Theology and "the Supernatural" in the Life of the Church

The local church is the mystical body of Christ made up of various people from various backgrounds. We are Jesus' body continuing the ministry he began. Throughout the gospel we see Jesus doing three things in one context. He was preaching, teaching, and healing in the context of a community-building mission. The ministry he started was an integration of these functions which are intellectual, supernatural, and social. Therefore the ministry we carry on today through the community of faith is an integration of theology (mind) and the supernatural (spirit). Leading people into an active life with Jesus requires teaching and healing. People who are walking with Jesus need both a new kind of thinking and a new kind of experiencing. Theology and the supernatural become two broad categories in which we look at the ministry of a local church. Both are vital. Both are necessary. We need an integration—and not a bifurcation—of theology and supernatural experience.

(We also need to integrate a new kind of being and a new kind of living. "Who we are" in relation to the God we worship and "what we do" in response to that relationship are just as vital as theology and supernatural experience. Without them Christian life is incomplete, but for the sake a simplicity I want to consider how theology and the supernatural intersect.)

The Value of Theology
Theology, also called "doctrine" or "teaching," is right thinking about God and reality. Theology is what you believe about God, relationships, the Church, morality, etc. The Scripture is the final authority in forming our theology and so we can rightly call it biblical theology. Our theology is shaped first and foremost by the Scripture, interpreting the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, which the early church called the "teaching of the apostles." Our theology is also shaped to a lesser degree by tradition (historic theology), reason (systematic theology), and experience (spiritual theology). All Christians have a theology and do theology even if they do not like the process. Typically Christians shy away from theological exploration, because they have seen theology done poorly. The answer to bad theology is not no theology, but good theology.

References to theology, doctrine, and teaching—
Matthew 28:18-20
John 8:31-32
1 Timothy 1:9-11; 6:3-5
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Timothy 4:2-3
Titus 1:9-11; 2:1

The Value of the Supernatural
The supernatural—also described as heavenly realms, spirituality, or spiritual realities—refers to the world of the Spirit. The supernatural includes miracles, signs and wonders, healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues, spiritual warfare, spiritual discernment, etc. Christian spirituality, the supernatural, is our lived experience in, with, and by the Holy Spirit. While supernatural experiences and supernatural ministry are not irrational, they are certainly non-rational in that it does not depend on the power of reason. Interaction with the supernatural is absolutely necessary, because the God we serve in not merely a historical figure to study, but a living, present-day being who is not material but spirit. Furthermore, he has sent his Holy Spirit to reside in those who belong to him.

References to the supernatural, signs and wonders, heavenly realms—
Mark 16:17-18
Acts 4:30-31; 5:12-16
1 Corinthians 2:4-5; 1 Corinthians 2:13-14; 14:1
Ephesians 1:3; 2:6-7; 5:18-20; 6:10
Colossians 1:8
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

The Need for Integration of Theology and the Supernatural
Throughout Christian history, various groups have either chosen theology to the exclusion of the supernatural or chosen the supernatural to the exclusion of theology. Either path leads to a spiritual dead end. Our need is for an integration of both theology and the supernatural, an integration of good thinking and good experiencing, an integration of mind and spirit. God has not made us either a mind or a spirit, but a complex and integrated being of body, soul, creativity, conscience, emotions, relationships and indeed mind and spirit.

References to an integration of theology and the supernatural—
Matthew 4:23; 9:35
Acts 2:4, 42-43; 14:3
Romans 12:1-2
1 Corinthians 12:28; 14:14-15
1 Timothy 4:13-16
2 Timothy 1:13-14

Leading in the Integration
In the dance between theology and the supernatural, the leading partner must be a theology firmly grounded in the Scripture. The word "teaching" is in the NIV Bible people 88 times. The word "healing" appears 28 times.

(The phrase "signs and wonders" appears 18 times and the word "miracles" appears 37 times. We cannot make too much of the frequency of terms in the Bible. The virgin birth is mentioned only a few times in the New Testament and only once in the Old Testament and it is an extremely important doctrine. Nevertheless, it does seem to say something when we find "teaching" in the Bible more often than "healing.)

Theology, sound doctrine, and our reasonable understanding of the Scripture must guide us in the supernatural life. Our theology is shaped by spiritual experiences, but they must be subordinate to the teachings of Scripture. Certainly, there are facets to God's nature that we cannot understand. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). We ought to embrace the mysteries of God and incorporate them into our theology. The unknowable aspects of God keep us humble; it keeps our faith living and active.

The primary problem with allowing the supernatural, especially spiritual knowledge, to be the leader is that supernatural experiences are subjective and are virtually unverifiable if allowed to dominate biblical theology. It is not that the Holy Spirit himself is unreliable or untrustworthy, but rather it is our subjective and fallen perceptibility of what the Holy Spirit may or may not be saying that is called into question. The Holy Spirit speaks perfectly, but I do not always hear him perfectly.

To allow the spirit to dominate the mind leads us down the road towards one of the early Christian heresies—Montanism (2^nd century AD). Montanus was a traveling Christian prophet who was given to visions and the gift of prophecy. His message included the soon return of Christ and the need to connect to apostolic Christianity. Montanus felt that the church had become institutionalized and needed renewal. He felt that he had a direct spiritual connection to the Apostles. He even declared that he himself was the promised paraklete Jesus talked about in the book of John (See John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). He interpreted the Scripture according to his own spiritual interpretations, instead of subjecting his prophecies to biblical and historical theology. (For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montanism)

Allowing the supernatural to lead, and ultimately trump, theology and reason can lead to a pragmatic hermeneutic--(i.e. interpreting Scripture in terms of what works). Often Christians do this when they feel the Holy Spirit is leading them in a direction that does not fit squarely within biblical revelation and historic Christianity, but they feel like it is God and they feel justified when they see results. A similar hermeneutic is used by Mormons. They tell people to read the book of Mormon and then pray, asking God to give them the "burning of bosom" – a spiritual confirmation of the truth of their book.

There is no room to discern the truth of a spiritual experience when the supernatural is valued over theology. Division is often the result. Paul urged the church in Rome to beware of those who cause division by not keeping with biblical teaching: I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them (Romans 16:17). The division begins with an argument that has been played and replayed throughout church history.

Person 1 proclaims, "God told me…."

Person 2 says, "That doesn't seem right."

Person 1, "Yes it is."

Person 2, "No it isn't."

And round and round they go. Without pointing to the objective truth in God's written word, there is no way to discern the supernatural. Division can certainly happen over different interpretations of Scripture, but without biblical theology we have no standard by which to discern any kind of spiritual experience.

Such a decline in biblical authority led in part to the 16^th century Reformation. One of the essential doctrines of the Reformation was sola scriptura, "by Scripture alone." Martin Luther and others promoted sola scriptura in a time when mysticism and superstitious had gnawed away at the heart of the Church. Sola scriptura is the first of five "solas" which form the cornerstone of evangelical faith:

1) Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")

2) Sola fide ("by faith alone")

3) Sola gratia ("by grace alone")

4) Solus Christus ("Christ alone")

5) Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")

The Pentecostal/charismatic tradition would add Sola Spiritu, "by the Spirit alone." One of the weaknesses of the Protestant Reformation was their underdeveloped view of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, the 5 (or 6) "solas" reveal that Scripture is not the only means by which God communicates his truth, but it is the first, the foremost, and the leading partner in all other means of God's revelation.

Good references on an integrated approach to Christian life and ministry

Word and Power Church by David Banister

Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem

Spirit and Power: Foundations of Pentecostal Experience by William & Robert Menzies

Truth Aflame by Larry Hart

Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere

Steams of Living Water by Richard Foster

Spiritual Theology by Simon Chan

"The More Excellent Way" (Sermon 89) by John Wesley

A Tribute to Larry Norman (1947-2008)

I was sad to hear of the passing of Larry Norman. He is known as the father of "contemporary Christian music." He grew in popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with songs like "Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music," "Sweet Sweet Song of Salvation," and "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus," and "I Wish We'd All Been Ready."

[Listen to audio clips here]

Larry was a rebel. A rocker. A zealot. An innovator in is day. He was not afraid of the either the Christian establishment on one side or the rock establishment on the other when he wrote these words:

There's nothing wrong with playing blues licks,
But if you got a reason tell me to my face
Why should the devil have all the good music.
There's nothing wrong with what I play
'Cause Jesus is the rock and he rolled my blues away.

I ain't knocking the hymns,
Just give me a song that has a beat.
I ain't knocking the hymns,
Just give me a song that moves my feet.
I don't like none of those funeral marches
I ain't dead yet!

Jesus told the truth, Jesus showed the way
There's one more thing I'd like to say.
They nailed him to the cross, they laid him in the ground,
But they shoulda known you can't keep a good man down.

From "Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music" (1972) [YouTube]

Larry Norman has had health problems for a number of years, but during the Jesus Movement of the 1970s he was a major contributor to early Christian rock. There is also a Dylan connection with Norman. From Wikipedia:

Norman sought to help musicians who were struggling with drug problems in the 1970s. He began a Bible study called "The Vineyard" for actors and musicians, and as it grew Folk/rock performer Bob Dylan became one of the attendees. Dylan subsequently became familiar with Norman's records Only Visiting This Planet and So Long Ago the Garden. During this period, he released three albums that were stylistically similar to Norman's: Slow Train Coming (1979), Saved (1980), and Shot of Love (1981).

While Norman said in a 1984 interview that he didn't know Dylan very well, he remembered thinking "This is the greatest album I've ever heard"" when Slow Train Coming was released. He said of the album "I'll never write one as good as that, he'll never write one as good as that, - nobody will. It touched me in every area. You know men in conflict, like Dylan was when he was dying to self and becoming a Christian are very interesting...We were all afraid that he would be overly affected by the evangelical simplicity of American mindlessness and write an album that wasn't really worth his gift for poetry. That album is like a prayer, it's a beautiful prayer, a social communion. It's a communion for all the disenchanted people that are angry."

Larry died early this morning. The following was posted by Norman's brother Charles:

Hello everybody.

Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away at 2:45 Sunday morning. Kristin and I were with him, holding his hands and sitting in bed with him when his heart finally slowed to a stop. We spent this past week laughing, singing, and praying with him, and all the while he had us taking notes on new song ideas and instructions on how to continue his ministry and art …

Yesterday afternoon he knew he was going to go home to God very soon and he dictated the following message to you while his friend Allen Fleming typed these words into Larry's computer:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.

My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.

My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.

I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Larry

Larry Norman, "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus," (1972)

Bainbridge Cemetery: A Poem

In a rare moment of poetic inspiration, I wrote this after attending the funeral of Paul Ragan, the father of my friend Darrell Chatraw.

Bainbridge Cemetery
Spanish moss hung on mournful hearts,
Sunlight peeked through green pine needles.
Old family reunions,
New family introductions,
Folded flags,
Military salutes,
Loving laugher,
Smiling tears,
Stampering feet.
The book was opened under a blue tent.
Bainbridge cemetery—
Paul Ragan was buried there.
The end of a well-lived life.
The retelling of an ancient hope.
Eyes cannot see,
A heart cannot know,
Shuffling of feet cannot carry one
To the place where the breeze blows,
To the place where the faithful knows
Immortal hope
In the one to come
To Bainbridge cemetery.

In memory of Paul Ragan
May 12, 1921—February 11, 2008

Should a Christian listen to Bob Dylan?

I recently received an email from a Christian who read a blog I wrote about a Dylan song. He was previously a Dylan fan, but he stopped listening to Dylan after he became a Christian. He felt that his new found faith in Christ was incompatible with Dylan. Here is a portion of his email:

As I wrote in the posting, I stopped listening to Bob Dylan after attending one of his concerts in Melbourne, Australia, when he unfurled a banner with the eye of Horus emblazoned on it - which he uses as part of his logo. Because I am a Christian, I really wrestled with the issue of whether or not I should continue listening to his music, as I was a huge fan of his music and the nature of his lyrics, although there was a disturbing element to many of the songs in his "psychedelic" period. I was also uneasy about his recent allusions to "selling his soul to the Devil" or making a bargain with ?the Devil although he never said anything concrete about Satan. Once I looked up the meaning of his logo on the Internet I felt that he had taken a decisive step to link himself with Satan, and looking at his ambiguous comments in that light, it would appear that he is quite comfortable to joke around with the possibility of being Satanic, something which I fiind quite disturbing! I therefore deleted the hundreds of Dylan songs from my collection which was a very difficult thing to do, and have resolved not to listen to his music until he makes a statement denouncing his logo and any possible ties with Satan. I really would like to listen to his music but can no longer do so in good conscience. I am fully aware that God is the ultimate judge and this issue is ultimately between Bob Dylan and God; however, I wanted to e-mail you because you are a pastor and I thought it would be important to warn you that Bob Dylan may not be all that he seems (and that the spiritual nature of his music may not actually be related to Christianity, at all).

Would be interested to hear what you think,

CT

Here is my response:

CT,

Thanks for the email. I am about fourteen months into my Dylan journey. I have been familiar with Dylan's gospel albums for years, but I have only recently dove deeper in the Dylan universe. Your questions have got me thinking and reflecting on a Christians' take on Dylan. The most important question for us Dylan fans who are Christian is whether or not Dylan himself is a fellow believer in Christ. Before I get to that one, let me answer some of your other questions.

You wrote in your email:
I am a Christian and would be very uneasy about promoting Bob Dylan as an artist whose music is suitable for use in the church. In recent times, if anything, he seems to have more of an affinity with Satan...! This is illustrated by —

(a) His use of a satanic emblem, the eye of Horus, as part of his logo.

(b) His seeking to identify with Robert Johnson (the bluesman who according to legend sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for musical ability).

(c) Following on from point (b), Bob Dylan was interviewed by Ed Bradley for '60 Minutes' in 2005 and said that he continued to make music in order to hold up his end of a bargain that he made "with the chief commander...on this earth and the world we can't see".

Here is my response:

(a) Dylan's logo
You claim that the eye of Horus is a satanic emblem, when actually it is a Egyptian symbol. You could make the case that it is a pagan symbol and it certainly isn't a Christian symbol, but I wouldn't necessarily call it "satanic." Furthermore, while Dylan's logo resembles the eye of Horus it isn't the exact same symbol. Compare the two here:

The use of the eye is not only a pagan symbol, but has been used by Christians. Historically, the eye on top of the pyramid on the back of the one dollar bill has been interpreted as the "eye of providence." The Latin phrase "Annuit Coeptis" means "He approves our undertakings." William Barton, the artist appointed by congress to design the symbol originally used the phrase "Deo Favente Perrenis" –meaning "Enduring by the Favor of God." So the eye could also be a Christian symbol. Nevertheless, I wouldn't worry too much about symbols anyway. The meanings of symbols change from age to age and culture to culture. Have you noticed that the Scripture makes no clear statement on what are appropriate symbols for the Christian faith?

(b) His identification with Robert Johnson
I don't know if you can make a case that Dylan is trying to identify with anyone. He refuses to work on "Maggie's farm" and he refuses to be classified by genre, style, or popular influences. His music reveals an identification with folk, blues, country, and rock. In terms of artists, Dylan identified with Johnny Cash [video] who was a Christian. And if you are going to claim that Dylan sought to be identified with Robert Johnson, you have to also admit that Dylan also admired Blues singer Blind Willie McTell. Blind Willie became a preacher at the end of his life and would only sing spirituals [video].

(c) Dylan's bargin with the "commander-in-chief."

Here is the transcript from the end of Dylan's interview with Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes in 2004. [video]

Bradley: Why do you do it, why are you still out here?

Dylan: Well it goes back to the destiny thing. I made a bargin with it, you know, a long time ago, and I am holding up my end.

Bradley: What was your bargin?

Dylan: To get where I am now.

Bradley: Should I ask who you made the bargin with?

Dylan: (Laughs) With, you know, with the chief…the chief commander.

Bradley: On this earth?

Dylan: In this earth and the world we can't see.

I don't see anything here that makes this sound like a deal with the Devil. Dylan initially said he made a deal with "destiny." The "chief commander" could very well be God. Dylan had a powerful encounter with Jesus in 1979. Dylan refused to become a pious little church boy. He did call Jesus his hero in a 1987 concert in Boston. Before singing his gospel song "In the Garden," Dylan said, "I'm gonna sing a song about my hero. Everybody's got their own hero. I don't know who your hero is, maybe Mel Gibson . . . maybe for some people it's Michael Jackson . . . or Bruce Springsteen . . . Anyway I don't care nothing about none of those people. I have my own hero. I'm gonna sing about my hero now." [video]

So the big question is whether or not Dylan is still a Christian. Every religious, philosophical, and music lover wants to claim Dylan for their own. After reading Restless Pilgrim by Scott Marshall and Maria Ford, I became convinced that Dylan is a believer, but he will always be a mysterious one.

As a pastor, I do not incorporate Dylan into church life too often. I do quote from Dylan in my sermons from time to time, because after all Dylan is a poet. For me personally, my Dylan journey has been a part of my spiritual journey. Dylan has been influential in my thinking about God and life. My encouragement to you is to listen to your conscience. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you if listening to Dylan is acceptable or not. Romans 14:14 says, "Nothing is unclean in itself, but to him who it is a sin, it is a sin." If your conscience, empower by the Holy Spirit, will not let you listen to Dylan, then don't. If your conscience doesn't convict you then I would encourage you to listen Dylan and listen to him as a Christian. Listen to him through the filter of Scripture and Christian tradition.

In listening to Dylan as a Christian, this is a good opportunity to practice Reader Response Criticism, a popular postmodern kind of literary criticism. In reader response, the meaning of literature is created by the reader not the author. I don't suggest this for Bible reading, but for listening (and reading) Dylan it is perfectly acceptable.

For example, some people hear "Mr. Tambourine Man" and think that Bob is singing to his drug dealer, but for me when I here "Mr. Tambourine Man," I hear Dylan singing about Jesus. I am not saying that Dylan intended this to be a song about Jesus when he wrote it in 1965, but I hear it that way. And I don't think Dylan would I have a problem with it. When I hear "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" I hear a call to prayer. And on it goes…

I hope this helps!

Derek

Bonus: I didn't send this in my email, but here is a transcript of an interview, I heard recently where Dylan talks about God and art.

1981 Dylan Interview with David Herman, London, July 2, 1981

Dylan: Not to say though, that art is valueless. I think art can lead you to God.

Herman: It's that it's purpose?

Dylan: I think so. I think that's everything's purpose. I mean if it's not doing that it's leading you the other way. It's certainly not leading you nowhere. It's bringing you somewhere. It's bringing you that way or this way.

Herman: Well, if it expresses truth and beauty then it's leading you to God?

Dylan: Yeah? (laughs)

Herman: Well, wouldn't you say?

Dylan: If it's expressing truth I'd say it's leading you to God and beauty also.

Herman: I've always thought that those were the only two absolutes that there were.

Dylan: Well, beauty can be very *very* deceiving. It's not always of God.

Why I am participating in Lent

I am preparing for Lent, a 40-day season of prayer and fasting, but not today.

Today is not a fast day. Today is a feast day. All of the Sundays during Lent are feast days.

Today was a feast day, because it was Super Bowl Sunday. I just watched the NY Giants knock of the undefeated New England Patriots 17-14. Great game, the best Super Bowl since the Rams beat the Titans in 1999. I was cheering for the Giants all night. I typically don't like any sports teams from NY, but I was rooting for the Giants tonight. I wanted to see the Patriots lose. Congratulations to Eli Manning, who certainly stepped out of his brother's shadow and showed himself to be a real champion tonight.

My hat is off to Eli Manning tonight. They should now call Peyton, Eli's brother.

Now the big game is over. The feasting is coming to an end. Lent is before me.

Lent is a historic Christian tradition of prayer, fasting, confession, and repentance which begins on Ash Wednesday (February 6^th this year) and it ends on the Saturday before Easter, March 22^nd. It is a spiritual pathway that has been walked by millions of Christians for nearly two millennia.

To prepare our church for a lent, I have written a guide to Lent and fasting [here]. For some people I understand that it seems odd that I would lead our church into Lent. I mean after all we are non-denominational. We have contemporary music. We let people drink coffee in our sanctuary and I even wear blue jeans on Sunday morning for goodness sake. Why would we ever participate in such a liturgical tradition such as Lent?

My reasons are many. Let me briefly list some of my reasons.

I benefit from walking down a well-trodden path.
Lent is a spiritual pathway that has been walked by untold millions of Christians since the apostolic age (i.e. the third and fourth century AD). Lent grew out of the time of prayer and fasting required by baptism candidates, who were to be baptized on Easter Sunday. It is practiced traditionally by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Methodists. Lent is not merely a matter of "giving up something." Lent is an ancient pathway that puts people in a position where the Holy Spirit can change them. In walking this ancient path, I am going to spend time reading through the church fathers.

Next on the reading list is this book on the church fathers: Getting to Know the Church Fathers by Bryan Litfin.

I am also going to read the works of ten church fathers using this wonderful (and wonderfully free) devotion guide: Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan

I have given up on Christian fads.
The young, hip, contemporary, relevant-obsessed church is looking for the latest fad. I see Christians looking for the most marketable methods, techniques, programs, and tools to continually redesign the look and feel of the local church. I understand this, because I was once there. I went through a phase where I was trying to keep up with the newest, hottest, Christian fads…I jumped headlong into John Maxwell, The Prayer of Jabez, the "40 Days of Purpose," etc., thinking that these would push me forward in my spiritual journey. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these authors/books/events. They have each contributed to my spiritual life in a unique way. The problem has not been with them, but we me. I have looked to highly marketable tools and techniques thinking they will excel me in my spiritual journey. They haven't. They aren't bad, but they are junk food for the soul. I need to walk an ancient path to be the kind of leaders and men that I see in Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Augustine, Maximus the Confessor, Francis of Assisi, Thomas a Kempis, John Calvin, John Wesley, etc.

I am way too controlled by my passions.
Jenni and I were watching a reality-based TV show the other night. In it, a man was talking about how his daughter was living in a gay relationship. He talked about how the Bible says that is wrong and that he and the family has taken a stand and told her that her lifestyle choice is wrong and sinful. As the show continues, he reveals that he had an affair four years early and divorced his wife of twenty-some-odd years in order to move in with his girlfriend. When asked why he began the affair. He responded that with this new woman he "felt the fire" of romance in his heart. When he said that, I looked at Jenni and said, "This is why I am fasting." She looked at my puzzled and so I explained that the problem with this guy wasn't just his blatant hypocrisy, but the fact that he was controlled by his passions. I feel like that guys. No I have no interest in having an affair! I mean besides it being a sin, who has the time. No, I am controlled to much by my passions. I am embarrassed to admit that my prayer life is undisciplined. I want to walk closer with Jesus. I want to be in a place where the Holy Spirit can continue to deeply and powerful transform me into the image of Christ. This process makes God the Father happy.

Fasting is not a regular spiritual discipline for me.
I normally don't fast. I don't like to fast. Does anybody really like it? There I go again, listing to my desires and not my heart. In my heart, I want to be the kind of person that loves prayer and fasting. Prayer I am ok with, but I am not much of a fan of fasting. The forty days of Lent gives me a structure that gives me a lot of encouragement to keep up the fast. John Wesley fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays. That guy was a stud. I am not there yet. So I am leaning on the great crowd of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) and listening to their encouragement to fast. John 1:17 says that the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus. However, both of them came through fasting. Moses fasted for 40 days before the giving of the Law (Deut. 9) and Jesus fasted for 40 days before he began his public ministry. For me, I am fasting one, two, or three days during the six plus weeks of Lent. I will fast this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday and I will fast Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Easter. Traditionally, Christians don't fast on Sundays during Lent. Every Sunday is a feast day, a day to celebrate the resurrection.

Join us on this 40-day journey of prayer and fasting during Lent this year. Don't do it to try to impress God or others with your spirituality. Don't do it to lose weight. Do it to rightly offer your body as a living sacrifice to God the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

If you want more information on Lent and a guide for fasting go to www.cornerstoneamericus.com/lent.

I am listening to this song tonight. What a great call to fasting and prayer.

Lay It Down
Jennifer Knapp
Jennifer Knapp Live (2006)

seeing as i found a rock in my pocket
seeing as i found a glitch in my soul
make believe won't hide the truth
when judgment falls and it falls on you
bend a knee my friend, bend a knee

lay it down
say it's all my fault, all my fault
say i believe, i believe
lay it down
this the hour of my healing, of my healing, yeah

pride can break a man right down from iron
twist him 'round 'round and tatter up a soul
hand print of God on the small of my back
my second chance, my second chance
i'll bend a knee my friend,
i'll bend a knee

lay it down
say it's all my fault, all my fault
say i believe, i believe
lay it down
this the hour of my healing, of my healing, yeah

my heart, my heart redeemed
if it pleases You Love
if it pleases You Love
if it pleases You Love

lay it down
say it's all my fault, all my fault
say i believe, i believe
lay it down
this the hour of my healing, of my healing, yeah