a lot to learn
Why I dislike Kingdom Bound and other such "Christian" concert gatherings (hype hype hype..."ME ME ME"--in Rich Oosterhoff's words):
(taken from His Passion: Christ's Journey to the Resurrection devotional, in turn gleaned from the Life Application Bible's commentary on Mark)
Mark 11:8 NIV: Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
This was Jesus' announcement that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. He chose a time when all Israel would be gathered at Jerusalem, a place where huge crowds could see him, and a way of proclaiming his mission that was unmistakable. The people went wild. They were sure their liberation from Rome was at hand. While the crowd correctly saw Jesus as the fulfillment of these prophecies, they did not understand where Jesus' kingship would lead him. The people who were praising God for giving them a king had the wrong idea about Jesus. They expected him to be a national leader who would restore their nation to its former glory; thus, they were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus' real mission. When it became apparent that Jesus was not going to fulfill their hopes, many people would turn against him. A similar crowd would cry out, "Crucify him!" when Jesus stood on trial only a few days lter. It takes more than participation at a praise gathering to be a true friend and follower of Jesus....
Like the people on the road to Jerusalem that day, we have much to learn about Jesus' death and resurrection. We must not let our personal desires catch us up in the celebration and shouting lest we miss the meaning of true discipleship.
posted by Be at 12:37
10 Comments:
Do you think that precludes things like Kingdom Bound?
amyann...
*sigh*
i'm emailling you
Excellent point; we must not mistake a worship experience for the totality of what it is to be a disciple. As for me, I'm not against Kingdom Bound et comites as such. However, when people go 'church shopping' because their current home church doesn't make them feel like they're at Kingdom Bound - that, I believe, is a problem.
Or did I miss your point?
Learned a lot here. Thanks.
I have turtle cheesecake recipe and you are welcome to visit.
rich, very well put. (have you ever been to kingdom bound, by the way?)
rob, i do: i had a very difficult time seeing God glorified at that event. it seemed to be an emotion-feeding fest. i am not against emotions being touched--when they are genuinely touched by the Spirit of God. when thousands of people gather to scream at the top of their lungs and wave their hands it should be for the resurrected Christ, not a mere human being with an able voice (amplified and amplified again), tons of backup, and a dizzying light show (with all the concert paraphenalia you could covet to accompany it--consume, consume, consume). just because the artists (and the event's organizers) say it's all for God and point their fingers to heaven once or twice in their show does not automatically direct everyone's attention and hearts to their Creator (or at least in the way worship in Spirit and Truth is meant to). perhaps it appeases the conscience: being reassured one is worshiping God, one is allowed to enjoy big American rock concerts and escape into a world of adrenaline-inducing, reality-numbing entertainment.
"i guess i was just surprised that you were so critical about it...because the flip side is that they are wonderful celebrations of God's greatness....the celebrations aren't bad in and of themselves...the reaction of each person is what is key - whether they expect all of life to be one big party high like that and are disappointed and check out when they find out that its not or whether they relish and fully participate in the party when its there and also live faithfully through the drab and mundane days...i dunno...i guess you already know all this - but i think satan tries to make us soooo critical of things so that they cannot touch our hearts..."
i realize, jenn, that a lot has to do with our individual reactions, but you cannot deny the importance of the collective heart--the collective spirit of Christ's body when we are supposed to be united to glorify Him. i did not feel such a spirit. perhaps i am tainted. perhaps i am being too critical. but i can worship God and have beautiful encounters with Him when i sing "modern" worship songs in a lively, "Spirit-filled" church. i can worship God and He meets me when i sing "old-fashion" hymns in a more traditional setting. i could not worship God at Kingdom Bound. it felt contrived and plastic--like the rest of the amusement park at which it was held. it felt like status, style and even sexiness were glorified more than Christ.
God's greatness is to be praised! i just fear it's not being praised in a way that is always pleasing to God at Six Flags Darien Lake. BUT, who am I to make that judgment call? perhaps it's because i sense and see God's greatness more in his natural creation than in plastic and steel. i'd rather have a gathering of Christians from all tongues, tribes and nations around a campfire in the woods with a guitar and a bodhran than electric guitars and a computer-enhanced atmosphere.
sidenote: thank you little kernel and anonymous cheese caker for the uplifting words! :-) (and your sites are great, btw...mmm, chocolate caramel pecan cheesecake [found in recipes 60-75]...)
I happen to feel the same way about Church in the Box (in reference to the singing, not so much the message). The whole time I'm there I feel like I'm guarding myself from emotional and musical manipulation rather than delighting and worshiping God.
oh, how i love spam (cheesecaker)...but your recipes are still yummers. um, jill, you CAN still come. i do have a wedding saturday afternoon/evening, but after that i can be all yours! jenn klassen was hoping to have a big "reunion" bonfire at the Groen's saturday night, so if you like, we can go to that and hang out all day sunday (and friday evening if you come for then). LET ME KNOW!
does this mean we are actually having a bonfire this saturday night? someone should call me....
Amyann,
Nope, never been to KingdomBound. Maybe my priority list needs reworking, but currently KB isn't on it.
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