Pastoral Thoughts for New Disciples

I'm not sure of the original source of this piece, but I found it in my grandmother's notes about the book of Revelation. "The singing of a hymn should be a great experience for us--it can be a testimony, a praise, an invitation to others. Someone has written some interesting comparisons on the hymns we sing: We sing, 'Sweet Hour of Prayer' and content ourselves with ten or fifteen minutes a day. We sing, 'Oh, For a Thousand Tongues ,' and don't use the one we have for praise. We sing, 'There Shall be Showers of Blessings' but don't come when it's raining. We sing, 'Blest Be the Tie that Binds' and let the least little offense sever. We sing, 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and wait to be drafted into His service. We sing, 'Serve the Lord with Gladness' and gripe about all that we have to do. We sing, 'I Love to Tell the Story' and never mention it." Now, I know these sayings don...

As I read the beginning of Revelation and the various commentaries I begin to realize that I've come to some of my own interpretive conclusions that don't necessarily match with any mainstream thought.  Surprised? (Sarcasm alert!) The new question my brain has created today has to do with wondering if there is any significance to there being seven continents. Yes, I'm talking about the land masses of our globe: Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, North America, Antarctica, and Australia.  Since the number seven is symbolically significant in Revelation, is there any significance to there being seven continents?  This is even a new thought to me, but what if each of the seven churches of Revelation represent the churches of each continent?  Have we taken a look at this book from a global, instead of just western perspective? Before we move any further in our study of Revelation, perhaps we each need to take some time to discover, admit, and write down the way we...

I wonder.  I wonder what worship with abandon looks like to each of us.  Merriam Webster defines abandon as giving up control or influence to another or giving up the right to claim interest in an item such as property.  What if when we worshipped God we let God be in charge of our worship?  What if we gave up the right to choose how we worshipped or expressed our worship and let God be in charge?  Would it look different? As a "transitive verb," abandon connects us with another object.  I wonder, to whom have we abandoned control or the parameters of worship?  God or the corporate local church?  God or the voice of a well-meaning elder from our past?  God or our own sense of respectful constraint?  To whom do we direct our abandon or even our worship at all? Merriam-Webster also defines abandon as giving "oneself over unrestrainedly."  I wonder...  as I contemplate how immigrants to this country wonder why we are so const...

There is an image painted in the beginning of the book of Revelation that I find comforting as a pastor.  It is the imagery of the glorified Christ walking a midst his churches on earth, holding their pastors in his hand.  We see it first in Revelation 1:12-13.  John sees seven gold lampstands and in the midst of them is "One like the Son of man."  In verse twenty we learn that the lampstands represent the seven church to whom the letter of the book of Revelation is written.  Seven is a complete number signifying that this letter is written to the whole of Christianity.  On the Imperial Highway on which these seven churches breathed and worshipped, at least two other unnamed churches also existed.  Biblical historians believe that they were included as recipients of this letter. John sees with spiritual eyes what is taking place in the midst of the physical realm. He sees Jesus walking a midst his churches, both the healthy and unhealthy churches....