Thursday, June 7, 2007
Look what I did!
I managed to add some music to the sidebar. The only song that I've mentioned here that's actually over there right now is What If by Nichole Nordeman from days ago. If you'd like to actually hear it, you can check it out over there. I think it's working...
Day 11-Burdened by good things
My Prayer: Psalm 16:5-6 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
The Reading: Mark 1-3
Mark 2:27-28 (New International Version)
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
My thoughts: There are still Pharisees in today's Christian world, people who pride themselves on knowing the rules so that they can watch for people to step out of line to be judged. And the world knows that they are Christians because they're like perfect poster children, doing the right things, saying the right things, in the door every time the church is open, so the world sees and rejects this judgement (and the hypocrisy that can almost certainly follow). The Pharisees were objecting to the disciples pulling heads of grain as they walked through a field on the Sabbath when they weren't supposed to work. And Jesus says the Sabbath was created for man to have an opportunity to take a break from work. It was a good thing for men, not meant to be just another burden. I think that happens too much in the Christian life. We take things that were meant to be blessings (worship, fellowship with others, service) and make them burdens on ourselves...and others. We lose that joy, we fight about it amongst ourselves, and can fall into the trap of looking down on others who don't do what we do. So is this hypocrisy because Christ's people are supposed to love their neighbors, right? Well, they're also human which means they're not perfect. But...the world sees it.
New International Version (NIV)
5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
The Reading: Mark 1-3
Mark 2:27-28 (New International Version)
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
My thoughts: There are still Pharisees in today's Christian world, people who pride themselves on knowing the rules so that they can watch for people to step out of line to be judged. And the world knows that they are Christians because they're like perfect poster children, doing the right things, saying the right things, in the door every time the church is open, so the world sees and rejects this judgement (and the hypocrisy that can almost certainly follow). The Pharisees were objecting to the disciples pulling heads of grain as they walked through a field on the Sabbath when they weren't supposed to work. And Jesus says the Sabbath was created for man to have an opportunity to take a break from work. It was a good thing for men, not meant to be just another burden. I think that happens too much in the Christian life. We take things that were meant to be blessings (worship, fellowship with others, service) and make them burdens on ourselves...and others. We lose that joy, we fight about it amongst ourselves, and can fall into the trap of looking down on others who don't do what we do. So is this hypocrisy because Christ's people are supposed to love their neighbors, right? Well, they're also human which means they're not perfect. But...the world sees it.
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