|
scooterpastor
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Name: Scott
Gender: Male
Interests: Welcome all! This blog is designed to provide regular communication regarding what is going on in the Parkview Worship and Arts Ministry, to dialogue on worship/art issues, and just share about some things God is teaching me through life and ministry. Feel free to contribute to the dialogue by leaving your own comments or questions.
Message: message me
Member Since:
6/15/2005
|
|
| 
Well, the time has finally arrived. I am now moving my blog to a different blog service. Xanga’s non-monitored content policy makes xanga browsers susceptible to stumbling across inappropriate graphic content. The announcement that Integrity Online was now blocking users from access to xanga access convinced me that this was no place for me to maintain a blog dedicated for church use.
Please check out my new blog called "Deo Gloria" at blogspot. It will be undergoing some minor construction over the next week or so, but that should only affect the look. See you there.
| | |
| Friends! I should have my new blog operational by no later than tomorrow. It will still be under some construction, but should be fully functional. There will be some great features with the new blog that will make it much more interactive and informational. Thanks for your patience in this transition.
I'll post the new blog address here as soon as it is operational!
Scott
| | |
| Friends, after reading this post today I am going to be moving my xanga account to blogspace.com. Blogspace is a monitored service that meets the standards of Integrity Online. Another feature you will appreciate is that one needs not join the service to leave comments or questions, so it will accomodate more participation.
After reading the post below you will understand why, in good conscience, I can no longer host this blog on xanga. I will post my new blog address in the next few days.
God bless!
Scott
- - --
At Integrity Online we received many customer requests to block Xanga
and MySpace, as well as some customer requests to keep them open. We
have researched, at great length, the pros and cons of free,
unmonitored, Web Logs ("Blogs") such as these. It has become clear to
us that in order to provide the best filter protection to our
customers, we must block xanga.com and myspace.com.
Blog hosts like these do not monitor, filter, or block the content of
the Blogs they publish for all to view. Children can easily access
these Blogs, and millions of these Blogs have proven themselves to be
obscene and even dangerous.
As part of our research, we chose some words that might be used by
ministries or businesses and searched for them on myspace.com. The
“hits” are how many times these words are found on MySpace Blogs.
Bible Study
246,000 hits
Salvation
238,000 hits
Ministry
711,000 hits
Investment
82,400 hits
Medicine
571,000 hits
Architecture
164,000 hits
Antiques
25,700 hits
Now compare these words above with some obscene words below, that we
searched on MySpace Blogs. These figures are beyond belief but sadly
true.
Sex
9,960,000 hits
F***
13,900,000 hits
Porn
2,300,000 hits
Sh**
17,700,000 hits
Nude
5,380,000 hits
More
threatening to our customers are the dangers to children. National
headlines have been made with tragic stories of sex crimes carried out
against teenagers, and even younger children, through contact on these
Blog sites. Please read:
MySpace Dangers http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=4566549
MySpace.com Raising Flags for Parents http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11595700/from/RL.1
Man Hunts Underage Girls on MySpace http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11612207/from/RL.5
Men used MySpace.com to Meet Underage Girls for Sex http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11612207/from/RL.2
MySpace Prank Results in Sex Crime Arrest http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11708746
Parents Shocked at MySpace Content -- Parents Find Teens Revealing Information Online http://www.nbc10.com/news/7548205/detail.html
Networking Websites Exploited http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11653408/from/RL.5
FBI Agent on Children and Internet Safety http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11708217/from/rl.3
We are Integrity Online. Our name states our mission. We're here to
protect you and we know that's why you've chosen us. The Integrity
Online Family thanks you for supporting us in our mission to keep the
Internet safe.
| | |
| I just reread the “why people don’t sing” entry and comments. Some really good thoughts were shared. I think the comments, with possible exception of the bad breath rant (thanks Welch… ha!), were very spiritually minded and thoughtfully stated. At this point, I would like to add a few additional thoughts, centered primarily around the issue of hypocrisy.
AVOIDING HYPOCRISY
It used to trouble me greatly that some people don’t sing during a worship service. For the record, I would like to say I do think there may be legitimate times not to sing. I have said, at least once or twice while leading worship, that if you can’t sing a lyric honestly, then you shouldn't sing it at all. Some songs force us to be dishonest, like the end of “You Are My King” which states, “in all I do, I honor you.” It’s hard to sing a line like this when I know it’s not true.
There may be times in which we truly cannot sing a lyric. Perhaps we are deeply mournful, contemplating the meaning of the lyric, or not wanting to sing something we can’t honestly embrace. There were times David said, “For God alone my soul waits in silence.” (Ps 62:1) To sing in these moments would be to exercise a form of hypocrisy (i.e. to express something not supported by real conviction). It is in these moments that silence is legitimized.
EMBRACING HYPOCRISY
I have a friend who I joke with that one day I will ask him how he’s doing and he will with great enthusiasm say, “AMAZING!” We both chuckle about this, knowing that he just isn’t that kind of guy. He is very even-keeled, laid back, and contemplative. In the same way as I shouldn’t expect him to answer, “how are you” with overt exuberance, I shouldn’t expect him to worship in a manner that is charismatically inauthentic. This illustrates my real problem with this issue.
When Christians dance, scream, and sing when they get a raise at work, but stand cross-armed and mute to the lyric, “O for a Thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemers praise”, there is likely hypocrisy. When Christians exhibit wild exuberance throughout an athletic event, but look angry and silent at the singing of “Let creation sing, of the risen King”, there is likely hypocrisy. Their lack of conviction, interest, or joy contradicts the faith they claim to embrace. It is this faith that redeemed them from sin and spared them from eternal damnation in hell. How can they not respond in praise to God? If we are truly putting God first, and understanding the magnitude of God’s grace, then how can we not “sing for joy to the LORD” and “shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation?” (Psalm 95:1)
| | |
| This looks like a great conference at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. I wish I knew about this earlier. Looks like a great opportunity to be challenged to be more missional as a church. Maybe it's not too late for you? | | |
|
