Motive

We are charged as believers to live out the gospel to the world and to proclaim God's truth.  Psalm 96 says:
2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

This is that season during which there is a great proliferation of gospel ministry.  Children are learning about Jesus in Vacation Bible Schools all around our region.  Churches will offer summer missions opportunities at home and abroad.   Serving at a summer camp like next week's Alabama Family Retreat or a WinShape Camp, provide unique service options.  And, every day, we have a chance to live our lives and to shine our light for Christ - in the interactions we encounter.  There will be Christian believers serving in Orlando in the aftermath of the tragedy there.  The gospel is powerful and quite frankly, necessary to provide hope and redemption in this fallen world.

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Jesus died for all, and there are opportunities all around the world for people to come to know Him.
Romans 10 provides a great inspiring passage about doing the work of missions:
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Yesterday on The Meeting House, I featured a noted spokesman on behalf of missions, embracing the concept of growth through service.   And, I believe we do have spiritual growth potential as we exercise our faith and love others as an outgrowth of our love for God.  I also featured a report from someone actually on the mission field in the Dominican Republic.  I've been thrilled to present reports from France, Ukraine, and Moldova over the past month.  Thank God for technology!

Routinely, our ministry team at Faith Radio prays for groups of people who are on mission in various parts of the world.  And, summer is a time in which young people are involved in service.

There were two young ladies recently who started a satirical Instagram account called "Barbie Savior" that attracted quite a bit of attention.  It has 104,000 followers, and in the description, it says: "Jesus. Adventures. Africa. Two worlds. One love. Babies. Beauty. Not qualified. Called. 20 years young. It's not about me...but it kind of is."  And, yes, it does feature dolls in various situations on the mission field.

According to a story on the WORLD Magazine website, the two anonymous twenty-something creators—who say they formerly shared Barbie’s “white savior complex”—wanted to spur self-absorbed millennials to think about their motives for volunteering. The creators told the Huffington Post that “It really just started as a joke between us, a way to get some of these things off of our chest,” adding, “It’s hard to pinpoint the irony at times in real life … the wildly self-centered person veiled as the self-sacrificing saint.”

Ron Thomas used to train inexperienced college-age volunteers and interns for Mission to the World (MTW) and said the satire is insightful. He said, “It’s kind of funny and you can laugh at it, but it’s kind of sad because it can be true in some cases,” adding, “It could be a helpful tool in training. Humor is a way of addressing sensitive issues in a non-threatening way.”  He said he doesn't remember training any "Barbie saviors" but he does recognize that even a genuine desire to serve can be sidetracked when missionaries focus more on tweeting than learning from their hosts and team. He advises volunteers to have a humble attitude and not to assume they can fix everything,

A piece on the Christian Today website offers 4 things to be learned from this online creation:

1) There is only one world
2) Documenting your selfless acts all over social media kind of defeats the point
3) It's possible to be more of a hindrance than a help
4) It's important to remind yourself that it's not about you.

Now, the second one bothered me just a bit, because we do see photos from missions trips, which can serve as an effective way to document what God is doing.  The author elaborated on all four points, including that one:

Of course social media is a great way to raise awareness for causes but there comes a point where the intent shifts from doing it to shine a light on the realities faced by some of the world's poorest people to doing it so that people build up a particular idea of what kind of person you are.

So, let's think together about the word, motive.  Do you do what you do in order that others will see you do it and glorify you?  Or do you do what you do so that others will see Jesus in you and glorify Him?

Perhaps you serve because you know it's right, but it's not from the heart...or maybe you're following the crowd - I wouldn't discourage those type of service, because God will perhaps touch your heart and give you a fresh love for His work.   But, ultimately, we have to come to grips with our motivation, and recognize that our reasons why can determine or be a detriment to our ministry.

Barbie Savior is a thought-provoking tool, and you really don't know a lot about the two ladies who are involved.  But, she certainly could use a dose of humility, because she is apparently one to look down at the people she is attempting to serve, rather than bowing before God and submitting herself to others.   We remember that Jesus humbled Himself, giving His life for us, so that we, by giving our lives to Him, can give to others with the right heart.

Massacre in Orlando

In the circumstances of life, even in tragedy and loss, we can be faithful to share the love of Christ. 2nd Corinthians 6 says:
4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,
7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left...

Loss can generate a host of emotions - and we can be assured that Christ will meet us in our deepest times of sorrow and grief, providing comfort to our hearts.  When we are feeling unloved, we can press in to the love of Christ and experience His healing and restoration.   And, when lives have been taken by another, perhaps even in an act of terror, we can rely on the Scripture that tells us that perfect love casts our fear.  God's love is present with us and will sustain us in our darkest moments.

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In the aftermath of a tragedy, the hope of Jesus is available.  We are called to be conduits of the love
of God. In 1st John 4, we read:
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The response of a nation continued to be expressed about the tragedy at a nightclub in Orlando throughout the day yesterday.   The Orlando Sentinel reported that inside Pulse nightclub Sunday morning, "The first shots sounded about 2 a.m. as Mateen exchanged gunfire with an Orlando police officer. Mateen, armed with an assault rifle and a pistol, then ran further inside the club and started shooting into the crowd.

The article went on to say, "Witnesses said Mateen aimed at people, who dropped to the ground. For the next three hours, law enforcement and SWAT members worked to rescue hostages from inside the club." The newspaper website reports that the process of identifying victims continued overnight.  It appears that around 50 people were killed and 53 were injured in what has been referred to as the nation's largest mass shooting and the largest terrorist attack since 9/11.

Fox News cited a Reuters report that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack Sunday afternoon via its Amaq news agency. Amaq said an "Islamic State fighter" carried out the assault. It was not clear, however, if the shooting was actually directed by the terror group or only inspired by it.  Fox explored Mateen's ties to radical Islam.  Mateen was reportedly enrolled in a online seminary based in Orlando run by a former gang leader and bank robber who was released last year and a bodyguard to the Blind Shiek who carried out the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

1) Even though the news media played up the fact that the tragedy took place in a "gay" nightclub, we exercise sympathy for the victims because of their worth as creations of God, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Michael Brown, writing at The Stream, said:

A Christian colleague of mine posted on Twitter, “Just read reports of the act of terrorism at the night club in #Orlando. I’m so grieved by this. Come Jesus.” Someone responded, “Your work creates a culture that dehumanizes us. That makes it easier for people to kill us. Don’t grieve, repent.”

You can expect comments much more intense than this in the coming days from political leaders, journalists, social media experts and entertainers, as if Christians who renounce violence but who teach that homosexual practice is sinful in God’s sight were complicit in the slaughter of men and women in a gay bar.

 He later wrote, "Our words must be guided by truth and love."

2) I don't think you will find a Bible-believing Christian who would rejoice that dozens of people, presumably gay people, died in a massacre at a nightclub.   Islamic State is taking credit and reveling in the brutal activity.

Brown continued:

Not surprisingly, someone posted on my Facebook page, “I blame YOU and people like you for the tragedy in Orlando. As of now, 50 people are dead, 53 injured, including at least one police officer, due to homophobia. And you, and your ilk spreading your messages of hate daily directly contribute to senseless tragedies like this. … SHAME ON YOU!”

I responded, “You’re attacking the wrong person. I get death threats and death wishes on a regular basis from the LGBT community, but I will continue to preach the love of God.”

No, people died because of hatred in a man's heart, hatred that was apparently stoked by radical Islam.  His hatred for people stirred him.  It is unbiblical for Christians to "hate" anyone, even people who are homosexuals.  Our desire should be to see them encounter the radical love of Jesus Christ. Now, that doesn't mean we should be in favor of allowing granting special considerations to people who practice it or other forms of behavior that the Bible calls sinful.

3) This incident highlights a key difference between Christians, who teach that a homosexual can experience freedom in Jesus Christ, and radical Muslims, who believe that homosexuality is punishable by death; Christianity .  Christians should want to win those with whom we disagree, in a compassionate way.  Terrorists are intent on killing the person with whom they disagree.

This is a critical difference.  We serve a God of love, who sent His Son to die and to rise again, so that people might have a relationship with Him.   We desire to promote life to all who call upon the name of the Lord, not to promote a culture of death that punishes disagreement.

4) This was an act of terrorism, and it illustrates the mode of operation of radical Islam, which teaches to take life in order to please Allah.

Brown points out that:

At Muhammad Ali’s funeral service, leftist rabbi Michael Lerner said, “We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for the actions of a few people.”

A few people, as in perhaps 200-300 million Muslims worldwide who are sympathetic to radical Islam? A few people, as in the few responsible for the 28,576 deadly Islamic terror attacks since 9/11, including 60 in the first 7 days of Ramadan, resulting in 472 deaths?

But, he point out that our response should be measured, because "there are plenty of peace-loving Muslims in America who are not only appalled at this violence but who now fear for their own lives."

5) But, Muslims are also created by God, and we should regard even radical terrorists as those who need to come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for all - regardless of race, cultural background, religion, or even sexual orientation.  He wants people to experience Him and follow Him, so that they might live in freedom, peace, and love.

Finite

In Hebrews 9, we read about themes of death and redemption, and the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for us. We pick up in verse 26:
(26) now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

We have a finite number of days here on this earth, and the Lord has placed us here with a purpose, expecting us to exercise responsible stewardship over the incredible gift of life.  And, our eternal destiny is determined by the choice we make here on earth - whether or not we accept Jesus Christ. We have the promise of eternal life with Him if we accept the sacrifice He made on the cross.  Death is certain for all of us, and its prospect is something that we should not ignore.

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Because we are believers in Christ, we have the promise of a life eternally with Him, and 2nd
Corinthians 5 reinforces that spiritual fact:
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

Well, there was a piece of sad news that came across the National Football League's Twitter account earlier this week.  USA TODAY reported that a tweet appeared on the NFL's account that said, “We regret to inform our fans that our commissioner, Roger Goodell, has passed away. He was 57. #RIP.”

The website states that NFL spokesmen said the league’s official Twitter account was hacked Tuesday morning when it tweeted out an erroneous statement that the commissioner had died.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told USA TODAY in an email, “Not true. Hacked.”  Another spokesman, Brian McCarthy confirmed that Goodell was still alive.

The article says that a group had been identified as being responsible, and the NFL said that law enforcement had been engaged.  

Now, the story gets a bit sadder.  One of USA TODAY's sports columnists, Nancy Armour, wrote this:

The best measure of a person is the reaction when he or she dies.

In that case Roger Goodell, you’ve got some work to do.

Now, the NFL commissioner was only “dead” for a few minutes Tuesday, not long enough for the heartfelt tributes and praise to start pouring in. And maybe the dark humor shown over his “demise” –his Wikipedia page was briefly changed and the cause of death listed as “deflated lungs” – was because people knew he wasn’t, in fact, dead.

Listen to this...more from Armour:

Goodell’s near-death experience played out on Twitter, and social media is often the Internet equivalent of a sixth-grade classroom left unsupervised after inhaling Pixy Stix. People say stupid, mean and tasteless things on a regular basis.

Even trolls have their limits, though, and the death of someone famous tends to bring about at least some semblance of civility. Look at the outpouring of love and admiration in recent days for Muhammad Ali. Bet you didn’t know how many of your friends were Prince fans until they started posting lyrics and quoting Purple Rain following his death in April.

But, the USA TODAY columnist was not finished.

Goodell is almost universally disliked by NFL fans and, not to speak ill of the “dead,” it’s largely his own doing. Concussions, domestic violence, Deflategate, player discipline – he’s been a case study in bad public relations.

Not that he cares. When he was booed at the NFL Draft in April, Goodell laughed and raised his arms in the universal “Bring it on” sign.

But it’s one thing to be booed at the draft and quite another to watch people dancing on your (virtual) grave.

What was Roger Goodell doing the day he "died?"  According to the column, he had tweeted out that he was playing golf with Jim Kelly. (He was participating in the NFL Hall of Famer's celebrity golf tournament.)

Agree or disagree about the commissioner's effectiveness - after all, the NFL does enjoy an incredible amount of popularity - there was certainly some dark humor at Goodell's expense, it seems, ranging from references to Deflategate to concussions.

I had a few thoughts about this strange turn of events.  The first one had to deal with the stewardship of the days that we have here on earth.  We have been granted a number of years, we've been given a life, and we can examine how well we are living for Christ and reflecting His nature.  And, one of the tests of our effectiveness, which we can never alter, is how we are regarded once we leave this earth.  We need to make sure that we are living in a manner that brings glory to our Creator and show that we are living our days in an effective manner.

And, I have to say: Death is not a laughing matter.  This hack, and the aftermath, was a rather macabre sequence, and maybe, as Nancy Armour said, people didn't regard the hoax as being serious. But, still, death is something that is a serious topic, and each of us should recognize the temporary nature of our stay on earth and make sure we are prepared to leave, when the time comes.  That includes the decision on where you will spend eternity.

Because, after all, death is certain.   No one has an indefinite pass to live here on earth.   Even if we are fortunate enough to be on earth when Jesus comes to retrieve His Church in the rapture, still that means there is a cessation of our time on earth.   Otherwise, barring that exception, we can have certainty that one day we will die, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  So, we can live in a way that reflects that certainty, as well as a sense of urgency, in order to enjoy relationships and experiences, as well as to accomplish what God has called us to do while we are here. 

Out of Darkness Into Light

The Bible encourages us to live by the Word, and worship will necessarily be part of that life that is
expressed according to God's truth. Colossians 3 says:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Music can be such an important component of building our relationship with God - the Scriptures are replete with references about singing to the Lord.  In worship, as we humble ourselves before Him, we have the promise that He will inhabit our praises; James says that humility to God will bring exaltation, I believe, in the form of lifted spirits and released burdens.  Our view of God can be altered as we sing or listen to songs that exalt His name, expressing Who He is and what He has done and desires to do in our lives.

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In Psalm 98, we are encouraged to worship the Lord through song:
(1) Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.

If you follow politics and polling, you've probably encountered the name Nate Silver, who started the website FiveThirtyEight.  The Relevant Magazine site says that FiveThirtyEight "...is operated by ESPN, but was started by statistics and analytics mastermind Nate Silver, a man with a talent for using math to predict the outcomes of elections."  Relevant reports that the site “took a look at the last five years of Billboard’s year-end top 50 Christian songs” to find “pairs of concepts across the entire collection of lyrics (life and death, grace and sin, etc.) and calculated the ratio of positive to negative words.”

How interesting - among predictions of Presidential election trends, Major League Baseball and NBA probabilities, and more, you have a survey of Christian music.  Oh, please, tell me more...

The summary, according to Relevant:

Their findings: Christian songwriters use far more positive words than negative ones. “Grace” was 2.5 times more common than “sin”; life was eight times more common than “death”; love was seven times more common than “fear.”

Interestingly, compared to Christian music of the 1800s, a genre known as shape note, today's most popular Christian songs are noticeably more cheerful—and contain a lot fewer references to sin. Though the older hymns and church songs were still more positive than negative, they contained far more mentions of concepts like sin, judgement, sorrow and darkness than what’s heard on today’s CCM stations.

The FiveThirtyEight article offers some analysis from Richard Beck, a psychology professor at Abilene Christian University, who says that when Christian pop songs and hymns are “excessively positive or wholly positive,” they often “come across as cotton candy and inauthentic."  He says that some, whom he calls "Winter Christians," whose lives are "touched by pain, distance, or doubt," may not can relate to "uniformly upbeat themes in worship."

Filmmaker Matt Hinton, a former religion professor at Morehouse College, is referrred to in the article: "Hinton sees the darker themes of shape note as integral to Christian worship. Mixing in negative language makes it easier to tell the positive story of salvation, Hinton said."

My takeaway from this article, on the surface, produces for me a bit of a "so what?" attitude.  If there's 2.5 times more grace than sin, statistically, is that a bad thing?  I contend not, but I would exercise a word of caution.  I have been critical of vague things in Christian music - the references to a vague "third-party," the "Jesus is my boyfriend-y" attitude that the FiveThirtyEight article refers to, quoting David Stowe, who claims that Christian music is not as negative as it used to be.  I'd say that even songs that don't carry a reference to Jesus or God specifically, i.e., Amazing Grace, can carry a strong meaning. But we do need to make sure our song choices line up Biblically.

I believe that worship music can provide a number of functions for us.  One is that it allows us to connect with God - if we are singing about Him or listening to songs that exalt Him, we can gain a greater awareness of His presence.  But, there is also music that has lyrics that can help us to learn more about God and even to grow in Him.  The hymns have been lauded as great containers of Christian theology, and can teach us about these concepts of the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ.

I agree that we need to focus on a wide variety of aspects of our theology, and we need to be rooted in it.  But, I think ultimately, our music should leave us hopeful, if not introspective.  There may be times when we need to pour our hearts out to God, and a song can perhaps touch us deeply and help us to do that, embracing somewhat darker or more weighty themes.   Music is a powerful tool that God has given to us in order to experience Him more fully.

Valued & Protected

Jesus reinforces the value of a human being, including the value of a soul, in Matthew chapter 10:
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Value - it's an important concept, and something that is worthwhile for each of us to think about.  You are so valuable to the Lord that He sent His only Son to die for you, so that you might inherit and enjoy the new life He has provided.  Yes, there was certainly nothing we could do to earn God's favor, but He extended it to you anyway because of His great love.  He created you for fellowship with Him - you were created as a spirit-being, with a soul that could experience life to the fullest through our Lord.

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In Genesis 1, we get a glimpse into the created intent of humanity, related to other created things and beings:
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Harambe is dead.

Harambe is the 450-pound gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo who was shot and killed as the result of an unfortunate incident - a three-year old child had somehow made it into the ape's habitat, and zoo officials and expert observers believed the child's life was in danger.  The death of the gorilla has resulted in some outrage by animal rights activists and others who believed that Harambe's death was unnecessary.  It is a debate that could be helpful - or destructive.

Let's unpack several of the issues here.   Frank Turek points out at CrossExamined.org that the debate about, as he puts it, "whether we really should always choose a human life over an animal life"  He says that is confusing, because it "goes against our most basic understanding of our existence. But that’s where our society is today: equating the value of human life with the value of animal life."

He says the debate is indicative of two worldviews at play: the naturalistic worldview and the Christian worldview.  In the naturalistic worldview, there is no God - and the natural world basically sprang into existence and developed over time.  There are four basic implications he outlines: 1) There is no objective meaning to our existence. 2) There is no objective purpose of our existence. 3) There is no objective morality. 4) Humans are equal in value to animals.

By contrast, the Christian worldview stands in direct opposition. 1) There is objective meaning to our existence. 2) There is objective purpose of our existence. 3) There is objective morality. 4) Humans are fundamentally different from and more valuable than animals.

In his conclusion, Turek states:

None of this is to say that we should mistreat animals, or that we should have been happy about Harambe being killed in this unfortunate situation. It’s also not an analysis of whether or not he was killed prematurely. In an ideal world, they would have been able to save both the child and the animal.

Rather, this is to say that a person’s worldview is foundational to how he or she evaluates a situation like this. If you believe that there is no God who designed humans as unique creatures with a unique right to life, you’ll argue over the details of the situation to assert your opinion on which life should have been spared in this particular case. Maybe you think the gorilla should have won, maybe you think the boy should have won. The details are there for discussion. But if you believe that there is a God who has created us specially—in His image—you’ll always argue for doing what it takes to save a human life, because human life is sacred in a way that animal life is not.

By the way, CNN reports that the mother of the 3-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo will not be charged, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters, who said: "She had three other kids with her and turned her back. ... And if anyone doesn't believe a 3-year-old can scamper off very quickly, they've never had kids."  The mom's name is Michelle Gregg, and Charisma News reported that:

The shooting enraged hundreds of thousands, who now call for #JusticeForHarambe. More than 334,000 signed a petition demanding Gregg be held responsible for the gorilla's death, as well as ask for authorities to investigate the Gregg home.

Gregg wrote on Facebook, according to the story: "God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him. My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes ... no broken bones or internal injuries," adding, "As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen ..."

Also, another note is that Zoo Director Thane Maynard said that the first response was to call the gorillas out of the exhibit - the female gorillas complied, and Harambe did not.  A tranquilizer would not have worked because its effect would have been too slow.

So, even though Harambe lost his life, the boy's life was spared - I would dare say miraculously. And, that is an aspect of the story that you haven't heard a lot about; sure, there's debating about whether zoo officials did the right thing or if the parents should be charged, but, there should be a degree of thankfulness that this little boy survived the ordeal.  Where's that?  It's really time for a reinforcement of the value of human life, isn't it?   And, we can be challenged to take time to be thankful for those instances in which we see God show up in our lives.

That, of course, is not to minimize the value of animal life.  Jim Daly of Focus on the Family writes:

To be clear, I wholeheartedly believe there is a fundamental difference between human and animals. Zoo officials did the right thing.

At the same time, there is no glee in Harambe’s death. As Christians, we can certainly mourn the loss of Harambe, for his life had value. The Bible tells us in the Proverbs “the righteous care for the needs of their animals” (12:10) And many of you have known firsthand the love and devotion of a pet.

But is the life of that pet … of Harambe … of any animal on earth worthmore than a human life?

No! Human life alone is sacred.

I would say to exalt the life of animals ahead of humans is an act that is indicative of a reversal of dominant worldviews that is taking place today - there are those who do not value their fellow human beings; witness the lack of respect that we encounter, see the number of human beings, made in the image of God, whose lives are taken by fellow humans.  We must recognize that we are created in and reflect the image of our Creator.

Give My Regards

In Exodus 36, we can read about how God gifted certain people to use their gifts for His glory:
1 "And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded."
2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.

Where did Bezalel and Aholiab get their ability?  Verse 1 makes it clear that it came from the hand of Almighty God.  From Whom do we receive our gifts and talents?  I think we have to recognize that God has assigned each of us abilities to be used for His glory.   Those gifts are to be used with wisdom and motivation, based on verse 2 - so we can identify what God has done in our lives and take steps to use what He has given to us for His glory!

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When I highlight some of the artistic trends in our society, I am reminded on how God desires for us
to express the gifts and talents He has given to us. 1st Corinthians 12 says:
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

This coming Sunday night, Broadway will recognize its best with the annual Tony Awards, a spectacle that will be shown on a national television network, CBS, but that highlights plays that only a relatively small segment of the population will have seen, or so my perception goes.

The Broadway League reports that for the 2015 – 2016 season, total attendance reached just over 13.3 million people and Broadway shows yielded $1.37 billion, making it the "best attended and highest grossing season in Broadway recorded history!"   I guess, when you think about it that's not too bad.  Average paid admission was $103.11.

By comparison, just one film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, grossed over $900 million domestically and over 2 billion worldwide.

But, there is something magical about Broadway, no doubt - it is certainly an experience.  We have seen plays that have toured to Birmingham and Atlanta, but to actually see a presentation in the center of it all is quite incredible.

Of course, this year, the Tonys could aptly be re-named the Hamilton Awards, because that musical is likely to walk away with the Best Musical and a host of other awards - after all, it has been nominated for 16 of 'em!   No, we were not part of a fortunate crowd that jams the theater night after night for that musical.

I did highlight Alissa Wilkinson's excellent article at Christianity Today about the Scripture references found in the musical as part of a Front Room blog post a few months ago.  Spiritual content has shown up on the Great White Way periodically...You may remember my interviews last year with people involved in the musical depiction of the life of John Newton in Amazing Grace, which did not fare so well on Broadway - according to the Hollywood Reporter website, the play had 24 preview performances and 114 regular performances, closing last October. There is the expectation that the musical will go on tour in the future.

There is Broadway content that is certainly not consistent with a faith perspective, including some that has been shaped by the LGBT agenda.  Witness last year's Best Musical, Fun Home, which was set in a household headed by a gay father and features a lesbian main character.  (You can learn more at Broadway.com.)

My nominee for best Broadway experience - An American in Paris, which won 4 Tony Awards last year.  If that title sounds familiar, it may be because it is an adaptation, a loose adaptation, of the Oscar-winning 1951 movie of the same name starring Gene Kelly.   The Broadway version has been reimagined, with a different lineup of songs composed by the late George Gershwin, although some of the songs from the film show up in the play.

An American in Paris is a combination of incredible choreography, including ballet and interpretive dance, that accentuates the plot of two people who were pursuing relationships for the wrong reasons. Jerry Mulligan, the title character, is a painter who finds a willing benefactor to support his work, who also desires something more, but Jerry just doesn't seem sold on the idea.  He falls for Lise, a young dancer, who is engaged, or so it seems, to a French cabaret singer, whose family has a close bond with hers, a bond cemented through the difficulties of World War II.  So, there is a relationship of advantage and one of obligation, but, without giving too much away, the two main characters work their way toward the pursuit of true love, with a few twists and turns along the way.  It's a great story with fabulous production, a highly artistic presentation. And, it will be going on tour, as well.

I enjoy talking about art, because through various forms of art, we can have a unique experience that can move us and teach us.  And, there is a huge place for elements of faith in art.    A Christian worship song, or even a song about a faith challenge, can help us to think more deeply about the things of God.  A painting with a spiritual element, a film or a play that tells a compelling story, or even a ballet piece or interpretive dance, can register images in our minds that perhaps God can use to touch us on a deep level.   The spoken or written word can be very instructive and meaningful, but art gives an opportunity to reinforce concepts and channel emotions.   That's why there are those who are outspoken champions of Christian involvement in the arts.

Jesus was the master of using story to illustrate spiritual truths.  And, it's great to see a story like War Room or Woodlawn, just to name a couple of recent film releases, unfold on the screen. Or perhaps to see an Amazing Grace or a presentation of The Screwtape Letters or An Evening with C.S. Lewis.   I think about the Ballet Magnificat performance based on the story of Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place.  A good story, expressed creatively, can have a marvelous impact.

I want to mention two things we can be challenged to share: our story and our gifts.  We can each recognize that if you know Christ, God has done a work in your life - that's your story, your testimony.  And, we can be prepared to share that as He gives opportunity.  Also, you may not be a painter, a dancer, or a musician, but you are uniquely gifted in a certain way to be used of God - as He has revealed that to you, He will also show you ways to use it.

Who is in Control?

In Isaiah 55, we find some verses about the superiority of the ways of God to those that are crafted in human wisdom:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Human beings desire to be in control, but God is calling us to allow Him to be in control of our lives - for our thoughts to line up with His, and for our spirits to be in tune with the Holy Spirit as He guides our steps.  If we are intent on controlling the course of our lives, we are settling for less that what God has in store for us.  And, in order to conform us more fully to His will, the Lord may choose to interrupt those carefully laid plans, so that we will exert a greater sense of dependence on Him.

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Proverbs 19:21 provides a reminder about Who is ultimately in control:
21 There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand.

Last week, I shared some observations about my recent visit to New York City, focusing in on the measures that the city has taken to ensure safety for its residents and visitors.  Something else I observed had to do with the use of public transportation.  Although there are an astounding number of vehicles on the streets of New York, it is not a place in which I would look especially look forward to driving.

This morning, as I do every morning, I get in my vehicle and drive myself to work.  In fact, in our area, most residents participate in that routine.  In the Big Apple and surrounding cities, you have all sorts of options.  If you live in the suburbs, you might catch a train into the city.  Once you get to town, you hop on the subway, maybe a bus, or take the oldest known form of transportation: your legs.

Public transportation is a huge component of getting people from point A to point B - and there does seem to be a sense of people who are on a mission, intent on getting to their next destination - on time.   The MTA governs the massive system, and states on its website:

MTA subways, buses, and railroads provide 2.73 billion trips each year to New Yorkers – the equivalent of about one in every three users of mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders. MTA bridges and tunnels carry more than 285 million vehicles a year – more than any bridge and tunnel authority in the nation.

The website goes on to say:

While nearly 85 percent of the nation's workers need automobiles to get to their jobs, four of every five rush-hour commuters to New York City's central business districts avoid traffic congestion by taking transit service – most of it operated by the MTA. MTA customers travel on America's largest bus fleet and on more subway and rail cars than all the rest of the country's subways and commuter railroads combined.

In 2015, according to the MTA, over 5.65 million people ride the subway system on the average weekday.  Just over 2 million ride one of the city's busses each average weekday.

For those who have mass transit, there is no doubt a dependence on it.  But, residents of Washington, DC are preparing to do without portions of their subway system.  ABC News reports that:

In response to safety recommendations from federal agencies and even a threat from the U.S. Transportation Secretary to shut down the entire system, the DC Metrorail network is on the eve of the biggest repair plan in its history.

City officials are encouraging the 700,000 daily riders to avoid the Metrorail entirely for stretches at a time, in anticipation of extremely crowded train cars and platforms.

The plan is called SafeTrack, and it involves shutting down portions of the system through March of next year, staggering the shutdowns.  But, if you have been used to a certain routine for getting around the district or getting to and from work, this could be result in a major adjustment.

Again, I like getting in my vehicle and going where I want to go - call it control or convenience.  It's amazing to see the systems of public transportation in New York or Washington, even though there are significant repair needs.  An AMNewYork story highlighted some of the problems with the subway system.

There are a couple of takeaways from this experience with public transportation.  One is the issue of control.  There's a certain satisfaction that comes from riding trains and subways to your destination, but riders are totally at the mercy of the system.  And, the system is vulnerable to delays and even accidents.  So is driving, of course.  For the believer, while we like to be in control in some or most areas of our lives, the effective, satisfying Christian life involves relinquishing control, but not to a man-made construct, but to Almighty God, who designed us, calls us into relationship with Himself, and wants to express His will through us.  We can be challenged to rely on our Creator daily.

But, another idea has to do with how we respond to interruptions in our lives.  The New York transportation system is quite marvelous, but what happens when the subway or train is late?  Would that cause our whole day to unravel?   What about those distractions you encounter - the car won't start, there's an emergency to attend to, things don't work out the way we plan.  We humans are great at planning, but the Lord may decide that He wants your plotted course to take a different direction. Those interruptions could cause us to get off track or give us an opportunity to trust Him more fully as we walk in His peace.