"Recollections" #1

Fifty one years ago today in the early morning, my Dad and Mom drove me to the Greyhound bus station in Paducah, Ky to begin an exciting and a little scary new adventure. I had just turned 19. My maternal grandfather, Sid Darnall, wasn't real happy with my decision to join the US Navy. He suggested that what I really needed was a new car to drive back to school and offered to buy me whatever I wanted if I would continue my college education. But, after long discussion with my Dad who told me, "I understand", I just couldn't face school any longer and had to get out from under the somewhat suffocating environment of Marshall County, Ky.
We arrived in Louisville in late afternoon and a Navy bus transported 9 of us to the State Induction Center. After two days of being stuck, probed and tested and finally pronounced healthy and fit, I boarded another bus to Chicago and finally arrived in the very early morning hours at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.
At 5:00 that same morning we were awakened to march to the chow hall in below freezing temps, me in a light short sleeved cotton shirt, my chinos and loafers. We had to stand outside for what seemed like an eternity in the cold, frosty morning, but by the time I got inside the warm chow hall I was ready for anything they had prepared for our breakfast. Or so I thought.
I had never eaten navy baked beans, corned beef hash and boiled eggs for breakfast but as I sat there with all those other guys the realization hit me hard that I could not put my feet under my Mom's table for a long time. I tried to concentrate on the fact that I was not the first guy who had ever sat in the very seat where I was sitting. So, I made up my mind that if all those who preceded me there could make it, I could too. And I did.
David wrote - "Show me your ways O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and my Savior, and my hope is in you all the day long." Psalm 25:4-5 NIV
That cold morning just outside Chicago, I had no real perception of the strong truth of David's statement. The faith I possessed then was pretty much my family's faith, which isn't a bad thing. Over the next four years however, I would gradually build my own faith and learn to listen to my Father's guidance as he did for me what David asked of him.
So, for the next few weeks or months or whatever, I invite you along on this journey of recollection, a journey from youthful ignorance to a place of mature surrender to the love of God. In fact, it may only be a repeat of your own journey. But, I pray it may bless each of you in some small way. HALLELUJAH!

"I WILL FOLLOW YOU BUT............"

"Are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER of Jesus?" Recently, this question was put in front of a group of Christians during a Bible study I was part of. I guess I had never really given something like that much thought but during this study session was challenged to consider it. The leader of this discussion wanted all of us to give some serious thought to whether we are truly "walking with Jesus" or just going through the motions of a spiritual life that mindlessly repeats a traditional past.
When you really think about it, Jesus didn't come here to create some kind of "holy fan club", he never seemed to care whether people liked him or not. He wasn't into the 'how to win friends and influence people' type of leadership. He simply pointed men to the Father and made God known in a 'knowable' way.
Reading Luke 9 is a sort of summary about being Jesus' disciple. Unlike the Rabbis of his day, Jesus didn't just call the 'best of the best' to follow him, he invited ANYONE to be his disciple. But, he said to those of us who have that desire, "he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23
During the class session I mentioned above, our discussion leader posed three additional questions that get to the heart of the matter: (1) Why am I a Christian? (2) Am I all in? (3) Have I made it my own? We spent considerable time in this discussion group because when viewed in the light of Jesus' expectations, most of us probably fail to take our 'Christianity' that seriously.
I think there is a sense in which a serious disciple is both a "fan" and a "follower" of Jesus. Maybe we begin that journey as a "fan", one who admires, likes, appreciates Jesus, but along the way we either see ourselves actually becoming more like him in our thinking and actions, or we step off that path and our spiritual life becomes like an unused muscle, paralyzed by fear or social pressure.
At the end of Luke 9, he tells us about three people Jesus called to follow him but they turned out to be more of a fan than a follower. "I will follow you, BUT...." is never acceptable. Jesus said so in no uncertain terms.
So, am I a "FAN" or a "FOLLOWER?" I am grateful to Charley Bazzell for challenging my faith and my heart to ask some hard questions. I definitely am a fan of Jesus and I'm always seeking to improve on being a follower.

SO WHAT IS THIS HALLELUJAH CHORUS?

For several months I have read a bunch of blogs, some a little more regularly than others, because I had decided I wanted to jump into this conversation community. So, I have looked at all kinds of options re design, content, posting frequency, etc. But the thing I had the most conflict over was what to call my blog. I knew exactly what I want to say and will get to that as I progress on this new journey, but what to name this newborn was important because that name will serve as its identity, at least for now.
At the beginning of this year I had decided that 2010 will be my year of HALLELUJAH! I am currently keeping a daily journal of my wanderings through the Psalms of David and he is challenging me to see more "hallelujah" than "uh oh!" in my relationship with God. I desperately want to get to know God the way David knew Him and am learning to worship God every day, which is sort of a new concept of worship for me. I end every journal entry with a HALLELUJAH! to my Father for who He is and what He does. The HALLELUJAH CHORUS is my way of reaching out to anyone else who wants to join me on this new journey to a special place with God.
I expect to write a short word of daily praise to Yahweh and include a bit of encouragement to my fellow travelers. If I get too wordy or preachy, please let me know because sometimes I think I am still writing a book.
You're welcome to come along and share your thoughts as we go, just please lets keep it real.