« Missions Update | Main | HELLO, WERE YOU BORN IN A BARN?!? »
December 17, 2004
So much for "The Glory of Christmas"...
The conductor of the Crystal Cathedral's unionized house orchestra killed himself at the church after a 9-hour standoff. (In the interest of full disclosure I have to mention that my grandparents go to the Crystal Cathedral, a fact which has embarrassed me for a long time.) The standoff began less than two hours before the scheduled start of their annual pageant, "The Glory of Christmas." The conductor, Johnnie Carl, had arranged the music for the show, but it was prerecorded, so it's not clear whether "the show must go on"...
Carl had expressed that not only was his job stressful, but there were also pressures just dealing with people around him. That's what happens when your religion is about slick performances rather than gospel authenticity. Pastor Robert Schuller said, "His music brought joy to the millions of viewers around the world who watch the Crystal Cathedral's 'Hour of Power' television program each week." I'd say what he brought wasn't true joy, but just the appearance of joy. Too bad he couldn't plug into the source and receive some of that joy for himself...
Posted by aaronlord at December 17, 2004 11:10 AM
Comments
thats nuts, but makes a lot of sense.... people are so blinded by money, comfort, and lies... its quite sad...
Posted by: chase at December 17, 2004 12:32 PM
It's a reminder that it's easier to keep things looking good externally than it is to have your heart right before the Lord. I have been at churches (even Calvary Chapels) where the preparations for Christmas services were so stressful that most or all the joy of the celebration was sucked out of it for me. The message here is: there, but for the grace of God, go I.
He prepares a table before me. Will I take the time to pull up to the table and dig in?
Posted by: John Lord at December 17, 2004 12:57 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by Aaron before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
