Imagery or Idolatry?

"While communicating the truth verbally through spoken word and music, we carry a passion to engage our God-given senses. We desire to worship with an emphasis on the symbolism and imagery that garnishes the heritage of our faith… we never want to forget."
-An Emerging Church Website

"because of their deep spiritual hunger, postmodern people are refusing false dichotomies and flawed choices in worship. instead, they are seeking worship that is "deep, broad, and high," or as leonard sweet describes the postmodern ethos, worship that is "E.P.I.C" (experiential, participatory, image centered and connected)."
-Another Emerging Site

***Did they say "Image Centered"? I thought worship is supposed to be "God centered".

“Whatever we may think of religious art from a cultural standpoint, we should not look to pictures of God to show us His glory and move us to worship; for His glory is precisely what such pictures can never show us.”
-An Old School Theologian

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
-Exodus 20:4-6

***I think that there are questions that we need to be asking in our effort to worship God with passion and freedom. How is God worshipped? Have we crossed a line? What is the line?

To Build or Not to Build

That is the question that was asked me this morning. What is my vision for building a new High School Facility? Because "money follows vision." Andy Stanley said that, or at least that was what I was told. Can I picture the mobs of students that will come to Christ at the concerts and overnights? Can I give them a projected number?

I humbly requested that we might use the same money to free up people to to minister to students. We pay nothing currently for the homes that we meet in on Wednesday nights. It's crazy, people in the church just offer their homes for us to use, some even make dinner for us. But we want to build a place that High School student can call "home." Is there really any replacement for actually meeting in people's homes, sitting in their living rooms and singing in their hallways? Is their any better way to communicate that the church is not a building but that we are the people of God wherever we meet?

Your Church

I came to my office this morning and found a magazine in my box called, "your church." Subtitle, "Helping You with the Business of Ministry Since 1955." Is that when this all this crap started started, 1955? This particular issue has "Articles on Time Management, Electronic Giving, Stage Lighting, and other helpful topics." Where is the magazine with articles on "Worship, Sacrificial Giving, The Illumination of the Holy Spirit and other Soul Searching Topics." Needless to say I filed my "Annual Guide to Church Products and Services" appropriately.