Wag Those Tongues to God's Glory
If you haven't heard the Tyrolean Tongue Choir (from the Austrian Alps region of Tyrol) perform "a rumbling, a cappella chorus by flicking their tongues back and forth," frantically within their mouths, then you have clearly never truly experienced music! (Obviously spoken "tongue in cheek" LOL).
But seriously, it actually is a thing! Click here to listen to their moving version of "Moscow Nights," performed exclusively with their linguae naturales.
If you actually watch the video, you'll likely not get through it without either laughing or crigning. But if you close your eyes and just listen, it's actually quite entertaining.
Scripture has some pretty harsh words concerning the influence of the tongue.
"[T]he tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell" (James 3:5-6, ESV). ...
"But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8, ESV).
But take heart, all is not darkness! If anything, it's a pretty mixed bag ...
"Death AND LIFE are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:21, ESV).
"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God" (James 3:9, ESV).
We CAN learn to discipline our tongues for both our own good and the good of others.
"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18, ESV).
"For 'Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit'" (1 Peter 3:10, ESV).
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29, ESV).
"A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit" (Proverbs 15:4, ESV).
"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble" (Proverbs 21:23, ESV).
Since the tongue can be such a duplicitous vessel, we must be sure to petition the Lord to "Set a guard, O Lord, over [our] mouths; keep watch over the door of [our] lips!" (Psalms 141:3, ESV). To do anything less, puts us in great peril of judgment. "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37, ESV).
We can get a good chuckle out of the Austrian Tongue Choir. But it's such a riotously funny illustration of how the tongue CAN be used to make life more harmonious and pleasant.
Amidst the cacaphony of crassness, crudeness, cursing, and cruelty. Be the Austrian Tongue Choir, and wag those tongues to the rhythm of and to the glory of the grace of God!
Opposable Digits Are Anything But
Many (particularly naturalists) would argue that science and faith enjoy ZERO compatibility. But is it true that science and faith must be so diametrically opposed to one another?
Consider opposable digits. They are wondrous things. Most primates have them. But mans’ thumbs are uniquely designed for ultimate coordination:
The human opposable thumb is longer, compared to finger length, than any other primate thumb. This long thumb and its ability to easily touch the other fingers allow humans to firmly grasp and manipulate objects of many different shapes. The human hand can grip with strength and with fine control, so it can throw a baseball or sign a name on the dotted line.
So what do opposable digits have to do with the marriage of science and faith? Well, the noted scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics 1915, Sir William Bragg, made this astute connection …
Christianity and science are opposed … but only in the same sense as that which my thumb and forefinger are opposed — and between them, I can grasp everything.
Science and faith do not oppose one another. They fully and completely compliment one another. Science declares the heights and depths and intricacies of God’s creative powers, while faith gives reason to all of it.
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them” (Psalms 111:2, ESV).
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20, ESV).
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalms 19:1, ESV).
It's not WHAT you know; it's WHO you know!
For those of us from average American households, we don't always have the finances to just call a plumber, electrician, auto mechanic, or craftsman everytime something goes amuck in our lives or homes. If we don't have the resources and don't have the necessary skill or knowledge to address the issue, we start knocking on the neighbors' doors to ask for a helping hand. If that neighbor doesn't have the particular skill set either, they'll likely, at the least, "know a guy who knew a guy" who might help.
For example, growing up, I didn't consider my dad to be a particularly religious or spiritual man, but he did teach me spiritual lessons from time to time without even knowing it. For instance, he was a police officer and knew a lot of people, but he wasn't very handy when it came to "fixing things." So whenever the car broke down or a light switch needed to be replaced, his many community contacts ensured that he either knew guy, or would at least know a guy who knew a guy. To that point, he would often say, "It's not what you know; it's who you know."
Even though he couldn't fix a certain problem himslef, he always would know someone who could — and most of the time, it cost him nothing.
It's not what you know; it's WHO you know.
Life is full of challenges that, as mere mortals, we are utterly ill equipped to handle on our own. We lack the wisdom, strength, or even the understanding. That is why we are called to tap into the One Who does!
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:29, ESV).
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63, ESV).
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13, ESV).
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING" (John 15:4-5, ESV).