Once again there was a good service here.
I'm struck by how many First Baptist churches there are. Every hamlet has one.
Now, if this is the only Baptist church in Hypoluxo, why the distinction. I know, it's an American thing. We all have to be first.
It's why four-way stops don't work in this country. Each driver legitimately thinks with certainty that they're the one that got there first.
So the pastor, Dr. (not yet Dr. - graduates in three weeks) Griffin, who wants me to call him Mike- spoke about an American perversion of Christianity which is based on "the pursuit of happiness."
He didn't use the word perversion. But what other thing could it be that reduces Christ's teaching to avoiding discomfort, being materially okay, and not being persecuted.
It makes me so mad when the Christians today talk about being persecuted. We're not being persecuted. We've been lulled into a comfort zone, thinking our culture was Christian. It wasn't. Now that it's clear our culture isn't Christian, instead of admitting it we want things back the way they were. It's pride. We weren't Christian except in name before, and now America isn't that either. The solution is the same as it ever was but now we feel crunchy.
The service started with "Majesty," the 1980s classic. I forget what it was medlied with, but I think "let the poor say I am rich..." which I learned at St. Thomas More in Tallahassee. I loved singing that loudly among all the other quiet mumbler singers there. But I bet the people in the pew found it distracting. How can one watch, after all, when somebody in the audience is trying to participate? Of course it's distracting.
Then there was a new song, copyright 2006 I think, "My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness." It's very singable. I don't think I've ever heard that one.
Then we sang "My Tribute" which I used to play, but did not play violin with.. Caleb Daley once. I'd like to do that one again, but mix it up somehow; arranged differently.
Gotta find an accompanist.
The pianist played "We Gather Together" and all her music sounded good today. I barely noticed the drums! I guess that means he did a great job since it wasn't distracting at all; but I heard it. Good for him.
The sermon took us to 2 Corinthians 11.
Corinthians is a port city, of which I imagined as the connection of the isthmus (Peloppanesian Peninsula) that the port could go out both sides- because I used to play Sim City. Wow.
The thorn in the flesh of Paul's was given about 12 proposed definitions- some I think were new to me. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness is a hard one.
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