Picante Praise

Now if I'd only had this as a baby, maybe I wouldn't be such a gringo today. My eyes start watering at just the mention of Taco Bell's mild sauce. It used to amaze me to see a man at our church pull a jalapeno out of his pocket and just start munching on it. What I'd like to know is- how do you taste something when your tongue is on fire? Does it add to the flavor? Are people actually trying to charbroil something in their mouth rather than using a stove? Guess they like to eat dinner while their mouth is sizzling.
I've noticed lately, however, that I've started to try a few more spicy things. (Had a pumpkin spice latte over the holidays.) Maybe it's my advanced age but I'm finding that a little kick to the food can make it more exciting.

It seems that God isn't into bland things either. He's very passionate and I believe that He wants us to be as well. He's not into having us just go through the motions. Revelation 3:16 speaks of Him spitting the lukewarm out of his mouth. But vs.19-21 (The Message translation) tells what kind of dish He relishes. "The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God! Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors!"
Let's live spicy lives for God. Let's add a little Picante to our praise.

Spotlight On Music Ministry

On my last "Spotlight" entry, I listed some scriptures that I think need reviewing whenever we get into conflict over worship music styles. I particularly like Philippians 2:4. "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Worship, after all, isn't really about the music. Yet too much of the time that has been the focus -which often results in people looking only to their own interests. I've seen abuses on all sides. It's not just the older ones complaining, "We need more hymns!" I've heard younger ones complaining, "We need more Chris Tomlin and David Crowder!" The truth is -we need all those things! We can learn so much from each other -the young from the old and the old from the young.
We must remember that music is just the tool that we use to bring ourselves into His presence. We are to be the consumee -not the consumer of worship. It's much more about glorifying God than it is about our preferred style of music.
Visit a third world country. Watch folks worship who don't have the big sound systems or fog machines or pipe organs. Maybe they don't even have what I would consider a good worship song to sing. But I've seen some of the most beautiful expressions of worship given in the crudest of circumstances.

Rip Vaughn Winkle

Hey! I took a nap and woke up. Suddenly it was 2008! Got a bit swamped by the holidays and then went up north to see Steve and Crystal Conner. They pastor in Coarse Gold. (That's not an outfit...it's actually a city.) When I got back I was playing catch up and got sick. But the wonderful thing that I've discovered, as you can see pictured here, is that all you have to do is give everything to the secretary. Think I'll take up golf this year.