VIDEO: Billy Graham, 1957

FATHER’S SONG (10): Elevator Music (Solomon)

If you want a powerful image of what it looks like to living in tune with The Father’s Song and in perfect step with the Spirit, watch an episode of Dancing With the Stars. The dancers must be in perfect step with one another; but even more importantly they must be intimately familiar with the music.  Every note, beat and break must be exhaustively rehearsed and every step, stride and strut perfectly choreographed and timed to precision.

One thing is for sure: These dancers are completely absorbed in and focused intently on the music that is moving them so purposefully and elegantly across the dance floor.

Now, contrast this image with another one.  Step into your local bookstore, Dentist office, hotel lobby or elevator and you will likely hear soft, inconspicuous background music setting the mood.  Background music serves a completely different role than the music on Dancing With the Stars.  Rather than being swept up, taken over and moved to and fro by elevator music, it’s intended purpose is merely to provide a splash of ambience and atmosphere.  It holds little influence or power, it simply adds a touch of sound to fill the silence.

By the time we reach David’s son and successor to Israel’s throne, King Solomon, The Father’s Song would seem to be serving more and more as background, elevator music in these bumpy narratives.  Solomon, in particular, is a case in point.  

FATHER’S SONG (9): Israel’s iPod (Psalms)

I have over 2,000 songs in my iTunes library.  I also have a much smaller “Playlist” of all my favorites: songs that make me smile and move me to dancing, songs that evoke significant memories, songs I’ve shared with special friends, songs that comfort me and songs that move me to tears.  Skimming through another person’s music collection can often give you a small window into that person’s soul.

By God’s grace the ancient “Favorites Playlist” of Israel has been preserved for us in the 150 song collection we call the Psalms.  We have in the middle of our Bibles essentially the iPod of the ancient Israelite people.  This collection of 150 songs includes hymns for holy days, community laments, individual laments, songs of pious persons, thank-offering songs, royal songs and more.  They were written by the community and for the community of Israel.  Many are attributed to individuals such as David and Asaph.  They are the raw, unfiltered poetic scribbles and lyrical expressions of man’s search for God amidst all the struggles common to man.  

FATHER’S SONG (8): David Sings the National Anthem

One divine melody permeates the grand narrative of redemptive history.  In this series, Jeremy is guiding us through the biblical narrative–from Genesis to Revelation–with “ears to hear” the penetrating God-beat keeping everything in sync.

The winner of the second season of the ancient Near Eastern version of American Idol was the electrifying, rags-to-riches shepherd boy from Bethlehem named David. (Though the word “idol” probably wouldn’t be used so loosely among the people of Israel!) David’s first brush with stardom came after his defeat of the the giant Goliath. This would be only the first in a long string of award-winning victories on the battlefield. David became a mighty warrior-king and violent battle imagery would be a prominent theme in many of his future hit singles.  When he wasn’t in battle, he managed to have a productive musical career as well as “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam. 23:1).

Yet, let’s stop for a moment to examine the great shift in mood that is taking place in this ongoing soundtrack to The Father’s Song. If something like Handel’s Messiah captures the majestic mood of the Triune God providentially at work in a world, moving history towards its goal of everlasting justice and universal “shalom”; then the background music to the violent, military sagas of David and his victories over national enemies in the early years of the monarchy sounds more like the abrasive, tension-filled score to the movie Gladiator.

The Carpenter (unknown)

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I ‘m looking for a few days’ work,” he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?”

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.  Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence… an 8-foot fence — so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.”

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.” The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day — measuring, sawing and nailing.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all.

It was a bridge. 

A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched..

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. ”No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.  ”I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build.”

FATHER’S SONG (7): Before American Idol: Saul (1 Samuel)

One divine melody permeates the grand narrative of redemptive history.  In this series, Jeremy is guiding us through the biblical narrative–from Genesis to Revelation–with “ears to hear” the penetrating God-beat keeping everything in sync.

The Patriarchal and theocratic years of the Old Testament (Genesis-Judges) have provided the first several musical tracks of the Father’s Song. So far we have caught a glimpse of the eternal, harmonious dance of the Trinity before the creation of the world, and witnessed the Father singing the world and humanity into existence. We saw our first human ancestors stray from the Creator’s intended groove, starting their own amateur, out-of-tune band. Cosmic dissonance was the result (Fall). God’s solution was to start over by forming a small band of people beginning with Abraham and his descendants who would live once again in the divine rhythms of the Father’s Song.

Exodus through Judges has been one long, 40-year long, ear-piercing band rehearsal as God’s people struggle to get in sync with each other and God. The book of Judges ends on a rather sour note reminiscent of a band on the verge of break-up. Perhaps, they wonder, if we found the right lead man, we could turn this thing around and make it on the charts! Here’s my paraphrase of Judges 21:25: “In those days Israel’s band had no lead man; all the musicians played their own tune.”

At last, we now enter the era of the kings and the monarchy of Israel in our exploration of The Father’s Song — a sweeter sounding, broad sketch of the Bible.

Long before there was American Idol, there were wandering, religious charismatics with significant tribal influence called “judges”. Gideon, Samson, Deborah, Barak and others came first. Then the prophet-judge Samuel begins the transition from the period of the judges to the monarchy of Israel. Despite having received the written score of the Father’s Song at Sinai, the band of Israel was unable to learn to live and perform the song on their own. They decided, against God’s will, that they need a talented, charming, crowd-swaying lead man to get the band back on track. They cry out their aging “producer” or “agent” Samuel: “Now appoint for us a king to lead us like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5-6).

HE IS RISEN!! Now what? (Acts 1:6-12)

[Following the Resurrection] “When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them and said, “Galileans,why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.” Then the apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is about half a mile away from the city” (Acts 1:6-12).

The cross and resurrection of Christ was the strange and paradoxical way God chose to begin restoring his broken world and advancing his Kingdom of peace, love and hope. In another startling move, God then chose a rag-tag group of nobodies to be the vehicle by which he would spread the message and mission of this Kingdom throughout the entire world. The book of Acts tells the story of the trials and triumphs of this small, persecuted, grassroots Jesus movement as it made its way across the expansive Roman Empire.

Sound exciting? Well it was. The life of the early church looked much different from many of our experiences of the church today. Yet, early on they were faced with three threats that still tend to plague the church today — and they can be identified in the one bold question this angelic man asked the disciples immediately following Jesus’ ascension:

Why are you STANDING there LOOKING up into the SKY?

As Christians today strive to faithfully advance God’s Kingdom on earth we must be vigilant to avoid being a church of STANDERS, LOOKERS, and SKY-GAZERS.

1. STOP STANDING. God has called us to “GO and make disciples of all nations.” In the passage above, they all stood paralyzed, amazed at the power of God as he took Jesus from their sight. They had just asked whether it was the time for God to restore His Kingdom, and Jesus’ indirect answer is often taken to be a “no.” However, I believe Jesus intentionally changed the subject from WHEN to exactly HOW this Kingdom was to come. The disciples all expected a military revolt and overthrow of the Roman imperial forces. Jesus however seems to hint that it will begin to come when God pours out his Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost and they begin spreading a taste of His Kingdom to the ends of the earth. The Book of Acts is not a book of beliefs, doctrines, laws or ethics.  It is what it says — a book of “acts.”  As we read we are swept up into the wild and adventurous MOVEMENT of the Spirit, and we travel along with Peter and Paul and the rest. The message of the Gospel MOVES thousands of miles from Jerusalem to Rome in only 28 chapters. The church today needs to become once again a people on the move, a forward-marching Kingdom-advancing church who take an active role in spreading God’s love, joy, peace, forgiveness, grace, healing and hope “to the ends of the earth.” There is too much standing around. “Go, therefore, and make disciples…”

2. STOP WATCHING. It is also easy to become a spectator in the church today. In fact, the way we have designed our “services” often encourages a multi-media presentation where the pastors and worship leaders DO everything and the rest of us sit rather passively in the audience observing the service, watching the pastors, receiving a message (i.e., “being fed”) and then leaving. Outside the Sunday service, we can also easily hide in the shadows watching others volunteer for service projects, go on missions trips, teach Sunday School classes, volunteer in the nursery, etc. Many of us generously give money toward the work of the Kingdom so that we can avoid actively getting involved in the nitty-gritty work of Kingdom-building. The mission of the church in and for the world is a truly hands-on project that involves real, messy involvement. We are called to be not only “hearers of the Word, but doers also.” Remember James’ rather pointed reminder: “My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you” (Jam 2:14)?  Let us stop watching, and start actively engaging in the work of advancing the Kingdom.

3. STOP SKY-GAZING. Finally, the disciples in this episode were fixated on the sky (“They still had their eyes fixed on the sky” v. 10), as if that was where all the action was to be. Granted, you don’t see a man ascend into the clouds everyday, so we should probably cut them some slack. But 2,000 years later there are entire strands of the church who are still staring into the clouds awaiting rescue. I speak of all escapist, dualistic versions of Christianity where the entire goal of the Gospel is to wait for Jesus to come back and take us up (“rapture”) into some heaven in the sky for all eternity. Many today are realizing the folly in this gnostic-like view, and are again placing their hope in the God of Creation whose desire it is to bring the New Jerusalem down to earth, to “make all things new,” dwell once again with his people (cf. Rev 21:22-25), and finally establish his righteous, restorative reign “on earth as it is in the heavens” (Matt 6:10). We are to partner with the God of Creation and to become wise stewards of his beautiful world that is “groaning for liberation” even now (Rom 8). God is coming — no doubt about that! Yet, as we await our savior from a high, we are to be focusing our eyes on those around us who are filthy with the dirt and grime of this world, and bring God’s love, hope and healing to them. We need to stop staring at the sky, and start bringing a little taste of heaven to those suffering here on earth.

So, as we move away from Resurrection Sunday to business as usual, let us make sure we are not still “standing there looking up at the sky.”  Let’s get busy announcing and building the Kingdom!

1. Which of the 3 errors do you personally tend toward?  Are you a STANDER, LOOKER, or SKY-GAZER?

2. Which of these 3 postures most accurately describes the American church today?

3. Do these 3 categories help classify the particular weaknesses of various denominations of the Church?

At the Foot of the Cross 3 (K. Gardiner)

I’m enjoying these meditations by Ken Gardiner found here.

“And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.” (Matt. 27:36)

HIM THERE! Who put him there?

To answer that literally, we must say, “The soldiers”; the army of occupation. Technically they were Romans, and the centurion in charge would most probably indeed have come from Rome. But the soldiers themselves may have come from anywhere in the empire.

It was the custom, on conquering a country, for Rome to transport the young men of that nation to serve in another. In that way there was less chance of rebellion.

So, for the soldiers, far from home, this was just another duty.

“Number five platoon, you’re on crucifixion today. Fall in; quick march!”

All they knew was that there were three; two robbers and a man accused of treason. He claimed to be a king, and you can’t do that and live, with Caesar on the throne.

He must be mad; and madmen were always good for sport. So they had their fun.

The purple robe, a bulrush in his hand, and for a crown – a ring of thorns. “Your majesty!”

They’ll bow before him again one day.

Then out to the site, bang in the nails and heave the cross-bar into position.

But he was different – “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.”

So literally, yes, it was the soldiers who put HIM, THERE! But they were simply obeying orders.

So was it Pilate? after all, he was in charge. No execution could be carried out except on his authority.

Here we see the issue stark and clear. He had examined Christ and found no fault in him.

Justice demanded he be set free.

But what was expedient? Ah, expediency! Pilate knew complaints about himself

had already gone to Rome,

and he was anxious to avoid adding any more. If it should reach the ears of Caesar

that the Jews had found a man claiming to be king, and, bringing him to Pilate, had demanded he be put to death, and Pilate had set him free…!

Justice and expediency… and expediency had won. So Pilate too, as surely as the soldiers,

put HIM, THERE!

But what of the Jewish rulers; the priests, the Sadducees? It was they who pushed Pilate into it against his will.

Good Friday @ The Beach

Our view out the window as we sat by candlelight.

We spent a beautiful evening at The Depot at the Mound Beach gathered by candlelight at the foot of the cross meditating on the passion story. About 25 people showed up for our journey to the cross. We read, reflected and prayed through the passion story, sang a couple hymns, and marveled at the spectacular full moon shining down on Lake Minnetonka just a few feet from us! One of those attending shared afterwards, “I first gave my life to Christ 33 years ago under a full moon identical to this at a Bible camp; tonight I met Him once again.”

As we slowly extinguished the final candles around the cross and looked up at the bright moon, I couldn’t help but think of John 1:5:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!”

See you at the empty tomb on Sunday as we usher in the Rising Son!

Jelly Bean Easter Prayer

Jelly Bean Prayer

Red is for the blood He gave,
Green is for the grass he made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright,
Orange is for the edge of night.

Black is for the sins we made,
White is for the grace he gave.
Purple is for his hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans is yummy to eat,
It’s a picture, a promise, a special treat,
To help us remember Jesus’ work complete,
Gives us hope beyond any earthly sweet.