Concord Hymn

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Photo: Kirk Heflin BY the rude bridge that arched the flood,  Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,  Here once the embattled farmers stood  And fired the shot heard round the world.  The foe long since in silence slept;  Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;  And Time the ruined bridge has swept  Down the dark stream which seaward creeps. On this green bank, by this soft stream,  We set to-day a votive stone;  That memory may their deed redeem,  When, like our sires, our sons are gone.  Spirit, that made those heroes dare  To die, and leave their children free,  Bid Time and Nature gently spare  The shaft we raise to them and thee. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) (The Battle of Concord was fought on April 19, 1775, the start of the American Revolutionary War)

Randy Stonehill on Holiness

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Yesterday at church we were blessed to have Randy Stonehill with us. He played some classic tunes, including the song he co-wrote with Keith Green, “Your Love Broke Through” (which I cried through in it’s near entirety). We could not help but notice smiles creep across the faces of some Emo kids as Randy played his set. Here is a challenging thought on Holiness from Randy (not direct a direct quote, but my notes on what he said):

“We have a tendency to go through life telling the Almighty, 'I love you and have a wonderful plan for your life.' God is not obligate or committed to our happiness and this is frustrating for us. He is actually passionate that we understand that HE is THE LIFE—God is more committed to our holiness than our happiness. Happiness is the dream of desperate men. Holiness is the journey of people who are desperate about what’s on God’s heart.”

A flashback from Randy for you to enjoy:



Sunday night we received some great apologetic training from Charlie Campbell (via DVD) at Always Be Ready on the New Age Movement. I like the organization of Charlie’s presentations and strongly recommend you bookmark his page and/or resources.

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