Today we look at Entertainment the fifth of seven mountains, based on the Seven Mountains of Prayer focus of a 31-day prayer guide for Oregon. These seven mountains or focuses are family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business and government.
When most of us in America think of entertainment we think of watching a movie or our favorite sitcom and for most men they add watching their favorite sports team, here in Portland, Oregon the Trail Blazers (or Blazers for short) are the professional basketball team which comes to mind.
But I want to take us up the mountain of Entertainment to what I believe is the true calling of this mountain, to celebrate life. No matter the culture, men and women celebrate life, whether it is in the birth of a child, the beginning of a marriage or winning the basketball game. We love to celebrate, and well we should. God celebrates all the time. Think of the four living creatures in heaven recorded in Revelations 4:8 as they surround God’s throne with unending praise! I often think of what it would be like to stand and praise God for hours on end, oh what a joy that would be for me! Can you tell I would love to spend a whole weekend just in praise of our mighty God and that is why I believe celebration is what the mountain of entertainment is really all about!
In celebration, we are acknowledging great accomplishment for sure, go Blazers! I believe it is why the arts are included as part of this mountain, from the artist who paint and sculpt to the director of a feature film they all celebrate life in on form or another. I rejoice that God has created us to celebrate and have great joy!
So as we look to pray for this mountain we must pray for those scaling this mountain to remember the truth of what they are celebrating, for me that is a life in Christ! Often we see death is celebrated on this mountain which I believe really defeats the truth of the joy of this mountain top experience. You and I were not left at the cross, but rather we walk through to the resurrection of Christ walking through to the joy on the other side of the cross.
Luke 15:22-24 reminds us of what is to be the focus of our celebration…
But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.
Another hurdle to this mountain is depression, which desires to shroud this mountain to contain our expression of joy. We often think of the melancholy of the artist and the pain within their troubled soul. When someone is created to express joy of course they are going to have to overcome their own melancholy to do it. Just think of Michael Jackson, how different would his life have been if he could have overcome his own melancholy and expressed the joy of a life in Christ. What an amazing thing it would have been to see!
Finally, we must be willing to finish well as we see in Revelations 4:9-11
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Now that is what it is to be on the mountain of entertainment!
Blessings and Complete Joy,
Mildred
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