Air Prayer

I attended our church’s Reformation Day celebration this past Friday night. What a blast. The theme was the Scottish reformation. Our pastor dressed as John Knox. We had a lot of highlanders and one lowlander (me, because I’m so short, heh, heh.)

Anyway, at one point in the little service we had a bagpiper began playing Amazing Grace and lead us out of the make-shift chapel we were meeting in. We all began singing but when the piper and the paster left the building, the singing started to die off. I was still singing in my baritone-profundo and so were most of the women but the men just stopped. Wha? What has happend to us men?

In the old days men sang as they worked. Men sang stories to their children. Men sang in bars and pubs. Men even sang as they went off to war. Come on men, we cannot abandong singing to the women. In my opinion, there is nothing as grand, as heartening, and sometimes as chilling as the sound of a large group of men singing with all their heart.

Singing is not childish or feminine. I don’t know when we began to think this but I believe this is how many men feel about singing. Women and children sing sweetly to be sure but there is power in a man’s voice. There is strength in the voices of several men. There is the echo of God’s voice in the sound of a hundred or more men singing praise with all their heart. I am certain that our adversary flees at the sound of Godly men raising their voices to the Lord.

So next time you are at church, or prayer meeting, or church camp, raise your voice when the singing starts. Your voice isn’t bad. You are not singing a solo you are joining the chorus with all those who sing with you. God’s ears hear your voice along with all those who went before you. The very next chance you have join in song with Godly men everywhere and put our adversary to flight!

Holy Father,
I admit I am a sinner. I admit that there was no way I could save myself. I admit that it was only by your sovereign grace that I was saved. More to the point, I admit you chose me long before I chose you. My will is crushed and broken, let yours prevail. Your will is perfect. The fight in me is gone. Let me accept with humility your gentle reproach and instruction. Let me join now with like-minded and wiser souls than I into your church. I am your willing subject. Now take me and make me into the man you would have me be.

I make this confession publicly in the hopes that seeing my faith, which was planned by you before the creation of all things, that someone else’s faith may be solidified. I make this confession and plea to please no one but you Holy Father. It is in the holy and precious name of your beloved and perfect son, Jesus Christ, who died for my sins, and for the sins of believers everywhere, that I pray.

Got to listen to some co-workers talk about voo-doo and people who talk to spirits. I’m usually very talkative but I sat silently while they talked about relatives that could enter the spirit world like it was cute. They went on and on about how cool it was but how it was also kind of scary. Yeah. You don’t know that half of it boys.

My silence didn’t go unnoticed. They wound up the conversation with, “but you don’t believe in that stuff do you?” Directed to me. I told them that I did indeed beleive in such things but that I thought they were far from cute or interesting. I told them that the Bible tells me not to even discuss such things. So I didn’t. I told them that they are cracking the door to peak into a world in which we have no business. Cracking the door open to the spirit world may give you a peak at what’s inside, but it also lets what’s inside into your world. God blinded us to the spirit world to protect us. That realm is reserved for God and His angels and we have no business being there.

No, give me the world of light. I do everything by light of day. When darkness comes I pray to God to deliver my family to the morning. My hopes are pinned on the one day that dawns in which there will be no sunset. Our Lord will come riding on the clouds, His face shining brighter than the sun, He will carry judgement in one hand, mercy in the other. His appearance will be unmistakable and all darkness will scatter before Him. Amen, come Lord Jesus!

I think I’m finally beginning to understand. I’ve read the same arguments for years. It’s much easier to rely on my own wisdom rather than God’s. At least, I thought so.

I once said that the day I stop believing in the free will of man to accept or reject God’s salvation would be the saddest day of my life. As that day creeps closer, I’m beginning to see that it will give me hope rather than sadness. You see, my own father has chosen to reject Christ. He views all religeon as equally bad (ie. controlling, manipulative, self-serving, etc.) If I am to hope that he will someday change his mind, I have no hope. He won’t. So in the Arminian paradigm, my father is as good as lost. In the Calvinistic paradigm, there is still hope that God may yet regenerate my father’s heart. I still plan to witness to him despite his rejections. Perhaps his faith will yet be kindled.

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Highest praises, honor and glory
Be unto Your name, be unto Your name .

Wierd night. Lots of dreams. Glad that’s over. Until tonight. Need to pray more.