Sunday morning observations

• Even though I am a great advocate of genuine contemporary worship, I have to say that I really enjoy the Venite based on Psalm 95 in the order of Mattins. I love the Midievel chant feel to it and I imagine that its ingrained on my psyche because we used it so much in my church growing up so it offers a sense of comfort and security.
• I'm going to start using "Talitha cumi" to wake my daughters up on Sunday mornings to get them up and going for church. Jesus used it to raise a girl from the dead in Mark 5. It's Aramaic for " Little girl, I say to you, arise."
• Our OT lesson was Lamentations 3:22-33 today. Seems like you hardly ever hear Christians talk about the book of Lamentations much. I think it's beautiful.
• The last part of v.33 says of God that "He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men." That reminds me a lot of 2 Peter 3:9, where it says that "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." This is an HUGE thing that too many non-believers and frankly WAY too many people who call themselvess Christian seem to miss. God doesn't WANT anyone to suffer or to go to Hell for that matter. Why would He give His only Son to suffer torture and die a slow, agonizing death as a sacrifice if He didn't give a sh-- or if He actually wanted to "punish" people?
• He didn't make hell for people, but for Satan and his demons. I contend that he doesn't actively send anyone to hell either. As I've written about before, John 3: 18 says, "whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." People reject Him and reject Him, or set themselves up as their own god just want to be left alone, and so He doesn't force Himself on them, but grants them what they most desire.
• Lamentations offers a glimpse at the cohesion and continuity of Scriptures. v30 tells a young man "Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him." This is the same pacifist message that Jesus taught in Matthew 5:39 and Luke 6:29, when someone strikes you, turn the other cheek. God is always about relationship, not exerting His power like a bully.