Captain, I have a reading...

Sorry for this quick interruption from the Alpha Quadrant, but this is so cool...

http://klv.mrklingon.org/

(In case you didn't follow that link: it takes you to the online version of the KLV, that is, the "Klingon Language Version" of the Bible. You know, from Star Trek? Read on, if you aren't offended... and if you are, then you've proved my point...)

My inspiration, in short: Be You. Rather, embrace who God made you to be. Follow the unique path that God has laid before you.

This KLV Bible may look like a total waste of time (or even blasphemous) to some, but who knows how many lost souls might hear the Gospel for the first time (in Klingon, yes) just because they are "trekkies"?

Many trekkies hold a humanistic and evolutionary worldview (the dream of Star Trek's creator is that mankind will intellectually evolve past what we would call the problem of evil and sin). How great is it that a "lost" trekkie may find this website out of curiosity or amusement and stumble onto the words of Christ!?!

And secondly, just how many hours did this guy spend translating the Bible into Klingon? A Christian with a judgmental spirit (I think that some people believe that this is a spiritual gift!) may think that this guy wasted his time and should have been doing something more "spiritual", like reading the Bible or folding bulletins. He did! He would have had to pour over the Scriptures and soak in the message to translate it properly. This is way more "devotional", IMHO, than reading the latest Max Lucado book.

In conclusion, may we never judge someone else's ministry just because it is "alien" to our preferences and upbringing. They say that flamingos can ONLY eat when their heads are turned upside down. God made them that way! God made some Christians who become Bible translating "trekkies". How did God make you special?

Live long and prosper (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13),

Brad

Adam & Eve: Checking for Chicken

“Which came first: the chicken or the egg?”

I remember, as a young child, sitting in my grandmother’s back yard one summer and really wrestling with that philosophical issue. (Seriously… I’m such a nerd.)

Years later, I got saved, started reading my Bible, and- voila- the answer was there in plain English (well, not PLAIN English. People were still reading KJV back then). THE CHICKEN CAME FIRST AT CREATION (Gen 1:24-25). Problem solved, philosophical dilemma conquered. I then moved on to “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop?”

It is amazing how often we DON’T look to the Bible for answers- even on “Bible issues”. (I put that in quotes because I believe that everything is a “Bible issue”- there are biblical principles that apply to every area of life, no matter how obscure or “unspiritual” they may seem. EVERYTHING is “spiritual”. There is no Hebrew word for “spiritual”… For most of history, God’s people never divided their lives into “sacred & secular”. T'shuva. But that is a blog for another time…)

We often even forget what the Bible says about the subject of “worship”, instead relying on experience and personal judgment. The central issue to life. Everything that we do is either WORSHIP or ANTI-WORSHIP. (Again, a subject for another time…)

I have a lot of conversations about worship. I find that very few people have put a lot of thought into defining “worship”. It took 13 years in music ministry before I actually heard a complaint that could be analyzed by Scripture. It seems that most people’s definitions of worship (that I've encountered) are centered on musical style, experiential preferences, and “what I grew up doing”.

So which came first- the chicken or the egg?... or, in our case: How do you define “worship”? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please send them to bbailey@lifecharlotte.com.

Next time, we’ll look at the rest of the Creation story (what happened after the chicken came along) to see if there IS something there that should influence our definition of “worship”.

I’m egg-cited to hear your perspective,

Brad