Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Capitol Record’s WOW Worship release, WOW Christmas, is a 2 compact disk collection of “30 top Christian artists and holiday songs.” The songs are a mixture of religious and secular tunes all performed by Christian artists. All the songs have a Christmas theme. The musical styles range from contemporary pop, to country, to rap.  The artists include Casting Crowns, Sidewalk Prophets, Matthew West, Hillsong, Mandisa, Third Day, and Amy Grant.

Some may object that not all the songs are specifically  Christian. They include “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Jingle Bells.” The thing to remember is that all the artists are Christian. Their work is done “as to the Lord.”

Whether you are a lawyer, deliver dairy products, are a professional athlete, install carpet, perform lawn care, write magazine articles, are a soldier, drive a truck, are a hospital venipuncturist, grow potatoes, are a florist, or engage in any other legitimate occupation, the following words of Scripture apply to you. For the Christian there is no secular. We belong to God and all of our activities should be performed for His glory; “as to the Lord.”

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Colossians 3:23,24, NASB

“With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.” Ephesians 6:7-8, NASB

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

WOW Christmas WD2-888766

Female Images of God: El-Shaddai

Star Trek (The Original Series) was a science fiction television program which was ambivalent, if not overtly hostile, towards religion.  It reflected the attitudes of its creator, Gene Roddenberry, who as an adult rejected his Southern Baptist roots.

Actor Leonard Nimoy, who is Jewish, introduced some aspects of religion to the program.  These included the Vulcan Salute and the Vulcan Salutations, "Live long and prosper" and its response "Peace and long life." 

The salutations reflect the Hebrew greeting, "Shalom aleichem" ("Peace be upon you") and its response  "Aleichem shalom" ("upon you be peace").

The Vulcan Salute reflects the hand positions used in the Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing).  The positioning of the fingers reflects the Hebrew letter sim/shim, the first letter of the word "shaddai."

ש

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1 "I am El-Shaddai."

El-Shaddai is often translated as "Almighty God" because the translators of the Septuagint believed that it came from the word "shadad," which means "to overpower."  Some now say that it actually comes from "shad," meaning "breast," carrying the idea of sufficiency and nurturing.  So, instead of "God Almighty," this name would mean "All-Sufficient/Nurturing God."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spock_vulcan-salute.png  (Use rationale for this image)

Links;
The Vulcan Salute

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Vulcan_salute

The Jewish Origin of the Vulcan Salute

http://upstel.net/~rooster/v-salute.html

Amy Grant El-Shaddai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydd4XTIDzF0

Hebrew Names of God

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/El/el.html

El-Shaddai

http://www.parentcompany.com/awareness_of_god/nog6.htm