The New!

Hey, so I have a question. Why is it that we are so attracted to new things? We like new possessions like new clothes, cars, books, and movies. We like new ideas and music, new trends and fads, new cultures and languages. It seems that we all love things that are new. Sometimes even the most ordinary items can have an extra glissen when their new. Last year I had to write a report on book for my American history class and I ordered it on Amazon. When it got to the house I opened up the package and it was the brand spankin new book (that's it to the right, sweet eh?). I was actually excited to hold this new textbook, that was at least until the realization that this book meant that I could start my fifteen page paper. The point is vaild however, we LOVE the new. I think that this love is God given. Why?

Because, when we direct this desire towards God, it leads to better worship. Some people might be "but I like the old stuff" and their right. Hymns and even older contemporary worship has its place. A connection with a worship song that God has used to speak into your life is, at times, almost as powerful as a memorized scripture that God has used to convict, encourage, or guide you in times of need. At the same time, however, God only gives two statments about the type of worship that he wants from us: loud and new. Psalm 33:3 says "Sing to him a new song" and Psalm 40:3 says "he put a new song into my mouth, a song of praise to our God" and finally Psalm 96:1 says "Oh sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth". So the reason that this desire for the new is God given? God himself says to bring the new stuff.

Why though? Why does God want new? I mean, Amazing Grace is good and so is Blessed Be Your Name. Why can't we continue with the best rather than the new. Because, by asking for the new, God destroys our stagnation. All worship, not just hymns, is in danger of falling into ritual rather than authentic, outward rather than inward. New worship pushes us out of our comfort zones, the songs that we know and that we have memorized and into a place where reliance is once again placed upon God. I believe that God asks for new worship because new worship reminds the worshipper that that its about God, rather than about their own needs and wants (and that's why my gratitude goes out to the worship leader that, although skillful, points the worshipers to God rather than their own skill). Don't get me wrong, I have my favorites, but how many times have I let that hinder my worship by not appreciating the songs being brought by the worship leader.

So following along with John 4:24, where Jesus says "God is spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth", we need return to God centered worship where we worship God for who he is not because of the song that appears on the screen. New worship is our chance to do that with humility, authenticity, and obedience.

The Let Down

Probably the most disheartening aspects of the human life is the let down. That is, when you have expectations that are not met by any number of people, places, or things. It could be your first trip to Disney Land (that met my expectations: crazy fun), your friend that was late (unfortinatly, I'm usually "that" friend), or possibly the Toronto Maple Leafs (...sigh...).

Example: my first experience of bubble tea. On the walk over to the restaurant, the group I was with went on and on about how bubble tea was the greatest drink since vanilla coke (I love vanilla coke...). We ordered our drinks and the expectation continued to mount until I finally held the drink in my hand. For those of you who don't know bubble tea, its very unusual unless you have been properly prepared for it. Sure it was good but it was bascially a more expensive milk shake with disgusting globs in it. I left the store with my wallet lighter and my crest fallen, what had happened? It was good, but not good enough.

My life decided to hit me with another one of those experiences recently and it got me thinking about not meeting expectations and how it can permenantly turn us off from something. I might have been satisfied had it not been that my expectations had set a standard that it couldn't meet. Doesn't that apply to God though? I mean, I was reading in Amos the past couple of nights and it continually discusses God's purity and the Israelites failure. Paul says in Romans 3 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God wanted us to be holy as he was holy (1 Peter) so that he could be in a relationship with him but, we let him down. How does "The Let Down" affect God? I mean, when I get let down, it can affect me for a long time and if its a person who has seriously let me down, it can have lasting impact on both ends of the relationship.

The awesome part of it? God completely stands this expectation on its head. Ephesians 2 says that "while we were still sinner Christ died for us". Did you catch it? the "still"? God responded kind to us, even when were the ones that had failed to meet the expectation. Once again, near the end of Romans 3, Paul talks about the free gift of grace that is offered to us and the redemption of sins by Christ. God's expectations of us were fair, yet he reached out after our own failure and despite of our sin and reversed our own expectations. God doesn't let expectations get in the way of what he's really after: us. God radical display of grace places the decision back to us and how we are going to respond to the gift.

I guess this means that in order to live a life that is seeking to follow Christ in all that I do, I need to stop with the expectations or when people fail remember God's reaction to the times that I don't measure up.

The Purpose

...so...blogging...

This past week has been the most difficult in my academic career. The strange aspect of this? I have had no assignments, mid-terms, or anything at all due. I have been simply trying to write an essay and having very little return for my effort. For my efforts, probably a combined twenty-five hours over the past four days I have produced a grand total of 436 words. Amazing eh? So I'm stuck here trying desperatly to figure out how to stretch my total into 3,000. So whats the problem?

Well, the problem is that there is more than one problem. Have you ever been faced with decision upon decision, fear upong fear, idea upon idea, until your unable to stop thinking about the same things in succession? It becomes like those stations that only play Friends: sure its great at the beginning but common, how many times can a person take those six people before their head explodes. It has gotten to the point that I can't even sleep at night, lying awake until 2,3,4 in the morning. As soon as you push one thought out, the next one comes in and your wide awake, counting how many times my computer light flashes (I've made it to 200; great considering the number, horrible considering the task). So the goal of these blogs, and there is a goal, believe it or not, is to simply voice the ideas, thoughts, etc. I guess that's what blogging is anyway, right?

Ok, so.... blogging...we'll see.