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Hey guys,
Check out this article from yesterday's Washington Post. Above the fold there is a large picture of a man dressed in camoflague holding up a Bible. Following is a long story about Christ Mountaintop Chapel in the DC suburbs, where Pastor Rob Seagears has committed to preaching on whatever the highest grossing movie for the week happens to be.
A few choice quotes from the article:
The Summer Cinema series... seeks to attract those who don't ordinarily attend church while making the experience more fun for those who do.
Seagears bases each week's message on the highest-grossing movie the previous weekend. He sees the movie, then prays about how to extract a biblical message.
Creative services can provide an edge in a tight "religious marketplace," said David Roozen, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research in Connecticut. "There's a lot of experimentation going on in worship these days," Roozen said.
He removed his cap and aviator glasses, led a prayer, then preached on the importance of relationships with God, other believers and non-Christians. (He also urged people not to see the movie.)
"It's all about engaging your audience," he said.
OK, it's been a little slow around here, so I wanted to share a gem with you all. "Our King" is a song that not many people know, but our church has come to really love. Michael Tinker, the guy who wrote the words and music, is part of The Crowded House network.
It's a simple tune (my kids love to sing it) and the words bring tears to the eyes. The words of the chorus are based on the words of John Newton at the end of his life. If you're looking for a gospel-centered song for your church to learn, you couldn't do better.
Our King
Our King is a king of mercy
He gave the blind their sight and the dumb their speech
He healed the sick and raised the dead
Our King is a king of mercy.
Chorus:
Even though our memories may fail us
May we always remember this:
We are great sinners
But we have a great Saviour in Christ.
Our King is a king of cruel scars
He was beaten, stricken, whipped and condemned to die
Though he had done no wrong at all -
Our King is a king of cruel scars.
Chorus
Our King is a king of passion
‘It is finished!’ he cried out and gave up his life
So we could be his family:
Our King is a king of passion.
Chorus
Our King is a king of glory
Even death could not keep hold of this king of life
He rose triumphant from the grave
Our King is a king of glory.
Chorus
Download a PDF of the music here.
Let's poke the bear with a stick. It's a holiday week in the Summer, so no one is reading this anyway.
What are you guys doing for 4th of July in your church? Color guard? Singing "God Bless America"? Draping a giant American flag around the pulpit?
We won't be doing anything at our church. We'll pray for the government in our service, but we do that every week. I might include thanksgiving for the freedoms that we enjoy, but that's not unique to this weekend.
I choose not to make a big deal out of Memorial Day and the 4th of July for a couple of reasons:
First, I don't want to have an American church. I want to pastor a church in America. We have members from 20 different countries. More than one in three of our members were not born in America. I don't presume that they consider the American military "our" military. I don't even presume that they think of America as "our" country. I want them to come to church and experience great unity with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Scripture makes it clear that our unity is not to be based on nationality or culture.
Second, I think in our culture the evangelical church (especially the Southern Baptists with our God and Country celebrations) is often synonymous with right-wing patriotism. So I think it doesn't serve the gospel well to make a big show of patriotism in our worship gatherings. My fear is that it will hurt the Christians ("I must be a good Christian, I am a patriot and have a yellow ribbon sticker on my car") and the non-Christians ("Being a Christian means being a good American").
To be clear, I'm not anti-America. And I'm not saying that it's sin to do differently that I choose to do. But I wonder what you think...
The 9Marks blog aims to stimulate a helpful conversation among pastors, church leaders, and Christians about life together in the local church.
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