Our Deepest Worship

Originally written on 1/3/2006

Your deepest worship of the week generally can’t occur on Sunday morning if you attend a blended church.

That statement may sound strong, but I wish to back it up if I may.

For the purpose of this post, a blended church congregation would have people that like hymns (exclusively) and others that like modern praise choruses (exclusively) who can be irritated at having to experience too much of a differing style. Everyone has their preference.

In a blended church there has to be a compromise of stylistic preferences on Sunday morning because of the natural diversity of people who attend. This would naturally come at the expense of another’s preference.

So to come to church on Sunday morning and expect to be bless and be blessed more than other times of the week is folly. Worship on Sunday morning will always be at the lowest common denominator of the depth of people there.

In addition to worship style differences there is another reason that Sunday morning may not be the best time to worship. How many people do you know that are at their peak at 9:30 AM? I certainly am not. Especially after corralling four kids to get up, get dressed, get fed and get in the car.

So to expect deep spiritual connection then might be an exercise in futility. This isn’t to say that it cannot happen or that we should not expect it. Certainly, given time to settle we are better prepared to come into the presence of the Living God.

But my larger point here is that our best and most sincere worship might best be done outside of Sunday morning either privately or in a small intimate group when inhibitions are at a minimum.

Personally, I know that the most significant times of my worship to God occur in the basement in a sound-proof room. Many times, the worship is sparked by a song I hear by a group such as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir or Fernando Ortega or St. John’s Episcopal Church in Denver.

I also can confess that my Sunday morning worship is lackluster at best. There are occasionally songs that help me contemplate or evoke praise, but most of the time I stand there irritated at the disorganized congregational singing due to unfamiliarity with the song or that they simply are not sure on which note to put the syllable or the wrong slides for the songs.

To realize the unlikelihood of deep, significant worship on Sunday morning in a blended church is to realize the need for deep worship at other times of the week.

With this in mind- I am challenged to deepen my personal devotions and to think of it as daily “worship” instead. Maybe then, I can experience a more unrestrained and uninhibited worship to He who deserves the best of my praise.

Sunday morning has its purpose in unifying the body of Christ but it cannot replace deep uninhibited singular worship.

Princess Kaylee

As some of you know, I have been having fun with photography. Mainly cutting and pasting. Well this time I found an old magaine with Princess Di on the front and decided to insert my daughters face. Dont' worry- I do not have a "Jon Benet'" complex. Far from it. But since my beautiful daughter loves Barbie and princeses and ballerinas - I decided to do this for fun.

731 Bourgeoisie

I have come to notice something about the Gaylord phone system. Maybe it’s the self-loathing thing or maybe just insecurity. I think all the pretty people get 732 numbers.

Let’s just take a look at some of the beautiful people who have the status and connections to rise to the 732 level. You have Keith Berger, an esteemed Federal employee working in the mansion on the hill weather station. Steve Johnson, rich oil tycoon with castle by the sea. Ed Hunt, perfect husband, father, family man and pillar of the community. Northern Christian Radio, vestige of purity and angelic light. Craig Ryan, esteemed political insider and future President of the United States.

Then there are the 731 street sweepers, people that don’t make it into the club, people that didn’t form the proper connections in their move to Gaylord. Included are people like Andy Willett, self confessed pounder of rocks. Mark Perrine, a traveling motivational speaker who eats a steady diet of government cheese and lives in a van down by the river. Matt Book, a man who appears to have insider connections but instead of paying cash for his phone number used a buy one get one free coupon.

The Musik Haus, who really goes there anyway? All Gaylord Public Schools, government education- need I say anymore? China One- great food, but cheap labor can’t buy you a 732.

Then there is the 705 class. These are the people that are just discovered the Rubik’s Cube. Late comers to Gaylord trying to fit in. It’s hopeless for this class.

What about the 231 class? Snooty. They think they are above everybody else because they have a number NOT starting with 7. Woooooo! These people live in places like the Gaylord Country Club, Black Forest and ……..Mancelona. Don’t even talk to them about fitting in- no! They just sit above and watch all us 7## parasites feed off each other.

I have come to accept my lot in life. Once a 731, always a 731. My kids, if they grow up to live in Gaylord will also be 731’s. It’s a hard knock life.

Feedback Please

My wife and I have finished watching all the previous seasons of 24 on DVD. Are there other network TV shows that are worth renting the back seasons? We have not seen any regular shows. Is the Sopranos a good show to get in to?

Found Near Fermi

PTO Purgatory

Never has there been a more dysfunctional, irrational and more incapable organization in the history of the universe than the PTO. Thirty-something moms all making decisions based on hormone peaks.

This is a rant- pure and simple. My job puts me face to face with PTO’s on occasion in which allows me to operate in a completely different world - a world where angst and estrogen compete with SIMPLE LOGIC in a vain attempt to TRANSACT BUSINESS.

For the past two years, an elementary school PTO in mid state has been courting me to come to their school to complete for their business. It started when the alpha PTO mom (heretofore known as PMOM) saw me launch a program at a neighboring school. She was enamored with my presentation to the student body and insisted I come to her school to present to her PTO because my “prizes and presentation were awesome”.

So I did what I hate the most, I went to their PTO cattle call. That is where a bunch of fundraising companies come to a school PTO meeting and pole dance for a bunch of fickle Prozac popping ex-prom queens. And yes- I pole danced for all 25 of them and still lost the cattle call. Guess they didn’t like my wig. That was last year.

So this past fall, after another terrible school fundraiser, this same school came to me on their proverbial knees begging me to return for another presentation. Their dissatisfaction with my competitor was again a poor prize program.

The PMOM told me that I was a shoe-in because I had the best looking fundraising catalog and my prizes were awesome. This time, since I am a promotion coordinator for my company – I would do them a favor and bring samples so they could choose their own prizes. This is a privilege that very few schools ever have. I gave them an opportunity to hand select their favorite prizes for next year.

Then tonight I get the gut socking surprise email that they are signing with another company. The same company that provided a terrible prize program for them two years ago. The one that made them look for alternatives. It turns out my prizes were “empty promises” as she put it. I have no idea how to respond to that. Empty promises – WHAT? I showed them everything I have – the very things that they told me they loved and were “so much cooler” than the other companies.

I never got the business, so never had the opportunity to NOT fulfill any empty promises!

Whatever.

And folks, this is not a unique PTO story. This represents why people in my line of work avoid working with PTO’s. Variations on this incident happen all the time throughout the country and smart salespeople have learned to avoid them at all costs. Thankfully, most of my business is with school principals and teachers, people far more capable of making business decisions on principle-- not whim (or time of the month.)

Unless I am begged to come to a PTO meeting to do a presentation, I do not (and will not )seek PTO business. I will not become a whore to the lowest bidder. Even if I did get the business- it is always fickle at best. Their decisions made within the safety of consensus. There is no loyalty as history has proved they move on to another company next year, and the again and again.

Back in Detroit I was the whore doing cattle calls almost every weeknight going from PTO meeting to PTO meeting seeing how much I could give away to get the business. The only thing I lacked was lipstick and a wig.

Thankfully, tonight’s news is rare because of the consistent business I have built on customer service and friendship, but it is still extremely frustrating to go through the dog and pony show only to get kicked in rear once again by a PTO.

There. I feel MUCH better.

24

Never have I been so caught up in a network TV series. Granted, we have been DirecTV subscribers for about ten years and for all that time never watched the networks.

What we ever learned about the Super bowl, Grammy’s and the Oscars was always hearsay and I never felt like we missed much. (After watching about 10 minutes of this year’s Oscars – I KNOW we didn’t miss much!)

But 24 is the huge exception. Wow. This TV series on the Fox network is the finest material to hit the silver screen in decades. Now that we get local channels on our satellite we can watch the few things of substance offered by the networks.

Joel Surnow the talented executive producer of 24 has a real hit. I thank Rush Limbaugh for exalting this show on his radio program, for if it wasn’t for him I never would have taken the time to see what 24 is all about.

This TV show is more entertaining than 90% of all the big budget movies out there. It is based on fictional accounts of what is happening now on our war on terror. Each episode is an account of what could (or maybe is) happening within the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, et al.

Upon watching a single show from the current season (Season 5) I was determined that I had to go back and watch every episode since the shows inception in 2001. And since no video store in a 60 mile radius had the DVD’s we wanted, we subscribed to the Netflix service and boy are we glad.

We have watched every episode since Season 1. I would highly recommend this show to everyone. Especially to those weak-kneed, mamby pansy, pseudo Christian, politically moderate liberals out there.

I challenge any of you to watch this show and tell me that torture is “never warranted”. This is why the real happenings of national security must never be publicized, because quite simply- a vast majority of the American people do not have the intestinal fortitude to understand national security.

If for no other reason, watch 24 to get a view of what many times has to happen to maintain a free society. It is fascinating, exciting, sad, intense, maddening and most of all high quality television programming.

Brokeback Shame

A lot of what stirs me is what comes up on my home page, The Drudge Report.

Today it is Michelle Williams.

I have not seen Brokeback Mountain in which Michelle Williams stars nor do I know the role she plays, nor do I know the role her fiancé, Heath Ledger plays in the same movie. But I do know that the movie attempts to legitimize and normalize homosexual relationships.

Nor have I seen Fahrenheit 911, Michael Moore’s rotten belch of slander for all to see, for that matter. But I do have trustworthy sources that advise me of the contents of movies without me having to see them.

I suppose it’s kind’ve like cocaine. Don’t have to snort it to know it’s bad.

My point with Michelle Williams is that she was reared in a Christian home and went to a Christian school somewhere near San Diego. Her great acting talent was eventually noticed by Hollywood. When she had the chance to get more famous by being part of a movie hell bent on justifying perversion- she bit hard.

Now the unusual part. The principal of her alma mater, Santa Fe Christian headmaster Jim Hopson is distancing the school from ties with the actress. His words:

“Michelle doesn't represent the values of this institution. We would not approve of her movies and TV shows (including the teen drama “Dawson's Creek”). We'd not like to be tied to 'Brokeback Mountain.'

“I hope we offered her something in life. But she made the kinds of choices of which we wouldn't approve. 'Brokeback Mountain' basically promotes a lifestyle we don't promote. It's not the word of God.”

Good for him. And of course, he is coming under fire for him principled stand. How rare.

But I guess it is just sad to see an otherwise fine and talented person selling out big when they could have a chance to do good in the name of Christ. I would expect whoring for fame by all the Britney wannabees out there, but on the off chance that a Christian would be able to make a stand like that – it is disappointing.

It turns out that Michelle Williams has embraced Hollywood in another way, too. The article states that she will be at the Oscars with her fiancé, Heath Ledger while grandma watches their baby son at home.

Thanks Michelle!