BACKWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS?

Poems and Songs

Backward Christian Soldiers - Anonymous

Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.
Christ our rightful master Stands against the foe
Onward into battle, we seem afraid to go.

Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.
Like a might tortoise Moves the church of God.
Brothers we are treading, Where we've often trod.
We are much divided, Many bodies we,
Having different doctrines, but Not much charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the cross of Jesus Hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never 'gainst the Church prevail,
We have Christ's own promise, but we think it might fail.

Sit here then ye people, Join our sleeping throng.
Blend with ours, your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort Ask from Christ the King,
But with our modern thinking, We won't do a thing.

...hopefully, this NEVER describes you or your church...

GENERATION XYZ???

I soooo love the generation gaps when it comes to ministry...  :)~

How do you effectively go from teaching a high school/college class to trying to explain the reasoning behind some of your pastoral decisions to members of a church council in their 50s and 60s in less than an hour??

What's really frustrating is that you can talk to some people on up into their 80s and 90s and you seem to get each other just fine.  I don't think some folks TRY to understand anyone who doesn't think like them.  

Isn't it pretty lazy, not to mention LAME, of any of us to only surround ourselves with others we know think like us and will generally agree with us?  Are we that afraid to express our opinions, beliefs, etc., to those that may not agree?  I'll admit to getting frustrated (obviously...thus the reason for this post, LOL) when others don't seem to "Get it".  But, I'm not intimidated or afraid to logically and reasonably discuss just about ANYTHING with ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!

Not everyone can do that, you know?  I have friends and family even, that I've tried to have discussions with, where it ended up someone getting emotional, defensive, etc., mostly due to not "Getting it".

However, I'm pretty confident in my ability to understand where MOST people are coming from.  After more than 10 years in the ministry, you either develop that trait or lose your ability to reach people.  How can you reach someone if you don't know where they're at or coming from?

I guess like most ministers out there (and many others, I'm sure), I'd just like the same thing in return from certain folks sometime, you know?  You get me out there blog people???  

PRAISE BANDS ANNOY GOD??

No kidding.  That's the title of a new group on facebook.  Know what's even sadder?  There's over 4,000 members in this group.  Amazing.

I ventured onto their site to see if this was serious or satire.  I found some of both but also found some alarmingly ignorant logic, used by one of its members to justify the group.  Are you ready for this?  In essence, he states that since the Bible doesn't state God likes electric or bass guitars, we shouldn't use them to praise Him.

That's not all.  This misguided at best soul, goes on to say that the only images the Bible gives us of worship pleasing to God is of orchestral instruments and choirs, albeit angelic ones.

Some people really shouldn't be allowed to "think" you know it?  It gives the word a bad name.

I can't help but think of the song from Disney's "Little Mermaid".  You know the "Poor, Unfortunate Soul" one I'm talking about, right?

First of all, as to his first line of "thinking" concerning the lame "not mentioned in the Bible" crap, I'd like to ask him if he enjoys a good, cold glass of Coca-Cola.  Or how 'bout a good ol' Hershey bar?  Heck, let's throw in a pipin' hot pepperoni pizza and round out a very unbalanced, but tasty meal.  Think he'd like that?  I'd wager so.  Yet, to follow his "logic" he shouldn't partake of such things.  Why not, you ask?  Well, they're not mentioned in the Bible, of course.  Silly rabbit.

Secondly, as to doing what's "only mentioned in the Bible", I'd like to know if he still walks around mostly barefoot, donning a tunic with which he girds his loins?  Does he travel great distances exclusively by ships?  I wonder if he enjoys a sizzlin' piece of bacon or a nice dinner at Red Lobster?  Depending upon which parts of the Bible he's supposedly strictly adhering to, he'd be in trouble already.

So, my point on THE SMOOTH SPOT today is if you think "Praise Bands Annoy God", do us all a favor and give your brain a well deserved rest.  Please.  We beg you.