Concert in the Church
My church had the King's Brass do the Sunday morning worship service. The King's Brass is a talented group of Christian musicians who put on an entertaining show. It should have been an enjoyable concert but it just felt all wrong to me.

When I walked into the narthex there was a table with King's Brass tee-shirts, books, and CDs for sale. I don’t like to see anything for sale inside a church. One of the few times Jesus got very angry, it was about people selling religious items in the Lord's house. Why would we think He feels differently now?

Then for some reason the congregation decided it was necessary to applaud after each number. This was supposed to be a service to worship the Lord with music. It was not supposed to be a performance for the glory of the King's Brass. Or was it?

I left the service feeling like I had not worshiped and I had not been taught. The whole thing did not feel right. I wished I had stayed home and slept in.

Some Good Reading
Usually I watch a blog for several months before adding it to my sidebar. Cliff Between the Lines is different. Even though I read Cliff Between the Lines for the first time this week, I want to share it right now with my cyber friends. It oozes excellence, intelligence, thoughtfulness, and consistent good writing. Check it out.