Ok, this new game is just wrong in so many ways! But that seems to be one of the things that makes it so fun!
http://www.arcadetown.com/sheepgotoheaven/gameonline.asp
On a more theological note...
It is difficult to deny that there is a strong element of unpleasant judgement for evildoers in scripture. For those who find it difficult to find justice in infinite (eternal) punishment for finite crimes (myself included), what are we to make of the many passages in the Bible which speak fairly plainly about judgement of this type? Do we excise or ignore the fact that Jesus spoke more often of judgement than he did of heaven? Do we somehow reinterpret what is meant by the concept of judgement? In what ways do we compromise/reconcile justice in the name of forgiveness?
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Worship Wars
Worship wars is a term I've heard somewhat frequently for some years now. It usually seems to describe the conflict that arises in congregations between those who favor a contemporary style of worship and those who favor a more traditional style of worship. The conflict is severe enough that a number of pastors who have gone through it before prefer to accept calls in churches that have both types of services just to avoid the possibility of having to go through the same conflict again.
I've been questioning this whole concept of contemporary vs. traditional for myself lately. Aside from playing semantic games of what constitutes traditional and contemporary, I have to wonder why it is that people cling strongly to one style or another. It's not even a liberal/conservative thing since some of the more conservative churches embrace 'new' styles of worship, while many liberal churches retain traditional styles.
Unfortunately, the worship class during my first semester in seminary did little to resolve the issue in my mind. However, it did give me one great little nugget to chew on by defining worship in the context of revealing God to us. I hope to always balance my worship planning in the future against this definition.
However, current practices of worship still remain hit and miss in my way of thinking. While the contemporary camp has a tendency to sometimes reveal more about people than God in its worsip, the traditional side has a tendency to replace God with the idolization of worship forms (which might just be the same problem as contemporary expressed in a different way). I don't believe for a minute that God has a preference for guitars over organs, or metaphorical rhetoric over spontaneous expressions of joy. My confession that God is sovereign creator means that all forms of communication, whether it be speech or music or writing or video screens, were created through God's will. When I say that God is all-in-all, that means that all areas of my life are a part of my walk with God. My worship of God should not be limited to a church facility, but rather should be evident in all that I do. Which is, I think, the foundation of evangelism.
So with a God who is all-in-all, by what logic do I limit my worship? If rock music touches me outside of the sanctuary, surely it can also do so inside. If I am willing to jump up and down and cheer for my favorite football team, why can't I get equally excited over my relationship with God? On the other hand, reverence and prayer during communal worship should just as surely transfer into my daily life.
I guess what I'm trying to get at here, is that there seems to be a tendency for us to keep our worship separate from our lives. Or at least to limit it to brief periods once or twice a week. While there is a need to hold onto the sanctity of worship as a community, I question whether we go overboard to the extent that worship becomes like casting a magic spell to bring God to us. Is there anything we do outside of worship that should not be a part of our worship? And, if so, is that something we should be doing at all? And vice-versa. What elements of worship do not play a part in our everyday lives? And why don't they?
Maybe the problem with the worship wars is deeper than just preferences of style. And maybe the solution has more to do with how we worship outside the church building than inside it.
I've been questioning this whole concept of contemporary vs. traditional for myself lately. Aside from playing semantic games of what constitutes traditional and contemporary, I have to wonder why it is that people cling strongly to one style or another. It's not even a liberal/conservative thing since some of the more conservative churches embrace 'new' styles of worship, while many liberal churches retain traditional styles.
Unfortunately, the worship class during my first semester in seminary did little to resolve the issue in my mind. However, it did give me one great little nugget to chew on by defining worship in the context of revealing God to us. I hope to always balance my worship planning in the future against this definition.
However, current practices of worship still remain hit and miss in my way of thinking. While the contemporary camp has a tendency to sometimes reveal more about people than God in its worsip, the traditional side has a tendency to replace God with the idolization of worship forms (which might just be the same problem as contemporary expressed in a different way). I don't believe for a minute that God has a preference for guitars over organs, or metaphorical rhetoric over spontaneous expressions of joy. My confession that God is sovereign creator means that all forms of communication, whether it be speech or music or writing or video screens, were created through God's will. When I say that God is all-in-all, that means that all areas of my life are a part of my walk with God. My worship of God should not be limited to a church facility, but rather should be evident in all that I do. Which is, I think, the foundation of evangelism.
So with a God who is all-in-all, by what logic do I limit my worship? If rock music touches me outside of the sanctuary, surely it can also do so inside. If I am willing to jump up and down and cheer for my favorite football team, why can't I get equally excited over my relationship with God? On the other hand, reverence and prayer during communal worship should just as surely transfer into my daily life.
I guess what I'm trying to get at here, is that there seems to be a tendency for us to keep our worship separate from our lives. Or at least to limit it to brief periods once or twice a week. While there is a need to hold onto the sanctity of worship as a community, I question whether we go overboard to the extent that worship becomes like casting a magic spell to bring God to us. Is there anything we do outside of worship that should not be a part of our worship? And, if so, is that something we should be doing at all? And vice-versa. What elements of worship do not play a part in our everyday lives? And why don't they?
Maybe the problem with the worship wars is deeper than just preferences of style. And maybe the solution has more to do with how we worship outside the church building than inside it.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Playing Around
For those who just can't get enough of playing games, I offer you my not-so-secret secret source...
http://www.freebloggames.com/
They also give you the html code to insert onto your own webpage. Should anyone wish to make use of them on your own blog or webpage and have troubles, let me know and I'll be happy to show you how I did it on my blog.
ειρήνη μου φιλοι
http://www.freebloggames.com/
They also give you the html code to insert onto your own webpage. Should anyone wish to make use of them on your own blog or webpage and have troubles, let me know and I'll be happy to show you how I did it on my blog.
ειρήνη μου φιλοι
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