Powerful Worship Experiences

It was a powerful experience for me attending Easter and church services over the Easter weekend. It was also a different kind of experience because both services taking place at different churches included a lot of hymns, which hasn’t been a normal occurrence.

Whether hymns, chorus or modern day songs, they all try to praise God and speak of His wonderful acts. But after singing hillsong style songs for years during our church service, it was both a refreshing and really challenging moment when faced with the intensity and richness of what the words of hymns present.  

At the end of the service, a hymn with the words asking if you’re there when they crucified the Lord moved me to tears with unspeakable gratitude and shame at the same time. I could see the cross, I could feel His pain, I couldn’t understand why He loves me to such an extent, and I was ashamed at the gravity of my own sinfulness that nailed Him to the cross. It was a really soul searching moment that demands my mind, my soul and my all in response to His great love and unselfish act.

Couple Sundays ago, I put curious to put on a CD by a band that I haven't listened to before.  They were singing hymns with their own modern arrangement. I remembered the hymn book that’s been gathering dust on the shelf for years, so I took it out to follow the singing. It turned out to be such a wonderful experience that called me into deeper worship and reverence to God. The lyrics really convey the greatness, wonder and awesome power of God as well as the different aspects of God’s character. It has such depth and richness that our modern day songs suddenly fades in comparison. God asked us to worship Him not just with our heart and strength, but with our mind also. And it’s through understanding of who He is that we could respond in kind. Beautiful music can arouse emotions that draw us to God, but it’s a deep knowledge of God and His truths that keeps us close to Him in all circumstance.

I like the melodies of a lot of the modern day songs, but the lyrics of some of the hymns won me over. I thought it’d be such a blessing if we could combine the rhythm and sound of today to the powerful lyrics of yesterday. Or having a balance of both hymns and modern day songs in our worship service. Wouldn’t that be great? In a way, it’s happening with some Christian singers already producing albums of traditional songs with new sound and arrangements.  

Easterfest's Here!

Only 1 week to Easterfest!

It's on again at Toowoomba next weekend from April 10 -12. Headline artists include Rebecca St James, Paul Colman Trio, Audio Adrenaline as well as international artists from America.

Tim Costello and a strong lineup of speakers will discuss hot and popular topics. Also celebrity cricket, illusion spectacular and many more activities for everyone. Check out www.easterfest.com.au for event details.

Someone who moved up there last year offered us free accommodation. We can also book as a group and pay less if we get 10 or more people, so contact us if you're interested in going.

Cash Handout the Right Approach to Financial Crisis?

In our small group a few weeks ago, we had quite a discussion on work/labour after watching a lesson of the Truth Project, a worldview study by Focus on the Family. The subject of labour/work reminded us that work is good and is part of God’s design. He worked (Genesis 2:2) and He put Adam to work in the Garden before the Fall (Genesis 2:15). In the 4th commandment, we’re to work 6 days (Exodus 20:9-11).

Work is closely tie to the economy and thus inevitably led to our discussion of our Government’s stimulus packages in response to the current economic crisis. The government has been swift in passing out cash to individuals to stimulate the economy. The idea is to encourage people to spend, and when they consume, the money will flow through to businesses to keep the jobs going. It sounds reasonable on the outset and people are more than happy to receive a cash bonus.

The 1st stimulus package of $10 billion was before Christmas, giving cash out to the selected groups of carers, pensioners, students and mothers with young children. The 2nd package is happening right now where a one off payment of up to $900 is given to everyone living here or overseas, dead or alive.

Debt
Most of the debate have been around whether the stimulus packages are effective. But to me, this is more than just a question of economics, it’s an issue of a moral nature.

Our society has enjoyed such wealth and affluence in the last decades. We are used to the comfort and indulgence that we expect the good times to continue. Recent statistics shows that our debt to earnings ratio has tripled since the 1990s to 160%. We’re spending way beyond our means and we’re willing to rack up huge debts to fund our lifestyle. In view of this, the government’s stimulus packages are counter productive and the encouragement to spend and get into more debt is against the Bible’s view on debt (Proverbs 22:7, Romans 13:8).

Irresponsible Spending
It may not appear so for a start, but what many don’t think about is that there are follow on costs with what they’ve purchased. It’s not just a one off purchase in many cases. I personally know someone who are unemployed but went to buy a motorcycle with the cash bonus. While money can be put to good use, they can also be misused. I know about students who planned to spend the money on alcohol. Someone also witnessed a group recently spent their cash bonus on drugs and had a week long party.

This too violates God’s principle of how to be a responsible manager of His resources. It’s more pressing and wise for the government in my view to use this opportunity to help people develop their skill in money management and learn to be responsible with what they have. And if the government wants to encourage responsible spending, they could have restrict the money to be only spent on certain things that benefit the country and others. Unsanctioned and undirected, the money can be used in myriads of ways that does more harm than good.

Biblical Responsibility
You see, we’re called to be God’s steward of all that He entrusted to us. With which the government is entrusted with a bigger share of the country’s resources to manage and look after. Getting into a big hole of debt to provide cash handouts isn’t a wise manager of His resources.

What’s more? Our responsibility is for the poor, but not in the form of a cash handout, we’re to create opportunities for them to work. In the OT, farmers were asked not to gather the leftovers but leave it to the poor to pick (Leviticus 19:10) and Elisha didn’t just give money to the widow, but helped her by giving her the resources to work and pay off her debt (2 Kings 4:1-7).