Assembly

Assembly time is important for the church family as a whole and for individuals. It really is not a time for close, interpersonal interaction. It is actually rather difficult to have horizontal connection in assembly. The room, in which the assembly time takes place, is usually structured so that everyone faces forward with focus on the whoever is in front, looking at the back of their neighbors head.

The video posted on the blog touches on what happens to us individually when we assemble. It all has to do with the heart or attitude we bring to that hour. The essence of assembly is thinking about our Father and our Lord. The songs, prayers, communion etc...are for us to look inside and up to the Father. It really is a time for reflection and thoughtful spiritual introspection. I am sure the fellow in the video is correct, Satan has a field day messing with us at assembly times:

Worry about how you look....worry about the details and structure of the service: is the preacher dressed "right?"....are the songs too slow or too fast or too high or too low...is the singing done well...is communion done appropriately...are the babies too loud...are there too many announcements...did I
have time to read the bulletin...and on and on it goes...Satan distracting us about the distractions and all the while the songs are sung, the head is bowed, the sermon is presented and then we leave IF WE GET OUT ON TIME...

So - where is my heart and soul at assembly time? Great question. Foree

Take a look and think about this - Stay with it for a little bit and see what happens. Foree

What to Wear - 2

Too often when questions arise debates or "answers" have more to do with custom, likes and dislikes than with scripture. Jesus warned about the danger of "traditions" (Matt. 15:6ff) as they "set aside" the word of God. There is this argument that people should "give God their best" - relative to dress - yet the bible never says anything like this regarding what we wear. It does not even make good sense usually we wear more casual clothing on Sunday PM.
Practice (they way we do things) or tradition become cemented in our minds. When someone asks why we do it we respond out of our practice rather than out to God's will. When we do this we "set aside" the word of God in order to be guided by what we are used to doing (tradition). Now don't get me wrong, tradition is a wonderful thing - it sure makes Christmas and Thanksgiving nice - but when it becomes some point of "truth" for us then our guide is what we do rather than what God has said. How careful we must be! Foree

What To Wear

So the question comes "What to Wear," when it comes to "church." As I consider this question I am wondering just where it originates from a biblical perspective? Is it from 1 Timothy 2 where women are warned about costly dress? Or perhaps it comes from James 1 where God warns about honoring people due to their expensive clothing? In the Old Testament the priests were to wear a certain type of clothing and it was costly. But we are not priests of the old order and where in our New Testament does God say anything about "dressing for church?" It seems to me it is not addressed by Jesus or his authors. Of course "modesty" is addressed and that should always be the case.
My thought is the question of dress is a cultural one. For years it has been the custom of Christians to have some clothing called "Sunday Best." However, our culture is becoming more and more casual. So, are we to dress up or down? I am wondering what it is God looks at as we come before him on Sunday? Is He concerned with how we look (of course we are to be modest) or does he consider the heart of the matter-the heart? I wonder if the poor would be less appreciated by God than the rich (relative to dress or any other standard)? In all of the New Testament I find no instruction about dress before God. Is it wrong to dress "up?" Certainly not unless we are ostentatious or calling attention to ourselves. Is it wrong to dress "down?" certainly not unless we seek to call attention to ourselves.
Jesus teaches relative to "acts or righteousness" -Matthew 6- that we do them between us and God. Our "acts: are not to be done from humans to see but done between God and us. When we come together we are to do what edifies and builds up (1 Cor. 14). I just cannot find any biblical mandate what so ever about how we are to dress when we do the "acts." So, if we seek to be modest before Him, that should be appropriate and any standard we set from a cultural perspective is simply that, our standard. Well dressed or not, God wants something going on inside. What are your thoughts? Foree

Cabin

So, I have had a few questions about the cabin in Colorado. Dana and I bought an acre of land on the Conejos (Rabbit) River in South Central Colorado in 2000. In 2001 the boys and I along with two brother-in-law and my sisters and one brother we went from a stem wall to a cabin int he dry in 13 days. As the years have gone by we have done the plumbing, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms and added a garage. The bedrooms are almost complete lacking only trim work and flooring. This cabin has been a lot of fun and has served as a meeting place for my siblings. This year we put decks on the front and back and they are really great. Up until this year we simply had risers nailed to the front and back door thresholds. So, this work in progress is 9 years old and it looks like at least three or four more years before we are finished. I am going to try and put some pictures up. The cabin is located in South Central Colorado at an elevation of 8500 feet. It is surrounded by mountains which rise to an elevation of 9000+ feet. The river runs about a hundred yards from our front door and has Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat trout. I am blessed and always have wanted a cabin in the mountains. Foree

I Am Off

I know that title may result in a "You said it man!" But what it means is I am off for a two week vacation with my family at our cabin in Colorado. This year my boys and I along with a brother -in-law and nephew and their wives are adding decks to our cabin. Maybe I can take some pictures and put them on my blog if I can figure our how. If you want to see a really great blog go to Stephen's...he is a busy boy fishing, sky diving, deep sea diving and gardening...poor guy he does not have enough fun! So see whoever is out there in two weeks. Foree

It Arrives

In Ecclesiastes the writer has a chapter on time and points out there is a time for everything in this "under the sun" world. We travel through time, quite rapidly as we look back, doing the things we need to do and some things we could DO without. Important events come and go like graduation, marriage, anniversaries, birthdays and finally death. It all goes by and then THE MOMENT arrives when "our time comes" and we are done. No longer here. No more moments, no more events, no more things we do...the great equalizer visits all of us and the grave marker marks us.

Barbara Jackson
A fine, full of faith lady, who lived her life for her family
and for the Lord had her moment yesterday.
Now I look back at her life, the one I knew,
and realize what her life was about.
It was about this moment.

Her moment arrived and she was ready.
It reminds me that IT will ARRIVE.