Pure goodness.

So there's a barbecue going on downstairs, and heaps of beautiful people are in my house...but I've gotta get this out....so I'm alone here upstairs. The party will wait.
So this morning I did what is fast becoming one of my favorite things to do. Hillsong Kids Worship. Songs with music bordering on cheesy, but with lyrics just as grown-up as big church songs and an environment that allows for as much craziness as one can muster up. Now you may be saying: 'Really Josh? kids worship? you should be doing bigger and better things.' I have actually heard this from someone already. Well, that may be true. And I'm sure it's coming. But here's the thing.
These kids know how to worship God.
Period.
Seriously, it's the purest, most innocent thing that I've ever been a part of. At one point today, the track and the band completely cut out and I could hear them singing, and I was blown away by these kids. The exuberance, bordering on complete abandon as they shouted out praise, was absolutely incredible. They don't know how to care what the person next to them thinks. Or who they need to impress...
My point is that when it comes time to sing to God, that's what they do. end of story.

So my question then is this:
Where did we learn to be so calloused? Where did we learn to care more for our reputation than lifting high the name of Jesus?
I'm not sure. Perhaps we got so caught up in the busy-ness of it all that we forgot to just stop and be HIS. I think that perhaps God may call that idolatry, being that the definition of the word is 'to put something/someone above God'.
The Israelites one time got caught up in this. And this is what God said in Amos chapter 5:21-27:

"I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.

Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, [b]
I will have no regard for them.

Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.

But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

"Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?

You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
the pedestal of your idols,
the star of your god [c]—
which you made for yourselves.

Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,"
says the LORD, whose name is God Almighty.

I want that to never ever ever ever be said about my worship. But I know that all too often that is the way it could be easily described, and I'm sure it's the same for you.

So I'm not sure what the answer is, but to just fall at His feet and be real. I'll let you know if I find anything else out.

....And the continuation

Watch this, it's brilliant.

I think not.

I'm feeling a bit cynical.
I don't like it.
But here's the thing.
There's an election happening soon, and I'm pretty sure that whatever the result is, I'm not going to be pleased.
On one hand, we have a candidate who is as smooth a talker as they come, and he sounds to me to be a good bet. But I doubt highly that he's got the experience to legitimately run the country. On the other hand, we have the gunslinger from Arizona, whom I fear will be just more of the same.
So I'm a bit torn.
The question then remains. Who will I be voting for?
McCain? I think not.
Obama? I think not.
I think I'll not be voting for president this time around.