God's Commandments, humanly approved version

Recently I wrote an article for the Presidential Prayer Team web site about legislation to promote the display of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms in the state of Texas.  Something I didn't talk about in the article is the fact that our culture, through popular media and educational outlets, has been busy rewriting the commandments for many years.  To present day ears, these comandments sound quaint;  they may even be incomprehensible to much of the population.

I tried to imagine what might be "Common Consensus" versions of each commandment.  I based these on what seem to be cultural norms of widely accepted social behavior.  The law of the land recognizes something called "community standards" in determining appropriate levels of public behavior.  Public schools also use this phrase to evaluate appropriate rules and discipline standards.  If we were to reword God's eternal commandments (the very thought feels blasphemous to write!) to reflect current opinions, here is what they might read like:   


I am the Lord your God.

You are the center of your universe and no one really knows where you came from.

You shall have no other gods before me.

Don't make narrow-minded, non-inclusive statements.

You shall not make for yourself an idol.

Everyone has values;  you are free to choose your own.

Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.

Nothing is really sacred, but you should follow social conventions in order to be well thought of.

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

The practices of older cultures may be of historical interest, but have only symbolic relevance to you.

Honor your father and mother.

They don't get it;  besides, even they think you should just look out for yourself.

You shall not kill/murder.

Don’t break social taboos about killing;  besides, it's certainly just as bad to kill animals for food.

You shall not commit adultery.

Practice serial monogamy:  with or without marriage, either gender.

You shall not steal. 

Don’t break social taboos about property. The ever-changing law will let you know what is acceptable.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Always insist on your own innocence. Sue others if they are not nice to you.

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and any thing that is your neighbor's.

Fight politically for equality, so that your rich neighbor will have to surrender his advantage.

Oh no, not more Oprah!

Promising "Health, wealth, and happiness," the new Oprah network (OWN) launches on January 1st.  Like a bad parody of the Christian television networks that thinking Christians intentionally avoid, secular America can now simply substitute faith in Oprah for faith in God and get the same vending machine promises from a benevolent "Queen."

How appropriate that this comes after the assault of secular American Christmas with its messages of "it's about family, sentimentality, giving, and indiscriminate faith."

Please, let's join hands and repeat, "I won't succomb to the enchantment...I won't be mesmerized by the incense....I will escape this ugly but alluring Underworld...."   Where's Puddleglum when you need him?

It's here! Merry Christmas!

Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day)


Watchword for Christmas Day --

The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

Nativity of the Lord

You shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace. Isaiah 55:12


The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:20



Prince of peace, remember those who have no home, those who have lost loved ones, and those for whom light does not shine and reside in their hearts today. Amen.

from the Losungen
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Scriptures on Labor

Our most recent issue of World magazine had nine excellent articles focusing on the general theme of the world of work and the Christian concept of vocation, or "calling."    As promised, here are the scriptures which relate to this theme:                                                   

Work and our attitude toward it

1. Work is part of God’s plan for man.
     “Six days shall you labor and do all your work…” Exodus 20:9
      “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

2. Honest work results in personal satisfaction.
     “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” Proverbs 31:25

3. God approves and rewards diligence.
    “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work in the grave where you are going.”

4. One who looks for excuses not to work will accomplish little.
    “The slothful man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets! As a door turns on its hinges, so does the slothful man turn on his bed.” Proverbs 26:13-16

5. Men are to plan ahead, but also to consider God’s will in their planning.
    See Proverbs 30: for the examples of the ant, the cony, the locust, and the spider. Also in James, 4: 13-15 believers are warned about planning without considering God’s will.

Business Principles

1. Business must be conducted honestly.
    “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1

2. Business should be conducted with proper safeguards.
    “Whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.” I Corinthians 16:3

3. An employer must be fair to his workers.
    “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” Luke 10:7

4. Employees are to served their employers faithfully and as unto the Lord.
    “Servants, be obedient…with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ. Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ; doing the will of Christ from the heart.” Ephesians 6:5-8

5. A break in the work week is God’s plan, in remembrances of God’s rest at the end
    of the creation week, and in response to the needs of men and animals.
    “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: In it you shall do no work…” Exodus 20:11

Thanking you kindly for the hospitality, it's time to go home

It was great to see so many Dove Mountaineers at the Gloria Christmas Concert at Catalina Foothills Church Sunday evening. On stage were Dove Mountaineers Donita Van Stelle and John Bailey. On the row right behind me was WorldMover May Toedter. I saw old friends from Bisbee whose sister is now in the CFC Chorale. In the seat next to me was a former member of my Sunday School class when I taught at CFC. Linda and I saw many old friends from CFC, including Karen Hocker of the PrimeTimers ministry and our staff buddies Al Tellez and Scott Farris. Such reunions are always great times of renewing and catching up.

As Dove Mountaineers, we are in a unique position. Virtually all of us came originally from Catalina Foothills. That means that we have healthy connections there, and are culturally savvy enough to know when we should go back - for choir concerts, men's ministry events, educational seminars, etc. It feels good to "know our way around" there, and to not feel like a complete stranger.

But for most of us, our lot is now cast with a new family. Just speaking honestly, it has been somewhat discouraging for those of us who are "sticking it out" with Dove Mountain to see so many of our friends leaving in recent weeks. I have always been one to acknowledge the free agency of adult believers to find their own way - without guilt trips and attempts to control the lives of others through manipulation and emotional blackmail, so don't read me wrong here. I am happy when others have found what makes them happy.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord with the amazing family of believers known as Dove  Mountaineers.  And I don't plan to be a nomad any more. I like the new family that is being forged at Dove Mountain, and while it may be far from perfect, I plan to stick with it and enjoy the adventure that Aslan has planned for us.

Honor where honor is due...

It's easy to take good (even great!) things for granted when you have nothing to compare it to.  We live in a time when, frankly, most church musical productions have become either silly or (worse) sexy.  Imitating the entertainment standards of the lost world, many churches have thrown out the western cultural heritage that has come to us with centuries of artistic refinement and faithulness to the values of traditional Christendom: truth, beauty, and goodness.

No so with the Catalina Foothills Church Chorale.  Director Joan Ashcraft has gone to great lengths to successully blend:  the best of traditional music and contemporary compositions;  the best of professional musicians and talented volunteers;  the best of vocal styles ranging from Baroque to Black gospel;  the best of music which easily speaks for itself, with selections which elevate and educate the audience's tastes and senstivities.

The concert last Sunday may have been the best one ever at Catalina Foothills.  It shook me out of my Christmas doldrums and fired me up to worship Jesus in spirit and truth this week.    In the future, I am going to be more diligent to promote the concerts and presentations of this group everywhere that I can, including this blog.  Giving honor where honor is due, I thank God for Joan, Jane Brandt (accompanist), and all the vocalists and instrumentalists who gave so generously of their time and talent for the edification of the body of Christ at the Christmas concert, Gloria!

And now, Tucson!

Tucson joins the growing host of cities with Hallelujah Chorus flashes (see blog for November 22). This one was at the Tucson Mall on Saturday, December 18. I was there - bottom floor, right beneath the white banner on the second floor railing. It was great to see so many musical friends from so many overlapping backgrounds - church choirs, music teachers, etc. I tried to memorize the score, but had a hard time; while waiting to start, I realized that I could go back to the free score site on my iPhone and sing from that. Thanks to technology, I didn't miss a single syllable or note. What fun! Glory to God!