I'm still hungry

A second post today. Warning: this one's a bit of a rant.

First the good news: after 4 or 5 days of work (it's been so long I don't remember) the new leaf springs are installed. What a headache! I had grief at almost every step, had to get additional parts from a local spring shop, and used some less than authorized techniques. (Think: 2 lb. sledge.) But the springs are IN, and tomorrow I'll back Sally out of the garage, take her for a drive, and see if she sits better.

It's been a bit stressful around here lately. Nothing near the scale of valued friends fighting cancer or struggling with spouses battling mental illness, but burdens nonetheless. The press of tasks, travel, time and financial management, and stubborn colds are making life feel heavy. So I was looking forward to church even more than usual, anticipating meaningful worship and the spiritual nutrition that comes from the Word of God delivered clearly and with a call to response. I really wanted, yea, needed the refreshment that comes from a good Sunday morning service that includes true worship and the proclamation of God's Word.

Didn't happen.

Here are the lyrics of the first verse of one of the songs we sang: (others were more of the same)
It's falling from the clouds,
A strange and lovely sound,
I hear it in the thunder and the rain.
It's ringing in the skies,
Like cannons in the night,
The music of the universe plays.
Do you have any idea what that's about?? Or what any one line means? What does a cannon in the night sound like? Is it different from a cannon at noon? Has the author ever even heard a cannon...at any time of day?
OK, you might be thinking, "This is a lead in to the chorus where it makes sense." You'd be wrong.
Singing You are holy, great and mighty,
The moon and the stars declare who you are.
I'm so unworthy and still you love me,
Forever my heart will sing of how great you are.
That I can make sense of, but cannot see any connection between the verse and the chorus. Subsequent verses were equally nonsensical. I suspect the lyricist set out to write something poetic, full of stirring metaphors, with no commitment to having any of those metaphors make sense. As long as they sound impressive go with it!

Paul said, "I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding" (1 Cor. 14:15).
The metric of contemporary worship music seems to be the degree to which it stirs the emotions, never mind any coherent (or biblical) thought.
Try this: Google the word worship, then click images.
I rest my case.

Note: the song's second verse is as shallow as the first, which is not to say it wasn't deeply moving to many of those attending and singing this morning. The other six songs were of the same ilk.

After the music came the message. I wondered how that would go when I learned we had a guest preacher. Brett can be depended upon to preach an expository sermon (with rare exceptions) that is, always biblical. Thus saith the Lord, and here's how we should respond to it.

No need for the Bible this morning. This middle age Arab man originally from Saudi Arabia has a ministry to Muslims that apparently takes him to various places around the world. He talked to us about barriers to effective ministry and how they can be overcome. He quoted several passages during his sermon to support his point(s) which I looked up as he spoke as a means of staying awake. But those were references in passing, which doesn't make it a biblical sermon. He used the Bible, he didn't preach from it. He preached from his experiences and opinions.

Thus saith the Lord? Not so much, (Not at all.) I was hungry for God's Word going in and hungry coming out.

It probably shouldn't bother me this much. I've certainly been to plenty of other services that disappointed. But I needed a good meal this morning to an unusual degree. And a wasted worship service especially irritates this old pastor.

[BTW, the guy said no one should ever retire from ministry, and to do so was a denial of God's call.)

An unrelated observation from this morning's worship service: Eugene's first 80 degree day shows us that too many young women haven't learned the lesson of modesty taught throughout Scripture. If you're constantly tugging at your hem because you're concerned about coverage maybe the solution is less tugging and more fabric. Same thing above the waist.