Archive for Hope
It’s A New Day
What an historic night.
Whether your guy won or lost, we can all agree that today is a new day.
It’s A New Day — Robbie Seay Band
I’m gonna sing this song
To let you know that you’re not alone
And if you’re like me
You need hope, coffee, and melody
So sit back down
Let the world keep spinning ‘round
For yesterday’s gone and today is waiting on you to show your face
It might not be
The prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
I’m a pilgrim soul
I’ve traveled far and come back home
This land is hard and cold
For those who long to love
And I know it might seem
That the world is crumbling
But it’s me and you dancing in the kitchen at 2 am
And we’re still alive
It might not be
The prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
It’s the calm of the storm that comes blowing in
It’s the springtime saying I’m back again
The clouds that roll by
Crossing moonlight
Me and you love – everything’s alright
Standing in the rain with nowhere to go
Laughing and we’re spinning and I hope that you
Remember this day
For the rest of your life
Me and you love – everything’s gonna be alright
And it just might be
The prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
It’s a new day
Oh baby, it’s a new day
If you look outside
To see a beautiful sunrise
It’s a new day
In Case You Missed It
He was here and gone in a flash, but I can’t thank Shaun Groves enough for sacrificing his own time to come visit us at NewSong yesterday. And for giving us a fresh vision of the “Good News.”
And the 37 saved lives thank you as well.
» ShaunGroves.com
» CompassionInternational.com
» CompassionBloggers.com
Hope, In Perspective
By: Becky Garrison
Here in Manhattan, the city streets hum with hope following the announcement of the first African American to be nominated for president by a major political party. According to news reports, similar scenarios are taking place across the world. As we celebrate this historical moment in electoral politics, Sara Cunningham, author of Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation, offers this cautionary tale to her fellow Christians:
When we market ourselves as the hope of the world, or when we believe that other humans hold the hope of the world for us, without proper acknowledgement of Christ as our source, we foster disillusionment.
So how do we keep this hope alive should one’s preferred candidate not win the coveted presidential prize? My prayer is that regardless of who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we can keep singing a hopeful tune. As I’ve reported elsewhere on the blog, I keep seeing glimpses of the kingdom here on earth that are led not by polticos but by ordinary radicals who are transformed by the words of Jesus Christ. My buddy Shane Claiborne reminds us all, “No matter who is elected on Nov. 4, what matters is how we live our lives as faithful Christians on Nov. 3 and 5.”
Sara Cunningham concurs with Shane’s assessment:
We Christians were never the hope. Yes, we were and are carriers of the hope. But we ourselves are only reflections—often dim reflections—of the hope we internalize: Jesus Christ.
In his latest book, Surprised by Hope, N.T. Wright explores how we as Christians can implement this hope here on earth. He reminds us:
The kingdom will come as the church, energized by the Spirit, goes out into the world, vulnerable, suffering, praising, praying, misunderstood, misjudged, vindicated, celebrating: always—as Paul puts it in one of his letters—bearing the body of the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed.
So, as we see hopeful signs all around us, let us remember that as Christians our declaration of hope lies ultimately with the Risen Christ.
(Copied in full from Becky Garrison’s post on the God’s Politics blog.)
Come All You Weary
Come All You Weary — Thrice
Come all you weary with your heavy loads
Lay down your burdens find rest for your souls
Cause my yoke is easy and my burden is kind
I’ll take yours upon me and you can take mineCome all you weary, move through the earth,
You’ve been spurned at fine restaurants & kicked out of church;
I’ve got a couple of loaves, so sit down at my feet,
lend me your ears and we’ll break bread and eatCome all you weary
Come gather round near me
Find rest for your soulsCome all you weary, crippled you lay
I’ll help you along you can lay down your canes
We’ve got a long way to go but we’ll travel as friends
The lights growing bright further up, further inCome all you weary
Come gather round near me
Find rest for your soulsRest for your souls
Come all you weary
Come gather round near me
Come all you weary
Come gather round near me
Find rest for your souls
Rest for your souls
Rest for your soulsRest for your souls
Henry Poole Is Here
Such a great year for movies.
In theaters July 25th, 2008.
Song at the end is Believe by The Bravery.
(ht: The Man of Steel)
Reprise: The Cynical PK
Having said all that, I still believe in the local church.
I know a bunch of people, including Christ followers on my blogroll, that have had enough to the point that they no longer see the relevance of the local church. But I still find solace there. I see my mission there. I remember reading an article by Rick Warren once where he said that the church is the only organization that is fully equipped to actually make a physical, emotional, and spiritual difference in this world.
And I believe that.
The problem is that most of the time the church isn’t working right, and the reason is that humans are involved. We humans have a knack for screwing up all the good things God has planned for us. But that doesn’t mean we need to throw our hands up and admit defeat. It simply means we have much more work to do. It’s just a shame that the majority of the road blocks in our pursuit of spreading the message happens to come from His own people.
As Obama has stated in his speeches all year, I feel the fierce urgency of now. Sometimes I get a little impatient because people just don’t see the big picture. I feel like we keep falling back into the idea that church is supposed to be comfortable. I’ve got some news for you guys, church is supposed to make you uncomfortable. It should be in a state of constant change. And believe it or not, it isn’t about you at all. It isn’t about me either. It’s about giving hope to the hopeless. It’s about being a light in a very dark world.
So allow me to blow off some steam now and again when I see and hear people who not only don’t get it, but take out their frustrations on a man who has dedicated his entire life and well-being into reaching those lost souls. You can’t ever know the damage you do, not just to him and his family, but to the message of Jesus. The message of love.
