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. (3) For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. (4) They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. (5) They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
Haven’t you looked at co-workers, or neighbors, or whoever and thought - “They don’t worry about God, or doing God’s will and they don’t seem to be doing so bad” This was the lament of the writer of Psalm 73. How is it that people who follow God, and sincerely seek to do His will sometimes seem to be struggling harder or facing far more difficult situations than those who care nothing about God? Is it really safe to follow Jesus? (more…)
Posted by Scott on July 11th, 2007 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
When I was in the ninth grade I went out for freshman football. All through junior high I was a bit of a skinny kid, with a slightly oversized head (kid’s used to call me “king big head”, nice eh?) Well, I decided to do something about it and went out for our ninth grade football team.
I will never forget the day where the coach went walking through a crowd of hopeful try outs, pointing first to one kid, and then another signaling that they could go to the locker room to get their equipment. Where you got picked had to do with the coaches evaluation of what kind of a player you might be. It was a nightmare. I watched as one kid, then another, then another and so on and so forth jogged away to go to the locker room to get their equipment. I was mortified as I saw the numbers were getting smaller and smaller and I was still among the remaining kids still not picked to go and get a uniform. I knew the likelihood was that the equipment left would be pretty rough looking, likely even to be ill-fitting. Finally, it came down to just two kids, me and another kid who looked like he might have been slightly handicapped in some way. I wasn’t the very last one picked… thank God.
The summer after my freshman year in high school I went down to West Virginia to stay and work at my Uncle’s farm. I ended up working in the hay fields bailing hay. This involved throwing large hay bales up on to a wagon pulled by a tractor for 10 to 12 hours a day. The results were quite signficant in terms of my growth and size increase. The end of the summer I went out for J.V. football in the 10th grade and instead of being nearly the last picked I was one of the first. What a difference to be chosen, versus being a charity case given a uniform just because I tried out. (more…)
Posted by Scott on July 10th, 2007 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Every great story invariably comes around to a hero. It is something knit deep into the psyche of human nature. From great literary heroic figures like Alyosha (from the Brothers Karamazov) to comic book characters like Superman there is something about the noble heroic figure that draws and inspires us.
But there is One who stands above all legendary, and even historic heroes as the archtype, the true “last action hero” - Jesus, the Lamb who has conquered. (more…)
Posted by Scott on July 9th, 2007 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
This rather gaudy, rather phoney looking treasure chest does have a point. Several weeks in a row I focused on the lies which creep into our lives and rob us of the blessing, freedom and joy which God intends for his sons and daughter to experience. Some elements of those messages were pretty challenging. I make no apology for that, I believe I was being faithful to the Scriptures in exhorting the church to beware of the lies which satan uses to entangle believers.
But there is more. This Sunday I want to talk about “essential” things which I believe God would have us “set” our minds on. These ideas, taken from scripture take time to inculcate (i.e. implant by repeated statement or admonition) in our hearts. They take time, repetition and meditation. One of the reasons that I have decided to include this as a blog entry is that I hope to create a reference that anyone who is interested may use to help deepen their grasp on these biblical treasures… (more…)
Posted by Scott on July 6th, 2007 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
2000 miles of driving. The last 1000 done in a single day, pretty much only stopping for gas. That’s a hugh part of what it means to be a part of the Cornerstone Festival, at least for east coast folks.
Also a great time with Hannah and Rene. I really enjoyed just be with the two of them. We had a lot of fun and just good bonding time for all of us.
I’m gonna summarize all the blog entries. I want to mention all the artists I saw and want to recommend. You decide whether you want to go any further with checking them out.
Rosie Thomas - One of my absolute favorites, terrific show and great entertainment.
Maron - A Jesus people community member, married mother of two, very soulful.
Over the Rhine - 15 years together, thoughful, acoustically oriented music and a great female vocalist. Unique Christian talent. Recommended listening - Discount Fireworks
The Myrid - young, impressive rock with dense layers of sound and passionate lyrics.
The Lost Dogs - Old Timers. One of the first “americana” bands. Highly recommended listening - Scenic Routes
Josh Garrels - Outstanding, eclectic - rap, folk, electronica. Beautiful soul. Loved this guy. Check out this video of him performing “Freedom”
peace,
black dwarf
Posted by Scott on July 2nd, 2007 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
