Marcus Aurelius (121-180 A.D.) was the Roman emperor from 161-180 A.D., although he is best known for his philosophical teachings and writings which are preserved to this day in his "Meditations." He wrote, "Observe how all things are continually being born of change. Whatever is, is in some sense the seed of what is to emerge from it." A century earlier, Ovid (43 B.C.-17 A.D.), in his epic poem on mythological transformations titled "Metamorphoses," observed, "All things change, but nothing dies." The world about us is ever changing, evolving, transforming; sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Within all of this endless transforming and becoming, however, there is an eternal constant that holds it all together and gives it meaning. Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948) expressed it this way: "I do dimly perceive that while everything around me is ever changing, ever dying, there is underlying all that change a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves, and recreates. That informing power of spirit is God, and since nothing else that I see merely through the senses can or will persist, He alone is."

Gandhi's thoughts bring to mind something the apostle Paul affirmed in his epistle to the church in Colossae. While speaking of the incomparable Christ Jesus, he declared, "By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:16-17). In the Amplified Bible, the last phrase in that passage reads, "His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe." I also like this rendering: "He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation" [J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English]. In view of this truth, it makes sense, does it not, that the one best suited to reveal to us the mind and will of God the Father would be Christ Jesus the Son?! Apparently God Himself thought so, for Hebrews 1:1-3 states, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." Thus, when we behold Jesus, and when we hear His words, the mind of God and His will for our lives is made manifest in its purest form. All else is mere commentary at best.

Deuteronomy 18:18 is a powerful Messianic prophecy that affirms the above truth. God said to Moses, "I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him." Jesus also affirms this: "I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me" (John 8:28). "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me" (John 12:49-50). "So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking to you now" (Hebrews 12:25a, Amplified Bible, classic edition). Far too often we scour the Scriptures, searching through the Bible, in the hope of discovering or deducing yet another doctrine or law or practice that will save us, when all along that which we seek stands right before us in the Person of Jesus! "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; yet it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life" (John 5:39-40). It is a sad fact, but true, that too often we are willing to listen to anyone and everyone except Him.

Although some may not be aware of this, there is an event in the life of Jesus, one that is familiar to us all, that powerfully proclaims this truth that it is HE we must listen to ... and no other ... when it comes to ascertaining ultimate Truth and the will of the Father with regard to our daily living. That event is the transfiguration, which can be read in all three of the synoptic gospel accounts: Matthew 17:1f, Mark 9:2f, and Luke 9:28f. It was witnessed in person by Peter, James, and John. Also present were Moses and Elijah, who were representative of the Law and the Prophets. Peter would later write, "We were with Him on the holy mountain when He received honor and glory from God the Father; we were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16-18). John also seems to allude to this event when he says, "We saw His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father" (John 1:14). Although a few over the years have suggested this experience of these three apostles was merely a shared dream or vision, both Peter and John, by their later declarations ("we saw" - "we were eyewitnesses"), clearly portray this as something far more. Further, Jesus Himself, as they were coming down from the mountain, "gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen" (Mark 9:9; cf. Luke 9:36).

Although this account of the transfiguration of Jesus is stunning in many ways, it is nevertheless true that it has some troubling aspects for some scholars. "This passage raises difficult literary, historical, and theological questions" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 383]. There are a few differences in the accounts of these three writers, for example. Matthew and Mark say the event occurred "six days later," whereas Luke says it was "eight days." Most feel this is easily explained by the fact that Matthew and Mark, both of whom where Jews, used one method of reckoning time, while Luke, a Gentile, used another (known as "the inclusive method"). In other words, Luke counts both the day of Peter's great confession of Jesus and the day of the transfiguration, and then adds those days to the interval of six days between those events, while Matthew and Mark only refer to the interval between them [see: Dr. C.E.W. Dorris, A Commentary on the Gospel According to Mark, p. 203].

There are also other differences found in the accounts. In Matthew, we find God saying from the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased." Mark leaves out the second phrase, and Luke has God saying, "This is My Son; My Chosen One." All three are different, yet all three include the phrase "Hear ye Him." Matthew and Mark use the Greek word "metamorphoo" (from which we get the word "metamorphosis"), which means "to change one's form; to transform; to transfigure," while Luke merely says that the face of Jesus "became different" (using the Greek word "heteros"). Luke mentions that the apostles had been sleeping, but were awakened by the events unfolding before them. The other two writers make no mention of this. And one can find other differences in the accounts as well. There is also no mention made of where this transfiguration took place, which has led to much speculation. Mt. Tabor is the traditional site chosen, "a tradition originating in the fourth century with Cyril of Jerusalem and Jerome. Recent opinion favors Mt. Hermon" [The Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. 1, p. 229]. There is also confusion among scholars as to why Peter requested to build three tabernacles: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Mark 9:6 informs us that Peter was so stunned by this event that "he didn't know what to say" (which, of course, rarely stopped him from saying something anyway). The Message reads, "He blurted this out without thinking." The Contemporary English Version says, "He did not know what he was talking about."

Although one could, and many do, stir up much controversy over these differences, they really don't take away at all from the primary purpose of the transfiguration. A powerful message was being delivered that day, and we dare not miss it. In reality, a number of important things were taking place, in addition to that primary message. Moses and Elijah were there "talking with" Jesus, "speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:30-31). Luke, by the way, is the only one who mentions this detail. The Greek word translated "departure" here is actually the word "exodos," which is a "going out from" (used here as a metaphor for death). An interesting choice of words, given the presence of Moses. Exactly what these two men conveyed to Jesus, or He to them, is not stated; only that the topic was His upcoming death in Jerusalem. Undoubtedly, however, He was being prepared or comforted or encouraged in some way, just as an angel came to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane "to strengthen Him" (Luke 22:43) just before His arrest. We also note that this glorification of Jesus, and His transfiguration, and the testimony of God from the cloud, were a needed encouragement to Peter, James, and John, for just prior to this Jesus had been talking with them of His upcoming death, and they were greatly troubled by that news. They too were in need of this powerful encouragement, for these three, among the original Twelve, would be the key figures of that group in the development of the early church of the first century. They needed to know that death held no power over those who were in God's hands. He is the God of the living and the dead, and by His power even the dead can live again. Moses was testimony to that. Also, when Jesus returns for His Bride (the church), they will "put on immortality" -- they will be changed; "When He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2). These three men got to see that ahead of that coming day! It was an important assuring message for them, which they would transmit to others in their teaching.

The main message of that event, however, is one that we often overlook altogether, and it is a message of truly great transformation in God's interaction with mankind. Something was changing; something very, very important. The shadows were fading away, and the bright, shining Substance was appearing. John the Baptist summed it up this way: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). I like the way The Message renders it: "This is the assigned moment for Him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines." A new and better covenant (as per the teaching of the book of Hebrews) was about to be put into effect. The Law and the Prophets had served their purpose; they were no longer necessary in the same way as before. That which ... and the ONE whom ... they had testified of was now here. Thus, as Peter sought to honor both Elijah (the Prophets) and Moses (the Law), these two vanished from sight, leaving only Jesus standing there, and the voice of God, affirming Him as His beloved Son, uttered this command: "Hear ye HIM." We are now no longer under Law, but under grace! It is not Law, but LOVE, that rules our hearts and lives. It is JESUS we now heed, NOT the words of prophets or the rules and regulations of religious leaders. A transformation has taken place, just as surely as the transfiguration witnessed that day almost 2000 years ago on that holy mountain. It is a transformation in how God deals with us, and a transformation within us as we respond in faith to Him and His free gift of justification and salvation.

It is interesting that the Greek word "metamorphoo," which Matthew and Mark used to describe the outward appearance of Jesus, is used only two more times in the New Covenant writings, and it is used to describe our own inner transfiguration or transformation. In his second preserved epistle to the Corinthians, Paul says that we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face to hide the shining radiance he experienced by being in the presence of God on the mountain where he received the two tablets of stone (Exodus 34:29-35). When we turn to the Lord and embrace Him by faith, however, "we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18, The Amplified Bible). The Contemporary English Version reads: "So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord." Notice how The Message renders the text: "And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him." Thus, this word (metamorphoo) "describes the believer's progressive change into the moral likeness of Christ" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 699]. It is a beauty that grows as we become more like Him, and it is a beauty that attracts others, for it radiates the fact of our freedom from sin and death, and also from endless regulatory Law and Tradition and rigid religious Ceremony.

The other occurrence of this Greek word, as it applies to the believer, is found in Romans 12:1-2. We are told that we are to present our bodies as "a living and holy sacrifice," and that this is "our spiritual service of worship." Notice Paul did NOT say anything about a "worship service" (that phrase never appears in the NT writings, not even one time). Our lives of Spirit-led and -based service to those around us IS our worship; it is the expression of the devotion of our hearts. Our daily lives are worshipful in nature when our attitudes and actions express our sincere LOVE for God and our fellow man. THIS is what we offer up to our Father as our acceptable sacrifice, and this is the very essence of true worship! It is not in regulated acts performed within a building on Sunday; it is loving attitudes and actions expressed daily in our lives! Thus, after saying this, Paul then adds: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (vs. 2), by which we come to better discern His will for us and then act on that understanding in our lives. Notice the wording of the Amplified Bible: "Do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes]." I love the way The Message words this passage: "Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." As the outer man of Jesus was transfigured, so our Lord transfigures our inner man!

The major message of the event known as the Transfiguration of Jesus is that a HUGE change has come in how God relates to and speaks to mankind. He NOW does it through His Son Jesus Christ. Moses (Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) both vanished from sight, leaving JESUS ALONE. The Lord God then commanded "Hear ye HIM." "Jesus is the prophet and lawgiver now. He is the one who speaks from heaven, and He is the mediator of the new covenant. They had previously heard Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets); now they must hear Christ. 'Hear ye Him' is the chief significance of the whole affair" [Dr. C.E.W. Dorris, A Commentary on the Gospel According to Mark, p. 207]. H. Leo Boles (1874-1946), a minister, writer, and early president of David Lipscomb College, wrote, "This is an important lesson impressed in a most emphatic way: the heavenly visitors had disappeared and left Jesus alone to occupy the prominent place in the great scheme of the redemption of man. God had pointed Him out as His Son and heaven had commanded that He, and He alone, be heard" [A Commentary on the Gospel According to Luke, p. 201-202]. Drs. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown write: "Hear Him - reverentially, implicitly, alone" [Commentary Practical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, p. 1002]. "'Listen to Him' is not only a command; it is a correction of the human tendency to substitute human opinion for divine revelation. Jesus alone is the True Prophet, the Chosen Servant, and the Son of God" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 928]. "This glorious transformation of the appearance of Christ is the most significant event between His birth and passion. In each of the synoptic Gospels, it stands as a magnificent Christological statement" [ibid, p. 925].

"It is a durative command. Thus, 'HIM be hearing!' is in effect to this day" [Dr. R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel, p. 659]. "The verb is a present imperative, speaking of continuous action. The verb, in this context, does not merely refer to the act of hearing, in the sense of listening to, but to the act of obeying what is heard" [Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, vol. 1, p. 177]. If we love Him, we'll do more than just lend Him our ears, we'll also surrender to Him our hearts! This is the Greek word "akouo," which appears with the genitive. We are asked not only to hear, but to understand; and to truly understand should motivate us to act upon that which we have heard and understood. Our allegiance is not to any religious leader or group, or to a particular party or sect. Our allegiance is to the Lord alone! It is HIM we are to hear and heed. "He alone must now be attended to, as the way, the truth, and the life; for no man can now come unto the Father but through Him" [Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, vol. 5, p. 177]. "There are thousands of priests in the world who say, 'Hear us'; but the Father says, 'Hear Him.' Many voices clamor for our attention; new philosophies, modern theologies, and old heresies revived, all call to us and entreat us to hearken; but the Father says, 'Hear Him'" [Charles Spurgeon]. "And so the command, 'Hear ye Him,' gained a new significance. Not the traditions of the elders, or the doctrines of the scribes and Pharisees, not even the teaching of Moses and Elijah, of the Law and the Prophets, but the words of the Son of Man, were henceforth to command their allegiance, and to be the guide of their faith and lives" [Dr. Charles Ellicott, Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 6, p. 104]. May it be so for us, as well.

From a D.Min. in Oklahoma:

Al, I am ordering five USB thumb drives of your "Reflections: The Complete Collection." I really appreciate all the information you have provided over the years. Your writings have helped me to grow past the hardline denominational thinking that occupied much of my life. Happiness and peace now occupy the place where doubt and insecurity once lived. "It was for freedom that I have been set free." Truth is a tremendous freeing agent. I have a grandson who is deployed overseas. He is a young man developing his faith and walk with Jesus. I plan to send one of the thumb drives to him, and I can't express enough how confident I am that your writings will help him in his maturing and development. Thank you, Al, for being a true blessing for the world through your writing ministry.

From an Actor/Producer in Hollywood:

Al, I don't respond to every issue of your Reflections, but I do read them, and I want you to know that they are all published with the highest level of intelligence. They are well-researched and well-presented. Right now, however, I do want to say a huge YES and AMEN to your latest article titled "From Exclusion to Inclusion: Pondering a Puzzling Divine Decree" (Reflections #890). Al, the more I read your articles, the more I realize just how little I really know about the Scriptures. But, my learning is increasing the more I read your studies! Thank you so much, brother, for all your great work! Now, for a request: would you point me to any studies you have done that address the issue of head-coverings in 1 Corinthians 11. I personally knew Don King, and many of the other brethren in that "anti" movement who espoused his views. Some of them were/are so legalistic that no matter the subject of their sermon, the issue of women's hair and coverings always were worked into the message. Thanks in advance, Al. I really appreciate your presentations of well-studied topics in the Bible.

• There are a couple of articles that might prove helpful to this brother whom I have been blessed to know for many years. The first is Reflections #216 - "Head Coverings For Women: Local Custom or Universal Command?" The second article is Reflections #276 - "Trim Not Thy Tresses: The Snipped Hair HAIResy." -- Al Maxey

From a Minister in New Zealand:

Al, Thanks for your latest Reflections ("From Exclusion to Inclusion"). Good article, Al. Yes, there are many things in the Bible that are either types or inferior to the full-grown understanding of things. Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas. It has been an eventful year for all of us. We are so glad you have President Trump back in office. May God bless you and your nation.

From a Reader in Tennessee:

Hey Al, I hope you are doing well. I continue to appreciate your Reflections articles, and I hope you continue to share your research, vision, and wisdom for many years to come. You truly have made an impact on so many people, including me! Your fresh approach to authentically examining the Scriptures is revitalizing! Al, I've been going out on Sundays lately to a small Christian Church congregation to preach. They are a delight. One of the elders there asked me yesterday if I would help him get on your subscription list for your Reflections. He is truly a lover of the Word and a free thinker. I have shared several of your studies with him. Shalom, brother! Also, Al, you should know that thousands of people, who have been so encouraged by your writing ministry, are so glad that God chose this path for you! You are a pure joy to know through your transparency and authenticity! Blessings, my friend! P.S. - Happy Veterans' Day, and thank you for your service to our country!

From a Minister in Hawaii:

Aloha, Al. I hope this finds you in great spirits and prospering in every way! Mahalo for being someone who has been a channel of many blessings to me over the years, as well as being someone I can always reach out to when needed.

From a Reader in New Mexico:

Thank you, Al, for sharing your thoughts with us through your writings and the recordings of your classes. I admire your courage and your strength. I'm glad that God put you and Shelly and your family in my life. You all have impacted my life over the years, and you have strengthened my faith in God. Again, I thank God I have you all in my life. You have been such a good example to me.

From a Reader in Washington:

Al, I have long been impressed by the way you persevere in the face of harsh opposition from those who disagree with you. That shows strength of character, and my husband and I (we're both in our 90s) are both so thankful for who God has led you to be! You have impacted our lives more than you will ever know. You have strengthened our faith, and also our conviction that we did the right thing years ago when we chose to give up legalism. That choice came from reading your Reflections. We are so happy that we chose that "road less traveled" that led us out of that bondage. God bless you, Al, and may you continue serving others through your writings as long as you are able to do so. I believe we should never retire from doing what God would have us to do as long as we have breath in our bodies!

From a Reader in Texas:

Al, Truth has no fear of being examined. About 40 years ago I started studying the Bible with an open mind instead of with the indoctrination I had had since birth. Al, I really like to examine your Reflections. I don't always totally agree with you, but I always come away more informed and educated on different understandings. Keep them coming, brother!

From a Reader in Mississippi:

Thank you, Al, for your article titled "Reenacting Our Redemptive Reality: Significant Symbol vs. Salvific Sacrament" (Reflections #617), which you wrote almost eleven years ago. I believed what I was taught most of my life, with works-salvation being a part of it (even though we in the Church of Christ claimed it wasn’t works). And I’ve heard about “contacting the blood at baptism,” but I was never able to see it from the Scriptures. Thank you for this article. I’ve believed that baptism is a symbol for years now, but had never thought about the fact of some “elevating this symbol to a sacrament.” When you pointed this out, a light bulb went on in my head. I have copied and pasted this article for future reference. Thank you. Thank you!

From an Elder in North Carolina:

Al, I recently realized something that should have been obvious to me years ago, and I would like to have your input as to whether anyone else has used it. I first questioned the teaching against the use of IM (instrumental music) when I was 17. At that time, I thought it was the weakest argument I had ever heard, but I didn't follow up on it until I retired. Then I really studied it, and it was then that I also saw your analysis on specificity versus silence (some of which were Reflections #15 - "Two 'Silence' Principles: A Letter to Dr. Stafford North" ... Reflections #15a - "Specificity or Silence? Determining Prohibition and Exclusion" ... Reflections #456 - "Silence Before the Bench: The Failure of Legalists to Discern the Significance of Specificity vs. Silence"). I have never heard anyone state my latest realization, however, and, like "specificity," it seems so obvious that I couldn't believe I had missed it for 70+ years!

A close family member posted on Facebook about the "evils of IM," and I replied with Colossians 3:16, which commanded us to "teach and admonish" using "psalms." Then I pointed him to Psalm 33, which said, "Praise the Lord with harp..." Then I thought about the answer I was always given when I said that IM was used in the OT - "Yeah, but we are under a new law." When I once pointed out to a cousin, who was a longtime Church of Christ preacher, that the definition of the word "psalm" is to pluck or strum, he replied that the text was talking about the "heart strings." Kinda' lame, huh?! Anyway, my realization was that Paul commands, in a way, that the OT psalms be used to teach and admonish, and that Psalm 33 is very explicit in what it says about stringed instruments. Sooo, are these people still going to tell me that I'm going to Hell for using IM?! Sad. BTW, I once sent your articles on specificity to my cousin, and he later wrote something along the same line, but he never admitted that it applied to IM. I know for a fact that some preachers have avoided teaching what they knew to be true out of fear for their jobs. I may have done the same if I were in their shoes, I don't know. I do know that it was the major factor in my leaving the last Church of Christ congregation, and why I now go to the Christian Church.

• Like this reader, I have long believed the arguments against the use of instruments were ridiculous and poorly reasoned. Tradition is largely the basis of that opposition, not Truth. Whenever a person or group elevates their tradition (their personal or party preferences, perceptions, and practices) to divine precepts/law, there is going to be conflict among believers. If one truly examines the Scriptures without bias one way or the other, one simply cannot arrive at the position that God is so opposed to the use of instruments in this present dispensation of grace that He will "send to Hell to burn forever" those who praise Him with such. That is an absurdity, and it, frankly, comes close to being blasphemous! This is especially true in light of the passage in Revelation where God gives the redeemed harps to use in praising Him! Hmmm -- the redeemed are singing the new song and plucking harps in heaven, while those who did so here on earth are burning in hell?! I have asked this of some of the anti-IM folk, and they just say it's all figurative. Even if that is true, would God use a figure for praise that is completely contrary to the "truth" it supposedly represents?! If God is so opposed to their use, why would He use the "figure" of their use in such a positive way?! They have no response for this, other than calling us "apostates." I would refer the reader to my following article: "Holding Harps of God: Singers Singing/Harpers Harping Redemption's Sweet Song" (Reflections #297). I followed this article up with another in which I dealt with an editorial that Buster Dobbs wrote in the Firm Foundation, and I dealt with the whole "silence" and "specificity" matter once again, and I also suggested a hermeneutic that was more enlightened, in my view, and which better explained the flaw of the anti-IM position. That article is Reflections #298 ("Brother Buster Breaks Silence: Critiquing a Firm Foundation Editorial by Editor H.A. 'Buster' Dobbs").

  Another important flaw in the anti-IM position is that they have failed to perceive that in the Ephesian and Colossian texts there are actually TWO audiences in view by Paul (and also, they fail to perceive that these texts are NOT about a "worship service"). The "heart" music is for God; the audio music is for His people, and it is the latter where various forms of musical expression are appropriate and approved. God hears our hearts; that is where HIS focus is. We, on the other hand, are moved, and are created by Him to be moved, by what touches our senses. That article is Reflections #454 ("Legalism's Twin Proof-Texts: Allowing Tradition to Trump Truth"). The reader might also consider my following study on how music affects us: "Thank You, Lord, for the Harp: A Response to a Misguided Minister's Chart" (Reflections #822).

  As for this brother's realization about the use of psalms, I think his understanding is exactly right! The OT psalms were important to the early disciples (especially the Jews), and even the Gentiles were not unfamiliar with expressing devotion through music and song (and even dance). It becomes very problematic when we find the early church singing psalms, which they did for centuries, and yet many of those psalms were set to music, sung along with IM accompaniment, and within the text of such psalms the use of IM was even commanded and shown to be approved by God. If Paul urged/commanded the singing of psalms, and those psalms urged the use of IM, where then is the valid argument of the non-IM group?! I did an article on this that such people ought to consider carefully: "The Hallel From Hell: Reflecting on Psalm 150" (Reflections #655). The non-IM group might also want to consider that when the prodigal son returned home, the father hosted a "symphony" within his house for the son who was lost and was now found. The elder brother (we have a bunch of them, don't we) wouldn't go into the house -- too many instruments?? (LOL). Notice my following article: "Symphony for Salvaged Sinners: A Celebration with Music and Dancing within our Heavenly Father's House" (Reflections #567). -- Al Maxey

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