Sunday, November 29, 2009

Flyleaf Nails IT!!!

I recently purchased Flyleaf's latest Memento Mori at Amazon (only $5).  As a rocker I love their sound and I love the singers voice.  What I appreciate most is that they are unabashed about who they are as followers of Jesus.


Below are the lyrics to the first cut on the album, Beautiful Bride.  This is what it really is about.  Now we just need to live the words of Jesus to make it reality.


You may not appreciate their music if you're not into rock, but the lyrics are undeniably true.


You can watch the video here.


Beautified diversity
Functioning as one body
Every part encouraged by the other
No one independent of another
You're irreplaceable, indispensable
You're incredible, incredible

Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride

Strengthen your arms now
Train your fingers for battle
Urgencys here now
Train your fingers for battle
Fighting this violence
With your feet wrapped in peace
Sad tears and silence
Now screams of joy
Victory

Beautiful bride
Body of christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride

Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying

We're not gonna fall and forget
How far you went to pick us up
If one parts hurt the whole body's sick
If one part mourns we all mourn with him
Rejoice, well sing with you
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride

Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride



The division in the body is what is hurting it today.  If we can get past our own selfish desires and see people for who they are His Kingdom will near.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Old Curmudgeon

Through my years as a kid in the Catholic Church I pictured God like I think many people do; He was this old man with grey hair and a long beard sitting on a throne wearing a white robe.  All around him were clouds but nothing else.  God was not omnipresent, He was up there.  Up there as in up in heaven, which was a specific place, you know... up there.  This was my childlike view of God.

During these years I had nothing or nobody that told me any different.  So there God sat.  All alone on his throne in a really boring place with not much to do. I'm not sure what I thought God did with all his time but I remembering having the sense that he was grumpy.  These thoughts probably came from the image of the Old Testament God who was always angry with his people.

This image of God stuck with me for longer than I care to remember.  There are times today where I feel like I've reverted to this image of God.  Uncaring, grumpy, never pleased, and always judging.  This is not God and I don't think this is how he wants to be perceived.  But this is what I learned at church.  This is the impression of God that I was left with each Sunday.

I feel bad for God.  This is not a flattering image of his glory and magnificence but I think it is how he is seen by a great many people.  The One who created and breathed life into us has been relegated to a salty image of an old curmudgeon sitting dutifully on his throne.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

I Have A Question...

What kind of church do you belong to when the last words you hear are "see you next Sunday!"?