My Summer

So, I got a preliminary description of what I get to do this summer. Yeah, my seminary friends may not care that much since they are doing bigger and better things than me, but oh well. I will still enjoy what I am doing. The stuff that I am doing this summer is more of my focus in ministry as of right now anyways, so it will be fun. I get to do a post-high group, VBS, the regular pastoral care work, and assisting with a Pastors class (that would be the profession of faith class). I am now looking forward to it, especially since it is only a few days away. Woohoo.

Just Another Day

So, I finished my only paper for the semester. Talking to my mother I realized just how negative I am. I spent 11 pages dissing Socinianism, with no hope in sight. Yes, I know that no one really knows what this is, but it is all good, no worries. Socinianism is unitarianism and in that they deny original sin. Does anyone care about this stuff? Probably not, so here is a quote from Fight Club:
Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. An entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact.

Q and A 80

Okay, the issue of the day is about Q and A #80 of the Heidelberg Catechism. Some will know what I am talking about others will just need these simple words said: RC mass. Anyways, I was looking at the CRC Synod Agenda for 2006 and there were a ton of churches that either wanted this question changed or it to be taken out completely from the catechism. That makes me really scratch my head. If you are going to change the language of the answer or take it out of the catechism altogether why don't they just stop using the Heidelberg Catechism? Of course, it has been argued that the CRC isn't confessional anyways, so then that really would not make any difference. But, I am confessional and I know a few others who are confessional and we find no problem with Q and A #80. Is this Q & A not true? Is the CRC trying to be liked by many other denominations so they figure that they can not differentiate themselves from other churches? I will add in that my home church did write in protest of this and they say that there is no problem with the phrasing of the question and answer.

I am starting to wonder if I should continue to read the Synod agenda because it seems like it is causing me undue stress. What brings about that statement you ask? There are churches that want to have what turns out to be paedocommunion. That is kind of frustrating to me, but I guess other denominations have faced this problem in the past. I guess no matter what denomination I would serve in there would be problems, but it just seems to me like these are logical issues that should not even be thought about. But, I guess these people that are making these suggestions because they truly believe what they are saying. Is any denomination perfect? Not at all. Denominations are earthly inventions. We can expect no more.

Okay, there is an overture to get the NLT as an officially recognized pew Bible. I just love this quote "Churches in all major denominations have purchased the NLT pew Bibles since its publication in 1996." This is according to the director of marketing for Tyndale, which is the publisher of the NLT. Well, wouldn't the company that is trying to get you to buy a book say that? But, anyways, what is up with just trying to fit in with everyone else? I think maybe we will see a "protestant" pope by 2050, going along with the guy who has correctly decided the name of every pope since 1977. But, of course, that is not really that many popes. Okay, I don't feel like getting into that right now.

7th Day Adventists

Okay, for some insane reason I joined this Christian yahoo group. It is a Seventh Day Adventist group and it is evident that they don't think straight. These people post all sorts of things on Ellen White, who I must admit I have no clue about.
So, I sent these people an email in the group saying the following:
I find it almost laughable that I was invited to this group. Not only am I not a seventh-day adventist, but I am nowhere close. I don't believe in defending this woman who obviously was wrong, as prophesies are no longer used by God. I also in general do not believe that women hold offices in the church, and as such, Ellen White cannot be true. And last of all, why in the world does the woman need to be defended by you people if she is so good?
And in the digest today I get an email asking for diligent prayer because Satan is at work because 3 Angel Broadcasting Network was taken off Sky Angel. The network had a signal error. Yes, that may be Satan at work, but if you had good technology then it would not be a problem. So, is there really a "Christian" station that I actually agree with? Hmm, about the only thing that I can think of is public access channels back in South Holland and that is not a real station. Do I even know for a fact that 3ABN is a Christian network? I have no idea. So, I guess I could be wrong. But, the next time I pray I am not going to be praying for this network. Okay, later on in that same email it says "They (Sky Angel) is not even answering their 888 number, so call this long distance phone number so that you can get on them." Go read your Bible and stop worrying about watching Satellite Television.

My Beef

Okay, so Sunday at SDCRC I noticed something that really bothered me. Let me start by saying that you can sing PW songs in worship as long as you have the right intentions. However, a lot of the PW songs sung have nothing to do with anything right. I mean, mindlessly repeating the same chorus over and over again is not right. I admit that God is great, but do you necessarily have to sing it five times in a row or tell everyone else to sing with you? Jesus did a great deed on the cross, taking the place of us, but When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is a song of reverence and The Wonderful Cross is just a mindless chorus. If you are going to sing the song sing it all as one song and be done with it, singing it all in the same way. You can rejoice that Christ did die for man on the cross, but when you emphasize the chorus over the verses or vice versa you are doing some kind of injustice."Oh the wonderful cross, the wonderful cross, bids me come and die and find that I may truly live. Oh the wonderful cross, the wonderful cross, all who gather here with grace draw near and bless your name." I just don't understand how that goes with " "When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died,My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.See from His head, His hands, His feet,Sorrow and love flow mingled down:Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,Or thorns compose so rich a crown?" Those just don't seem together because I want to jump up and down during the chorus and I want to stand very reverently during the verses. And, I want to challenge anyone who actually reads this to make me understand the "raising hands to heaven" when you are singing songs. I am pretty sure that most of these people don't understand what they are doing. Yes, it is great if you feel that you are getting closer to God by raising your hands, but when you are singing a personal song, which has NOTHING to do with God or Jesus, what are you actually doing? Do you raise your hands to heaven for Amazing Grace and O Lord Our God How Lovely? (You will not know that second song unless you have a focus on psalms in your church.) Be intentional in what you do. If you can prove the right intentionality for what you do in worship I am happy for you. But, so much worship anymore is just so shallow and is not God-centered. Okay, so maybe I don't give the best example. Just to throw a rod in things, would you raise your hands for both "This is my Father's World" and "Blessed Be Your Name"? Of course, maybe it is based on the instruments used for worship. But wait. There were people doing it for organ songs too.
When you read the Ten Commandments in church, hopefully you still do this, do you say that it is God's law of love? I admit that the Bible does show God's love to his people, but weren't the Ten Commandments given so that people lived properly? No human could keep these commandments perfectly so Christ had to be sent. That was love by God, since none could do it. However, these commandments are still given because man is sinful and prone to sin. However, at what point are the Ten Commandments just ignored? The Commandments used to be read to show how sinful humans really are. It seems like now they are just about saying "hey, these have to be read, but beyond that we have nothing to do with them." We have to admit that we are sinful. Total depravity does exist. Man's whole nature is corrupted by sin.