Lifehouse's Everything Skit

May a baby doom a yam?

Too hot to hoot? Lisa Bonet ate no basil. Was it a car or a cat I saw?
Weird Al's parody of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Palindrometasticness.

Holy Thursday

Today is the remembrance of our Lord's last supper, the Passover He shared with His closest friends. Christ is woven throughout the Bible, and how beautiful and terrible it is that He, Who is perfect, spotless, so worthy of everything, became the Passover Lamb for all those who believe in Him. Just as the Jews escaped the death of their firstborn sons by painting their lintels with the blood of perfect lamb, so we escape eternal death and destruction by having the lintels of our souls drenched in His blood.

At church tonight, we sang songs in Latin, Spanish, and English. Below are some excerpts. May the Lord be with you this Easter, and may all of our hearts be in reverence and awe of what He has done for us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Truly, what wondrous love this is, o my soul.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est
Where there is charity and love, God is there
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor
The love of Christ has gathered us together
Exsultemus et in ipson jucundemur
Let us rejoice and be glad in it
Timeamus et amemus Deum vivum
Let us rever and love the living God
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero
And from a sincere heart let us love one another

Si yo no tengo amor, yo nada soy, Senor.
If I do not have love, then I am nothing, Lord

Bi losa im Chroise (Irish prayer)
Jesus, be in my heart and my memory each hour,
Jesus, be in my heart with early penance,
Jesus, be in my heart with early commitment,
And Jesus, sweet God, never leave me.

Jesus is my King, my Friend, and my Love,
Jesus is my shelter from sin and from death,
Jesus is my wonder, my constant endurance,
Jesus, sweet God, don't leave me until Judgment Day.

Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips,
Jesus, be ever in my thoughts and my mind,
Jesus, be ever in my mind as a guide,
And Jesus, sweet God, don't leave me alone.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. Amen.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Amen.

Barack Obama's Pastor Jeremiah A. Wright

Obama, Pastor Wright, and This Crazy World

I'm not much of a political aficionado, but even I have things to say about the latest from the 2008 Presidential campaign. I read the blog of a friend who had posted a link from Frank Schaeffer, son of Francis Schaeffer. Frank no longer considers himself an evangelical, and said that if what Obama's pastor had said was said by a white minister, it would be lauded as an appropriate commentary instead of decried as it was. I think it goes without saying that what Pastor Wright said was inflammatory, and should be no matter who said it. What I take issue with is that it was said from the pulpit. Too often these days, the church has become a mouthpiece for the opinions of the leaders in the church, be they political, social, economic, etc. What happened to Biblical expository? What happened to exegesis? Pastor Wright mentioned Jesus a few times, but, in my opinion, more as a flavoring for an Obama stump speech than as a Gospel-saturated sermon. It makes me ill. Why is Christianity so politicized? I'm all for social justice, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, fighting injustice. But, just like the Israelites of His time, it seems many people today see Jesus and His message as a means to an end, whatever that end may be. People welcomed Him to Jerusalem with open arms on Palm Sunday, thinking He would expel the Romans and restore the Davidic kingship. When He died, no one realized that He had indeed come to bring a new kingdom, but a kingdom much greater and deeper than any earthly realm. Even after His resurrection, people tried to capitalize on His purpose. I think we make the same mistake today. We use Christianity as a political weapon, rather than following our Lord because He is our Lord. It makes me very angry when I see political opinions proclaimed from the pulpit as Gospel. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion; but using the church is wrong. The Bible has many things to say about political, moral, ethical, etc. issues, and we should stand by what it says about such things. However, when people who are supposed to be shepherding the church and showing their people the awesomeness of Christ use their influence to sound like the Op Ed page of the Times, something has gone drastically wrong. I think of Jesus, overturning the money-changers tables in Temple.
Mark 11:17
"And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN.'"

My Princess...Don't Ever Compromise

In your weakness, I will keep you strong, My child. I am well aware of the many things in this life that war against your spirit and your soul. I know it feels like distractions and difficulties are sent daily to test your character and convictions. Remember, My love, this life is not a dress rehearsal. It's the real thing,a nd I'm training you through those tests to trust Me. I am preparing you today for your future life in heaven. So seek Me in prayer for My strength, and don't give in to temptation or compromise. They are like quicksand lying on your path to righteousness. Hold on to Me and My power within you, and I promise that you will make it through. When the wicked winds try to blow out the flame of your faith or try to cause you to compromise, stand on My truth...I am your solid Rock, and you can conquer anything in My strength.
Love,
Your King and your Rock

(from His Princess: Love Letters from your King)

Temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Wisdom from Samwise

I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy for many reasons, but mostly because it speaks to something deep inside of me. I love the battle scenes, the deep poignant moments of love and tenderness, the moments of indecision and faith. It gets me every time because it is so real. Truly. What is the walk of life but this battle between truth and lies, between fighting for our own way or submitting to the Way, between deep wells of pain and euphoric moments of joy? The story of the Lord of the Rings is archetypal: good vs. evil, light vs. dark. But it is also so much more than that. So very very much more. I find what Samwise says near the end of the Two Towers so incredibly excellent:
"I can't do this, Sam."
"I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened? But in the end, its only a passing thing. This shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turnin' back only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding onto something."
"What are we holding onto, Sam?"
"That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fightin' for."
Amen, Sam.