sing it.

roadtrips are pretty much flippin amazing!

LW went to sarnia this weekend.

i like music, when God's involved.




Pastor Glenn talked about the universal church...and how we worship together (the phrase is corporate worship); and in worshiping we PRAISE GOD...and we also EDIFY each other. WOW! DUH! In worshiping, especially musically, God is praised. And that's definitely (of course!) a purpose in worshiping him.

Colossians 3:16 says this:
'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.'

I must admit--I've read this verse over and over, and I've never put two and two together. When we're singing, we're obviously singing to God, but in that we're also singing to each other, with the intent to come away from worship having learned. Having been reminded of who we're worshiping, and of his greatness. Having been taught, and admonished. Having been in the presence of God.
We (well, I know I do, at least) come away having been uplifted, fed with this living water, with the Holy Spirit, with complete joy at simply being a child of God---and a lot of that joy is, in fact, in having brothers and sisters with whom to worship. I've never been able to justify this, or to rationalize this, until now. How can I find such huge joy in corporate worship, so much more than in any individual devotions I might have time for!? Is this normal!??! WHY is it? Does God mind? Does it matter? Do I still need to work on that individual joy? (actually, it's growing, as I type! flipping cool.)

And it just makes sense that you would choose to sing songs that are so full and rich and beautiful with words about the covenant, about God's mighty power, about his greatness. Words that we're not mindlessly repeating, but words that edify us, teach us more; words that make us think about our God.

pretty cool.


Pastor Glenn then went on to quote McArthur in saying that we (here on earth) are the church MILITANT. And we're in the middle of a war (which we've won, in Christ---but we're still fighting). And corporate worship is where we get refreshed. And the church TRIUMPHANT, then, is the congregation of people who have been Christians here on earth but have now gone to meet Jesus. And that phrase 'universal church' means: all tribes, tongues, nations, people...and all ages. The church triumphant worships WITH the church militant, and when there's a few on earth who are worshiping, there are so many more surrounding those and worshiping also--we're edified through them too.

This sorta creeped me out, till I realized what this means: next week, when we sing in celebration of someone's second marriage, that first beloved and muchly missed husband/father will be right there with us. Worshiping the God who gives and takes away. The God who chooses whether or not to bless with life, and with love and security, with peace, with community, with Sabbath rest.
Kate, I'm praying for you.




I like learning things like this.