Is Lifeway Hung Up on Madonna?

I think Jeff Slaughter, the man who writes the music for Lifeway VBS, is a fan of Madonna. Here is a song from this year's VBS called "Live It Out."

Now listen to Madonna's "Hung Up." Start around 1:03, and you'll hear the comparison.

Interesting, no? Now, I'm not a big fan of Lifeway's VBS material (music included), but I'm really not sure I want to teach the kiddos Madonna. Although maybe I can borrow some of her legendary dance moves...

When the Church of Jesus
Shuts its outer door
Lest the roar of traffic
Drown the voice of prayer:
May our prayers, Lord, make us
Ten times more aware
That the world we banish
Is our Christian care.

-Fred Pratt Green

Cowden's Confessions: Crafty Crafts

Heather and I visited a couple of craft stores today. We didn't intend to buy anything, just scope out some candles for the church. We left Hobby Lobby okay because we went in knowing that we were just looking. But then we went to Michael's.

Turns out craft stores know how to get money from people like us.

See, there was this wonderful mixture of Fall and Christmas decor all over the place. It even smelled like Fall-Christmas in there. After the initial Fall-mas feeling wore off, Heather discovered the first round of dollar items. They were small games and crafts for kids. She provides childcare for a family at our church now; she watches their three elementary-aged girls after school. They are pretty rowdy when they come home, so the craft store's cheap entertainment section caught her eye. We walked away from there with four items.

Right across the isle from that were the photo frames. We have most of our pictures on our computers, but we've discussed getting a collage frame to display our close friends and family. Guess what? These frames were 50% off! Who can resist, right? So we got one of those. Looks nice.

As any good store supervisor knows, you should arrange all the cheap clearance merchandise in an unavoidable area at the front of the store. It was there that we encountered 50% off Fall decor. At this point, I asked Heather to go get us a shopping cart. This should have been a warning sign. Heather got excited at the idea of making an autumnal centerpiece for our kitchen table (complete with plastic food and leaves). I found a clearance shelf of baskets a few feet away. Now we have our centerpiece.

Just in case a customer could avoid the clearance Fall stuff, some employee had put a bunch of $1 Christmas nicknacks right by the registers. I bought some Christmas notecards to give to folks at church.

Then we began to feel guilty for our impulsiveness, so we wandered slowly backward through the store. Did you know that these scheming merchandisers even put cheap stuff on the opposite sides of the shelves??? We bought a wonderful-smelling fall candle for $4.

After placing the candle in our shopping cart, Wife and I turned to each other and said simultaneously, "Let's get out of here!" So we ran the cart up to the register bobsled style, and as the cashier rang up our purchases, we mumbled things like, "Sales... clearance... good deal... we're suckers..."

Does anyone else have these experiences at craft stores?

Move over, Michelangelo

In our Wednesday night children's worship time, we are discussing the names of God. The kids have been drawing pictures showing the names of God, and the symbolism that goes with them. One of my favorite drawings was done by a boy named Daniel:

I asked Daniel to explain his drawing to me. He told me that one arm was God's, the other was man's, and their hands are touching. I asked what the shiny gold part was, and Daniel couldn't explain that part as easily. He said it is what happens when the two hands touch.

As soon as I saw Daniel's picture, it reminded me of another famous piece of art. This one, of course, painted a few hundred years ago on the ceiling of a church:

Perhaps the most fascinating part of this painting is that Adam (on the left) is so lackadaisical about reaching toward his Creator, while the entire body of God is stretched as far as it can go. Well done, Mr. Michelangelo.

Maybe I'm influenced by the five-month sermon series of Revelation that our church is finishing up, but I like to think of this painting and Daniel's drawing as a before-and-after sort of thing. Imagine the shiny golden glory that will occur when God finally obliterates that space between his hand and ours. Our pastor told us this morning that many scholars find it difficult to distinguish when John, in Revelation 21, is writing about believers and when he is writing about the New Jerusalem itself. It seems that, when God creates the new world, He, the saints, and the City will all be united perfectly.

That's a lot of shiny-golden-goodness. Looking forward to it.

I'm a big kid

Isn’t it fascinating to watch children play? Yesterday Wife and I got to spend some time with a child from our church and her mother. After eating supper together, we all played a few rounds of Candyland, with the little girl winning most of the games. Her rejoicing quickly turned into a silly hop, roll, and run around the room time. The rest of us just watched and laughed. She loved having our full attention, pausing occasionally to determine whether we approved of her actions and to ask if we would join in. We explained that we were all too big to do somersaults in the living room, but she should go ahead.

As I plan weekly worship services, I often find myself asking God if he approves and whether he will join in. Sometimes I stop and realize that to him, I am much like a child dancing around the living room, seeking his approval of my trivial motions. Maybe if I find the right combination of hymns, choruses, testimony, and prayer he will clap his hands and tell me I’ve done a great job. I even try different combinations of things in my personal spiritual life trying to find the perfect balance.

John Piper, author and pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis Minnesota, has said that God is most glorified when we are satisfied in Him. For reasons beyond our understanding, God loves to delight in us, his children. It’s easy to see the joy on a parent’s face when their child works to make them laugh. Imagine God’s joy when he sees us singing, speaking, and living for his satisfaction.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” –Colossians 3:16-18

Musical Diversity...

It's the spice of life!

This morning, after I tossed my junk into the car and before I headed off to church for the day, I popped a CD in the stereo for my enjoyment. The disc I chose was a recording of Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition (orchestrated by Ravel, of course). As it disappeared into the dashboard, I heard a few familiar notes from the radio. I switched back to FM to listen to the Aqua's amazing hit from '97... Barbie Girl.

That's right, folks. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Barbie Girl. I even sang a few parts myself (come on Barbie, let's go party). And I immediately followed it with Mussorgsky.

Later today, I looked up hymns for church services. I perused church choir music. I listened to the Glenn Miller orchestra's Christmas album. I also played a movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# Minor, opus 27, no. 2 (aka The Moonlight Sonata).

It's a wonderful musical life I lead.

Church pics! Yaaay!

Here are some pictures I took of FBC Mart, where I am the new music minister.

This is the front of the church, with the sanctuary on the left and the building with classrooms on the right.

Here is the sign in front of the sanctuary, telling how it was established.

This is the front of the sanctuary.

The sanctuary has some very pretty stained glass.

Here is part of my "office." I didn't take a photo of the messy part. It'll take a while to tidy up.

And so what we have learned applies to our lives today...

I have a church job now. I'm the part-time music minister at a smallish church about 30 minutes from home. I'm happy with it.

The church's vote went down Sunday evening, and already I have a lengthy to-do list. My pending tasks are mostly of my own initiative, because I was well-trained by Dr. Hicks and company, and I understand the importance of my part-time music minister position. Don't worry... I won't bore you by listing them. Instead, I will tell you what I've learned during my first two days of being a music minister:

1) Planning two traditional worship services a week means I perpetually have hymns stuck in my head. Even hymns I didn't know I knew. Currently in my mind's jukebox is All the Way My Savior Leads Me. Any of you youngin's know that one?

2) Because of my need to always make noise, my wife will learn many new hymns.

3) I went to the church today to poke around and get a few things done. By exploring the entire building I learned that there are 10 pianos (3 in good shape), about 15 children's classrooms (2 are used currently), and 5000 storage closets. I firmly believe that there are more things stored in a church than are used.

4) Behind one closet-looking door I found creepy stairs that led to a very creepy basement under the sanctuary. Dark, gray, musty, and scary. I think I will have nightmares about this basement, even though I didn't dare enter it.

5) We all know that taxes are confusing. Minister's taxes are confusing times 1000. My first task as a minister was to decide between a W-4 and a 1099. Wife and I did research and talked to about 5 people, and still don't know which to do.

6) Some pastors love to talk. Actually I learned this is during the interview process.

7) This one is no surprise. Secretaries at small churches are the most helpful people I know. They can answer any question, and find anything. Our secretary found me a blank legal pad, because I had no paper at the church.

8) Music libraries are often cleverly hidden. I have no idea where mine is.

9) When a church has been without a paid music minister for a while, everything music-related (and some things not music-related) ends up in the music minister's office. Choir robes, music books, hymnals, magazines, desks, chairs, shelves, filing cabinets, crayons, anything the youth minister doesn't want, car tires, small mammals, leftover orange drink... okay, I made up those last three.

I'm gonna love this gig.

Come, let us with our Lord arise!

Come, let us with our Lord arise,

our Lord who made both earth and skies,

who died to save the world he made

and rose triumphant from the dead;

he rose, the prince of life and peace,

and stamped the day forever his.

Happy Easter everybody!

Wife and I visited our prospective church this morning for their service. I played a violin solo during the offering, and we *gasp* sang in the choir! There was no choir special or anything, we just stood with the choir at the front during to singing. Yeah, we rocked the hymns.

After church we came home and made ourselves a delicious Easter meal! Check it out: ham, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and rolls. MmmmmMmmm! Then we took an Easter lunch-induced nap. This evening we went to Columbus Avenue Baptist (a big church in town that we frequent) for the Mwangaza Children's Choir, an incredibly cute choir of kids from Uganda. We got there a little late (I'm pretty sure they changed the time and didn't tell us), but it was a fantastic concert. I learned that during foreign children's choir concerts, Wife sits on the edge of the pew, eyes wide, with a big grin on her face. Don't worry... we didn't steal any kiddos.

We came home, and had a delightful Sara Lee strawberry cheesecake and coffee while we watched Get Over It, an Easter classic (haha) with Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, and Martin Short. Funny flick.

We missed family, but got to talk with them on the phone. It was a good Easter.

What did you do?

I am a dork*

Ten events of my day:

1. Ate breakfast

2. Facebooked a little

3. Worked on my new project*

4. Went to work

5. Played a board game with my wife

6. Colored a map of Europe showing mountain ranges, rivers, and bodies of water*

7. Cooked dinner, and read about early church history while I ate dinner

8. Went for a walk with my wife

9. Continued work on my new project*

10. Wrote this blog post

*My new project is making a timeline of European history with three sections: political history, cultural history, and church history. I am fascinated by the interaction of these things, and want to understand them better. What better way to learn than to research each and make my own giant timeline?! In the last four days I have researched, made notes, and timelined the history of the Roman Empire. Love it!

Christ in the Classics

I had the opportunity to perform in a wonderful concert this evening. Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco presented a program called Christ in the Classics. It featured a full choir and orchestra (with organ!) performing great works in the "classical" repertoire, including:

Various pieces by J.S. Bach

Selections from Handel's Messiah

"Gloria" from Vivaldi's Gloria

Mendelssohn

Gounod

Fauré

Between the musical selections, there was a narration of Jesus' life from the scriptures, along with works of art projected onto the big screens. The art included works by:

Joachim Patenier (The Baptism of Christ)

Giotto di Bodone (Christ Entering Jerusalem)

Peter Paul Reubens (Christ on the Cross)

Rembrandt van Rijn (The Ascension)

Other artists included:

Michelangelo

Flinck

Grünewald

da Vinci

This was seriously one of the best programs in which I've ever participated. It was a fantastic way for a lover of the arts to contemplate the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and I think the less dorky folks really appreciated it too. Heather enjoyed it a great deal, and was sad she didn't sing in the choir. I wish you all could have been there!

Yay for Us!

Happy belated weekiversary, blog! I know our weekiversary was technically yesterday, and I'm very sorry for the neglect. I know from experience with women that any -iversary is a bad day to be forgetful. (Although my wife, one of the less melodramatic women I know, is not real picky about this stuff. I love her!) But I consider you to be more of a masculine blog, so I'm sure it's alright.

Anyway, I thought we'd take a short stroll through the past. Down memory lane, if you will...

We started this journey with a post called Blogs, blogs about blogs, my new blog, in which I told my tale of starting this journey with a post called Blogs, blogs about blogs, my new blog. (Oh no! Don't touch anything... this sounds like the Butterfly Effect.)

How Soon Hath Time was a sonnet by John Milton that I felt applied to me, having recently turned 24 years old.

After Heather and I had a long day with a potential new church family, I wrote Church as a more serious discussion of the importance of the fellowship of believers.

The next day I reminded us that March is National Reading Month. I shared with my audience my personal recommended reading list. I hope it prompted some consideration of literature.

Forsake Thy American Idols was my rant of the week, touching on the low points of American television, culture, and music.

I hope everyone enjoyed my cheesy jokes in Q and A. Perhaps some were able to use them to spread the cheesy joy to others.

Finally came the troubling story of my nighttime outing to Wal-Mart with the wife in Stories from the Crypt. Spooky, no?

Well there it is. And now a formal request for a bit of feedback from my five followers: Would my audience be so kind as to share a bit of insight about their journey through my mind? (Yikes!) Do you enjoy the attempts at humor? How about discussion of spirituality, music, and literature? Should I add a bit of art chat? Maybe the occasional self-written poem? (I'm working on Ode to Coffee currently.) Too many parentheticals in my writing?

Please, let's keep it constructive. Or humorous, cause that's fun too. Thanks!

Church

I just scratched my nose, and noticed that my hands smell like a church. No joke. A congregation about twenty minutes from where we live is considering me for a music minister position, so my wife and I visited today. We were with church folks from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm. This included Sunday School, morning worship service, lunch, personnel committee meeting, choir rehearsal, evening service, and church business meeting. A lot of talking, a lot of listening, and a whole lot of hand-shaking. Long day. (Don't worry- I treated my wife to ice cream after it was all over.)

I have quite a bit I'd like to discuss about church. I think there are some shortcomings inherent in today's congregational model of church. For example, I think it's easier to have church than to be the church, and many have fallen into that trap of personal and congregational comfort. Perhaps I'll discuss this more in the future.

What I really wanted to remind myself of, and I hope you share in my reminder, is that Christians need church. Relationships among believers are worth the frustration, uncertainty, and challenge they sometimes bring. Paul reminded the leaders of the Ephesian church that God bought the church with his own blood (Acts 20:28), and emphasized numerous times the importance of continually strengthening each other.

No matter how your church chooses to worship, be thankful for the opportunity to worship together. If personalities clash, go beyond that with gratefulness for the challenge to grow yourself. Find joy in the ability to share God's love with a brother or sister who has experienced it in a similar, yet excitingly fresh way.

Sometimes I need to just stop and remember that God loves church a whole lot, and if I am to honor him, I need to love it too.