March 2013

Copyright © 2013 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration by IFLC staff. Printed in Canada.

"I have difficulty worshipping in my church because of

the music. What do I do?"

In this issue

3 Celebrating the Songs of the Resurrection Charles R. Swindoll

6 Meeting God in the Harmonies Robyn Roste

Laughing MatteRS8 The Last Road Trip Phil Callaway

11 Clarifying Easter Steve Johnson

14 Q & A Steve Johnson

8 14

6

by Charles R. Swindoll

Celebrating the SongS of the

Resurrection

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Celebrating the Songs of the Resurrection continued from p. 3

Choral music, instrumental music, popular music, as well as classi-cal stuff . . . folk tunes, ballads, fun

songs, and serious works . . . country west-ern and bluegrass, as well as the patriotic and romantic. For me, music is a must.

This has resulted in my becoming a stu-dent of the hymns . . . the great hymns, those that have endured the test of time. Those we sing on Sunday linger in my mind for most of the week that follows. I hum them on the way home. I find myself sing-ing them in the shower the next day or two.

Like you, I have a few favourites, but I’m always thrilled to let whatever we sing at our church invade my thoughts. Most of the hymns I’ve memorized bring to my mind meaningful thoughts and grand, vivid memories that have significant events connected to them. Invariably, those things pass in mental review as I become “lost in wonder, love, and praise” in my worship. I think it’s unfortunate that the stately, strong hymns are slowly being replaced by shallow pieces that lack literary fibre and theological depth. I have no axe to grind, you understand, just a nagging concern that the message of our faith not become so “updated” that we lose a firm connec-tion with our roots. Some of the things being written today are good and solid, but, unfortunately, they are rare. My plea is that

we maintain a musical relevance as well as a historical respect in our hymnody.

Recently while thinking of the glori-ous message of the resurrection, I found myself suddenly overwhelmed with the music that has accompanied the subject of the empty tomb for centuries. Various scenes crossed my mind. I saw myself as a lad holding my mother’s hand in a little Baptist church in the South Texas town where I was born. Years later I sat in a sunrise service on the island of Okinawa fighting back tears of loneliness. Another Easter hymn took me to Chafer Chapel on the campus of Dallas Seminary, where 350 of us preparing for ministry stood side by side and sang heartily of the Saviour we’d soon be proclaiming. I revisited other geo-graphical spots in my nostalgic pilgrim-age, and each time I gave God thanks that Job’s words were mine as well:

“I know that my Redeemer lives.” (Job 19:25)

Gloria and Bill Gaither’s now-dated but familiar lyrics still bring to life Job’s hope:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;Because He lives, all fear is gone.1

What a grand heritage is ours! We dare not allow Easter to pass without suf-ficiently rejoicing in and declaring our hope. It is Jesus Christ—the miraculously resurrected Son of God—who remains the

to no one It comes as a surprise

that I love music.

4

Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2012 by Luke Edmonson

object of our worship and the subject of our praise. Samuel Stennett was correct, way back in 1787 when he wrote:

To Him I owe my life and breath,And all the joys I have;He makes me triumph over death,And saves me from the grave.2

That hope has kept believers strong in the darkest places. Your situation may not be as grim as the son of a tinsmith in that Bedford jail, but perhaps his words are all you need today to revitalize your faith. As the pack of sin fell from Christian’s back, John Bunyan’s timeless character exclaimed:

Thus far did I come laden with my sin;Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,Till I came hither: What a place is this!Must here be the beginning of my bliss?Must here the Burden fall from off my back?Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather beThe Man that there was put to shame for me!3

Easter is great–music time. Easter is revival–of–hope time. Easter is Christ–exalting time. That should come as a sur-prise to no one . . . but to some it will.

To most folks, Easter is nothing more than buy-some-new-clothes time . . . or church-going time. Are they in for a sur-prise! So while you and I are singing and reflecting, let’s also be praying. On Easter Sunday, some will discover that Easter is pack-dropping time. ▪

1. Gloria Gaither and William J. Gaither, “Because He Lives,” in The Celebration Hymnal: Songs and Hymns for Worship (Nashville: Word/Integrity, 1997), hymn no. 358.2. Samuel Stennett, “Chief among Ten Thousand; or, the Excel-

lencies of Christ,” in The Works of Samuel Stennet (London: Thomas Tegg, 1824), 539, www.books.google.com (accessed Feb. 1, 2013). 3. John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress (Westwood, N.J.: Barbour and Co., 1985), 36.

We dare not alloW easter to pass

Without sufficiently rejoicing in and

declaring our hope.

The Finishing Touch Re-release!

that I love music.

Daily devotionals for 52 weeks help you discover authenticity, hope, courage, faith, and peace in the midst of stress.

5

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usic has always been a part of my family. In fact, my dad taught me to read music during Sunday

morning church services while we sang through the hymnal. As I followed along I’d listen to my dad’s bass, my mom’s soprano, and my aunt’s tenor blend together to create a beautiful song. And when I was confident enough to sing hymns it seemed natural to choose the alto parts.

Looking back I can see the significance of these memories. And it’s not just fond nostalgia of how I learned to sing. Over the years I’ve figured out it’s when I sing alto I’m closest to God—I meet Him in the harmony.

It’s rare I admit this because I know how it sounds. I mean, how can a blend of noise bring someone to a place of wor-ship? I don’t know either. But I do know it’s not the words or the tempo or the

by Robyn Roste

6

Robyn Roste is the Living Bridge Media manager at Insight for Living Canada.

instruments used or even the song that get to me. It’s the harmonies. In fact, a perfect one, three, five can bring tears to my eyes. And if I hear a vocal jazz quintet? I prob-ably won’t sleep that night.

A few months ago I was singing in the worship band at church and something happened I’m still mulling over—some-one stole my harmonies. Really! The band had practiced and we had our parts lined up, but once the service started I found every time I started to sing someone was already singing my part. I wasn’t sure what to do. Keep singing the duplicate part? Find another harmony? Drop out completely?

Another use of the word “harmony” is when our relationships are in agreement. Of course we’d all like that and yet it is so difficult to live at peace with one another. If we’re not getting in someone’s way we’re singing the wrong parts. We misunder-stand each other and often put our own agenda above everything else. And on top of everything we nitpick.

It’s easy to find little things we’d like to change about each other. So easy. And those little things soon get on our nerves, and then we find even more things we don’t like. And pretty soon it turns into a big deal, and we have to say something about it. Or do we?

In Matthew 7:3 Jesus uses this familiar analogy:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (NIV)

Often the things we dislike in others are the very things we’d like to change about ourselves. But it’s easier to con-centrate on what others should change

than what we should. Jesus tells us to examine our own motives and conduct instead of judging others.

A surefire way to live in harmony is to extend grace. I’ve discovered two ques-tions that can help me stay on track. When I find myself paying too much attention to the speck in my neighbour’s eye I ask myself these two questions: “Does it mat-ter?” And, “What is the motive behind my nitpicking?”

Because I was so distracted by someone “stealing my part,” I missed out on what could have been a wonderful time of wor-ship. But by asking “does this really mat-ter?” and “what are my motives?” I’m con-vinced living in harmony and extending grace means overlooking these instances and instead focusing on meeting God in whatever way that looks like.

And I’ve learned this doesn’t always mean literally singing alto. Sometimes it means stepping aside and allowing some-one else to meet God there. ▪

7

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by Phil Callaway

LAugHINg MATTeRS8

L ate on a Tuesday in August the text message came. “Mom had an aneurism. She’s in a coma. Not expected to live 24 hours.” We

were on a remote island and even a float plane wouldn’t get us back in time.

So we cried and prayed and called the kids then lay in bed, the memories swirling.

In my first memory of my mother–in–law she’s an hour from home in her house-coat and slippers. I would come to know her as one of the best–dressed gals I’ve met, but not that night. It was 1976 and I’d started dating her gorgeous daughter Ramona. Our dates mostly consisted of riding bikes, then sharing a can of Coke. My Scottish ancestors would have wept for joy at my frugality.

One week later I splurged, driving Ramona to a nearby city. We bowled, then dined at a posh A&W drive–in, where the maître d’ clipped a tray to my 1916 Ford Maverick window. On it sat a Papa Burger, fries, a large root beer, and a baby orange—something I didn’t know existed until Ramona ordered one. She later admitted to being too nervous to eat, though she managed to polish off half my meal, some-thing she still does to this day.

To walk off the fries, we strolled through a flowered park and when darkness landed discovered I had locked the keys inside the impenetrable doors of my ancient car. Ramona called her mother collect, and an hour later she arrived, somehow manag-ing to look classy in a housecoat. “Here you are,” she snickered, jangling a backup

set of keys. “Uh, I’m thank you…I mean, sorry,” I managed. The snicker was still there as she drove away.

We sat on the hood of my car looking at stars and finally I asked the question I’d pondered for weeks. “Where is your dad?”

“He drowned when I was eight. The river flooded our farm and…I watched him—” her voice trailed away.

“I…I’m so sorry.”“Oh, it’s OK. I’m fine.”But she wasn’t fine. Floods and memo-

ries make jeopardous allies.

After the tragedy her mother moved seven kids a thousand miles to be near her parents, then took a job in a cannery at five bucks an hour to support them. “God led. I followed,” was all she said about it. She had only a grade eight education and a mother who never really wanted her around, yet she was intelligent, cou-rageous, and unflappable. Gathering on the horizon was a storm called Hunting-ton’s and in time she would learn three of her beloved children carried the deadly gene. “I never heard her complain,” said Ramona. “God gave her enough light for the next step. I don’t think we’d have made it without our church.”

9

Biblical parenting

Phil Callaway is a speaker and author. Visit him at laughagain.org.

on the air in aPRiL

Upcoming messages Include:Delightful Memories Your Children Won’t ForgetWhen the Fun Stop for ParentsResolving Those Parent-Child ConflictsSome Suggestions for Parenting Grown-up Kids

In today’s world, parents need all the help they can get! In his classic

series Biblical Parenting Chuck Swindoll brings you his extensive

biblical knowledge, as well as over 50 years experience as the father

of four and grandfather of 10.

Five years after the housecoat episode, I asked to marry her daughter. Mom didn’t say much. A nod of her head. More chuckling. When our children arrived, she babysat with efficiency and resourceful-ness. After one weekend, she handed our daughter to us and said, “Here. She’s potty trained.” And she was. Still is.

When the phone call came exactly 24 hours after the text message, I mourned her passing as I did my own mother’s. She had taken a road trip with her daughter Caroline, visiting old friends and family, swimming in Lake Okanagan, buying an outfit, eating ice cream. “I’ve got a head-ache,” was her last complete sentence. She never wanted to be a burden or over-stay a welcome. God in his mercy took her quickly, surrounded by family singing “Amazing Grace.”

Her seven children loved God and rewarded her with 20 grandkids and 30 great-grandbabies, a small combat unit we attempted to feed after the funeral. The thing about burying a Christian mother is

that, amid all the tears, you find yourself mimicking her grin. She buried a hus-band, a son, and plenty of dreams, but never the hope of heaven that propelled her forward. Hope gave birth to thanks-giving and thanksgiving to contagious joy.

I think it important to disclose that my wife’s relationship with her mom fell far short of perfect. Yet things softened in recent months. Two weeks ago I was privy to their final conversation. “I love you,” were the last words Ramona said to her mother.

We would all do well to say things while we can. Things like, “I’m proud of you. I’m sorry. I should have had three more just like you.” Regret for words left unsaid is almost inconsolable.

And I would do well to pass this article by my wife for her verdict. She’s in the kitchen now and—wouldn’t you know it—she’s wearing slippers and a housecoat. ▪

10

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Upcoming messages Include:Delightful Memories Your Children Won’t ForgetWhen the Fun Stop for ParentsResolving Those Parent-Child ConflictsSome Suggestions for Parenting Grown-up Kids

by Steve Johnson

by Steve Johnson

11

I have a dilemma. I‘m at that age where either the print is too fuzzy or my arms are too short. Words are blurry and

indistinct. Reading things that matter is sometimes impossible and I get frustrated.

The solution? Reading glasses! By look-ing through corrective lenses I can see clearly. In a similar way God has given us corrective lenses through the resurrection of Christ. According to Paul in 1 Corinthi-ans 15:12-28 the resurrection changes our vision and helps us clearly see three things:

Christ’s resurreCtion Clarifies our view of faith.

Everyone has faith in something: in self, in others, you name it. But is it worthwhile faith? Jesus said He was God's Son and the resurrection and the life. If so, He was and is the only One qualified to die for our sins. Then He died.

But three days later Jesus emerged from the tomb! He proved He was the Son of God! Paul said, "If Christ has not been raised then your faith is worthless, and you are still in your sins" (v. 17). Can you imagine the despair that would hit us if Christ was still dead? Belief in a dead man is meaningless.

His resurrection substantiated all His claims. Because Jesus did rise from the dead our sins are forgiven. Heaven is real. Faith in Him as the One who died for us isn’t worthless or pointless. Jesus' resur-rection proves only faith in Christ is valid because only Jesus was ever resurrected.

Christ’s resurreCtion Clarifies our view of life.

In verse 19 Paul said, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all peo-ple most to be pitied." The Apostle wrote this at a time when professing public faith in Christ could cost you your life. Many Christians lived with the threat of death or persecution because of their faith. In fact, throughout the 2,000 year history of the Church, including this very day, Christians have suffered torture, abuse, persecution, mockery, and death.

Now, if this life is all there is, one would have to be nuts to endure such mistreat-ment. If there is no resurrection and no eternal life then it would be foolish to be even slightly inconvenienced for the sake of faith. As Paul wrote in verse 32, "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'"

Jesus' resurrection proves that the after-life is real, which leads us to change our view of earthly life. We begin to focus on things with eternal value instead of things without. Earthly things diminish in impor-tance. Careers, financial security, plea-sure—these are nothing in light of eternity.

Without the resurrection we wouldn’t take the afterlife seriously. We aren't apt to make any radical changes. Seeing the

"Jesus' resurrection proves only faith in

Christ is valid because only Jesus was ever

resurrected."

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Steve Johnson is the executive director at IFLC.

reality of eternity clearly means right now counts forever. And when Christians take seriously the reality of Jesus' resurrection and all it implies then they make serious changes to their lives.

finally, Christ’s resurreCtion Clarifies our view of death. It’s human nature to have a deep, abid-ing fear of death. Paul referred to this fear when he wrote in verse 18 that, "If Christ has not been raised, then those who have died in Christ have perished." We can't keep thoughts about death from darting across our minds every once in a while, but they are usually so discomforting we put them out of our minds as quickly as possible.

This fear of death plaguing our genera-tion comes from the blurred belief that what awaits us at the end of our lives is destruction and nothingness. But Jesus' resurrection takes away this fear. He

came to "...free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Heb. 2:15). And at Easter we recall those first words that Jesus uttered when He returned from death, "Fear not!"

Jesus has clarified our view of death. As Paul said, He has taken the sting out of it by demonstrating that, for the Christian, death is not that which destroys what we call life. It is not the cement floor that awaits the falling light bulb. Because Jesus rose from the dead we put our faith in the risen Lord who promised, "he who believes in Me will live even though he dies" (Jn.11:25). Because He lives we see clearly that death is not the end, it is the beginning.

Jesus’ resurrection is God’s correc-tive lens. Like reading glasses, it helps us clearly see the truth about things that matter most. ▪

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Comment on this article

Answer: the Bible prescribes certain elements for when the Church gathers for worship. these elements include: • Regular meeting (Heb. 10:25)• Preaching (2 Tim. 4:2)• Baptism and the Lord’s Table (Matt.

28:19; 1 Cor. 11:17-34)• Prayer (1 Tim. 2:1)• Reading Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13)• Financial giving (1 Cor. 16:2)• Singing and music (Col. 3:16)

scripture also gives principles that must govern our worship. these principles are: • Worship is directed to the Lord (Ps. 95:1) • It is for God and His glory (1 Cor. 10:31)

not that of the worshipper. Our objec-tive is to please Him, not make oneself feel happily inspired

• Worship is to be sincere and truthful coming from a pure heart (Mk. 12:33)

• Worship should edify others and build them in their faith (Rom. 15:5-6)

These principles indicate that worship is centred on God and others. So a good question to ask is whether your difficulty in worship is because your focus is on yourself instead of God or edifying others.

Beyond these elements and principles the Bible doesn’t give us direction as to style or instrumentation for church and worship music. As long as we follow the biblical principles, we are free to choose dif-ferent styles and instruments. Through-out history Christians have worshipped with instruments and music reflecting their time and culture.

Here’s where the problem comes in: No two individuals are the same. Choice about music is a matter of taste, preference, and culture. Although we may say one style (usually the one we choose) is more God-honouring than the one we don’t like, in reality a note is a note is a note. If the bibli-cal principles are being followed it all boils down to a matter of personal preference

Question: I have dIffIculty worshIppIng In my church because of the musIc. what do I do?

by Steve Johnson

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thiS Month’S FEATURED RESOURCE

and choice. The conflict comes over whose tastes we are following.

Does this mean anything goes? In addition to the principles given above, 1 Corinthians 11-14 teaches that corporate worship is to be intelligible, orderly, and for the edification of the body. The music used is a servant to the message it is carry-ing. While music itself isn’t sinful I believe some styles of music don’t fit a corporate worship context.

We like to think God prefers the same kind of music we do. But is that true? What kind of music does God pre-fer? Actually, what God prefers has nothing to do with the music—it has to do with the condition of our hearts. Worship is not primarily for us, it is offered to God. As well, worship is not supposed to be a per-formance by a few with the rest acting as spectators. God has the entire universe declaring His glory. What He wants from us is praise and adoration from loving, grateful, sincere, and humble hearts.

When planning congregational worship, church leaders need to take into account

that churches are a melting pot of diver-sity. Styles and instrumentation should be chosen to reflect the makeup of the con-gregation. If smaller groups such as youth or seniors gather themselves for worship, they are free to use styles they prefer.

As individuals we should strive for balance in musical preferences. And we should appeal for that in our churches

“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tol-erance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-3). Like food, some music is an acquired taste.

If none of this is possible then your only other choice is to worship where your preferences more closely match that of the church. And then hope your tastes don’t change.

I hope this helps.- Steve

Steve Johnson is the executive director at IFLC.

“a good question to ask is whether your

difficulty in worship is because your focus is on yourself instead of god

or edifying others. ”

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