I love Facebook! It's so much fun to reconnect with people and it's a nice, quick way to keep in touch. Some people make fun of this, but I like knowing that my friend, Rachel just canned 40-something cans of figs and that Patti wants to trade her kids in. I enjoy hearing what one friend is hearing the guy next to him at the airport say about the Illuminate and I just love knowing that Matt loves his wife, Felicia. Most of our friendships in life are nurtured during the mundane times. They may become rock solid during times of crisis, but most of our time spent together is in the mundane. I treasure those mundane posts.
Yesterday I reconnected with a friend that I haven't talked to since I was 15. It was so nice to reminisce and remember all those funny things we did as kids and to see how we have changed. It was nice to hear what he was like as a "grown-up." But mostly it was just nice to be connected again.
We instant messaged each other on Facebook for awhile, but I had to put a bit of time in at work today. Once the kids were all ready and begging to leave, I asked him for his cell number and gave him a call. We talked while I drove on my way to the gas station.
This is when I should have hung up. Gas station...cell phone... You would think I would have remembered. But no. In fact, Robert (my old friend) and I joked about how I was "living on the edge" to use a cell phone while pumping gas. Something about static electricity. I even told him about how I drove off with the gas pump three times. He didn't laugh. He paused for a second and said, "...three times?"
I laughed, ran my card, turned to put the gas pump in my car, then realized I had forgotten to take the gas cap off. Now, I'm holding a cell phone in one hand and the gas pump in the other. I could have said something like, "Hold on," but that would have been too obvious an answer to this dilemma. I'd never figure that out! No, I put the gas pump under my arm and then unscrewed the gas cap.
I secured the pump with that little thingy that holds it in the "pump position" and continued my conversation. I like to wash my windows while I wait for the gas to pump. I cleaned the back window...and yes, I'm still talking on my cell phone. I turn to check and see if my gas was done pumping and was surprised to see that it was done so quickly. How nice!
I put the pump back.
Let me say that again. I PUT THE PUMP BACK!!! You're proud of me, aren't you!
I just have to say it one more time. I put the pump back, screwed the gas cap on, got in my car, and drove off. All the while, talking on my cell phone.
It's about 10 minutes to my work from the gas station and when I was oh, 3 minutes away, I glanced down to see a little orange light. WHAT? I'm out of gas? Impossible!!!
That's when it hit me. I forgot to pump the gas!!! I didn't intend to (ok, who would actually intend to), but apparently I put the gas pump in the "pump position" and didn't make sure it was actually pumping gas! Uh.... oops!
Robert got a bit of a chuckle out of that one!
So, as I told myself I would, I have to ask, "So, Rachael, what are you going to do about it?" That's an easy one...
No more pumping gas while talking on the cell phone!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
What You Cannot NOT Talk About" Part 2: Worship. That Goes Deeper
Earlier this month I led the music portion of our worship service. The pastor told me what he was preaching on and I went to work.
I like to spend time reading the scriptures he tells me he's going to use. I inevitably wind up travelling all over the Bible, reading things that relate. That and finding myself fascinated on a word or phrase that leads me to so many rabbit trails that I begin to wonder if I should start chewing hay and carrots!
This particular Sunday I was fascinated with the phrase, "fire on the altar," specifically God sending that fire on the Old Testament altars. I had chosen "Not To Us," for the first song, simply because I had just introduced it to the congregation the week before and knew I needed to do it another week in order to solidify it in their heads. As I was singing the song in my head, the second verse suddenly grew an arm from my laptop and slapped me on the head.
"Send Your holy fire
"On this offering."
Whoa! God? Is that You speaking?
Then, I chose the second song blandly based on the fact that it was an upbeat song and I needed an upbeat song. Then, my laptop grew an arm and I got slapped upside the head again.
"Hear the joyful sound
"Of our offering
"As Your saints bow down
"As Your people sing."
Let me show you why I felt slapped on the head.
1 Chronicles 21:21-26
And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
Ok, in modern English. David needs a nice, flat place to build an altar. He talks to Ornan, who happens to have a nice, flat place to build an altar, and offers to buy it. Ornan says something like, "DUDE! You're like, the KING of Israel. You can have it!" to which David replies, "Look, man. This is for God. I'm not going to 'sacrifice' if it's not much of a sacrifice, you know? I'm not going to even make an offer for less than what it's worth. I'm going to pay you FULL PRICE!"
And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price:
So Ornan, who doesn't seem to be too comfortable with this, says, "Ok, fine. Not gonna argue with the King! Duh! But I'll give you the oxen and all that other stuff you need for the sacrifice." David's like, "No, seriously. I'm buying that, too...for full price!"
I love this part:
...for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD;
David pays for it, builds the alter, and puts the sacrifice on it. This is where someone usually prays and then fires up the altar. But you have to check this out... oh, man, the chills are coming already!
and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
GOD, yes GOD, sent fire FROM HEAVEN, I tell you. FROM HEAVEN!!!
"Send Your holy fire
"On this offering
"Let our worship burn
"For the world to see."
I'm thinking that Ornan was no longer bowing before David, but before the King of all Kings. Oh, it makes me want to bow myself right now. Seriously.
That's just one scripture. The next one has me wanting to yell and bow at the same time!
Leviticus 9:22-24 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people:
and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Did you catch that? Once again, GOD, yes GOD sent the fire! And what did the people do when they saw it? They went ALL CAPS and fell "Facedown" in worship! I...I...I'm speechless! I'm with them, right there with them, wishing there was no one else in this room right now so that I could lay on this floor I'm sitting on with my face smelling the dirty carpet and wetting it with my tears. And yet, I just feel like jumping and throwing my hands in the air and yelling, "LORD, YOU ARE HOLY!"
So I finish up my song set, type in some lyrics, turn on my iPod, and begin practicing the songs. I'm totally raising my hands while singing, "Send Your holy fire on this offering," and tears are making my voice crack.
I get through that song and then begin the next one. You know, the one I chose simply because it was upbeat. I'm getting into it, clapping my hands when I get to this part...
"Hear the joyful sound
"Of our offering
"As Your saints bow down
"As Your people sing."
Ok, I'm done. Undone is more like it. There's no way I can keep singing this song...
...and I've just had a better worship service than I've had in a very, very long time.
Not everyday is like this and certainly not every time I put a worship service together. I find myself "Going Through the Motions," way too many times because I'm tired, feel like what I do is pointless, get in a hurry, and pretty much just try to give God what I get for free. But when I seek God, He is always to be found and when God allows me the opportunity to worship Him through His Word, combined with Music, I...I...I have no words.
Worship. It goes deep.
I like to spend time reading the scriptures he tells me he's going to use. I inevitably wind up travelling all over the Bible, reading things that relate. That and finding myself fascinated on a word or phrase that leads me to so many rabbit trails that I begin to wonder if I should start chewing hay and carrots!
This particular Sunday I was fascinated with the phrase, "fire on the altar," specifically God sending that fire on the Old Testament altars. I had chosen "Not To Us," for the first song, simply because I had just introduced it to the congregation the week before and knew I needed to do it another week in order to solidify it in their heads. As I was singing the song in my head, the second verse suddenly grew an arm from my laptop and slapped me on the head.
"Send Your holy fire
"On this offering."
Whoa! God? Is that You speaking?
Then, I chose the second song blandly based on the fact that it was an upbeat song and I needed an upbeat song. Then, my laptop grew an arm and I got slapped upside the head again.
"Hear the joyful sound
"Of our offering
"As Your saints bow down
"As Your people sing."
Let me show you why I felt slapped on the head.
1 Chronicles 21:21-26
And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
Ok, in modern English. David needs a nice, flat place to build an altar. He talks to Ornan, who happens to have a nice, flat place to build an altar, and offers to buy it. Ornan says something like, "DUDE! You're like, the KING of Israel. You can have it!" to which David replies, "Look, man. This is for God. I'm not going to 'sacrifice' if it's not much of a sacrifice, you know? I'm not going to even make an offer for less than what it's worth. I'm going to pay you FULL PRICE!"
And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price:
So Ornan, who doesn't seem to be too comfortable with this, says, "Ok, fine. Not gonna argue with the King! Duh! But I'll give you the oxen and all that other stuff you need for the sacrifice." David's like, "No, seriously. I'm buying that, too...for full price!"
I love this part:
...for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD;
David pays for it, builds the alter, and puts the sacrifice on it. This is where someone usually prays and then fires up the altar. But you have to check this out... oh, man, the chills are coming already!
and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
GOD, yes GOD, sent fire FROM HEAVEN, I tell you. FROM HEAVEN!!!
"Send Your holy fire
"On this offering
"Let our worship burn
"For the world to see."
I'm thinking that Ornan was no longer bowing before David, but before the King of all Kings. Oh, it makes me want to bow myself right now. Seriously.
That's just one scripture. The next one has me wanting to yell and bow at the same time!
Leviticus 9:22-24 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people:
and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Did you catch that? Once again, GOD, yes GOD sent the fire! And what did the people do when they saw it? They went ALL CAPS and fell "Facedown" in worship! I...I...I'm speechless! I'm with them, right there with them, wishing there was no one else in this room right now so that I could lay on this floor I'm sitting on with my face smelling the dirty carpet and wetting it with my tears. And yet, I just feel like jumping and throwing my hands in the air and yelling, "LORD, YOU ARE HOLY!"
So I finish up my song set, type in some lyrics, turn on my iPod, and begin practicing the songs. I'm totally raising my hands while singing, "Send Your holy fire on this offering," and tears are making my voice crack.
I get through that song and then begin the next one. You know, the one I chose simply because it was upbeat. I'm getting into it, clapping my hands when I get to this part...
"Hear the joyful sound
"Of our offering
"As Your saints bow down
"As Your people sing."
Ok, I'm done. Undone is more like it. There's no way I can keep singing this song...
...and I've just had a better worship service than I've had in a very, very long time.
Not everyday is like this and certainly not every time I put a worship service together. I find myself "Going Through the Motions," way too many times because I'm tired, feel like what I do is pointless, get in a hurry, and pretty much just try to give God what I get for free. But when I seek God, He is always to be found and when God allows me the opportunity to worship Him through His Word, combined with Music, I...I...I have no words.
Worship. It goes deep.
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