Pre-Coffee Thoughts
Posted by Chris
I'm sitting here slowly drinking my second cup of coffee. Seems like my mind doesn't really get going until that second or third cup of caffeine kicks in. As I was driving in to work this morning I just had a few thoughts that were bouncing around in my head. Forgive me if I spill them out here (they are likely to be somewhat incoherent in my pre-caffeine state). Needed to get them out in the open before I could concentrate on the day ahead.
We hit the big "Music Madness" sale at Mardel's last night & came home with several new CDs to enjoy. I think these are the first CDs that we have bought since 2003 sometime. One is especially dear to my heart as I've been eyeing it for quite awhile. It's the latest Passion installment called "Hymns - Ancient & Modern." Great CD & great idea for putting such a collection together. I read that one of the criteria for a hymn making it on the album was that it must be at least 100 years old. All of the hymns are 'ancient' in this way, but are rearranged & made new. If you've ever sung "The Wonderful Cross" by Chris Tomlin, this is a good example of the content on the CD. Excellent stuff. As I was listening to the CD in the car this morning it just struck me how overcome the church has become in recent days with peripheral things. By definition 'peripheral' means "external; away from the center; on or near an edge or an outer boundary." We've become overly concerned with things that are on the 'outer boundary' of our lives in Christ. It might be stylistic preferences such as the type of worship music we sing (old vs new, hymns vs choruses, etc.), our environment while we sing these songs (pews vs chairs, sanctuary vs multi-purpose facility, etc.), or what we wear while we worship (suits & dresses vs khakis & slacks vs shorts & t-shirts, etc.). Sometimes it relates to our devotional lives (what Bible version we read, what authors we should/shouldn't read and learn from, the time of day we spend quality time with God, how much time we spend during these times, how many prayers we pray (or how long), etc.). Sometimes it relates to our lives & beliefs in general (what music/TV/movies/books we associate with, what our political stance should be (should Christians be Republicans or Democrats), whether it is more important to share Christ with your neighbor or someone in a foreign country, & so on and so forth).
I'm likely stepping on a few toes (likely because I'm stepping on my own as well), but it just seems to me that we have elevated such things to an ungodly priority and position in our lives. There is a place for such things, don't get me wrong, but that's just it ... there's a place and we shouldn't give into the temptation to allow these minors to crowd in on the things that really matter.
I enjoyed immersing myself in the majesty of our God, imagining myself singing songs (new & old) before the throne of Christ in heaven with the multitudes from every nation. I reestablished Christ's throne in my own life and heart. As Watchman Nee wrote in The Normal Christian Life - I choose to abide in Him today ...
In the midst of placing myself in Christ once again, I cannot give myself to peripheral things - only to Him alone. He is the focus of my heart and my life today. I will step into His will as He reveals it to me today.
Well, the coffee is beginning to kick in & I'm sure I will read through this later on today & regret the words that I chose, but for now I'll leave them as they are. Forgive me if I've unduly offended. But if what God is showing me is striking a chord in your heart allow Him to use it to reaffirm who He is in your life today.
We hit the big "Music Madness" sale at Mardel's last night & came home with several new CDs to enjoy. I think these are the first CDs that we have bought since 2003 sometime. One is especially dear to my heart as I've been eyeing it for quite awhile. It's the latest Passion installment called "Hymns - Ancient & Modern." Great CD & great idea for putting such a collection together. I read that one of the criteria for a hymn making it on the album was that it must be at least 100 years old. All of the hymns are 'ancient' in this way, but are rearranged & made new. If you've ever sung "The Wonderful Cross" by Chris Tomlin, this is a good example of the content on the CD. Excellent stuff. As I was listening to the CD in the car this morning it just struck me how overcome the church has become in recent days with peripheral things. By definition 'peripheral' means "external; away from the center; on or near an edge or an outer boundary." We've become overly concerned with things that are on the 'outer boundary' of our lives in Christ. It might be stylistic preferences such as the type of worship music we sing (old vs new, hymns vs choruses, etc.), our environment while we sing these songs (pews vs chairs, sanctuary vs multi-purpose facility, etc.), or what we wear while we worship (suits & dresses vs khakis & slacks vs shorts & t-shirts, etc.). Sometimes it relates to our devotional lives (what Bible version we read, what authors we should/shouldn't read and learn from, the time of day we spend quality time with God, how much time we spend during these times, how many prayers we pray (or how long), etc.). Sometimes it relates to our lives & beliefs in general (what music/TV/movies/books we associate with, what our political stance should be (should Christians be Republicans or Democrats), whether it is more important to share Christ with your neighbor or someone in a foreign country, & so on and so forth).
I'm likely stepping on a few toes (likely because I'm stepping on my own as well), but it just seems to me that we have elevated such things to an ungodly priority and position in our lives. There is a place for such things, don't get me wrong, but that's just it ... there's a place and we shouldn't give into the temptation to allow these minors to crowd in on the things that really matter.
I enjoyed immersing myself in the majesty of our God, imagining myself singing songs (new & old) before the throne of Christ in heaven with the multitudes from every nation. I reestablished Christ's throne in my own life and heart. As Watchman Nee wrote in The Normal Christian Life - I choose to abide in Him today ...
"How do we abide? 'Of God are ye in Christ Jesus.' It was the work of God to put you there and He has done it. Now stay there! Do not be moved back onto your own ground. Never look at yourself as though you were not in Christ. Look at Christ and see yourself in Him. Abide in Him. Rest in the fact that God has put you in His Son, and live in the expectation that He will complete His work in you. It is for Him to make good the glorious promise that "sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14)."
In the midst of placing myself in Christ once again, I cannot give myself to peripheral things - only to Him alone. He is the focus of my heart and my life today. I will step into His will as He reveals it to me today.
Well, the coffee is beginning to kick in & I'm sure I will read through this later on today & regret the words that I chose, but for now I'll leave them as they are. Forgive me if I've unduly offended. But if what God is showing me is striking a chord in your heart allow Him to use it to reaffirm who He is in your life today.
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