Thoughts on heaven

Do I know?

No.

Am I sure?

Sure.

Evangelist Billy Graham Immortalized in Bronze

“A statue of Billy Graham was placed in Nashville in late 2006 as part of the SBC’s tribute to the famed Southern Baptist evangelist. It depicts Graham standing before a towering cross, dressed in a three-piece suit, with a Bible in one hand and his arms outstretched. It is a powerful reminder of Dr. Graham’s personal dedication to telling others about Jesus Christ.” (Source)

Just a tidbit of information taken from Lifeway.com that I thought was interesting. The Graham part is nine feet four inches tall and the cross portion seventeen feet. A stone at the foot of the cross is engraved with John 3:16 (of course) and three nails. The statue was finished last year and unveiled at the SBC’s annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., in June. Then it went on to be displayed prominently in Nashville, Tennessee – just outside the SBC Headquarters there.

Graham appreciates the tribute according to what David Bruce, Graham’s executive assistant, told the Dallas Morning News. Bruce made sure to report, though, that, “Mr. Graham is humbled by those kinds of things and it’s nothing he seeks out. He’s tried to deflect those kinds of earthly honors. He’s not searching for any” (source). At this juncture, I am inclined to note that Graham did not pose or sit for the sculpture. Insomuch, the sculptor/pastor, Terrel O’Brien, was forced to gather magazine pictures and images from which to work. Being a twenty-four year veteran of the sculptor’s trade at fifty-eight years old, O’Brien doesn’t seem to have had trouble despite that.

This writer is more than happy to see Mr. Graham receive recognition for his life of work; he’s been an amazing and enduring witness for Jesus Christ. I might be more concerned if Graham had had a hand in all this. That said, I’m not sure about this statue business – actually that’s a lie. I’m fully sure that I don’t like it. Something about not making graven images just keeps nagging at the back of my mind. I do not like it, Sam I am, I do not like green eggs and ham and seventeen foot tall bronze statues of mortal men with only marginal emphasis placed on the real centerpiece of importance: the merciful God who first gave life to Mr. Graham and then decided to use him in such a way that the SBC feels it necessary to celebrate the guy’s life and work.

Now I must leave you, my readers, so that I can gather all my jewelry together and smelt it into a golden calf…

What’s this!? A Challenge!? In Song!? I Accept.

http://purevolume.com/thewedding

I just heard the song Say Your Prayers by The Wedding. And I like it. I like it a lot. You should like it, too. Here are the lyrics:

Look at you now just standing there like you think your something.
The lights are up and the crowd is looking your way,
just waiting for what you have to say.
So go ahead, bud, give a little taste of hypocrisy,
maybe a hint of blasphemy;
whatever you’re preaching, it isn’t Me.

You wanna walk with me, do ya’?
You wanna walk with me?
Well, if you love me then just love me.
Don’t you give me pretty words.
Lay your life down at the altar.
Let me see how serious you are.

These people don’t look to me no more.
They’ve got their idols and various poems.
With lust in their eyes, they crave for more.
Take the place with the corporate carnivores.
Keep your focus ’cause the day will come
when everyone will give account for what they’ve done.
Make me proud.
Make me proud, my son.

You wanna walk with me, do ya’?
You wanna walk with me?
Well, if you love me then just love me.
Don’t you give me pretty words.
Lay your life down at the altar.
Let me see how serious you are.

Look at this broken world.
Look at my children go.
Look at this broken world.
Look at my children go.

‘Cause they’re already gone.
Sing to me the life song.

Look up.
Say your prayers on the steps of the capitol.
Look up.
Say your prayers on your knees.
Look up. Say your prayers.
Look up. Say your prayers.
You want it to be like you always thought it would;
all you seem to accomplish is the opposite.

You wanna walk with me, do ya’?
You wanna walk with me?
Well if you love then just love me.
Don’t you give me pretty words.
Lay your life down at the altar.
Let me see how serious you are.

I gotta get away from God for a while; I’m going to Church

Dear Diary,

Today was Sunday, so I woke up and made record time in the shower so I could get to church early and see my friends. We met up by the new $500,000 building project that has the church in debt up to its eyeballs…again. But we didn’t stay there long because Sunday school was going to start soon. So we all went to class and argued about politics for an hour. Then I had a few minutes to catch up on all the week’s gossip before the service started. I sat in the back with all my friends where no one else can see us. The pastor made some weird announcements about all the Bible studies between then and next week. I don’t know why he even talks about them; it’s not like anybody is going to go to them. Anyway, when he was done we sang all those old songs again. You know, all those ones about Jesus and heaven and whatever. Come to think of it, I’ve never really thought about what they say, I just lip-sing them so that my mom won’t get angry and embarrassed. After singing, we took up the offering. At least, we would have if the deacon who was supposed to pray hadn’t used his fifteen seconds of fame to preach a fifteen minute mini-sermon, trying to guilt trip us into giving more. It didn’t work last week and it’s not working now, so just say your memorized prayer and sit back down! I mean, am I right? Anyway, he has to leave the pianist time to play for minutes after they’re done with the offering so that everyone will clap and she can feel good about her playing. Still, so long as she finally lets the pastor get up, I don’t mind. That’s my favorite part of the service; all my friends and I slide down in our pews and use our cell phones to talk about the couples in front of us who keep whispering and giggling in each other’s ears. It’s not like anybody notices them over all the old people who talk through the sermon. They’re so deaf, they talk louder than the preacher. Today I think he was comparing Christianity to a bank account. I couldn’t help but thinking, “maybe you should stop talking literally and use an analogy instead.”

And while America’s modern version of Christianity presses ever forward…

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” – Revelation 2:4-5

Sounding Brass, Clanging Cymbal

I’ve been so reminded in my life recently of what small and insignificant creatures we humans are. Not just humanity, but Christianity in general. Our faith has become our political arena, where we debate, philosophize, prognosticate, argue, divide, deter, devour, enslave, pervert…where we dwell ever so contently. It’s a downward spiral into our own sad little worlds where we wait, just dying to take offense to something, anything. We’ve explained every margin of the Bible to our satisfaction, studied history and debunked heretical claims, made predictions and seen them come true. Big freakin’ whoop. We hide in our little shelters away from the world and look down our long, opinionated noses at the “heathens” and “pagans” of this world that we won’t even condescend to profess our mutual inhabitance of. Oh how high and mighty we are. Oh how dead, loveless, and useless we have become – wolf and shadow.

I don’t think this is what God intended.