This Sunday (December 20th)

Morning Service

Songs

#85 (Blue hymnal)

#94 (Blue hymnal)

#51 (Blue hymnal)

#214 (Red hymnal)

#7 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Luke 2:8-20: "Soli Deo Gloria"

Evening Service

Songs

#331 (Blue hymnal)

#158 (Blue hymnal)

#2 (Red hymnal)

#283 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Exodus 20:4-6: "The Right God, The Right Way"

This Sunday (December 13th)Mo

Morning Service

Songs

#88 (Red hymnal)

"How Deep the Father's Love"

#110 (Blue hymnal)

#337 (Blue hymnal)

#224 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Luke 2:1-7: "The Birth of Jesus"

Evening Service

Songs

#331 (Blue hymnal)

#158 (Blue hymnal)

Psalm 99 (Trinity Psalter)

#283 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Exodus 20:4-6: "The Right God, The Right Way"

This Sunday (December 6th)

Morning Service

Songs

#339 (Blue hymnal)

#485 (Red hymnal)

#187 (Blue hymnal)

#261 (Red hymnal)

#6 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Revelation 19:1-10: "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb"

Evening Service

Songs

#342 (Blue hymnal)

#30 (Red hymnal)

#23 (Blue hymnal)...to the tune of "Not What My Hands Have Done"

#488 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Exodus 20:3: "No Other Gods"

This Sunday (November 29th)

Morning Service

Songs

#190 (Blue hymnal)

#51 (Red hymnal)

#65 (Red hymnal)

#388 (Blue hymnal)

#299 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Exodus 17:1-7: "Rock of Ages"

Evening Service

Songs

#16 (Blue hymnal)

#99 (Red hymnal)

#440 (Blue hymnal)

#231 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Exodus 20:1-2: "Grace...then Gratitude"

This Sunday (November 22nd)

Morning Service

Songs

#53 (Red hymnal)

#500 (Red hymnal)

#150 (Blue hymnal)

#383 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 Samuel 28: "The Witch of En-dor"

Evening Service

Songs

#37 (Blue hymnal)

#172 (Red hymnal)

#114 (Blue hymnal)

#307 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Exodus 20:1-21: "The Ten Commandments: An Introduction"

This Sunday (November 15th)

Morning Service

Songs

#195 (Blue hymnal) - alternate tune

#230 (Blue hymnal)

#1 (Blue hymnal)

#94 (Red hymnal)

#283 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 Kings 13: "A Tale of Two Prophets"

Evening Service

Songs

#198 (Blue hymnal)

#55 (Blue hymnal)

#35 (Red hymnal)

#401 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Psalm 51: "A Man After God's Own Heart"

This Sunday (November 8th)

Morning Service

Songs

#298 (Blue hymnal)

#124 (Blue hymnal)

#80 (Red hymnal)

#380 (Blue hymnal)

#204 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Luke 15:11-32: "The Parable of the 2 Sons"

Evening Service

Songs

#119 (Red hymnal)

#78 (Red hymnal)

#22 (Blue hymnal)

#310 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 Corinthians 6: "Bought With A Price"

This Sunday (October 25th)

Morning Service

Songs

#315 (Blue hymnal)

#129 (Blue hymnal)

#75 (Blue hymnal)

#88 (Red hymnal)

#733 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Luke 14:1-11: "The Parable of the Wedding Feast"

Evening Service

Songs

#48 (Blue hymnal)

#196 (Blue hymnal)

#389 (Blue hymnal)

#176 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

John 13: "Loved to the End"

Semper Reformanda

"Semper Reformanda" is a phrase that you often hear quoted in Reformed circles. But what does it actually mean? Michael Horton has a terrific explanation here.

God's Program for the Church

In our Reformed circles, we often decry those churches that are full of programs. However, it is not programs per se that are wrong, but man-made programs. Last night, our men's book club had its first meeting this year, as we are reading through and discussing "Dual Citizens" by Jason Stellman, a pastor in the PCA. And Stellman makes a great point in the first chapter when he writes, "...when the evangelical church focuses on methods and programs to try to meet these demands for intimacy with others and with God, it far too often mimics the world-and that mimicry can spill over into the area where the church's distinctiveness is to be most evident: corporate worship. The church forgets that God Himself has prescribed a simple, straightforward, and east-to-follow program for the growth of the church and the edification of believers: the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper."

This Sunday (October 18th)

Morning Service

Songs

#14 (Blue hymnal)

#520 (Red hymnal)

#288 (Blue hymnal)

#378 (Blue hymnal)

#231 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Luke 13:1-9: "The Parable of the Fig Tree"

Evening Service

Songs

#38 (Red hymnal)

#59 (Red hymnal)

#190 (Blue hymnal)

#488 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Hebrews 10:1-14: "It Is Finished"

This Sunday (September 27th)

Morning Service

Songs

#89 (Blue hymnal)

#408 (Blue hymnal)

#303 (Blue hymnal)

#508 (Red hymnal)

#16 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Luke 10:25-37: "The Good Samaritan"

Evening Service

Songs

#31 (Blue hymnal)

#85 (Red hymnal)

#180 (Blue hymnal)

#442 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Romans 10:14-17: "Two Keys to Spiritual Growth"

This Sunday (September 20th)

Morning Service

Songs

#115 (Red hymnal)

#485 (Red hymnal)

#298 (Blue hymnal)

#36 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Matthew 19:13-15: "Let the Little Children Come"

Evening Service

Songs

#121 (Blue hymnal)

#314 (Blue hymnal)

#529 (Red hymnal)

#6 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

John 15:1-17: "What About Good Works?"

Wedding Disaster

There's no way I could hold it together if I was officiating at this wedding...

This Sunday (September 13th)

Morning Service

Songs

#318 (Blue hymnal)

#291 (Blue hymnal)

#48 (Blue hymnal)

#692 (Red hymnal)

#5 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 5:13-21: "A Final Word on Assurance"

Evening Service

Songs

#75 (Red hymnal)

#187 (Blue hymnal)

#388 (Blue hymnal)

#306 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Genesis 15: "A Courtroom Drama"

Weird Law Fridays

In Georgia, it is illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless the shades are down.

This Sunday (September 6th)

Morning Service

Songs

#53 (Red hymnal)

#105 (Blue hymnal)

#286 (Blue hymnal)

#257 (Red hymnal)

#7 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 5:1-12: "Life in the Son"

Evening Service

Songs

#103 (Red hymnal)

#212 (Blue hymnal)

#471 (Blue hymnal)

#231 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Revelation 21:1-8: "The Life Everlasting"

Teaching Bible in the Christian School

As a new catechism season is upon us (we start up on September 13th), I've been thinking lately about teaching children and young people the essentials of our Christian faith. I've been looking over curriculum for our various classes and thinking about memory work. All of this has got me to thinking about the responsibility of the church (as well as parents) to train children and young people. But what about the Christian school? Should the Christian school be teaching the Bible? It might seem like a no-brainer to say "Yes, absolutely!" But is that really the case? I came across a blog post by Dr. Scott Clark of Westminster Seminary California. Following is some of what he writes...and I think he makes some excellent points:

I have a radical idea – well it might not be as radical as it seems–but in our current context it’s likely to seem radical. Perhaps it’s time for our Christian schools to stop teaching the Bible? Before you go on the warpath hear me out.

Is everyone authorized to teach the Bible? Yes, we believe in the priesthood of believers, but does that mean that just anyone can anoint himself a “Bible teacher”? I guess most of us would say no, it doesn’t. Well, who authorized the local Christian school to teach Bible? Most Christian schools are operated by a board, a private society — which is perfectly appropriate. Where does Scripture teach the establishment of such societies for Bible instruction? It doesn’t. To whom did Jesus give the “Great Commission?” He gave it to the visible, institutional church (Matt 28:18-20). He did not commission the local Christian school to baptize or to make disciples or to preach the gospel. Christ has ordained the visible church to preach the gospel, to administer the sacraments, to make disciples (Christian education) and to exercise church discipline.

The visible church is not called to operate schools, to teach history, geography, math, or physics. The school has these vocations. The Christian school has one sphere of responsibility and the Christian Church has another. They are complementary. There is one God who is our Creator and the same God who is our Redeemer but that doesn’t mean that we don’t distinguish between creation and redemption. The same God who created and by his providence sustains and governs and operates through creation also redeems through the preaching of the gospel, but that doesn’t mean that we hike at church or preach in the forrest.

In the same way Christian schools should focus on creation (nature) and let the church instruct our children about redemption (grace). Do we really need our math teacher to show how math relates to redemption? No. What we need is for the math teacher to teach math and, perhaps, to show it relates to the rest of creation. Is our math teacher really trained to explain the Bible? Is our Christian school Bible teacher actually trained to explain the Bible? Does he or she read Hebrew and Greek? Has he or she taken courses in Church History, Systematic Theology, Biblical Theology and the like? Has the Christian school Bible teacher been examined by a consistory and a classis? I guess that few Christian school Bible teachers are so prepared. Most of them have a BA from a Christian college. Perhaps your Christian school Bible teacher had a Bible major.

Whatever the case regarding the Christian school teacher, your minister is so prepared and he doesn’t (or shouldn’t) pretend to be a math or physics teacher. Let us (follow Kuyper) and distinguish the two spheres of creation and redemption and our children will actually be better catechized because of it.

Weird Law Fridays

In Pueblo, Colorado: It is illegal to let a dandelion grow within city limits.

Orcas Island

Yesterday was our oldest daughter's 15th birthday so we headed over to the San Juan Islands for the day. Instead of our normal trip to Friday Harbor, we decided to go to Orcas Island, which we hadn't visited in a while. We had great weather and a very enjoyable day.

First up is a picture from the ferry terminal in Anacortes...

Next is a picture from the resort at Rosario...

And finally, 2 pictures from the top of Mount Constitution, which we had never been to before...

Weird Law Fridays

Today, I downloaded a free app on my iPhone, entitled "Weird Laws." So an exciting new feature on the blog (with the scarcity of posts, just about anything new would be exciting) will be "Weird Law Fridays." Here's today's weird law:

In Alabama, it is illegal to play dominos on Sunday.

No, it's not our new church building...

Here's the transcript of a 1992 interview that Michael Horton did with Robert Schuller (of Crystal Cathedral fame).

This Sunday (August 23rd)

Morning Service

Songs

#194 (Blue hymnal)

#261 (Red hymnal)

#78 (Red hymnal)

#387 (Blue hymnal)

#488 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 4:7-21: "The Source of Love"

Evening Service

Songs

#301 (Blue hymnal)

#85 (Blue hymnal)

#398 (Blue hymnal)

#493 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Matthew 16:13-20: "The Church Builder"

This Sunday (August 16th)

Morning Service

Songs

#274 (Red hymnal)

#242 (Red hymnal)

#240 (Blue hymnal)

#284 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 4:1-6: "Spiritual Discernment"

Evening Service

Songs

#37 (Blue hymnal)

#95 (Blue hymnal)

#332 (Red hymnal)

#30 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

John 16:5-15: "The Work of the Spirit"

This Sunday (August 9th)

Morning Service

Songs

#2 (Red hymnal)

#172 (Red hymnal)

#159 (Blue hymnal)

#380 (Blue hymnal)

#282 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

2 Corinthians 3: "Spiritual Transformation"

Evening Service

Songs

#11 (Red hymnal)

#60 (Blue hymnal)

#370 (Blue hymnal)

#231 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Psalm 79: "The Second Coming"

This Sunday (July 26th)

No Costco cake Sunday morning...no delicious cheesecake Sunday night. But while just a "basic" Lord's Day, still a great blessing to gather together as God's people and be nourished spiritually.

Morning Service

Songs

#85 (Blue hymnal)

#129 (Blue hymnal)

#247 (Blue hymnal)...to the tune of #299

#455 (Red hymnal)

#6 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 3:11-24: "Love One Another"

Evening Service

Songs

#51 (Red hymnal)

#42 (Blue hymnal)

#366 (Blue hymnal)

#310 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

2 Kings 2:1-18: "The Triumph of the Ascension"

Sabbath Delight

This morning, we witnessed the baptism of 2 covenant children in our church and then, this afternoon, we went over to the home of one of the families for some AWESOME BBQ hamburgers. Bacon cheeseburgers with grilled onions...they were magical! And what better way to end the feasting with some ice cream?

Friday Harbor

We spent Thursday in Friday Harbor with our good friends from Phoenix. It was a picture-perfect day as you can see from these pictures...

If you've always been fascinated by reading "Robert's Rules of Order" (and be honest, who doesn't find that absolutely scintillating), then you have this guy to thank for it (not the guy holding the stick of wood, but Henry M. Robert, to whom this plaque is dedicated).

This Sunday (July 19th)

Morning Service

Songs

#34 (Red hymnal)

#293 (Blue hymnal)

#298 (Blue hymnal)

"In Christ Alone"

#488 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 Corinthians 7:14: "How Should We View Our Children?"

Evening Service

Songs

#190 (Blue hymnal)

#545 (Red hymnal)...to the tune of "God, Be Merciful to Me"

#22 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Job 19:23-26: "My Redeemer Lives"

This Sunday (July 12th)

Morning Service

Songs

#125 (Red hymnal)

#124 (Blue hymnal)

#89 (Blue hymnal)

#500 (Red hymnal)

#6 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 3:1-3: "Seeing Him as He Is"

Evening Service

Songs

#169 (Red hymnal)

#219 (Blue hymnal)

#471 (Blue hymnal)

#307 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Philippians 1: "To Die is Gain"

This Sunday (July 5th)

Morning Service

Songs

# 4 (Red hymnal)

#14 (Blue hymnal)

#364 (Red hymnal)

#439 (Blue hymnal)

#187 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:28-3:10: "The Love of God"

Evening Service

Songs

#1 (Red hymnal)

#79 (Red hymnal)

#369 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Matthew 27:32-56: "The Sufferings of Christ"

This Sunday (June 28th)

Morning Service

Songs

#282 (Blue hymnal)

#204 (Blue hymnal)

#233 (Blue hymnal)

#575 (Red hymnal)

#5 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:18-27: "Confessing Christ"

Evening Service

Songs

#660 (Red hymnal)

#218 (Blue hymnal)

#339 (Blue hymnal)

#310 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Matthew 1:18-25: "God With Us"

This Sunday (June 21st)

Morning Service

Songs

#66 (Red hymnal)

"In Christ Alone"

#159 (Blue hymnal)

#291 (Blue hymnal)

#299 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:15-17: "The Love God Hates"

Evening Service

Songs

#261 (Red hymnal)

#311 (Red hymnal)

#387 (Blue hymnal)

#301 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

John 1:1-14: "Who is Jesus Christ?"

This Sunday (June 14th)

Morning Service

Songs

#89 (Blue hymnal)

#257 (Red hymnal)

#88 (Red hymnal)

#350 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:12-14: "A Word of Comfort"

Evening Service

Songs

#31 (Blue hymnal)

#110 (Blue hymnal)

#642 (Red hymnal)

#30 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Matthew 3:13-17: "Anointed by the Spirit"

This Sunday (June 7th)

Morning Service

Songs

#194 (Blue hymnal)

#81 (Blue hymnal)

#383 (Blue hymnal)

#352 (Blue hymnal)

#187 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

2 Samuel 9: "The Honor of the King's Table"

Evening Service

Songs

#324 (Blue hymnal)

#247 (Blue hymnal) Tune: "Duke Street"

#121 (Blue hymnal)

#488 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Acts 4:1-12: "All or Nothing"

Home, Sweet Home

Ahhhh...it's nice to be home. We had a wonderful time on vacation, but it really is nice to finally get home, even after a long, long day of travel that started at 7:00 am Hawaii time and ended around 2:00 am Washington time. Every time we go on vacation, near the end of our time, we always ask, "What was your favorite part of vacation?" Usually, there are a variety of answers given, but this time the answer was always the same: "Polihale." If you ever have the opportunity to go to Kauai, don't miss Polihale Beach.

Saturday Night

Last night, we drove down to Shipwreck's Beach and then hiked up to a cliff that overlooks the ocean and the beach below. After that, we headed down to the harbor to catch another sunset. If you look closely at the 2nd picture, you can see a group of people congregated on the beach. It's a wedding, the third or fourth one we've seen down at this beach in the last 10 days.

Coming to An End

Being in the ministry has allowed me to travel to a lot of different places over the last half a dozen years. I've been to San Diego, San Francisco, Belgrade, Montana, Salem, Oregon, Springfield, Missouri, Sioux Center, Iowa, Smithers, British Columbia, Edmonton, Calgary, Chicago, and probably others I can't remember right now. This has also allowed my family to travel with me at times, often at very little cost to us. Of all the places we've traveled, the island of Kauai is far and away the most beautiful. And we have been privileged to come here not just once, but three times in the last 19 months. It's also been a privilege to preach at one of the newest URC church plants, the Kauai Reformation Church. Speaking of which, please continue to pray for this work, as they seek to establish a confessionally Reformed church on this island. They are all very excited to have their new minister, Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen, arriving around July 1st.

Well, all of this to say that we've really enjoyed our time here the last couple of weeks. However, at this point, we are all ready to come home. We miss our house, our beds, and our church family. We're also somewhat tired of sand, salt water, everything being wet all the time, and expensive groceries. And so we're all looking forward to getting on the plane Monday and getting home Monday night.

Here are a few pictures from our last couple of days: sunset, Polihale Beach (hands-down the best beach on the island), dinner at a local restaurant tonight for Mem's b-day.

Kauai 2009: Day 5

Here are some of our pictures from today. The first 3 pictures are from Hanalei Beach on the north end of the island. Interestingly, as we were eating breakfast this morning, we saw on the national news that Hanalei Beach was just voted the number 1 beach in all of America. Ironic that we saw that on the same day that we were planning on going there. The last picture is from Tunnels Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

Kauai 2009: Days 1-4

I thought that I would post some of the pictures I took with my iPhone here in Kauai. Most of our time has been spent in some form of water: Pools, boogie boarding, floating in the ocean, going down the water slide at our hotel, etc. It's been very refreshing and extremely relaxing.

Here's the picture right outside of our hotel room at the Hyatt. This is where we stayed our first 2 nights, before moving onto the condo that the Kauai church provides for all visiting ministers.

Here's the 150' slide at the Hyatt. We must have gone down this thing at least 20 times each.

This morning, we went to Mahaulepa, one of the beaches that is kind of a "local knowledge" kind of place. Beautiful spot. We sat in our beach chairs for a couple of hours while the girls swam in the ocean.

Tonight, we grabbed at Pizza in Koloa Town and went down to Shipwreck's Beach for the sunset.

This Sunday (May 17th)

Morning Service

Songs

#17 (Red hymnal)...tune of "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken"

#94 (Blue hymnal)

#540 (Red hymnal)

#442 (Blue hymnal)

#231 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:7-11: "Brotherly Love"

Evening Service

Songs

#500 (Red hymnal)

#260 (Blue hymnal)

#226 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 Kings 17:1-7: "An Antidote for Anxiety"

This Sunday (May 10th)

Morning Service

Songs

#184 (Blue hymnal)

"How Deep the Father's Love"

#170 (Blue hymnal)

#446 (Blue hymnal)

#299 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:3-6: "The Fruit of Salvation"

Evening Service

Songs

#301 (Blue hymnal)

#16 (Blue hymnal)

#609 (Red hymnal)

#5 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Isaiah 40:12-31:  "Almighty God, Faithful Father"

New URC Bible Study in Gig Harbor

Here's some exciting news from Mark Vander Pol, third year student at Westminster Seminary California...

"For those that live in the Tacoma/Gig Harbor, WA area:  Are you interested in seeing a solid, Confessional Reformed church in your area?  There is currently in the planning stages a Bible study/church plant in Gig Harbor with the goal of establishing a URC church.  Since this is still in its infancy we are just trying to gather some rough idea as to how many people would be interested in this work.  This is a unique opportunity that the Lord has placed before us and we hope and pray that the field is ready for the harvest on the Kitsap Peninsula.

So if you live near Gig Harbor and this interests you then please send an e-mail to Mark Vander Pol at gigharborreformed@gmail.com or check out our blog at gigharborreformed.wordpress.com.  If you know somebody that lives close to that location then please forward this information on to them!  This group needs to know that you are out there so please contact them!

This Sunday (May 3rd)

Morning Service

Songs

#119 (Red hymnal)

#85 (Blue hymnal)

#296 (Blue hymnal)

#351 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 2:1-2:  "Our Only Hope"

Evening Service

Songs

#70 (Red hymnal)

#78 (Red hymnal)

#471 (Blue hymnal)

#307 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Ephesians 1:3-14:  "Praise to Our Triune God, part 3"

The End of "Christian America"?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Interesting discussion here about the state of Christianity in America.

This Sunday (April 26th)

Morning Service

Songs

#35 (Red hymnal)

#353 (Blue hymnal)

#114 (Blue hymnal)

#485 (Red hymnal)

#733 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 1:5-10:  "Confessing Our Sins"

Evening Service

Songs

#28 (Blue hymnal)

#288(Blue hymnal)

#455 (Red hymnal)

#16 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Ephesians 1:3-14:  "Praise to Our Triune God, part 2"

This Sunday (April 19th)

Morning Service

Songs

#298 (Blue hymnal)

#55 (Blue hymnal)

#48 (Blue hymnal)

#263 (Red hymnal)

#18 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

1 John 1:1-4: "What is Christianity?"

Evening Service

Songs

#44 (Red hymnal)

#281 (Blue hymnal)

#385 (Blue hymnal)

#224 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Ephesians 1:3-14: "Praise to Our Triune God"

American Idol: Top 7

I figured I'd do some live-blogging on tonight's AI. Tonight's guest mentor is filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who actually went to my high school. I think he's a bit younger than me. Better check imdb. Nope, he's actually older, much older, than I am. He was born in 1963, so he's got 3 years on me. I don't remember the guy in high school...apparently, he was a high school dropout.

Tonight, the top 7 will be singing songs of the cinema.

Allison Iraheta

She's singing an Aerosmith song from the movie "Armageddon" (not a bad movie, by the way). I'm quite surprised that she's been in the bottom 3 a couple of times...she can really sing. I must say, though, that I don't really like this. The females in the home are complaining about her hair and her outfit. Paula thinks that Allison possesses the same authenticity that Adam Lambert does. Simon follows it up by saying that she's the girls only hope left in this competition (that must make Lil Rounds feel well). The other 2 judges didn't say a thing. What's up with that? Oh, I was just told that only 2 judges are going to speak after each singer. That's lame!

Anoop Desai

He's singing "Everything I Do I Do for You" by Bryan Adams (from the movie Robin Hood, which is also a pretty good flick, if you can get by Kevin Costner's gag factor). A little boring, but not bad. Randy thought that he's in the zone and that he rocked the house. Kara says that Anoop has definitely found his place. How can we have a performance without Simon commenting? Well, at least Paula can sleep through 3 of the songs.

Adam Lambert

Singing "Born to Be Wild" from the movie "Easy Rider" (never seen it). No contest...he is so much better than anyone else in this competition, it's not even funny. Wow, this guy can sing. Paula was very impressed. Simon says that it was vocally incredible.

Matt Giraud

Singing "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?" from Don Juan De Marco (seen parts of it). He's good, but I much prefer Bryan Adams. Paula's clapping, the audience is clapping, Randy's saying, "Yo." Randy thought there was a rough patch and that he tried to do too much with it. Kara thought that he took away some of the core melodies that made the song great.

Danny Gokey

Singing "Endless Love" by Lionel Ritchie. He was the guy I wanted to win when I first saw him in auditions. I still think he'll be in the finals, although I think Adam is a superior singer and performer. Not a big Lionel fan. Not bad, though, I guess. Rather dull to me. Paula thought that he pulled it together in the middle and then finished well. Simon was disappointed with the harp and with the very traditional version of the song.

Kris Allen

Singing "Falling Slowly" (never heard of it) from the movie "Once" (never heard of it). I think Mr. Allen may find himself in the bottom 3 for the first time. I think the problem is that most people probably don't know this song. I would rename the song "Falling Asleep Slowly." Randy just didn't get it, thought it was pitchy. Kara says it's difficult to pick an obscure song, but says it was one of his best performances.

Lil Rounds

Singing "The Rose" by Bette Midler. Oh no, this is a song I just don't care for. Actually, it's a song that I can't stand. I'd rather she sing some revivalistic tune from the Psalter Hymnal. She seems like a nice person, I hope this doesn't send her home. Paula says that she could not have sung a more beautiful lyric. Simon is rolling his eyes at Paula...hilarious! Simon thought that the song was too soft and too middle-of-the-road.

BOTTOM 3:  Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds

American Idol Results Show

Since I missed last night's AI (due to a meeting), I thought that I'd live blog the results show tonight. Now the only thing I really know from last night is that Simon gave Adam Lambert a standing ovation. But here's what I can say for sure: Scott McIntyre should go home. He should never have been in the top 36. He should never have been in the top 24. And he should never have been in the top 12. But maybe, just maybe, tonight is the night he'll be going home. We can only hope.

Tonight, Kelly Pickler (from season 5) and Flo Rida (whoever that is) will be performing.

Randy says that he was a little disappointed by last night's performances. Kara says that some of the early frontrunners are having somewhat of an identity crisis (in other words, they're not as good as people thought they were).

Wow, they just brought out Frankie Valli or whoever this guy is. Do we really need this? He's singing "Venus," a song that, literally, is old as Simon Cowell. Ugh, this is horrible. Oh, that was Frankie Avalon, not Frankie Valli. Hmmmm...I better imdb these 2 Frankies.

Frankie Valli: Born in 1934; 5' 5" tall; married 3 times, divorced 3 times

Frankie Avalon: Born in 1939; 5' 8" tall; married once (1962), still married to the same woman, 8 children

Ford music video time: A few years back, these were kinda cool. Lately, they're kinda lame.

Having watched most of this season's performances, I would think that the bottom 3 would be: Scott McIntyre, Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds. We shall see.

Adam Lambert: SAFE (surprise)

Kris Allen: SAFE

Anoop Desai: Bottom 3

Time for Flo Rida perform. Never heard of him. I never thought I'd say this: Can you please bring Frankie Avalon back? OK, who is this Flo Rida dude? Here are some facts...

*Successful rapper from Florida (hence, his stage name)

*Born in 1979

Well, that's all I can find about him. Oh yeah, here's another little nugget:  THIS MUSIC IS WRETCHED!!

Oh great, he's touring this summer. I better head to ticketmaster.com.

Danny Gokey: SAFE

Matt Giraud: SAFE

Scott McIntyre: Bottom 3 (FINALLY!)

Allison Iraheta: SAFE

Lil Rounds: Bottom 3

Kelly Pickler performing now. I think she accidentally grabbed the wrong size dress in the dressing room.

OK...time to bring the bottom 3 out. One of them will be sent to safety. That person is...Lil. OK, we've dodged one bullet. One more to go and Scott...rightly so...will be going home.

Back from the break...time to find out who's going home (well, who will be singing for their life). I highly doubt whether the judges would use their "save" to save either one of these guys. Only 30,000 votes separate these two. The person with the lowest number of votes is...SCOTT!  He's singing again now. Oh no...he's singing Survivor???? Uh, this just isn't working. Apparently, 2 judges think he should stay and 2 judges think he should go. You're kidding me. Simon has made a decision and he says that it's the end of the road for Scott. That's the right decision...the singers who are left are much more talented.

This Sunday (April 12th)

Morning Service

Songs

#274 (Red hymnal)

#540 (Red hymnal)

#198 (Blue hymnal)

#364 (Blue hymnal)

#22 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Acts 17:16-34:  "The Scandal of the Empty Tomb"

Evening Service

Songs

#73 (Red hymnal)

#160 (Blue hymnal)

#356 (Blue hymnal)

#190 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 Corinthians 15:  "Our Resurrection Bodies"

Good Friday Service

Our Good Friday service is this Friday night, at 7:00 p.m. We will be singing psalms and hymns, reading Scripture together, confessing our faith together, and hearing from the Word of God. Following is the liturgy for this Friday night...

Call to Worship

Invocation

God's Greeting

Psalm of Praise: #22 (Blue hymnal)

Responsive Reading: Isaiah 53

Hymn of Praise: #257 (Red hymnal)

Corporate Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 16

Hymn of Response: #261 (Red hymnal)

Congregational Prayer

Offering: Benevolence Fund

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture Reading: Mark 15:33-39

Sermon: "The Meaning of the Darkness"

Prayer of Application

Hymn of Response: #355 (Blue hymnal)

Benediction

Doxology: #488 (Blue hymnal)

Hope to see you there!

My Sabbath

It's been an incredibly busy last couple of weeks. It started off with getting the flu and being in bed for 4 1/2 days. Then there was the normal stuff of the ministry (sermon prep, new members class, meeting with prospective new members, etc.). On top of that, there was classis (with a very full agenda), as well as a wedding. And although the Lord's Day is a wonderful day of rest, there's not a whole lot of rest for the typical pastor. That's why Mondays are so nice...particularly, this week, with spring break for our children. We started out by going to the mall...then driving to take a peek at our friends' new home that they are building. Then we went to Costco, came back home, BBQ'd salmon on the grill (as well as bell peppers and pineapple). After that, we headed down to Zuanich Point Park here in Bellingham to watch the sunset (pictures below; remember, these pics are with an iPhone and not a great quality camera). Then we came home, had some strawberries and angel food cake, and in about 35 minutes, I'll be watching Jack Bauer save the world.

I Don't Even Know What to Say

And we wonder why people don't take the Christian faith seriously.

This Sunday (April 5th)

Morning Service

Songs

#235 (Red hymnal)

#512 (Red hymnal)...to the tune of "The Church's One Foundation"

#42 (Blue hymnal)

#36 (Blue hymnal)

#231 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Matthew 21:1-11:  "The Triumphal Entry"

Evening Service

Songs

#153 (Blue hymnal)

#230 (Blue hymnal)

#255 (Red hymnal)

#6 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Psalm 116:  "The Cup of Thanksgiving"

This Sunday (March 29th)

Morning Service

Songs

#660 (Red hymnal)

#140 (Blue hymnal)

#1 (Blue hymnal)

#609 (Red hymnal)

#7 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Numbers 36:  "Walk by Faith"

Evening Service

Songs

#124 (Blue hymnal)

#251 (Blue hymnal)

#484 (Blue hymnal)

#310 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

1 Timothy 3:  "Confessional Christianity"

This Sunday (March 22nd)

Morning Service

Songs

#282 (Blue hymnal)

#469 (Red hymnal)

#302 (Blue hymnal)

#204 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Numbers 35:  "Cities of Grace"

Evening Service

Songs

#4 (Red hymnal)

#75 (Blue hymnal)

#361 (Blue hymnal)

#280 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Acts 16:16-34:  "What is Saving Faith?"

For Want of a Flu Shot

You've heard the proverb "For want of a nail..." before. Well, for want of a flu shot, a week was lost.

Monday night, my wife started feeling the beginning stages of being sick (aches, etc.). By Tuesday morning, she and my youngest daughter both had the flu. Wednesday morning, my oldest daughter had the flu. And I was bragging that because of my Diet Coke and protein bar diet, I was once again going to escape this illness. Well, "let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." At about 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, as I was writing a sermon, my legs and back started aching and by Wednesday night, I had a full-on case of the flu. Thursday and Friday, I spent the entire day in bed, running a temperature of 101-103 and eating about 500 calories each day. It's now Saturday and I still feel lousy. Food doesn't sound good at all...even the thought of drinking a Diet Coke makes me want to vomit. The only thing that sounds good is orange juice and popsicles. I'm not sure that a flu shot would have prevented this, but we have decided that we are definitely going to be getting a flu shot this winter. If you've been fortunate enough to have not gotten this flu, be very thankful. If you have gotten it, it is just another small reminder of the effects of Adam's fall.

American Idol, Final 13

Coming to you live tonight as the top 13 sing on American Idol. After a one-week break (due to a meeting) and because of all the clamoring of my readers (well, 4 of them) to live blog again, I'm here with Lite Cheddar Curls from Costco. According to the American Idol website, they'll be performing the songs of Michael Jackson tonight, who I believe is Al's favorite artist (besides "Culture Club").  By the way, is there a more tragic figure in the music industry, perhaps ever, than Michael Jackson?

Lil Rounds

I like her, she's married with 3 children, although I don't really like the style of artist that she is. She'll be singing "The Way You Make Me Feel." She's wearing Aretha Franklin's bow on her shoulder (can we ever get enough mileage out of Aretha's inauguration bow? I say "no."). She can certainly sing. Randy says, "Yo! Yo! Alright, so! Lil Rounds, what's up baby? So check it out." He really likes her. Says she puts a whole new spin on the song. Kara thinks she's great. Paula likes the "softness." Thanks, Paula, that was very helpful. Simon thinks it was good, but was somewhat disappointed. Thought it was a lazy song choice...the entire crowd starts booing. Ryan just refers to Simon as "55 years old." Is that true? Well, that's the benefit of www.imdb.com. Let's check it out...

Nope, Ryan is wrong. Simon is only 49. Now we're debating the age of Diane Lane, whom we just saw in a commercial. So, we imdb her. Mem says she's 44, I say she's 47. Well, I'm wrong, she's right. She nails it...44 years old.

Scott Macintyre

Now I don't mean at all to sound prejudiced against those who are sight-impaired, but should he really be in the top 13? I don't think he can sing very well at all. Danny Gokey's friend was way, way better. He should be in the top 13. He'll be singing "Keep the Faith." He's playing the piano tonight. He's much better singing behind the piano. Kara wants to know if Scott just learned that on piano this week. He says yes. Kara thinks it was a good performance and that he was true to himself. Paula thinks she's at Disneyland and says, "Scott, it was so magical." Simon hated it. Says that nobody knows the song. Paula references record sales in Norway. Why? Randy thought that it was too safe.

Danny Gokey

OK...this is my guy. He'll be singing "PYT." He really sounds like Bob Carlisle of "Butterfly Kisses" fame to me. He's a good performer. Paula's standing up, yelping and clapping, which doesn't really mean much. She says that a true mark of an artist is when you can hear somebody with your eyes closed and know exactly who they are. She says he's on his way to the finals. Simon thought the vocals were brilliant. However, he didn't like the dance moves. Randy loved it all. Kara liked it, too. I think the final 3 is in his future.

Michael Sarver

Another guy I like. Seems like a humble, hard-working, family man. He'll be singing "You're Not Alone." Looks like the kind of guy we'd be watching sing on the Jerry Falwell show. Didn't really do much for me...which means the judges will think it was great, right? Simon says that he's not the best singer, but that he was very passionate tonight and gave 110%. Randy thought that tonight he was one of the best. Wow, that's saying a lot, seeing that a whole 4 people have sung so far. Kara thought he did a great job. Paula says that he picked a song that was "instinctual perfect for you." What does that mean?

Jasmine Murray

She'll be singing "I'll Be There." I didn't know this was a Michael Jackson song. This girl can sing. I think she's a potential sleeper in this competition. This means, of course, that she'll be either blasted by the judges tonight or voted off very soon. Randy says, "You know what, man, you did a pretty good job on that." Kara thinks she has great stage presence. Paula presses "play" and says the same lines that she's said a number of times. Simon says that she made a good attempt, but thought it was a bit robotic.

Kris Allen

He'll be singing "Remember the Time." I think he'll be one of the first to go. Boring and safe. Kara says that the girls love him. She likes him best when he's playing his guitar. Paula thought he was very engaging. Simon thought it was interesting and didn't think it was a song that suits the guitar. Randy thought it was kind of cool.

Allison Iraheta

She'll be singing "Given to Me" (never heard of it). She can sing and she's unique, which usually takes you a long way in this competition. Paula is mind-boggled. Says she's a "rock star." Simon thought it was a good performance, but says she needs to lighten up a bit. Randy says "she's got it" and that she can sing anything. Kara tells her to keep being a rocker.

Anoop Desai

He'll be singing "Beat It." This should be interesting. This is one of those songs that no one else should ever sing, unless you're going to put a totally different spin on it (like David Cook last year with "Billie Jean"). Simon will not like this. Paula says that when you pick a song it's an opportunity to show the world what you've got. She thinks this song is untouchable and belongs to MJ. Hey, she agreed with me. Simon thought it was horrible. It was very lightweight and karaoke. Randy says that it was the wrong choice. Kara agrees with the others and felt disconnected with Anoop. This could be the end of the line for Anoop Dog.

Jorge Nunez

He'll be singing "Never Can Say Goodbye" from the Jackson 5. Oh, I hate this kind of stuff. Prediction: Karaoke, old-fashioned, wedding singer, cruise ship...one or more of those words/phrases will be said in the next 5 minutes. Randy didn't think it was a good song choice, and...here it is: too old-fashioned. Kara thought it was emotionally disconnected. Paula says she has "mad love" for Jorge, but doesn't think that Jorge was himself tonight. Simon thought it was corny and awful and old-fashioned.

Megan Corkrey

This is the girl with funky dance moves. She'll be singing "Rockin' Robin," a Jackson 5 song. She's unique, you can say that for her. Wonder if she regrets having a tatoo running the length of her right arm? Whoa...she ends by doing some weird bird noise! Kara says that it was "so Megan" and that it showed her personality. Paula likes her quirkiness, but felt disconnected. Simon thought it was a "stupid" song choice and that the dancing verged on being "ridiculous." Randy didn't particularly care for it.

Adam Lambert

He'll be singing "Black and White." Love this song. My favorite MJ song. He can flat-out sing. A little over the top and theatrical. But I thought it was great. Paula loved it and says that never in the history of AI have we ever seen someone so comfortable on the stage as Adam. Simon thought it was in a totally different league than everyone else tonight. Randy says he's the most current, the most "right now" and could make a record now. Kara says he hit notes that she didn't know existed and hopes that Michael Jackson is watching right now (well, as long as he isn't picking his nose up off the ground).

Matt Giraud

He'll be singing "Human Nature." He's on the piano tonight. Good choice. He's a good singer...a very good singer. I don't particularly like this song, but he's good. Randy says, "Check it out, baby, check it out" and says it was a good performance. Kara says he's very talented. Paula was blown away. I don't know about that. Simon says it was very good...kind of a meat & potatoes, good solid performance.  They're obviously running out of time...judges are hurrying.

Alexis Grace

She'll be singing "Dirty Diana." Very unique performer. She could very well be in the final 3. Kara says "You're Back." Paula thought it was fantastic, but that she oversang a bit. Simon says it was very over the top. Randy thought it was good, but not great.

Top 3: Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta

Pack Your Bags: Anoop Desai and Jorge Nunez

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

I saw this picture this morning and it made me chuckle. Please let me know if my dog ever starts looking like me (or vice versa).

This Sunday (March 15th)

Morning Service

Songs

#660 (Red hymnal)

#293 (Blue hymnal)

#84 (Blue hymnal)

#25 (Blue hymnal)

#296 (Blue hymnal)

Sermon

Numbers 35:  "Cities of Grace"

Evening Service

Songs

#198 (Blue hymnal)

#60 (Blue hymnal)

#442 (Red hymnal)

Sermon

Acts 16:16-40:  "What is Saving Faith?"

Free Book!!

That's a phrase that should make any book lover leap for joy. Through June 11th, Reformation Trust is offering "John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology" free of charge. All you have to pay is a $5 shipping charge.

Click here.

More Bucer

"From this we must go on to learn how harmful and pernicious those people are who teach that this ministry of the church is of no importance, a merely outward activity which does not contribute in any particular way to our salvation, and without which it is quite possible to become a Christian and receive God's gifts. The Lord, they say, must inwardly teach his own, washing and purifying them, giving them new birth, feeding and strengthening them and leading them on in all good things."

Nothing new under the sun, is there?

Lunch Recommendation

As you can probably tell by now, this is not a blog devoted exclusively to theology. If you want good theology and a focus on the good news of the gospel of Christ, then you should make sure that you attend to the means of grace at a confessionally Reformed church on the Lord's Day. And while there is and will be some occasional discussion of theology and good books to read, this blog is basically about life.

This afternoon, my wife and I had lunch with another couple in our church. At their recommendation, we went to a new restaurant in Bellingham, "Scotty Brown's." If you are looking for a nice place to go for lunch, this is definitely a place you should consider. I had a "Halibut Bowl" (containing grilled halibut, rice, salad, and a wonderful dressing, all in a bowl). It was outstanding. My wife had a "Dragon Bowl" (chicken, rice, vegetables, and a spicy yogurt sauce). She let me have a little bit of it...and it, too, was outstanding. Scotty Brown's is off of Barkley, near the Barkley shopping center.

The Paisley Party Experience

Saturday night, my wife and I traveled to Tacoma to see Brad Paisely (along with Dierks Bentley and Crystal Schwanda) in concert at the Tacoma Dome. I had purchased these tickets for my wife in December for our anniversary, knowing that she really wanted to see a country artist in concert. Now if you don't know what it's like to go to a concert like this, here's a helpful way to figure it out: If your clock radio has a built-in CD player, put a CD in it, push play, turn it up as loud as you can possibly get it, and put the speaker next to your ear. That will begin to give you a fairly good idea of what it's like. Yeah, yeah, I've heard the "If it's too loud then you're too old" line before...which is probably true at this point in my life. But it was amazingly, incredibly loud. But here are some more of the details...

Our tickets also included the "dinner experience"...which was just a fancy way of saying that there was an all-you-can-eat buffet prior to the concert. I purchased the tickets this way because that's the only way that we could get seats on the floor of the Tacoma Dome. I didn't want to get tickets and then have to sit way up in the "nose bleed" section. So we got there about 5:45 pm and had dinner prior to the concert. It was pretty decent food (chicken marsala, prime rib, pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, salad, etc.). Then after eating, we went into the arena itself to locate our seats, which were quite good. They were right on the center aisle, 22 rows from the front, about 20 feet from the end of the "runway" (the narrow strip on which the singers often perform).

Finally, at 7:30 pm the concert began, with Crystal Schwanda kicking things off. I'm not a big fan of hers, but she does have a nice voice. Next came Dierks Bentley. And then was the star of the show, Brad Paisley. One thing I noticed about him is that he's much shorter than I expected. I don't know why, but I thought he was over 6 feet tall. He's actually only 5' 9".  It was cool to be about 20 feet away from a big country star, as you might be able to see in some of these pictures taken with my iPhone.

Now I have to tell you: Sitting through a 3-hour concert is quite the sociological experience. You really do see all types of people. In fact, as I sat there, I came up with the following types of people. I don't know if these are people you find at every concert or just at country music concerts...

Beer Guy

There were 2 guys seated to our left who spent more time getting out of their seats to buy beer (and subsequently, getting out of their seats to head to the restroom) than they spent watching the concert. Here's one thing I have never understood: How can someone consume so many glasses of beer in such a short period of time? Don't you become incredibly full and uncomfortable? Just relating it to my beverage of choice (Diet Coke)...I could never drink 4 or 5 cans of Diet Coke in a 2-hour period. Is it different with beer?

Uncle Rico

If you don't get this reference, then you need to go out and rent "Napoleon Dynamite." This is the guy who is always living in the past. Although he's in his 30's or 40's he still thinks he's in high school (or at least he wishes he was still in high school). By the way, was high school really that great? If that's the highlight of your life, how sad is that? Of course, there's a female version of Uncle Rico, too. I just couldn't think of a witty name for her.

Testosterone Guy

These are the guys who are constantly trying to show how manly they are. There were a couple of guys seated about 10 feet in front of us who were doing one of two things all night: (1) Yelling and screaming and hooping and hollering like they were living in a cave somewhere, or (2) High-fiving each other. Sorry, but I don't see the need to high-five another guy as Brad Paisley is singing.

Junior High Girls

One of the traits of Jr. High (or Middle School) girls is that they almost always travel in herds. Well, I saw a lot of this at the concert. And these weren't necessarily Jr. High girls. These were girls of all ages who for some reason had to go everywhere together.

Mr. Cool

This is the guy who just stands there the entire concert and basically never moves. He's too cool to sing...too cool to high-five...too cool to bust out any dance moves. He may be enjoying it all, but he's not going to show it in any way. I also saw a similar version to this: The guy across the aisle from me never moved the entire night, but he was quietly singing the lyrics to every single song.

Overly Animated Girl

These girls usually come in pairs. They constantly sing the songs with the artist, dance all over the place, and do just about anything they can to attract attention to themselves. However, they also have a limit, as I noticed with the 2 "Overly Animated Girls" in front of me. After singing all of the Crystal Schwanda songs...and then becoming even more animated with Dierks Bentley...at a certain point with Brad Paisley, they just had no more energy left. I guess they should have loaded up on the Red Bull.

Clinique Girl

This is the girl who has just spend hundreds of dollars at the Clinique counter and she's going to visually remind you of that very fact by painting her face with about a half-inch thick layer of make-up. Now as John MacArthur once said, "If the barn door needs painting, then paint it." But this was a little over the top.

Vertical Wild Thing Couple

I don't think I need to say too much about this one...but puh-leeze, do we have to be subject to the two of you groping each other for 3 hours?

Outside of the sheer loudness, it was an enjoyable experience. I got to spend the evening with my wife, we had some great seats, heard some professional entertainers, and got to experience the many "characters" that make up a concert.