Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Easter Greetings


Happy Easter!

In the midst of the family celebrations today, I pray that you find happiness and contemplate the significance of the most important Christian observance.

The secularization of Easter, with the cute rabbits,  chicks, and candy delicacies can detract, if allowed, from the meaning of the event that we celebrate today.

Although many believe that Christmas is the most significant Christian holiday, and it is important because it celebrates God becoming man and coming to us, Easter takes God's love one to the ultimate plane. The Son of God, true God, died to give us eternal life. And He didn't just die, because that would be a typical ending to a story, but He was raised back to life and lives even today.

This is very deep. 

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

With the resurrection, the meaning of the cross was changed from one of the most horrible methods of execution that mankind has ever devised into a symbol of freedom and hope.

Happy Easter.

Greet your family and friends with the Paschal greeting:

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Eve 2015


It arrived overnight. This most magical day of the year. The day before Christmas when it either gets done, or not.

The house is quiet now, it is still pre-dawn and I am the only one up--but the chaos will soon begin as the plans of the day come to fruition.

I remember as a kid thinking that Christmas Eve was the longest day of the year--now it is, in fact, one of the shortest.

I guess the activity helps me get through the day and prepared for the main events of tomorrow.


The first gift of Christmas was given over 2,000 years ago and arrived in a garage somewhere on the outskirts of the Roman Empire in Israel--and we still celebrate his arrival to the world and into our lives, even now.

May the blessings of the season be with you and your family. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Easter Morning

Happy Easter.

Good morning or good day on the most important day in all of Christendom. 

This Easter the murder of  Christians around the world at the hands of terrorists is in the news. They are martyrs in the truest sense of the word, killed only because of their belief in the risen Son of God. 

I know this a downer for the celebration of Easter. But is is happening with ever increasing frequency. I am appalled that the news media continues to refer to the murders as executions--there is a huge difference between an execution as the result of a legal process conducted by a government and the indiscriminate murder of people on a college campus. The use of the word execution almost gives the sense of the result of a legal process rather than the appalling murders that are the reality. 

I draw consolation, however, from knowing that as believers in the Risen Lord of Easter those martyrs are in the presence of God today praying for those of us left behind to deal with the forces of darkness that are rampant in the world. That is not comforting to the families and friends left behind--for their loved ones have been violently ripped away from them, but it is the promise of Easter and belief in the risen Jesus.

During the Good Friday services I attended, I made note of an interesting statement from Mark 15:39, "Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, 'Truly this man was God’s Son!'" (NET Bible) The centurion was present likely throughout the crucifixion of Jesus. But I noted the word, "was." He said "this man WAS God's Son." 

The hope of the world today, the hope that comes because of that first Easter morning two millennium ago, is that is is wrong to say  He WAS God's Son, because He IS God's Son. We know something that at that moment the centurion could not know.

Jesus IS the Son of God--yesterday, today, and tomorrow and because He is risen and alive, we have hope.

Be joyful as you repeat the ancient phrase of victory over death today,

He is Risen
He is Risen indeed!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Knowing Who is Standing with Me is What Matters

I've been in a low spot. It could be the lack of sunshine, the continuing too cold weather, the pace at work, or my crummy racquetball outings--but nonetheless, I've been in a low spot. I played a racquetball match last evening and even though I had a lead late in both games, I knew I'd blow it, and I did. It was a self fulfilling prophecy.

That written, I have come across a powerful song released last year by one of my favorite artists, Chris Tomlin. The song is Whom Shall I Fear? As I have been struggling against the cold darkness of the season and self-doubt, this song had lifted my spirit.


It is a very uplifting song and I highly recommend it. Click on the link to YouTube above to see the words and hear the song.

The refrain lyrics are:

I know who goes before me 
I know who stands behind me 
The God of angel armies 
Is always by my side 
The one who reigns forever 
He is a friend of mine 
The God of angel armies 
Is always by my side

Perspective! That's what matters when I get too focused on the crummy seasonal weather, losing racquetball matches, being wrong more than I am right, or when I begin to doubt myself and my ability.

I saw the sunrise yesterday grace the sky on my way to work. It was fabulous. The promise of the new day stretched out in front of me dragged me into the dawn of an exciting new day full of possibilities. I've got a lot of stuff to do every day and I need to take more enjoyment from the tasks completed than perseverating over the tasks remaining.   


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Standing in the Throng

It happened Sunday. I was in church part of the gathered congregation singing an especially great praise song. It was dark, the band was leading and it seemed that everyone around me was singing joyously. I suddenly got lost in a vision.

I understood, just for a brief moment, these verses in Revelations Chapter 7:

7:9 After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 7:10 They were shouting out in a loudvoice,

“Salvation belongs to our God, to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” - NET Bible

I was part of the great multitude singing, no we were shouting, to God seated on His throne. I could hear my small voice joining with thousands of others in choruses of praise. And I never tired of singing songs of praise. For a moment, I think I had a vision of heaven.

I realized that I never tire of singing praise songs.

But it was standing in the middle of a great congregation on Sunday that reminded me that I am journeying here. It is not my home.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Phrase of the Day

During the message in church on Sunday titled, Good Works or Good News? I found the following phrase be very interesting--

"I'm not a bad as I could be,
but I'm not as good as I should be!"


The message into which the phrase was woven was a great discussion of works versus grace and how a good works system of salvation is arbitrary, can never provide absolute assurance, ultimately requires God to approve of evil and condradicts the Bible (see Titus 3:5).

I also found the phrase to be a interesting counterpoint to the Toby Keith country song "As Good as I Once Was" which has the phrase:

"I'm ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was."

So when the two phrases are joined together I get something like:

I'm not a good as I should be
But I'm as good as I can be!

Which, by the way, is still not good enough!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Cheap Blessings and Cheapened Grace - A Rant

OK, look out, here comes another rant. And this one is likely to really get the hairs on your neck ruffled.

This one is about some of the "well meaning" stuff I receive in my email.

They seem to end with something like this:


Pass this to 12 people including me. A blessing is coming to you in form
of a new job, a house, marriage or financially. Do not break or ask
questions. This is a test. Does God come first in your life? If so, stop what
you're doing & send it to 12 people now. Watch what he does!



Really? Do you believe this nonsense?

This is the Joel Osteen-style Christianity that sells books and keeps people's email full of empty hopes and promises. The "If I do, then God will " type of non-biblical Christianity. The type of Christianity that is so shallow it doesn't work. It is a Laodiceian-type of Christianity. Or form, but no substance.

What is the biblical basis for something like this?

Do we really pray to God and do things in his name to have him reward us like Santa Claus?

God blesses us in so many ways that we never even appreciate--and then we cheapen our relationship with Him by playing a game like--if I send this to 12 people then he will give me the desires of my heart!"

Really, come on!

He has already given us the greatest gift he could give us--through grace we have eternal life. We did not earn it by sending an email to 12 people. We were given it because His Son died for us, while we were still sinners and certainly did not then nor even now deserve it.

And then to top it all off, He blesses us every day and lavishes upon us things we don't even know we need, until He makes them known to us.

And so our response to this is to send little email messages to our friends promising that if they do this, then God will do that? I wonder if this is some of what John was writing about to the church of Laodicea in Revelations 3:14-22?

Emails that end like this, with the "If you do, then God will" promise are really missing the mark.

We are not going to heaven based on our works, 'cause we can't do enough to pay the price. And we certainly are not going to get there by sending emails to other Christians encouraging them to send emails in order to receive blessings.

Ah, some might say, it is a way of letting unbelievers hear of God. Really? How many of those emails really go to unbelievers. They are not even designed to go to people who have never heard of the Living God. And if one should be sent to an unbeliever, do we want them to learn of a god who seems to be little more than a purveyor of incantations? There is a lot more they need to learn--like starting with, you feel guilty about something you did way back when, let me tell you what our God did for you, already!

It is that old problem again--we think we need to do something to earn God's love.

Wrong! We can't earn it.

It is tied to the age-old question about works. We can't do enough to earn on our own what was freely given to us already by God. Why would we want or need to?

It's free. Accept that.

We must, however, reflect in our lives and the way we live how God has changed us from the inside--but it certainly should not be tied to doing little deeds with the expectation of receiving earthly rewards. And as a result of our joy, we do things (works) which confirm the faith we have.

We already have the reward--eternity.

I guess when I read emails that end with the action and the promise, I hear the televangelists at the end of the broadcast pleading, like so many politicians who have been coming to my door lately, "send me money and God will . . . "

God will anyway. Just ask.

The alternative to these emails?

Here is a thought.

I have felt that the stories that come in many of those emails are great and uplifting. Some are just fun to read. So delete the ending, the "if you send this to 12 people and me . . ." part.

Change it to a simple blessing to your friends--something like: I saw this and thought you would appreciate it. I'm thinking of and praying for you today.

A simple blessing.

That's what we all really need more than anything else. A reminder that we are loved by God and others.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Saturday Night Out--at Church?

You know we keep churches in a real box. Plan the week to go to church for an hour or so on Sunday. Multiple services sandwiched back-to-back don't leave much time for doing something radically different.

Saturday night--Feb 28th was different. One service--lasting 2 and a half hours complete with two 40 minute messages and some really awesome music to kick off a new series of study.

Sometimes you have to do something different to have really awesome God experience. And worshiping with 1300 other people is not something that happens to me every day. The band rocked and God was glorified.

In the same way we keep churches in boxes, we often keep God in a small manageable box as well.

But for us we need to remember Romans 6:23. And a God that can save us from our sin and death should not be kept in a box.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Jax - A Family Baptism

The miracle baby was baptized today at St Paul's Lutheran Church in Crofton. It was a great family day attended by family including one great-grandmother, two grandmothers, one grandfather (that be me), a great aunt, and a lot of uncles and aunts and family. It was a celebration of life and a celebration off Jax and all he has been through. He has been an inspiration to all of us and he has brought the family closer together as we all rallied during the days immediately following his birth in the hospitals (yes, two hospitals).

Each day of Jax's life since before his surgery has reminded each of us about his miracle and has served to bring all of us closed to God in our faith walk.

Today was a very special day in addition to the Baptism, it was Pentecost and Mother's Day. I think it could never be a better mix for a celebration of Jax and his new life in Christ as a Child of God. Pentecost, signifying the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles after Christ's Ascension and Mother's Day signifying the celebration of Motherhood and new life. Jax is truly blessed to have been baptized on such a grand day.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Energized Worship

We had an awesome worship experience this week at the church we are attending. It was Youth Sunday and worship was led by about 100 of the most energized for Christ youths I have seen in a long time. They led the worship service and their energy and love for the Lord were infectious. Their energy filled the about 1000 people who had come to worship yesterday morning. It was God-filled. It was a God moment.

I was excited about worship yesterday because of the energy and passion of the youth. How great it was to see teenagers, many of them seniors in high school, excited about God. And sure enough of their faith to share it with adults. Wow. I want some of that.

In contrast, I have been confronted with adults who seem to be going through the motions or are more concerned about form than substance. Maybe substance grows from form, but I'm not so sure. Some worship teams seem to be focused upon the technical aspects of worship rather than being concerned whether the people in the congregation had a God moment. Did the people, for a short time during the Sunday service, have an moment with God that will help them through the week ahead--be it good or bad. Some small moment that reminds them, and us, that God is there and that He cares about us.

God moments can happen anytime--during prayer, during singing, during scripture reading, during the message, while walking outside on a bright sunny morning, or even while watching your grandson play with caterpillars on a bright Sunday afternoon next to the pool. But it is in Church that we need to help people experience God moments so they can recognize them and continue to experience them in their lives. We need to have a personal relationship with God and through God moments we are reminded that God too, wants to have a personal relationship with us. I think it is hard for worship leaders and teams to keep their focus on being the vessels that God is using to touch other people. It is easy to worry that the guitar was too loud, or the music too fast, or something else was right or wrong forgetting to assess the impact on the congregation.

Am I saying worship teams should not strive for technical excellence? No. What I am saying is that when the pursuit of technical excellence displaces the enthusiasm associated with being God-focused vessels then we are impeding God's use of us in His plan. Be on fire for God. Work and refine the gifts and talents that God has given you, but remember they are from God and he will use them for His purpose. And what is His purpose? To strengthen and encourage the Body of Christ, which is the Church.

And most of all--be enthusiastic. Do everything knowing that God is working through you. And He will touch people where He needs to touch them in God moments.
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