McCain

John McCain was never my first choice for Republican nominee. I didn't like a lot about him. But not long ago, I read a speech by a trusted Congressman (suprisingly not an oxy-moron in this case!) that gave me hope. And by hope, I mean what that word used to mean before the Obama Dictionary came out, in which it is defined as "....................". For real! Look it up yourself! I guarantee you will find an empty space in his dictionary.

Congressman Mike Pence gave a speech earlier this year in South Carolina at the Silver Elephant Dinner. I highly recommend the whole speech, which you can read here.

The following is the excerpt that gave me a new respect for John McCain:

"...it was a moment in Iraq last year, traveling with Senator McCain and with Senator Lindsey Graham, that convinces me that Republican voters have chosen the right man at the right time to lead this nation.

It was spring of 2007. We were at the Marine Corps base in Ramadi, Iraq. We’d been escorted to a small room to meet with Sunni Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, founder of the Anbar Awakening Movement that transformed the Anbar Province and all of Iraq from hostility to U.S. forces to extraordinary cooperation that continues to this day. He was a man who would soon be assassinated by his own bodyguards.

The Sheik entered in flowing robes, a man about my age, with intense eyes and a manner both regal and humble at the same time. He greeted us one by one. He lowered his head and took my hand, telling me through his interpreter, “It is an honor to meet you.” Then he grasped Lindsey’s hand, telling him the same: “It is an honor to meet you.”

Then he moved to John McCain. The Sheik bowed deeply, then took both of Senator McCain’s hands in his. “It is a special privilege to meet you, Senator McCain,” and then, alluding to McCain's record as a Navy airman, P.O.W. and upbringing as the son and the grandson of 4-Star Admirals in the Navy, he said. “We know of you and your warrior past and of we know of your proud family of warriors and we respect you".

In that moment, it became clear to me that Senator McCain possessed a currency in this part of the world that transcended titles and position; a currency of immeasurable value that cannot be underestimated and cannot be manufactured.

And this currency could save American lives."

Worship

I feel very inadequate to write about this subject .It encompasses something larger than I’ll ever be able to comprehend while I’m still in this world. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to share what little bits I AM learning.

In his book Whatever Happened to Worship, A. W. Tozer makes an interesting observation: “…when man falls on his knees and stretches out his hands and says, “Our Father which art in heaven,” he is doing what seems natural to him.” Tozer also states “The fact is that God made us to worship Him, and if we had not fallen with Adam and Eve, worship would have been the most natural thing for us.” After pondering his statements, I am realizing that worship does comes naturally to man, but our sin nature causes us to worship anything BUT God until we are reconciled to Him.

I believe that worship is not only natural to us, it is also one of the most enjoyable experiences we can have. That statement might strike you as odd, but let me give an example. I love classical music. I naturally tend to ‘worship’ the great artists who have mastered an instrument. I watch them play with a sense of awe that makes me feel like a worm, and I scrutinize their technique with the hope of being able to imitate their greatness. Whenever I get to meet one of my favorite artists, I get a huge rush of excitement and happiness and energy! I love to talk about the experience, and later on, the memory still makes me grin from ear to ear. And this is only a human we’re talking about here!

My dad gave a sermon about heaven this morning using Isaiah 6. He made the point that worship is not all about us. A lot of the talk about heaven gives the idea of mansions, banquets, beautiful scenery, and reunions with friends. While all of this might be true, the focus seems to be on what will give US pleasure, and that is only a very small part of what heaven is about according to Isaiah 6. Worship and adoration of God will be the central theme of our heavenly experience. This was hard for me to accept until I understood how enjoyable and natural worship is for us. If we take so much pleasure in meeting those whom we worship here on earth, think about the joy, excitement, and energy we will experience when we get to meet God face-to-face!

I can think of no more perfect happiness than to worship the Perfect One.