colorful sounds

I traveled to Asheville this morning with Karen and Joshua to see Kristen and Marshall. It has been a while since we have made this trip, and it had been a while since we had seen Kristen and Marshall. Monday, being a day-off, seemed like the best time to go. So, mountains....here we come.

The leaves are still beautiful heading up I-40, and Joshua and Karen are having a contest to see who can get the best photo of the colors. I'm sure some of them will end up on Facebook pretty soon. After picking up Kristen, we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few hours and stopped at the over-looks for more pictures and to just look out across this massive landscape of colors. Wow, God, this is impressive!! There were quite a few people up on the Parkway doing the same "leaf-gazing" as we were, but at one point, we were the only people at an over-look. It was so quiet. No car engines running. No people talking. No dogs barking. Just silence.....and a huge, colorful masterpiece that stretched out forever.

I once studied about an artist named Kandinsky, and how he used colors to represent sounds in his paintings. Reds were like harsh, shrill sounds.....yellow was like a loud blast of sound....blues were a soothing sound. When you would look at his paintings, you would get a sense of music playing to help you appreciate his work. When I sat on the railing and looked out at this amazing piece of artistic wonder....in the silence....I was listening to the most incredible orchestra playing the most amazing symphony ever composed.

How can you not know that there is a God? Even the trees sing out with all the colorful sounds that are reserved for the ears of God. If we would just take the time to enjoy this song we call "Autumn"....

Shouldn't we be making music and singing to Him as well?

beach in October

I like to go to the beach. I'm partial to visiting the beach in the summer though; when it's good and hot with lots of chances to play in the ocean and body surf. But, this week.....I am at the beach, and it has been great. It's not crowded. I got sunburned a little on the first day. I did some fishing for the first time. Actually, I was supposed to be watching the lines, but there was a bite and I was the only one at the rod. Go figure. I got to play a round of golf with some fun people. Golf is so much better when you can laugh while you play. (Oh, I won. Best round I have shot in a long, long time) I have gotten a chance to run a few miles with Karen. I've walked the beach, looking for shark teeth and have been surprised by some sneaky waves that just jump up and get you wet....with no warning. I've been swimming in the pool and laid out in the sun. Is this really October? I have sat in a rocking chair and watched the stars at night, looking for meteors, and listening to the waves crashing.

Tonight, I get the honor of rehearsing a wedding ceremony for the daughter of some dear friends, and tomorrow I test my sea-legs as I perform the wedding ceremony on a boat. They say that it will be just a "three hour tour.....a three hour tour." Of all the great things that have been a part of this trip to the beach.....I'd have to say that I am enjoying spending time with Karen, along with some amazing friends, listening to the ocean at night, and flat out enjoying life.

Isn't that why God created all of this for us anyway?

Our loved ones, our family, our friends....all given to us by God to enjoy here, surrounded by His creation, and His presence....to remind us all of how much He loves us.

24 hours

I remember hearing once, that when the Temple was built by Solomon, that there was continuous worship. That before Solomon began the construction, his father David, had selected a group of Levites that were skilled in playing instruments and singing to be the "worship leaders" for the Temple when it was finished. I had heard that the worship was going on for 24 hours each day, every day.

Twenty-four hours!?! I mean, I like to play and sing, but twenty-four hours of playing and singing. I had always thought that maybe this was an exaggeration on the part of the people that were sharing this information with me. Maybe they were wanting to add to making the description of the Temple even more magnificent than it was; just to give us a mental picture of what was taking place then. Then, the other day I was reading in I Chronicles 25, and I came across where David had assigned singers and musicians for ministry in the Temple. There were 288 "young and old alike, teacher as well as student." They cast lots to determine, basically, when they were scheduled to play. There were 24 lots cast. 24 time slots. 24 hours in a day.

How important were the people that helped to lead worship in the Temple? How important are the people that help to lead worship here at HRCC? To me, they are very important. Not because they can sing and play, and are willing to rehearse for hours to get ready for a weekend of services. Not because they show up at least one hour before the services start, or for their willingness to learn new songs for the church to worship with, or even their understanding of changes that come about between services. What makes them so important to me, and to the church body, is the fact that God has given them all a talent and a willingness to allow God to use that talent in leading His people, the church, in worship.

I know that the people that entered the Temple in the Old Testament were surrounded by music and singing. There had to be an excitement and anticipation in the eyes of everyone that would be participating in worshipping God. I also know that when we come together on the weekend, I can sense the excitement and anticipation of worship just by looking at the faces in the room. I truly believe that it is a reflection of the same excitement and anticipation that the members of the Praise Team have as we all join as one body to worship the God that has brought us all together.