UV Band Notes

Sarah Palin

2008-09-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ok. I've resisted getting too political on this blog, and in the interest of fair and complete disclosure let me say up front--yes, I am a registered Republican. I'm not interested in using this 'pulpit' for political purposes, however. I will discuss the issues of each candidate with anyone who's interested, but not here. However, there have been a couple of recent developments that I can't let pass. These concern attacks on Sarah Palin's christianity.

The first comes from comedienne (if you can call her that) Sarah (funny that the name's the same) Bernhard. I can't really call her a comedienne. I don't find anything about her funny, and I didn't before this happened. She is angry, condescending, bitter--attributes I don't find humorous. But in a diatribe recorded and posted--surprise!--on Youtube, she went way out in "left" field (pun intended) in attacking the veep nominee. I am going to post a link to this video, but only after warning you that:

THE LANGUAGE IS HUGELY EXPLICIT!

If you still want to hear what some folks find humorous, here's the link.

Then there's the Washington Post cartoon:

I know it's heard to read at this size, but
it makes no bones about mocking speaking
in tongues. It also puts profanity in God's
mouth. (Click on the cartoon to view it at full size.)

Ok. Here's where I stand. When I go to vote in this year's presidential election, I am going to cast a precious vote. A vote that has been paid for over and over again in a river of blood shed by those who thought my right to vote was worth giving everything for. I'm not going to cast that vote for a Republican. I'm not going to cast it for a Democrat. I'm not going to cast it for my wallet. I'm not going to cast it for the candidate I think would give me the most benefits. I am going to cast it for the person who most closely has proven to stand for the things which the bible tells us are important for ourselves, our nation, and our world.

It has become very obvious that Americans face a clear choice this election cycle. We aren't the only ones who know it. That's why the attacks are so vicious. I won't use this forum to tell you who I think you should vote for. You're smart enough to decide that for yourselves. But I am disgusted with the open attacks on Christianity.

When the lion comes to church

2008-09-18T11:55:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Ike as we all know had a devastating impact on the Texas coast. Some people, in spite of the direst of warnings, stayed to ride out the storm. Those who stayed did so for a variety of reasons. I read about one couple who stayed because they couldn't get their son, who has cerebral palsey, down the stairs after the loss of power put their apartment's elevator on the fritz. Some stayed because they didn't really believe that the storm would be as bad as all the experts were predicting. Those who did stay behind found themselves in a terrible predicament.

When disaster strikes, you can't tell who you may find yourself hanging out with, fighting for survival. Here's the story:

"Many years from now, a small group of Hurricane Ike survivors will probably still be telling the story of how, on the night the storm flattened their homes, they took refuge in a church - with a lion. The full-grown lion was from a local zoo. The owner was trying to drive to safety with the animal when he saw cars and trucks stranded in the rising floodwaters. He knew he and the lion were in trouble.

He headed for the First Baptist Church at Crystal Beach, on Bolivar Peninsula, adjacent to Galveston, and was met by a group of residents who helped the lion wade inside. They locked it in a sanctuary as the storm raged. The water crept up to their waists, and wooden planks came floating through broken windows. But the lion was as calm as a kitten.

When daylight came, everyone was still alive. "They worked pretty well together, actually," said the lion's owner, Michael Ray Kujawa. "When you have to swim, the lion doesn't care about eating nobody." (web story)

I'm not trying to make too large a spiritual point here. I just found this story compelling because of the nature of the story itself but also because we're 'the church for whosoever'. We're supposed to be ready for whoever walks in, no matter the situation or condition. This lioness' owner was impressed at how well everybody worked together to rescue him and his charge from the danger presented by hurricane Ike.

How well do we at Unity work together to save those who come to us from the devastation caused by the world?

Just a thought.

Homecoming

2008-09-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hi United Voices. We are about to move into a very busy couple of weeks. I know we are all looking forward to recording our first CD this weekend. Then there is Sunday homecoming service followed by three nights of revival.

I want to personally thank you for the love, time and talent that you dedicate to the Lord first, but also to this local body. I know that each time we ask you to be here, you could be doing a hundred other things. I appreciate the dedication that you show not just at especially busy times like this, but all through the year.

You are the Levites of this congregation; you are the tithe of the congregation. Thank you for showing yourselves to be wholly dedicated to serving God and Unity so well.

Up, Down and Sideways

2008-08-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Several of our choir members mentioned (on the form that you filled out at last week's dinner) that there is a lot of complaining in the choir. So I've been doing a little research on the nature of complaining.

I started by googling this question: why do humans complain? Wow, the range of explanations was overwhelming! The consensus seems to be, nobody knows why we do it, but we sure spend a lot of time doing it.

Some psychologists seem to feel that complaints are a sort of a safety valve for anger; that a complainer is less likely to explore a physically harmful outlet for his frustration. Others argue that complainers need to feel superior to those about whom they are complaining. There are seeemingly a million other explanations for why we complain but I couldn't find one that I felt was the exactly right reason we're having complaining in the choir.

Then I wondered, is a choir just more prone to complaining? Mark Twain said, "There was once a church choir that was not ill-bred, but I have forgotten where it was, now." But I refuse to buy in to that mentality.

We humans just seem to love to complain. And sometimes we do just need to vent. The question is do we want to see something change or do we just want to gripe?

If we want to see things change, the only direction to complain is UP! It is a total waste of time to complain to people who don't have the power to do anything about the issue causing the complaint. A complaint that has the possibility of affecting change has to go UP the chain of command.

If we just need to vent, let's make sure to do that SIDEWAYS, but to as small an audience as possible. I do have a couple of friends who will listen to me vent and not repeat one word of it. They are extemely valuable to me.

The direction we should never be caught complaining is DOWN. To complain to someone who is in our sphere of influence is to risk totally destroying their morale. Just don't do it, no matter how tempting it might be, especially when really frustrated about something.

We'll always find something to complain about; case in point, Golda Meir said, "Moses dragged us through the desert to the one place in the Middle East where there is no oil." (Never mind that the Jews are God's chosen people, given the promised land, which God promised would be flowing with milk and honey.)

No leader will ever be able to completely eliminate complaining. But if we have to do it, let's try to do it in a way that no harm is caused.

Days 5 and 6

2008-08-08T01:03:00.000-07:00

After competing in all our musical categories and getting all of our media entries registered for judging, yesterday and today were a little easier but still very busy. San Antonio is a wonderful city with lots of attractions and everyone had some free time yesterday to explore.

Some visited the Alamo, also called "The Shrine of Texas". We all know the story of how Davy Crockett made his last stand here, holding out with a group of courageous Texans against an overwhelming assault force. Crockett and the others gave their lives here to hold the ground against impossible odds. The place is truly a shrine to the men who died here and also to the idea that some things are worth giving everything for.

We've had some fun times visiting the Riverwalk, or the Paseo Del Rio. The Riverwalk is one of San Antonio's most famous attractions. The river banks are lined with a variety of restaurants and other attractions. We ate here several nights and several of our group also took a boat tour, one of the favorite activities in San Antonio. My favorite restaurant here is Casa Rio, an authentic Mexican restaurant with the best salsa known to man. Amy and I are hoping they bottle it so we can bring some of it back. Nick and Machelle also enjoyed this restaurant.

I spent some time in El Marcao (Market Square). El Marcado is the shopping spot for all things Mexican, including some great pottery and carvings. It has become more "touristy" since the last time I was here, but still has some good items if you're willing to take the time to look for them.

Our kids really enjoyed the mall. The River Center Mall has more than 125 different shops covering four stories. I confess I didn't get to them all, but did have some fun at a shop called "Boot Hill", where we finished getting Elijah decked out in essential cowboy gear--boots and a belt with buckle to go along with his hat. He has generated lots of comments--and lots of photo ops--in his new duds. But I mean really, who could resist?

We'll have one more day with a little sight seeing and free time, but we'll be packing up tomorrow for the return trip home. We'll all attend the service at the Astrodome tomorrow night, then the teen talent awards will be announced in a wild, wide-open ceremony immediately after the service. We're all getting anxious to find out the results of our hard work. Please pray for all the kids from all over the church of God denomination who will be on pins and needles tomorrow night.

The trip has been wonderful, but we're looking forward to the trip home. We miss you all, and thank you for your support. We wouldn't be here without you.

Day 4

2008-08-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, what a day we've had at Teen Talent Nationals in San Antonio, Texas. The day started early. We met in the hotel lobby at 7:30 a.m. to head over to the convention center. We all had our jobs to do. I stood in line to register your band for both the instrumental ensemble and Christian contemporary band categories; pastor Rob and the boys went to the loading dock, driven by our trusty Nick Mavromat, who has done such a wonderful job getting everything and everyone where they needed to be. Bro. Nick is always our driver on these trips, and for good reason.

Anyway, after one major disaster (we left the tamborine at home, and it was a main feature of the instrumental ensemble) and one minor disaster (Allie couldn't find the patch cord to plug her guitar into the theater's sound system) we finally got it all together in time for the band to perform in the large instrumental ensemble. They did an awesome job. It's a tough category for them to win, because they compete with "orchestral" type ensembles (think high school concert band) and the two types of ensemble are so different from each other. It's like apples and oranges, but somehow the judges have to make a decision. But you can be proud of your band; they did an outstanding job.

We had a quick lunch and had a couple of hours of free time, then it was back to the convention center for the Christian contemporary band session. This has become the "big kahuna" of teen talent, and there were twenty-eight bands in this category. I really of course am biased, but giving it my best effort to be objective, I believe our band is in the top 3 or 4 of the 28 bands that were there.

In the midst of the musical madness, Adam Tootle had to go to the media center and meet with the adjudicators in the website design category. Adam had to go through an interview process during which he had to explain exactly how he designed his entry, including the software he used. He feels good about the process.

It is about 10:20 p.m. now, and our group has had pizza with pastor and is gathering at the hotel again. We'll meet in pastor Rob's room at 11:00 to wrap up the day and share some scripture.
Next on the agenda is the judging of the media entries--Adam Tootle website design; Krista Naquin newswriting and drawing; Jonathon Goodson computer graphics.

Our music categories are completed now and for Zac Moxley, Adam Tootle, Will Bagley, Josh Johnson, Jonathon Goodson, Aaron Thornton and Rachel Ogden, they have have taken the stage at Teen Talent Nationals for the last time. They're feeling a little sadness right now, but also some eagerness to pass on what they have learned to the next generation. As for Breezie and Allie Moxley, Caitlyn Miller, Kris Warnock, Joshua Tootle and others, they now step into big footsteps and a tradition of excellence in music and arts at Unity Church of God. I definitely believe they are up to the task.

We're missing home but happy to be representatives of Unity Church of God.

More tomorrow.

Day 3

2008-08-04T22:02:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this update at just past midnight, so I guess that technically it's day 4, but we'll pretend that it's still day 3.

Zac played his piano solo today. He did a wonderful job; his church can be very proud of him. The way the teen talent music sessions are put together is that each category's contestants are alternated with contestants from a different category. For example, today's piano solo contestants were alternated with male vocal solo contestants. Each category has its own judges. The competition is done this way for several reasons. First, it allows the judges of each category plenty of time to make their notes and score their contestants. Second, it breaks up the monotony of hearing 10 piano solos in a row or 10 male vocalists in a row. It helps gives the judges "fresh ears". This helps ensure that each contestant gets a real listen. For the listeners, it guarantees that they will hear more than just their one contestant. The upshot of all this is that we got to hear some great piano players and some great male singers. By the way, Josh Moore, son of south Georgia church of God pastor Johnny Moore, was this year's south Georgia male vocal solo winner at state. We got to hear him this morning and he did a fine job.

We don't know winners of any of the completed categories. Winners are announced all at once at the awards ceremony Friday evening, so Zac has to wait now to see how he did. But he says he's glad it's over!

We will be leaving the hotel very early in the morning to compete in the large instrumental ensemble. Then the kids will have some down time (so will the adults, I hope!) and will return to the arena tomorrow evening to compete in the Christian contemporary category. Also our media winners will be on pins and needles because their entries will be judged tomorrow.

The young people whom you helped send to San Antonio are doing an awesome job representing themselves, their church, and especially their God. You can be proud of them.

We are enjoying Teen Talent, but are missing being at home. Please pray for Kris Warnock, who has developed an ear infection. Also please pray for the safety of the folks on the Texas/Louisiana border, who are expecting to be hit pretty hard by tropical storm Eduardo. Latest news reports say the storm should pass over San Antonio some time tomorrow, bringing lots of rain for the next couple of days.

More tomorrow from San Antonio.

Day 2

2008-08-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived in San Antonio, Texas after spending a second 12-hour day in the van. Here are some observations:

Louisiana could really stand some highway improvements;

So could east Texas;

There are only so many ways to entertain oneself while the miles go rolling by.

We are glad to be here, and we're all really glad to be out of the van. We enjoyed a walk and supper on the riverwalk before heading back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. We did make one very necessary stop. There is an unwritten rule that boys (and girls, for that matter) in Texas must wear the right kind of head gear, so we stopped to pick up the necessary adornment for Elijah. Thought you might enjoy the picture.

Zac plays his piano solo tomorrow. I'll write an update as soon as possible after he plays.

We really missed being at our own church today. We love and miss you all. Love from Texas.

On The Road

2008-08-03T03:09:00.000-07:00

I left yesterday with a small group headed for San Antonio, Texas. If it's been awhile since you took a long trip, let me just remind you that 12 hours in a vehicle with five other people can bring out your best OR your worst.

By the time we finally got into a hotel room yesterday evening, we were all ready for a break. But driving across America reminds me how blessed we are as a nation. It would be difficult to travel any length of time and not see example after example of the favor of God on the United States.

I'm also having fun sharing the trip with my buddy Elijah. His six-year-old point of view is so much fresher than any of the adults on the trip; fresher even than well-travelled teen Kris. So things which wouldn't move any of the rest of us are incredible wonders to him. And some things that catch his attention are things that the rest of us might not even notice at all.

We made it to the half way point in our journey. I'm writing this blog from my hotel room in New Orleans, Louisiana. We'll hit the road again this morning for another twelve-hour leg of the journey. Tomorrow Zac will play in the piano competition; Tuesday the bands will compete and Adam's web site, Krista's drawing and Jonathon's graphic will be judged. While we're tied up with Teen Talent, Pastor will be attending various sessions that deal with the business and the government of our denomination.

We all thank you for your prayers. And we're hoping you miss us, because much as we are enjoying the journey, we're all missing home too.

The Musician

2008-07-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a beautiful prayer I found while surfing the net looking for some chord charts. (See, Mom, there ARE a few good things on the web!)

The Musician

copyright by Vanessa L. Miller (music minister, Reno, Nevada)

To God, who created every song, note, and key
All glory and praise, I offer to Thee
Before the clap of the hand, or the tap of the shoe
The concept of rhythm, it started with You
You composed melodies for the birds to sing
And anointed their songs with the joy that they bring
So before You, the author of music, I bow
I’m asking that You would bless me now
With the understanding of this perfect gift
This ministry You have blessed me with
That Your glory will always be my goal
That You will be the musician within my soul
Whether it be with my voice, my hands, or my feet
With wind, strings, pipes, or a steady beat
Without Your Spirit to touch and anoint
The sweetest sounds become mere noise
But to play like David, to calm and to soothe
And most of all, to be pleasing to you
Let this be my motive and the source of my drive
That Your name will ever be glorified
Please let my praise be a sacrifice
Offered to You, no pretense or disguise
Let my life be a song more precious than words
Sweeter to you than any note ever heard
Let it ring out strong, and true to the end
I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Treasure Box

2008-07-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 50th birthday last week. I received some wonderful gifts, like a new deck and deck furniture, and some fun gifts, like a huge basket filled with 50 individually wrapped items. But the best gift I got came from my 6-year old best buddy Elijah.

Elijah and I are heart friends; have been since he was born. So yesterday when he came up with a birthday bag and a look of eager anticipation, I knew he had something good for me. Out from the bag came a beautiful brown box. "Thank you," I said. "This is beautiful." But I hadn't really seen the gift. The gift was inside the box. "I put fifty kisses in there for you," Elijah told me proudly.

"Do you mean," I said, "that if I need a kiss tomorrow, all I have to do is take one out of this box?" Elijah agreed that that was all there was to it.

It's the best birthday gift I got. You can't see the treasure in the box, but me and Elijah know it's there.

Isn't that how we are? Isn't that what Paul meant when He said we hold this treasure in earthen vessels? Others can't necessarily see the treasure that's inside, but we can pull it out when we need it for ourselves or to give to others. Whether it's love, or peace, or joy, meekness, tenderness or any of the fruits of the Spirit; whether it's salvation that can be freely enjoyed and freely shared, whether it's the Holy Ghost with His power, comfort, or understanding, the treasure is inside. And like Elijah's gift, these gifts are the best we'll ever receive.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

The lyrics of this song more completely express my feelings about this day than anything that I could say:

Statue of Liberty

In New York Harbor stands a lady,
With a torch raised to the sky;
And all who see her know she stands for
Liberty for you and me.

I'm so proud to be called an American,
To be named with the brave and the free;
I will honor our flag and our trust in God,
And the Statue of Liberty.

On lonely Golgotha stood a cross,
With my Lord raised to the sky;
And all who kneel there live forever
As all the saved can testify.

I'm so glad to be called a Christian,
To be named with the ransomed and whole;
As the statue liberates the citizen,
So the cross liberates the soul.

Oh the cross is my Statue of Liberty,
It was there that my soul was set free;
Unashamed I'll proclaim that a rugged cross
Is my Statue of Liberty!

© Words & Music by Neil Enloe

Happy 4th of July!

She's Got the Look

2008-06-26T09:34:00.001-07:00

Have you seen the TV Land show "She's Got The Look"? It features several beautiful women, all 35 years or older, who are vying for a shot at a modeling contract.

I confess, I have gotten drawn in to this show. Those of you who know me won't be surprised that the attraction is not an interest in modeling. I got drawn in when I happened across an episode where these gorgeous women were sharing some difficulties they had experienced. One talked about being raised in a Muslim home, and her shame in being beautiful in a culture which so limits women. Another spoke of a very painful, abusive marriage and how she struggled to decide whether to stay or go. A third told how she had been brutally attacked as a teenager, suffering several stab wounds at the hands of a person who was jealous of the young girl's pretty face. Each woman had a painful story to tell.

Part of the job of being a model is the ability to project whatever image the client wants--confidence, happiness, ecstacy, provacativeness--regardless of what the reality is on the person's inside. I'm not saying this is good or bad, just that it's the reality of the job. But seeing these women reveal their hidden pain, and then go right back to hiding it in front of the camera, touched a chord in me.

I don't think that we should walk around with our painful experiences on our sleeves, like some dark badge of honor. But I do think that we shouldn't keep painful experiences hidden behind a carefully crafted facade of Christian "look". For me, the good thing about some of the stuff I've been through is that God has proven Himself faithful, no matter how bad things were.

If I keep thoses experiences hidden behind "the look", who will know what God has brought me from? The Bible says, "They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..." (Revelation 12:11 NIV) It may be that the word of my testimony, not hidden behind "the look" is what someone else needs to overcome our common enemy.

God, help us not hide behind "the look" to the extent that we lose the opportunity to help someone else.

Computers are wonderful when they work!

2008-06-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Our internet has been down for a few days, making it impossible for us Jordan and I to post blogs, but we're FINALLY running again.

Just a couple of quick items:

We are so excited to be adding a daily devotional podcast for our members and visitors. Sometimes I'll be doing it; sometimes Jordan will be doing it, but whoever does it, we hope you tune in and that it blesses, encourages and inspires you.
Our Teen Talent car wash was a big success. Our goal was to wash 200 cars; we managed to wash 194 in spite of a torrential rain storm. We still need sponsors; if you are interested, see me, Jordan or Pastor Rob & Sis. Jennifer.
The youth band will be performing at Screven's big 4th of July day. Ask any youth band member for more information.

Finally, Sunday school. If you don't attend (or teach) Sunday school, I encourage you to attend the choir class. We meet at 9:45 a.m. every Sunday morning in the choir room. Come share a cup of coffee, some pastry, and a lively discussion of God's Word. I hope to see you there.

Seeking Sponsors

2008-06-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Some members of our youth band will be travelling to San Antonio, Texas in August to compete in international Teen Talent, a competition held every other year by our denomination, the Church of God. It is going to cost from $16,000 to $18,000 to get everyone out there and back, with a place to stay, meals, and maybe a fun trip to Six Flags thrown in.

We're holding a car wash with a twist to help raise the funds needed. Here's how it works:

each band member needs 15 sponsors
each sponsor agrees to pay up to 25 cents for each car the group washes
our goal is to wash 200 cars
the cars are washed for free--the sponsors are the ones who pay
no one sponsor will be on the hook for more than $50

If each band member gets his or her 15 sponsors, and if we meet our goal of washing 200 cars, we will have raised the funds needed for the trip.

If you're interested in sponsoring a band member, please call the church office and talk with Sis. Jenn. But even if you can't sponsor, WE NEED TO WASH YOUR CAR!

It will cost you absolutely nothing, but we need everyone to bring their cars to help us reach our goal.

DAY: This Saturday, June 21st
WHERE: The church parking lot
TIME: from 8 a.m. until we've washed 200 cars.

Unity, you are great at helping our youth live their dreams. Thank you for all you do. The effect of sowing into young lives the way you do will only be fully revealed in eternity.

2008-06-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

I've received some comments about my posting from Friday June 6 concerning Rev. T.D. Jakes' comments concerning Sen. Barack Obama's presidential nomination. This morning I received a link to a video clip by evangelist Bill Keller stating his concerns about some of Sen. Obama's positions on issues that should be of concern to all Christians.

Click here to view the video.

Thanks for your comments on this and my other posts.

Love Those Babies!

2008-06-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest frustrations over the last year or so is that I've been unable to really spend time with our youth band. But hallelujah, summer has come and with the school vacation we've been able to do a little re-arranging. The gist of it is that the youth band is now practicing on Monday evenings and I can be with them again.

We're doing a devotional series over the summer, and I've been teaching about the Levitical musicians and singers. One of the things that had a huge impact on me when I first started studying about Old Testament musicians was a bit of information that revealed the true depths of commitment they held. It is said that when the Israelites were captured by the Babylonians, the musicians cut off their own thumbs so that they could not be forced to perform for heathens or to play for the false gods of their captors.

Brother, that's commitment! It reminds me of an illustration Pastor often uses. He says the easiest way to understand true commitment is to look at a ham-and-egg breakfast. The chicken was involved, but the pig was committed!

As I watch our young musicians, I am constantly impressed by their commitment. They spend a lot of hours at the church--playing, practicing, setting up, tearing down, attending services, attending Sunday school, participating in all kinds of events. They are absolutely dedicated to the church, the youth group, the youth band, the sanctuary band, the middle school band, youth choir, etc. This speaks so well for them. But I hope that we're all building a level of commitment to our God that would sustain our worship no matter what might happen in our lives.

God, help me learn to be so committed to You and to You alone that I would cut off my own fingers rather than play in a way that would put you to shame. Lord, I'm a piano player who loves being a piano player, so I know that I have a long way to go. But my desire is to always honor You. And Lord, because I love the babies that You've given to me, help me always show them that level of commitment. Amen.

Psalm 137:1-4
"By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!' How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?"

Oh What A Night!

2008-06-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Unity was blessed last night to host the group Power Unlimited, a praise and worship team composed of several of Lee University's Campus Choir members. They were gifted singers and musicians who seemed to flow seamlessly with each other and with the Holy Spirit in ministry.

I rarely am away from my instrument during a service, and I really enjoyed being able to worship in a different way than usual. But I confess that I got caught up in watching the congregation as worship unfolded, and in watching the visiting praise team lead, react to and embrace the praise and worship of the congregation.

We Pentecostals sometimes resist rehearsal and preparation, feeling that too much practice impedes the flow of the Spirit. But I have long believed exactly the opposite: that the more prepared we are, the easier it is to flow with the Spirit.

It seems to me that if I'm concerned about finding the next chord or executing the next tricky tag, my attention is on my instrument rather than on worship. I suppose that singers face the same dilemna; that is, if the singer is unsure of the melody or the words coming up, he or she really can't be attentive to the Spirit.

If the leader is a little shaky about how to execute from the verse to the chorus to the bridge; if he or she can't quite remember how many key changes there are and when they take place, his or her attention is diverted from listening to the Spirit and from engaging the congregation in worship.

And this is a tragedy, because that's our whole job--to lead the congregation in praise and worship; to set an atmosphere and prepare hearts--ours as well as the congregation's--to hear and receive the Word of God that our pastor or the person appointed in his place will bring when the music is done.

UV band, let's always be dedicated to the highest standard of excellence that our abilities will allow us to achieve. Let's embrace the discipline of practice and realize it's value in freeing us to praise and worship our God. Without worship, it's just empty notes--no matter how well or poorly played or sung.

What's your priority?

2008-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well known minister Rev. T. D. Jakes made news this week for his praise of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barrack Obama.

It makes perfect sense to me that Rev. Jakes, who happens to be African American, would be happy to see that a political party has for the first time in America's 200-plus year history nominated an African American for the office of president. I have no problem with Rev. Jakes on this point.

However, it bothers me that a powerful and influential minister would praise the nomination of anyone who:

*Voted against the Induced Infant Liability Act, which would have protected babies that survived late term abortions. The bill sought to give babies who survived late term abortions the same medical protections as "wanted" babies who were born prematurely and given life-saving medical attention. Even NARAL (http:www.naral.org) did not oppose this legislation.

*Has opposed measures to criminalize those who transport minors across state lines for the purpose of obtaining an abortion.

*Voted against prohibiting sex offenders from being given "good time" credit while sentenced to county jails in Illinois. (His was the only vote against this measure.)

*Voted against requiring school boards to install software on public computers accessible to minors to block sexually explicit material.

*Voted in favor of a bill allowing individuals to purchase 10 hypodermic needles from pharmacies without a prescription.

*Wrote an open letter to the Windy City Times, a publication targeted to the gay and lesbian community (www.windycitymediagroup.com) which contained these statements: "I opposed the DOMA [defense of marriage act] in 1996. It should be repealed, and I will vote for its repeal on the senate floor." He went on to say, "I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying."

The fact that Rev. Jakes praised the nomination of this particular African American, with a voting record that places him in direct opposition to so many of the fundamental tenets of Christianity, got me started thinking about our priorities.

Have we gotten to the point that it's more important to vote for someone because of their skin color than their principles? And if so, then why is it a problem to be against someone because of their skin color rather than their principles?

I don't care what color (or gender, for that matter) our next president is. What I do care about is what he or she stands for. I hope most of our ministers feel the same. I respect Rev. Jakes enourmously. I hope he'll reconsider this issue.