This Is Your Life

Today in church we were learning about Paul and his life changing experience on the road to Damascus. The pastor mentioned how many people don't experience such a life altering event like Paul did, completely and instantly changing the direction of one's life...some would say "doing a 180."  You see, Paul was a persecutor of Christians, he supported the killing of Jesus' followers!  And after this "Damascus Road" experience he instantly became a Christian Leader, a disciple of Jesus, and his subsequent missions led to the widespread communication of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We are not all called to be world traveling missionaries for God, but we all do have a purpose in God's Kingdom.  Over time there are moments in our lives that we may choose to evaluate whether we are serving that purpose. Sometimes it's so hard to know what our purpose is!  I believe that our purpose in God's Kingdom can change over time as we go through different phases of our lives.

So this week's song is an oldie from 2004..."This Is Your Life," by Switchfoot.  This song always is a reminder to me to make sure that I am going in the right direction, and a call to action to adjust my path if I'm not.

One of the phrases I like the most in this song is "yesterday is dead and over."  Like Paul, it is possible to totally abandon our past sins, our mistakes and move forward in a new direction.

As I listen to this song, I would add one thing...not only "are you who you want to be?" but also, "are you who God wants you to be?"  To know that, we really do need to do some listening to understand what our path should be.  This is something that I really struggle with.  Sometimes I wish God would just talk to me in a loud clear voice like He did with Paul, come to me in a dream or something, give me a clear sign.  I can only conclude that the journey of discovering our purpose though our own trials and the subtle nudges of our Heavenly Father may prove to be more meaningful and rewarding than if we were just handed the answers on a silver platter.

I pray that you will come to know your purpose, if you don't already, and that you will stay on the right path, making corrections along the way.  I hope that you are working towards being the person that you want to be and that God wants you to be.   I know many of you are on this road, this journey of faith with me, not having all the answers...it feels great to have travel buddies.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Phillipians 2:13

Where I Belong

Alright, I'm still on a Switchfoot kick...so one more song by Switchfoot this week called, "Where I Belong." This was a new song to me at the Concert, it's the last song on their new album Vice Verses.  They played this song for one of the encores that night.  Jon Foreman introduced it by saying that though he hopes this doesn't happen for a really long time, he wants this to be the last song that the band plays in their final performance. 

Several thoughts come to mind when I hear this song.  First, I realized that I don't know much about Babylon.

Until I die I'll sing these songs, on the shores of Babylon....

What do they mean by that?  Babylon has a very long and complex history, and is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, initially in the Genesis 11 story where the people of earth were building a tower to heaven and God decided to confound the language and scatter people throughout the earth.   Babylon became the greatest city in the ancient world back in the time period around 600 years before Christ.  If I were to attempt to summarize it's history in one sentence...Babylon was the greatest city in the world and eventually fell to abandoned ruins.

So you could interpret this line in the song, singing from the shores of Babylon, as a comparison between Babylon and the modern world....what greatness we have achieved, but over time that greatness is slipping away.

What drew my attention to this song initially are the words:

I wanna see the earth start shaking
I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside

I just think that these words speak to the mission that Switchfoot is on.  Kids are drawn to their songs for the great music, but then when they learn the words, they may eventually wake up to the meaning and start thinking about their existence, their Creator, what happens after this life, etc..

Overall, I think this is a song that reminds us of the temporary nature of this life, and that we have yet to find our real "home."  And when that day eventually comes, I pray that we will be able to see God face-to-face and know that we are finally home, where we belong.

And on the final day I die
I want to hold my head up high
I want to tell You that I tried
To live it like a song

And when I reach the other side
I want to look You in the eye
And know that I've arrived
In a world where I belong

May you have a week filled with blessings and a mindset bringing you closer to God, bringing Him glory.  God Bless!

Restless

As promised this week's song is by Switchfoot.  Did you ever notice how after you go to a concert, the people you went to see become your new favorite band because you feel like you know them better?  That has made this week's song choice the hardest ever.  Should I choose an older song or a less popular song from their new album so that you'll here something less current? Or should I go for an obvious choice, one of their current hits?  After days and days of debating in my brain, I finally settled for the obvious choice, Restless...perhaps their most frequently played song in recent weeks.  I just can't get over how poetic this song is...and again there is a UK connection. 

Not only did I get to see them perform this song in the UK last week, this song was written in the UK, last year I've heard.  When the band visited the UK, they of course experienced the rain that frequents this island.  Jon Foreman, the lead singer, looked at the rain and thought about the tenacity that each drop must have to find its way to the ground,  to the stream, to the river and ultimately to the ocean.  That got him thinking about things that he longs for in this life, things that he is "restless" for.

The interesting thing that I find about Switchfoot is that they never mention God or Jesus in any of their songs.  But He is definitely implied in almost every single one.  Their songs really make you think, you can relate to the words and there is always a positive message. 

What are you restless about?  For me, this song is about the restlessness to know God, to meet God, to see God in the world around us. I am restless for knowledge, wishing for answers to so many questions that still exist about God, heaven, life.  Restless to hear God's voice clearly, to feel His presence, His guidance...

There are lots of really interesting lyrics in this song...I like it when he relates this restlessness to a thirst:

I am the dried up doubting eyes, looking for the well that won't run dry

This makes me think of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, whom Jesus tells

whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

John 4:14

And then later in the song, when he meets God,

Where tide and tear and pain subside, and laughter drinks them dry

Isn't that a wonderful image for Heaven, all the pain and sadness are gone and replaced with laughter?

But I think my favorite words in the whole song are at the end when he sings:

I'll be waiting, Anticipating
All that I aim for, What I was made for

So we can be restless for our Lord, waiting for him anxiously....but in that pursuit we can find our purpose that God intended for us.  And for many people, including myself, that purpose still remains a mystery.  What was I made for, God?  Am I on the right path?  I believe that this restlessness, though uncomfortable, will lead us to do great things for God, for people, and the world, and therefore help us find and fulfill our purpose. 

To give you a little bit of the "concert" feel, I've included Switchfoot's official music video below. You'll be able to see the emotion in Jon Foreman as he sings, and get glimpses of what their performances are like.

May you recognize what you are restless about and use that feeling to do something wonderful.  I pray that we will all enjoy an end to our restlessness as we discover God's presence in this world and eventually get to meet Him face-to-face on day.

Switchfoot Band in the UK

I know there are a few readers on this blog from the UK so I thought I'd spread the word that there is a band called Switchfoot that is coming to the UK this week.  Switchfoot is a band that has been marketed in both the Christian and Mainstream markets, so you won't find much mention of Jesus in their songs, but they are definitely a Christian band if you listen to the words of their songs.  This band can sometimes be a little bit "heavier" than what I usually listen to, but still they have lots of songs that I know and love.  On Wednesday, the 9th of November, they will be in Birmingham, and I'm going! 

I believe you can still get tickets form Birmingham at the following website:
http://www.hmvtickets.com/events/4242

Some of their other shows in the UK have sold out, so you may want to hurry your decision.

If you are one of my friends here in Derby, and you need a ride, contact me and we'll fit you into our car.

For everyone else....it's a good bet that next week's song will be by Switchfoot.  If you'd like to learn more about them, below is a link to a mix of their videos on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOTcr9wKC-o&feature=BFa&list=AVGxdCwVVULXc3NmK31OLu-QWvgpQkTfVE&lf=list_related