Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Truth Testers Video



We have just uploaded a new video to Youtube. It is a video called "Truth Testers". This is a skit we video recorded for the truth series which was a 4 week series on truth and lies. This video reviewed the four kinds of lies mentioned in the sermons. We looked at self lies, worldly lies, marital lies, and religious lies. These four examples are reviewed in the skit. Our thanks goes to the Lepage and Sayre kids as well as to Adam and Monica Hoffman. We also thank Richard Hamilton who video taped the skit and edited the results. Enjoy!

Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAx8fshAZAI

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Break thou the bread of life video




Well well, two videos in one day! Here is another video I made and uploaded to Youtube. It uses an mp3 file of me singing all 4 parts of an old hymn entitled "Break thou the bread of life" This time it is sung acapella. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z1EWKO9Z3Q

Be still my soul video on Youtube



I have just uploaded a new video to Youtube. It is a video of me singing a three part hymn called "Be still my soul" with guitar accompaniment. Take a look. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deb6lGsmWXE

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

New Fascination with the clouds



There's a trendy new feature in the computing world known as "cloud" computing. I have run into it in several different ways. When we updated our word processor to the newest version, it came with access to a cloud based storage area which we could access from anywhere in the world and on any computer. Naturally, I set up my cloud site and uploaded a file to it just to show that I could. I haven't gone back to it since, but it is reassuring to know that it is up there somewhere (in the clouds) waiting for me whenever I decide I need it (assuming I remember my password for getting into it).
More recently, I downloaded an app (application) for my recently purchased i-pad, and it also came with ability to access a cloud storage area called "Dropbox." Well, to be truthful, I was more impressed with Dropbox than I was with the app that told me about it. Susan and I have installed Dropbox on all of our computers and mobil devices, and have started placing files we want to share in our dropbox rather than e-mailing them to each other. With two gigs of storage space it holds bigger files than we can e-mail to each other, and each of us can update files in it at will. I've also noticed that various apps can connect to the Dropbox automatically.
I'm told that because of cloud computing, we will eventually be weaned from the need for hard drives on our computers. I assume that's a good thing since my iphone and ipad don't have hard drives.
I know all of this sounds new and state of the art and all, but perhaps this isn't as trendy as we might be led to believe. I remember a Bible verse where we were promised that we would meet Jesus someday in the clouds. 1 Thess. 4:17 says, "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
So then, clouds are nice, but God was evidently impressed with them long before any of us were paying attention to them. He promised us that we would meet his Son when he comes back in the clouds. I like the idea of cloud computing, but I love the fact that God had something in mind for the clouds long before we became fascinated with them.


Monday, February 28, 2011

Rattling the World



A few years back, I composed my own epigram about maturity. This is what I wrote:
"Maturity is when you finally come to realize that you cannot rattle the world, and the world no longer rattles you."
I can't remember the set of circumstances from which this epigram arose, but I often see evidence of the truthfulness of it. I can remember my younger days, when I had visions that were world sized in scope. One of my dreams sent me to China (in my mind) to reshape everything there. Then, in 1970 the world traveling opportunities began. First, it was to Mexico, then to Australia and New Zealand. Five years later, to India, then Kenya and Russia, and repeated returns to India.
I was certainly seeing the world, and enjoying the experiences of my travels, but I also realized how immense the world is, and how small an impact I can make upon it. While visiting Russia, I mentioned to my co-workers that Jesus had sent me there to be "a sunbeam for Jesus" (words from a song I learned in church back in the '50's). I was partially speaking with tongue in cheek, but came to understand that my contributions there were like a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark place. I became content with being a glint of light. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Now, in my 60's I can see that the bulk of my time in productive ministry is behind me, but perhaps I can still contribute a glint of light in some dark places. I doubt that it will rattle the world, but if it brightens my part of the world, that would be enough.
By the way, The words of that old children's song go something like this:

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for Him each day;
In every way try to please Him,
At home, at school, at play.

A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I'll be a sunbeam for Him

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Snippets



One morning at the Renovare Conference in San Antonio a while back, the concept of Breath Prayers was introduced, and some examples were given of breath prayers taken from scripture. I had never heard of breath prayers before, but liked the concept as a new take on praying. Breath prayers are phrases we recite back to God. But we can also recite short phrases to ourselves, or as David said, "Why are you downcast, Oh my soul." We can talk to our souls. Since our souls are the center for mind, will, and emotion, the idea of directing our souls on what to think, feel, and decide makes sense.
Therefore,, I can see the value of reciting short snippets of Biblical admonitions to our souls would be a proper daily endeavor. In fact, I suspect that Biblical meditation would most likely amount to ruminations of snippets of scripture to shape our souls. Rather than reading lengthy passages we can't recall later, we might be better served by serving up snippets to repeat to ourselves continuously until we are shaped by them. For example, a snippet from today's devotional thoughts by Oswald Chambers is this line from scripture, "“All my fresh springs shall be in Thee.” (Psalm 87:7) Repeating that snippet to my soul could be refreshing and restorative to a weary soul. I believe there could be benefit from hearing this more than once. Soul, are you listening?

Monday, January 24, 2011

New Info on our Discipleship page

I just uploaded new information on the discipleship page of our church web site. Why not click on the link below and go there to see what's new. Ed

http://discipleship.chccsa.com/

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Lingering Aroma of Christ



Today, I read a devotion written by Ozwald Chambers. The words that struck me were in the end of the devotion when he wrote these words:
"The saint who is intimate with Jesus will never leave impressions of himself, but only the impression that Jesus is having unhindered way, because the last abyss of his nature has been satisfied by Jesus. The only impression left by such a life is that of the strong calm sanity that Our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him."

Too bad that is too long to post on Twitter because it is so beneficial. By intimacy we are enabled to leave an impression of Christ rather than of ourselves. Paul wrote about this In 2 Cor. 2:14-16 letting us know that we are the aroma of Christ. We smell like Jesus! This is an aroma that wafts all the way to the nostrils of God himself, and it can also be smelled by saved and lost alike. The hope is that by intimacy with Christ, that aroma of Christ will be stronger upon us, and people around us will get the unmistakable impression that Jesus himself is near.
I remember reading something about baby pheromones which are present in infants less than two years old. Conventional wisdom has it that the pheromone odor dissipates after two years and the parents decide to have another baby because of the attraction of the pheromone odor which has left their toddler. I don't know if that is true or not, but holding a 3 month old child last Sunday I could sense something attractive by holding the child close enough to smell her body smell. Perhaps it was just baby powder or soap I was smelling, but it reminded me of the smell of my own children at that age. I wanted to linger and hold the sweet child, but I had places to go and things to do. I wonder if the aroma of Christ that lingers upon us is anything like baby pheromones. Attractive. Winsome. Appealing. If so, I want to smell like Jesus every day. More of the aroma of Christ, less of my own B O.