Don’t Judge Too Quickly (Part 4)

We. Are. Not. The. Champions.

You gotta love church softball!  I know I do.  However, because of 6 rainouts and make up games on weeks when I was out of town I really only got to play in 1 game.  We had a lot of new blood and a new team (semi-pro?) entered the league.  So we didn’t repeat as champs in either the regular season or the tournament.  Now I’m not one to brag (OK, I am!) but since 2003 this is how we’ve done in competition:

2003-Regular season and tournament champs

2004-Regular season champ, lost in tournament

2005-Regular season champ, lost in tournament

2006-2nd place (with one loss!), lost in tournament

2007-3rd place (worse regular season during span with 6-3 record), tournament champs

2008-undefeated regular season, tournament champs

2009- Tied for 1st place, but no championship t-shirt because we lost head-to-head to that team, lost in tournament championship (8-7, 8 innings)

So since 2003 we have gone 76-12.

Don’t Judge Too Quickly (part 3)

Jars of Clay: The Long Fall Back to Earth

I’ve been a huge Jars fan since the first time I heard “Flood” on the progressive rock station (105 THE POINT 7) in St. Louis.  And then I found out they were Christians.  Personally, I thought their Good Monsters CD was the best they had done.  And then they came out with a new cd recently.  It’s not their best work.  It’s different.  I really don’t like it as much as many others.  But…a few tracks are just incredible.  A youtuber posted my favorite that I think was worth the price I paid for the CD.  Check it out:

Impressive Street Performer

I Could Not Go On Without the Cross

I could not go on without the cross.  Why?  Because periodically I discover surprising selfishness in me that I did not know anything about.  Without the cross to cover all that, I would despair because I am sure that in the folds of my heart there remains unknown corruption.

Sunday Morning Setlist #12

Here’s yesterday’s set list of music at the Awakening Service at FCC.  This will be linked to Fred McKinnon’s blog where other worship bloggers post their setlists.  Here’s what we did:

Floodgate

You Lifted Me Out (New song)

Mighty to save

Message on “Summer” in our Seasons of the Soul series

King of Glory (during communion)

Beautiful the blood

You lifted Me out (do it twice when it’s brand new)

Truth or Love?

28Truth or Love?  Why is this false dichotomy posed so often?  It seems to me that they are two sides of the same coin.  “God is” precedes “God is Love.”  To love God is to love the Truth.  Love without Truth is just sentimentality or avoiding conflict or just an emotion…kind of like faith without works!

Wedding Entrance Dance

Somehow I like this more than the traditional entrance…

When We’re Down

When we’re down, many times it’s hard to do what we’re supposed to do.  Doing chores, going to work, spending quality time with others is hard when you’re sorrowful.

But look at what God calls us to do with our tears: Psalm 126:5-6

Those who sow in tears
       will reap with songs of joy. ⁶ He who goes out weeping,
       carrying seed to sow,
       will return with songs of joy,
       carrying sheaves with him.

That “sowing with tears” will produce a harvest of joy.  Perseverance creates a better end product because the sorrow itself becomes fertile ground for change.