Tomorrow morning we are taking off on the middle school choir tour. As every year I have made a bible study book for this tour and as a challenge I have asked the student to memorize part of the tour passage (Isaiah 55-56). If they do we are going to go see the movie “Up” the Saturday after we return. Assuming the times are similar we will go to the 11:30 showing at the Regal.

 I will try to post pictures and the days bible study every night (late, beginning Sunday). So be sure to check back… here is the Bible Study introduction. It is built around the passage and the art of Clark DeLoach (see below). I asked for choas leading into clapping trees and this is what exploded out of his mind!

Introduction…

Spring-who… ~ In college I was in the dorm watching a movie with a group of friends and while the movie was far from Christian I began to feel the Spirit’s conviction. Sitting there I realized I could be the person committing the evil acts, I could be the bad guy. I could be the violent, the racist, the liar, the… Though I always viewed myself as good, there in front of a DVD, I joined with Paul and declared myself to be the worst of sinners.

  God reigns over ALL, not just the space inside the church walls. So we should not just expect to find Him on Sunday and Wednesday. Instead we should be watching every day and in every place for His movements!

  I recently read an article in the NY Times lamenting the workload on Kindergarteners (click here for article). Even outside of class homework cuts into their free time. But studies again and again have proven that the work of a child should be play! [Random: no study has proven any value from homework until MS—too bad for you, but I can hear the songs of joy from the 4th graders!]

  Playing, for a child, is central to developing social, physiological, and emotional skills (along with intellectual—as any game requires knowledge). And as a child plays they learn to unleash their imagination. With homework we learn to memorize humanity’s knowledge, but the call of God is beyond knowledge. This call can not be attained without imagination, not in a pretend sense, as though it is not reality. Instead God is calling us to envision His Reality. To envision the life He created for us (take MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, he imagined a new reality)! Of course this life has only been lived perfectly once, so we must imagine. Imagine life if God’s Kingdom ruled over the world. Even in our world with movies and fast food and Wal-Mart… even with Springsteen!

How did I come to Bruce Springsteen? Admittedly I am not a major fan (Greg even had to give me a list of his songs), but when I was looking up the meaning to Asifiwe Boswana, I found that it is literally translated “Praise the Big Boss”. This was a great title for our tour, and when I mentioned it to others they all responded, “Springsteen?” Of course I just stared dumbly until someone told me he was nicknamed “The Boss”. And that seemed perfect for our tour, perfect for a faith that is not learned, but lived!