Lenten Musings -23

Occasionally, I lead the music at my church. This weekend would be one of those occasions. Tonight we had practice. For several reasons, I was kinda grumpy and didn't really want to be there. I also struggle sometimes with knowing if I really fit in. I've noticed that people tend to give me a lot of compliments when I lead worship. I thought maybe it's because I do a good job and people respond well when I lead. But the thought occurred to me one day, "Maybe I get those compliments because I come across as needing to be encouraged?" I tend to be a little introverted, and maybe I appear unsure of myself. Perhaps people feel I need the encouragement. Other positions don't get as much limelight. I'm really thankful for my kids' Sunday School teachers. They are awesome, but I never get to see them in action and I never think to compliment them. Perhaps I will next time I see them. I appreciate the nursery people, too, because they have to put up with a lot of crying children and I'm not sure how well I would handle that. Anyway, on with the show.

John 7
I Jesus' day, there were a lot of ideas about what the Messiah would be like, where He would come from, what He would do, etc. When Jesus started doing the things He did, it confused people. He didn't fit what they expected the Messiah to be like, yet they had to admit (as in John 7:31), “Whenever the Christ comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” He may not have fit the mold, but certainly there was something special about Him. It's interesting, the layers of conflict you detect in people. The Jewish leaders were completely put off by Him, so much so that they sought to kill Him. Some of the people believed in Him gladly, while others knew all of the reasons why this guy couldn't be the Messiah. Those who were able to see past what Jesus was suppose to be like and see how He really was, were able to believe in Him.
It makes me think of modern eschatology (end times stuff). People have built up all of these systematic doctrines about the rapture and the end times. In some cases, these bits of doctrine are held very firmly, and those that disagree are considered heretics, or at least gravely mistaken. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins have made a killing with their lame "Left Behind" series. To be fair, I haven't read the books, but I did work at the place that printed them, and as I was quality controlling the pages, or cleaning the printing plates, what I did get to read was, um, drivel. Drivel is OK, I watch all sorts of movies that are drivel, but I don't take them seriously. I think in the end, some people may have trouble reconciling their eschatology with what's actually going on around them, just like many of the Jews had trouble with Jesus.