Posted by Patrick Corkum on April 30, 2010
I am sitting in the General Session this morning, typing this blog post as people all around me are standing, clapping, kneeling, raising hands and all kinds of stuff. Now don’t get me wrong, I love to stand and sing (my wife would probably not call it singing), clap, and all that stuff like the person next to me. What I don’t particularly like is when someone tells me to go putting my hands on someone else. Okay, so why do I not like it and why do I not like this so-called “spirituality”? Well, a couple reasons.
First, it is an emotional in-the-moment kind of false “spiritual high”. I am not saying that God doesn’t meet you there, but I AM saying that he doesn’t need singing and hand-raising to meet us, he wants holiness. He is the God that draws near, but he requires us to be holy. He makes us holy and it’s not when we’re raising our hands, singing. If people want to praise God that way, I have no issue with it. Just reflect as to why you do it.
Secondly, it creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for others. Now, I think most Christians that are not into the whole thing are going to just get over it and think that you are weird. Those that are used to it are just going to not even realize that not everyone else does this kind of thing. However, what about the non-believer who has never experienced this and has showed up to see what this is all about. What are they going to think? I know what I would think…. “they’re crazy! Why would I ever want to be doing this stupid stuff? These people freak me out. If I don’t do what they do, which I am not going to,because it is awkward for me, I’m am going to be judged and looked down to as ‘not spiritual’” Why do I say this? Because it is what I think. I just get over it, because I know better and am more accepting of other people’s culture. But what those who aren’t like me in that way?
Now, I know that some people are not going to agree and may take it personally. Please don’t, I am not attacking anyone. I would love your comments, just please don’t be inflammatory.
Anyway, I really have enjoyed the music here. Peder Eide has a really nice sound and some awesome music. He also has a great sense of humor. I can’t wait for the rest of the day!
Posted by Patrick Corkum on April 17, 2010
Okay, I am going to be a bit more serious in this post for a change. There has been a significant amount of news and discussion around this family who took their adopted child and sent him on a plane with a one-way ticket back to Russia. People are so quick to judge this family and their action. Did they do the right thing? Absolutely not! I cannot condone what they did. However, who was providing them with the needed support?
We in the US are horrible at this thing called community. It is indeed true that it takes a community to raise a child. It is especially true when the child has been adopted and even MORE so if the child was not an infant when adopted. However, in the US, we are a “strong”, “independent” people that cannot show weakness or request help from others. This is just pure hogwash. We are no different than anyone else; we need other people. There are not enough people supporting adoptive parents. I know first hand that raising an adopted child that was not an infant when adopted is hard. It has been much harder than raising my biological children.
The Church needs to step in and support these families. If we as a Church do not step in and support these families with whatever it is that they need, meals, counseling, an ear, anything, then we are as much to blame for these kind of events as the family. We need to stop complaining and step up and make a change. We cannot simply hope that somebody else is going to take action. YOU must take the action and help. And if you need help helping, Melissa, myself, and several others are here to help you!
Via con Dios!
Posted by Patrick Corkum on April 1, 2010
Last year, at church, we decided to do a Seder dinner at church. A Seder dinner is the traditional Passover meal celebrated in Jewish households. What astonishes me is that the Christian church generally does not celebrate this. For the life of me, I just cannot understand why we don’t celebrate the Angel of Death passing over us. Jesus certainly celebrated the Passover. Although there are some who are uncertain, the consensus is that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Seder dinner. This is where he broke bread (Matza) and passed the cup (wine, not grape juice) saying this is my body, eat; and this is my blood, drink. Unfortunately, this year, we are not doing it at home. However, next year will begin an annual celebration for us of a Christian Seder at home on Passover. Experience it once and you too may want to start this long-practiced tradition in your home.
Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheynu Melekh haolam
<Blessed are you Lord, our God, Ruler of the Universe>
Posted by Patrick Corkum on March 31, 2010
I cannot, by any means, do justice to the topic of orphan care in the church in this post. I just want to ask people a couple simple questions:
1) Is it the church’s responsibility to take care of orphans?
2) If yes, who in the church? If no, who should be caring for the 143,000,000 orphans?
3) Is the group that should be taking care of orphans doing a good job with it?
I had the pleasure of checking out the following post: http://danyacoviello.blogspot.com/2010/03/10-ways-to-orphan-orphan-care-in-church.html
Also, check out our website: www.graftedfamilies.com. We have a lot of work to put into it, but it is there.
Posted by Patrick Corkum on March 27, 2010
In American society, we are bent on being entertained. It seems as if though we won’t do anything if it is not entertaining to us or in some way leads us to entertainment. It seems to be so much the case, that it has found its way into mainstream Christianity as the norm. I am not saying that there is not a place for it, but it seems to have proliferated to all aspects of the church. The church uses entertainment for all kinds of purposes. People don’t seem to want to go to church unless the “entertainment” factor is good. It is almost as if the measure of a church is how good the band is or how well the pastor preaches. In most Protestant churches, kids get seperated from their parents because the entertainment isn’t geared to them in the “main” service, so they are shuffled off to Sunday School. I dare someone to point to a Middle School or High School ministry that doesn’t have entertainment as a primary focus of reaching and keeping kids coming. This seems also to be one of the primary methods of evangelism <a big word for telling non-believers the Good News (gospel)>.
So, here’s my question. <drum roll please>. Are we okay with this? Is this the what Christianity is about? Is it about God entertaining us? Or, rather, is it about the holiness and awesomeness of God? Are we focusing on the right thing (i.e. what we get out of it)? What do you think?