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 11:29,30
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I grew up in church. Literally. My dad was a pastor and one of our parsonages was actually the classrooms, kitchen and bathroom of the fellowship hall. That was fun.
No, really.
All my life I've been around Christians. Watched them. Learned from their example-- both what to do and what not to do.
There's one thing I've noticed. It's almost as if there are two groups of Christians tuned into two different radio stations.
It's as though one sad-faced group is listening, ad nauseam, to these old records produced and spun by the devil, himself:
Boy, Is God Mad At You Now
Count Your Bad Times, Name Them One by One
Happiness Is For Others, Buddy, But Not For You
Don't Go Actin' Like You've Been Forgiven
Peace Has Passed You By Forever
Gotta Work Harder To Get Those Little Gold Stars From God
No, No, No... You'll Never Be Good Enough
But the other group, the one with joyful faces, is listening to the station which plays these Greatest Hits:
Jesus Still Loves Me This I Know
Forget My Bright Ideas--Jesus Has All The Good Ones
Bringin' In The Sheaves And Lovin' It (a.k.a. People Want What I've Got)
I'm Growing-Up And Moving Forward With Jesus At My Side
Pass Me Some More of That Peace That Passes Understanding!
Not Afraid Of Evil, No, Jesus Is Here With Me Now
To which station is your radio tuned?
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Ain't that just too true, Debra. I like your take on the alternative song titles. But, it is not so much in the song title, as you allude, but in the heart attitude. I figure the difference has all to do with how people view God and whether they see him as being the Lord of the universe.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing some Word studies in Psalm 111, of late, and I check out how a word has been translated over the years, incl. NIV, NASB, KJV, etc. I haven't read the KJV for a couple of decades now, and so it struck me how absolutely odd it must have been to so many people, mostly those 'new' to Church, to be reading the Bible in an archaic language over 300 years old. So I am thankful for the translations of the Bible into the koine Greek of our time.
I do enjoy your posts. I am not sure of the local community where you live but if someone there publishes a local rag then they may well be happy to publish your work, especially your timely Christmas article below. You may be able to wrangle a free-subsription from them in return. Presently I am negotiating such an arrangement where I live, with the aim of getting the gospel into the community. I expect to be doing one a week with one a month being of a decidely spiritual nature, or with a spiritual reflection 'attached'.
They intend publishing my '... Christmas Chaos' article this week, which is exciting for me.
All the best and thank you for dropping by my blog recently.
Peter
good post!
ReplyDeleteit sounds like you were paying attention as you grew up in a church community, and it has taken firm root in your heart . . . now the Lord can use that wisdom to bless the rest of us . . . :o)
Hi Pete--Thanks for your comments! I have considered writing for publication, but am setting that aside for the future. Right now I'm having such a terrific time with this blog and feel that this is presently what God is equipping me to do. (And I especially like not having to submit my writings to a red-marker-happy editor first.) :o)
ReplyDeleteSaija-- Always good to see you here, too! :o)
God bless you both... Debra